Mat-Su Regional staff feel the emotions as COVID-19 vaccines arrive in the Valley

WASILLA — While Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink delivered a shot of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination to her close friend Kim Jensen at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, Jensen was moved to tears and overwhelmed with pride.

“When this first started i told my parents, whatever Anne says is what we do and They’re elderly and they’re scared and they’ve got lots of questions and of course they think I should answer all of them because I work here and I said just watch every night and what Anne says, that’s what we do and that’s what we’ve done,” said Jensen.

Jensen works as the Lead Unit Security in the Emergency Room at MSRMC alongside Dr. Zink, who still works shifts in the emergency room despite her responsibilities with the state. Jensen and Zink commiserated over one of the first days they worked together at MSRMC that involved a chair thrown across the emergency department by a patient, unable to break the concentration of Zink. The delivery of the first of two vaccine shots for Zink came from a dear friend and trusted colleague, Dr. Michael Alter. Alter had planned to retire quietly and spend time in Florida before the pandemic hit Alaska in March. Alter has been helping out at the hospital instead of relaxing as a retiree.

“Retiring during a pandemic is kind of boring,” said Alter. “Just wanted to help out. I needed something to do to keep me busy and I just wanted to be a part of the effort.”

Alter hired Zink to work in the Emergency Department more than a decade ago and administered the vaccine to her on Friday.

“Anne is a dynamo,” said Dr. Alter. “I counseled her a lot when she was trying to make the decision of if she wanted to do that because she gave up quite a bit of her clinical practice, although she does still work on, she has a few she does still work a few shifts with a group. It was a challenging decision for her but I knew Anne aspired to bigger things and making a difference more globally and locally in the state of Alaska for health care in general and I think her purpose is just a little bit greater in life than treating individual patients. Not that that’s not important, but Anne has a vision and I see her doing great things. I think this was the first step on a long journey for Anne.”

Zink received her shot and answered questions from the media during her 15-minute period of observation, often aided by Alter’s wisdom. Dr. Alter stressed the importance of Valley residents receiving the vaccine.

“It means more than the state and the hospital, for our society to get back to normal. It’s really the only way that we’re going to do it,” said Alter. “I wish more people understood that but a lot of people don’t know the pain and suffering that’s been going on behind our doors and the doors of hospitals all around the country. They just don’t see that, but it’s real and it’s devastating and you know if you want to go out to your favorite restaurant again and sit down or do you want to go on vacation to Hawaii or if you want to do anything, it depends on this vaccine otherwise this thing is going to go for years on end so it ‘a miracle of modern science.”