On March 16th, we learned about a lot of different departments at Maniilaq Health Center such as public health, infection control, outpatient services, and long term care. At the public health office, we learned all about what public health nurses do in Alaska from Mary and Billy. Basically, they do a lot through telephone calls and help people stay healthy. In addition, they travel to the villages for a week or so to provide care and wellness checks. Another big part of what they do is give vaccinations to people of all ages. They also stressed the importance of the family in Inupiat culture. The word “family” is used in a loose manner when compared to how we might define family. For them, their community is often considered to be their family. Focusing on the care of the family as a unit rather than on one individual would be helpful when providing care.
Another area that we were able to go to was the infection control department, which consists of two people. Tuberculosis is a common problem in Alaska (AK was ranked #2 for number of TB cases in the U.S.), so each employee must be fitted for a N95 mask. In addition, the infection control director must be notified if a patient comes in who is suspected of having TB or another infectious process.
Next was outpatient services, which functions as both an urgent care clinic and a primary care office. Another area that is part of outpatient services is the specialty clinic. This clinic has specialists come to the clinic such as a cardiologist, neurologist, an ear/nose/throat doctor, etc. The clinic has a calendar with each specialty’s dates planned out for the year.
At the end of the day, we went to long term care for a tour. We came on “Administration appreciation day,” so we were treated to a homemade cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream, which was delicious. The facility was super nice and had a welcoming atmosphere. In cases all around the room there were artifacts from the area. In addition, they had a covered outdoor patio for the residents to use for smoking or outdoor time. The nurse who gave us the tour said that some residents go out on the patio to get some outside time because that is what they are used to. The DON told us that each day they strive to provide some sort of native food for the residents, which I think is incredibly important in providing quality care.
After a long day of learning, we all went back to the hotel to prepare for snowmobiling! I have personally never been so I had a ton of fun, especially when we went fast! Even though I tried to cover every part of myself, somehow my buff slipped down and my nose began to freeze on the way back to town. I didn’t mind too much because the tundra was beautiful! While on the trail, we saw a snowshoe hare and plenty of caribou tracks. It was a great ending to our adventure in Kotzebue!
Another area that we were able to go to was the infection control department, which consists of two people. Tuberculosis is a common problem in Alaska (AK was ranked #2 for number of TB cases in the U.S.), so each employee must be fitted for a N95 mask. In addition, the infection control director must be notified if a patient comes in who is suspected of having TB or another infectious process.
Next was outpatient services, which functions as both an urgent care clinic and a primary care office. Another area that is part of outpatient services is the specialty clinic. This clinic has specialists come to the clinic such as a cardiologist, neurologist, an ear/nose/throat doctor, etc. The clinic has a calendar with each specialty’s dates planned out for the year.
At the end of the day, we went to long term care for a tour. We came on “Administration appreciation day,” so we were treated to a homemade cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream, which was delicious. The facility was super nice and had a welcoming atmosphere. In cases all around the room there were artifacts from the area. In addition, they had a covered outdoor patio for the residents to use for smoking or outdoor time. The nurse who gave us the tour said that some residents go out on the patio to get some outside time because that is what they are used to. The DON told us that each day they strive to provide some sort of native food for the residents, which I think is incredibly important in providing quality care.
After a long day of learning, we all went back to the hotel to prepare for snowmobiling! I have personally never been so I had a ton of fun, especially when we went fast! Even though I tried to cover every part of myself, somehow my buff slipped down and my nose began to freeze on the way back to town. I didn’t mind too much because the tundra was beautiful! While on the trail, we saw a snowshoe hare and plenty of caribou tracks. It was a great ending to our adventure in Kotzebue!