Advanced Physical Therapy has 150 to 170 devices connected to its network, ranging from laptops and desktops to switches and routers. Almost everything Advanced Physical Therapy does depends on the security and reliability of its data network. For instance, the company’s electronic medical records are hosted in Anchorage, including critical patient schedules. And everything must be compliant with the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA), so maintaining reliable and secure access to data is essential. “There is nothing more important than making sure everything on our network is as secure as can be because we deal with such important information,” Berg says.

hen Alex Papasavas started her restaurant, Turkey Red, in Palmer a decade ago, her goal was to locally-source as much meat and produce as she could. Papasavas and her staff of thirty-four make nearly all of their main dishes, desserts, bread, and mozzarella from products grown or raised within the Mat-Su region. “I planned the restaurant to where we reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible,” she says. “The food industry is one of the most polluting industries on our planet because everyone has to eat.”

dentity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in America, and it’s the number one complaint reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Personal identity theft involves using another person’s name and other personal information to steal his or her persona and financial security.

Identity thieves often use a stolen Social Security number to open accounts in someone else’s name and make purchases using that person’s good credit. The perpetrators typically have invoices and bills sent to a phony address—generally a post office box number—so unsuspecting victims often don’t discover the crime for years. Usually, identity theft victims become aware of the problem only when they receive bills for goods and services they didn’t buy, notice suspicious bank account withdrawals, or detect new accounts they didn’t open on their credit report.

It’s been a long time coming. The first Liberty exploration well was drilled in 1997 by BP; Hilcorp acquired 50 percent ownership of the Liberty project in 2014; and the companies (with third partner ASRC Exploration) released a draft EIS in August 2017, with the final EIS published in August 2018. It’s anticipated that Liberty could produce 60,000 barrels of oil per day.

In a Hilcorp release about the approval, US Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said, “The Hilcorp Liberty Project, if completed, will be the first production facility ever located in federal waters off Alaska… American energy dominance is good for the economy, the environment, and our national security. Responsibly developing our resources, in Alaska especially, will allow us to use our energy diplomatically to aid our allies and check our adversaries.”

MacKinnon made mention of the Katlian Bay Road project in Sitka, which was proposed in late September. This project, which engineers estimate will run between $10 million and $20 million, would include construction of approximately nine miles of a new, single-lane gravel road, beginning at the end of Halibut Point Road in Sitka and continuing north to its termination within Katlian Bay at the eastern property boundary of Shee Atiká, an ANSCA urban corporation. Work would include the installation of approximately 300 culverts and the construction of two bridges over the South Katlian River and Katlian River.

“I believe this is a segment of a future road connection across the island so that someday the ferry run can be significantly shortened, thus reducing costs and potentially increasing service,” says MacKinnon, noting the success of the day ferry that currently services Metlakatla from Ketchikan and includes a 14.5-mile road route.

Since 1994 the village of about 400 people nestled between the Ningliq River and Newtok River has been working toward fleeing the slow-moving disaster zone, acquiring a new site, Mertarvik (on Nelson Island) in a land trade with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003.

Developing the new site, putting in basic modern infrastructure—running water, power, sewers—is an incredibly costly endeavor made even more difficult by the limited resources and commerce within the community.

hen you’re standing in line at Costco, you may not think much about the building that you’re in—you’re probably only reflecting on what a bargain you got on your 2,400-count case of paper towels. But what’s interesting about warehouses, other than how massive they can be, is how many unique ways they can be used by different industries.

According to William Hansen, director of marketing for Alaska Structures, there is no limit to a warehouse’s versatility. “Warehouses are used by oil and gas companies as pump station enclosures; by mining companies for onsite warehousing; by the auto industry as manufacturing facilities; by airports as hangars, maintenance and repair facilities, and luggage sorting and handling facilities; and by shipping companies as distribution warehouses,” he says. “Warehouses are perfect for pretty much any industry that requires a large, free-span building.”

etween its vast landscapes and underdeveloped or nonexistent road systems, navigating through Alaska can be daunting. Whether driving a four-door sedan or a semitrailer, traversing the 49th state is often a tricky endeavor, especially when hauling heavy loads, an integral aspect of transportation in Alaska that STR Alaska President Curtis Spencer describes as “very challenging.”

ith sexual assault and child abuse cases hitting all-time highs for Alaska CARES Child Advocacy Center and Forensic Nursing Services of Providence in Anchorage, construction is rapidly moving forward on a new multi­disciplinary facility in Midtown.

The custom-designed center—which will continue to house detectives from the Anchorage Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit and Special Victims Unit; an investigative unit from the Alaska State Troopers; Office of Children Services; Alaska CARES; and Forensic Nursing—broke ground in February, and it’s anticipated service providers will be settled into their new offices by April 2019.

