By AlaskaWatchman.com

The Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is planning to launch what it calls a “Statewide Healthy and Equitable Communities plan.”

The strategy entails an expansion of state oversight, contact tracing and public media campaigns. Underwritten by a grant from the CDC, the design includes various strategies to respond to COVID and related social issues. On Sept. 24, DHSS sent out a survey to help the state further develop its plan. The public has until Oct. 1 to weigh-in.

The word “equitable” is never once defined in the survey, but the term is commonly used in leftist circles to refer to perceived social inequities born of racism or historic oppression.

One of DHSS’s stated goals is to establish a new team in the Division of Public Health that is focused on ensuring Alaska is comprised of “healthy and equitable communities.” This work will include coordinating vaccination, quarantine and isolation efforts and addressing “social” factors that increase risk of COVID.

The state also aims to use public funds to control media messaging across Alaska with a concerted effort to “counter” what it deems to be “misinformation.”

Another part of the plan is to vastly expand and improve government data collection and surveillance of certain populations deemed “higher risk from COVID.” Data will be analyzed to inform new strategies to respond to the virus.

Other goals entail building new infrastructure for “COVID-19 prevention and control,” as well as reviewing “state hiring practices and “state grant and procurement processes.”

Some program resources will go towards training workers in health and equity protocols.

Click here to take the survey.

Click here to support Alaska Watchman reporting.

AK seeks input on CDC-funded surveillance-data collection plan to push health & equity

Joel Davidson
Joel is Editor-in-Chief of the Alaska Watchman. Joel is an award winning journalist and has been reporting for over 24 years, He is a proud father of 8 children, and lives in Palmer, Alaska.


59 Comments

  • Timothy Colbath says:

    Until they start handling out therapeutics – we will be stuck where we are. They ignore Natural Immunity completely.

    • Elizabeth Henry says:

      Yes. I submitted the question ‘How many of the positive Covid test results have previously had Covid?’ to DHSS at thr Wednesday DHSS Public Health Science ECHO forum. So far no response. It seems they are indeed completely ignoring. Also ignoring the effectiveness of the antibody infusion treatment. It’s evidently all about the vaccine. Money and power.

      • Matthew says:

        22 of the 30 cases at my job in the last couple weeks are from fully vaccinated people. This is bullshit

      • Elizabeth Henry says:

        And were any of the cases people that had had Covid before? I know nobody that has had it twice and I know dozens whom have had it. The natural immunity question is not be answered at all.

    • Elizabeth Henry says:

      Yes. I submitted the question ‘How many of the positive Covid test results have previously had Covid?’ to DHSS at thr Wednesday DHSS Public Health Science ECHO forum. So far no response. It seems they are indeed completely ignoring. Also ignoring the effectiveness of the antibody infusion treatment. It’s evidently all about the vaccine. Money and power. The survey is convoluted and full of government over-reach.

  • Jon and Ruth Ewig says:

    We don’t want any surveillance of American citizens.

    • Evan S Singh says:

      But what if they are a threat to US democracy like the Trump supporting Capitol floor poopers of January 6?

      • Common Peasant says:

        The narrative has you Evan.

        Wake up.

      • Evan S Singh says:

        There is evidence that your side, the so called “Patriots”, pooped on the Capitol floor. And, you know, sought to murder the Vice President of the United States.

        Is that not reality Common Peasant?

      • G Aleution says:

        Were you there? How do you know? Faith? In media tales?

      • Herman Nelson says:

        But burning down businesses and ripping old men out of their cars and beating them senseless is perfectly ok, by your standards. We had this issue in 1941. They were called nazis. We killed them.

      • Random Alaskan says:

        Unfortunately, we didn’t kill ALL of the Naxis. Operation Paperclip. Mark Zuckerberg is a Nazi. So are Google and YouTube controllers. All Nazis. Mueller ate Nazis. Schiff, Schumer. Nancy Pelosi is really married to a Pelisi (mafia) and of course, her daddy was also a criminal mafia guy.

      • Jayme Hatfield says:

        How about somebody ask about those swabs…why can not a regular long hospital swab efficiently get a mucus sample? Noooo it has to be their “special” covid swab that comes with the vax kits…

    • Carmen says:

      Fairbanks Memorial Hospital told me they were tracing people’s cell phones a year ago March/April to see if people were slowing down like the Governor had asked. Permission needs to be granted to do that. Violation of privacy.

  • Jon and Ruth Ewig says:

    Where do we put our input?

  • Jon and Ruth Ewig says:

    We answered the survey. We are opposed to this effort “on behalf of our communities.” We need minimum government interference. The survey assumes we are in favor of the project so we needed to answer in the context of not being in favor of interference in our lives.

    • Elizabeth Henry says:

      Agree. The whole survey was engineered to get the person doing the survey to ‘agree’ to government over reach!

  • Harry Goose says:

    Just another camel nose under the tent, so no.

  • G Aleution says:

    In China in an identical project they send one type of Chinese young and hip to live with the other minority families to observe (report to someone) and pleasantly suggest that food be prepared one way not another etc. Make sure everyone has a proper education. They are feared. WELCOME TO YOUR NEW COMMUNISM. First they tell you you’re going to be rich but really you’ll be captives. Buy in lefties. Help out.

