ANCHORAGE, AK – According to the American Medical Association, Alaska has 2.06 MDs per 1,000 patients, below the national average of 2.38. The state also has a significant shortage of mental health professionals, pharmacists and nurses.

Preconceived notions of the wild frontier continue to hamper recruitment for healthcare professionals, but for the last eight years videoconferencing for recruiting and retention has been "golden" up here, said Ron Hale, program manager of Alaska Medical Services for GCI's ConnectMD.

Telecom company GCI's ConnectMD provides teleconferencing technology for its medical network, a collaborative healthcare environment serving more than 200 clinics, hospitals and medical corporations throughout Alaska and Washington.

Hospital CEOs in Alaska can save time and money by interviewing candidates through videoconferences. They can also connect their hospitals to outpatient clinics through teleconferencing, Hale said.

Videoconferencing aids retention by providing nurses, clinical associates and mid-level providers access to training for their continuing medical education and licensing at a fraction of the cost for hospitals, he said.