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Rose Winkleman, |
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| ROSE: The accidents weren't too -- weren't too prevalent until they invented the snow machine. And then it was all these young people, these kids racing around, you know how kids do, and having accidents. And one time I escorted a -- all in one evening, there was three different -- three different people in two -- two separate machines. I had to take care of -- I didn't have any help that time. There didn't happen to be a Public Health nurse in town at that time. Well, we used to have Public Health nurses, but they were young gals coming from outside, and first thing you knew, they were getting married and leaving. So. So lots of times I was the only one in charge there. And that was pretty -- especially after the snow machines, it was pretty hectic. After a few years, then they start training EMTs over there. And that was a great help. Really a great help. KAREN: So what would happen that time when there were three people with snow machine accidents in one evening? ROSE: Had to call the doctors, and one wasn't a -- one wasn't a Native but he was, you know, with them. So he just went -- they all went in together. I took care of everybody. But I had to make different arrangements for him. He couldn't go to the ANS. Because he had to go to another hospital. KAREN: How serious were they -- ROSE: They weren't -- they weren't life-threatening, but they were broken bones and things. I didn't have a -- I didn't have air splints at that time. I got training on that later on, which came in handy. KAREN: What's an air splint? ROSE: You -- you put -- you break a leg, you put this thing around and blow it up to make hold it -- hold the bone rigid, you know. KAREN: Uh-hum. Instead of those, like, cardboard kind? ROSE: Yeah. KAREN: Yeah. ROSE: And that was especially fun. One person went up on a roof and was cleaning the snow off the roof and he had a rope tied all right, you know, to the -- to the roof -- KAREN: Uh-hum. ROSE: -- and then to his body, but he didn't make a very good knot, and the knot slipped and he fell off the roof and he -- he had a bad break -- break in his leg. He wasn't a -- he wasn't a Native person, but I still had to take care of him. The FAA was good like that. There was a plane flying over, it was -- it was a FAA plane that was flying, they got it to come and land and took him into -- took him into Anchorage. But things like that, you know. People would -- different organizations was always -- helped as much as they could. KAREN: You've mentioned the Native versus non-Native. ROSE: Well, that's because I took care of everybody, but it's the thing of you can't authorize transportation in for somebody. ANS isn't -- won't pay for -- I don't know, there's a different word for Native. KAREN: Non-Native. ROSE: Oh, I mean there's something else. KAREN: Oh, beneficiary. ROSE: Wasn't eligible for. KAREN: A beneficiary and a non-beneficiary, right? ROSE: Right. He wasn't eligible for ANS doctors, or doctors couldn't authorize transportation for him. That's what I'm saying. So that was handy that the plane overhead stopped and took him in. KAREN: Yeah. So what, in other cases, though, what do you do? I mean, as you say, you took care of everybody. ROSE: I wasn't -- everybody I took care wasn't being shipped to town, you know. Just ordinary stuff around. Giving out medicines and minor -- minor things. KAREN: Okay. And that's interesting, though, that as the health care -- the health aides was through the Indian Health Service for medical care for Native people, but there were non-Native people out there who needed your help, too. ROSE: Well, yeah. We had -- we just naturally did it. You know. KAREN: Yeah, I don't know what the Indian Health Service expected for the Non-Natives, what were they supposed to do? ROSE: Well, they didn't feel responsible. Why should they feel responsible for -- KAREN: Yeah. ROSE: -- the non-beneficiaries, you know. KAREN: Yeah. And there probably weren't very many of them. I don't know, were there? ROSE: Well, half the town was. KAREN: Half? ROSE: Half the town was non-beneficiaries. Of course, the Public Health nurse, that's a different matter. You know, she could -- KAREN: Right. ROSE: -- she could take care of. KAREN: And so was the Public Health nurse stationed there all the time or they came in and out? ROSE: Well, they built the building for her and she was there most of the time. KAREN: Hmm. ROSE: You know, like I told you. KAREN: Right. ROSE: Come and... KAREN: Were Public Health nurses from the state or the federal government, do you remember? ROSE: State. KAREN: State. Okay. ROSE: Before there was a Public -- before they were stationed there, you know, permanently, when there was something going on, they would -- they would come through and give, like, give babies immunizations, their first ones. Us health aides, they didn't like us to give the first -- the first immunization shot to a baby. KAREN: Why? ROSE: Because lots of -- well, lots of kids are allergic. You know. Might have a reaction. It was just a precautionary thing. KAREN: Did that change? ROSE: I don't know. Might have. KAREN: All the time you were a health aide, that was the policy? ROSE: Yeah. Well, I mean, that -- with the Public Health nurse there, that was different. KAREN: Uh-hum. Yeah. ROSE: So it was a state sending the Public Health nurses and giving everybody -- KAREN: Right. ROSE: -- immunizations. KAREN: Did all -- did other villages -- ROSE: After -- after -- I did -- after that, a baby had their first shot, I could -- I could go ahead and -- KAREN: Right. You did all the after -- ROSE: Follow up and treat, you know, every month, or whatever it was. So. | |
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Last updated 11-4-06
Last updated 11-4-06