Solstice ANMC receives celebration top designation Page 6 for pediatric care Page 12 THE Mukluk Telegraph THE QUARTERLY NEWSPAPER OF THE ALASKA NATIVE TRIBAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2018 Tradition of investing in our people Education and development for our Alaska Native workforce in ANTHC’s 20 years 1998 – PRESENT Since ANTHC’s inception, our Tribal leadership has internship program was a part of our work since the During 2018, ANTHC is continuously recognized that the next step in true ownership beginning, offering hands-on experience for future celebrating its 20th year of of our health care system is to prepare our young people for Alaska Native engineers. The program gave Alaska Native operations. ANTHC has marked the health careers of the future. undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to new achievements to improve ANTHC’s Tribal management has put the hiring and work with Environmental Health and Engineering staff on Alaska Native health care development of Alaska Native employees at the forefront to current projects. Many of these interns have come back to through our Board-led Tribal better serve our people and continues to offer new ways to ANTHC as full-time employees. self-governance and leadership. enhance our workforce to prepare for the emerging health Alaska Native students have also worked in the Alaska If you have stories to share about needs of Alaska Native people. Native Medical Center in internship positions. Students ANTHC or the history of the Early internship and scholarship programs provided are able to learn directly from health care professionals Alaska Tribal Health System, send training and educational assistance in critical ANTHC an email to [email protected]. See Page 2, Tradition service areas. Our Environmental Health and Engineering Follow ANTHC on Instagram ............................................................2 Fall home maintenance checklist ....................................................8 Great American Smokeout is Nov. 15 ............................................3 Eek in-home water .................................................................................9 ANMC Pharmacy helps opioid efforts.........................................4 Flu season health tips ..........................................................................10 Engineering interns at ANTHC .........................................................5 Recipe: Reindeer bean soup ..............................................................11 2 OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2018 The Mukluk Telegraph The Mukluk Telegraph OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2018 3 Tradition ANTHC’s Board of Directors has put the hiring and HEALTHY PEOPLE AND PREVENTION Continued from page 1 development of Alaska Native employees at the forefront to and gain practical experience toward future career Great American Smokeout is November 15: opportunities in the Alaska Tribal Health System. better serve our people and to prepare our workforce for The Consortium offers thousands of dollars in the emerging health needs of Alaska Native people. scholarships and internships for Alaska Native Tobacco-free campuses across students seeking to enter the health care field because expanding to provide care and careers closer to Pacific University has opened new scholarship we believe in investing in the future of our workforce the U-Med District celebrate home, and opening pathways for other health care programs to encourage study in areas that meet the and next generation of Tribal health leaders. education and careers. needs of our Alaska Tribal Health System. Other opportunities for Alaska Native people Each year, on the third Thursday When Alaska Native employees begin working While investing in workforce development takes wanting to enter health care include the Indian of November, the American Cancer for ANTHC, we continue to grow their capabilities time to see the returns, ANTHC is ensuring that the Health Service Summer Externship Program and Society and tobacco prevention to better serve ANTHC patients and customers. next generation of Tribal health leaders will be ready volunteer job shadow opportunities for students. The advocates across the nation celebrate Starting in 2005, ANTHC began formalizing to continue to advance Alaska Native health. Community Health Aide/Practitioner Program trains the Great American Smokeout. education, development and training programs to people to provide primary care in their villages, as n For more information on scholarship opportunities from The Great American Smokeout is build capacity for Alaska Native health professional ANTHC, visit ANTHC.org/scholarship-opportunities. well as similar programs for dental health aides a day to encourage current tobacco development. This year, a partnership with Alaska and behavioral health aides. These programs are users to make a plan to quit, or to go completely tobacco-free for that HEALTHY TRADITIONS day. The American Cancer Society began celebrating the Great American Smokeout in the 1970s primarily as a ANTHCToday shares positive way to encourage people to quit. Since then, the event has evolved and many organizations and communities now Alaska Native images on Instagram use it as a way to celebrate tobacco-free workplace policies and community- wide, smoke-free workplace laws. When policies such as these are put in place, evidence indicates that current tobacco users are more likely to quit. MORE DETAILS • ANTHC’s Tobacco Prevention Program: anthc.org/tobacco inside their workplaces. When the acted to protect their residents authority to enact local smoke-free • Call the ANMC Tobacco Quit new statewide law went into effect, from secondhand smoke, including workplace ordinances. Additionally, Line at (907) 729-4343 all Alaskans became protected from Anchorage, Juneau, Utqiagvik, Nome, thousands of Alaskans live in areas • The Great American Smokeout: secondhand smoke and e-cigarette Palmer, Skagway, Haines, Dillingham with no local government at all. cancer.org aerosol on the job. and Unalaska. Additionally, 135 of Thanks to the work of many tobacco Passage of the bill comes after Alaska’s federally recognized Tribes prevention advocates, including two decades of work at the local have also passed smoke-free Tribal the Alaska Native Tribal Health The Great American Smokeout level and five years in the state policies. Consortium, all Alaskans will have falls on Thursday, Nov. 15 this year. legislative process. Bethel was the first For much of the rest of the state, health protections while on the job. Encourage someone you know to use community in Alaska to pass a though, a statewide law is the only way the date to make a plan to quit, or plan smoke-free workplace law back to ensure protection. Boroughs such as in advance and then quit smoking that in 1998. Since that time, many Kenai Peninsula, Fairbanks North Star In Alaska, we use social media to Instagram, a growing platform, we are traditional foods, our art and music, show off the Alaska Native Health day. By quitting – even for one day – communities across the state have and Mat-Su do not have governmental connect with friends and family, share gaining followers for sharing our vision and participating in community and Campus in Anchorage, various smokers will be taking an important photos and recipes, update loved ones that Alaska Native people are the wellness activities. wellness programs and initiatives, step toward a healthier life and on how we’re doing, and watch videos healthiest people in the world. One highlight in particular along with staff and the people who reducing their cancer risk. of puppies and babies. A newer account and channel, is a weekly hashtag that blends make ANTHC tick. The Alaska Native Health Campus Thank you to our sponsors, At ANTHC, we’re connecting @ANTHCToday visually highlights traditional values with Alaska If you’re on Instagram, follow us and and our peers in the University- with our followers to share stories our Alaska Native people living Native health and wellness. Each share your own vision of Alaska Native Medical (U-Med) District in Anchorage supporters and players! of our work and Alaska Native positive and healthy lifestyles. Tuesday, @ANTHCToday features a health and wellness! people. On Facebook (facebook.com/ Instagram followers will see photos #TraditionalTuesday post that shares recognize the importance of not using ANTHCToday), we share news, events, and videos of our Native people from realistic, positive images of Alaska tobacco through our tobacco-free safety tips, services and general all over the state living cultural values Native people living our traditions. campus policies. The Alaska Native goings-on at the Consortium. On through eating and preparing our Additionally, we use Instagram to Health Campus has been 100 percent tobacco-free since 2006. In 2017, the U-Med District became tobacco-free THE MUKLUK TELEGRAPH CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS with the Alaska Pacific University The Mukluk Telegraph is the official newspaper of the Alaska Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Want to receive the Mukluk Telegraph in being the latest campus to join the Native Tribal Health Consortium. Attention: Mukluk Telegraph the mail? Write to [email protected] Dr. Barry Grey Baron’s Aces The paper is published quarterly and distributed at no charge 4000 Ambassador Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508 and we’ll add you to our mailing list. movement. to patients, employees and partners of ANTHC statewide. Phone: (907) 729-1899 The Mukluk Telegraph is