Line One: Your Health Connection

More than two years into the pandemic, vaccines are widely available and most health measures have been lifted. But there are still Alaskans who have difficulty accessing vaccines or who have continued health risk in spite of them. On the next installment in our Talk to your Neighbor series, Prentiss Pemberton discusses ongoing concerns for Alaskans with disabilities. Listen: HOST: Prentiss Pember...

History is rife with examples of humans inflicting suffering onto one another, leaving us to wonder how such horrific acts are possible. David Livingstone Smith believes dehumanizing others is rooted in human psychology and leaves us vulnerable to leaders who trade in the politics of demonization and violence. Listen: HOST: Prentiss Pemberton GUESTS: David Livingstone Smith , professor of philosop...

Early childhood experiences can have a major impact on the physical and emotional development of children. For children who grow up in an environment defined by domestic violence, addiction and neglect, the consequences can be significant. These children often struggle with attention problems, depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders. During Child Abuse Prevention Month, Dan Bigley joins Prent...

The idea of cults seems to both fascinate and scare us. Jonestown, Heaven’s Gate, Manson, NXIVM and Warren Jeffs are just a few examples of these dangerous organizations that have captivated us over the years. How do these things happen? Why do intelligent people often give up everything to blindly follow these leaders and their ideologies? What is the difference between a cult and other strong be...

Anchorage Health Department public health nurse Molly Carver administers the Covid-19 vaccine to Malia Tuga at the community vaccine clinic held at Manai Fou Assembly of God Church in Airport Heights on Feb. 23, 2021. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) Across our community, Alaskans are trying to navigate the new realities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversations about masking, vaccines,...

Moms Matter Now co-founders Calisa Kastning and Holly Brooks (Photo courtesy of Holly Brooks) Motherhood is an amazing and incredibly challenging time, but few people talk about the emotional and psychological transition. In fact, many new moms experience negative mental health impacts while going undiagnosed and untreated. Moms Matter Now is an Alaska organization dedicated to empowering, educati...

For a long time, psychiatry has widely held that early childhood trauma determines one’s mental health issues later in life. But what if that’s not entirely true? Some feel it’s important to reevaluate our beliefs about psychology. Prentiss Pemberton speaks to Dr. Michael Scheeringa, author of “The Trouble With Trauma: The Search To Discover How Beliefs Become Facts.” Listen: HOST: Prentiss Pember...

Robert Bruce Snodgrass died in October 2022 from a fentanyl overdose. His mother, Sandy Snodgrass, believes Robert did not know he was taking fentanyl. (Photo courtesy of Sandy Snodgrass) Overdose deaths from fentanyl are on the rise in Alaska, and its important to remember that the statistics account for more than just one person. They also reflect the friends and families that continue to bear t...

Homelessness is a highly visible problem in Alaska, and especially in Anchorage. Health issues related to homelessness include frostbite, injuries from violence and mental health problems. How does sheltering and medical treatment of the homeless population impact outcomes? What are the impacts to the community? Listen: HOST: Dr. Justin Clark GUESTS: Dr. John Morris Capt. Denice Delgado, Anchorage...

Alaska’s COVID case rate appears to be improving, but omicron remains a concern for vulnerable populations in and outside of Anchorage. On the second installment of Alaska Public Media’s Talk to Your Neighbor series, Prentiss Pemberton speaks with Mountain View Health Services to learn how they’re encouraging vaccination and addressing concerns in the community. Listen: HOST: Prentiss Pemberton GU...

Students in Noatak eat breakfast at school before class. (Hillman/Alaska Public Media) Childhood chronic illness affects 40% of school-aged children and adolescents. Nutrition, movement, environmental toxins and genetics play a role in this progression. Equally important is the role of nutrition, gut health and lifestyle interventions in preventing undesired gene expression and managing the preven...

Have you ever wondered if your bowel movements are normal? Is it too soft? Too hard? A weird color? Is it painful? On the next episode of Line One, we’ll discuss bowel movements, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. Listen here: HOST: Dr. Justin Clark GUESTS: Dr. Austin Nelson, gastroenterologist, Alaska Digestive & Liver Disease LINKS & RESOURCES: https:/...

