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Career Profiles
Pharmacist
Cindy Audet
The person…
Cindy Audet, a pharmacist with the Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau for the past 25 years, likes the fact that her profession has given her a flexible career where she can be financially independent. She found her way to Juneau through an internship while in pharmacy school in Oregon. Born in Minnesota and raised in Lakewood, California, Cindy started working on a Bachelor of Science degree at Humboldt State in California before deciding to go into pharmacy school. After graduating from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, she decided to return to Juneau to work as a pharmacist. Cindy says, “I didn’t really plan to stay in Juneau for very long, but I’m still here after 25 years!”
Cindy lives in Juneau with her husband, Dave, and 10 year old daughter, Adrienne. She enjoys an active lifestyle. Cindy especially likes the coastal activities that are available in Juneau such as boating and fishing. She also enjoys hiking and skiing in the mountains and swimming at the local pool.
The job…
Cindy works with four other pharmacists at Bartlett Regional Hospital. Working as a pharmacist in the hospital, she says she dispenses medications to many different patient care areas including acute care, same day surgery, chemotherapy, and the emergency room. The pharmacists triage orders as they come in, dealing with the most urgent needs first. They answer any questions for those who are ordering or administering medications and sometimes have to do their own compounding if the hospital’s stock medications do not meet the needs of their patients. (Note: compounding refers to the weighing, mixing and measuring of drugs to prepare dosages in specific forms, strengths or diluents.) Cindy also oversees preparation of medications for the hours the pharmacy will be closed at night.
Cindy says they have two pharmacy shifts at the hospital. The day shift is from 7:00 am until 5:30 pm and evenings from 12:30 pm until 11:00 pm. Bartlett’s pharmacy is open seven days a week so the pharmacists rotate working evening and weekend shifts. Currently Cindy works three 10 hour shifts a week. This schedule enables her to maximize her family and leisure time.
When asked what she liked most about her job, Cindy says even after 25 years she still learns something new every day. “There are always problems to be solved and new products to learn about. I also like that pharmacy is a unique field. What we learn in school isn’t known by a lot of people, so that knowledge is valuable to others. I like knowing that I’m doing important work.”
Cindy also notes that when going into the pharmacy field you have the opportunity to go into specialties such as critical care, chemotherapy, IV nutrition, and even nuclear pharmacy. “One of the benefits of being a pharmacist is that it gives you flexibility to work in many different communities and settings, and there is a real need for pharmacists in Alaska.”
When asked what Cindy finds challenging about her job, she noted that regulations can be hard to comply with in a practical way. She and the other pharmacists are committed to following the regulations, since they are there to protect the public, but sometimes the process can be complex. “We do everything we can to guarantee the usage of the medication is going to be safe and effective for our patients, but sometimes you get patients who don’t take care of themselves or are not able to effectively manage their medication regimens.” Cindy also said sometimes it can be hard to know when to question an approach that is being taken by a physician. “Though we don’t diagnose patients, we do help with the choice of drugs.” Within this process, Cindy says she and the other pharmacists always need to be thinking about the resources, the costs and benefit/risk profiles. They also are constantly evaluating the literature on medication usage.
One of the unique and challenging features of working in a smaller community such as Juneau, Cindy notes, is that they don’t always have the resources to upgrade their equipment. In order to take continuing education courses, Cindy must also travel outside of Juneau or do courses on-line. Smaller communities in Alaska also have a difficult time recruiting and retaining pharmacists in Alaska, which effects workload and working conditions.
Advice to students…
Cindy encourages those who are interested in pharmacy to get a job as a pharmacy technician. “This is the best way to find out if the profession is a good fit for you.” Cindy says she and the other pharmacists oversee five pharmacy technicians at Bartlett Hospital. Pharmacy technicians help dispense medications, take care of billing, and also make sure there are enough supplies in stock by reordering when necessary. Cindy notes that with the shortage of pharmacists in Alaska, there is a real need for pharmacy technicians and so there are many opportunities to obtain a job as a pharmacy technician.
This page was last updated by janice on January 03, 2008
Environmental Health Specialist
Christopher Dankmeyer
The person…
Christopher Dankmeyer, an Environmental Health Specialist (EH Specialist) with Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation (BBAHC) in Dillingham was drawn into the environmental health field while a biology major at Western Carolina University in North Carolina. Taking a few courses in environmental health, his biology major emphasis area, sparked an interest in the environmental health major. “The EH instructors were outstanding and I found a lot of course overlap within the two majors.” Chris explains that as part of the program he was required to complete an internship in the field. “I decided to apply for a U.S. Public Health Service Junior Commissioned Officer Student Extern Program (JRCOSTEP) internship, and got accepted with the Indian Health Service at the health corporation here in Dillingham. The internship lasted 10 weeks and it went so well, I was offered a job with BBAHC directly after graduation.”
Chris moved to Dillingham in 2004. He has especially fallen in love with the outdoor lifestyle. “I love to fish and we have all five species of salmon here (worlds largest natural run of sockeyes!), as well as arctic char and world class rainbows.” Chris commented that he also likes to camp and hike and mentioned that the region had some great boating. “We have it all-mountains, volcanoes, lakes, streams, the ocean…this really is a unique portion of The Great Land.”
Besides outdoor activities, Chris mentioned that he is a new member of the Sam K. Fox Museum in Dillingham. He is involved with their fundraising activities and efforts to promote the arts. “This area is rich in culture and Native Alaskan Art so we try to bring in different artists from around the region. We give them a platform to tell their stories or explain their art to the newer generations.”
The job…
Traveling to villages is a big part of Chris’s job. “We travel primarily by single engine planes but sometimes by skiff. Trips last about 2-3 days and we go on village travel about every other week. BBAHC covers a large region: 34 villages total over an area roughly the size of Ohio. It stretches all the way from Platinum out on the Kuskokwim Bay to Ivanof Bay on the Alaska Peninsula and includes some of the villages around Lake Iliamna.”
When traveling to the villages, Chris might be involved in a variety of tasks. These could include:
• Conducting safety inspections at the local health clinics-“We make sure the clinics are safe for both patients and staff, and that staff have the necessary equipment to do their job.”
• Surveying community drinking water systems and working with local operators to ensure the monthly and yearly water quality monitoring is going well.
• Inspecting landfills and making sure they use best management practices- “Most villages have an Environmental Coordinator and so we discuss our findings with them and make recommendations.”
• Investigating indoor air quality.
• Training village volunteers to give rabies vaccinations to dogs and cats to prevent the spread of rabies to humans.
• Inspecting wastewater systems to make sure they function properly. “This is especially important when thinking about public health,” Chris notes. “A properly handled wastewater system will prevent the spread of diseases.”
