ALOHA!YK goes Hawaiian...(for a day)Karen McIntyre dresses up and preps burger patties for the Employee Appreciation BBQ & Luau Party. More on pages 8–9.

Photo by Rhonda Vanover

INSIDE: Summer Hires, p. 3 • Games, p. 11 • Flu Cometh, p. 13 • Pharmacy Week, p. 15

Volume XV No. 9 • September 15, 2010VVVVoVoVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV lumee XV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNoNoNoooooNNNoNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNoNNoNNNNoNNNNNNNN ...... . .. ... .. 999999 999 9 99999999 99999 999999 99999999999999 ••••••••••••••• SSeSeSSeSeSeSeSeSeSeSSeeSeeeSeeeSeeSeeeeeSeSeeS tpttptpttptpptpptpppptptptpptpppppptpppp eememememememeembbbbbebeb r 15151555151515155155155511515511515,,,,, , ,,,, 2020202020202020202020202020202020202200000201110101010100010100100010101001011000100011

2

Board of DirectorsUnit 1Raymond F. Waska, Sr.P.O. Box 46Emmonak, Alaska 99581907-949-1514

Paula AyunerakP.O. Box 5Alakanuk, Alaska 99554907-238-3212

Unit 2Ray AlstromP.O. Box 8Marshall, Alaska 99585907-679-6320

James C. LandlordP.O. Box 32168Mt. Village, AK 99632907-591-2531

Unit 3Wayne MorganP.O. Box 234Aniak, Alaska 99557907-675-4264

George S. MorganP.O. Box 54Upper Kalskag, Alaska 99607907-471-2490

Unit 4James NicoriP.O. Box 41Kwethluk, Alaska 99621907-757-6837

Moses PeterP.O. Box 57Tuluksak, Alaska 99679907—695-6426

Unit 5Bill KristovichP.O. Box 1037Bethel, Alaska 99559907-543-4151/2212

Glen Watson, Sr.P.O. Box 1874Bethel, Alaska 99559907-543-4625

Gloria SimeonP.O. Box 308Bethel, Alaska 99559907-543-5676

Chris LarsonP.O. Box 6051Napaskiak, Alaska 99559907-737-7910

Unit 6Esai Twitchell, Jr.P.O. Box 121Kasigluk, Alaska 99609907-477-6309

Unit 7David O. DavidP.O. Box 78Kwigillingok, Alaska 99622907-588-8484

Unit 8James R. Charlie, Sr.P.O. Box 37012Toksook Bay, Alaska 99637907-427-7114

James SiparyP.O. Box 37134 Toksook Bay, Alaska 99637907—427-7816

Unit 9Patrick TallP.O. Box 196Chevak, Alaska 99563907-858-7613

Eric Olson, Sr.P.O. Box 163Hooper Bay, Alaska 99604907-758-4068

Unit 10Sam W. AlexieP.O. Box 57Eek, Alaska 99578907-536-5428

Unit 11Marvin DeaconP.O. Box 45Grayling, Alaska 99590907-453-5195

Honorary Board MemberPaul JohnP.O. Box 37067Toksook Bay, Alaska 99637907-427-74l4

Numbers to CallYKHC Main Operator ............................................... 543-6000

Toll Free ...............................................................1-800-478-3321

Public Relations ................................................................. 543-6038

Media Services ................................................................... 677-2232

Offi ce of Environmental Health & Engineering ............ 543-6420

Technology Help Desk ...................................................... 543-6070

Human Resources.............................................................. 543-6060

Administration .................................................................. 543-6020

Hospital ............................................................................... 543-6300

Emergency Room .............................................................. 543-6395

Hospital Community Relations ....................................... 543-6350

Social Services .................................................................... 543-6225

Family Medicine Clinic Appointments .......................... 543-6442

1-800-478-3321

Appointments

Dental Appointments........................................................ 543-6229

Optometry Appointments ................................................ 543-6336

Audiology Appointments ................................................. 543-6466

Subregional Clinic Appointments

Aniak ............................................................................... 675-4556

Emmonak ....................................................................... 949-3500

St. Mary’s ......................................................................... 438-3500

Toksook Bay ................................................................... 427-3500

Public Health Nursing ...................................................... 543-2110

Pharmacy ............................................................................ 543-6382

Travel Management Center .............................................. 543-6360

WIC Program..................................................................... 543-6459

Health Services ................................................................. 543-6024

Village Operations ............................................................. 543-6160

CHAP .............................................................................. 543-6160

ICEMS ............................................................................. 543-6080

Community Health & Wellness ................................... 543-6190

Behavioral Health Services ............................................... 543-6100

Phillips Ayagnirvik ........................................................ 543-6700

Village Services .............................................................. 543-6740

Home Care Services .......................................................... 543-6170

Volume XV No. 9 • September 15, 2010

3

Summer Hires fi re it up for the Health Information System teamby Donna Bach, YKHC Public RelationsAs the fi reweed fades away and the fall weather comes upon

us, YKHC departments say goodbye and quyana to a cadre of

student summer hire staff who have pitched in and helped out in

numerous ways throughout the corporation.

