FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Board Meeting Again on Hospital Finances
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka Community Hospital Board will meet in executive session 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss matters “the immediate knowledge of which would adversely affect the finances of the hospital.”
It will be the second high-level closed-door meeting held about hospital finances in about a week. Last Tuesday, hospital CEO Jeff Comer, along with two hospital board members, six Assembly members and top-level city staff members met in executive session on the same subject.
When they emerged after a 90-minute discussion, the mayor read a prepared statement leading off with: “There has been a perfect storm of financial events that have led to a difficult situation.”
Sitka Community Hospital issued a statement today that reiterated the same points. Although the depth of the financial problems has not been explained to the public, hospital officials said today that they expect to ask the Assembly to increase its line of credit “in the interim.”
“Sitka Community Hospital is facing serious financial challenges, but the Hospital Board is optimistic that with a combination of spending reductions and improved operational efficiencies, the hospital will soon be operating as needed to continue with the long-term strategic goals,” said the statement that was issued by SCH spokeswoman Angela McGraw.
Elaborating a little on the specific problems, the statement said:
“There are several factors which have contributed to this current situation including cash management, the implementation of a required Electronic Health Record (EHR), increased charity care and increased health care costs. The implementation of the EHR – a requirement of the Affordable Care Act – has been a very significant challenge which is still being addressed. Ideally, a fully functioning EHR increases provider productivity, improves quality of care, and enhances the automation and efficiency of patient billing. In the case of Sitka Community Hospital’s EHR, as with many hospitals across the country, it is still a work in progress.”
After last week’s Assembly executive session, the Assembly passed a motion for City Administrator Mark Gorman and Finance Director Jay Sweeney to work with Comer “to develop options for addressing the current financial situation at the hospital.” Comer said at the time he didn’t know about the full extent of the hospital’s financial problems when he took the job this past September.
The hospital’s press release today said the hospital will work with city staff “to implement immediate strategies to increase revenue and improve operational efficiencies at SCH. It is anticipated that the Assembly will be requested to increase the line of credit currently provided to the hospital in the interim.”
Also on the agenda for the special session is “medical staff recommendations.” There was no other information about the session, which will be held behind closed doors if the hospital board votes to go into executive session.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....