By Linden Stackiokas
You might not think of being a health aide as the a family business, but it is for Jordyn James of Dot Lake. Her grandmother, Hazel, and her mother, Sera, were both health aides, so from her earliest years, Jordyn became familiar with the meanings of many medical terms. She also witnessed both the privileges and the difficulties of helping people during some of the most vulnerable times in their lives. When she had the opportunity to become a health aide in Dot Lake, it seemed like a natural fit.
Working in Dot Lake was like going home. As Jordyn says, “I was born and mostly raised in Fairbanks, but my family originated in Dot Lake, and I was eager to return there.” The village of Dot Lake is a 155-mile drive from Fairbanks, and is accessible directly off of the highway. In January of 2020, she entered the TCC health aide training program. Throughout the pandemic, Jordyn powered through multiple health aide trainings and emergency medical service courses. Today, Jordyn is a CHA-3 and EMT-1, feats deserving of recognition.
Although she was prepared for the medical aspects of the job, both from the examples her mother and grandmother set as well as from the rigorous TCC training program, there were still surprises awaiting Jordyn when she took over the Dot Lake clinic. “I was surprised by all the other things you have to do, in addition to seeing patients during regular hours and being on-call when the clinic is closed. Keeping up with the volume of emails, making sure supplies are well stocked and in good order, coordinating travel, consulting with doctors in Fairbanks, and learning the various updates to clinic policies and standards of care.”
The health aide position is strenuous at times, but also rewarding. “I feel so fortunate for the support and trust I receive from my community. I receive support from the volunteer EMS team in situations where I wouldn’t be able to adequately respond on my own. My cousin, and former health aide, Chance Shank is one of those volunteers who I am thankful for. I think having a connection with the residents of the community is important so people can feel free to ask for my help. They know I will do my best to help them. If I don’t know an answer, I have access to a health care team who I meet with regularly that will help me solve it.”
When not at work, Jordyn’s time is devoted to her family. She and her husband are raising four children, ages eight months to 13, so the chores “are never ending. And we like doing things together. In the summer we spend a lot of time outdoors. When the weather is bad, we go to the open gym at the school, cook together, watch movies, and make forts. We also like to read. I just really like to be home with the kids…One of the hardest things about this job is when I must travel for work and leave them at home in Dot Lake.”
When asked if there was anyone besides her mother and grandmother that Jordyn wanted to thank for helping her succeed in her career, she said, “I would like to give special thanks to my former CI’s, Angela Starr and Stephannie Christian. They supported me in the beginning of my career throughout the pandemic. I am thankful for getting the opportunity to work with them.”