By Linden Staciokas
If you are a village health aide, your whole family ends up being involved. Midnight call outs, out-of-town trainings, chores left undone at home when you are gone, family outings that have to be postponed if there is an emergency; all of these affect not just the health aide but also their partners and children. Katrina Dillard, one of the three health aides in Northway, said as much when she was interviewed for this profile.
“My husband is a carpenter. When I am gone or busy, he has to pick up my chores and responsibilities at home in addition to his own. I have two children, both teenagers, so he takes care of them, too.” For a family like hers that depends on berry picking, fishing, and hunting to help fill the cupboards and freezer for the winter, having one adult gone can seriously increase the workload for the rest of the family.
In Katrina’s case, the support necessary for her to practice her job extends beyond her family to include the entire community of Northway. Why? Because being a health aide is not the only hat she wears. Katrina is also a Tribal court judge and on the school board. In a village of about 230 people, when one of the people heavily involved in community affairs is called away for other duties, it has a larger impact than it would in a bigger village or town.
Being a health aide was not initially Katrina’s chosen career. Born in Fairbanks and spending much of her childhood in Washington state, Katrina did not move back to be near her parents in Northway until 2004. As she says, “I came for a visit, but my parents bought me just a one-way ticket, so I stayed!” Although her grandmother had been a health aide, and Katrina has always been good in math and science, her first step into the medical field was as an ETT, or Emergency Trauma Technician. It was not until she saw the advertisement for a health aide for Northway that she thought to change her focus to being a health aide for her hometown.
After completing the training and working in the job for almost a year now, Katrina is still in learning mode. In fact, one of her favorite parts of her job is increasing her skills by absorbing new information every day.
She also appreciates the trust her patients put in her at some of the most vulnerable times of their lives. Not only do they trust her to make the right medical decisions, but they also rely on her to keep their information confidential. She is careful to be deserving of the belief they place in her. As she says, “What happens in the clinic stays there.” If she has concerns or needs to debrief about a patient, she has her TCC supervisor, the other two health aides at the clinic, or the doctor supervising the case from Fairbanks to help her process the case.
When she is feeling the stress of a difficult day and talking is not enough, Katrina turns to her hobbies for help. She works off her worries by sewing or doing outdoor activities. She and her family are dedicated hikers who love exploring the numerous trails around Northway. They also enjoy camping, whether or not it is connected to subsistence activities such as hunting.
Asked if she wanted to give particular thanks to anyone for helping her in her career, aside, of course, from her husband and children, Katrina said, “Just about everyone I know has helped me make the decision to become a health aide. There is not one person that I have met who hasn’t been happy for me and the career change. Most of them have strived for me to make the change and I feel that it is one of the best decisions in my life. I have worked for Northway Village for the past 11 years, in social services and now as a health aide. I have made some amazing friends and family. I have been trusted by many and will keep that trust as long as I can. I’m looking forward to becoming a CHAP one day and fully serving my community of Northway.”
The various titles for the health aides change slightly as people pass through the four levels of training and state certification required to be a full health aide. It can be confusing for a non-medical person to understand what Katrina meant when she said she is “looking forward to becoming a CHAP one day.” The explanation is this: Katrina has completed levels one and two of the four training modules, received her state certification for level one, and is just waiting for the official state board certification for her level two training. She will be eligible to be promoted to a full Community Health Aide Practitioner when she finishes and obtains her state certifications for sections three and four of the training.
Katrina’s supervisor Amanda Ashley says, “Katrina is a bright and compassionate health aide. She is deeply involved in helping the community, and she is sure to make you crack a smile. Northway is lucky to have her!”