Community Health Aide Program records

Guide to the Community Health Aide Program records
circa 1960-2008

Collection number: HMC- 1087
Creator: Community Health Aide Program.
Title: Community Health Aide Program Records.
Dates: circa 1960-2008.
Volume of collection: 5.4 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Records of an organization dedicated to providing health-care in rural Alaskan communities.

Organizational history:
The Community Health Aide (CHA) Program was developed in the 1950s in response to a number of health concerns including the tuberculosis epidemic, high infant mortality, and high rate of injuries in rural Alaska.  In 1968, the CHA Program received formal recognition and congressional funding.  By 2011, the CHA Program consisted of a network of approximately 550 Community Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps) in over 170 rural Alaskan villages.  CHA/Ps work with mid-level providers, physicians, regional hospitals, the Alaska Native Medical Center, and the Alaska Area Native Health Service to provide health-care for communities in Alaska.

Collection description:
The collection contains the records of the Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) from circa 1960-2000.  The records include correspondence; articles and research relating to health in Alaska; papers documenting the beginning and history of the CHAP program; records of the Academic Review Committee of CHAP directors; papers related to Community Health Aide training, supervision, skills, and credentialing; articles and presentations by Dr. Walter Johnson; and CHAP manuals, among many other records.

Arrangement: Materials in this collection are arranged in the order in which they were received by the Archives.

Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.

Rights note: Archives does not own copyright to this collection.

Preferred citation: Community Health Aide Program records, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.

Acquisition note: This collection was placed on deposit at the Archives by the Community Health Aide Program in 2011.

Processing information: This collection was described by Megan K. Friedel in 2011. Additions to the collections were added by Becky Butler Gallegos in 2024.

Container list:

Box/File Description Dates
1/File 1 CHA program beginnings and development of program 1965, undated
1/File 2 Articles on CHAs, letters of appreciation to CHAs and CHAP staff undated
1/File 3 Correspondence from CHAs circa 1970-1979
1/File 4 CHA/P and CHAP photographs undated
1/File 5 History and notes on CHA Association and list of CHAs 1976-2000
1/File 6 Community Health Aide Training and other newsletters undated
1/File 7 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation papers undated
1/File 8 WAMI and CHAP undated
1/File 9 Village built clinics and village field trips undated
1/File 10 “A Survey of Traditional Native Healing Practices in Alaska” undated
1/File 11 Rural health programs in the U.S. and the world undated
1/File 12 PHN correspondence and standing orders 1964, 1969, 1982
2/File 1 Basic training curriculum undated
2/File 2 CHA supervision and general evaluation process undated
2/File 3 CHA skills list circa 1980
2/File 4 CHA training information and standing orders circa 1973-1974
2/File 5 Community Health Practitioner advanced courses undated
2/File 6 Alternate CHA training 1978 January
2/File 7 Rural education; College of Rural and Community Development undated
2/File 8 Articles and presentations by Dr. Walter Johnson undated
2/File 9 Correspondence with Dr. Walter Johnson, UAF/CHAP liaison undated
3/File 1 University of Alaska Academic Council, first reading of Community Health Practitioner Program 1975 October 1
3/File 2 CHA credentialing and re-credentialing processes, CHA certification undated
3/File 3 University credit for CHA/Ps, CHP certificate, AAS degree undated
3/File 4 Correspondence relating to CHAP circa 1970-1973
3/File 5 Correspondence with Rosaire Kennedy, curriculum coordinator for health aide education 1974-1984
3/File 6 PAC-HA-PA 1974-1984
3/File 7 Academic Review Committee, CHAP directors undated
3/File 8 CHAP liaison position with University of Alaska Fairbanks undated
3/File 9 Correspondence regarding physicians assistants, newspaper article on Medex circa 1972
3/File 10 Health corporations information undated
3/File 11 Correspondence to federal legislators undated
3/File 12 YKHC report by John Roch and responses to report 1974-1975
3/File 13 Legal issues and coverage of CHAs undated
3/File 14 Alaska articles, health-related undated
3/File 15 Alaska articles, not related to health undated
3/File 16 Studies and research related to Alaska and Alaska Native health undated
3/File 17 CHA/P immunization manual and supplement 1992-1994
3/File 18 Community Health Aide Program Review and Approval Committee Standards for CHAP training center programs 1990, 1994
3/File 19 Community Health Practitioner Program Instructor’s Guide, compiled by Rosaire Kennedy 1975
Box 4 Manuals, guidelines, and other reference binders:

    • Community Health Practitioner Program curriculum outline, compiled by Rosaire Kennedy (1975)
    • Proposal for a Community Health Practitioner Program with an Associate in Applied Science Degree (circa 1975)
    • CHAP Orientation Handbook (1970)
    • Addendum to Guidelines for Primary Health Care in Rural Alaska (1979)
    • Norton Sound Health Corporation, CHAP-related Standing Orders, Medical procedures, and Health Information (1972)
    • Original Village Drug Reference (1977)
    • Village Drug Reference, Revised (1981)
    • Village Medicine Reference for Community Health Aide/Practitioners (1997)
    • CHA Manual and Standing Orders (1969)
    • CHAP Manual, master copy, revised (1972)
    • Instructor’s Guide for Health Aide Training Course (circa 1964)
    • Video Otoscope Testing Final Report (April 1998)
    • Health and First Aid Guide for Home and Village, Alaska Dept. of Health (1956)
    • Alaska CHA Training Manual, U.S. Public Health Service (1973)
    • CHA Basic Training Curriculum (April 1984)
 1956-1994
Box 5 Manuals, guidelines, and other reference binders:

    • CHAP administrative and education documents (1989)
    • CHA/P Manual + paste-in revisions(1987)
    • Guidelines for Primary Health Care in Rural Alaska, CHA Alaska (1976)
    • CHA Skills List (circa 1975-1979)
    • Medical Aide Manual, Bethel Service Unit (circa 1968)
    • Manual for Alaska’s Midwives, Division of Public Health, Branches of Nursing and Maternal and Child Health, revised (April 1963)
    • Midwifery Teaching Guide for PHNs, Branches of Nursing and Maternal and Child Health, Division of Public Health, revised (1966)
    • Standing Orders for CHAs (1972)
    • Barrow Service Unit, Indian Health Service, Policy, Procedure, and Standing Orders for CHAs (1976)
    • Health Aide Guidelines (circa 1960s)
    • CHA Basic Training Curriculum (1984)
    • Health Aide Training Course, PHS Alaska Native Health Field Office (April 1964)
    • Community Health Program Information (circa 1963-1968)
    • ANTHC-CHAP colon and breast helath pamphlets (2007-2008)
    • CHAM Medicine Handbook +CD, CHAM: Patient Care Visit, CHAM: Reference/Procedure, CHAM: Emergency Field Handbook (2006)
 circa 1960-2008
Box 6 Community Health Aide Program manual and reference volume 1998

 

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