LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Daily Sitka Sentinel
SEARHC: More, Better Health Care
By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
“I was raised in the medical environment and it’s pretty much all I know,” health care executive Chris Wolf said Wednesday as he spoke at the weekly Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Wolf, who joined SEARHC in February 2018, is in charge of the financial and day-to-day operations at SEARHC’s Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital and its primary care clinics, behavioral health facility, dental facility, and information technology.
Wolf, whose father and close family members were doctors, came to SEARHC with a record of awards as administrator of other hospitals.
“I have loved the 33-plus years I have had in health care and I see a lot of bright future here, and that’s why I’m here,” he told the chamber.
“The opportunity before us today is really outstanding and amazing, of long work and history in this community,” he said of the merger of Sitka Community Hospital and SEARHC. “When I met SEARHC and I looked at the not-for-profit organization and what they were building in the Southeast part of Alaska, I said I wanted to be a part of that,” he said.
“The purpose of the affiliation was to create a sustainable model which also creates a premier health care provider in order to ensure that we are improving communities in which we provide those services,” Wolf said. “And they are to be inclusive and sustainable in producing high quality care... having one hospital system in a small community just makes the most sense.”
He said it was important to ensure equitable employment opportunities during the merger.
Chris Wolf (Sentinel Photo)
“We worked really hard to ensure that every employee of SCH, that was in good standing, had an opportunity to come to work for SEARHC.”
He said 136 employees of the community hospital will be coming over to SEARHC, with “an opportunity to come to work at their current pay and their current hours.”
He said there have been 25 teams involving 97 people in more than 150 workgroup meetings since the first of the year, to ensure the needs of the community were addressed.
While SEARHC and Sitka Community worked on the merger the past two months, 90 babies were born in the two OB rooms at the Mt. Edgecumbe hospital, he said.
Surgery, in-patient medical, rehab, emergency department, lab, and radiology are currently seeing 18-25 patients daily.
“In April we opened up the remodeled new emergency rooms,” Wolf said.
Long-term care services will remain in place at Sitka Community Hospital. Currently it’s licensed for 15 beds but the goal is for 19.
Mountainside Family Clinic and Oceanside Therapy will remain in their current locations.
SEARHC Home Health moves into the building at 814 Halibut Point Road, where Mountainside Urgent Care Express Clinic is located. In addition, the new Mountainside Urgent Care will open there and become an urgent care clinic, staffed seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and include a moderate complexity lab and imaging (blood draws and X-rays, etc).
Sitka Community’s acute care beds, emergency department, and laboratory and imaging services, will close on July 29. Its surgical services have been moved to the island.
“We have an MRI, CT, Ultrasound, plain film – it’s all digitalized,” Wolf said. “Wherever you go as a patient, and you have had images at our place, they will be sent with you ... we really have an amazing infrastructure to ensure the quality of care we are providing does translate or transfer with you.”
The hospital’s primary and long-term care and outpatient rehabilitation services will remain at the Sitka Community building.
Mountainside Urgent Care opens on July 29 and is associated/affiliated with Seattle’s Swedish Medical Group to provide, among other specialties, cardiology, urology, ENT and, eventually, neurology and dermatology. Services are also available through SEARHC contacts with the Alaska Native Health Center in Anchorage.
“We will add somewhere around 2,500 additional clinic days associated with this affiliation that we maybe couldn’t provide before,” Wolf said. “For those of you who might need additional care outside of what we could provide, we do have direct affiliations and direct connections with Swedish to get you to those locations should you need a higher level of care. One phone call we can get you to where you need, should you outgrow our capabilities.”
He said the new Japonski Island campus to be built near the Mt. Edgeumbe hospital is in the planning phase. Also, the 70-year-old existing complex will have more patient housing and an administrative building, Wolf said.
As for Sitka Community input, Wolf mentioned the advisory council that will “continually ensure that we were listening to this community about the services you need and helping us plan and look at what is expected in the needs of the community.…”
The council will have five at-large members, two tribal members, three from SEARHC, and one from Sitka city administration.
SEARHC will be the custodian and have access to SCH records as of August 1, and patients not currently registered at SEARHC can call for any information they need, Wold said.
“We have made a strong dedicated approach to ensuring that the quality of care you have is accessible and you are proud of,” Wolf said.
Information about services is available by calling 966-8977 or by emailing questions@searhc.org.
Sitka Healthcare Guide contact numbers include:
Primary Care - Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center (222 Tongass Drive) 966-8318 / Sitka Medical Center (700 Katlian Street) 966-8761 / Mountainside Family Clinic (209 Moller Avenue) 747-1722.
Urgent Care - Mountainside Urgent Care (814 Halibut Point Road) 966-9777.
Physical Therapy - Sitka Physical Therapy (700 Katlian Street #E) 747-4559 / Oceanside Physical Therapy (814 Halibut Point Road, upper level) 747-1771 / MEMC 966-8312.
Behavioral Health - Behavioral Health Clinic - 966-8611.
Home Health - SEARHC Home Health 966-8969.
Long-Term Care - Sitka Long-Term Care (209 Moller Avenue) 747-3241.
Hospital - MEMC 966-2411.
Specialists - MEMC 966-2411.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.