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.
Teresa Lowe, a Lecturer for the MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program, a partnership between UAA and the University of Washington School of Medicine, has been recognized as PA of the Year for her outstanding contributions to the field.
Earlier this year, Megan Eilers, a health occupations teacher at Hutchison High School in Fairbanks, was named a 2023-24 Milken Educator Award recipient, an honor considered to be the “Oscars of teaching.”
UAA School of Nursing Director Carla Hagen and Associate Director Kristin Lutz were inducted into the Western Academy of Nurses, recognizing their dedication to strengthening the UAA School of Nursing program.
Ever since she was six years old, Panikaa Teeple, B.S.W. Social Work ’21, knew that spreading love was her life’s purpose. Next year, Teeple will have the opportunity to spread love internationally as UAA’s latest recipient of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant, which provides students in more than 140 countries the opportunity to pursue graduate study and research abroad.
Dr. Tina DeLapp, a UAA emerita Professor of Nursing, and Pheobe Bales, a legal studies student, have received awards for their outstanding achievements in philanthropy.