When Chris returns from these village trips, he must spend time writing technical reports for the various types of inspections completed. The reports are distributed to the different tribal governments of each village and he provides technical assistance on these issues if needed.
Chris also said that he supervises four drinking water labs where basic testing for coliform bacteria is done. (Testing for coliform bacteria is one of the most basic and essential indicators of drinking water safety.) The labs are located in Dillingham, King Salmon and two remote labs can be found in Chignik Bay and Iliamna. Chris noted that having remote labs is important in his region where getting drinking water samples to the lab in a timely manner is very important. With the unpredictability of the weather it is not always possible to depend on those samples making it all the way to Dillingham in time. These remote labs help with this testing process which ensures safe drinking water for the region.
When asked what Chris likes most about his job, he responded, “I like the people I get to work with on the village trips. There are so many different personalities in each village. I find working with the tribes rewarding.” He also likes the fact that when he walks into the office in the morning, what he will be doing for the day is not scripted. “Each day presents its own unique challenges. Though some issues are more extended than others, no two days are ever the same.”
Chris also likes the sense that he is providing a service to the local population by being in the public health field. “I find it gratifying to serve for the common good. When you improve the health of an under-served population, it makes it all the more gratifying.”
Chris noted that one of the biggest challenges of being in the field of environmental health is its dynamic nature. Each day presents a new issue while the older ones are continuously evolving and the information is constantly changing. EH specialists need to be able to stay abreast with many environmental regulations and water quality issues when working with the communities. “As part of a tribally owned health corporation, our EH Dept kind of serves as a liaison between the regulating agencies and the tribes. There are a lot of state and federal regulations that are forced on communities who may not have the resources to make the necessary changes. As EH Specialists we help in this process, but the logistics of operating in rural Alaska remains challenging and time-consuming.”
When asked whether there was anything unique about being an EH specialist in Dillingham compared to other communities, Chris commented, “We have to deal with a whole different set of issues than many EH specialists in the lower 48. We are still dealing with basic sanitation issues here. We have communities that do not have running water; some that are still using “honey buckets” and some that have open dumps. Now combine those unique sanitation issues and put them on the backdrop of rugged mountains and an untamed wilderness, and figure on flying in small single-engine prop planes to get anywhere in rural Alaska, and pretty soon you can see that this job can be professionally fulfilling and adventurous at the same time.”
Advice to students…
Chris is enthusiastic about his field. He notes that with all the attention in the news about global warming/climate change and emerging pathogens such as pandemic flu and XDR-TB, this profession will always be in demand. This gives EH specialists a sense of importance locally and globally, while offering hard-to-find job security. Chris also commented, “This is a profession where the technical knowledge you learn in the academic setting can be directly translated into the field. The learning curve comes mainly from knowing how to communicate effectively to your audience.”
Chris advises, “My advice to students, both high school and collegiate, is to attempt to achieve a well-rounded education. Yes, biology, ecology and chemistry are important classes in the EH profession, but for the practicing generalist, equally important are courses like business administration, oral and written communication, as well as cultural and social anthropology. It is important to know that there is a world beyond the microscopes and science labs which can make this profession more practical, part of our everyday lives, and therefore more effective.”
If you are a college student and interested in an environmental health career, check out http://www.usphs.gov/student/ for the student internship opportunities offered by the U.S. Public Health Service. Alaska alone selects about 5 applicants a year for these internships but there are many opportunities across the nation which an applicant would be eligible. Chris mentions, “It’s a lot of paperwork but well worth the hassle!”
High school students certainly do not have to sit on the sidelines if they are interested in the environmental health profession OR hobby. The Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AEYA) is an excellent high school environmental education and leadership program of the National Wildlife Federation. More information can be found at their website http://www.ayea.org/.
For those just entering the profession who want to know more about Alaska’s environmental health professionals, Chris recommends getting involved with the Alaska Environmental Health Association. For more information visit their website at http://www.aeha.net/.
This page was last updated by janice on October 02, 2007
Dietitian
Angela Hochreiter
The person…
Angela Hochreiter, a registered dietitian, is currently the Director of the Community Health and Wellness Department with the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) in Bethel. Angela became interested in the dietetic field as a senior in college while she was pursuing a degree in biology. “I took nutrition as an elective course and it just clicked with me. I had always been interested in food and eating healthy-even in high school.” It was this course that led Angela to the field of dietetics.
After finishing her biology degree at a university in California, where Angela grew up, she took a year off to work in a boarding school in Boston. Even there she was thinking about the nutrition field. “Kids would ask me advice on what to eat before their basketball games.”
In 1998 Angela enrolled in a program at the Loma Linda University in California where she was able to earn her master’s in public health (MPH) in Nutrition. Angela spent two years taking classes and did 6 months of internships.
It was one of the internships that brought Angela to Alaska. The Norton Sound Health Corporation was advertising for a dietetic intern. “Because of the way my graduate program was set up, I was able to travel there in the fall of 2000. “ As part of the internship in Nome, Angela traveled around to the nearby villages with a dietitian, who worked in their WIC (Woman Infant Child) office. Angela also spent time working in the hospital and community. “For my master’s project I worked with the local women’s shelter doing a series of nutritional classes.”
During her internship she began looking for jobs and soon found a position on the internet with WIC in Bethel. After being on the job for 3 months she passed her board exams and became a registered dietitian. She has been living in Bethel now for almost seven years.
When Angela is not at work, she especially enjoys cross country skiing during the winter months and walking out on the tundra during the summer. “Berry picking season is almost ready to start and I enjoy doing that as well. Also, my husband and I really enjoy traveling.” Angela says she met her husband in Bethel, He, too, works for YKHC as an optometrist.
When asked if she was a good cook, Angela responded, “I like to think so. My husband and I enjoy experimenting cooking different vegetables and recipes that we didn’t grow up with.”
The job…
Angela has held a variety of positions at YKHC. She started her career working with the WIC office. This job, which she did for about one and a half years, involved counseling young mothers with kids up to 5 years of age. “I would talk to them about diet and health behaviors.”
From the WIC position, she eventually became a hospital dietitian working with patients in both out-patient and in-patient facilities and also with the OB unit. “Doctors would refer patients to me. My job as a dietitian was to look at the diet needs for individual patients. I would work with the hospital kitchen staff to make sure patients with special diet needs were getting appropriate meals.”
After spending a couple of years as the dietitian, Angela moved into a position where she coordinated a cardiovascular grant for people with Type II diabetes. She worked at getting this new program started by hiring staff and getting the plans and procedures in place for what work they were to complete over the next 5 years. The care of patients includes nutrition counseling and referrals to other health care providers.
