Health Survey Seeks ‘Pulse of Community’

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT
Health professionals throughout the community are hoping to figure out how Kodiak is doing with health services these days. A new online survey went live last week and asks a number of questions about participants’ current health and experiences with local services. Karen Leatherman is the communications and public relations coordinator for Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center and said the survey helps take the pulse of the community, determine where gaps in health services may be and how to improve.
“That’s not just how Providence is doing, but how all community health service providers are doing with addressing the health needs of our community.”
Leatherman said the survey is conducted every five years and the last one was in 2008.
“One of the major findings from the 2008 survey was the need for a community wide coalition to address some of the health, physical and mental wellbeing, for residents of Kodiak island. One of the organizations or coalitions rather that formed out of that was Healthy Tomorrows.”
She emphasized fact that the survey really is a community wide effort, with various entities supporting the project.
“The Kodiak Island Borough, the Senior Citizens of Kodiak, Kodiak Public Health, KANA, Kodiak Community Health Center, the Filipino American Association and there’s more project supporters. And it really would be great to have some participation and people filling out the survey.”
There are incentives to fill out the survey. Those who participate can be entered into a drawing for roundtrip Alaska Airlines tickets to Anchorage, as well as gift cards for fuel and local museums. You can take the survey online at Alaska dot providence dot org forward slash KHA.