Alaska’s SHARP Program
SHARP Council Member Statement
AK Primary Care Association
Liza Root
Voting Member
lizar@alaskapca.org
Medical, Dental & Behavioral Health
Clinics, esp. Primary Care at CHCs
Physician, Pharmacist, Psychologist, LCSW, LMFT, LPC, PA, NP,
RN, Midwife, Dentist, RDH
124
AICS, ANHC, BFC, ICHC, Iliuliuk, KCHC, Mat-Su, NSHC, PCHSA,
Seward, Sunshine, SVT, TCC
Anchorage, Gulf Coast, Interior, Mat-Su, Northern, Southeast, &
Southwest
Organization
Representative
Membership
Email Address
Occupation Categories
Practice Setting Types
Experience Thus Far
Occupations To-Date
Practitioner Contracts #:
Practice Sites: Examples
Regions Thus Far
Testimony
SHARP’s Success To-Date
Need for SHARP-3
SHARP has been successful in serving as the main state program to support
placement of a range of providers in many hard to place organizations and
communities, using loan repayment as incentive. For Alaska Community Health
Centers, SHARP is an important tool for recruiting and retaining qualified and
dedicated health professionals to support improved continuity and quality of care
and increased Health Center sustainability. Additionally, SHARP serves as a
unique and important focal point for discussion and policy on health workforce in
Alaska.
SHARP 3 will provide an important conduit for private and community support of
health workforce recruiting and retention in Alaska communities. Alaska
Community Health Centers would anticipate that a range of partnerships could
develop between providers and organizations that include local hospitals, tribal
entities, local governments, and philanthropic organizations eager to ensure the
placement of a provider in their communities. As competition for providers
continues to increase due to retirements, growth in demand, and a potentially
shrinking pool of eligible candidates, providers and communities may see SHARP
3 as an opportunity to gain a competitive edge. SHARP 3 is a complement to
SHARP 1. At the same time, we would hope that as state fiscal conditions
improve that SHARP 2 could be a priority for reinstatement at some level.