Many departments throughout YKHC rely upon these tempo-

rary summer hires to assist in daily operations, including Health

Information Systems (HIS), which has retained several summer-

hires to continue working on the back-log of billable charge

entries into the YKHC database. And everyone is pleased with

the results.

According to Jessica Petersen, Health Information Systems

Manager, the extra help is an added bonus. “We have 10 summer

hires who work as data and charge entry technicians who assist in a

variety of tasks including SMS and RPMS abstracting, error reports,

and special projects. Th ey contribute greatly in catching us up on

our backlog, reducing our coding errors and closing out outstanding

accounts.”

Half of them worked on an initiative last year in a system-wide

clean-up project, and

some even return to

work for the depart-

ment on their school

breaks. Returning

summer hires include

Danielle Charles, Alli-

son McIntyre, Deanna

Rodgers, Lulije Saliu,

and Mary Th on. Five

summer hires new to

the HIS team include

Chrissy Elliott, Charles

Herman, Crystal Hoff -

man, Lucille Kalistook,

and Kira Polk.

Not only are the addi-

tional 10 summer hires

a bonus in assisting

with constant work

fl ow, they add a special

rapport to the year-around staff . “Many of them are returning local

high school and college age students who have an invested interest

in working for the company and within the community. Th ey bring

a lot of energy and they add their own little fl are and contributions

which makes working with them so special,” says Petersen.

Th is is all great news according to senior leadership and the fi nan-

cial viability team. Th e hard work these summer hires put into the

long days, and sometimes evening shift s really assists the corpora-

tion’s goals in bringing charges up to date to become billable. As well

as being a great thing for the fi nancial viability of the company, the

retention of these summer or temporary hires over the Christmas

and spring breaks is also welcomed and it even helps the students

with a little more college savings money.

“Th ere is a great career ladder in our HIS department for these local

students,” Petersen says. “Th ey can come on board in an entry level

position and from there may take on increasing assignments with

greater responsibilities, moving up to Level II and III positions. We

always look forward to people who want to contribute to the goal

of the team and we motivate by introducing and reiterating our

monthly goals and what we expect of everyone, which boosts the

overall morale of the department.”

Some summer hires have returned to YKHC as full-time employees

and are on a career track to eventually seek deeper understanding of

the coding and billing back-log which is a necessary and instrumen-

tal function within the Finance Division of YKHC. Frances Liptrot,

Director Revenue Management, is a staunch leader and advocate

The Messenger Quarterly is printed in December, March, June, and September. The Messenger is published monthly online at www.ykhc.org by the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation as a report to Tribal Members. For questions, comments, submission of articles, or subscription information, write to Messenger Editor, Public Relations, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, P.O. Box 528, Bethel, Alaska 99559. E-mail: messenger@ykhc.org. Deadline is the last day of the month preceding publication. Publication is on the 15th of every month. Anchorage Offi ce: 4700 Business Park Blvd. Suite E25, Anchorage, Alaska 99503. 907-677-2232. Please ask permission to reprint articles or pictures. © 2010, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation.

YKHC Board& Committee MeetingsSept. 21&22

Governing Body

Oct. 20Executive Board, Fairbanks (subject to change)

October 21–23Tentative AFN, Fairbanks

Nov. 17–19Full Board of Directors

Dec. 15&16Executive Board

Technology Department summer hire John Herman attends UAF. Many YKHC depart-ments and programs benefi tted from the student summer hire program, including Health Information, Finance, and Public Relations.

see SUMMER HIRE, p. 4

4

Rural Communities to Receive Funding for VPSO HousingFrom the Governor’s Press Offi ceAugust 31, 2010, Juneau –Gov-

ernor Sean Parnell announced

that three rural communities—

Akiak, Sleetmute and Iguigig—

will receive funding to construct

housing units for Village Public

Safety Offi cers (VPSOs).

Parnell requested

$1 million in Alaska

Housing Financing

Corporation grants

and low-interest

loans to assist com-

munities in building

VPSO housing. Th ree VPSO-

priority projects received fund-

ing, including one unit in Akiak,

one unit in Igiugig, and three

units in Sleetmute. Th ere has

been no VPSO housing available

in Igiugig and Akiak.

“For Alaskans to be safe requires

a meaningful law enforcement

presence in rural Alaska,” Par-

nell said. “Providing housing is

a key to attracting and retaining

VPSOs who will make a diff er-

ence in our communities.”

who encourages pursuit of post-secondary education and certifi ca-

tions while keeping the bottom line of YKHC fi nances in check.

According to Petersen, “Although these functions of career progress

are further down the road, we want to encourage our highly moti-

vated employees who feel impassioned with this type of work to seek

coding certifi cations with the idea in mind that they’ll always have a

job waiting for them. We want them to come back, learn more, and

absorb as much information about their functions as an investment

and overall goal to the benefi t of the region.”

Every manager knows that retention of qualifi ed staff and training is

a recipe for success. Keep up the great work and thank you for your

dedication to YKHC summer hires!

SUMMER HIRE, from p. 3

Monday, October 4

Please join local elected leaders, state and

federal administration offi cials, regional

leadership

&

US Senator Lisa Murkowskifor a regional

Suicide Round Table Summit

Share your thoughts on solutions and hear

more about resources available to your

community. Individuals and families,

youth, and elders who have been impacted

by suicide are encouraged to attend this

event and share their stories.

1:30 – 4 p.m.Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, Bethel

For more more information please contact Vivian Korthuis at AVCP at 543-7331 or Donna Bach at YKHC 543-6037

Volume XV No. 9 • September 15, 2010

5

Diabetes Program welcomes new staffby Greg Moses, Diabetes Outreach Coordinator

YKHC’s Diabetes Prevention & Control

(DP&C) Program would like to welcome two

new staff members to our wonderful team—

Vicki Schatzel and Tonya Charlie.

Tonya is Mark and Anna Charlie’s

daughter. Mark Charlie is from

Tununak, and Anna Charlie is origi-

nally from Marshall. Tonya is the new

Department Assistant for the DP&C

Program, and will also be providing

program support to the Women Infant

& Children and Nicotine Control &

Research Programs. She is very excited

to help the DP&C staff provide the best

diabetes education and care.

Vicki Schatzel is a Registered Nurse

and Certifi ed Diabetes Educator. She

moved to Bethel from Grand Junction,

Colorado and has worked as a Certifi ed

Diabetes Educator and Manager for

the past 16 years. Her work in Colo-

rado served a huge number of diabetic

patients (types 1 & 2). She also has

experience teaching doctors, nurses

and patients on Insulin Pump Th erapy

and Continuous Glucose Monitoring.

Now she is very excited to be in Bethel

to work with the Diabetes Team to

provide quality diabetes education and

care for all the patients in the YK Delta.

We would also like to congratulate

Charlene Taylor for being promoted to

the DP&C Program’s new Data Entry

Specialist position. For the past six

months she has been providing excel-

lent support to both Diabetes Preven-

tion and Control and Healthy Hearts

Program staff . Before Tonya Charlie

Village support groups share Diabetes experiences...

...and experiments

by Debbie Michael, Outreach Coordinator

Exciting things are happening with the Diabetes

Support Group between Kwethluk and Pilot

Station.

Due to unforeseen events we could not meet together in August. Th e

fi rst support group was with Pilot Station on August 12, followed by

the one in Kwethluk the next week. Th e highlight of both support

groups was the presentation Greg Moses did on goal setting. Th e

groups were motivated in diff erent directions when discussions hap-

pened aft er the presentations.

Pilot Station wants more information about the diff erent dessert

recipes using berries like akutaq, mak’aq, tenguggluk, and qerpertaq,

which are berry desserts made with shortening, salmon roe, lush fi sh

liver, and fi sh eggs with red berries, respectively. Th is spurred on a

discussion about healthier oils to use when we’re frying or cooking

and how the diff erent oils aff ect our bodies.

One of the participants shared with the others about how drinking

caiggluk (or naunerrluk) juice to wash down his diabetes medicines

landed him in the emergency room at the hospital. He said, “It’s

really important to inform your doctor(s) what kind of Native medi-

cines you are taking, if any, so this doesn’t happen to you, too.”

Th is group also wanted more information about moose, moose fat,

and ways to cook healthier at the next support group meeting. We

discussed possible future presentations involving the whole commu-

nity of Pilot Station. I’m really excited about working with partici-

pants to help make this happen out there.

Pilot Station’s Diabetes Support Group shares berry recipes.

see SUPPORT GROUPS, p. 7 see DIABETES STAFF, p. 12

Tonya Charlie

Vicki Schatzel

Charlene Taylor

6

Th e Toksook and Hooper Bay

SRCs can anticipate seeing an

exciting shipment arriving on

the late September barge.

Brand new off -road ambulances will be avail-

able to our Subregional clinics for emergency

use purposes and will be a great health and

emergency resource in the villages where few

covered vehicles are available for emergency transport.

Th e off -road prototypes, similar to those in the photo, are available

by funding through the USDA Rural Development Code Blue grant.

Th e grant funded 75 percent of the cost for the vehicle with a 15 per-

cent contribution from the State of Alaska and 10 percent locally by

the YKHC Subregional Clinic budget.

Off-road ambulances fi t SRC style

A code blue grant is paying 75 percent of the cost for this right-size off-road amblulance for the Hooper Bay Subregional Clinic. Toksook Bay SRC will also be getting one.

Bird Flu sample study wraps up another season on the DeltaTh e US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and YKHC’s Offi ce of

Environmental Health and Engineering (OEHE) have completed

the sampling portion of the 2010 spring subsistence surveillance for

the Highly Pathogenic H5N1 strain of Avian Infl uenza in migratory

birds arriving on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

As of June 1, 2010, YKHC col-

lected 2,947 samples from the 10

participating villages, exceeding

our goal. All samples have been

shipped to USFWS in Anchor-

age, and from there will be sent

to the National Wildlife Health

Center (NWHC) in Madison,

Wisconsin, to be processed.

To this date, there have been no

cases of the Highly Pathogenic

H5N1 strain of Avian Infl u-

enza virus detected anywhere

in Alaska or the United States.

In addition, there have been

no cases of a person contracting the H5N1 virus from wild birds.

YKHC will be providing regular updates to the people of the YK

Delta about the surveillance eff orts, including prompt notifi cation

of any positive identifi cation of the H5N1 virus.

For more information

concerning the surveillance

effort, contact Kelsey

Hustedt, YKHC Avian

Infl uenza Coordinator, toll

free at

1-800-478-6599, or direct at

543-6421

TESTING MANAGER NUMBER OF SAMPLES

Albert Simon (Hooper Bay) 383Andrew Hunt Jr. (Kotlik) 320Rex Nick (Pilot Station) 320Richard Curtis (Toksook Bay) 216Bonnie Westlock (Emmonak) 198James Charlie Jr. (Chefornak) 384Danny Mann II (Kipnuk) 68Sam Mark (Quinhagak) 354Seth Heakin (Eek) 384James Michael (Kwethluk) 320

TOTAL 2947

Toksook Bay is slated to receive a red-colored ambulance and

Hooper Bay will receive a yellow one. Eff orts are currently underway

in Hooper Bay to garage their new ambulatory vehicle.

Th e estimated value of the emergency vehicles is approximately

$70,000 each.

Volume XV No. 9 • September 15, 2010

7

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY!The Dental Health Aide Therapist program is expanding!

YKHC Dental Dept.

Call 907-543-6229 for more information, or visit http://depts.washington.edu/dentexak

“It’s a great experience, an

intense program and an

enjoyable one.”

— Bernadette Charles, DHAT Student

Four full scholarships will be awarded by YKHC

for the two-year DHAT education program

beginning Fall, 2011.

Application deadline is March 31, 2010

Working Together to Achieve Excellent Health

Do you like working closely with people? Travel? Village life? A good full-time indoor job? Are you skilled with your hands?

Would you like a key role in building a better future for our children?

Bernadette Charles examines Ashley Forbes, 10, of Quinhagak with Dental Assistant Amy Bee observing.

Benefits, stipend, and 4-year payback obligation apply.

QUALIFICATIONS: Apply online: www.ykhc.org—Follow the homepage links

Kwethluk’s Diabetes Support Group was inspired in several diff erent

directions. Th ey want to write letters to all of the entities in Kweth-

luk to try to serve diabetes friendly foods at their meetings.

Th ey also wanted to raise awareness about diabetes and what it can

do to people’s bodies once they have diabetes. One of the partici-

pants was so impressed with Greg’s presentation, she was going to

talk with the principal at the school to have Greg invited to speak to

the students.

“We need more, more, and more education about the number of tea-

spoons of sugar in soda and energy drinks, and how much caff eine

they have and what it can do to the body”

“We also want to know about the diff erent nutrients in wheat vs.

white fl our and brown or wild rice vs. white rice,” said a few mem-

bers.

Two other great suggestions were made about getting the word out

about diabetes: to educate the younger population about diabetes,

diabetes prevention in aft erschool activities, and bringing foods that

SUPPORT GROUPS, from p. 5promote healthier eating; and to host regular weekly radio shows to

inform the public about diabetes and diabetes prevention.

“You gotta keep hearing about it to learn about it,” commented a sup-

port group attendee.

We are encouraged by the direction the Kwethluk and Pilot Station

communities are taking towards diabetes and diabetes prevention

education. We are eager to work with them in getting the word out

about living healthier lives with and without diabetes.

Please call us to set up a presentation on

diabetes, diabetes prevention, and healthy

living in your school and/or community at

1-877-543-6133.

8

Employee BBQ brings a taste of the Islands

YKHC’s Employee Appreciation BBQ,

held on August 20 in Bethel, was a fun and

festive event—thanks to the decorations and

ambience of a Hawaiian luau.

Fresh Kuskokwim salmon took the place of the roast pig, but

some tasty dishes prepared by YKHC’s Chef Callahan and the

traditional picnic fare of hot dogs and hamburgers rounded out

the menu while hawaiian music and strumming ukuleles played

in the background.

Your Senior Leadership Team tended to the grills, sponsoring

the event to acknowledge and show appreciation for all YKHC

Employees’ hard work and dedication to the health of the people

of the region.

Clockwise from top left: Shea Brumley (Diabetes Prevention) says “Aloha!” Public Relations Director Donna Bach gets a ukulele lesson with Michael Faubion. Kathy Stanton (Immunization) and Brian Lefferts (OEHE) serve up salad. Health Services VP Jack Crow and Admin Assistant Julia Street tackle the salmon. Employees (fi nally) reach the end of the serving line.

Volume XV No. 9 • September 15, 2010

9YKHC’s Public Relations Dept. coordinated the event and

extends Quyana and Mahalo to all the departments and

individuals who were instrumental in setting up, serving

and taking down for this year’s BBQ.

Special thanks to Dietary Services for the Hawaiian cuisine,

SLT for cooking, and Hospital Maintenance and Materials

Management staff for set-up and take down.

We also acknowledge and thank all the local businesses and

organizations that donated door prizes for employees. All

employees throughout the region, including village employ-

ees, were eligible for door prizes.

Quyana..Alaska Airlines

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska

Crowley

Nicholson’s Auto Inc.

