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20 November Departing Saint PaulMy flight departs Saint Paul tonight at around 2100. It has been a busy week but a great one. I had to medevac an elderly patient on Wednesday for a fractured hip, but it went off without any complications. Other than that I saw a total of 30 patients in the less than 2 and a half weeks here. Having worked with 4-5 other providers here during this time, and they seeing close the same amount of patients as well, I was surprised to see so much pathology from this population. The clinic ranged from dead quiet to full on hectic at times but the steady stream of patients ranging in age and condition made my time go by quickly.
The weather has remained very windy and cold but this weekend the winds have died down considerably. And in fact, the skies have cleared for now and it is sunny and clear...and colder. Just in time though for my flight out. I was supposed to fly out tomorrow but plans have changed. Although, I still will not fly out of Anchorage for home until Tuesday morning. So, I'm going to have a full day to spend in Anchorage.
I went for a short walk yesterday with my new friend, Dr. Nancy. She is an old school physician that is here temporarily itinerating like myself. She taught me a lot this past week and I hope to have a chance to work with her again soon. But yesterday was nice, just walking one of the frozen beaches on the island with her. We seemed to share the same eye for arctic beauty. The surf was high and with the tide coming in and the sun setting behind us, the gorgeous pastels shimmering of the wet black sand made for a memory that will remain in my minds eye far longer than any photograph I could ever take. But I decided to snap off one anyhow, because even though I was happy to share it with Dr. Nancy, I felt it neccesary to share it on this blog as well. (photo coming soon)
I'd like to answer a few questions from a recent comment.
TMAllen1 of The Puget Sound Papers asked "What is "CHP?" I see it in your profile and wonder if there is some military aspect to your EMT-ing.
And, if this isn't a military commission, along with the Coast Guard, do you also serve private business such as individual fishing companies that send fishing boats up around your area in Alaska?" These are great questions Theresa. I touched upon these a bit in my firsts posts back in, well whenever I started this blog. But I won't make you trudge through the archives. CHP is abbreviated for Community Health Practitioner. A CHP is unique to Alaska and we essentially are trained to provide medical care in rural villages of Alaska where people are isolated, and in varied great distances to hospitals. There is no military aspect to my job but in a sense perhaps a government aspect as I am payed with federal funds by the Indian Health Service (IHS). I do not serve private businesses directly, but any and all persons can receive care by our clinics. The clinic here in Saint Paul, is known as a CHC, or Community Health Center, so there is typically a mid-level provider here. But typically, I am the sole provider in most of the villages I travel to. The specifics can be difficult to explain and I will try to add more in future postings. But, as for myself being an EMT, that is in fact a very small role of my daily duties. As a CHP, I am trained beyond a basic EMT when it comes to medical or traumatic emergenices. I might diagnose an appendicitis and medevac a patient to a hospital for surgery, or I need to try and resucitate a drowning victim. I am here for a heart attack victim providing CPR and maybe automated defibrillation. What I may do would depend on many factors, most importantly though, what my referal physician asks of me as I am not autonomous. I am the eyes and ears of doctors in hospitals hundreds of miles away. We may use modern technology in the form of internet, satellite phones, and tele-medicine to communicate. On a non-emergency level, I am trained to diagnose and treat everything from a common ear infection to an ingrown toenail. I perform regular prenatal visits to track the development of an unborn child and in a rare circumstance, may help a mother to deliver a child. I immunize children against diseases and perform well-child exams to monitor development. I watch children grow and counsel teenagers on STD's and pregnancy. I help a diabetic control his or her blood sugar. I help a person that has been binge drinking recover from their withdrawals after their nights of partying are over. I suture a wound when a fisherman accidentally cuts himself while filleting a fish. I am not a certified doctor, psychiatrist or a drug and alcohol counselor...but at times I am that and more (uncertified). I love my job because I help people. I don't jump out of helicopters, or walk into a burning building. I don't arrest child molesters or protect our country in war. I help a small population of people in very rural, isolated areas that may be forgotten about or unknown. But it's what I do, I enjoy it and I like to think that I make a difference in the places I go and to the people I meet along the way.
I hope that I answered your questions about what a CHP is, and I apologize if it sounds like a public service announcement or something along those lines. It's very hard for anyone to truly understand what we do, and very little is known about us. But I also want to add, that it's not just me. There are hundreds of rural villages with full-time CHA/P's. And I have the greatest respect for those that grow up in the villages and enter a position like this. Having to take care of your extended and immediate family and friends is very difficult. Especially during a traumatic emergency. But many do it everyday. I am fortunate to be able to travel to different places, but I too lived permanently in a few villages and had to take care of my family, like when my wife was pregnant with my daughter or when my son needed stitches in the back of his head. But now I have the best of both worlds. My family and I live in Spokane and I still get to travel to beautiful rural Alaska and experience what others may only dream.
I leave you now from Saint Paul Island, Alaska. I will be in Spokane soon enough to spend Thanksgiving with my wife and children. But, as it truns out, Saint Paul seems to have enjoyed me as much as I have enjoyed being here, so I will return on Dec. 2. Stay tuned for Saint Paul, part deux. Comments (9)
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