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As a result of the City and Borough of Wrangell hosting two days of classes last month on the Alaska Open Meetings Act, some local boards have proposed revisions to charters and operations. Borough Clerk Christie Jamieson said the city’s municipal code needs to be revised and updated. State laws change year to year, and Wrangell’s charter and 20 titles of the municipal code should be in sync with those laws, Jamieson said. “I think it’s definitely needed, some things just need to be cleaned up,” she said. Ideally, the municipal code would be...
Oral arguments were heard in Wrangell’s courtroom Tuesday afternoon regarding local physician Greg Salard’s request to be allowed to work at the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) pending his appeal to a previous hospital board decision. The WMC Board notified Salard in early March that his request for permanent privileges at the hospital had been denied. Salard is employed through Alaska Island Community Services and was previously contracted to practice at WMC on a temporary basis. A week after the March 2 WMC Board decision, Salard filed an app...
The Borough Assembly approved an amended ordinance regarding the membership of the Wrangell Medical Center Board of Directors on its first reading Tuesday night. If eventually passed by the Assembly, the amended ordinance would allow employees or contractors providing medical care in Wrangell to run for the WMC Board. It would also allow the Borough Mayor and Assembly to fill a vacancy on the WMC Board until the next annual election, according to the proposed ordinance. A second reading and public hearing on the ordinance will take place at the...
Last week, the Wrangell Medical Center filed an opposition in court to local physician Greg Salard’s request to have his privileges restored at the hospital pending his appeal process. The WMC Board of Directors, acting as a review committee, voted in early March to deny Salard the right to practice at the hospital. A week later, on March 9, Salard filed an appeal to that decision in Wrangell trial court, and also requested he be allowed to work at WMC pending the court’s decision on that appeal. In its memorandum of opposition, WMC states Sal...
Borough Assembly member Dave Jack has proposed changes to several ordinances that would create additional responsibilities for the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) and its board of directors. Another amendment would change the necessary qualifications needed to be a member of the WMC board. Jack introduced his amendments at an Assembly meeting last month, at which time Assembly members decided to discuss the proposal at a later date. The topic is on the agenda for the March 27 Assembly meeting. One of Jack’s proposed ordinance changes relates t...
To the Editor: Thank you Dr. Salard for saving my life, and the very professional and quick response to my recent heart attack. You stayed countless hours at WMC to make sure that I was stable and on my way to Seattle. I appreciate your honest and forth right opinion on my options and not beating around the bush. Thank you Sue Nelson, Diana Nore, Shelly and all the other nurses and staff that babysat me for those hours. I read in the Sentinel that the board and administrator said Dr. Salard was a disruptive physician. Not what I have seen....
The lack of a trusting relationship between the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) leadership and that of City and Borough of Wrangell is a “crisis” in the community, according to a report written by a private consultant hired by WMC. To not improve this relationship is to “fundamentally risk the health and welfare of the community,” states the report, which was recently released to the public and written by consultant Marv Erisman, Ph.D. Erisman conducted interviews with WMC staff and Wrangell’s mayor and assembly members last fall. The report Er...
Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) has filed an opposition to local physician Greg Salard’s request asking the court to expedite his appeal process. The WMC Board of Directors, acting as a separate WMC committee, met March 2 and decided not to allow Salard to continue working at the hospital. A week later, Salard filed a civil appeal in Wrangell court to the WMC board’s decision. Salard and his attorney Lee Holen also filed a motion for “stay pending appeal,” which would allow the doctor to continue practicing at WMC pending his appeal. A motion...
Rep. Don Young was in Wrangell Monday as part of a Southeast Alaska tour this week for the state’s sole U.S. congressman. During his quick visit, Young met with community members and business representatives at the Nolan Center for lunch where he heard about a number of issues facing Wrangell as well as local economic development projects. Nearly a dozen people attended Monday’s event with the congressman. Members of the Wrangell Cooperative Association talked about the restoration projects on Shakes Island. Mark Robinson, chair of the Wra...
Local physician Greg Salard has filed an appeal in Alaska trial court concerning the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) Board of Director’s decision not to grant him privileges to work at the hospital. The appeal was filed in Wrangell court March 9, exactly a week after the WMC board, acting as the “fair hearing committee,” voted in favor of denying Salard permanent privileges to practice at the hospital. “We’re appealing the board’s decision to the court,” Salard said this week. Salard is employed through Alaska Island Community Services (AIC...
Members of the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) Board of Directors have denied local physician Greg Salard permanent privileges to practice at the hospital. Board members, acting as the “fair hearing committee” made the decision at a private meeting Friday, March 2. WMC Board President Mark Robinson said Salard was notified of the committee’s decision in the form of a letter. On Monday, Salard and his attorney Lee Holen said they would be appealing the committee’s decision. Holen said a “temporary injunction” would also be filed in court to try to...
Local physician Dr. Greg Salard said he expects his full privileges to be restored at the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) following a review hearing held last week between him and the hospital’s board of directors. “I fully expect to get my permanent privileges back,” Salard said. Salard is employed through Alaska Island Community Services (AICS), and was contracted to work at the WMC with provisional privileges through early February 2011. After his contract expired, Salard was required to reapply to the WMC for permanent privileges to conti...
