Alaska CARES named recipient of Catholic Health Association’s 2020 Achievement Citation

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) has recognized Alaska CARES as the recipient of its 2020 Achievement Citation. The announcement was made during a live stream of Virtual Assembly 2020 on June 8. The program is sponsored by Providence Health & Service Alaska (PH&SA).

Alaska CARES seeks to minimize the devastating impact of child abuse for victims, families and the community by addressing the immediate needs of young victims and helping them access appropriate care. This is done through a multidisciplinary approach to child-abuse investigations. The program assists law enforcement, child protective services, community health care providers and others.

"Since it was founded in 1996, Alaska CARES has cared for approximately 21,000 children by creating a safe and healing space for children who have experienced trauma from abuse to help them find peace," said Preston M. Simmons, DSc., FACHE, chief executive of PH&SA. “This honor is a reflection of the commitment of our caregivers to use innovation and collaboration to provide the best care possible to children and families who have suffered the trauma of abuse.”

Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, CHA president and chief executive officer, commended Alaska CARES for embracing the best practices model defined by the U.S. Department of Justice, the program works to produce more positive physical and emotional health outcomes for children and families.

The Achievement Citation honors original, bold, values-based programs – ones that demonstrate creative, innovative approaches to meeting community health care needs and serve as models for others seeking better ways to serve their communities and further the mission of Catholic health care. Additionally, CHA will give the recipient organization a $10,000 contribution to further its important work. The 2020 winner of the Achievement Citation, Alaska CARES, will be honored in person at Assembly 2021, in Indianapolis.

The annual Catholic Health Assembly is the largest gathering of Catholic health care leaders in the United States. The two-and-one-half day convention brings together executives, boards, sponsors and other leaders from across the country. Keynote speakers feature prominent voices from health care, academia, media, public policy and philanthropy. Assembly 2021 will take place June 13-15, 2021, in Indianapolis.

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About Alaska CARES

Alaska CARES is an outpatient clinic located in Anchorage, Alaska. The clinic provides complete sexual and physical abuse evaluations for approximately 1,000 children each year, newborn to age 18 years, and 24-hour on-call services for cases that are considered emergent. Alaska CARES is a Children's Advocacy Center and a member of the National Children's Alliance, which is the governing body for more than 450 Children's Advocacy Centers across the United States. For more information about Alaska CARES, visit akcares.org.

About the CHA
The Catholic Health Association of the United States is the national leadership organization of the Catholic health ministry, representing the largest nonprofit provider of health care services in the nation.

• 1 in 7 patients in the U.S. is cared for in a Catholic hospital each day.
• Catholic health care, which includes more than 2,200 hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, systems, sponsors, and related organizations, serves the full continuum of health care across our nation.

Learn more at www.chausa.org.