By Sentinel Staff
The board of directors of the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium announced Tuesday it has approved the agreements negotiated with the City and Borough of Sitka on the SEARHC takeover of the operations of Sitka Community Hospital, “pending satisfactory resolution of outstanding liabilities.”
SEARHC said the board voted its conditional approval of the Asset Purchase Agreement and Lease Agreement “to develop Sitka’s integrated health care delivery system” at a meeting on April 26.
“The City and Borough of Sitka is in the process of providing SEARHC with data clarifying the outstanding compliance-related liabilities,” the news release said. “Upon receipt and review of the information, SEARHC must conclude that the liabilities have been adequately addressed for the transaction to close by June 30.”
“The SEARHC board has been kept well informed throughout the entire negotiation process and the vote to move forward reflects the directors’ fierce commitment to our mission,” SEARHC president and CEO Charles Clement said in the news release.
The purchase agreement requires SEARHC to provide access to enhanced primary and specialty services to all residents with acute care services located at Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital and long-term care, rehabilitation and outpatient services at Sitka Community.
It also states that within three to five years of the closing date, SEARHC will begin building a new campus. The agreement also calls for the creation of a Community Health Council “through which residents can provide input on the clinical and health care needs of Sitka, patient satisfaction, quality of care and quality improvement,” the news release said.
“As part of the agreement,” the statement said, “SEARHC will offer SCH employees in good standing similar positions to those they currently hold, and employees can transfer up to 80 hours of paid time off. SCH will be responsible for paying out anything in excess of 80 hours directly to the employee.
“The Lease Agreement specifies the terms for SEARHC to lease and operate SCH as a long-term care facility until all services are moved to the new medical campus.”
