Responses to Questions

Submitted by Robin Wahto and Cindy Zimmerman, CTC

1.         Top 15 health and social welfare needs of the state:

·        increase the number of trained healthcare workers, specifically in the areas of nursing and allied health

·        decrease tobacco use

·        decrease substance abuse

·        address issue of increasing obesity and associated illnesses, i.e. diabetes

·        provide adequate water and sewer systems throughout the state

·        improve access to healthcare and provide health insurance for the uninsured and underinsured populations

·        improve access to dental care for underserved populations

·        anticipate and assess needs for aging population

·        incorporate cultural awareness into all aspects of healthcare systems

2.                  Services offered by UAA:

a.   Training:

      Courses in the following:

·        Emergency Medical Technician (EMT I)

·        Emergency Trauma Technician (ETT)

·        Medical Transcription

·        Medical Insurance and Coding

·        Clinical Laboratory Assisting

Certificates in the following: 

·        Dental Assisting

·        Health Care Assistant

·        Medical Assisting

·        Phlebotomy

·        Dietary Manager

·        Therapeutic Massage

·        Pharmacy Technician

AAS degrees in the following:

·        Nursing

·        Dental Assisting

·        Dental Hygiene

·        Medical Assisting

·        Medical Laboratory Technology

·        Human Services

·        Culinary Arts

·        Paramedic Technology (completion program)

·        Radiologic Technology (pending BOR approval)

·        Speech Pathology Assistant

BA, BS, BSN, Masters in the following:

·        Social Work (BSW and MSW)

·        Nursing (BSN and MSN)

·        Human Services (BHS)

·        Health Science (BS) --  for PA students and new proposal

·        Medical Technology  (BS) (pending BOR approval)

b.      direct services

·        Dental Hygiene Clinic (cleanings, x-rays, sealants – at reduced cost)

·        Massage Therapy Clinic (massage for public at reduced cost)

·        various allied healths students volunteer at health fairs, Special Olympics, dental health education to 500 elementary students in Anchorage, various practica  in hospitals and privates offices

c.       research

The faculty in CTC have bipartite workloads so we do not have any funded research projects in CTC.  Do not have first-hand knowledge of research in other colleges at UAA.

d.      networking

·        CTC faculty and students network with professionals in the community through practica, specifically dental and medical offices, pharmacies, hospitals, extended care facilities, ambulance services, and statewide native corporations

·        each program has an advisory committee

·        each program is associated with a professional association

·        CTC faculty serve as national accrediting site visitors

·        CTC faculty participate in Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association (ASHNHA) Healthcare Consortium Committee and sub-committees

·        CTC faculty have worked with UAF Allied Health faculty as UAF Tanana Valley Campus has developed new programs in allied health

·        CTC faculty have networked with various professionals throughout the state as they delivered allied health courses as distance courses

3.         Other players:

·        hospitals and nursing homes, ASHNHA

·        native corporations

·        State of Alaska Department of Health and Human Services

·        Alaska Center for Rural Health

·        Medical insurance companies

·        Alaska Mental Health Trust

·        individual healthcare professionals

·        UAF and UAS

4.         UAA interacts with them through

·        Advisory committees

·        ASHNHA

·        Adult Learning Center

·        professional associations

·        distance education

·        providing CEUs

·        assignment of students to practica sites

5.         Health and social welfare consumers:

·        potentially all Alaskans

·        other non-residents living in Alaska

6.         UAA interacts with them

·        as students

·        consumers of our direct services

·        through health fairs, Special Olympics, public schools

·        through professional associations

7.         UAA is sole or leading provider

·        leading provider of nursing education, allied health education, and social welfare education

·        sole provider for training in areas of dental hygiene, med lab tech, med tech, radiologic tech, pharmacy tech, speech therapy assistant

8.         Needs not being met

·        healthcare/insurance coverage for all Alaskans

·        dental and medical care for those who lack funds

·        training needs for high number of healthcare workers need in the state

Part II

1.         All programs that have a health or social welfare component -

                        These are listed above in 2b.training.

2.         not aware of any specific projects 

3.         Relationships/Programs there should be

·        coordination of memorandum of agreements for various programs utilizing the same practica/clinical rotations

·        coordination of core classes required for UAA health degrees; ultimately coordination with UAF and UAS for uniformity of core classes

·        sharing of successful projects among departments, i.e. the RRANN project in the School of Nursing

4.  Ideal presence

·        a “Health Sciences” building where all health programs/departments could be co-located

·        a council of health directors/deans with representation from all discplines/departments

·        a combined/joint advisory committee with representation from all disciplines at UAA

·        an advisor for the health occupations that we don’t have at UAA, i.e. pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy

5.         Obstacles

·        history

·        politics