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Article: Difficult delivery: Alaska's rural health care system copes with numerous obstacles. (Rural Health Care Report)
- Article from:
- Alaska Business Monthly
- Article date:
- March 1, 1992
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1992 Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Despite unforgiving geography, cruel climate and financial austerity, rural health care in Alaska has made dramatic headway against lethal diseases. Epidemics of infectious diseases virtually have been wiped out; life expectancy is up; infant mortality is down. One state health official says the improvement is the most miraculous of any population in the world.
Key to these successes are a dedicated corps of community health aides, supported by specialists in regional and urban medical facilities; advanced telecommunications; and strong, coherent political advocacy.
But despite these triumphs, the struggle to provide adequate health care to more than 65,000 ...