KAREN:  What about the management of the health aide program?  Now it's managed, health aides are under the jurisdiction of their regional health corporations, like Norton Sound Health Corporation, Kodiak Area Native Association, how is that different from the Public Health Service running it when you were involved? 

WALTER:  Well, again, I was able to observe this through most of the changes.  I came up as a civil service employee to the Alaska Native Health Service BIA, and worked for the first year at Bethel in that role. 

When the Public Health Service took over in July of 1955, I applied and entered the commission corps, I guess probably the only person ever to enter the corps as a regular in Alaska. 

This required a oral examination by three commissioned officers.  There being only two regular corps doctors in Alaska, they brought in a veterinarian as the third one. 

So I spent my career as a commissioned officer, and then I was with the university later. 

But for the administration, the -- the Indian Health Service was, I think, or tried to be quite cooperative in moving control to the Native groups. 

Dr. Emery Johnson, who was the director of the Indian Health Service in Washington for many years, had a strong commitment to this.  But even so, control is never easy to let go, of course. 

And so there were struggles, and especially in places like Southeast where the Natives are exceptionally well organized, and this, sort of. 

There were struggles to gain more complete Native control, which we have now, and it was interesting to observe how this, you know, might affect the service.  My observation has it's been eminently successful. 

Now, as a retired officer, I am a beneficiary rather than a provider.  And since I've switched over mostly to alternative medicine and raised my garden and I actually make my own soil and compost it and make sure the plants are healthy and live on fish and vegetables here.  But -- and keep exercising. 
But anyway, I go in and get a physical or make contact with the current medical service for my medical needs, and I -- I'm very favorably impressed with the efficiency and courtesy of the operation. 

Of course, with the new hospital and much improved funding and facilities, the speed with which the health records move and the short time that it takes to get an appointment and overall is very impressive.  But I see only the primary care.  I haven't experienced the heavier inpatient care, but I assume that that's working well. 

KAREN:  And here in Homer, you have a hospital with physicians and nurses who are here all the time, correct?  Where you were relying on health aides.

WALTER:  Well, that's entirely private.  And I have never been to use their facilities.  And to try to walk the talk, I go to the Seldovia Tribal Council Clinic, which is here. 

KAREN:  Oh. 

WALTER:  For some little things. 

KAREN:  So you do use the health -- the health aide system.

WALTER:  There I see a nurse practitioner.  But mostly I go to the primary care center in Anchorage because I'm up there a part of the time, especially in the winter. 

And there I -- I see the doctor that's -- whose area that I live in.  And that happens to be Dr. Edwards whose father was -- was in the PHS at one time, I think. 

And now that I'm recently married, my wife, fortunately, is eligible and so she can go there for her care.