October 23, 2020 by Austin McDaniel What jobs or volunteer opportunities are available? COVID-19 Response Jobs and Volunteer Opportunities Alaska is recruiting staff and volunteers for Alaska’s COVID-19 response. See below for a list of opportunities offered by the State of Alaska and University of Alaska to match your skills with the right opening. This list will be updated with new information as other opportunities become available, so please check back regularly! State of Alaska Employment Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, emergency management specialists—all of these positions and more are essential to the ongoing COVID-19 response and recovery. Positions are posted as needed for both short-term and long-term non-permanent opportunities. Individuals are needed to perform functions such as case investigations, contact tracing, logistics, testing support, data entry, and other critical duties Visit Workplace Alaska to check on the most recent job postings, including for long term and permanent nurse positions and office associates in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Each position lists a point of contact for questions regarding that specific job opportunity. The State of Alaska is also hiring Contact Tracers with a variety of relevant backgrounds and skill sets to support the ongoing COVID-19 response. For these Contact Tracing positions, please check out offerings for Long Term Non-Permanent Health Program Associates. If you don’t see a job posting relevant to your skills, you may also respond to the COVID Technician and Health Associate posting to be considered for a variety of other positions to support program and projects related to the COVID-19 response. University of Alaska Anchorage Employment The UAA College of Health is hiring to support the COVID-19 response, and is looking for licensed healthcare professionals, public health professionals, and other interested parties to: Serve as a contact tracerSupervise contact tracersBoth serve and supervise See the full announcement and complete a survey to indicate your interest in training and deployment to support these efforts. Volunteers—Licensed Healthcare Professionals Licensed healthcare professionals who would like to volunteer their time and skills in service to disaster response, including pandemics, are encouraged to register online at Alaska Respond. Please click on the Register Now button to begin the registration process. Registering as a volunteer does not require you to respond to all situations. Upon successful completion of the registration process, you will be eligible to be called upon for potential response efforts. You will be able to choose whether the requirements of deployment fit your availability. Alaska Respond staff members will work with you to ensure your preparation for any mission. Licensed healthcare professionals can also contact their local public health center to volunteer locally for a specific event or function.
October 6, 2020 by Austin McDaniel In any health mandates that reference SARS CoV-2 testing by PCR what type of test is accepted? Any molecular test for SARS CoV-2 such as variations of PCR, CEPHIED GENEXPERT, BIOFIRE or ABBOTT IDNOW are acceptable.
September 1, 2020 by Austin McDaniel I have a disability that prevents me from wearing a mask safely, am I still required to wear a mask? Some people with disabilities may not be able to wear masks due to health and safety concerns. Individuals who state they have a disability that prevents them from safely wearing a mask should be allowed to enter a health care facility if doing so does not place others at risk or offered reasonable modifications to access the health care services. Reasonable modifications may include requiring use of a separate area for entrance/exit, exam, or treatment; scheduling these patients as the last appointments of the day; or increasing provider PPE. Please note modifications may not be an option if: • It would fundamentally alter the service provided. • It would create undue burden such as significant difficulty or expense. • The individual poses a direct threat to the health or safety of staff and/or patients.
August 11, 2020 by Austin McDaniel Will non-resident students be exempted from testing? Accepted proof of Alaska residency for testing at airport:Alaska driver’s license or state issued ID card.Federally recognized Alaska tribal identification card.Active duty military ID card, active duty dependent ID card, DoD Common Access Card (CAD), or valid military orders.Employment verification letter or student verification letter on employer/school letterhead stating traveler is moving to Alaska for employment or schooling. Will non-resident students or faculty who travel during holiday breaks be subject to the non-resident 72-hour testing requirements? Yes, non-resident students and faculty that do not establish residency after initial move to Alaska will need to return to Alaska with negative test results or proof of a test taken within 72 hours of departure. If a non-resident arrives without either of these they will be charged $250 per test at the airport. For non-residents unable to obtain a pre-travel test, there are four FDA-approved home-collection COVID tests: Pixel system from LabCorpEverlywell COVID-19 Test Home Collection KitVault HealthPicture Genetics
August 11, 2020 by Austin McDaniel What if I have a plan approved with the state and it includes testing in the airport. Please contact an occupational health contractor such as Beacon or Capstone who offer services for testing upon arrival.If a non-resident worker arrives and would like testing at the state of Alaska supported testing site they will be charged $250