Nolita Madros, Transcript Section 9

Community Health Aide Program Project Jukebox

Nolita Madros,
Transcript Section 9

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MARLA: The other thing I was -- I wanted to ask you about is you've been doing this for probably 13 years, so what kind of changes have you seen in 13 years? I mean, I imagine with computers, it would make some difference. But either medical changes or changes in the equipment?

NOLITA: Oh. Well, when I started, about a couple years after I started, we got a fax machine. Voila! Technology. And a few years later, we got a computer to go with the fax machine. So -- and then, of course, we have the Telemed, which I think is really great.

MARLA: How does that work?

NOLITA: Right now, it's not working in this village, but only because we were out of the building for such a long time.

In fact, I talked to the guy yesterday and he's going to see if he can schedule to come back in to re-hook it up.

But when I used it, like when I was in Nome -- no, not Nome, I wouldn't say Nome, Wainwright and Nuiqsut, I'd just type my whole encounter and e-mail it to that doctor that's in charge of that area, like Dr. Gonzales in Nuiqsut, and at that time Dr. Smith did Wainwright. And so they would check their e-mail.

And it took them a long time to get used to, oh, you know, we've got to check the computer for patient things. And they were kind of resistant. But I think in the long run, you know, after -- they got used to it.

Because his rash, I took a picture, like, two days ago, and we did this like per your orders, and this is what it looks like today, and it's not getting any better, so we take the picture and we e-mail it, and then they -- they kind of -- if they need help, they e-mail it to ANMC, as well.

MARLA: So what's that's what the Telemedicine is, is -- is it just a computer system or is it cameras or --

NOLITA: It's a bunch of different things. It's cameras, the EKG, the ear thingy, you can look in the eyes. It's practically all the things around my exam room all in one thing, and you can e-mail that to the doctor on call, or to your doctor.

MARLA: Wow.

NOLITA: I think it's pretty cool. Where I saw it used most effectively was in Point Hope. That's like they were right on top of things, the Maniilaq and training those health aides over there and making sure they got to use it and stuff like that.

MARLA: Wow.

NOLITA: It's like one night, one night there was something going on and the health aide took a picture of it and sent it to the doctor over in Kotzebue, and like within a couple of minutes, he called and he let us know that there is a medevac being sent out for that particular patient, but while we're waiting, he gave us instructions of what to do.

MARLA: That is cool.

NOLITA: Because he saw from the picture we sent what was going on. And that -- my first experience with Telemedicine and Telehealth was in Point Hope and they were doing it really well.

MARLA: Wow.

NOLITA: So. I was impressed.

MARLA: That's very cool.

NOLITA: So.