August 2020
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Alaska Coalitions Release New Strategic Plans to Reduce Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes, and Improve the Health of Alaskans
One out of four deaths among Alaskans in 2016 were due to heart disease, stroke, or diabetes (see table below). Alaska’s Section of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has reconvened two groups to lower that number and help more Alaskans live longer, healthier lives. These groups — the Take Heart Alaska and the Alaska Diabetes Coalitions — pulled together public health professionals, health care providers, health educators, nonprofit organizations, community wellness programs, and many others from across the state.
After working together this year, both groups recently released new five-year strategic plans with big goals:
- Reduce the number of Alaskans living with heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
- Improve the health of those living with heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
 Organizing the Take Heart and Alaska Diabetes Coalitions
Each coalition is made up of work groups that met repeatedly this year to examine Alaska’s statistics focused on heart disease, stroke, and diabetes; research practices that work to prevent those diseases; and hear from coalition members with expertise ranging from patient care to prevention. They then created annual action plans and set goals in the new strategic plans.
Take Heart Alaska
Take Heart Alaska is made up of 40 members representing 18 organizations from across the state. Take Heart’s plan prioritizes developing public service announcements to educate Alaskans about heart health, creating a provider guide for coverage and reimbursement of heart health programs shown to work, and increasing screening for uncontrolled blood pressure and cholesterol. The Take Heart Alaska 2020-2025 Strategic Plan is posted online.
During the five years of the plan, Take Heart Alaska has set several goals to reduce the number of people living with heart disease and stroke, as well as related deaths. Two specific goals follow. These statistics came from Alaska’s Health Analytics and Vital Records, also called HAVRS.
- Decrease the number of age-adjusted, heart disease-related deaths from 130.4 deaths per 100,000 people to 120 deaths per 100,000.
- Decrease the number of age-adjusted, stroke-related deaths from 40.4 deaths per 100,000 people to 35 deaths per 100,000.
Alaska Diabetes Coalition
The Alaska Diabetes Coalition is made up of 61 members representing 30 organizations from across the state. The Alaska Diabetes Coalition’s plan calls for surveying providers to identify barriers and other issues related to providing diabetes self-management tools for patients, increasing awareness of and access to the National Diabetes Prevention Program, and creating new educational materials. The Alaska Diabetes Coalition 2020-2025 Strategic Plan is posted online.
During the five years of the plan, the Alaska Diabetes Coalition will work to reduce the number of adults living with diabetes. It also set the goal to decrease the number of age-adjusted, diabetes-related deaths from 17.8 deaths per 100,000 people to 16.9 deaths per 100,000. These death statistics also came from HAVRS.
Join our efforts to prevent and reduce chronic diseases
The Take Heart Alaska and the Alaska Diabetes Coalitions are always looking for new partners and members to help with this important work. To learn more about the Take Heart Alaska coalition or to become a member, email heart@alaska.gov. To learn more about the Alaska Diabetes Coalition or to become a member, email diabetes@alaska.gov. |
