Hospital OB Services
Dear Editor: I write as a citizen about the future of Sitka Community Hospital OB services.
I decided “why wait?” because it doesn’t matter what the SCH board decides at this Thursday’s meeting about labor and delivery services. The safe, quality care to Sitka’s mothers and babies should not be at the whim of the Administrator du jour, or the Hospital Board, or even the Assembly. I suppose I’m old-fashioned, but I believe traditional values still hold true, that we consider women and babies as needing protection and support during this vulnerable and powerful transition time. Certain basics need to be handled.
The last six months indicate that SCH has let go of responsibility for mother/baby care, so perhaps the community needs to take this back. I would like to discuss starting a non-profit “Sitka Friends of Birth” group to begin working toward a supporting midwives and/or a birth center here.
Sitka desperately needs midwives. We need midwives integrated into the existing medical system, just as they are in Anchorage at both ANMC and Providence. Unfortunately, hospital leadership over recent months hasn’t offered any promise of welcoming current midwifery practice to Sitka anytime soon. Midwives are proven to meet the triple aim of healthcare excellence: superior clinical outcomes with reduced healthcare costs and increased patient satisfaction.
From what we know, the majority of Sitka women would prefer a midwife. I would love to see the hospital board direct the hospital administration to hire midwives. Or, the board could issue a RFP to develop and open a freestanding birth center in Sitka and give it transitional start-up support. The formerly OB portion of the budget should support the birth center for the first 3 years, after which point the center should be able to be self-sustaining.
Some say we don’t have the ‘‘numbers,’’ with 80 annual births in Sitka. 80 births a year involves a minimum of 240 people. (mom+dad+baby.) That’s 2,400 people or 27 percent of the population every 10 years. Then add in all of the grandparents, aunties, siblings and extended family. Then add in at least 3-5 more hospital staff directly involved with each birth and after care…now we are at 5,600 people in 10 years or 63 percent of Sitka’s population involved in birth every 10 years.
The community recently supported me by paying half of the expenses to attend a national birth center conference recently in Anchorage. I’d like to share some of the information I learned about the business-side of birth centers and ideas of how this might work in Sitka. Join me Wednesday, Oct. 25, 8:30-9:30 p.m., at Centennial Hall for an informal open forum, including showing slides of birth centers in Alaska. The late meeting time is geared to parents of young children so they might come down after bedtime. If you have skills to offer, or wish to be part of the birth center project or board of directors, I would love to meet you Wednesday night. Any support or encouragement is welcome.
It’s time to come together and see if there’s anything we can do. Preferably in partnership with our two major taxpayer-supported hospitals, but if necessary, the community can do this. Sitka also has a strong new group of 11 women who recently completed Doula training to be able to provide support to women in labor.
I’m hoping the Hospital Board will either hire midwives or offer start-up funding for a freestanding birth center. If not, the Assembly should be paying close attention to finding a way to support this important community need. Please offer us some hope to the future and take a long view of how happy, healthy parents and babies support the whole community, fill the parks, libraries, shops, schools, and playgrounds.
Sharon Sullivan, Sitka
Speakers Series
Dear Editor: The 150th Speakers Series has come and gone, but hopefully theses dynamic presentations will be remembered.
Our speakers included Ana Ditmar speaking on ‘‘The Story of St. Michael’s Cathedral Russian Icon Collection’’; Dave McMahan and Bob Sam, Sitka Historical Society and National Science Foundation, “The Final Story of the Neva Survivors Camp’’; Father Oleksa, ‘‘The Six Saints of Sitka’’; Tamie Parker Song, ‘‘The Necessity of Truth in Reconciliation’’; Dr. Steve Haycox, ‘‘Sesquicentennial 101: What You Need to Know About the 150th.’’
Also, Mike Dunham, ‘‘The Four Emancipators’’; Terrence Cole, ‘‘Emanuel Leutze’s 1867 Painting’’; Captain Chip Lewin, ‘‘History of the U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska’’; David Ramseur, ‘‘Melting the Ice Curtain: Contemporary Alaska-Russian Relations’’; Rebecca Poulson, ‘‘Origins of the Sitka Mission’’; Alex Liberovsk, ‘‘Orthodoxy in Alaska 1867-1917’’; Margan Grover and Dan Thompson, ‘‘People and Stories of Castle Hill: At the Intersection of Archaeology, History and Global Networks.’’
Also, Chris Allan, ‘‘Destination Sitka Special Correspondents: and The Scramble to Report on the 1867 Transfer’’; Pat Heuer, ‘‘Mt. Verstova Interpretive Hike’’; Wayne Jensen, ‘‘The Life of William Seward’’; Harvey Brandt and Mike Morris, ‘‘The Ice Business in Alaska’’; Anne Elise Pollnow, ‘‘Before Contact: Linking Local Archeological Finds and Tlingit Oral Histories Prior to Russian Contact’’; Bob Sam, ‘‘Sitka Cemeteries’’; and Jenya Anichenko, ‘‘Love in the Time of Russian America.’’
The entire series was outstanding. Each presentation was in its own way a highlight, with Bob Sam recognized by a standing ovation.
Now maybe you are thinking, “Gosh, I wish I could have heard some of those,” and you may. Here is the link for the videos by Owen Kindig of the Speaker’s Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIRGzZ9L92k&list=PLBOGocQfEwuv5YoZ41WFZ3IMvC4aCgSD7.
For Emmet Williams’ podcasts go to this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yjtrhvc46m2gjye/ADrHt8fLqK1ZEvPlGVokIJda?dl=0.
It was an honor to produce the Speakers Series in partnership with the Sitka National Historical Park staff: Ryan Carpenter and Erin Fulton. Thank you also to Caitlin Rogers, Sitka Historical Society intern, for the eye-catching posters she designed, as well as Hal Spackman and Kristy Griffin for their support and leadership.
My hope is that this series will lead to more communication and understanding of these complex historical issues as well as some healing, unity and actions to work together.
Jeff Budd, Sitka
