Бывшая продавщица меховых изделий из Скагвея стала практикующей медсестрой и теперь лечит местных жителей

There’s a new provider at Skagway’s local medical clinic. But most residents will recognize her. Shauna Thomas first came to town 25 years ago to sell fur coats to tourists. She eventually became a medical assistant, and then a nurse. And now she’ll serve the town as a nurse practitioner. KHNS reporter Melinda Munson sat down with the homegrown medical provider to discuss her rural healthcare journey. Shauna Thomas, Skagway’s newest nurse practitioner, gets excited about dermatology. “I love a good rash,” she said. And it doesn’t take long before Thomas starts to demonstrate her favorite piece of equipment, the dermatoscope. At first glance, it doesn’t overwhelm. It’s looks like an odd flashlight, and measures about six inches long. Thomas says she uses the dermatascope to differentiate fungal infections from bacterial infections, diagnose mites, and distinguish malignant from non-malignant lesions – just some of the many reasons she sees patients as a nurse practitioner or NP. Surprisingly, Thomas’ journey in the medical field started in 2001 when she went to work for the Fur Gallery. “I saw an ad in the newspaper,” Thomas said. “…I thought I was going to work for like a museum, and what did it end up being? Not a museum … It ended up being fur coats … We got to go to each port for a two-week window at a time. And when I got to Skagway, I told them I didn’t want to leave … I just stayed the whole summer, met my husband.” Thomas said she started volunteering at the fire department in 2009, because they offered avalanche certification. She found she enjoyed medical work, and became an EMT. Then she worked at Dahl Memorial Clinic as a medical assistant with a limited radiology certificate. Since graduating from nursing school about 10 years ago, Thomas has spent part of each summer working at the clinic. Now, the nurse practitioner plans to be in town for about eight months out of the year. Along with dermatology, another area of particular interest for Thomas is perimenopause and menopause care. She says that around the age of 45, she started having bad back pain, unexplained anxiety and new symptoms of ADHD. Thomas says she had to see multiple doctors before being offered the option of hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. “My hope is that I can let women feel heard and seen,” Thomas said. “And then we can talk about what their comfort level is. What is appropriate for them based on their family history, and see if we can get them feeling a little bit more like themselves.” Thomas said that rural healthcare is rewarding, especially in a community that knew her before her medical career started. “It’s just so satisfying to work with people that you know and that you encounter,” she said. “And to see their journey, and to be there as a sounding board for their healthcare concerns or their mental health concerns, and just watch people grow and progress.” And of course, rural healthcare has its challenges. “You are the first line of defense,” Thomas said. “…The autonomy is both very rewarding and also very challenging. The fact that you really sometimes have to coerce your specialties to do telehealth to work with some of the populations that are unable to travel – whether that is for financial reasons or for personal health reasons, mobility reasons. That piece can be really frustrating. Trying to get good, well-rounded care for your patients.” To avoid burnout and losing empathy, Thomas suggests a good therapist, and breaks. “I’m a moving meditation person. So hiking, mountain biking, climbing, those are all part of my wellness routine,” she said. In her spare time, Thomas is helping women to embrace the outdoors. She’s leading an Outdoor Women League, or OWL class, to discuss basic backpacking. It’s Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Mountain Shop.