NSHC's goal is to have the Nuuk cabins become a place to retreat for wellness camps, healing circles, annual employee picnics, as well as a place for employees and their families to camp and spend time together.

Maggie West, Administrative Advisor, has taken a role as project lead, and has contributed many hours of her time to renovating the campsite.

"Northern Lights Recovery Center acquired the cabins and utilized the site for substance use treatment activities," West explained. "They then merged with our BHS department in 1998, and they have continued to use it for that purpose. The land is leased to NSHC from Sitnasuak Native Corporation."

In the last two summers, some of the projects that have been worked on include building new outhouses, a smokehouse and a fish rack, installing new siding and windows on all the cabins, fixing the rec hall deck, and general cleaning inside and outside of the cabins.

"Nathan Nagaruk gave it a really nice 'face lift,' and our Village Maintenance team helped whenever they could," West said.

One of the most recent updates included the assembly of new furniture. Last week, a large group of NSHC employees volunteered to do a big clean up and arranged furniture. With these new additions, it won't be long before programs and employees can have a safe space to retreat and spend time together.

"We still have final touches to add to the campsite, I’m sure it’ll always be a work in progress as programs begin to use it," West said.

Tobacco Prevention and Control Coordinator Jessica Ivanoff was inspired by the "Our World is Not Your Ashtray" movement, deciding to tackle litter and tobacco cessation at the same time. She plans to install cigarette dispensers in each village in the region.

"My poppa was in World War II and freely given cigarettes at a young age," Ivanoff said. "Even after smoking his cigarettes, he would pick up his cigarette butts or any trash he saw in my grandparents tidy-kept garden and backyard. My poppa did not have to say much verbally, he would show by example of keeping our land clean, how we respect our animals by story-telling. I often think of him when I see cigarette butts littered all over, and in our region."

Cigarette butts are not biodegradable, since the filter in a cigarette is made of plastic materials. They can take 10 years to decompose and are toxic to the environment. They are also the most littered item in the world, with an estimated 1.69 billion pounds improperly disposed of every year.

"My poppa, Fred Winsor Paniptchuk, passed away in the old hospital in Nome from a massive heart attack," Ivanoff said. "So in his honor, I keep the tradition of picking up any trash I see or cigarette butts. We appreciate your efforts to keeping our region beautiful and cigarette butts off the land."

Take a virtual tour of NSHC's new Wellness and Training Center. The center opened in mid-May 2021. The Wellness and Training Center houses NSHC's Behavioral Health Services, Tribal Healing, Chronic Care Active Management Prevention (CAMP), EMS Training, and Health Aide Training programs.

The building is located at 706 East N Street, across Greg Kruschek Avenue from the hospital.

Behavioral Health Services – 443-3344

CAMP (Chronic Care Active Management Prevention) - 443-3365

EMS Training – 443-8915

Health Aide Training - 443-3324

Tribal Healers – 443-3365

NSHC is proud to help share the Nome Chamber of Commerce Vaccination Drawing. To enter, participants must have received a COVID-19 vaccination on or after June 1, 2021, and must be a resident of the Norton Sound/Bering Strait region. Head to http://bit.ly/nomechamberdrawing to enter. If you need assistance entering the drawing, please call 443-9674 or 443-4591.

Prizes available:

WEEKLY (first drawing will occur June 18; last drawing on July 30)

12-15 year olds – Three weekly prizes of $200 gift cards to Hanson’s, AC, or Bonanza/Nome Outfitters

16 year olds and older – Two weekly prizes of $1,000 shopping spree to Hanson’s, AC, or Bonanza/Nome Outfitters

GRAND PRIZES (will be announced Monday, August 2)

$10,000 to Wilderness Skidoo

$10,000 to Morgan Sales and Service

$1,000 to Grizzly Building Supply

$1,000 to Builders Industrial Supply

Nome, Alaska – On June 10, Norton Sound Health Corporation identified a positive COVID-19 case in a non-resident of the region. The source of the virus is travel-related. The patient is safely isolating and all close contacts have been notified. There are 15 active cases in the region, 14 in Nome and one in Unalakleet.

To enter or to see the list of prizes, visit http://bit.ly/nomechamberdrawing. Entries must be received by July 31 at 11:59 p.m. If you need assistance entering the drawing, please call 443-9674 or 443-4591.

NSHC is now offering official COVID-19 Vaccine Record Cards, which can be used to prove full vaccination. These cards will be particularly useful to have on hand while traveling. Upon request, cards will be printed and mailed after patients are fully vaccinated based on the requirements for each vaccine. Please plan 2-3 weeks for your card to arrive by U.S. Mail. To request a card for yourself or a family member, please fill out a Request Form for each individual: http://bit.ly/NSHCVacCard

Stay up to date with the latest by visiting www.nortonsoundhealth.org/category/covid-19.

If you are unvaccinated, the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Everyone in the region who is 12 years and older is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. In a village, residents may contact their local clinic to arrange a vaccination. In Nome, vaccinations are available at the following places and times:

If you have any questions, please email covidinfo@nshcorp.org.

The Nurse Call Line - a free, Nome-based medical advice service - is available at 443-6411.

If you do not have symptoms but would like to get tested for COVID-19, or if you feel you might be a close contact to a recent positive case and would like to get tested, the Nome Operations Building Testing Center is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located at the corner of Greg Kruschek Avenue and K Street. To schedule an appointment, visit picktime.com/NSHC. In regional villages, residents can contact their local clinic to get tested.