Stan’s Barbershop

NAPA Auto Parts

YKHC Injury Prevention & AHEC

Delta Cottages

A.C. Company

KUC College of Rural Alaska

Corina’s Caselot Groceries

Yuut Elitnaurviat

KYUK/Bethel Broadcasting

Bethel Native Corporation

AVCP

Bethel Car Rental

Lefner Investments

Sammy’s Market

Shogun Restaurant

VIP Restaurant

Video World

Grant Aviation

ERA/Hageland

Bentley’s Porter House

V.F.W. Post 10041

Bethel Lions Club

Lumber Yard

Swanson’s

U.S. Census 2010

Grill Team: Senior Leadership minds the meat, with a bit of administrative assistance: Medical Director Dr. Joe Klejka, President/CEO Gene Peltola, Admin Assistant Rondi Bean, Vice President of Administration Dan Winkelman. Technology Director Dave Hodges inspects the procedure.

Lined up for luau: Nearly 800 employees were served.

Photos by Public Relations Staff

10

Back to School!

Pack a Nutritious School Lunch

Lunch provides the fuel kids need to stay

focused for the aft ernoon classes. If your child

prefers to take a lunch prepared from home,

pack meals that are easy and fun to eat, as

well as healthful, safe and nutritious. Some

examples are:

• Strips of dried fi sh, dried meat (Moose, caribou), or cold-cut

roll ups (lean, low-fat turkey or roast beef with low-fat cheese

on whole wheat tortillas).

• Cold pizza (shredded law fat mozzarella cheese with pizza

sauce on a fl our tortilla or whole wheat pita).

• Cracker sandwiches (whole-grain crackers fi lled with low-fat

cream cheese, salmon dip or peanut butter and jelly).

• Peanut butter and celery sticks.

• Dried fruit (raisins, prunes, or cranberries).

• Veggie sticks with low-fat dip or dressing.

• 100% fruit juice box or bottle of water.

• Optional dessert (choose one): Akutag (made of berries and

low fat yogurt), fl avored gelatin, low-fat pudding, oatmeal

raisin cookie, graham crackers, fresh fruit (berries).

Let children help plan and prepare school lunches. When they

are involved, chances are they will resist trading their carrots for

cookies. But remember that it’s OK to pack an oatmeal cookie,

brownie or individual pudding. Kids may need the extra energy

they supply.

Being involved in what your kids eat is an important job that

does not stop when they walk out the front door.

—WIC Staff

SUBSCRIBE to the Messenger! Online Messenger: Published monthly on our website: www.ykhc.org. Enter your email address in the “Messenger by Email” link.Messenger Quarterly: Published in March, June, September and December and mailed to all YK Delta village boxholders. Bethel residents and others: Subscribe by sending your name and mailing address to messenger@ykhc.org or call Public Relations at 907-543-6038

Give your child the chance to be nicotine free!Don’t give them tobacco!By Rahnia Parker, Nicotine Control and Research Program Manager

As a Tobacco Treatment Specialist for several

years, I have heard people say they can’t tell

their children not to use tobacco products

because they feel like a hypocrite when they’re

doing it themselves.

Please don’t let this stop you from talking to your children about

not using tobacco. Explain to them that tobacco products are very

addictive and it’s much easier when you don’t use it in the fi rst

place or stop using if you haven’t been using it long. Most people

who use tobacco want to quit, but once you’ve tried it, it becomes

very hard to stop.

Encourage your children to stay away from iqmik, chew, and ciga-

rettes. If they have already started, do what you can to help them

quit. It doesn’t make you a hypocrite, it makes you a parent who

cares about your child’s health.

Quitting tobacco and that addiction to nicotine can be a very dif-

fi cult and personal journey and it is your choice. Th e Nicotine

Control and Research Department is available to help when you

make your decision to quit. To see a Nicotine Dependence Treat-

ment Counselor, please see your local healthcare provider and get a

referral for counseling.

If you would like more information, have

questions, or for any other tobacco related

requests for yourself, family members, and/

or friends, please feel free to contact the

Nicotine Control and Research department

at 543-6312 or toll-free at 1-800-5478-3321,

extension 312.

Volume XV No. 9 • September 15, 2010

11

Did you ever play hide and seek? What about Grassman? Or Red Rover, Red Rover?

Long ago before the Wii games, and PS2 players,

and before Atari, we played outdoors!

108 9

75 6

42 3

1

Games of the PastBy Deborah A. Michael

We used our imaginations to build

vast empires in the grass behind our

grandparents’ house, tying grass together

to construct arches and using them as a tunnel

roadway.

Another time we were Tree People, living within

the walls of alder, cottonwood, and willow, wonder-

ing how “Th e Outsiders” lived in houses. When we

weren’t imagining these, we played tag or “Not It” on

the rails between the elementary school and teacher’s

quarters. Other days we used to reenact the latest

kung-fu or vampire movie we watched at the school

or the rec. center.

One of my favorite games that we used to play outside

was hopscotch. Th ere was a hopscotch outline that I

thought was permanently etched into the ground by

our grandparents’ home because we played it daily.

Below is a diagram of what our hopscotch diagram

looked like.

