This Week's Updates
Alaska Department of Health sent this bulletin at 07/31/2026 01:40 PM AKDT
Early Registration is Open: Summit on Aging
Statewide Summit on Aging this October: Register Now!
You're invited! Please join us this fall, either virtually or in-person at Turnagain Social Club in Anchorage for the Statewide Summit on Aging October 15-17th. We have combined forces with the Aging and Disability Summit traditionally held at Special Olympics to bring you this Summit on Aging. Continuing education credits are available.
View all Summit details, including the complete agenda, and register here.
Our early bird discount of $250/3 days full Summit is available through August 31, 2026.
Virtual and in-person scholarships are available. Please complete this form and submit via email to: jenny@northernlightsconsulting.org. Scholarship requests are due by August 20.
Alaskans ages 65+ and individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) have waived in-person registration fees. These spaces are limited, and registration is required. We are not accepting walk-ins at this time. We kindly request that you only register for the day(s) you plan to actively attend and participate in sessions. This helps make the Summit more accessible to all interested Alaskans. If registering online is not possible, please call 907-328-9737 or 907-230-0871 to register. Senior centers and organizations are welcome to contact us and coordinate their community member registrations.
Interested in sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities? Review our Sponsorship Prospectus here.
To register as a sponsor and/or exhibitor, visit myalaskatix.com/events/alaska-statewide-summit-on-aging-10-15-2026 and click "Buy Tickets." Exhibitor space ($150 for Alaskan entitites) is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Sponsorships are critical to ensuring rural voices are represented. Thank you for your support!
Please contact yasmin.radbod@alaska.gov with any questions.
Apply to Join ACoA: Public Seat Commissioner Opening Available Now
Alaskans are welcome to apply to join the Alaska Commission on Aging. Responsibilities include regular committee work and quarterly meetings (four per year). This seat is not age restricted.
Alaska Long-Range Transportation Plan: Submit Public Comment Today (Deadline)
Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center Community Open House August 5
- Meet ANHC staff and tour their health center
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Visit community resource tables featuring these local organizations: Aging & Disability Resource Center, Food Bank of Alaska, Anchorage Project Access, WIC, Alaska Literacy Program, RurAL CAP
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Receive a free blood pressure screening
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Enjoy food trucks: Yeti Dogs, Jeepney Filipino Fusion Food, Reserva Venezolana, Alaska Bubble Waffles
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Family-friendly entertainment, including a magic show at 12:00 p.m.
- Participate in the ANHC Community Passport Challenge for a chance to win prizes
Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education Advocacy Training Sept 1-2
2026 Alaska Health Information Exchange Summit October 7
Registration is open for the 2026 Alaska Health Information Exchange Summit! Join healthcare professionals, leaders, policymakers, and community partners from across Alaska for a day of learning, collaboration, and discussion focused on health information exchange and the future of connected healthcare.
October 7, 2026 at Egan Center, Anchorage + Online Option. This event is free. Lunch included for in-person attendees. 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Doors open at 8:30 a.m.)
Oregon Center for Aging and Technology: Online Care Partner Study on Frontotemporal Degeneration
STELLA-FTD (Support via Technology: Living and Learning with Advancing FTD) is a program for family Care Partners that addresses the challenges that come with a type of dementia called frontotemporal degeneration, or FTD. A family caregiver or “Care Partner” is anyone who cares for a person with FTD. Family includes anyone you think of as “family,” such as a relative, close friend, or partner. They do not have to be related by blood.
STELLA-FTD is a completely online study that helps educate and support family Care Partners by teaching ways to help manage the challenges caused by FTD. The study includes 8 online group sessions led by “Guides” who are trained research staff at the Oregon Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. These sessions occur over videoconference, where Care Partners join via computer, phone, or other device in the comfort of their own home.
Care Partners in the study meet with the Guides and other Care Partners during these sessions where they can share their stories and experiences. The goal of our research is to see if STELLA-FTD helps along the family caregiving journey.
Participation can take up to 36 weeks. Gift cards up to $200 may be provided for completing all study activities.
National Suicide Prevention Resource Center: August Lived Experience Initiatives Office Hours
University of Oklahoma's Suicide Prevention Resource Center's Lived Experience Initiatives Team is holding two office hours sessions in August to provide organizations and agencies with tailored guidance and resources for integrating lived experience into suicide prevention efforts. Sign up for an appointment during one of their August sessions to:
- Discuss approaches to adopting or adapting systems-level lived experience efforts.
- Learn how to build a lived experience advisory committee.
- Consult with prevention experts who can help address implementation challenges.
Learn more about lived experience and email sprclivedexperience@ou.edu if you have questions.
CMS: Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration Ending in 2027
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration will conclude at the end of 2026. The temporary program was created to help keep Medicare Part D prescription drug plan premiums from increasing sharply by providing additional federal financial support to participating plans. While Medicare's annual out-of-pocket cap for covered prescription drugs will remain in place, the end of the demonstration may result in higher monthly Part D premiums and changes in plan offerings for the 2027 plan year. Final 2027 premiums and plan offerings will be announced in September. Medicare beneficiaries should review their coverage during the annual Medicare Open Enrollment period, October 15 through December 7, as some prescription drug plans may adjust premiums or benefits. Learn more here.
Have questions about your Medicare enrollment and benefits? Contact Alaska's Medicare Information Office.
Aging & Disability News
Disclaimer: The information and announcements included in this email are being redistributed for informational purposes only. Our agency does not necessarily endorse or support the views, opinions, or activities of these organizations, and inclusion in this email does not imply any affiliation or recommendation.