Susan Meredith

Alaska's Search for a Killer – A Seafaring Medical Adventure 1946–1948. Susan Meredith

In 1945 the Territorial Legislature of Alaska legalized the Health Department and created the first territory-wide Board of Health. They selected and employed Dr. C. Earl Albrecht to be the first full time Commissioner of Health. A team of physicians from the American Medical Association reported that tuberculosis was the most urgent health problem in Alaska. It was listed as the cause of death on 43 percent of all death certificates for Alaska Natives. The overall death rate was nearly nine times that of the rest of the U. S. With this information, Dr. Albrecht and Governor Gruening convinced the 80th U. S. Congress to make available surplus World War II ships and military hospitals in Alaska, and also personnel to provide mobile health services. This enabled the Territorial Department of Health to field one solution, among others, to the problem - a floating health clinic named the MV Hygiene.