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Paul Anderson Name: Paul Anderson Age: 76 What experience do you have? Petersburg City Council: elected 1987 to 1990, appointed May 1991 to October 1991, elected 1991 to 2000, Mayor Pro Tempore December 1998 to 2004, elected 2004 to 2007 Wrangell-Petersburg Federal Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) - Federal Appointment, Co-Chair Appointment 2002-2010 Thomas Bay Power Authority: Commissioner January 1988-2002, President 2002-2008 Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 10002 Why do you seek...
The Petersburg Medical Center board discussed their efforts to engage with the community regarding the construction of a new hospital during Thursday's meeting. The board's newly created Community Engagement Committee aims to improve communication of information about the new hospital to the public. PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter said that a common response to the hospital's recent community needs assessment was increased dialogue from PMC about the new facility and more opportunities for the...
Breakthrough COVID-19 cases found in Alaska April 30 Between Feb. 1 and March 31, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services identified 152 positive cases of COVID-19 among people in the state who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a report from DHSS. About 74 percent of the vaccine breakthrough cases, or 112 individuals, were among people who had received the Pfizer vaccine, according to the report. Thirty-eight percent of the breakthrough cases had received the Moderna... Full story
Me, Myself and I To the Editor: Millions of people are sick and dying of covid, or as the unbelievers, uneducated call it "the Sniffles." I can't understand with 99% of the medical community saying covid, especially covid delta is making millions of us sick and killing us yet people refuse to get a simple vaccine approved by the FDA. It saves lives and keeps people from extreme illness. Why do people listen to talk show host Phil Valentine (RIP) who told his followers not to get vaccinated with...
Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter gave a report to the Borough Assembly during Monday's meeting. The discussion focused on PMC's communication with the community about releasing COVID information and the construction of a new hospital. Hofstetter said that the Emergency Operations Center is missed because there is no longer a structure in place for communication about COVID. He would also like to see information again be made available on the borough's website to help inform the...
Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter and Hospital Board Chair Jerod Cook met with SEARHC leadership to discuss the future of healthcare in Petersburg. With the rise of discussions within the community about the future of healthcare, these two organizations met to talk about collaborative opportunities. According to Hofstetter, the meeting covered a number of topics, but the focus was on community healthcare. "It's a starting point," Hofstetter said. "I think one of the things we'll...
SouthEast Alaska Regional Healthcare Consortium announced an agreement Friday to construct a new multimillion dollar medical center in Sitka. The Mt. Edgecumbe Expansion and Construction Project will replace the Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center on Japonski Island. The Indian Health Service and SEARHC signed a joint venture agreement on July 23 that will see SEARHC design the new facility and fund its construction and IHS provide long-term funding for operations and maintenance. "To continue to meet...
A new group of citizens are advocating in favor of SEARHC to provide for the future health care needs of Petersburg. After all, it worked in Wrangell after the community leadership grew weary of writing checks to keep their facility operating. Petersburg is however a different story. Petersburg Medical Center is financially self-sufficient and carries an investment account balance enabling them to get through occasional lean times. They have an attentive hospital board that is elected to seats...
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium yards signs have begun appearing around town, sparking discussions within the community about the future of healthcare in Petersburg. The prospect of SEARHC coming to Petersburg has been a topic of the community for a while now as residents look to hospitals that SEARHC operates in neighboring cities as examples for what could happen in Petersburg. Members of the community hope that these yard signs, which have been distributed by the Petersburg...
WRANGELL - As of last week, employees, contractors and volunteers with the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, which operates in 19 communities, must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or risk losing their jobs or access to the facilities. Exceptions will be allowed for staff who are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a history of anaphylaxis or allergy to the vaccine, or "persons whose sincere religious observances and practices related to life, purpose or death oppose vaccines,"...
LeConte Bay To the Editor: All around the state we have names which have deviated from the pronunciation that was used at the time that they were named. There must be a natural human tendency to do that that is even stronger than the one that causes explorers to ignore the geographic names the locals use and bestow new ones. A couple of local examples are Sukoi and Kupreanof Islands. Pronouncing either of them in the phonetically proper way will instantly expose anyone who does so as not being...
There’s another way To the Editor: I want to thank our Mayor Mark Jensen for inviting the SEARHC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elliot Bruhl to the Borough Council Meeting. To hear another option for financing and managing our local hospital was encouraging. There is another way besides the borough going into long term debt. Maybe SEARHC would bring back the option of delivering babies in our community? Marj Oines Former hospital employee and retired RN...
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium spoke about the possibility of collaborating with the Petersburg Borough, taking over the Petersburg Medical Center and building a new hospital facility during a Borough Assembly meeting on Monday. SEARHC Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elliot J. Bruhl gave the presentation at the request of Mayor Mark Jensen. He explained the details about a possible partnership with the borough and addressed concerns about SEARHC taking over a...