Educators have been dealing with the pandemic for more than a year, but the latest COVID surge is presenting new challenges. On the next installment of Alaska Public Media’s Talk to your Neighbor series, Dr. Jillian Woodruff speaks with members of the Alaska Coalition of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Educators to learn how they’re getting the word out about vaccination in schools and...

The cover of “Making Your Crazy Work for You.” (Courtesy photo) Our early childhood experiences set the stage for how we feel about, and engage with, the world as adults. In “Making Your Crazy Work for You: From trauma and isolation to self-acceptance and love,” the authors explain that by confronting and understanding the root causes of our unhelpful behavior, we can learn how to embrace healthy...

Difficulty sleeping has affected all of us at one time or another. Lack of sleep or inadequate sleep can have drastic consequences for our day to day functioning as well as our overall health and happiness. What is insomnia? What is seasonal affective disorder or SAD? What is the difference between snoring and sleep apnea? We’ll discuss these issues and more. Listen here: HOST: Dr. Justin Clark GU...

Author Dan Millman’s first book, “The Way Of The Peaceful Warrior,” introduced readers to the idea that the moment is all that really exists and that the quality of our moments become the quality of our lives. Millman’s new book, “Peaceful Heart, Warrior Spirit,” explains how people can use the “peaceful warrior way” to transform their lives. Listen here: HOST: Prentiss Pemberton GUESTS: Dan Millm...

The exterior of the ARCH building. (Photo via Volunteers of America – Alaska/Adolescent Residential Center for Help website) With an estimated 75% of adult mental health problems developing before the age of 25, early and effective intervention is critical for a child’s future physical and emotional health. Volunteers of America Alaska works to fill in some of the resource gaps in Alaska. Listen h...

Ezekiel Rise gets a COVID-19 vaccine from Anchorage School District official Kale Recaido on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. (Wesley Early/Alaska Public Media) COVID-19 continues to surge throughout the state and hospitals are reporting bed and staff shortages as well as staff fatigue. Has it helped that health care workers have been sent to Alaska? The state and the hospitals are pivoting to crisis stan...

The past year-and-a-half has been a time of great uncertainty and fear leading to a sharp increase in depression and anxiety, even in those that were previously well. In Alaska, the overwhelming need for mental health resources is growing, but the capacity for care is stretched thin. What are some warning signs for mental health crises? Who should we contact if we are concerned about our mental he...

Living with addiction, chronic depression, severe anxiety or any other mental illness can lead to a life of loneliness, despair and trauma. But that’s only one of the possible outcomes. History abounds with examples of people managing their mental health conditions and living lives filled with love, success and deep human connection. In her new book, From Survive to Thrive, Johns Hopkins Universit...

A health care provider, wearing several types of personal protective equipment that is being tracked by the State of Alaska, provides care in 2020, for a woman hospitalized in an isolation room in the critical care unit of Bartlett Hospital, in Juneau. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO) Trauma is taking a serious toll on health care workers across the country. The constant exposure to death, and the...

From National Institute on Aging via Wikimedia Commons The slow decline into helplessness and isolation is a common fear among people who have cared for family members who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease. The authors of American Dementia: Brain Health in an Unhealthy Society argue that the cure will not be found in pharmaceuticals, but in our ability to live our lives in a way that promotes positi...

(Courtesy Alaska Department of Health and Human Services) Suicide effects nearly all of us at some point in lives, and its impact is felt throughout our communities in Alaska. Whether you yourself have struggled with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or you know someone who has, its vital to know that help is available and where to find it. Local representatives from the American Foundation for Su...

A health care provider, wearing several types of personal protective equipment that is being tracked by the State of Alaska, provides care in 2020, for a woman hospitalized in an isolation room in the critical care unit of Bartlett Hospital, in Juneau. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO) A year and a half after COVID-19 shut down America, it seems to be as strong as ever. The numbers continue to rise...

(Courtesy of Bill Eddy) Like it or not, dealing with angry, upset people is inevitable. Learning some simple skills can help deal with high conflict situations in an effective way. Bill Eddy is one of the world’s leading experts on High Conflict Personalities, and his approach gives anyone an easy tool that’s highly effective at de-escalating tense situations. Listen here: HOST: Prentiss Pemberton...