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Brian Saylor, PhD, MPH
Denny DeGross, MA
Stacy L. Smith, MFA

This is a collaborative project with the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies and the Alaska Center for Rural Health. The objective of this project was to assess how people in 10 Alaskan communities viewed their own health and welfare. Between Oct. 3 and Dec. 15, 1995 staff from the state department of Health and Social Services and the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies visited 10 Alaskan communities. Through a series of focus groups and public forums, participants discussed their community health and human service problems, the strength that they could build upon to help resolve those problems, and opportunities they saw to make their communities better places in which to live.

A local contact person was selected in each community to recruit individuals for the focus groups and help arrange the public forums. Ten communities across Alaska were visited including, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Barrow, Homer, Mt. View (Anchorage), Selewick, Delta, the Mat-Su Borough, Emmonick, Yakatat, and Metlakata. Two hundred and sixty-seven people participated in the focus groups.

A final report entitled, "Voices from Alaskan Communities: A Report on Conversations with Ten Communities on Health and Welfare Issues" can be obtained through the UAA consortium library or ICHS.