We then got to go into a simulation room where they talked about telehealth. We had researched a little bit about this before going on the trip, so I felt very familiar with everything. Telehealth is starting to become more and more popular in not only Alaska, but other states and areas. What it consists of is a lot of computers and different medical equipment that is all on one machine. These machines are then placed into the different villages all around Alaska. They are able to make conference calls, collect vitals, and other assessments, record them on this device and have the information sent to the provider. It is literally changing health care.
Today was a very interesting day to just see what the Native Medical Center is all about. They really are focused on helping the Native people and making sure that they have the different resources they need. They too focus on the holistic approach to care, which is including: social, physical, emotional, and spiritual health.