For the past year, Angela has worked in management. She now oversees a staff of 25. “Actually dietetics has become only a small part of my current job as director. I mostly work with grant programs now. I am involved with program planning, reporting and passing on communications from the corporate office level to my staff.” The staff under Angela hold a variety of positions including: nurses, dietitians who work with the YKHC diabetes program, paraprofessionals that are trained on the job, teachers, and health educators. Angela also hosts a dietetic intern from the UAA program for three weeks every fall.
When asked what Angela likes most about her job, she responded, “I like mentoring the coordinators on my staff. I enjoy helping them set and meet goals and finding ways to improve their programs. I especially enjoy sharing their successes. I also like that my job allows me to be creative and to try different leadership concepts. I like that I am empowered to do that.”
Along with her enjoyment of working with her staff, Angela also says that communication, which is a big part of her job, can be the most challenging part of her job. “I work with lots of different people and need to have the ability to get messages across clearly to everyone.”
When asked if she found anything unique about working in the dietetics profession in Bethel, Angela noted, “In Bethel you can immerse yourself in the local culture. By having a dominant culture here, it allows you to get more in depth about learning about the culture and how the diet relates to it. This would be more difficult in a place like Anchorage which is so multi-cultural.”
Besides her job at YKHC, Angela also does some volunteer work in the community. She is a participant on a school wellness team and is chair of the Eat Smart Alaska program. (Note: Eat Smart Alaska is a group of volunteers from across the state working towards a healthier Alaska. Eat Smart’s mission is to help shape food consumption in a positive way, and promote health and reducing disease among Alaskans.)
Advice to students…
When asked to give advice to students interested in the field of dietetics, Angela said, “I think in many ways the field of dietetics is similar to nursing. If you are someone who loves working with people and wants to help people live better and longer, that’s what will carry you through. It also helps to be proficient in math and science to get through the dietitian program. I think the field is always looking for people who are creative.”
Angela observes with obesity being the nation’s number one problem, she expects the field and job opportunities within the field will continue to grow. Angela noted that there is the opportunity to work in a variety of different positions and organizations if you are a dietitian. “Almost every community is going to have a WIC position. Dietitians are also finding jobs in school districts now. And then you have university food services and there is the public health side of things. There are just a lot of opportunities to move around in the field.”
This page was last updated by janice on August 07, 2007
Registered Health Information Technician
Irene Sorensen
The person…
Irene Sorensen has been working at the Kanakanak Hospital for the past 16 years. She began as a cashier at the hospital and has worked her way up to the Director of Medical Records. When asked how she came to work in her current field, Irene says that she used to help one of the hospital employees with CPT (current procedural terminology) coding. After a few months of assisting, Irene was encouraged to get some training in the coding field. She applied to the University of Alaska Southeast distance HIM (Health Information Management) program and began taking one class each semester. This was all she could manage as she had a family to raise, as well as keeping up with her fulltime job.
Once Irene was close to finishing the CCS (certified coding specialist) program, she reviewed what it would take to earn her 2 year degree. Since she was so close, she decided to go ahead and earn her RHIT (registered health information technician) certification. Irene has held many positions in her 16 years at the hospital. Beginning as a cashier, she moved into registration, then into coding and on to coding supervisor. From there she eventually moved into the Assistant Director of Medical Records and is now in her current position as the Director of Medical Records.
Irene split her time between Togiak and Palmer while growing up, spending summers in Togiak and winters in Palmer going to school. During her senior year, she stayed in Togiak and graduated from the local high school. Irene’s grandparents are still living in Togiak. Irene moved to Dillingham in 1987 and has lived there ever since.
Irene has 3 children, 2 boys and a girl. One of her boys is currently going to welding school in Cleveland and another is finishing up high school. Her daughter recently returned from a basketball camp in Anchorage and dreams of earning a basketball scholarship for college.
When Irene is not at work, she likes to spend time with her subsistence activities. In the winter, she and her family enjoy ice fishing for pike, smelt, and trout. They also like to spend time sno-go riding. Springtime is spent collecting wild edible plants such as fiddleheads, wild celery, beach greens and Kapukarat -a buttercup plant that is picked from the ponds. Irene also harvests clams and herring roe in the spring, and dries moose, caribou and pike meat. Summer months are for salmon fishing and berry picking. She and her family like to make salmon strips and cure fish heads in salt.
The job…
When asked to describe some of her typical duties in her job as Director of Medical Records, Irene mentioned that she attends a lot of meetings, writes many reports and oversees any personnel problems. Some of the reports Irene works on include reports for hospital statistics (i.e. how many patients are being seen) and performance improvement reports (i.e. tracking the number of coding errors). She is also responsible for filling out the trauma registry and birth defect reports.
Irene says she also tries to keep an eye out for available audioconference training for her coders. As the Director, Irene also assists her coding supervisor and Assistant Director with personnel problems when needed.
“Our hospital is making the transition to electronic records and so I have been going to a lot of trainings for that.” Irene recently returned from an HIM (Health Information Management) conference in New Orleans. Irene adds, “I will also be traveling to Kotzebue soon to see their implementation of the electronic record system.” Irene says currently the implementation of electronic health records is the most challenging part of her job.
When asked what Irene likes best about her job, she says, “when everyone under me is at their best behavior and I don’t have to discipline them according to the hospital’s policy. Irene adds, “The other piece that I like is that those I supervise are open and tell me it is easier for them to talk to me than previous bosses.”
Advice to students…
Irene would like to advise students to stay away from alcohol and drugs. “These things can get you into all kinds of trouble and you end up doing things you wouldn’t normally do when you are sober.”
Irene would also like to encourage older students to “keep going!” “You are never too old to learn. I was 23 when I started college and 39 when I finished.”
Irene notes that she encourages her staff to go to school. She especially likes the distance programs that allow students to stay in their own communities and earn a degree.
This page was last updated by janice on July 12, 2007
Public Health Nurse
Kathleen Stanton
The person…
Kathleen Stanton, a public health nurse (PHN) in Bethel, says she always knew she wanted to be in the medical field, though initially she thought about being an orthodontist. Her interest in nursing began because she had a lot of friends in the field. Kathleen, originally from Pennsylvania, moved to Alaska in 1992. She completed her nursing degree at UAA in Anchorage and soon after went to work at the Providence Extended Care Center and then Alaska Regional Hospital.
Kathleen soon discovered, however, that public health was where her heart lay. This interest started while taking a Community Health nursing class. Though she did her community rotation with a school nurse at a public school in Anchorage, a friend in the class at the time had the opportunity to do her rotation in Bethel and piqued Kathleen’s interest in public health nursing. “I heard about her experience and it made me excited about working there.” Kathleen moved to Bethel in 1998 after being offered a position at the Bethel Regional Public Health Center where she is now employed as a PHN III.
