Assembly Meeting
Dear Editor: Wake up, Sitkans, the demise of Sitka Community Hospital looms large. We attended the Sitka Community Hospital board meeting last Thursday to speak under the ‘‘persons to be heard,’’ segment of the agenda imploring the board to reinstate Dr. Richard Wein to his post as our highly skilled local general surgeon. Rob Allen, CEO, stated it was his sole, unilateral decision to dismiss Dr. Wein, and took sole responsibility for that decision. Evidently, the hospital board was not involved in that decision, nor was our city Assembly. A decision of this magnitude with such significant impact on all of our lives, and potential deaths, must not remain with one man. This is more than a ‘‘personnel’’ issue which ‘‘cannot be discussed,’’ and, by the way, with the aside that a ‘‘lawyer’’ is involved. Was that a threat? Was Dr. Wein under duress to capitulate? I don’t believe Dr. Wein has done anything wrong, but rather has gifted Sitka with 24/7 (yes, 24/7) excellent, professional health care at every level for any ailment: a sliver, a laceration, a surgery, a delivery, a broken bone, a twisted ankle, a polyp, an ulcer, shortness of breath, chest pains, withdrawals, panic attacks, burns, babies, colonoscopies, inflammations, urology issues, and the list goes on. Dr. Wein’s role is not the hospital’s economic gatekeeper, his skillful hands and compassionate, life-giving words are not ‘‘billable.’’ With this bumbling dismissal, which included lack of due process and transparency, and apparent disregard for community concerns, Sitka Community Hospital abandoned a docket full of patients disrupting continuity in care, a basic tenet in medical care. Something has gone awry.
There is a much larger picture that has not been fully disclosed to us, namely, the SEARHC buyout of Sitka Community Hospital. It was said that a $14 million offer had been made to the city, in order to skip complications the merger, and more easily accomplished by removing those who would stand in the way. This process is being accelerated with the current loss of Dr. Wein. Will SEARHC now render charitable health care, and will it treat the uninsured who, traditionally, have been sent to SCH? As a community that has benefited from 60 years of local quality health care, that has been improved upon and supported these many years by our city Assemblies, we need to ‘stand in the way,’ now, and band together, and let our voices be heard. Within the chain of command, Brian Bertacci, the city Assembly and the SCH board can direct Rob Allen, CEO, in this matter, to reinstate Dr. Richard Wein, and continue to make SCH the leader of health care in our town.
All of that to say this: Please come to the city Assembly meeting at 6 p.m. tonight, Feb. 28, at the Centennial Hall to let your voice be heard, and stand with those of us who support the very existence of Sitka Community Hospital and the reinstatement of Dr. Richard Wein to his rightful position. Petitions addressed to the city Assembly and SCH board will be available there to sign, and to distribute to those who would help in this effort. Any person or business who would sponsor a petition can call Mary at 623-8374 or Karen at 747-7803 to obtain copies, or sent via email. Let us show up in numbers and in force. Bring signs of support for Dr. Wein and SCH. This is a battle worth fighting for ourselves, our children, our children’s children, the future of health care in our island community, and the well-being of our town. With grateful appreciation,
Karen Lucas, Mary Soltis
and the many others
who stand with us
Dr. Wein
Dear Editor: I am writing in regards to the recent dismissal of Dr. Richard Wein from Sitka Community Hospital. I attended the hospital board meeting last week to learn more. I along with many others are concerned about the quality and continuity of care within our community. Sitka Community Hospital is an anchor, a safe haven to many residents. We know the staff, the landscape, and the doors that welcome us. It is hard to imagine this being taken from us after 60 years in existence.
Losing a qualified and capable surgeon leaves a hole. We lose a safety net. We lose a doctor that for seventeen years made Sitka his home. We lose a doctor that truly cared about his patients. We lose a doctor that was always there-that would come in at two in the morning for an emergency surgery or put in a central line in order to Medevac a patient. We lose a doctor that could operate on all ages, our grandchildren to our grandparents.
Sitka is a beautiful place to live but the medical professionals we treasure and need are finding it increasingly difficult to practice here. As patients, going elsewhere is not always an option – it’s expensive, difficult, and not timely. If you are an older, ill person, this is a hardship. Almost impossible.
We need our community hospital and excellent professionals like Dr. Wein. The Hospital Board and Assembly should stand with us and work to sustain them.
I would hate to see the lights go off for good at SCH. If they do, there is no turning them on again.
Patti Hudson, Sitka
