Prevention. Promotion. Protection.

Public Health Nursing

Public Health

Overview

We provide a wide variety of health assessment, health promotion, and disease prevention services and program management in the broad categories of:

  • Infectious Disease
  • Family and Individual Health
  • Non-Infectious Disease
  • Violence and Injury
  • Health Data Assessment
  • Community Health
  • Quality Assurance
  • Policy Development
  • Administration

Resources

With the largest number of employees and the most dispersed staff in the Division of Public Health, we provide a wide range of public health nursing services across Alaska's 586,412 square miles (one-fifth the size of the contiguous United States). This is done through a network of 2 administrative offices, 4 regional offices, 20 public health centers, and itinerant services to 250 communities. In addition, we provide oversight for public health nursing services in the Municipality of Anchorage, Norton Sound, Northwest Arctic/Maniilaq, and the North Slope Borough.

Public Health Nurses form the "public health safety net" throughout Alaska. Service priorities vary by health center and itinerant district based on community needs, available resources, and staff capacity. Our public health nurse's work time is spent in a combination of individual, family, community, and agency activities. Client services are mostly to rural and low income and/or under insured individuals and families. More than 50% of our services are provided to children under 5 years of age and to pregnant women and adolescents. Alaska's PHNs frequently serves as a conduit of information between multiple state and local agencies and the public in their communities on a wide range of public health concerns.