When Kathleen is not at work she loves to travel. She also enjoys river boating and taking her dog for walks out on the tundra. Kathleen has also served as a volunteer in Bethel with such community events as the Camai Dance Festival and the Kuskokwim 300 dog race.
The job…
Kathleen works on many levels in her job as a PHN. She works with individuals/families, communities and systems. “On an individual level I do immunization clinics, STD testing and screening, well child exams, pregnancy tests and emergency contraception. I may also do educational outreach to schools or the jail and give community presentations. “
Kathleen currently works with five coalitions and is usually involved in a project related to these coalitions each week. “We are currently concentrating on doing community assessments in Bethel and the surrounding villages. We use two tools to help with this: Community Readiness and MAPP (Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnership).” Kathleen explains, “These two tools help us to initiate community action and instill community ownership. They also develop trust, build capacity and create communities’ visions which translate into a sustainable effort.”
Kathleen has also been involved with preparedness activities such as mass dispensing exercises using the influenza vaccine. Bethel and Hooper Bay both hosted exercises last fall.
Travel is a big part of Kathleen’s job. The public health center, where Kathleen works, serves 38 villages in their region. “I typically travel every other week, though that can depend on the number of staff we have at any one time. Typically we each try to travel twice a month. Currently, Kathleen works with a nurse manager and six other public health nurses, though she noted they currently have an additional three openings for public health nurses.
When asked, what she liked most about her job, Kathleen responded, “I like the variety in my job. I also enjoy the autonomy I have. I am able to set my own schedule, especially when I travel, as long as I meet our center’s objectives. I also really like working with the people here. That ‘s what keeps me here…the people. I find it very rewarding working with people from the Yup’ik and Cup’ik cultures.”
Kathleen noted that one of the biggest challenges in her field is keeping their center fully staffed. “If we are understaffed it holds us back in terms of what we are able to do. We could do more if we had more staff.”
When asked whether there was anything unique about being a public health nurse in Bethel, Kathleen commented that she has to travel by small aircraft or boat to get to the villages and once there she often uses fourwheelers or snowmachines to travel within the village. “I find each village a little different. Some villages have mostly Yup’ik speakers where English is definitely a second language, while others have a mix. I also work in Chevak which is Cup’ik.” Kathleen noted that all the Bethel public health nurses are itinerant, traveling across the Yukon Kuskowim region for work, while in larger communities, such as Fairbanks, it may only be part of the staff that is itinerant.
Advice to students…
When Kathleen was asked what advice she would give to students interested in the field of public health, she enthusiastically said, “Do it! We need your help!” Kathleen continued, “If a person likes adventure and having autonomy in their work, this might be the profession for them.” She noted that it takes a special kind of person to enjoy the work and encouraged students to talk to someone working in the field. She also suggested that trying a placement in a rural setting during a nursing clinical rotation class would be a perfect opportunity to test out whether you would like this type of work. She encouraged students to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities.
For new public health nurses, Kathleen advises, “Enjoy the people and do not be afraid to ask questions. Get advice from as many experienced PHNs as you can.” Kathleen notes that working in rural Alaska takes a special person and is not for everyone. She says, “It is worth giving it a try to see if you have a true passion for public health nursing and a good sense of adventure.”
This page was last updated by janice on May 22, 2007
Licensed Practical Nurse
Jimmy Baughman
The person…
Jimmy Baughman, a licensed practical nurse (LPN) with the Ketchikan General Hospital, got interested in the nursing field while he was working in Texas. Working as a direct care staff worker at San Angelo State School in Texas, a facility for the mentally handicapped, Jimmy began thinking about entering the field of nursing. Jimmy’s family also served as an inspiration since both his mother and brother are nurses.
Jimmy moved to Ketchikan in 2002 from Texas, where he was born and raised. He began his nursing career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and then enrolled in the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) LPN program. With the UAA distance program he was able to stay in Ketchikan while taking the required nursing courses.
As an LPN at the Ketchikan hospital, Jimmy spends most of his time working in the medical/surgical unit, though he can also help out in the long term care unit. He is beginning to spend time in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as well. Jimmy eventually plans to continue on with his training to become a registered nurse (RN).
When Jimmy is not at work he enjoys fishing, hunting, camping and playing darts and pool with his friends in Ketchikan.
The job…
Jimmy works the night shift at the hospital which begins at 7 pm. Asked to describe a typical day, Jimmy reports that he begins his shift by listening to taped reports from nurses on the previous shift. Then he and the other nurses on his shift divide up the patients and read through individual reports to determine what medications will be needed for each patient for the night, as well as what hygiene and foley care will be needed.
Once Jimmy has read the reports, he goes out on to the floor to introduce himself to his patients, give head to toe assessments, listen to their lungs and check their skin condition for such things as bed sores. If any of his patients have been through surgery he also does a CMS (circulation, movement, sensory) check to make sure all are within normal limits. Jimmy also checks dressings to make sure there is no bleeding or soaking through the bandages.
Next, Jimmy starts his charting, which is done on the computer, and delivers medications to his patients. Throughout the night, he delivers pain medications, as needed. Patients are asked to rate their pain on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest) to help determine how much pain medicine to give a patient. Periodically throughout the night Jimmy checks vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, respirations, and oxygen levels. If any of the vital signs go down, he must call a doctor. Jimmy also keeps track of a patient’s food and fluid intake.
Jimmy’s shift concludes by taping reports about the patients for the next group of nurses who take over after his shift. He gets off at 7:30 am.
When asked what he liked best about his job, Jimmy responded, “I like working with people and in this profession you get to meet lots of people. I enjoy the thought that I am helping someone recover so they can go home.” Jimmy says he also particularly enjoys working the night shifts. “I like the fact that we work as a team at night. And also that we don’t have to deal with the fast pace of day shifts.”
When asked if he felt there was anything unique about working as an LPN in Ketchikan, Jimmy commented, “ I probably get to do a lot more here than I might working in a hospital in a city because we are a small hospital.” Jimmy also noted that the Ketchikan hospital gets a lot of patients from the visiting cruise ships during the summer months.
Advice to students…
Jimmy advises students thinking about the nursing field to consider getting a CNA license first and then continuing on to become a LPN. Jimmy feels this pathway will give students a better understanding of the responsibilities of each profession, what they can and cannot do. Jimmy comments, “It’s given me a better understanding of the whole medical field.”
This page was last updated by janice on May 03, 2007
Nurse Practitioner
Maureen Brown
The person…
Maureen Brown works as a nurse practitioner with the Anesia Kudrin Memorial Medical Clinic in Akutan, a village of about 700 people on the Aleutian Chain. Maureen says she always knew she wanted to go into a people oriented profession and thought about the fields of social work and teaching before settling on nursing as her choice.
