Southeast Alaska: Skagway, Angoon and Hoonah have the best health outcomes in Alaska - Skagway, Angoon and Hoonah are ranked as having the most favorable health outcomes for length and quality of life across Alaska, according to the sixth annual County Health Rankings. The rankings, released recently by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute provide county-to-county comparisons within a state.

“The rankings provide an opportunity for community leaders to assess how their areas compare to other parts of Alaska and to all of the U.S. on various measures of health,” said Dr. Jay Butler, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer and director of the Alaska Division of Public Health. “In these times of scarce resources, this information can help guide determining where investments are needed to make our communities healthier and more attractive as places to live, work and play.”

The rankings are an easy-to-use snapshot comparing the health of nearly every county in the nation. The local-level data allow each state to see how its counties compare on 30 factors that influence health, including education, housing, violent crime, jobs, diet and exercise. Alaska’s data are broken out by 15 boroughs and 12 census areas, although four of these — Aleutians East, Bristol Bay, Denali and Yakutat — are not included in the survey due to their low population counts.

According to the 2015 rankings, the healthiest area in Alaska is Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon, followed by Aleutians West, Juneau, Kodiak Island Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough and Haines Borough. The areas with the poorest health outcomes are the Wade Hampton, Nome, Yukon-Koyukuk and Bethel census areas, and the Northwest Arctic Borough. Out of the combined 27 boroughs and census areas in the state, Wrangell -Petersburg ranks 8th in Overall Health Outcomes, Ketchikan ranks 9th, the Municipality of Anchorage ranks 12th, Sitka ranks 14th and Prince of Wales ranks 17th.

You can find out how healthy each county/borough is and explore factors that drive the health of each. In the Ketchikan Borough for example, the report notes adult smoking at 23% in Ketchikan compared to 21% statewide. Excessive drinking in the Ketchikan Borough is reported at 21%, statewide is 19%. 28% of children in Ketchikan live in single parent house-holds, and 14% of Ketchikan's children live in poverty. Drinking water violations in the borough are 93% according to the report. - More...
Tuesday PM - April 14, 2015

Fish Factor: Donations of Fish & Game to More Food Programs a Possibility By LAINE WELCH - Caribou instead of corn dogs… salmon instead of Trout Treasures… seal meat in place of spaghetti – all could soon be available to more Alaskans if traction continues on a new bipartisan bill before the Alaska legislature.

The bill - HB 179 - allows schools, senior centers, hospitals, child care centers and other facilities to accept and serve fish, game, plants and eggs that are donated by subsistence and sport users.

Currently, well-meaning state laws intended to prevent the commercial sale of wild game make the practice illegal if a program accepting food donations charges for the meal at any point before it is consumed. This means schools and senior centers, for example, are unable to provide meals containing subsistence- or sport-caught wild food if they accept any payment, including from federal or state meal programs.

Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins of Sitka introduced the measure, saying: “It will nourish Alaska’s children and elders, both physically and spiritually. It will limit the amount of expensive and unhealthy processed food shipped to communities that have incredible food available just a short boat or snow machine ride away. Children will develop an appreciation where their food comes from and elders will be able to keep eating the foods they love.” - More...
Tuesday PM - April 14, 2015

Southeast Alaska: Resolution Urges 24 Hour a Day Access to the Border Between Hyder & British Columbia - Monday, the Alaska House of Representatives voted unanimously for a resolution urging the Canadian government to keep the border open 24 hours a day between Hyder, Alaska and Stewart, British Columbia. House Joint Resolution 22 is sponsored by Representative Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan). Earlier this month the Canadian Border Services Agency implemented a closure of the border crossing from midnight to 8 am.

“The Canadian government made the decision to close the only border crossing between Hyder and Stewart in an effort to save money,” said Rep. Ortiz. “That may be a worthy goal but what they have done in reality is negatively impact commerce, tourism and emergency services.” - More...
Tuesday PM - April 14, 2015

Alaska: Legislation Aims to Create Living Wage Standards and Calls for Increase to the Minimum Wage - Today, Representative Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage) and Representative Harriet Drummond (D-Anchorage) joined thousands of Americans taking action on unfair pay practices by introducing the Equal Pay and Living Wage Act. The bill, which is introduced on Equal Pay Day, increases the minimum wage to a $15 living wage starting January 1, 2017.

“Alaskan woman make 67 cents to every Alaskan man’s dollar. This means women are working harder than ever to make ends meet,” said Rep. Tarr. “Across the country cities and states are recognizing that a strong middle class leads to a strong economy and fair wages help accomplish that.”

Nationally, Equal Pay Day symbolizes the gender wage gap where women had to work from January 1, 2014 to April 14, 2015 for a salary their male counterparts earned within the January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 calendar year. Because of the bigger wage gap in Alaska, May 1 is Alaska’s pay equity day. That’s nearly one month after the national pay equity day.

“The fact of the matter is that we have not made enough progress in making sure women are paid fairly,” said Rep. Drummond. “This bill is a step forward in making Alaska a place where a woman’s hard work is valued and rewarded just as much as any man’s.” - More...
Tuesday PM - April 14, 2015