CHA Spotlight - Johanna Coghill
The road to finding the career that makes you joyful may seem unpredictable or full of detours
, and then suddenly you may find yourself just where you should be; where your gifts are needed most. Who would have thought that Johanna Coghill’s job detours as a waitress, gas station attendant, reindeer herder, tree farm worker, custodian…or as she puts it, “all sorts of random jobs” would end with her becoming a health aide and then Operations Officer of the Mary C. Demientieff Health Clinic and Nenana Community Health Center?
Johanna’s interest in medical services began early. Born in Seward, her family moved to a homestead near Nenana when she was two years old. By the time she was a teen, she was a volunteer in the emergency medical services of the Nenana Fire Department. She eventually married one of the firefighters and he encouraged her to get certified as an Emergency Trauma Technician, then an Emergency Medical Technician I and II. When the opening for a health aide in Nenana was posted, she felt ready. However, health aide applicants need the endorsement of the local tribal councils, and since she was not a beneficiary, she thought she would not be considered. Still, family members who knew of her interest in medicine urged her to try. Before she knew it, one interview with the Nenana Native Council and she was on her way to her first training session.
At that time, in 2008, the Nenana Clinic was not the subregional entity it is now, responsible for health services in Nenana, Galena and Tok, with eight direct service providers. It was a two-person show and it took two years for Johanna to complete all the trainings. “At that time there was no training center up here, so I went to three trainings in Anchorage and one in Nome, once for only three weeks but usually for an entire month. Then I had to complete what is called a preceptorship, meaning I worked with patients under the direct supervision of a doctor for the Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center in Fairbanks.” At the same time, Johanna kept working on her college degree in Community Health, which she received in 2012.
Johanna eventually became not only a health aide but an instructor at the training center set up in Fairbanks. In late 2022, she was offered the job as Operations Officer of the clinic, responsible for onsite supervision, budgets, staffing and building maintenance. She agreed, with the stipulation that 20 percent of her job would remain as a direct provider, giving health care to patients. This arrangement enables her to continue to be involved with patients she has known for years, keeps her skills sharp, and keeps her certification current.
One of the other informal hats Johanna wears might be called recruiter of future health aides. She frequently speaks at the local school, encouraging young people to consider a career in health care. She assures them that though the training is intense, both academically and then especially when they first provide patient care that includes giving shots and taking blood. However, once they are in the program the instructors and fellow students provide plenty of support to get through the hard parts.
That support is critical when the hardest part of the job happens; losing a patient you worked with. When that occurs, TCC mobilizes an entire team of people, including behavioral health employees, to do debriefing and follow-ups in the coming months. If needed, they fly out to the village where the death occurred.
The program also provides support when individual health aides need it because of other stressors in their lives. Johanna says that the one person she credits with inspiring her to stay strong and focused is Leda Cruger, the program assistant who has been with the health aide program for over 20 years. “I now consider her one of my best friends. I have always been able to reach out to her to resolve situations or for encouragement. Not just about the job, but she encourages me to take care of myself so that I have the energy to take care of others. I cannot thank her enough.”
While the job is stressful, Johanna continues to be in love with it. “The best part of the job is being able to support people you care about, caring for people you have known your whole life, being the person they can rely on. It is a privileged place to be. Having people trust you, know that you are reliable, that you will keep their information confidential.”
When she’s not busy with the job or caring for three children under the age of eight, Johanna enjoys snow machining, four wheeling, fishing and spending time with family. “Before I had kids, I loved an adrenaline rush. I used to race cars! But once you have children…”
Johanna does not expect her life to change any more anytime soon. She lives in a community she loves, has a job that is different every single day so she is never bored, and works for an agency that is very supportive of her role as a mother. As she says, “You could not think of a better situation for raising a family.”
Ryan Clairmont, Johanna’s supervisor when she is doing clinical duties, says that “Johanna’s knowledge and skills as a Community Health Aide Practitioner were recognize by Senior Leadership within TCC, which led her to become an instructor at the TCC Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) Training Center. There she taught different subjects and proctored students during clinical rotations during all four session trainings. Johanna did an outstanding job during her time with the CHAP Training Center, contributing to dozens of new health aides’ education and training. She most recently was selected to become the first Nenana Medical Clinic Operations Officer, a position that will see the clinic in Nenana expanding its services and growing as one of TCC’s Sub-Regional Medical Clinics.”