April 15, 2004
Unit 3 representatives sort priorities.
YKHC Public Relations Dept.
YKHC's 11th Tribal Unity and Traditional Medicine Gathering was held April 6-8 at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center in Bethel. Representatives from almost all of the 58 Tribes in the YKHC service area came to the three-day annual event and shared ideas and concerns about healthcare.
"I'm glad YKHC has this meeting," said Ray Waska, a delegate from Emmonak. "It keeps us informed of what's going on at YKHC and it's also good to tell YKHC what we think about our health services and what we need."
Waska and about 150 other delegates from the YK Delta attended the gathering, and with YKHC staff and other interested persons joining the meeting, the Cultural Center's conference room was filled to capacity.
"But I miss seeing the traditional healers, and the medicine herbs laid out on the table in front of the gathering though," added Waska. "It used to be good to see what kind of plants are used in traditional medicines, such as caigglluks, willow bark, ayuqs and spruce needles and how they were used for healings."
During the gathering, all of YKHC's divisions contributed reports on their progress over the past year as well as their plans for this year and the future, which responded to many of the questions and priorities set last year or in past gatherings.
"Maybe there's too much information being provided," said one gathering delegate to another, during a break. "At least there's some good information being given anyway," the other responded.
An important message at this conference was about Napartet. As Gene Peltola, President and CEO of YKHC explained, the company adopted Napartet late last year as a new plan of improvement throughout YKHC that structures the achievement goals of the organization into five areas of focus.
"YKHC continues to strive toward excellence," said Peltola. "Napartet will guide us in meeting our strategic goals and accomplishing our mission to improve the health status of the people of our region."
The process, named "Napartet", translates from Yup'ik as "Pillars." The five pillars of Napartet are Patient Centered Excellence, Community/Partner Satisfaction, Employee Focus, Native Staff Development, and Financial Viability. A "champion" has been assigned to organize the goal of achieving and maintaining high quality services for each pillar.
"Working with input from the community and the professional knowledge base at YKHC, the Napartet model allows a forum for turning great ideas into great results," said Peltola.
A highlight of the gathering was Mary Jane Melovidov, a traditional healer from Kawerak, who spoke soothingly to the audience while providing hands-on treatment to Wally Richardson, YKHC's Native Hire Coordinator. "It was really something," said Richardson. "There was a lump she found on my upper back. It didn't hurt, but as she was rubbing it, I felt her hands become very warm, so much so I could feel it through my clothes.
"As she was rubbing, the lump got smaller and then I felt it kind of burst but with no pain and I started to cry," Richardson added. "Then when she was working on my head, I felt a stinging that was very hot, as if a hot iron was placed on my scalp. It stayed hot for several hours, into the evening; I asked Mary Jane later why that was and she said it was pent-up energy coming out of my body."
Melovidov also saw patients during the gathering. "I had her work on me," said Sugar Henderson, YKHC's Communication Coordinator, who had neck and shoulder problems for the last eight months. "Every time I went to bed, my arm would go to sleep."
Henderson said she had gone to physical therapy twice and even to a chiropractor but they didn't help. "Mary Jane said I had an inverted muscle along my arm, and she put it back in place," she said. After that, the pain disappeared and the arm no longer went to sleep.
The other guest speaker at the Gathering was Lyle Prouse, a former airline pilot who saw his life ruined by alcohol and who, in taking responsibility for his choices, was able to regain his livelihood and his dignity through recovery. Prouse is a Native American now living in Georgia.
The gathering ended with the setting of priorities for the coming year. The gathering's format was not lost on some of the visitors. "Wow, this is really great, "said Donnie Feagle, a member of the RurAlCAP board. "What a great way to exchange ideas and have interaction with your beneficiaries."