About the Department of Internal Medicine

ANMC is a tertiary care hospital and clinic facility that serves roughly 140,000 Alaska Natives and other American Indian peoples who live in the State of Alaska. Besides the growing number of Native peoples who live in the immediate Anchorage area, the facility also serves as a referral center for Native peoples throughout the state.

The internists/hospitalists admit patients through the emergency room, accept referrals from elsewhere in the state, and provide consultative services to other departments. The daily work of the general internists is primarily inpatient/hospitalist assignments, but they also staff a consultative internal medicine clinic on a rotating basis. While some subspecialty support is provided directly within the department, other specialty areas (such as nephrology) are available in the private medical community in Anchorage. In general, the internist/hospitalist staff at ANMC provide more procedural services than is the case at most hospitals. An example is upper GI endoscopy (EGD) which the internist/hospitalist staff routinely perform.

The clinical work is both varied and challenging. Besides the expected illnesses that physicians are familiar with, there are some unique cases that are managed here. These include occasional cases of botulism based on consumption of traditional fermented foods, and tuberculosis which remains endemic in the population.

In addition to the interesting clinical experience, ANMC offers a unique multi-cultural experience. Some of our patients still speak only their Native tongue. Yup'ik, Inupiat, Cupik, Athabascan, Aleut and other translators are on site to help when needed. Such challenges are also met with the great rewards associated with learning about other cultures. While ANMC is a hospital, it is also much more, and serves as a cultural gathering place for the varied Alaska Native Peoples. We are proud of the quality of care provided here and strive for excellence in our work.