Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce
Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce
The Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce (ACRH-HW) is dedicated to strengthening
Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æâ€™s health workforce, with a focus on rural communities and addressing workforce
shortages. The Center oversees various programs, including the Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Area Health
Education Centers (AHEC), which operate through six regional community-based centers
across the state. As part of the Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ'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.
UAA's Area Health Education Center (AHEC) helped bring hands-on healthcare career opportunities to over 100 students at a career fair in Ninilchik, where they engaged in activities like sheep eye dissections to explore health-related fields.
The 2025 ALPHA Health Summit, held at the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage, featured a session on combating substance use disorders through academic detailing, presented by UAA’s Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce (ACRH-HW).
Della Keats was an Iñupiaq healer whose legacy in traditional healing resonates across Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ. In her honor, UAA offers programs to support rural and Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Native students pursuing careers in health care.
This year’s Fall Grand Rounds, organized by UAA’s Interprofessional Education Committee (IPE) and the Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce (ACRH-HW), focused on the topic of Traditional Healing by request from rural communities.
The Della Keats program introduces students from all parts of Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ to college courses, dorm life and big-city educational opportunities specific to health-science.