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Late last week, the Wrangell Medical Center received an Abbott rapid test machine. This piece of equipment will allow for same-day, in-house testing for COVID-19, according to an April 8 press release from SEARHC. Wrangell is one of seven Southeast Alaskan communities to receive rapid testing equipment. According to the press release, each testing machine is accompanied by roughly 45 test kits. "SEARHC leadership is excited to add rapid response testing to our available resources during the...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly convened electronically on last Monday, April 6, to consider a new emergency ordinance in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The final vote on Ordinance No. 977 was delayed, however, to let city officials gather further information. The proposed ordinance would have mandated a two-week self quarantine for any intrastate travelers coming to Wrangell, allowed for modified quarantine plans for critical workforce, and required that travel safety and modified qua...
As the COVID-19 virus continues to impact the world, and Alaska, many people are doing their part to mitigate its spread. People are working from home, self-isolating, and social distancing. A recent health alert by the state of Alaska recommends that people begin wearing face masks when in public, as well. "Scientific evidence available to date indicates that asymptomatic and presymptomatic shedding of the virus that causes COVID-19 is occurring," the April 3 health alert reads. "This means...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly convened via teleconference last Monday evening, April 6, to discuss a new proposed emergency ordinance. This new ordinance would institute three local health mandates related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and would hopefully mitigate the risk of the virus spreading to the community. Emergency Ordinance No. 977 would require a 14-day self-quarantine for all intrastate travelers coming to Wrangell, allow for a modified quarantine plan for critical workforce, and...
As of April 6, there have been 293 COVID-19 tests conducted across the entire Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium. Clinics across Southeast Alaska are putting together "surge plans" to determine what they should do in the event of an outbreak in their area. An April 7 press release, from SEARHC Marketing Director Maegan Bosak, went into detail about Wrangell's surge plan. While there are no cases of the virus in Wrangell at this time, the plan details what steps the Wrangell Medical...
March 30 Agency Assist: Alaska Airlines. Agency Assist: Alarm. March 31 Agency Assist: Alaska State Troopers. Traffic Stop. Alan Fenwick, 39: Parking Complaint Citation issued. Courtesy Transport. April 1 Report of Theft. Quarantine Violation. Citizen Report: Driving While Intoxicated. April 2 Suspicious People. Agency Assist: Explosion. April 3 Quarantine Violation. Agency Assist: Harbor Department. Traffic Stop. Kim Peterson, 61: cited for Objectionable animal. Agency Assist: Wrangell Medical Center. April 4 Harassment. Parking Complaint....
The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, according to several members of Wrangell's local government, has been doing a very good job of communicating with them during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Assembly Member David Powell said that communications between SEARHC, Mayor Steve Prysunka, and Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen have been taking place almost daily. Prysunka and Von Bargen are really on top of things, he said. Assembly Member Drew Larrabee added that, in his opinion,...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly met via teleconference last Tuesday evening, March 24. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has spread to Alaska even though not in Wrangell, city officials have taken precautions to mitigate any risk of the virus spreading in Wrangell by cancelling unnecessary meetings, and only holding necessary ones remotely. During last week's meeting, the assembly approved of a preferred alternative to a reservoir bypass project. The city is under contract with Shannon & Wilson Engineer...
On Wed., March 25, Wrangell COVID-19 responders participated in their weekly joint meeting to discuss the latest actions made in preparation for the coronavirus reaching the island. City and Borough of Wrangell (CBW) leadership discussed state travel mandate advertisement and enforcement, while Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) administration provided information on the surge plans, should the local healthcare facility see unprecedented levels of admittance due to the coronavirus. Representatives...
Despite concerns of COVID-19, construction of the new Wrangell Medical Center has continued largely unhindered. Work on the new hospital began back in April of 2019, with an official groundbreaking ceremony in June, after the City and Borough of Wrangell and SEARHC came to a mutual agreement on the project. Work is nearing the one-year mark, and so far everything is largely on track. Current activities at the construction site include sheathing the exterior of the building, roofing work, and ins...