We learned how to play by watching our older sib-

lings and cousins play. Some of them were really good

players. You needed good balance and coordination

to play. Th e basic rules for playing the game was that

we couldn’t step on the lines while hopping within the squares, our

game piece couldn’t go over the line either. Depending on the age

and ability of the hopscotch player, we couldn’t ayapeq or use fi ngers/

hands to steady ourselves when we stooped to pick up our game piece-

-usually a rock, a piece of wood, or even a barrette or button. As we

got older, our steps into the squares for two and three,

fi ve and six, and eight and nine squares had to occur

at the same time as the other foot. We couldn’t step in

one square then the other unless you were a younger

player.

If you reached 10, you had to hop all around the

squares on one foot and then start playing back from

ten to one. Th e winner would be determined by

whose game piece got to ten and back to one fi rst or if

we didn’t play that much that day, it would be the one

who was closest to 10.

Other games we used to play, that I wish our

children’s generation could play include

games like: Freeze Tag, Capture the Flag,

Cops and Robbers or Cowboys and Indians, “Not-it”

or Tag—with or without using balls, “Grassman”, Red

Rover-Red Rover, Ante-Ante Over, Hide-and-Go-

Seek or Kick-the-Can, Lapgame, Yaruiq, or any sort

of relay races.

I would like to challenge all the moms and dads, even

the grandparents to play one of their favorite child-

hood games with their children or grandchildren.

If you take a picture of this event, send it to me at deb-

orah_michael@ykhc.org and we can include it in our next Messenger

and/or our Diabetes website or other media. You will need to sign a

media release form before we can publish your picture/s, so please be

sure to send a media release form along with your photos. Download

the media release form at our website: www.ykhc.org/library/releases.

12

was hired she was extremely busy completing her work as a Data

Entry Specialist and Department Secretary for three diff erent pro-

grams. Great job, Charlene!

Finally, last month we said “good-bye” to our great co-worker and

friend Laurie Smith, Healthy Hearts Case Manager. Laurie worked

tirelessly with her patients making sure to fi rst educate them about

their disease and empower them to improve their own health. She

has moved back home to Michigan to work and be closer to her

family.

Everyone please help us welcome Charlene

Taylor, Vicki Shatzel and Tonya Charlie to our

DP&C team. We know all of them will do a

great job.

DIABETES STAFF, from p. 5

Because you love her...

Denali KidCare can help Denali KidCare is Alaska’s State-sponsored no-cost

health insurance for children and teens through age

18, and for pregnant women who meet income

eligibility guidelines.

ASK your enrollment specialist how Denali KidCare can help YOU!

For more information, please call 1-800-478-3321 ext. 6470

Hospital lab accreditedYKDRH laboratory has been recognized and accredited by Th e Col-

lege of American Pathologists (CAP).

Interim Lab Manager Scott Cox says CAP is similar to JCAHO but

“requires standards, protocols and procedures more specifi c for the

clinical lab and are much more stringent.”

Cox said the steps for achieving this accreditation require a com-

mitment of the laboratory team by entering a time consuming profi -

ciency testing program.

“Th e program challenges our procedures and methods in the clinical

lab to see if our results are accurate and precise,” Cox said. “In addi-

tion, during the inspection process, the review team inspects stan-

dards of procedure, quality control data, calibrations, instrument data

and records. Entering this program is a lengthy ordeal. Th e program

is carried out for the length of two years prior to the fi rst inspections,

which occur on a quarterly basis thereaft er.”

see LAB, p. 14

Volume XV No. 9 • September 15, 2010

13

Project Management helps Technology ‘get the job done’by Spencer Hamons, Technology Dept.YKHC’s Information Technology Department uses the

Project Management Institute’s best-practices and processes

for managing projects. Th ese best-practices, combined

with 68 years of technology management experience by the

department’s leadership team resulted in a record number

of projects being completed this fi scal year (FY10).

In 2008, Technology completed 30 projects. In 2009, the depart-

ment changed the way projects were scheduled and aligned the

project schedule with YKHC’s fi scal calendar. In that nine month

period, 24 projects were completed. As this fi scal year comes to a

close, the department has completed 46 projects.

While the number of completed projects has increased, so has the

department’s on-time delivery rate, which increased from 63 per-

cent in 2008 to 92 percent in 2009, and fi nally to 100 percent this

year.

Everyone across YKHC was aff ected by some of the major initia-

tives undertaken by Technology this year. One of the most signifi -

cant was the migration to Microsoft ® Outlook as the organization’s

communication and personal management system, which was

rolled-out to 1,376 employees across the company, replacing the

FirstClass email system which had been in place since the mid-

1990s.

Another signifi cant project was the expansion of Cisco’s Voice Over

IP (VOIP) technology that has been used in the clinics. Th is expan-

sion to the hospital will allow IT to replace the aging telephone

system. Th e telephones at the CHSB support building in Bethel

have been replaced. Th e fi nal phase of this project is scheduled

to be completed in the 2011 fi scal year with the replacement of

the telephones at the YK Delta Regional Hospital. IT is currently

involved in projects for Human Resources, Finance, Behavioral

Health and other YKHC departments and programs.

Th e Technology Department wants to see these successes continue

throughout the organization. Project management requires skills

and attention to detail that are hard to learn in a classroom setting,

so the Technology Leadership Team invites any employee of YKHC

to attend their weekly project meeting that is held every Monday

at 2 p.m. in the CHSB Main Conference Room. By attending these

sessions, employees will be exposed to project management pro-

cesses and practices that they can use in their own departments to

become more successful in managing complex processes.

