
QUALITY &
PATIENT SAFETY
AHHA supports member hospitals and long-term care facilities in building the capacity for improvement work through the development of the culture of safety, by providing education and tools associated with leading practices, and by addressing issues related to workforce instability.
QUALITY COLLABORATIVES
AHHA RESOURCES
PATIENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

The Alaska Provider Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) gives
seriously ill patients more control over their medical treatment. In 2021, Alaska POLST replaced the Alaska Comfort One program and is a legal medical order indicating patients' preferences for emergency and/or life-sustaining treatments when seriously ill or at the end of life. The orders on a POLST are required to be honored by all health care professionals.

Drink Less. Live More.
In 2022 the Alaska Hospital & Healthcare Association, State of Alaska Department of Health, and Mountain-Pacific Quality Health partnered on a readmissions project with a group of Alaska hospitals. Data gathered in this project shows that diagnoses and diseases associated with alcohol are the highest indicators for readmission in Alaska. And because of this finding, we believe that patient discharge could provide a critical opportunity for providers to address alcohol use.
Together with Recover Alaska, AHHA has developed an outreach kit with resources and tools for providers. The toolkit includes stickers, information cards, and a script to guide conversations about alcohol use with patients as part of the discharge process.
