Community Health Aides
August 2007

The innovative distance-learning program provides Community Health Aides in rural Alaska the opportunity to learn basic skills. The program is a collaborative effort by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, the Anchorage CHAP Training Center, Chugachmiut, and Eastern Aleutian Tribes. Seven students participated in an online graduation ceremony last month, where they were each praised for their participation in this pioneering program. The inaugural class included Jeremy Jeffries from Nondalton; Henry Erickson, Chignik Lagoon; Michael Trefon, Nanwalek; Crystal Talyat, Copper River; Wes Breedlove, Port Graham; Sandy Lopez, Cold Bay; and Kendra Eguia, King Cove.

In his keynote address, Dr. Walter Johnson stated, “New health aides will provide significant service to the residents of their communities.” He challenged the students to be “health enhancement mentors.” Their efforts can improve the quality of life, particularly in the areas of coronary, stroke, obesity, diabetes and cancer. All are leading causes of death among Alaskan Natives.

Special speakers at the June 15 event included Paul Sherry, CEO of ANTHC; Dr. Kenneth Glifort, Area Deputy Director/Chief Medical Officer of Indian Health Services; and Robert Clark, CEO of BBAHC.
Instructors Dororthy Hight and Kas Healy developed the innovative curriculum, forging new teaching methods for “classrooms without walls.”

Chris Devlin, CEO of Eastern Aleutian Tribes said, “They set the standard for distance learning in Alaska.” The distance-learning program allows students to stay in their villages during the 16-week course, thus reducing disruption to their family and community life and saving travel costs. Videoconferences are held twice weekly through DLN’s online learning management system, and content review is provided as often as needed. The DLN also incorporates the Internet for chats and forums. In spite of being hundreds of miles apart, students can use the system to interact with their instructors and fellow classmates.The effort would not have been successful without the program mentors or sponsors who assisted students with their practical skills development. The sponsoring corporations included: Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation, Copper River Native Association, Chugachmiut, and Eastern Aleutian Tribes.

These new health aides will continue their education with Session Two. Once the students complete the four sessions of CHA training, as well as the clinical skills preceptorship and examination, they will qualify as Community Health Practitioners.

The mission of EAT’s Distance Learning Network is to deliver health care learning opportunities to rural health care providers. Distance learning technology was initially made possible by a RHO-DEN grant from the Department of Health & Human Services Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA).