The last frontier

When we talk about Alaska it's hard to wrap your head around just by looking at a map. It is a place of awe inspiring beauty, sweeping vistas, mercurial weather, and vast distances.   We are 1/5th the size of the continental United States and house more than 50% of the country's coastline.  From North to South Alaska measures the distance from Denver to Mexico City.  From East to West, Alaska would span from Savannah, GA to Santa Barbara, CA. This expansive geography evokes unique challenges as we navigate meeting the health needs of a statewide community. 

Stroke has consistently remained the 5th leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in Alaska. Alaska is the only state in the US where a patient may be required to travel a distance just shy of the distance it takes to travel from Dallas to New York to receive stroke care from a certified stroke center (reference map below). Rapid access to emergency medical care for incidences of stroke in Alaska is paramount not only to survival, but to minimize damage to the brain, and permanent disability. As a rapidly evolving field of medicine that requires substantial care coordination, collaboration, and accelerated response, thoughtful attention to the creation, management, maintenance, monitoring, and continued enhancement of the stroke systems of care are vital.