Graduating with a nursing degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1995, Maureen spent five years working as a nurse in a large trauma hospital in Massachusetts. Eventually she decided to go back to school to earn her master’s degree and certification as an advanced nurse practitioner. Maureen says, “One of the appealing factors for becoming a nurse practitioner for me was the higher level of autonomy it would give me in my work.”
Maureen found her way from Massachusetts to Akutan through the National Health Service Corps . The Eastern Aleutian Tribes was recruiting for a Nurse Practitioner position in King Cove, Alaska. Maureen accepted the position and moved there in October of 2000. She moved to Akutan the following year in March of 2001. The Akutan Clinic has a staff of three. Maureen works with one Community Health Aide and another staff member who runs the front desk and keeps the computer equipment going.
When Maureen is not at work she enjoys hiking, running, reading, writing and cooking. Maureen tells me, “I have learned to cook some great fish dishes!” Maureen says she has also tried her hand at beading.
The job…
Maureen works with all age groups at the clinic and does everything from pre-natal care to geriatric care. She manages chronic medications and handles urgent care and emergency care cases in the village. Maureen occasionally does educational community outreach such as health fairs at the local school, as well.
When asked to describe a typical day at work, Maureen commented, “This morning I visited an elder in her home, before coming to the clinic, to draw her blood before she ate.” Once at the clinic, Maureen sees patients throughout the day and does a variety of tests and screenings depending on the patient. She may draw blood, give a physical, do a mammogram screening, and take care of a chest cold during the course of a day.
“Each day is different. Today I diagnosed two people with diabetes. Last night, I had to take care of someone with second degree burns and yesterday I also saw someone with congestive heart failure.”
When asked what she liked best about her job, Maureen commented, “When you work in rural Alaska you develop relationships with all your patients because you see them repeatedly. This gives patients a continuity of care they might not get going to a larger facility in a bigger community.”
Maureen enjoys working with the international population in Akutan. “The fish processing plant in Akutan draws people from all over the world. We get migrant workers from places like Sudan, Egypt, Mexico, and India. Many return year after year, so I get to know them as patients.”
Maureen also says she enjoys the variety of things she gets to do in her job and the level of autonomy she has in running her own clinic. “I have learned a lot while I have been here.”
When asked about the challenges in her job, Maureen says the emergencies can be especially challenging because it can be very hard to get planes into and out of Akutan due to the unpredictable weather. “I would guess that 40-60% of the times our planes can’t get in. Sometimes we have to call in the Coast Guard to transport a patient and there are times when even they can’t get in. That means I have to hold and monitor patients longer at our clinic which can be a challenge.”
Maureen also mentioned that managing a clinic requires that she keep up with everyone’s expectations including dealing with the state, quality insurance, keeping the pharmacy stocked and ordering supplies. It can be a big responsibility.
When asked what she found unique about practicing in rural Alaska, Maureen noted that besides the issue of weather and planes, their clinic uses telemedicine and teleradiology equipment extensively. “I can write patient reports and attach photos using telemedicine equipment and have these quickly transferred to a doctor in Anchorage for review. With the teleradiology equipment we are able to take digital x-rays and also send those to Anchorage to be read. The digital x-rays allow us to zoom in on sections and it is nice not to have to deal with mixing chemicals to process the x-ray films.” Maureen says that these pieces of equipment are relatively new to their clinic-both acquired within the past five years.
Advice to students…
Maureen says she strongly encourages students to consider going into nursing. “It is such a great field. You get the satisfaction of helping people, you are always learning and the career has multiple fields which allow you to specialize.”
Maureen comments, “Nursing is the basis for becoming a nurse practitioner. You will learn a lot about working as a nurse in a hospital and all those experiences will help you when you become a nurse practitioner.” Maureen also notes that nursing pays well and there is a need for nurses, not only in Alaska, but across the country.
When asked to give advice to nurse practitioners considering working in rural Alaska she said, “The person needs to be someone who likes the outdoors and is interested in cultures, both finding out about them and having respect for them.” She also commented that it will probably help to bring a “significant other.”
Maureen noted, “To be a nurse practitioner in a rural community, you will need to be autonomous and be a little bit of a pioneer. You should not be someone that scares easily.”
This page was last updated by janice on May 02, 2007
Registered Nurse
Mary Viveiros
The person…
Mary Viveiros, an RN with the Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue, always knew she wanted to go into the health field. As a child she ended up in the hospital a lot with earaches and it was during these trips that she began thinking about becoming a nurse.
Prior to working at the Maniilaq Health Center, Mary served as a volunteer EMT with the local fire department for 22 years. As part of this job she had the opportunity to fly medevacs for the hospital. Her first job with the hospital was as a Patient Care Technician.
Mary decided to go back to school later in life. She obtained her LPN license in May of 2004 and her RN license in May 2005. Mary was able to obtain her nursing degree while still staying at home in Kotzebue by enrolling in a distance education nursing program with Weber State University. (Note: Mary received a Student of the Year award from Chukchi College in 2004-see photo above)
Mary is currently working towards a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration through on-line coursework with the University of Phoenix. Acquiring this degree will allow Mary to be eligible for administration positions such as a nursing manager.
When Mary is not at work she enjoys spending time with her family; helping her kids with their homework and cooking. She has recently been enjoying ice fishing for sheefish, as well.
The job…
Mary describes the Maniilaq Health Center as a 17-bed hospital. Because it is a small hospital, Mary says she ends up moving around a lot between the sections of the hospital. “I don’t really have a typical day. We can have anywhere from 2 patients to 11 patients on a shift. I work the night shift. Some nights are calm, while others can be kind of crazy.”
Mary works 3 or 4 nights a week. The shifts are 12 hours long. When Mary starts her shift at 7 pm, she and the other night shift nurses, listen to taped patient reports from the nurses on the previous day shift. Once the charge nurse assigns Mary her patients for the evening, Mary assesses each of her patients by determining when vital checks are due and when the medications need to be administered.
When asked to describe some of the types of patients and activities Mary might work with on a shift, she gave the following examples: a baby with RSV (Respiratory Syncytical Virus), a child who needs a nebulizer (breathing treatment), assisting with the delivery of a baby, checking on a mental health patient to make sure they don’t leave the hospital or harm themselves.
Mary notes that working in a small hospital such as Kotzebue is a very different experience than working in a large hospital such as the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) in Anchorage. (Mary spent 10 weeks at ANMC as part of her nursing program internship.) “In ANMC you may spend your whole shift working in a neo-natal unit where you are only working with babies, or you might work in the step-down unit, where you are working only with patients who recently got out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In Kotzebue there is a lot variety on my shift each night. I may be working with an elder that has a cardiac problem one hour and then be with a postpartum mom with a baby another hour.”
