Our Programs

There are several program units within the Section of Women's, Children's, and Family Health, each with varying responsibilities.

• Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening
  The Ladies First (formerly the Breast and Cervical Health Check or BCHC) program provides breast and cervical cancer screening to women ages 18 to 64 who meet certain income guidelines, who do not have insurance, cannot meet their deductible or whose insurance does not pay for Ladies First services.
• Family Planning
  Family Planning Clinics are provided to high-risk, low-income women and teens at public health centers in Bethel, Craig, Fairbanks and surrounding communities, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan and Prince of Wales, Kodiak, and Palmer/Wasilla.
• Pediatric Specialty Clinics
  Specialty clinics improve access to care for children in need of consultation, screening, and follow-up. The State of Alaska’s Section of Women’s Children and Family Health (WCFH) brings medical specialists to regional centers to offer specialty care in or close to communities where children and their families reside. Efforts are made to involve local health practitioners in these clinics to insure coordination of care.
• Infant Screening and Testing Programs
  Universal newborn hearing screening is a screen that will check if your baby’s hearing is normal or whether more testing is needed. The screen does not hurt, is quick and easy, and will be performed by a trained person. Alaska Newborn Metabolic Screening Program Screens Alaska newborns for diseases that are not apparent at birth. Very early treatment can prevent or reduce physical effects and brain damage.
• Alaska Oral Health Program
  The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services was awarded a Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Cooperative Agreement for an Oral Health Program by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2003. The grant funds a state dental officer and the infrastructure to provide oral health leadership in the state.
• Alaska Health and Disability Program
  The Alaska Health and Disability Program aims to improve health across the lifespan for Alaskans experiencing disabilities. Please contact the Section of Rural and Community Health Systems for information on priority work in this population.