  • Proud Alaskan says:

    Don’t give them any information about you or your family.
    It’s none of there business

  • EscapedAnchorage says:

    That survey was fun. Just answer “covid is a hoax for communism” spread it out in the boxes.

  • MB says:

    So the big question is how much money is Alaska getting from the fed’s for this? Follow the money.

    Nope stay out of my life, none of your business, go away. Sounds like more government overreach. What happened to less government?

  • Wisdom Cries in the Streets says:

    Mr. Davidson,

    Please investigate the news story from this evening that vaguely addresses that our daily reported COVID case numbers are completely inaccurate. Quoting the joke of a website alaskasnewssource “Commissioner Adam Crum said that daily reporting numbers are a mix of current and older cases.”

    Why on earth would they be reporting older cases in the daily counts?! If the case isn’t from that day – it shouldn’t count. They report the weekend totals on Mondays but they specifically call that out. But this?! It’s as if they got caught and need to come clean about their deception. While I have personally been unaffected for months, many in our community are hyperventilating out of fear of the “spike” in cases…yet they are now saying the daily cases are not accurate. Will someone please find out how long this has been going on?! They are intentionally causing fear, distress, and division.

    And the way Anne Zink communicates is absurd. She is either intentionally fear-mongering or she stopped breathing into a paper-bag long enough to be quoted because if she believes what she is saying then she is likely on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

    We need stable, credible people at the helm. And for the love of sanity, we need good reporting in Alaska. This monopoly of all the news stations being owned by one company is nonsense. Mr. Davidson, expansion is needed, Alaskans deserve answers and fairly-presented news.

    • G Aleution says:

      I’m wondering if some are inhabited by diabolical persons from other realms. The lies are very adroit and cunning at this point. When Jesus God’s installed King left the last time demons entering and possessing bodies (of others) was a big problem. Probably a big problem in these very wicked days of a wicked system too. Hard to believe one’s eyes these days.

    • HeresJohnny says:

      “if she believes what she is saying then she is likely on the verge of an emotional breakdown.”
      Like every health care and public health worker in this state. Everyone’s exhausted dealing with this preventable surge. Why go above and beyond to save someone’s life when they won’t do the absolute minimum to help keep themselves out of the hospital?

  • Evan S Singh says:

    I wonder if Dr Ann Zink is frustrated because she has spent 10 years in education and X years in practice and she sees our hospitals so full of unvaccinated Covid patients that we have to install triage protocols when she knows that a simple, safe, effective, and available vaccine would prevent the tragedy that she and other health care workers face?

    But you anti vaxxers are so spelunked by your Christian/Trump hatism that some of you come to public meetings AND SPIT ON HEALTH CARE WORKERS!!

    You spit on people that save lives. Maybe someday YOUR life or your daughter’s.

    You cannot bear the burden of shame that you deserve.

    • Dee Cee says:

      What the hell are you talking about Evan?

      • Evan S Singh says:

        I’ll type more slowly. Anti vaxxers have attacked health care workers. That is deeply shameful.

      • Andy says:

        Where? here in Alaska? Specifics please.

      • Evan S Singh says:

        On Thursday,Ann Zink reported attacks It’s in the ADN – “Alaska health workers face anger and threats from COVID patients and public, chief medical officer says”

      • Elizabeth Henry says:

        That is shameful but how do you know they were ‘antivaxers’ and should you also not consider other variables such as intoxication or even mental illness? No one that I know whom is refraining from the vaccine would ever attack anyone, and in reality none of them are ‘antivaxxers’ . that is nothing but a leftist deflection label label.

    • Kirk Sanderson says:

      you believe adn??? there in lies the problem, the media are lying about the numbers and the hospital crises. if they would quit firing the unvaxed then there wouldn’t be such a shortage of health care workers. the media is the single most threat to our society at the moment.

  • G Aleution says:

    What is graphine oxide? Why should it be placed in healthy bodies by injection? All you science worshippers will get right on that question won’t you? You do know the answer don’t you, science worshippers? Aisle wait.

    • Evan S Singh says:

      I checked. Typical conspiracy that you latch on to. Although I certainly could have missed a source. How about making it easier for readers. What is your evidence that graphene oxide is in vaccines?

  • G Aleution says:

    GRAPHENE OXIDE.

    • G Aleution says:

      This ingredient is in the disposable facial masks from China too which are so highly valued by virus leaders. The experiments are evidently not complete.

  • Patrick Dalton says:

    Time to form citizens networks, and massive civil disobedience in our local areas. Call me anyone interested(907) 8030092

  • DoneWithIt says:

    Evan believes BigPharma, the Feds/CDC, and Fauci – he believes they really, really care about him.
    Why the mass censorship. Evan?
    Why the denial of inexpensive therapeutics?
    Why are they ignoring natural immunity?
    Oh, never mind – don’t ask questions right? Just believe whatever Palumbo Biden, Fauci, and the MSM spew, right Evan?
    Does Evan lay I’m bed at night and think about the potential life altering harm the vaccines may have done to his health?
    All in the name of a flu that we have a 99.97% recovery rate???
    Wake up Sheeple.
    Don’t forget to double mask…

  • Buzz Kelley says:

    The Statewide Healthy and Equitable Communities plan is nothing but another government infringement on the citizens’ lives. Does anybody really want more contact tracing, quarantines and lockdowns? Not no. Not no but hell no!

