HB 198-AK COMMUNITY HEALTH AIDE APPRECIATION DAY  10:06:14 AM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 198, "An Act establishing September 10 as Alaska Community Health Aide Appreciation Day." 10:06:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE TIFFANY ZULKOSKY, Alaska State Legislature, prime sponsor, introduced HB 198. She provided a PowerPoint presentation, titled "HB 198 Establishing Alaska Community Health Aide Appreciation Day" [included in the committee packet]. She noted that Alaska consists of extreme size, weather, and geography and that 80 percent of the state does not have a road system. She stated that when hospital care is needed during extreme weather conditions, transportation is not necessarily an option. She stated that the Community Health Aide program was conceived prior to statehood to meet medical needs in isolated communities and had originated because of an outbreak of tuberculosis. She noted that dental health aides and behavioral health aides are included when referring to Health Aides. She explained that the aides in the program undergo a four-part training session and report to existing referring physicians. She summarized the historical information contained on slide 3, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: ? 1950s: During the tuberculosis epidemic in Alaska, trained local villagers helped ensure that their neighbors received their medications regularly. ? 1956: Dr. Walter Johnson, staff physician at Bethel ANS Hospital proposed training of village medical aides. ? 1968: Alaska Area Native Health Service initiated formal Community Health Aide training efforts. CHA/Ps received formal federal recognition and congressional funding in 1968. ? 1973: On September 10, the first Planning and Advisory Committee meeting for Health Aide Programs in Alaska was held. ? 1976: Twenty additional CHA position were approved by the U.S. Congress in the ANHS Budget, increasing these from the original 185 positions in157 villages to 205 positions in 185 villages. ? 1998: Community Health Aide Program Certification Board (CHAPCB) created by the federal government and charged with formalizing the process for maintaining community health aides/practitioners, dental health aides, and behavioral health aides/practitioners training and practice standards and policies. ? 2001: $3 million in federal funding received to increase dental health and behavioral health aide numbers. ? 2003: Dental Health Aides Certified. ? 2009: Behavioral Health Aides Certified. REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY noted that there exist approximately 550 health aides throughout over 170 communities, and four community health aide training centers in Anchorage, Nome, Bethel, and Fairbanks. She added that the Alaska Tribal Health System is involved in providing care in remote villages across the state. She drew attention to slide 7 and explained that it illustrated the logistical comparison to the lower 48. She noted that there exists a regional and a sub-regional "hub and spoke" model for logistical planning. She noted that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, community health aides have worked closely with family and community members including working with limited personal protective equipment, establishing testing centers, ensuring vaccine distribution, and providing in-home care to individuals suffering from COVID-19. REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY concluded the presentation and encouraged the passage of HB 198 to publicly acknowledge the selfless service provided by community health aides by establishing Alaska Community Health Aide Appreciation Day each September tenth. 10:16:01 AM RAHNIA BOYER, Vice President of Village Health and Workforce Development, Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation, offered biographical information and expressed her gratitude to the committee for the consideration of HB 198. She stated that the community health aide profession is often referred to as among one of the most difficult yet rewarding jobs. She acknowledged that health aides routinely screen, treat, and save the lives of patients. She shared that there often occur stories of exhaustion and fear and sorrow, and those represent the most difficult aspects of the profession. She stated that health aides attend to patients under difficult circumstances, often during inclement weather that leads to delays of transporting seriously ill or injured patients. 10:18:27 AM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS added that his own mother had been engaged in the public health system across Southeast Alaska and expressed his high regard for community health aides. 10:19:02 AM VERNE BOERNER, President/CEO, Alaska Native Health Board, shared biographical information and expressed her hope to honor her grandmother who had served as a community health aide for over 27 years. She expressed her gratitude to the bill sponsor. She shared her personal experiences of health aides assisting with the removal of fishhooks, providing sutures, and aiding in emergency childbirth. She stated that aides are chosen by their community members and are innately culturally competent. She added that health aides are a crucial part of the medical system. She expressed her appreciation for all health aides and urged the passage of HB 198. 10:21:51 AM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opened public testimony on HB 198. 10:22:13 AM TARYN HUGHES, Guardian Flight Alaska, testified in support of HB 198. She shared some of her experiences as an employee of Guardian Fight of Alaska and characterized her experience with health aides as a very emotional one. She shared that one health aide had performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for over four hours on a patient, who was the aide's uncle, while awaiting the arrival of a medivac plane that had been delayed due to weather. She echoed the sentiments expressed by the previous testifier. She explained that there occurred nurses' week and emergency medical services (EMS) week on the national level and that Alaska would lead the nation by honoring health aides should HB 198 pass. 10:25:01 AM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS ascertained that there was no one else who wished to testify and closed public testimony. REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked whether the bill sponsor considered adding language to the bill that would include listing dental and behavioral health aides. REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY answered that the term "community health aide" was chosen as the language to include medical, dental, and behavioral health aides broadly. 10:27:16 AM REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN expressed his support for HB 198. REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN moved to report HB 198 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 198 was moved from the House State Affairs Standing Committee.