Funded Projects

Strengthening Pediatric Community Ties Across Alaska

Project Year

2026

City & State

Anchorage, Alaska

Program Name

Implementation

Topic

Access/Barriers to Health Care (LHI)

Program Description

Children living in rural and remote communities across Alaska experience substantial and persistent barriers to timely, high-quality pediatric medical care. More than 200 Alaskan communities are off the road system, many without consistent on-site pediatric providers. Families in these areas frequently contend with extreme weather, limited transportation, inconsistent broadband access, and fragmented communication with the healthcare system. As a result, parents often lack clear guidance about when and how to seek care, leading to delayed treatment, unnecessary emergency department visits, and avoidable medical evacuations for conditions that could be managed earlier with appropriate support. These challenges disproportionately affect Alaska Native and rural families, contributing to inequities in pediatric health access across the state.  The primary setting for this project is rural and remote Alaska, with implementation occurring through community-based partnerships including school nurses, tribal health organizations, village clinics, community health aides, and local leaders. The target population includes families with children from birth through 18 years of age residing in bush and off-road communities. This project is expected to directly reach at least 2,000 children in its first year through community partners and outreach efforts, with broader indirect impact as the network expands statewide.  The goal of this project is to improve equitable access to pediatric medical care for families in remote Alaska by building a family-centered, community-connected access and resource network that creates clear, trusted pathways to Alaska-based pediatric services. The project aims to empower parents with knowledge, tools, and local support so they can more confidently navigate their children’s healthcare needs, while strengthening collaboration between community partners and pediatric providers.  The proposed intervention is the development and implementation of a coordinated communication network that links families in remote communities with Alaska-based pediatric expertise through community-supported pathways. Key components include: (1) establishing partnerships with at least 10 rural stakeholders who serve as trusted local touchpoints for families; (2) creating culturally responsive, plain-language educational materials that clarify when and how to seek pediatric care, including distinctions between urgent and non-urgent concerns; (3) developing simple, step-by-step navigation tools such as quick-reference guides and digital access pathways for parents and community partners; and (4) providing virtual training and information sessions for school nurses, village health aides, and community leaders to enhance local capacity to support families. Ongoing feedback from families and partners will guide iterative improvements throughout the project.  Anticipated outcomes include increased awareness and utilization of Alaska-based pediatric services among rural families, improved parental confidence in healthcare decision-making, and stronger collaboration between community partners and pediatric providers. The project is expected to reduce delays in care for non-emergent urgent conditions, decrease unnecessary emergency department visits and medical evacuations, and enhance continuity of care for children in remote communities. Ultimately, this initiative will establish a sustainable, scalable model for strengthening pediatric access across Alaska, ensuring that geography is less of a barrier to high-quality, family-centered care.

Project Goal

To improve equitable access to high-quality pediatric medical care for children in rural and remote Alaska by building a family-centered, community-connected access and resource network that strengthens communication, trust, and pathways to Alaska-based pediatric support.

Project Objective 1

Objective 1 (Access & Utilization)  By the end of the 12-month project period, increase awareness of and clear pathways to Alaska-based pediatric services among families in participating rural communities, as evidenced by a 30% increase in parent-reported understanding of when and how to seek pediatric care compared with baseline.

Project Objective 2

Objective 2 (Community Capacity)  By Month 10, establish and actively engage at least 10 rural community partners (e.g., schools, tribal organizations, village clinics, community leaders) who regularly use project tools and participate in at least one training or feedback session.

Project Objective 3

By the end of the project period, improve timely, appropriate use of pediatric services in participating communities, demonstrated by: (a) increased same-day non-emergent pediatric consultations for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions and (b) reduced parent-reported reliance on emergency departments for conditions that could be managed earlier.

AAP District

District VIII

Institutional Name

Alaska Children's Urgent Care And Outreach

Contact 1

Jennifer Austin, APRN, CPNP

Contact 2

Griese Williams, MD