OPINION: Strengthening Alaska’s health care response to violence

While Alaska has the highest rates of interpersonal violence in the country, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and child and elder abuse, many health care personnel and first responders do not ever receive training to correctly document and collect medical evidence to report these crimes.

That’s why the University of Alaska Anchorage College of Health created the Alaska Comprehensive Forensic Training Academy (ACFTA), a program with the mission of equipping our health care professionals with the tools they need to ensure every victim who seeks help is met with compassionate, competent care.

Many factors contribute to Alaska’s high rates of violence: geographic isolation, economic hardship and a lack of health care services in rural areas. These issues often make it difficult for victims to seek help. In small, close-knit communities, fear of retaliation or distrust in outside systems can discourage victims from reporting abuse. For many, health care visits may be one of the few opportunities to disclose what’s happening to them.

Proper documentation can also play an important role in seeking justice. When providers have the skills to accurately record injuries and gather forensic evidence, they help create a legal path for victims to hold their abusers accountable. But when these skills are missing, critical evidence can be overlooked, reducing the chances for victims to get the protection and justice they deserve.

The solution starts with making trauma-informed training available to all health care professionals in Alaska. Programs like the ACFTA ensure that health care providers — from urban hospitals to rural clinics — are equipped to recognize and respond to abuse. These skills not only improve care for victims but also create safer communities for everyone.

When health care providers can spot the signs of abuse and take action, it helps break the cycles of violence that harm our friends, families and neighbors. Every step we take toward better training and awareness brings us closer to a safer Alaska.

Every Alaskan has a stake in this issue, whether you’ve been personally affected by violence or not. The impact ripples through our entire state, affecting the safety and well-being of everyone. By supporting trauma-informed training and making sure health care workers are prepared to help victims, we can all play a part in making Alaska a safer place.

This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it is time to take collective responsibility and make sure that every health care provider has the tools to recognize, respond to and help prevent violence in Alaska. The stakes are too high for us to wait.

Dr. Angelia Trujillo is a professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, School of Nursing. Dr. Trujillo has worked in the field of interpersonal violence, sexual assault, and public health for approximately 20 years. Dr. Trujillo founded the Alaska Comprehensive Forensic Training Academy in 2019 and has served as the lead faculty since that time. Dr. Trujillo is a co-founder of the Academy of Forensic Nursing which strives to promote the role of education, research and service in the provision of care to all victims of violence. In addition, Dr. Trujillo has worked with Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office on the inclusion of legislation to support forensic training for health care providers in the 2022 reauthorized Violence Against Women Act.

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