At its meeting Tuesday night, the Wrangell Borough Assembly approved a proposed budget of nearly $29.4 million to build the new hospital. The Assembly also approved the future installation of a low-slope roof on the new hospital, though Assembly members agreed it was not the preferred roof option. The budget passed Tuesday night sits at nearly $1.8 million less than the current projected cost of building the hospital. That budget is, however, in the amount approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) last August. At that...
To the Editor: I have a comment on the article in the January 12, 2012 Wrangell sentinel regarding David Jack’s concerns over spending of capital reserves at Wrangell Medical Center in relation to the WMC Renovation project. He indicated “several assembly members have expressed concern over the spending of the hospital’s reserves.” Although I am no longer on the board of Wrangell Medical Center and therefore do not know what current expenditures are being paid from reserves, I must respond. Wrangell Medical Center had $3,000,000 in reserve...
The Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) and the Local Community Preparedness Committee (LEPC) is planning to stage its annual emergency disaster drill on the flats of the Stikine River this year. Janet Buness, who works on emergency preparedness at the hospital has been tasked with planning the drill. Buness said she is hoping to stage a boat wreck on the flats with 30 “victims.” The drill should take place in late summer, Buness said, and should be a collaborative effort between WMC, the fire and police departments as well as other community org...
Members of the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) staff and Board of Directors met with Dr. Greg Salard Tuesday for a hearing to review his hospital privileges. The hearing was the result of a court order from December and comes after a nearly yearlong battle between Salard and the WMC. Both Salard’s attorney and those of the WMC were also set to be present at the closed-door hearing at the medical center. Salard said the WMC would have the opportunity to “present their case” for revoking his privileges at the medical center, and he would also...
Kris Reed of the volunteer “Tree Care Committee” asked Wrangell School Board members Monday night if they would consider using space in front of the elementary school to plant a future fruit tree orchard. Wrangell was granted an orchard last year through the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) Communities Take Root program, after the Wrangell Medical Center submitted an application. FTPF Aborist Rico Montenegro visited Wrangell last month to scout locations of where some 30 to 40 trees could be planted to create the orchard. Reed said Monday...
Wrangell is set to have its first community market in May, giving residents the opportunity to purchase Alaskan-made or manufactured goods including locally grown vegetables, homemade pottery and crafts and possibly fresh seafood. Markets will take place every third Saturday of the month beginning May 19 and could continue through September. The market steering committee – a group of community volunteers and members of city and Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) staff— held a public meeting Feb. 8 to generate input on the possibility of beg...
The Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) will begin offering its employees a chance to take part in a new recognition program, which will reward exceptional behavior and community service in the form of extra paid days off. WMC Board members voted in favor of implementing the program at its Jan. 25 meeting. “I think this is a great idea,” said WMC Board President Mark Robinson. The program will be points-based. Employees rack up points by having perfect attendance or working an extra shift at the WMC, as well as by making suggestions that improve the...
Last week, arborist Rico Montenegro of the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) was in town to help determine the specifics of the fruit tree orchard set to be planted in Wrangell. Cherry, apple and plum trees are, so far, some ideas of fruit trees that can handle Wrangell’s wet and cloudy weather, according to Montenegro. “We’re stretching the limits here,” he said. Montenergo will have to do a fair amount of research to decide what fruit trees will thrive in Wrangell. Because of the dampness and high number of overcast days, disease could p...
The Borough Assembly set a deadline for assembly members to turn in documentation of concerns or recommendations for issues surrounding the budgetary spending methods of departments within the city. The issue arose after assembly member David Jack brought up his concerns over spending of capital reserves at Wrangell Medical Center in relation to the WMC Renovation project. Before the meeting, Jack went into detail about his concerns. “Several assembly members have expressed concern over the s...
January The Wrangell School Board found $128,451 in additional, unspent funding from a federal program. In passing their 2011 budget, the board also accepted an $8,300 grant for the Upward Bound program. Master carvers Steve Brown and Wayne Price visited Shakes Island to begin discussions on the renovation of the Tribal House and to propose a traditional tools class. The US Forest Service began a scoping project for an Environmental Impact Study regarding timber sales and road construction for...
The Wrangell Medical Center Board of Directors held their regular meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 22 at the WMC meeting room to hear the monthly report from CEO Noel Selle-Rea, receive a letter in support of Dr. Greg Salard and address action items on the agenda. At the beginning of the meeting, a letter from WMC nurse Beth Kuehn, read to the board by Laura Salard during public comment, came out in favor of Dr. Salard and implored the board to keep him on staff at WMC. “It is my hope that after r...
Wrangell physician Greg Salard emerged as the victor this week after winning a portion of a motion he filed against Wrangell Medical Center in First District Court, along with Alaska Island Community Services, seeking to have his hospital privileges reinstated. A ruling by Judge Kevin Miller on Monday, Dec. 12, temporarily reinstated Salard, with restrictions, and directed that all parties move forward with a hearing to evaluate his permanent access to hospital privileges under Title IX of the W...
A petition by nurses at Wrangell Medical Center to have the Alaska Nurses Association act as a collective bargaining unit for non-supervisory nurses has failed after a review by the Alaska Labor Relations Agency. In the conclusion of the ALRA decision and order, factors such as the size of the community, wages, hours and other working conditions led to a recommendation of a united bargaining unit. “A single, wall-to-wall unit of non-supervisory employees at (WMC) is the unit appropriate for c...