  • Andy says:

    Nope, now they are attempting to take this too far.

  • G Aleution says:

    The foreigners want Alaska’s 30 minerals. They don’t want us around though. And they are acting on it. The legislators, assemblypersons, are thinking your Constitution is just another old piece of paper which means nothing anymore.

  • hisakgirl says:

    this is complete over-reach of our American rights and privacies. Dunleavy and any other AK leaders with a spine should stop this before it begins. I surely hope Alaska s do not comply with this.

  • Theresa says:

    I was happy to take the survey.
    I told them the #1 thing they should do is respect every person’s inalienable right to make healthcare decisions for himself.
    The #2 thing they should do is reject Communism and medical dictatorship.
    The #3 thing they should do is return the grant money to the CDC and mind their own business.
    I also recommended that the person reading my survey find a new job that doesn’t support the prospect of harassing his fellow citizens.

  • Herman Nelson says:

    Sounds like the “health gestapo”. Stomp out what they perceive as “lies”. Most likely will be authorized to carry firearms. Because it’s “der reich” thing to do.

  • Ed Martin Jr says:

    This is what AK DDS has to offer us Alaskans , Public money spent with AGNEW – BECK. with this mission statement ” As Agnew::Beck has evolved and grown to more than 20 people with offices in Alaska and Idaho, the objective has remained the same: to help clients efficiently and ” effectively direct change “, solve problems and make their visions a reality.” Defaults to : “The “test” for force majeure usually requires the satisfaction of three distinct criteria :
    1) the event must be beyond the reasonable control of the affected party;
    2) the affected party’s ability to perform its obligations under the contract must have been prevented, impeded or hindered by the event; and
    3) the affected party must have taken all reasonable steps to seek to avoid or mitigate the event or its consequences.
    However, if the provision does not include language to that effect, then it will be necessary to consider whether COVID-19, or its impact on a business or a project, is captured by a different concept, such as an “Act of God,” “action by government” or a catch-all provision. Most force majeure provisions contain “catch-all” language in respect of events which are “outside the reasonable control of the party affected”. It seems fairly clear that a pandemic such as COVID-19 would qualify as force majeure under such a provision. It is important to bear in mind however that the relevant force majeure event need not be COVID-19 itself. It is the consequences of COVID-19 and its impact upon the ability of the affected party to fulfil its contractual obligations that will be relevant.
    HOW HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE LAB RAT? Phase one Survey… Test the waters………………
    God save the King !

  • kris spencer says:

    Did you miss that last bit at the end about building new infrastructure for “COVID-19 prevention and control,”??? They are currently building such infrastructure (which is barracks) in Tenn to house covid patients. They will remove family members from your home for “safety” and take them to the holding place (barracks) until they either die or are deemed “recovered” and approved to return. You will not be able to visit them.

  • G Aleution says:

    The turnstyle is oneway. IN. No out. Not very nice of you Governor. They are darlingly called “Green spaces” passed by your everloving legislators last session. Though when asked about it they pretend they don’t know what you are talking about. They are having cognition problems evidently. Ask them and see for yourself. Ask one that tells the truth.

  • Freedom says:

    Do the survey!!! Tell them the most important thing they can do is stop politicizing the flu and building more bureaucracy in our state. Write in your answers and be clear. Cut the fat.

  • HeresJohnny says:

    I wonder how many deaths can be attributed in part to folks reading misleading vaccine stories on this website. I’d bet it’s at least a handful.

  • Dani says:

    I let them know that my concerns center around freedom to direct one’s medical choices, freedom of movement for Alaskans, as any vaccine mandate to fly would create an equity disparity between Alaskans and those in the Lower 48 due to our isolated location, and the concerns over the social-emotional development of our children who have had their faces covered and have had caregivers with covered faces for 18 months during an important timeframe in their young lives when they are programmed to begin taking social cues from facial expressions and learning the nuances of communication through reading faces.

  • Charles Douglas says:

    Check out the Agnew Beck website and you will learn they are all about Critical Race Theory. This company is CRT all the way. I am curious how they landed this contract.

  • G Aleution says:

    Democrats do not care about the mewlings of women and children. Their rhetoric to the contrary is not to be believed. The scriptures depict the “King of the North” as not caring about the cries of women and children as a bear. This is not insulting. It is mere pragmatism and fact. The national symbol for communist russia is the bear. Do you, Anchorage, take these spiritual bears for “leaders”? Awake those who are asleep.

  • Northwind says:

    Folks, they are planning new phase of control. You need to decline experiment. Mandates are not law and it’s against your HIPPA rights and the Nuremberg CoDE. Go to
    http://www.americasfrontlinedoctors.org.

    Exemptions and other important info