Flu shot campaign for 2010 begins this fallYKHC will be joining a nationwide eff ort to encourage people to

get their fl u shot this year. Th ere is plenty of vaccine on hand this

year and the good news is that it covers H1N1 as well as seasonal

and other fl u strains expected to be making the rounds—no need

to get two shots.

Th e vaccine is the best defense for preventing the fl u. Hand wash-

ing and sneezing or coughing into your sleeve helps stop the spread

of germs, but as Dr. Michael Engel, a pediatrician with the Alaska

Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), noted, the fl u is vac-

cine preventable—the fl u shot works!

A round-table meeting was held in Anchorage with representa-

tives of the media and offi cials from CDC, ANTHC and the Alaska

Dept. of Health and Social Services Sept. 7. Representatives of

minority and ethnic media were on hand to help the offi cials deter-

mine how best to reach minority audiences with the message that

vaccine is available, safe and eff ective.

Dr. Ros Singleton of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one

of the panelists, and well-known in the YK Delta for coordinating

a number of studies and vaccination projects, noted that Alaska

Natives, thanks to the eff orts of Tribal Health consortia in the state,

have some of the highest vaccination and immunization rates in the

country—but are still among the populations most susceptible to

infl uenza.

YKHC regularly meets the challenge of getting the fl u vaccine to

the people who need it the most in our region. Th is year, as in most

years, those people are health care providers, elders and young chil-

dren. With plenty of vaccine on hand this year, all adults are also

encouraged to get a shot. Listen for radio PSAs and informational

posters at your village clinic for information about when, where,

and how you can get a fl u shot. Or ask your village health aide.

For the past several years YKHC has combined the fl u shot cam-

paign with an emergency preparedness exercise—organizing a

“Mass Dispensing Exercise” to get the fl u shot to as many people as

possible in one day. A date has not yet been set for a similar eff ort

this year.

14

LAB, from p. 12

FASD—What We Know• A woman who drinks during pregnancy risks

aff ecting her unborn child

• Each year over 5,000 babies are born with FAS in the USA

• The alcohol passes through the placenta to aff ect the developing fetus

• No amount of alcohol is known to be safe during pregnancy

• Alcohol causes more damage to the unborn baby than any other drug

• FAS is the leading known cause of mental retardation

• Most children with FAS are of normal intel-ligence

• Each child with FAS is diff erent

• Some have classic facial features

• Many have serious dental problems

• A lot of symptoms are not visible—heart conditions, hearing loss, vision problems, and brain dysfunction

• IQ may be low, average or even high normal

• Many are impulsive with no concept of nega-tive results or the ability to project conse-quences

• In Alaska a mother must admit to drinking during pregnancy for a diagnosis of FASD

• A diagnosis helps get services and increases self-awareness

Remember: FASD is 100%

Preventable

In addition to the detailed inspections and review, the program observes staff to see if they

are following the procedures that are in place. Aft er all the steps are completed, a summary

of defi ciencies is presented. Once the lab performs corrective actions and are deemed in

good standing with CAP, it receives a certifi cate as an “Accredited Laboratory.”

Participating in this accreditation, inspection and safety process is important because it

challenges the lab’s testing, personnel, and procedures to see if the laboratory is reporting

safe and valid results with the best outcomes of patient care in mind. It must be stated that

YKDRH is not required to have this certifi cation, but it is an extra measure of quality the

laboratory can present to health care providers and patients to assure good operations of the

facility in the laboratory’s pursuit of excellence.

In addition, the accreditation process and review is relevant to place the YKDRH laboratory

in the upper echelons of high standards of excellence regarding procedures in comparison

with all national clinical labs analyzing and reporting results for clinical diagnosis.

........?Who do I call911State Trooper 1-800-764-5525or Village VPSO

Life-threatening emergency...Active suicide attempt, overdose, incident

involving weapons, possible serious harm

to somebody, person threatening to kill or

seriously hurt themselves or somebody else

543-6300or 1-800-478-2642YKHC Emergency Services for Behavioral Health on-call Clinician

Mental health situation...Somebody might need to be committed to

psychiatric hospital in Bethel or Anchorage—

acting bizarre, out of touch with reality, maybe

seeing/hearing things that are not there,

“talking crazy,” maybe talking about suicide

1-866-465-8930ComPsych Employee Assistance Program

Personal or family problems...A YKHC employee or family member needs

help dealing with an alcohol or drug problem,

depression, job stress, marriage or financial

problems, grief issues, domestic abuse, or

similar problems.

