Program’s approved award supports a planned November rollout targeting a 10 percent reduction in avoidable hospitalizations and medical evacuations across Nome and 15 remote villages

NOME, Alaska, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In Alaska’s Bering Strait region, where reaching a hospital can require an aircraft rather than an ambulance, Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) and AMC Health are preparing to launch a remote care program for up to 500 patients across Nome and 15 surrounding villages. Backed by Alaska’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), the initiative aims to identify health risks earlier and reduce avoidable hospitalizations and medical evacuations.

The program will initially support hypertension, behavioral health, diabetes and prenatal care. Using a tablet provided by AMC Health, participants will be able to share blood pressure and glucose readings, complete regular health check-ins and receive video education, helping care teams identify changes earlier between visits. Providers may also use the tablets for virtual visits as the program evolves.

The need is growing. NSHC recorded 163 medevac flights in FY2026, up from 125 the previous year. In a region spanning about 44,000 square miles (roughly the same size as Ohio) with no connecting roads, the program is designed to help patients receive timely care in their own communities and reduce avoidable hospitalizations and medical evacuations. Among participating patients, the initiative is targeting a 10 percent reduction in avoidable hospitalizations and medevac flights.

“Remote care has its greatest potential in places where geography creates the greatest barriers to care. Our role is to give Norton Sound’s care teams the information they need to recognize risk earlier and help more patients remain stable and healthy in their own communities,” said Nesim Bildirici, Founder and CEO of AMC Health.

The need is particularly acute for pregnant patients. NSHC recorded 17 obstetrical medevac flights in FY2026, up from six the year before, underscoring the challenge of identifying potential complications early for patients living far from hospital-based care.

The program is supported by an approved award under Alaska’s Rural Health Transformation effort, part of a federal initiative to strengthen healthcare access in rural communities. Alaska received $272.2 million in first-year funding, the second-largest award in the nation. In the Bering Strait region, the NSHC–AMC Health initiative is designed to bring together remote monitoring, maternal health support, chronic care and behavioral health services in one program.

Extending Care Beyond the Clinic
Approximately half of the program’s planned 500 participants will receive support for diabetes and hypertension, while the remainder are expected to receive behavioral health support. Prenatal monitoring is also planned. Using a tablet provided by AMC Health, participants will be able to share blood pressure and glucose readings, complete regular health check-ins and receive video education while staying connected with their care team between visits.

The tablets are being configured to work over cellular service, without requiring home internet or a smartphone. Devices will be delivered to village clinics, where staff will help prepare them for patients to take home. NSHC plans to add three full-time staff members to monitor patient readings and respond to concerns. By helping care teams identify changes in a patient’s condition between appointments, the program is designed to support earlier intervention and more timely care in patients’ home communities.

“We chose to build this program across medical and behavioral health because that reflects how patients experience their health. A patient managing diabetes may also be managing depression, and a pregnant patient living several villages away still needs her care team to know when something changes. This gives us another way to stay connected to our patients wherever they live,” said Megan MacKiernan, PA, Director of Quality Improvement and Risk Management at Norton Sound Health Corporation.

Experience Delivering Care in Remote Communities
AMC Health brings more than two decades of experience supporting care at home, including in rural communities and areas with limited broadband access. Since 2017, the company has supported the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Home Telehealth Program across more than 120 VA Medical Centers and currently works with patients in Alaska.

About Norton Sound Health Corporation
Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) is a tribally owned and operated nonprofit health corporation serving the Bering Strait region of Alaska. NSHC operates Norton Sound Regional Hospital in Nome and provides healthcare services across 15 surrounding villages, delivering medical, dental, behavioral health, and community health services to one of the most geographically remote populations in the United States. For more information, visit nortonsoundhealth.org.

About AMC Health
AMC Health is the continuous care company. Through affiliated clinicians, care managers, clinically governed AI, connected health technology and continuous patient engagement, AMC Health helps healthcare organizations maintain a clinical presence between office visits and hospital stays. For more than two decades, AMC Health has supported patients living with chronic conditions through remote patient monitoring, care management, virtual care, accountable primary care, and clinical research programs.

AMC Health’s CareConsole platform is an FDA-cleared Class II medical device, and the company maintains HITRUST CSF r2 certification.

For more information, visit amchealth.com.

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SOURCE AMC HEALTH