Information Insights provides support and web hosting for the Lost Alaskans project, which was recently awarded the 2011 Pathfinder Award by the Alaska Historical Society (AHS).
The Pathfinder Award is given to an individual or several individuals who have indexed or prepared guides to Alaska historical material that has not been accessible. The 2011 Pathfinder award goes to the Lost Alaskans: Morningside Hospital History Project, and its primary researchers Ellen Ganley (Information Insights Co-founder, CEO and Principal Consultant), Meg Greene, Karen Perdue, Robin Renfroe, Niejse Steinkruger, Sally Mead, Deborah Smith, Marylou Elton, and Vivian Hamilton. This group has worked to uncover the documentary record of mental health care during the years in which Alaskans were institutionalized out of state at Morningside Hospital. Their work not only helps reveal the past, but has had an impact on the lives of living family members seeking to understand what happened to their relatives.
The Trust’s Behavioral Health mini-grant program provides funding opportunities for beneficiaries with mental illness, chronic alcoholism and traumatic brain injuries to receive services or items not regularly funded through other sources. Grants have been used to pay for dental work, auto repairs, eye glasses and computers.
Information Insights is under contract to AMHTA to provide administrative support to the grant program. Services include a monthly review of requests with the Proposal Evaluation Committee, disbursement of grant funds and documentation their use.
Information Insights provides logistical and coordination support to planners who organize an annual three-day statewide conference.
This cross-trained team coordinates online promotion, registration and payment processes, continuing education documentation requirements for nurses, doctors and health educators, printed program, and all site coordination among volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors, planners, speakers, catering and technical support.
Information Insights adapts to the unique needs of each year’s planners as they attract approximately 200 attendees from throughout the state of Alaska.
The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority was Information Insights’ first client and the firm has been under contract to the Trust ever since. Over the past ten years, Information Insights has continuously provided assistance in the areas of mental health data gathering, research and analysis, and planning and budget process facilitation and preparation; Information Insights also advises the Trustees on policy options to effectively implement the settlement. Information Insights is currently providing facilitation of Trustee budget deliberations, strategic planning and collaboration with the four beneficiary boards.
This 2004 project assisted the borough in a comprehensive study of borough service delivery. Information Insights presented study results in every community of the North Slope Borough, accompanied by Borough Mayor George Ahmaogak.
The bound report produced by Information Insights for the University of Alaska compiles all of the health related research occurring in Alaska. The Executive Summary of the report can be viewed at: http://www.alaska.edu/health/downloads/HealthStatusAlaskans.pdf
Facilitated Borough Assembly planning retreats.
Conducted for the Fairbanks North Star Borough,this project included research, development of a local childcare rating system, hiring and training of raters, and development of manuals and rating charts. The project raised the quality of childcare for over a thousand children in the Fairbanks North Star Borough in one year. This astonishing change occurred in a very short amount of time and the results are backed by excellent data.