Volunteer Spotlight - Kristy Johns
CREMS is proud to introduce Kristy Johns as our Fall 2025 Volunteer Spotlight. Kristy is one of our most active volunteer responders with the Glennallen Ambulance!
Kristy was born in Alaska and raised in Copper Center and Kenny Lake until the age of 7. She lived in Pennsylvania for 11 years and then came back to Alaska in 2017 at the age of 18. She is Ahtna Athabaskan from the Native Village of Kluti-Kaah.
Kristy became interested in the medical field after working in CRNA Primary Care front desk for 3 years. She first obtained her EMT-1 Certification in Spring of 2022 and later advanced to an AK EMT-2 Certification in Fall of 2022. She decided she wanted to work as one of the Emergency Services Technician in CRNA's Primary Care Clinic to gain experience in the eventual hope of being a Community Health Aide. She had always admired their work, and how their positions were tailor-made to fit rural Alaska. Kristy says "I thought it was an amazing way to help the local community and have a long term career. I realized my dream of becoming a health aide and attended Session I in August of 2024."
Kristy is now a CHA-II in the Gulkana Community Health Clinic. Kristy says that she "has a passion for the work I do serving the community as a healthcare provider and bridging the gap by bringing vital services to the villages and to homes. I am attending Session III in December, and eventually hope to become a Community Health Practitioner (CHP) which is the highest level after Session IV. I decided to volunteer with CREMS because I saw the need for more volunteers, in order to have a well functioning 24 hour 911 service. I saw the peace of mind it brought to community members. I knew I would also have anxiety if I were in their shoes, especially since we have no 24 hour emergency healthcare available here. I also believe it is a good way to become more proficient in my skills, in order to better serve patients. I see it in a similar light to the work I do as a CHA. Bridging the gap so to speak."
Thank you Kristy for all that you do to support healthcare in the Copper River region!
Kristy was born in Alaska and raised in Copper Center and Kenny Lake until the age of 7. She lived in Pennsylvania for 11 years and then came back to Alaska in 2017 at the age of 18. She is Ahtna Athabaskan from the Native Village of Kluti-Kaah.
Kristy became interested in the medical field after working in CRNA Primary Care front desk for 3 years. She first obtained her EMT-1 Certification in Spring of 2022 and later advanced to an AK EMT-2 Certification in Fall of 2022. She decided she wanted to work as one of the Emergency Services Technician in CRNA's Primary Care Clinic to gain experience in the eventual hope of being a Community Health Aide. She had always admired their work, and how their positions were tailor-made to fit rural Alaska. Kristy says "I thought it was an amazing way to help the local community and have a long term career. I realized my dream of becoming a health aide and attended Session I in August of 2024."
Kristy is now a CHA-II in the Gulkana Community Health Clinic. Kristy says that she "has a passion for the work I do serving the community as a healthcare provider and bridging the gap by bringing vital services to the villages and to homes. I am attending Session III in December, and eventually hope to become a Community Health Practitioner (CHP) which is the highest level after Session IV. I decided to volunteer with CREMS because I saw the need for more volunteers, in order to have a well functioning 24 hour 911 service. I saw the peace of mind it brought to community members. I knew I would also have anxiety if I were in their shoes, especially since we have no 24 hour emergency healthcare available here. I also believe it is a good way to become more proficient in my skills, in order to better serve patients. I see it in a similar light to the work I do as a CHA. Bridging the gap so to speak."
Thank you Kristy for all that you do to support healthcare in the Copper River region!