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium has expanded its services in Petersburg and taken over two locally operated health providers in the past three months. After a series of funding cuts, Susan Ohmer, executive director and founder of Petersburg Mental Health Services, decided to transfer PMHS' services and offices over to SEARHC, she said in a letter to the public in March. "I am pleased with how SEARHC has worked collaboratively to keep our wonderful PMHS team in place as they expand...
SEARHC or not to SEARHC To the Editor: I listened to the representative from SEARHC at Monday's Assembly meeting. It was really nice of him to come and give an overview of SEARHC to the Assembly. I have only lived in Petersburg for 25 years. I am a firm supporter of the hospital and Phil the present director. In the 25 years I have lived here this is the first time we have had not only a good administrator, but an excellent hospital administrator. It had been pretty dismal for several of the...
In 2000, Richard Sprague sold his practice and retired, but two years later he was back in his office practicing dentistry again. Now in 2021, Sprague will again be retiring at the age of 81. Sprague first moved to Petersburg in 1973 after graduating from dental school at the University of Oregon. At the time, Phil Beardslee had recently moved to town from Bethel and was practicing dentistry but was inundated with patients. Beardslee contacted the University of Oregon to see if any of the gradua...
Petersburg Mental Health Services will be shifting its services and staff over to Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium beginning April 1. The decision to transfer services to SEARHC is a result of a series of funding cuts, according to Susan Ohmer, executive director and founder of PMHS, in a letter to the public. Although SEARHC will be taking over PMHS' services, SEARHC will maintain the same office and has offered PMHS providers the opportunity to keep working for the organization. "I...
Two active cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in town this week, according to the Emergency Operations Center. The first case was identified on Monday after an incoming traveler had a tested sample collected at the Petersburg Airport, which later came back positive for the virus, according to a joint press release between the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center. The individual had been in quarantine since arriving in Petersburg, and the EOC had determined the case presented a...
With the hopes of encouraging residents to resist pandemic fatigue as Alaska approaches the eight month mark of battling COVID-19, the Petersburg Emergency Operations Center released a health alert on Thursday, Nov. 5 reminding residents of the protocols they can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while keeping schools and the local economy open. Public health alert #3 strongly recommends, but doesn't mandate, six mitigation strategies. Residents are asked to wear a face covering when...
The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium has begun free asymptomatic testing of Petersburg residents and others throughout the region. Testing is offered from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. every Saturday and Sunday at the SEARHC parking lot at 202 Gjoa St. Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter said at the COVID-19 community update on Oct. 9 that SEARHC is sending their test samples to Sitka and is seeing a four day or less turnaround time on results. Residents will receive their results via...
June 30 – Julia Brusell was released O.R. on a charge of violating conditions of release. Defendant was given strict conditions not to possess or consume alcohol or illegal drugs, be subject to search for prohibited items and not go onto the Narrows Inn property. July 7 – Garitt L. Johnston entered not guilty pleas to charges of wanton waste of big game (two counts), hunting bag limits on moose (two counts) and big game unlawful methods. Defendant was released on $500 cash performance bond with additional conditions. July 8 – Brian T. Sterb...
WRANGELL - The number of COVID-19 cases in Wrangell has increased since last week's edition of the Wrangell Sentinel. As of Tuesday, June 23, there are eight total cases of the virus in town. The fourth case was announced on Wednesday, June 17. According to a joint press release from the city and SEARHC, the patient was an unnamed traveller. He was identified through the airport testing program and is currently in quarantine. "So far, the State's airport testing program has proven to be...
WRANGELL - After last week's announcement of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Wrangell, two other cases were confirmed shortly after. Wrangell now has three total cases of the virus. One case has been declared recovered. However, there is some question about the source of the third case. Public Health officials state that Wrangell's third case was a contact with the first case, but the first case said she does not know how that could be. The first case was announced on Sunday evening,...
WRANGELL - On Sunday evening, June 7, the first positive case of COVID-19 was announced in the community of Wrangell. A joint press release from the city and SEARHC reports that the patient is an unnamed female. She is a resident of Wrangell, according to the press release, and is asymptomatic. Contact tracing, trying to determine who might have come into contact with the patient and may potentially be at risk, is currently ongoing. "SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC)...
WRANGELL - The Wrangell Borough Assembly met last Wednesday evening, June 3, for a special meeting. City administration was wanting to enter a Memorandum of Understanding with SEARHC to provide COVID-19 testing for Sea Level Seafood employees. The total cost for the proposed memorandum, according to the meeting's agenda packet, comes out to $60,000. This amount provides some padding in case of emergency, the actual cost of the memorandum is anticipated to be $52,500. "In order to ensure an...
