Our first few days here in Alaska have been both exhausting and everything that I was hoping for. Going to the Alaskan Native Medical Center to learn more about the Alaskan Native healthcare culture and values was very enlightening. Listening to the traditional healers about how their practices mesh with the western medicine techniques made me think about how important it is to have an aspect of someone's care that is sensitive to their culture. Through the statistics they showed us, it is clear that having the traditional healers contribute a positive effect on these patients. Also, learning about the primary care model that is used at the ANMC was incredible. Their ability to streamline care and increase teamwork of the providers is something that I think that more primary care facilities should adopt.
The views here in Anchorage are breathtaking. Waking up in the morning is suddenly much more tolerable when you get to wake up with the mountains right outside your door. We got to drive along the mountains and went dog sledding. It was so cool to learn about how the dogs interact and talk to the mushers about how they landed where they are now. After that we drove to this little mining town called Talkeetna. We walked through shops and had amazing reindeer stew with a beef pasty. I can't wait to see what else Alaska has in store for us.
The views here in Anchorage are breathtaking. Waking up in the morning is suddenly much more tolerable when you get to wake up with the mountains right outside your door. We got to drive along the mountains and went dog sledding. It was so cool to learn about how the dogs interact and talk to the mushers about how they landed where they are now. After that we drove to this little mining town called Talkeetna. We walked through shops and had amazing reindeer stew with a beef pasty. I can't wait to see what else Alaska has in store for us.