Healthcare is Alaska’s largest private sector employer. A decade ago, the Alaska healthcare industry employed 27,800 workers. By 2010, that number had grown to 30,200. By August 2018, 38,500 people were employed by the state’s healthcare organizations.

“That’s pretty serious growth,” Fried says. “No other industry is growing that way. There is no other industry that is growing so consistently over time. It’s kind of amazing that it’s that large and it’s growing that rapidly and it’s still on that trajectory of growth.”

Alaska’s largest non-government employer is Providence Health and Services, which operates the state’s largest hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, as well as hospitals in Seward, Kodiak, and Valdez.

Nonetheless, with Medicare and Medicaid there shouldn’t be as many issues with uninsured or underinsured women accessing certain preventive healthcare services, such as mammograms or cervical cancer screenings, Taylor explains.

“But there are not that many clinics that take Medicare and Medicaid,” she says, noting that Alaska Regional Hospital accepts both programs.

The reason many private practices will only take a limited number of Medicare and Medicaid patients is directly linked to economics.

◼ Meet Alaska Conference and Trade Show from the Alaska Support Industry Alliance is taking place on January 18 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center.
The Alaska Support Industry Alliance is the trade group for the industries that support Alaska’s oil and gas industries. The Alliance has more than fifty members, including construction, transportation, and banking businesses. All together those fifty member companies employ more than 50,000 people. Admission to the Meet Alaska Convention is $250 for members, $275 for non-members, $100 for legislators, and $200 for other government officials and staff.
http://alaskaalliance.com/

laska’s Arctic is a unique and spectacular destination whether one is traveling just to see the sights or to get a job done. No matter your purpose for visiting Alaska’s northern regions, venues abound that provide all the services you need to take in the wildlife, landscape, and local culture in convenient comfort.

Angel Camp by the Sea is a bed and breakfast with two available suites located in Nome on Front Street at the end of the Iditarod. Amenities include free WiFi, continental breakfast, laundry, private entry, and an ocean view. angelcampbythesea.com

The Hicker family operates Arctic Getaway Rental Cabins and Breakfast out of Wiseman, north of Coldfoot along the Dalton Highway. The company offers visitors three furnished, private cabins, each with a kitchenette. Guests are invited into the Hicker home every morning for a hearty, home-cooked breakfast. arcticgetaway.com

The Design Alaska Holiday Concert, which sells out every year, features Eduard Zilberkant conducting the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, the Fairbanks Symphony Chorus, and the Northland Youth Choir. Guests will be treated to traditional holiday favorites at the C.W. Davis Concert Hall on the UAF campus beginning at 4 p.m. fairbankssymphony.org

Starting at 1 p.m., on the shortest day of the year, walk with a Friends of Creamer’s Field naturalist near the iconic Creamer’s barns. friendsofcreamersfield.org

ASGA Annual Conference

Cape Fox Lodge, Ketchikan: The Alaska Shellfish Growers Association conference includes a banquet, movie viewing, and oyster tasting. It also includes the ASGA annual business meeting; a tour of local farms; discussions about oyster and kelp farming regulations; and growing a successful business in the mariculture industry. alaskashellfish.org

Junior Achievement of Alaska Awards Banquet

Dena’ina Center, Anchorage: Four new Alaskans will be inducted and recognized with this prestigious award. Attended by more than 400 business representations, the program consists of a networking reception, dinner, and awards ceremony. juniorachievement.org/web/ja-alaska

Alaska RTI/MTSS Conference

Dena’ina Center, Anchorage: Featured sessions include Mindset Mathematics, Student Engagement and Self-Efficacy, Computational Thinking and Computer Science in the Elementary Classroom, and Collaborative Leadership Collaborative. asdn.org/school-year-conferences-and-institutes

Goodwill Industries of Alaska opened a new retail store at 8931 Old Seward Highway in Anchorage.

The store opening means that Goodwill Industries, an organization in existence since 1902, now has a second retail presence in the state. The store is stocked with clothing, books, shoes, housewares, and more. goodwill-alaska.org

ulie Taylor joined Alaska Regional Hospital as CEO five years ago in December 2013. Throughout her career Taylor has held a number of leadership positions including director of case management and admissions, interim vice president of human resources, associate chief nursing officer, and chief operating officer. Taylor is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives as well as a registered nurse. She lives in Anchorage with her husband Mike and their daughter Lauren.

ealthcare is Alaska’s fastest growing industry. The growth of this industry has contributed to new jobs as well as new or expanded medical facilities and services statewide. Incomes for various healthcare industry positions vary, though generally they run from mid-range to high income. And many of the mid-range positions do not require arduous amounts of certification, training, or education, creating opportunities for industrious and competent individuals to become qualified and begin providing care relatively quickly. Below Alaska Business has gathered Mid-2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates-Alaska data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that show the number of Alaskans employed in various healthcare industry positions and their mean annual and hourly wage.