Mary noted that since she works the night shift, sometimes they have to call in other professionals if they need a mental health consult or an x-ray taken, since these professionals are not part of the regular nightshift crew.
Mary has to do her own lab blood draws and generally does these at the end of her shift early in the morning. To conclude her shift at 6 am, Mary tapes her report about the patients for the next group of nurses who begin the day shift.
When asked what she most liked about her job, Mary responded, “I like the satisfaction of being able to help people. I also like the people I work with; we have a great night crew!”
When asked about the challenges in her job, Mary commented that working with critical patients could be very challenging. Weather, such as fog, often prevents planes from getting into and out of Kotzebue, which means they have to hold patients longer at the hospital before medevacing them to Anchorage.
Advice to students…
For students interested in the field of nursing, Mary enthusiastically says, “Do it now!” Mary noted that she waited until later in life (after having a family) to get her nursing license. “I would encourage students to hold off having kids and to go to school right away.” She also suggested that it is helpful to get a job in the healthcare field to see if that is what you would like to do.
Mary has other tips for students planning for college: 1) Go for all the scholarships, 2) Keep all your college planning paperwork together, 3) Keep a calendar for when everything is due like scholarship applications, and 4) Be sure to always have three current letters of reference available all the time.
This page was last updated by janice on May 02, 2007
Career Profiles Overview
These professionals, all of whom work in Alaska, talk about how they chose their profession, the types of activities the job requires, and the rewards and challenges of their profession. Individuals also provide advice about pursuing their profession. The intent of this section is to continue conducting interviews and expanding the number of health professionals highlighted here. We are especially interested in Alaskans working in rural Alaska. If you are a health professional willing to be interviewed or know of someone who you would like to see interviewed and highlighted, please email or call Janice Troyer at (907) 786-6592.
This page was last updated by janice on February 12, 2007
Career Profiles
The links to the left offer interviews of Alaskans working in health care fields. They are categorized by both name (All Profiles) and by their professions (Profiles by Types).
This page was last updated by janice on January 22, 2007
EMT/Paramedic
Cami Zobel
The person…
Cami Zobel has worked as a Paramedic and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) trainer with the Tok EMS clinic since July 2005. Prior to joining the Tok team, she worked as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with the Central Mat-Su Borough. When asked how she got into the field, Cami said, “I think the medical field chose me as much as I chose it.” Cami’s mother worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in hospitals and medical offices when Cami was growing up. Cami was a patient herself when she was younger and also helped care for her older brother who was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 20. “It is because of my own experiences that I can relate so closely to my patients and families and their needs. It’s what I like about my job the most--being an advocate for my patients.”
Cami began her medical career as a junior in high school, riding with the Marion County Ambulance Service in Salem, Oregon after school hours. These experiences inspired her to enroll in a paramedic program with a community college in Oregon. Unfortunately, because of family circumstances, she had to put her dream of becoming a paramedic on hold for 8 years. After moving to Alaska, she had the opportunity to take paramedic training and jumped at the chance. Cami began as a volunteer EMT in the Mat-Su Borough and then worked her way up the many different EMT levels to become the EMS Assistant Chief. She received her Paramedic License in 2004.
When Cami isn’t immersed in her job, she likes to do pottery and stain glass, and participate in outdoor activities, particularly 4-wheeling and snow machining. She is also involved with the local Search and Rescue organization in Tok.
The job…
Besides her paramedic duties, Cami teaches EMS courses in rural communities within the Interior Alaska region, and occasionally teaches paramedic refresher courses in Anchorage. She works in the Tok EMS office connected to the Tok Clinic and an ambulance bay. Tok has two primary ambulances and their own 2-bed ER. Their office also has a lab and can do x-rays.
Cami’s days can vary widely. During any given day, Cami may be called out on an ambulance run, called to help in the clinic, or sent to travel with a patient on a medivac to Anchorage or Fairbanks. Some days are extremely busy and long (e.g. starting at 3 am and not finishing until 4 or 5 am the next day), while other days are quite slow. Cami generally works on paperwork on the slower days and also receives some personal free time.
One of the unique aspects of working in rural Alaska is the amount of time Cami gets to spend with a single patient, sometimes anywhere from three to six hours. In urban EMS organizations, most EMS personnel spend only 15 to 20 minutes with a patient. EMS personnel in rural Alaska, on the other hand, will often be with a patient from the beginning of a crisis through their treatment in a clinic. Cami stated, “In smaller communities we are involved in all aspects of our patient’s care and we are able to see how our care makes a difference in our patients’ lives.”
Advice to students…
Cami advises high school students interested in the EMS field to take math and science classes, as well as health classes. She also suggests taking exercise and nutrition classes. Cami notes that many communities in Alaska offer free CPR, Emergency Trauma Training (ETT), and EMT classes to high school students. Many high school students in Alaska can also earn university credits for these courses. “This can be a big plus in getting them started with their college education.”
For those EMS personnel who are just beginning their professions, Cami recommends spending time on hobbies and other interests outside of work. She said it is easy to get burned out in the profession, so it is very important to take care of one’s self and spend time with family.
According to Cami, she has the “best job in the world” and would strongly encourage students to consider exploring the field of EMS.
This page was last updated by janice on January 22, 2007
Dentist
Amanda Gaynor Ashley
The person…
Amanda Gaynor Ashley always knew she wanted to go into the health care field, but she wasn’t sure whether it would be medicine or dentistry. At the age of 16, she participated in a Rotary high school exchange program and traveled to Finland. The father of her host family was a dentist, and it was this experience that convinced her that the field of dentistry was for her! “My family members were all educators, so I think they were a little surprised at my choice, but they were supportive of my decision.”
Amanda attended dental school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. She also attended night classes to earn a Master’s in Education, focusing on developing materials and methods for a culturally competent and culturally sensitive practice, information she is able to use in her clinic today.
After completing her dental program in 1999, Amanda noticed that there were a lot of dentists in the Philadelphia area. “Sometimes it seemed like there were more dentists than patients, and many dentists had to advertise for patients. I knew private practice in this kind of environment was not for me, so I contacted the Indian Health Service (IHS). Their recruitment strategies really struck a chord with me. I wanted an adventure. I asked IHS which site really needed dentists and was told their number one place that was hard to fill was Barrow, so I told them to send me there!”
Amanda arrived in Barrow in September 1999. She spent the first 2 years working as a staff dentist for the Sammuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital Dental Clinic. In 2001 she became the Dental Director.
