Workforce Programs: Home

The Primary Care and Rural Health Unit increases access to health care for all Alaskans by supporting the recruitment, retention, and development of competent clinicians and other health care professionals both in primary care and in public health.

Primary Care Workforce
Our primary care workforce programs focus on increasing access to primary care for all Alaskans, with a focus on underserved areas. Our office works closely with the Bureau of Health Professions, Division of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the Division of Scholarships and Loan Repayments (LRP) to link Alaskan communities and clinicians. Our Unit also supports national objectives by administering various incentive programs to clinicians and underserved communities.

We serve as the focal point in Alaska for National Health Service Corps (NHSC) programs, which includes loan repayment and scholarships for providers and internships for students and residents. Additionally, we administer the Rural Recruitment and Retention (RRR) Network for Alaska; conduct research to support Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations; and provide training opportunities for professional development.

Public Health Workforce
The mission of our public health workforce program is to identify, promote and support the recruitment, retention and development of a stable, adequate and qualified public health workforce for a healthier Alaska.
This mission is accomplished through many avenues and includes such activities as:

• Convening and utilizing a Workforce Development Committee, which includes representatives from each Section of Public Health. This committee works towards the development of a well-trained workforce, addresses current workforce barriers,and recommends policy, which may help the retention and recruitment of a well-qualified workforce.
• Forming partnerships with Universities, other agencies and Departments within the State system to better utilize existing resources and build capacity to serve staff in the area of workforce development. This includes a strong partnership with the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice, University of Washington and in conjunction with HRSSA funding to develop systems to track training, measure staff competencies and support high quality training. This is most evident in the annual Public Health Training Institute, a 3-½ day training in such areas as Principles of Epidemiology, Adjusting to Change, and Communication Strategies.
• Supporting strong Public Health leadership through the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice Leadership Institute.
• Improving the capacity to work with new public health interns by working with the local University and establishing strong systems within the State to accommodate new students in a professional way.