Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 361
December 10, 2018 Traffic stop: Citation issued to Shane Legg-Privett, 40. Failure to provide proof of insurance. Verbal warning for faulty equipment. Civil issue. Agency assist: EMT’s. Found property. Agency assist: EMT’s. Traffic stop: Verbal warning for faulty equipment. Agency assist: Chimney fire. December 11, 2018 Suspicious vehicle. Citizen assist. Vacation check. Two parking complaints. Traffic stop: Verbal warning for driving habits. Agency assist: EMT’s. Civil issue. December 12, 2018 Civil issue. Traffic complaint: Extra patro...
The Wrangell Medical Center Auxiliary is an organization that has worked to assist the hospital in providing services to its patients and to “promote the health and welfare of the community,” according to its stated purpose in the bylaws. With the hospital being transferred to the control of SEARHC, however, the organization has been questioning what its future holds. In a meeting on Monday, Oct. 29, the Auxiliary discussed future disbandment, and what to do with the auxiliary’s funds. The members of the auxiliary that were present for the m...
The Wrangell Medical Center Board of Directors met on Oct. 17 for their last meeting before the long-planned transition of authority to SEARHC. This comes after the successful passing of a ballot measure on Oct. 2 allowing SEARHC to take charge of the medical center. Senior Executive Vice President of SEARHC Dan Neumeister attended the meeting to give the board an update on the transition, which is scheduled to officially take place in early November. The Wrangell Medical Center will keep the same name after SEARHC takes over operations, Neumei...
To the Editor: Does the Wrangell Hospital Auxiliary have a future? For nearly half a century, the group has existed to raise funds and otherwise support our local hospital, paying many thousands of dollars for equipment and items to improve the care and quality of life for patients and residents. November 1, 2018, marks the transfer of Wrangell Medical Center to SEARHC. With a stronger revenue stream, the hospital administration will have adequate operating funds. SEARHC will purchase all equipment necessary for the planned new hospital...
The Wrangell Medical Center Board of Directors met Wednesday night, Sept. 19, for their annual review of the medical center. The review covered a wide variety of topics, such as the medical center’s 2018 strategic goals. The three main goals were divided into the categories of cash flow, recruitment and retention, and the new facility. CEO Robert Rang said that the medical center has had cash flow issues since before he came onboard. However, he said thanks to work with the billing department that the time between “patient interaction” and when...
The Nolan Center was packed Monday night as Wold Architects held a meeting to update the community on plans for the new hospital. Members of the city government, SEARHC, the Wrangell Medical Center, and many residents came to hear the update. According to WMC CEO Robert Rang, there were about 60 people in attendance. Josh Ripplinger, with Wold Architects, gave the update. Ripplinger started the meeting by reviewing a timeline of how the hospital would eventually be constructed. He said that they were currently in the “schematic design p...
At approximately 10 a.m., Aug. 24, a fire alarm was tripped at the Wrangell Medical Center. The fire department responded quickly, with 14 members of the department showing up. The forest service also arrived on-scene to offer assistance. The hospital was searched, but no fire could be found. At about 10:37 a.m., it was determined that it was a false alarm and the medical center nor anybody inside were in danger. Business returned to normal shortly afterward. "They didn't find anything," said...
Last weekend was the annual Rally For Cancer Care golf tournament, organized by the Wrangell Medical Center Foundation. The tournament on Saturday was less of a serious competition and more for fun and socializing. Several holes on the 9-hole course had a different, fun challenge to compete in. Hole No. 2, for example, required golfers to play the entire hole with just their driver. Hole No. 5 required players to tee off with their foot in a bucket. Along with these challenges were...
The hospital's charitable foundation is planning a big weekend August 11 and 12 for its annual golf tournament, hoping to boost its cancer care travel fund. The Wrangell Medical Center Foundation was established in 2007 with three goals in mind, among them supporting equipment needs at the hospital and providing health career scholarships to prospective students. It also has over the past decade distributed $97,000 in grants to individuals undergoing treatment for various iterations of cancer,...
The Wrangell Medical Center Board of Directors met July 18, at city hall for their regularly scheduled meeting. While not initially on the agenda, the board appointed a new president and vice president during this meeting. The issue was raised by board member Don McConachie, who pointed out that having a president was a part of the board's charter. He also said that since the board was trying to find a new member to fill a vacant seat, appointing a new president could help encourage people who...
July 16 Arrested: David Sweat, 58. On charges of MVA/DUI. Bear sighting: Report of bear in yard. Citations issued: Celsee Churchill for objectionable animal and dog license. Citizen assist: Officer open vehicle for owner. July 17 Title 47. Driving complaint. Report of theft. Driving complaint. 86’d letter: Received from business and served on individual. Civil issue: Report of someone cutting a tree on private property. Abandoned vehicle. Citation issued: Andrew Twyford, 19. For failure to provide proof of insurance and verbal warning for h...
July 2, 2018 Found keys. Citation issued: Steven Cole, 66: Blocking roadway prohibited. Agency assist: Report of juvenile eagle with broken wing. Parking complaint: Citation issued to Jana Wright, 57. Parking complaint: Citation issued to Thomas Hunter, 64: Blocking traffic. Theft reported. Summons served. Report of dead deer. Intoxicated person: Officer responded. July 3, 2018 Report of harassment. Intoxicated person: Title 47. Found false teeth. Traffic stop: Citation issued to Devan Harding, 25, for speeding. Traffic stop: Verbal warning...
