Bethel, AK: The Last Frontier

Bethel, Alaska, a community of nearly 7,000, is located on Kuskokwim River near the southwest coast of Alaska. Many refer to this and several other areas of Alaska as the Bush because they are only accessible by plane, boat, ATV or snow machine. Comprised of 62% Alaskan Natives, Bethel is an ever-constant growing community.

My experiences so far have been more than I could have imagined. On my two village visits to Newtok (Population: 321) and Chuathbaluk (Population: 120), the Public Health Nurse and I performed tuberculosis skin tests to all of the school children. We also provided the village community with access to immunizations, STD examinations, well-child checks, and education including suicide and STD prevention. In addition, with flu season nearing, I educated the school population on proper hand hygiene and flu prevention. In educating this population, I tailor my teaching to their availability of resources; running water and soap are hard to come by in many areas of this region. When all of your supplies are either shipped in by plane or barge, prices of resources are much more expensive than we would find at home.

While working with this population the greatest challenge non-natives face, especially in delivering health care, is trust. One nurse tells her employees that if there is one thing you can accomplish in your first two years as a public health nurse it is developing trust. Building trust with the native population is critical in your success as a health care provider.

Aside from providing care, my favorite experiences so far have been salmon fishing on the Kuskokwim River and traveling into the Kuskokwim Mountains in Chuathbaluk. I have been told that I have only scratched the surface of what Alaska has to offer, and I am so excited to see what else this beautiful country has in store for me.