Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce
The Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce (ACRH-HW) is committed to strengthening
and diversifying Alaska’s health workforce, especially in rural communities and underserved
populations. The Center is composed of a variety of programs, most notably the Alaska
Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) which is composed of six regional community based
centers throughout the state. As part of the University of Alaska Anchorage's role
as the state's health campus, the Center supports health program planning, community partnership, diversity, inclusion and intercampus
collaboration. The Center provides the framework of statewide community partnerships
to support the full pipeline of health workforce development from career exploration
to health program training to continuing education.
This summer, high school students in the Della Keats Program, administered by UAA’s WWAMI School of Medical Education, spent four immersive weeks at UAA's Anchorage campus, engaging in health science coursework and experiencing residential life.
UAA Justice Center Professor, Sharon Chamard provides expertise on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), emphasizing the importance of design elements like natural surveillance, access control, and maintenance in creating safer communities.
The UAA Hunger and Homelessness Support Network (HHSN) was created to identify and combat housing insecurities that students face. UAA Alumni and current Academic Advisor Jennifer Spencer is one of the three people serving as HHSN Chair. She explains how she uses her personal experiences with homelessness to help find solutions for students.