Appreciation from BHV
Dear Editor: Brave Heart Volunteers would like to thank Alaska Airlines for donating two round-trip vouchers for our recent fundraiser at the Holiday Made in Sitka Market. The raffle raised $8,600 and we are incredibly grateful to Alaska Airlines for their generosity.
We also want to thank Jon Shennett and the Sitka Elks Lodge for sponsoring our raffle. We could not have done it without their kind support, and we simply cannot thank them enough.
The Alaska Airlines fundraiser is very important to BHV and the funds will help us continue to serve Sitkans who are grieving, experiencing loneliness, or nearing the end of life. We appreciate everyone who sold and purchased tickets, including the winner, Gaylen Needham.
We also want to thank the market organizer, Lacey Tuten of the U.S. Coast Guard Spouses’ and Women’s Association, for her support and helpful suggestions to make our event even more successful! Additional thanks go to Mitch Pies for his extraordinary Santa skills, and to Sea Mart for donating candy canes and other supplies for our Santa station.
Lastly, but never least, we always, always appreciate the invaluable support we receive from the Daily Sitka Sentinel and KCAW Raven Radio for publicizing our fundraisers. We are forever grateful to both these wonderful organizations!
Happy holidays!
Angie DelMoral, Executive Director
Brave Heart Volunteers
Giving Tree Thanks
Dear Editor: The Giving Tree was an amazing success this year. Thank you to all who took tags and so thoughtfully and generously gave gifts to those we serve, and to those who donated. Also, a big thank you to the Wells Fargo Bank for hosting the tree and the gift drop box; we could not do this without you. A special thanks to all the volunteers who made tags, collected and distributed over 150 gifts to the Sitka Pioneers Home, Sitka Long Term Care, Sitkans Against Family Violence, Youth Advocates of Sitka and Head Start.
We wish all of Sitka a Merry Christmas!
Julia Smith,
Giving Tree Coordinator
United Methodist Church of Sitka
Home Health Billing
Dear Editor: I had an interesting phone call today. SEARHC patient experience called me, along with a billing manager. I was told that I was correct that Medicare should cover the bill (that I talked about in Monday’s letter to the editor about home health).
I was told to disregard the bill. Although this is encouraging in a way, it also shows that before paying your bill you should take action to be sure that the amount is truly owed, and that taking the word of the person who answers the initial phone call might leave you poorer.
Connie LaPerriere, Sitka
Home Health
Dear Editor: SEARHC is a non-profit organization with a mission statement:
‘‘Alaska Native People working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities. Partnering with our communities to promote a healthy balance of mind, body and spirit.’’
It is obvious from the recent LTEs from Cindy Litman (12/14/23) and Connie LaPerriere (12/18/23) that SEARHC is falling short in their mission to this community.
The Home Health Care program in place until September 2023 had a core staff of eight (nurses and therapists) and was a certified CMS Home Health Care program. The nursing staff provided a thorough patient/family assessment, education, case management and coordination of care between disciplines and a detailed, individualized plan of care. Original Medicare paid 100 percent for covered home health care services and, once Part B deductible was met, paid 80 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for Medicare-covered medical equipment.
The change from the Medicare-certified Home Health program to Home-based Services was a ‘‘business decision,’’ as we learned from the SEARHC (Dr. Bruhl’s) presentation at the recent Sitka Assembly meeting (12/12/23); video available on City and Borough of Sitka website) and the subsequent Daily Sitka Sentinel article (12/14/23). The new structure is based on two separate outpatient services, Nursing and Therapy, with each service billed separately. The nurse visits will be charged at a Level 1 (flat rate for a visit done by RN, CNA, or MA; any visits may have additional charges based on services needed). The Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy visits will be charged at the rate of $100-$125 per 15 minutes). These outpatient services can be billed to Medicare, with the patient responsible for 20 percent of the charges. This configuration eliminates the option for 100 percent coverage for Medicare-certified Home Health Care (the certification has been removed by SEARHC, a ‘‘business decision.’’)
The new configuration reduced the home-based staff to one RN, two PTs and one OT. An effective Home Health Care program is driven by specialized, professional nursing staff who are responsible for case management, direct patient care and coordination of services, as evidenced by the care delivered over the past 30-plus years. This is not possible or reasonable with a staff of one RN.
The program that SEARHC has put into place represents a significant change from the home care previously available in our community. The nursing staff that was deeply involved in and committed to the former Medicare-certified Home Health Care program did not have a place at the table when the new program was devised. I want to know where the ‘‘staff respect’’ and the ‘‘community partnership’’ is in this process.
Elizabeth (Bitsy) Mosher, RN/FNP, retired
Sitka resident, 46 years
Generous Sitkans
Dear Editor: For the last 22 years, Brave Heart Volunteers has served people who are enduring some of the most painful challenges of their lives. We provide social and emotional support for those who are experiencing grief, loneliness, or end of life. We go wherever we are needed, whether into private residences, elder care facilities, the hospital, or long-term care, and we will continue to serve our community at no cost to our care receivers.
We are tremendously thankful for our volunteers, our care receivers, and generous donors! Thank you, Sitka!
For information on how to become a volunteer, refer a friend/family member, or make a donation please visit our website: braveheartvolunteers.org
BHV Board of Directors:
Dr. Ellie Jansen, Gloria Pies,
Michele Friedman,
Dr. Drew Thompson,
Larry Garrity, Lacey Tuten,
Tonya Venneberg, Mamie Ziegler