Amanda met her husband, Noah Ashley, who works as a wildlife biologist in Barrow, four years ago. They are expecting their first child this summer. When not at work, Amanda enjoys mountaineering adventures. She has climbed Mt. McKinley and peaks in Nepal. She also enjoys cross-country skiing. “One time a few years ago, a few friends and I decided to ski to the nearest village, which is 70 miles away. It took us 4 days and I was surprised to find they had lined up dental patients for me! Apparently the Community Health Aide had heard over the radio that there were 3 people skiing in from Barrow and she figured out it had to be me even thought they hadn’t mentioned my name!”
The job…
One of the things Amanda loves about the field of dentistry is that it is hands-on, as well as creative. “I can take someone’s mouth who may be full of cavities and transform them or I have the ability to provide relief to someone who is in real pain. There are a lot of real dental needs up here and I like that I can make a difference.“
Amanda also loves traveling to the villages to provide dental care. The Dental Clinic in Barrow is responsible for dental care in 5 villages. Each village is visited by a dentist for a total of 4-6 weeks a year. The visits are done quarterly,and the time spent on these trips can range from 4 to 14 days. Amanda currently covers two of the villages, so she spends 8-12 weeks a year away in these villages.
Amanda describes a typical day on her job while in Barrow. “My days usually start at 7 or 7:30. I spend the first half hour or so catching up on paperwork. Then we have our scheduled meetings from 8 to 9 am. These can be staff meetings or a time where we receive training. For example, our current staff is going through a training provided by the University of Washington to teach us how to treat patients with disabilities. From 9 am to noon, I cover the walk-in emergencies. After lunch, as dental director, I am busy with the administrative part of my job from 1-3 pm. And then between 3 and 5 pm we have a Kid’s Clinic, where kids have after-school appointments. They might get fillings, have extractions done and so on. I particularly enjoy this part of the day. I finish up the day with paperwork and am usually on my way home at 6-7 pm.”
When asked if there was anything unique about being a dentist in Barrow, Amanda said their clinic emphasized education and training for all their staff. “Whenever specialists come to Barrow, they are asked to provide 5 hours of continuing education training. We try to get all our staff involved in these trainings. We offer lots of emergency training. This is especially important because when you are traveling to villages, often you end up being the most senior health care provider. You may find yourself in a situation where you need to assist the Community Health Aide with an emergency such as a trauma accident or a childbirth. This is not something a dentist in a city would run across in his/her day to day practice.” Amanda is trained as an EMT, a skill she finds very useful in the more remote northern Alaska villages.
Amanda loves many aspects of her job, but is particularly proud of the outreach her clinic has done for hiring dental assistants. A majority of the currently working dental assistants have been hired from the local community and trained at the clinic. She believes this helps her provide a more culturally competent and culturally sensitive practice.
With the support of the community and hospital administration and board, Amanda has recently instituted a formal outreach program. Besides hiring local community members as dental assistants, the clinic also provides externships for 5 to 10 dental students each year. This has helped mitigate the problem of hiring dentists from outside of Barrow who find they are not a good fit. “That was one of our biggest challenges 3 years ago. We would spend all this money recruiting dentists up here and they would find they didn’t enjoy the Barrow weather or didn’t particularly like having to travel to villages. With the externship program we are able to offer jobs to students who have already experienced life here and who we like. It is a program that has been very successful for us.”
Advice to students…
Amanda says it is very difficult to get into dental school, just as hard as medical school. “I would encourage a high school student who is thinking about becoming a dentist to take high school seriously. Those grades really do matter when trying to get into a dental school.” Amanda suggests taking the most advanced courses possible (such as AP courses) in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades.
Amanda also encouraged students to work in a dental clinic, perhaps as an assistant, to get a feel for the profession. “It is important to look at the lifestyle of the profession you want to go into as well. I had considered being a doctor, but I didn’t like their lifestyle. I didn’t want to have to deal with patients dying, or having to run multiple tests to figure out what is wrong with a patient. I like the simplicity of dentistry--you just have to deal with the mouth, not the whole body.”
This page was last updated by janice on January 22, 2007
Radiologic Technologist
Merrilyn Blackmore
The person…
Merrilyn Blackmore is a Radiologic Technologist with the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) in Bethel, and a graduate of the UAA Radiologic Technology program. Merrilyn became interested in radiology when her sister visited in the summer of 2002 and encouraged her to look into the field. “I didn’t think there were any programs in the state, but with the help of my sister, we discovered that UAA had a program.
I already had a degree in Human Services, so I just needed to take two semesters in anatomy and physiology and medical terminology in order to have my prerequisites to apply to the program. I made sure I completed all the items listed on the application even down to getting all my immunizations.”
Merrilyn was born in Michigan and raised in New York. She came to Alaska 22 years ago after spending time in Oregon and California, where she met her husband. Merrilyn traveled to Alaska from Oregon because she had a good friend here and was excited about all the job opportunities. “I have never been sorry about the move. I lived 3 years in Nome, 3 years in Seward, 1 year in Anchorage, and the remainder in the Matsu-Valley. I must admit I miss the little town of Palmer and the mountains.”
During Merrilyn’s time in the two-year UAA Radiologic Technology program, she did a two week clinical rotation in Bethel. She loved the atmosphere and was impressed with the staff at YKHC. When offered a position after graduation in May 2005, she jumped at the chance.
The job…
Merrilyn is a registered x-ray technologist and recently passed the Mammography exam needed to perform mammograms. Her shift typically begins with warming up the mammography processor, which contains the chemicals used for processing the mammogram films. Once the processor is ready, Merrilyn pulls up her schedule of mammogram patients for the day and collects the information she needs on those patients. She usually does anywhere from 4 to 10 mammograms a day. In the afternoons, as time allows, she completes paperwork such as mailing out mammogram results to the patients, checking mammogram films in or out of the office, and filing back mammogram jackets. There is also quite a bit of Quality Assurance that needs to be maintained on a daily basis in Mammography.
Prior to obtaining her Mammography license, Merrilyn spent most of her day performing general x-rays, which in Bethel are all digital. YKHC has 3 outpatient family medicine clinics, a pediatric clinic, an ER, and an Inpatient Wing. The Radiographers image patients from all of these areas on any given day. “This work is the most exciting because you never know what type of exams you might get. It could be a hand x-ray out of the clinic or a trauma case in the ER that you have to image with the portable x-ray machine.”
One unique aspect of working as a radiologic technologist in a rural environment is the weather, which can substantially impact the day. Many of Merrilyn’s patients are from villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region who have to fly into Bethel. Weather sometimes prohibits them from traveling. So, Merrilyn may image several patients in a day, or maybe only three or four patients if the planes aren’t flying. “Every day is different and this is one of the aspects of my job that I love.”
