Onboarding at the Maniilaq Health Center

This the view from our hotel room.  The Chukchi Sea.  It is only navigatable 4 months out the year.

After Gloria took a sunset picture at 10:30 last night, a good night's rest, and a pickup by Kirk our supervisor at 9am.  He was late due to longer rounds at the hospital and noted that when spring breaks and fall descends attempted suicides go up in the Eskimo villages.  They are still not sure why.  Interesting, though.  

 He also spoke of the impact alcohol has on the native population, (horrible) and what the two new marijuana dispensaries joining the one liquor store will do to the community.  Challenging health care issues are ratcheting up by the day.  

We spent the morning at HR.  Pages of forms to fill out and federal-level fingerprinting kept us busy most of the morning.  A great staff of young, mostly native employees.

The afternoon consisted of fit testing for our N-95 masks, reviewing covid-protocols, new tetanus shots and a 7 vial blood draw.  They are very thorough at this hospital!  After all of that, we finally get to the see the dental clinic!  8 operatories.  It has been 'covid-tized' so lots of sheets of plastic hanging from the ceilings and air purifiers.  As in the lower 48, we are on the 'back nine' of covid so they have relaxed some protocols from 2020.

Fit-testing the N95 mask

We also met the dentists that work in the clinic.  Ladies, one who is moving to Chicago this week, another who moved last week leaving two.  All very friendly and welcoming.  They are glad to get help with the almost overwhelming dental needs of the local population as well as the 11(!) village clinics scattered around the tundra.

Tomorrow, a full tour of the hospital and training on the dental and medical software we will be using.

Bonus Photo.  Reindeer stew.  Why not?