A few weeks ago, Arctic Care team members returned to Kodiak to coordinate last remaining logistical details of the upcoming March/April 2017 mission to provide rural health care services in our area. As in years past, the Arctic Care team has partnered with KANA, U.S. Public Health Service, United States Coast Guard, and Air station Kodiak to bring an array of services to the Kodiak community including medical, dental, optometry and veterinary care. Partners met at the Afognak Native Corporation, who generously shared their facility on Near Island to finalize the last remaining logistics and have responded with innovative tactics for this year’s effort.

Multiple full days of health care services will be made available to Kodiak Island communities, both in town and in each village, as needed based on population sizes throughout the March/April 2017 operation.  Arctic Care services are open to everyone in the Kodiak community at no cost. KANA will again retrofit the downtown AC building as a temporary clinic housing medical, optometry, dental, and veterinarian services to the Kodiak community. Specialty services not regularly available in our community, including endodontic care, will be offered at the Mill Bay Health Center. Once scheduling details have been confirmed, appointment availability and instructions will be made available to the public.

Arctic Care is an extension of the Department of Defense’s Innovation Readiness Training program. “The Innovative Readiness Training is intended to activate reservists to come into an underserved area and prepare for wartime missions,” said Tammy Hansen, Vice President of Health Services. Arctic Care provides joint service experience to active and reserve components of the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.  Arctic Care Providers are all licensed, highly trained experts in their practice and will be fully credentialed to meet KANA’s standards to provide the highest quality of healthcare available.

Hansen said, “KANA serves as the conduit within the communities to ensure that the IRT has facilities, additional supplies, and transportation. This is our fifth mission and we would expect to continue doing this as long as we’re able to.”