Alaska Native Medical Center

I love ANMC, I have a wonderful Dr here and another Dr saved my life here when I was a kid. 1 year after my mom passed away, I had oral surgery here and she visited me in a dream when they put me to sleep. I enjoyed working here too, I love visiting the nurses and cnas here

Zero communication between ANMC and TCC in Fairbanks. They never seem to talk with each other or share notes about what’s happening between their patients or each other for that matter. When I simple phone call between providers or sharing it on a patient’s file for all of them to see would save time, effort, and frustration. Do better.

This was one of the most disappointing, scariest, unproductive hospital visits that I have ever encountered. I was brought here by ambulance and from the beginning it was a horrible experience. They told the ambulance that they did not have any gurneys to bring me in and no wheel chairs available and, therefore, I would have to walk. The ambulance was forced to unhook all of my IVs which was the only thing making me feel alive at the time and they carried me in with my arms over their shoulders. I was MISERABLE!

Once in the ER, they forced me to wait in the waiting room in a chair (again, I was ambulanced in!). I fell over and was laying on the ground and the security guard yelled at me and told me I was not allowed to lay down! I had puke all over me, an IV dangling from my arm, and was shaking with convulsions. When they finally brought me to a room, the doctor (who was amazing) immediately came in and ordered all kinds of medicine and fluids. NO ONE came in for an hour after that! I buzzed a nurse and asked why no one had come to hook up fluids to my “already put in” IV and the nurse told me that they were short staffed and “In emergency rooms, you have to wait until someone becomes available”. I listened to the staff banter bw each other with loud laughter back and forth for AN HOUR before anyone came in to hook up saline. I had puked all over myself multiple times and the floor. I was too weak to get out of bed to grab the call button after I had already called them twice before with only snarky “wait your turn” comments. I have never been so ill in my life!

Once a nurse finally moseyed on in, the medicine made me even more ill and she presumed to ask me if I needed to tell her about anxiety medication that I should be taking. WHAT?!? I later found out from that doctor that I had an allergic reaction to that particular medication and it did the opposite of what it was supposed to do.

Later, when I was discharged by the kind doctor, the nurses came in, took out my IV and said “bye”. No discharge papers. No explanation of what I had. Nothing. I, still to this day, have no idea what my test results were. What I had. What I should have done. I am 6 days post ER visit and I’m still sick as a dog. I have called and called to get results and no one will tell me anything. I will be going back to a different hospital tomorrow in hopes of getting some answers.

Their providers are nice but not very educated on hEDS and its associated comorbidities. Providers will often treat you like you have Munchausen syndrome and ignore your supporting documents from outside providers who actually specialize in CTD. I only come here for very routine care these days since it’s free. I don’t feel very comfortable or confident receiving care at ANMC for anything else after my experiences. It just puts me on guard.

I know three people who have died due to a wrong diagnosis and/or poor snap judgments made by providers here. If you think something is wrong or off after coming here, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion elsewhere.

I went to the emergency room Friday 3 o'clock in the afternoon I lost all feeling in my legs and I couldn't pee I told the doctors to give me a chance and I'm trying to go to the bathroom the emergency room nurse forced a Catherine Damaging my Genitals and me I screamed for him to stop he wouldn't I begged him screamed as went on for about 3 minutes I fainted I came to as he was yanking it out saying that's the worst reaction I've ever had my life humiliating me leaving me naked in front of everybody out. Then they pumped me full of Volumea i remember the first 2 times I don't remember leaving my ride said they came there at 1 in the morning and found me laying down on the bench with nobody around I Be finding a lawyer. Please comment if you know of any good lawyers in Anchorage I'm waiting on phone calls as well thank you

Perfect example of why we don't want socialized health care, no liability, no compassion and they get paid whether they help you or not. Treated so poorly, disrespected, ignored when having obvious emergency, we only went here because PPO hospital was full but with the lack of humanity and care you receive here, a slow bludgeoned death in a gutter would be a more peaceful passing. I have a choice to go elsewhere but these poor people trapped here because it's "free" are so neglected and taken advantage of it's just disgusting. These employees have jobs because of their patients and that should be made clear and reinforced. "Free" health care shouldn't mean second rate humanity and treatment.

This place is the absolute worst on communication. One person will say one thing, so you go to the next , they say a completely different thing, an around in circles you go ! I called ahead of time at 7am to confirm the open time of the pharmacy because I'm leaving town and new to pick up some meds beforeleaving. The person on the phone said 8am, I get here the lady says nope, 8:30am , so she calls across the street at the other pharmacy they say yes were open, so I walk over there and they nope, sorry were not open tell 9am , so I walk back across the street and ask if I can just have her look up a script while I'm waiting and she is sitting there on her phone and says, nope were not open . This place is full of incompetent people it's absolutely frustrating.

The service across entities located at ANMC doesn’t really center Indigenous Identity. They have systems that retraumatize patients.

The last time i went to the ER was for my IUD pain. The pain was so bad that I kept wincing while I was walking. So my significant other and my dad brought me to the ER. But once I was in the room the doctor evaluated me and told me I was fine. The whole time I was there I knew that they probably would've told me I was fine because that's as good as "free" medical care gets. They send you home with ibuprofen and nothing else. BUT the whole time I was there, the ER doctor was telling me that most women don't want children that's why they go with the contraception that they choose to not have children. And that wasn't the case for me, I want to have children eventually just not now because I'm young. And he ignored the fact that I was in actual pain and just gave me a speech about having CHILDREN??? Assuming I don't want children but the side affects of the IUD causing me pain turned into a speech of women wanting to have children VS. having actual medical pain that was ignored. He also assumed that I wasn't in pain??? Being a native woman with free healthcare is great, but having that "free" medical care with doctors who don't even care is such a disgrace.

The new ANMC is great for a Hospital. The old ANMC was a old Army building. Glad it gone now. The new ANMC is reported to be latest state of the art hospital. I myself owe my life to doctors at ANMC. Twice I was airlifted there near death the doctors did there job I am still amongst the living thanks to ANMC and the doctors that worked there.