Merrilyn says she not only enjoys the hands-on work, but also likes “helping people and letting them know they will be taken care of.” She likes to treat people the way she would want her loved ones to be treated.
When Merrilyn is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family. Her husband, daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter all live in Bethel. She also likes to sew and embroider with her computerized sewing machine. Now that she has finished studying for her mammography exam, she hopes to get involved with a local quilt guild.
Advice to students…
Merrilyn says,” If you want a job that is fast paced with a lot of variety (where you are not sitting in front of a computer all day), then you should definitely consider the radiography field. It’s a fun career and a great stepping-stone through which you can cross-train into other modalities such as Nuclear Medicine, Computed Tomography (cat scans), MRI, Mammography, Radiation Therapy, Quality Control, or even Imaging Sales Representative.” She says obtaining a Bachelor’s degree will also allow you to work in administration. “It’s a great field because there are so many jobs available in many parts of Alaska and in the lower 48.”
This page was last updated by janice on January 19, 2007
Behavioral Health Researcher
Louise Shavings
The person…
Louise Shavings is a Cup’ik Eskimo born and raised in the village of Mekoryuk on Nunivak Island. Her Cup’ik name is Lakautarkar. At 14, Louise was sent to a boarding school in Unalakleet called Covenant High. Initially, she was in culture shock and missed her family a lot. “But once I became involved in academics and athletics that the school offered, I started enjoying myself.” After high school, Louise traveled to Hawaii to attend college. She was inspired to leave Alaska when she heard about a girl from her village who had visited Hawaii. She spent 5 years in Hawaii before returning to Alaska.
Louise became interested in the field of behavioral health as she learned more about the many issues surrounding the Alaska Native peoples. “Initially I was interested in substance abuse because it was directly related to my own family issues and other relatives.” While pursuing an associate degree in Human Services, Louise became interested in the counseling field. She was trained to become a substance abuse counselor through an internship with Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s Family Services program. She also had an opportunity to work as a substance abuse counselor with the Alaska Native Alcoholism Recovery Center (now known as the Ernie Turner Center), the Alaska Women’s Resource Center, and the Southcentral Foundation’s Pathway Program.
Louise went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. In 2001, she was hired as a Research Assistant at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, University of Alaska Anchorage. She also assisted with research projects at the Native Resource Center for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Elders, the Center for Alaska Native Health Research, and the Maternal and Child Health program. During this time, Louise earned a Masters degree in Social Work. Currently, she is finishing a comparative study of people who attended boarding schools in Alaska. At this writing, Louise is moving to a new position as a Senior Researcher with Southcentral Foundation. She is excited about being involved in new research projects.
When Louise is not at work, she enjoys spending time outdoors. “Nature is very healing for me. It allows me to calm down and to appreciate what nature has to offer. When I do subsistence activities, it’s like I’m reaping what nature has to offer, while at the same time healing and connecting to the universe.” She also loves to power walk and knit. “Knitting helps me slow down and ponder where I am at in life. It’s a great outlet for creativity. Louise is a qiviut knitter. “Our village of Mekoryuk uses a 100 year old harpoon pattern.” In addition, Louise enjoys traveling. “When I was a little girl, I remember lying on a hill near my village and wondering where all the people in the jets that flew over were going. I told myself I’d be up there some day.” Louise has traveled in those jets to places like France, Belgium, Spain, and Mexico.
The job…
“There is no real typical day when you do research. The day will focus on whichever part of the research process you are currently working on. Research involves data collection, data analysis, literature searches, and report writing.” Louise says she really enjoys the data collection and analysis, as well as searching the literature. She finds the report writing the most challenging aspect of her job.
All of Louise’s research revolves around Alaska Natives. “For me, personally and professionally, I really enjoy looking at both historical and current events involving Alaska Natives. Traditions are changing, evolving, shifting. Alaska Native cultures are very capable of adapting to the environment and the changes that have occurred. Being in research gives you an ‘eye-view” of what is happening now culturally. In the Cup’ik tradition, we have what you call the 3rd Eye, the Eye of the Universe. It allows you to see and connect with the environment and the people around you. I think my research is helping me develop my 3rd Eye.”
Advice to students…
When asked if she had any advice for high school students living in rural Alaska, Louise said, “when you apply yourself, you discover more about yourself.” She advises students to get involved. “You may discover strengths inside yourself you never knew were there. Never give up. But also, don’t forget who you are and where you came from. Hang on to your values and traditions because they are your strengths. Also, know there are people out there to help you when you need it.” For people just starting out in the research field, Louise said it is important to understand Alaska Native history when working with Alaska Natives.
This page was last updated by janice on January 16, 2007
Respiratory Therapist
David Job
The person…
David Job has worked as a Registered Respiratory Therapist at Bartlett Hospital in Juneau for the past 24 years. Originally from Iowa, David traveled to Alaska in 1983 and fell in love with the state. He especially liked Southeast Alaska and was thrilled to find a job in Juneau at the local hospital.
David has always been interested in the health care field. While working as a physical therapy aide in Iowa, he became interested in respiratory therapy. A team of Respiratory Therapists worked across the hall and he was intrigued by all the equipment they used for their jobs.
When David is not at work, he enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, and kayaking. It’s one of the reasons he loves living and working in Juneau--the environment enables him to pursue an active outdoor lifestyle. David is also an avid outdoor photographer and a member of the local photography club.
The job…
One aspect David loves about his job is being able to work with patients in a small hospital. He likes being able to follow a patient from the ER to the intensive care unit to the medical care unit. He notes that, in a larger hospital, a Respiratory Therapist may not have the opportunity to follow a patient through the whole process.
David usually begins his day with first rounds. This involves routine floor care with patients in the intensive care unit. He might work with these patients using treadmills, breathing devices, and medicated nebulizers. Other parts of his day are spent doing billing paperwork and repeating the floor care therapy, as needed.
David has a flexible schedule at Bartlett Hospital. He normally works three 12 hour days each week. He also works on-call many nights, since the hospital does not have a Respiratory Therapist on regular night shift duty. He shares the on-call duty with two other Respiratory Therapists.
One of the most challenging and exciting parts of David’s job is never knowing what might happen on any given day. A day might start out slow, but then a trauma victim (e.g., from a car accident) might come in and things begin to happen quickly. The work flow is not a given each day; you have to be flexible.
Advice to students…
David recommends that high school students interested in Respiratory Therapy get a good science background. He also advises professionals who are just beginning as Respiratory Therapists remember that they will not have all the knowledge in the beginning, but they will learn a lot on the job as the years go by.
This page was last updated by janice on January 16, 2007
