Office of Rural Programs

Juneau

Juneau, Alaska WRITE Site

Valley Medical Care
1801 Salmon Creek Lane
Juneau, AK 99801

Phone: 907-586-2434

 

Student Perspectives:

“The faculty preceptors at my site were the best teachers I’ve had on any rotation. This is partly because of the longitudinal aspect of the clerkship and more time to work with everyone, but I was remarkably impressed with the teaching skills of my WRITE site preceptors.”

– Past Juneau WRITE Student

 

Primary WRITE Preceptors

Richard Welling, M.D.

Family Medicine

Dr.Richard Welling was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He graduated from the University of Washington and completed a Family Practice residency at the University of Utah. He served as a volunteer medical officer in the Kenyan Highlands and as a missionary in France for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Dr. Welling is the current Chief of Staff for Bartlett Regional Hospital. He is certified as a Diplomate with the American Board of Family Practice.  He and his wife, Karlynn, have four children.

rkwell@gci.net

 

Participating Physicians:
Taylor Dunn, M.D. (Family Medicine)
Daniel Kim, M.D. (Family Medicine)
Jeanette Cook, M.D. (Family Medicine)
Nathaniel Haddock, M.D. (Internal Medicine)

Site Contact:
Lea Ike: like@valleymedicalcare.com

Clinic:
Valley Medical Care Clinic is a full spectrum family medicine practice. There are few specialties in Juneau and consequently the Family Practitioners are asked to provide services that are often covered by specialists in larger areas. The community has four general internists and one neurologist. There is no Obstetrician/ Gynecologist. The practice does close to 400 deliveries a year, and has an extensive inpatient service. www.valleymedicalcare.com

Nursing Home:

Wildflower Court Nursing Home: Patients are followed by geriatrics family physicians. Rounds are done weekly by physicians or family nurse practitioners.

What to Expect:
Each family physician on staff rotates as the “hospitalist” and the WRITE students round with them. There are opportunities to assist in surgery on call. The Behavioral Health Department is staffed by a psychiatrist, psychologist, and nurse practitioners. The Alaska Native Medical Center field clinics are held in Juneau about two times per month, providing the opportunity for WRITE students to work with consulting specialists.

Size & Location:
Juneau is located in the Panhandle of Southeast Alaska, 900 air miles north of Seattle and 600 air miles south of Anchorage. Juneau lies on a small strip of land between sea level and 3,800 feet peaks. Of Juneau’s entire 3,248 square mile size, there are 928 square miles of ice cap, 704 square miles of water, and only 264 square miles of urban development. Another 1,352 square miles are wildnerness and rainforest. To see a map of where we are located and/or get directions from other locations, go to maps.google.com (for directions, click “Get Directions” in the upper left-hand corner where you can input the starting address).

Transportation:
Alaska Airlines has several northbound and southbound flights per day. The Alaska Ferry system provides daily service in and out of the community.

Housing:
Efficiency Apartment

Interesting Facts:
Juneau was established as the State Capital in 1900 and was originally a mining community.  It has no road access.  Approximately thirty one thousand people live in the Juneau Borough, which covers 2,700 square miles (that is 11 people per square mile). One quarter of the population is under 18 and the median income is sixty thousand dollars mainly from fishing, the service industry and government employment. Juneau has a robust tourism industry in the summer from the cruise lines. It is common to have two Alaska Cruise Ships each with 2,000-4,000 tourists in town at one time. During the annual January to May legislative session, the community again increases with legislators, their staffs, lobbyists, and other interested parties.

Extracurricular Activities: www.juneau.org

  • Alaska State Museum
  • House of Wickersham
  • Juneau-Douglas City Museum
  • Patsy Ann Statue
  • Mt. Roberts Tram
  • Trails

Weather Trends:
Juneau has a mild, maritime climate. The mean annual temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter temperatures seldom drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit and summer temperatures seldom exceed 65 degrees. Abundant rainfall contributes to the growth of very large Sitka spruce and Western hemlock in the coastal forests and to abundant fish populations in local waters. Snowfall is heavy in most winters, averaging 101 inches. Statistically, June is the month with the least rainfall. Juneau does not have the “midnight sun” experienced further north in Alaska, but day length is much longer in the summer and much shorter in the winter than in the “Lower 48” states.