Technology, superior care available in Alaska: these days you don't need to travel to the Lower 48 for exceptional health care.

• Author: Parrish, Al

Alaska often has been referred to as the Last Great Frontier, and with that people have mistakenly believed that we live in a state that is behind the rest of the United States and that we are lacking in sophistication, technology and state-of-the-art services.

I have found that some Alaskans also think this is true of the health care services available in the state, believing that the best care in the U.S. can only be found south of us. I can as sure you that nothing could be further from the truth when talking about Alaska's health care system.

I have, for some time, wanted to share what I have learned during my first year with Providence about the sophistication of health care in Alaska, although my knowledge of the services available in the state actually began long before I joined the health care industry. I am blessed with a strong, healthy grandson today because of the state-of-the-art services and technology available at the neonatal intensive care unit at Providence Alaska Medical Center. I learned then, when he was born, just over one pound in weight, 12 years ago, that we indeed have some of the best care available in the U.S. right here at home.

But since working at Providence, I've learned to have an even greater appreciation for the amazing talents of our health care work force, and the dedicated attention paid to ensuring Alaskans have access to state-of-the-art care. If you just look at the three main facilities in Anchorage--Providence Alaska Medical Center, Alaska Native Medical Center and Alaska Regional Hospital-you will see that these facilities are indeed first-class and filled with the most-advanced technology.

I know that each facility spends mil lions of dollars each year in capital improvements that ensure this technology is available to Alaskans. Just last year, the state gained its first two Positron Emission Topography (PET) Scanners, one of them being a PET/CT Scanner that produces the most detailed images available in American health care today. In addition, new state-of-the art systems for dispensing pharmaceuticals and inputting information into medical records electronically are being installed at local hospitals to ensure patient safety. I think I can safely say that providing high-quality care and ensuring patient safety are the No. 1 priorities for all the hospitals in our state.

And this focus is evident in the de sign and equipment being put into new construction projects that are ongoing in our local...