In its first relatively short meeting since concluding its budget process earlier this month, the Borough Assembly nonetheless found time to wade into some sizable items Tuesday. Members approved moving ahead with a contract offer to Tamico RnR JV for float replacement and general renovation at Shoemaker Bay Harbor, in the amount of $8,355,240. (see related story) Additionally, a professional services agreement with PND Engineers to the tune of $731,328 for administration and inspection of the project was approved. A project contingency...
In a press release last Friday, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium announced it will officially move forward with formalizing an affiliation with the City and Borough of Wrangell regarding the future of its municipal hospital. The decision follows one reached unanimously by the Wrangell Assembly on June 12, and sets into motion a transfer of operations of Wrangell Medical Center to SEARHC. Initially, the regional provider will acquire the local hospital and assume its operational,...
The City and Borough Assembly took its next serious step in redirecting Wrangell Medical Center’s future on Tuesday, authorizing a resolution to pursue a strategic affiliation with Southeast Alaska Rural Health Consortium. Earlier this year the city and regional healthcare provider began to cooperatively explore a new approach to managing WMC, a municipally-run critical access hospital. The hospital has been experiencing a revenue crisis for several years, and even with additional funds from city reserves has remained low on operating cash. H...
After a series of meetings and public presentations last week, a proposed acquisition of Wrangell Medical Center by a regional health group looks more probable. Southeast Alaska Rural Health Consortium has expressed interest in administering the municipal hospital, which has been in a prolonged state of financial difficulty. At the Wrangell Assembly's most recent meeting last Tuesday, WMC chief executive officer Robert Rang reported having only 13 days' cash on hand with which to cover...
A series of meetings between Southeast Alaska Rural Health Consortium and the City and Borough of Wrangell are planned for early next week. The regional health group is entertaining making an offer to assume control of Wrangell Medical Center, a municipally-run critical access hospital which has in recent years fallen into financial difficulties. Starting Sunday afternoon and lasting through Tuesday, SEARHC will hold a series of meetings with city staff, hospital transition steering committee members and the wider community, in order to go...
If it proves financially feasible, Wrangell Medical Center may soon pass from municipal ownership to new management. At a public meeting held inside the Nolan Center on Monday evening, representatives of the City and Borough of Wrangell and the hospital explained WMC is in pretty dire straits at the moment. WMC chief executive Robert Rang said the facility has been having increasing difficulty meeting costs to operate. "The hospital's been losing money for several years," he reported....
An important roundtable discussion on the future of public health care provision in Wrangell is set for this weekend, followed by a community meeting Monday night. At the behest of the City and Borough Assembly, a steering committee made up of representatives of a half-dozen stakeholder groups is in the process of being formed. From the assembly itself, Roland Howell and Patty Gilbert will be joined by Dan Neumeister of Southeast Rural Health Consortium and Mark Walker from its Alaska Island Community Services clinic; Jennifer Bates and Olinda...
The Borough Assembly in a special meeting last week adopted a letter outlining its intent to potentially partner up with Southeast Alaska Rural Health Consortium on Wrangell’s hospital. Held on March 22, the early evening meeting covered some of the pros and cons of third party partnership for managing Wrangell Medical Center. The hospital is public asset owned and managed by the borough, one of only a handful in the state still run independently of a larger healthcare service. WMC has been “hemorrhaging money,” assembly members have been...
Monday, March 12 Agency assist: Rocks in roadway DOT. Driving while license revoked UTL. Citizen assist: Help starting vehicle. Traffic stop. Harassment. Traffic stop: Citation issued to Cody Angerman, 36: Failure to stop at stop sign. Arrested on charges of driving under the influence: George Elmore, 52. Tuesday, March 13 Report of theft. Traffic stop verbal warning for driving habits. Wednesday, March 14 Agency assist. Violation of protective order. Citizen assist: Vehicle unlock. Agency assist: Paper service. Citation issued to Drew...
Three big issues weighed heavily upon the Wrangell Assembly’s agenda Tuesday; impending crises with the city’s water supply, its hospital’s financial stability, and the state’s site selection for a monofill to house treated lead-contaminated soil extracted from the former Byford junkyard. • Water crisis The city entered its highest watch level for water conservation Tuesday, after learning that its two reservoirs only have about 30 or so days’ worth of raw reserves. (see adjoining story) Reservoir levels have reached a low point after an un...
Wrangell Medical Center Foundation last month issued a letter to supporters informing them it would forgo its annual fundraiser weekend this year. For the past ten years the Brian Gilbert Memorial Golf Tournament and fundraiser dinner is hosted in Wrangell each May in order to raise money for the Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to support the community’s medical needs. The funds it handles fills a few roles, primarily supporting WMC’s bid for a new facility but also procuring new equipment, funding its cancer-related tra...
Assembly members commiserated with city and hospital staff on Monday to discuss how to move forward on new organizational arrangement at Wrangell Medical Center. Currently the hospital is a public asset, managed by the City and Borough of Wrangell. For several years it has been contending with inconsistent revenues and cash reserve concerns, and in the event of a default the city would be liable for any outstanding debts. In 2015 the Assembly approved a reserve source of interest-free funds of up to $500,000 for WMC to draw from in case of...
