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Jessie Jim

Jessie Jim was Tlingit and was born August 15, 1939 to Nadja and John Gamble in Angoon, Alaska. She went to high school at Mt. Edgecumbe School in Sitka, Alaska, and after graduating in 1958 went on to receive her Licensed Practical Nursing certification in 1960. She moved back to Angoon around 1962 and started as a volunteer health aide, working out of her home with limited equipment and medicine. Eventually, she got paid for her work and was provided a small space in the school to see patients. A clinic was constructed around the late 1980s, with a new one completed in the mid-2000s. After thirty-five years as a health aide in Angoon, Jessie retired in January 2005, but still helped in the clinic when they are short-handed. In recognition of her contributions to the community, in 2008 the health clinic in Angoon was re-named the "Jessie Norma Jim Health Center." Jessie Jim passed away on February 13, 2007 as the result of a house fire.

Date of Birth:

Aug 15, 1939

Date of Death:

Feb 13, 2007

Jessie Jim appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Community Health Aide Program

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Jessie Jim, Part 1	Jessie Jim was interviewed on May 31, 2006 by Karen Brewster in Juneau, Alaska. This interview took place in Juneau instead of at Jessie's home in Angoon, Alaska, because she was in Juneau to participate in the Southeast Alaska Native dance gathering called “Celebration.” In this first part of a two part interview, Jessie talks about how she was selected to be a health aide, changes in the facilities and equipment they had to work with throughout her career, training she received, working with co-health aide Barbara Johnson, communicating by radio with the doctors in Sitka, using the Community Health Aide Manual, and the support she received from the community.	2004-17-34_PT.1	Community Health Aide Program	May 31, 2006
Jessie Jim, Part 2	This is the continuation of an interview with Jessie Jim on May 31, 2006 by Karen Brewster in Juneau, Alaska. The interview took place in Juneau instead of at Jessie's home in Angoon, Alaska, because she was in Juneau to participate in the Southeast Alaska Native dance gathering called “Celebration.” In this second part of a two part interview, Jessie talks about the emotional impact of traumatic accidents and dealing with death when working as a health aide, the use of traditional medicine, the importance of transportation for emergency patient evacuation, and shares memories of delivering babies. She also talks about what it has meant to her to be a health aide, the importance of community and family support, collaborating with other health aides, healthcare management in Alaska, and changes in the Community Health Aide Program.	2004-17-34_PT.2	Community Health Aide Program	May 31, 2006