Connecting Kids to Doctors in Remote Alaska

In Alaska, children have limited access to pediatric providers. The geography and weather can make it tough for families to visit the doctor. Risk factors associated with poverty, racial and ethnic disparities, and education only exacerbate the issue. School nurses, especially in rural communities, are often unable to reach doctors when treating sick or injured children during the school day. As a result, kids will often go home with their parent or guardian, then return to school the next day still sick.  

Jennifer Austin, APRN, CPNP, and Sheryl Cohen, MD, received a Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) grant to address these specific barriers. With your donations, they sought to help kids in rural Alaska miss fewer days and make it easier for them to succeed in school. 

They created a telemedicine platform for school nurses, parents, families, and students to connect virtually with a pediatric provider. Providing convenient access to pediatricians allowed students to return to class more quickly, decreased the length of illnesses because they got more efficient treatment, and gave parents a direct line of communication with pediatric providers. 

Expanding Access to More Schools 

The project was initially designed just for the Ketchikan school district, which had only one nurse and a handful of health aides. From there, Ms. Austin approached the Kenai Peninsula School District, which was also interested in a partnership.  

“Because of the success of connecting with providers, pediatric practices, schools, professional organizations, community hospitals, and trusts during the project, I have incredible community support to continue expanding virtual resources throughout Alaska,” Ms. Austin says.  

As one health organization discontinued operations completely in Alaska, Ms. Austin established a new entity, Alaska Children's Urgent Care and Outreach. It’s partnering with additional school districts across the state to offer virtual consultation to students at school while continuing to offer direct pediatric telehealth consultation to children and families from their homes. 

A Life-saving Impact 

This CATCH project has already made an incredible difference. In one case, a 10-year-old girl was sent to the school nurse after lunch for a cough and sore throat. The school nurse connected with the pediatric provider for a video consultation. The provider noted that the child was coughing, clearing her throat constantly and began to develop hives. Upon questioning, the student talked about her allergy to peaches and said she tasted a fruit cup from her friend's lunchbox.  

The provider immediately recognized early anaphylaxis and coached the school nurse through administering an EpiPen. If it weren’t for the virtual consultation, the outcome could have been very different—the closest pediatric primary care provider is more than 100 miles away from the school.  

When we talk about AAP impact, we often talk about reach. In this case, we mean it very literally: The AAP improves the health and well-being of children even in the most remote corners of the country. By supporting the AAP, you become part of that network, helping to improve the lives of kids everywhere.