CORRECTION: In the March 19 edition of the Sentinel, we printed the police log supplied by the Wrangell Police Department which was a year old. Two weeks of the police log appear below. March 09 Citizen Assist. Animal Complaint: Injured doe. March 10 Nothing to report. March 11 Driving Revoked: Citation issued to Taylor Stavee. Paper Service. Trespass. March 12 Disturbance. Agency Assist: Wrangell Medical Center. Disorderly Conduct. Summons Service. March 13 Agency Assist: Alarm. Agency Assist: Hoonah PD. Traffic Stop: Mathew Gerald, 47,...
Two new cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been identified in Fairbanks, bringing the total known cases in Alaska to three. Conditions and guidance regarding COVID-19 is changing by the hour. Please understand the following facts about COVID-19 and Wrangell: Persons Most at Risk: 1) Persons age 60 and older; 2) Persons with underlying health conditions. Wrangell's Age: Wrangell has one of, if not the, highest population of Senior Citizens, per capita, in Alaska. That means a...
With the ongoing spread of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, many communities across the nation are doing their best to be prepared. This is also true in Alaska. There are only a few confirmed cases of the virus in Anchorage and Fairbanks as of March 17. All across the state, however, communities are taking precautionary measures to keep the virus from spreading further. In Wrangell, many events and facilities have been postponed for the sake of caution. "As a preventative measure to...
The City and Borough of Wrangell (CBW), the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) and local leadership met last Wednesday in the first weekly meeting to collaborate and prepare a local response to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The team, consisting of CBW, SEARHC, Wrangell Medical Center (WMC), Wrangell Volunteer Fire Dept., Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Wrangell Police Dept. and local port officials, is closely monitoring information of a potential outbreak in...
Wrangell's annual Chocolate Lover's Festival was held downtown last Saturday morning, Feb. 8. People had the opportunity to buy a box full of homemade chocolates and bid on several raffle items. Proceeds from the festival go to support activities for Wrangell Medical Center Long Term Care. Pictured here is Alice Rooney with a few of the treats available at the festival...
Construction of the new Wrangell Medical Center, next to the AICS Clinic on Wood Street, has continued in spite of bad weather in recent weeks, and according to a press release from the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, things are on track for a grand opening in early 2021. According to SEARHC's press release, concrete slabs are complete in the first four quadrants of the construction. However, cold temperatures forced continued concrete work to be put on hold. Mike Pountney, SEARHC...
To the Editor: Recently I traveled to Juneau to meet with Legislators to discuss the importance of the Alaska Marine Highway. Mayors and administrators from statewide coastal communities teamed up to highlight the importance of the system. We heard stories of food shortages, missed medical appointments, and economic hardship from around the state. I found that the message was received with a sympathetic ear, but our friends from non-maritime communities believe that the ferry system serves too...
Following is the Wrangell Sentinel's news review for January through June of 2019. Next week the review will include events from July through December. January Jan. 13 - The Fairbanks Arts Association opened their 24th annual statewide poetry contest for submissions this December. Each year, the association picks a new judge for the contest. This year will be judged by Wrangell resident Vivian Faith Prescott. Prescott is the author of numerous works, including The Hide of My Tongue and The Dead...
Construction of the new Wrangell Medical Center remains on schedule and on budget, according to SEARHC Vice President and Hospital Administrator Leatha Merculieff. The future hospital will be about 44,500 square feet, attached to the AICS Clinic off of Wood Street, and cost about $30 million. Construction began in the spring of this year. Merculieff said that there have been some minor delays with getting trusses shipped to Wrangell, but now all major structural materials are on the island....
In last week’s edition of the Sentinel we reported that SEARHC’s CNA training program was the first at the Wrangell Medical Center. The program is new under SEARHC, but the program has existed in Wrangell before....
SEARHC, the medical provider that recently took over management of the Wrangell Medical Center and is currently overseeing construction of a new hospital, held a talk Monday, Oct. 21, on diabetes and traditional foods. The talk was lead by Kelly Lakin, a diabetes educator with SEARHC. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when one's blood sugar is too high, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Insulin is a hormone that the body produces to transfer...
Wrangell Medical Center (WMC), part of the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC), recently received notice of the successful certification of six new Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) from the Wrangell CNA Training Program. The six-week program, instructed by WMC Registered Nurse and state certified CNA Training Instructor Katrina Ottesen, prepped the half-dozen Wrangell locals for the state exam and an opportunity for employment at WMC. A graduation ceremony will take place in...
