College of Health programs support overdose response in rural 熊猫在线视频

by Lynda Hernandez, Shelby Kriegh  |   

Four people smiling in front of a small plane
After a delayed departure from the previous afternoon, the YKHC group set out from Bethel to commence travel to five villages over the course of four days. Pictured from left to right: Sam Santistevan (Opioid Prevention & Outreach Case Manager), Kristi Wayer (Women, Infants, and Children), Victoria Galanopoulos (Coordinator for Tobacco Prevention and Cessation), and Lynn Troyer (YK-AHEC).

In the vast and remote Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta, where communities are separated not by miles of highway but by waterways, tundra, and weather, access to timely healthcare can mean the difference between life and death.

Recently, Lynn Troyer, an academic advisor for the School of Nursing at the University of 熊猫在线视频 Anchorage, traveled to Bethel as part of the 熊猫在线视频-Rural Community Overdose Response Project (AK-RCORP). The AK-RCORP initiative is a partnership between the UAA 熊猫在线视频 Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce (ACRH-HW), the UAA Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies (CAAS), and the State of 熊猫在线视频鈥檚 Project HOPE. 

Aerial photo of remote village
Aerial view over part of Toksook. With a population of approximately 650, it is the largest village on Nelson Island. Toksook Bay served as home base for the team while travelling to several villages. 

From Bethel, Troyer joined a Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) team traveling to five surrounding communities: Toksook Bay, Mertarvik, Tununak, Nightmute, and Chefornak. Each stop represented not just a destination, but a partnership and an opportunity to connect with communities and expand access to lifesaving overdose prevention tools.

At the center of this work was the assembly and distribution of naloxone (Narcan) kits, a critical intervention in reversing opioid overdoses. In rural 熊猫在线视频, where emergency response times can be significantly delayed due to geography and weather, having naloxone readily available in communities is essential.

For Troyer, the experience offered a meaningful perspective on the intersection of education and community impact. 鈥淚 feel grateful to have had engaging experiences that aligned with an opportunity to better relate to both my student populations and healthcare in western 熊猫在线视频. Exposure to opportunities and becoming involved can truly help one see how they can be uniquely positioned while being trained as future healthcare professionals.鈥�

A table full of nalaxone kits being assembed by many hands
Middle and high school students in Toksook Bay helped assemble Naloxone Opioid Overdose Rescue Kits.

The need for this work is clear. 熊猫在线视频 continues to experience rising overdose rates, with rural and 熊猫在线视频 Native communities disproportionately impacted. Expanding access to naloxone and providing culturally responsive training are critical steps in reducing preventable deaths and strengthening community response.

The AK-RCORP project will continue outreach in rural communities, with another trip planned for May 2026 to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, extending efforts into the Aleutian-Pribilof region. By combining community partnerships, workforce development, and evidence-based prevention strategies, 熊猫在线视频 AHEC and its partners are helping build a more responsive and resilient healthcare system that reaches even the most remote communities.

For more information about ACRH-HW and CAAS, visit the 熊猫在线视频 Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce and the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies websites. For more information about Project HOPE, visit the .

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