1-800-478-3321or 543-6093 in BethelBehavioral Health Critical Incident Stress Management Program

After a disaster or tragedyThere’s been a terrible event in my village—a

suicide, bad accident with injuries, multiple

deaths, etc. and we need help coping with all

of this

Working Together to Achieve Excellent Health

Volume XV No. 9 • September 15, 2010

15

What a Child with FASD Needs• A diagnosis of FASD

• Help reaching his potential

• Simplifi ed environment

• Help avoiding secondary issues like jail or dropping out of school

• Help creating order out of chaos

• To feel safe

• To be seen as a unique individual

• Loving, fi rm, trusting environment

• Consistency

• Individual attention

• Demonstration and repetitive teaching

• Praise

• Team supervision

• Preparation for every stage of life

• Immediate quiet intervention for violent behavior—not with anger

• Enrichment but not over-stimulation

• An appropriate way to ask for help

Eight Magic Keys 1. Concrete “Think younger”

2. Consistency Few changes

3. Repetition Short term memory—must repeat and repeat

4. Routine Stable expectation

5. Simplicity “Keep it short and sweet”

6. Specifi c Simple, step-by-step

7. Structure “Makes the world make sense”

8. Supervision Ongoing and consistent (Deb Evensen and Jan Lutke, 1997)

1-800-478-3321ext 6708

YKHC’s Pharmacy Department will be observing National

Pharmacy Week October 17–23.

Th is is a good opportunity to meet and

greet the new pharmacists on staff and ask

questions about your medications. Dates

and times will be announced for a “brown

bag” medicine review—bring in all your

prescription and non-prescription medica-

tions, including those that you believe may

be expired and a pharmacist will help you

understand more about how they might

interact, when and how you should take

them, and whether or not they should be

discarded.

Patients with questions about their medica-

tions don’t have to wait for Pharmacy Week,

however. Pharmacists, at all times, are avail-

able as their best and most accessible medi-

cation experts.

Talking with your pharmacist about your

prescription and nonprescription medicines

will ensure that you receive the maximum

health benefi t from the medicine and avoid

possible harmful side eff ects.

Pharmacists can provide patients with

answers to questions that might come up

from all the online health information on

the internet. Your pharmacist knows about

interactions with food, medicines, or dietary

supplements that can eff ect how medicines

work. Some interactions can be danger-

ous. When picking up a new medicine, ask

if it will work safely with other medicines

you may be taking—including any herbal

supplements or traditional medicines.

“When the patient keeps the pharmacist

up-to-date on all prescription and nonpre-

scription medications being taken and asks

important questions, the pharmacist can

monitor the patient’s treatment and help

guarantee a healthy result,” said YKHC

Pharmacist Melanie Gibson.

Th e hospital’s pharmacists are always avail-

able to talk to you about your medications.

Th ey can help you understand why your

medicines were prescribed and what they

are supposed to do. Th ey will also let you

know if your medicine causes problems like

sleepiness or a dry throat. Th e pharmacists

can also help you take your medicines safely

at home. You can ask your pharmacist how

to store and take your medication, what

foods or activities to stay away from, and

what to do if you forget to take your medi-

cine.

Coming in for a hospital visit? Here are some tips from the pharmacy

department on safe medication use while you

are at the hospital:

• Bring a list of all the medicines you take, including medicines prescribed by your doctor, medicines you bought yourself at the store, cold medicine, vitamins, and

herbal and traditional medicines.

• Tell your doctor or nurse about any medi-cines you aren’t supposed to take and why.

• When you check in to the hospital, ask how to contact the on-site pharmacist.

• Ask the names of the medicines you are receiving while in the hospital.

• Ask if there are any foods, drinks, other medicines, or activities that you should stay away from, such as driving, while taking the medicine.

• Ask about any side eff ects that the medi-cine might cause, like sleepiness, an upset stomach, or a dry throat.

• Keep any written information you are given about the medicine.

• Ask questions about anything that you don’t understand or that doesn’t seem right.

• Watch out for unexpected changes in your medicines, such as a change in color or shape.

• Ask a friend or relative to help you follow

these suggestions if you need help.

Drug Questions? Ask a Pharmacist!

Volume XV No. 9 • September 15, 2010

Non -Profi t Org.

US Postage

PAIDAnchorage, AK

Permit # 537

Yukon-Kuskokwim Health CorporationP.O. Box 528Bethel, Alaska 99559907-543-6000

Getting on a Boat? Be sure to Float! Wear your PFD.Personal Flotation Device

Summer in the YK Delta means fi shing, boating, swimming, travel, and recreation. This year, beat the odds; get a PFD and wear it.

Today’s PFD’s fi t better, look better, and are easy to move around in. Some PFD’s are made to protect you from cold water. A PFD with bright colors is easier to see and may increase your chances of rescue.

A PFD must fi t comfortably and snug. Make sure your PFD is made for your weight and size.

But, no matter which PFD you choose, the best PFD is the one you wear. Remember, spending a little time now can save you a lifetime later.

In Bethel? Stop by the YKHC Retail Store and see what we have!We are located in the lobby at the “New YK” BuildingHours: Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.– 11 a.m. / noon–3:30 p.m.

We also sell coffee and espresso drinks, so join us for a “cuppa joe”

Float Coats & PFDsInjury Control & EMS Sales

Safety Equipment at the Retail StoreYKHC’s Injury Control & EMS, Sales Shop offers a variety of

safety equipment such as: PFDs, ice cleats, off-road helmets,

snowmachine helmets, goggles, and fi rst aid kits.

The products we purchase are directly from the manufacturer,

which means we purchase the items at wholesale cost and

consumers buy them for less than what the stores charge!

Call us today for product availability!

1-800-478-6599 or 907-543-6085