Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce
The Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce (ACRH-HW) is dedicated to strengthening
Alaska’s health workforce, with a focus on rural communities and addressing workforce
shortages. The Center oversees various programs, including the Alaska Area Health
Education Centers (AHEC), which operate through six regional community-based centers
across 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 partnerships,
and intercampus collaboration. It provides a statewide framework to support health
workforce development, from career exploration and training to continuing education.
Dr. Corrie Whitmore, an associate professor in the Division of Population Health Sciences, and her team at UAA’s Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services are celebrating the recent publication of a new article. The paper, which was published in the Dec. 2025 issue of Nursing for Women’s Health, offers a framework and actionable strategies for nurses to improve communication and patient experience in discussions around substance use and contraception.
School of Social Work Assistant Professor Amana Mbise and ISER Research Assistant Professor Nathan West are exploring the relationships that Black barbershops play in men's health. Their community-based research prioritizes the lived experiences of the men they talk to, and is revealing how barbershops function not just as grooming spaces, but as social and cultural hubs.
As a neonatal nurse practitioner at Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital and adjunct faculty member for the UAA School of Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice alumna and graduate student hooding ceremony speaker for the fall Class of 2025 Stacy Brunquist weaves education into everything she does — training new caregivers, guiding parents learning to care for their newborns, and sharing knowledge with professionals from Utqiaġvik to Sitka.
Ambra McMillian is an Assistant Professor of Dental Hygiene in the School of Therapeutic Sciences, where she combines her passion for the field with the fulfillment of guiding students as they learn and grow.
Dacia Davis, a clinical assistant professor in the School of Social Work and a graduate of UAA's MSW program, finds inspiration in teaching and community.
