Welcome to our Town Meeting archive page.
Check back here any time you want to make note of the
contact information provided by one of our Town Meeting guests.

You might also want to check the EXTRAS section of the site
for additional information on current local interests.

From Col. Valerie Thomas of the Bureau of Indian Affairs:

View/Download a pdf on resources to
fight Methamphetamine ("Meth") use


From Essien J. Ukoidemabia, our guest from 12/22/05 on the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan  (pronounce her name like the letters "A-C-N"):
 

Essien J. Ukoidemabia,
MSCIS SHIP/SMP Director
DHSS/DSDS
Medicare Information & Referral Center
3601 C Street, Suite 310
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Fax: 1-907-269-2045
1-800-478-6065 (in-state)
1-907-269-3680
Essien_ukoidemabia@health.state.ak.us

State of Alaska Medicare Volunteer List by City:
http://hss.state.ak.us/dsds/seniorcareinfo/2005AlaskaMedicareVolunteersList.pdf

Our SeniorCare State of Alaska Website:
http://hss.state.ak.us/dsds/seniorcaresio.htm

Before you call  or visit us, try to have on hand the following:

1. Your Medicare card (red, white and blue)

2. A list of all your prescription drugs (your pharmacist can get that for you)

3. The mailing address that Social Security uses to send you info - We need to know the exact zip code they use.

4. Know your annual income level to include your social security and retirement pensions

Just for kicks here's the website to enroll  or compare drug plans for the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (not for the faint-hearted):

http://www.medicare.gov/
 

Program Summary:

Garret Wong of channel 2 Market View sums it up nicely on his December 16, 2005 report:

QUOTE:
How does the new drug benefit work?

Well, the new benefit offers coverage for the cost of medicine through a stand-alone prescription drug plans. These are to be sold by insurers and subsidized and regulated by Medicare.

One of the first important things you need to understand is the way the coverage will be paid. For example, let's assume you have a plan with a $250 deductible. You will pay 25 percent of the next $2,000 in drug bills. At that point, you reach a coverage gap referred to as the "doughnut hole." Once here, you are responsible for all your drug costs, which adds up to about $2,850. By this point, you have now spent $3,600 out of pocket.

Once you are through the doughnut hole, benefits kick in again with Medicare paying 95 percent of your drug cost for the rest of the year. You are paying the balance of 5 percent.
END QUOTE:

The State of Alaska is there to walk you through this maze of mass communication and provide you with the one-on-one counseling that Alaska is known for. All you have to do is go to the SeniorCare website or call the 1-800-478-6065 telephone number to find a state trained Medicare Volunteer Counselor near your community that can answer your specific questions about your healthcare options.

From Lisa Merrill, our guest for discussion about Alzheimer's:

Here is my contact info:  Our agency web site is www.alzalaska.org; Alzheimer's
Association (National) www.alz.org, Alzheimer's Foundation of America www.alzfdn.org

Lisa Merrill, Outreach Specialist
ADRAA-Caregiver Access Project
PO Box 4406, Palmer, AK  99645
(907) 746-3493
1-800-478-1080, #2
lmerrill@alzalaska.org


A link from our own "legislative watchdog", Denny Weathers, that you can use to do your own reserach on bills

Click the flag, enter the bill root in the "bill root" box and view/print out a copy

Thanks to Patti Bland from the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault for joining Nicole Songer from our own Cordova Family Resource Center.  On, 10/13/05, We had a great discussion on domestic violence, and resources that are available to deal with this tragic situation.

Founded in 1978, the ANDSVA is a statewide coalition made up of twenty domestic violence and sexual assault programs -- and CFRC is one of them.

Learn more about ANDSVA at their website: 

Contact info for LifeAlaska Donor Services -- Alaska's statewide organ and tissue donor registry.

We interviewed Erin Hall Meade, FAAM on 7/27/05.  Here's how to reach the agency, and Erin:

LifeAlaska Donor Services
PO Box 231809
Anchorage, AK 99523-1809

Main Phone: 907-562-5433
Toll Free: 800-719-5433
Fax: 907-562-5333
Website: www.lifealaska.org (org stands for "organ" :-)

Erin's direct line: 907-273-3825
Erin's email: erinm@lifealaska.org
 


Almost everyone who heard the Terry Schaivo story was touched by the tragedy.  After we discussed her death on Town Meeting, the Illanka clinic was kind enough to provide us with this document which, if filled out by a family member, might help avoid such a situation if one should ever occur with one of our local families.

You can download the form right here --
 


On, 7/5/05, we interviewed Paul Krejci (pron. CRAY-chee) about doctoral research he's conducting on Captain Joseph Bernard, who was a resident of Cordova from the mid-1920s to about 1970.  If anyone has writings or audio recordings of the Captain, personal stories to share, or suggestions of people Paul might contact for more information, please let him know using the information below:

Paul Krejci
PO Box 80581
Fairbanks, AK 99708

(907) 457-8598

ftprk@uaf.edu


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