2024 Quarter 3 COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

Petersburg Medical Center Newsletter
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James Nilsen and Grady Walker were the youngest paddlers and some of the top fundraisers in the 2024 Pedal/Paddle Battle.

Interior and exterior framing continues at the Wellness, Education, and Resource Center (WERC) Building and mechanical systems, plumbing, heating and wastewater systems are going in. Check our website for more project info or follow us on Facebook for weekly photo updates.

US Representative Mary Peltola toured the existing PMC facility and the new facility site in August. PMC was so grateful for the opportunity to share our successes and the challenges faced in rural healthcare in AK.

NEWSLETTER BANNER PHOTO:

The Joy Janssen Clinic Reception team has inspired "Flannel Fridays" in the clinic and the trend it catching on in other departments as well.

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

As we transition into fall, we want to take a moment to recognize the dedicated workforce that keeps operations at PMC running smoothly. The summer was especially busy, with an atypically high inpatient, ER, and swing bed census. Despite the increased demand, our staff remained resilient and committed to providing exceptional care. We remain focused on supporting our employees and staying connected with the community to maintain financial stability and continually improve our service to Petersburg.


Workforce:

We’re excited that our medical provider team is now fully staffed with the addition of Dr. Justin Morgan. Congratulations to Kellii Wood and Jordan Stafford, who have passed their nursing exams and are now RNs at PMC, and to Holli Davis and Bessie Johnson who have started the UAA nursing program.


The annual PMC Foundation Pedal/Paddle Battle fundraiser, saw 60 participants and raised over $17,000 to support staff education and high school scholarships. These accomplishments strengthen our team and foster professional growth.  



Finance:

PMC's fiscal year 2025 budget includes over $423,000 in grant awards, with more than $585,000 secured already for 2026-27 and $3.6 million in requests for the new health campus still pending. 


The Workforce, Education & Resource Center (WERC) building is progressing well, staying on schedule and within budget. PMC is offering community tours of the site—sign up online for Friday tours at 5:30 p.m. at www.pmcak.org.



Community Engagement:


Connecting and engaging with our community is central to understanding and addressing local healthcare needs. This quarter, we’ve been actively involved in a number of initiatives to do just this.


In August, we welcomed Representative Mary Peltola for a scheduled tour of PMC, underscoring our commitment to community engagement. 


In September, I attended the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association (AHHA) annual conference with our board and leadership team, where we heard from excellent speakers on the latest healthcare topics. In addition to attending, I am honored to serve as a board member on the AHHA executive committee giving PMC the opportunity to further healthcare policy and practices across the state.


In addition, the Rainforest Run fun 10K and Half Marathon run/walk drew 31 community participants as well as the PHS Cross Country team. On September 14th, PMC held its first Walk With a Doc event, encouraging residents to join Dr. Alice Hulebak and our current UW medical student for a healthy walk along the Hungry Point trail.  


Lastly, to further enhance our identity, PMC is working with a local artist and an Anchorage-based firm to refresh our branding and logo, ensuring that our visual representation reflects the professionalism and dedication we bring to healthcare in our community.


— Phil Hofstetter, CEO,

Petersburg Medical Center

Katie Holmlund, Youth Programs Coordinator with an enthusiastic group of "skoggies" during the LeConte Glacier trip.

Skoggies and their mentors having fun and making memories together in the muskeg.

Kinder Skog celebrated the sixth annual International Mud Day with mud pie baking and muskeg jumping.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Youth Programs Partnerships Promote Expansion of Services in Summer 2024

“More to Explore in 2024” was the motto for PMC’s Youth Programs this summer. Expanded offerings included full days of the Kinder Skog outdoor nature program and new ORCA Camps, such as Fly-Fishing and an overnight Kayaking Expedition. A new partnership with Working Against Violence for Everyone (WAVE) enabled sliding scale scholarship options for all ORCA Camps registrations.


The Kinder Skog program, with both half-day and full-day options, served a record 93 youth. For the first time, every youth on the waitlist was offered a summer enrollment spot. Activities included day trips to Kupreanof, berry picking, a LeConte Glacier excursion, fishing, capture the flag, and celebrating Smokey the Bear’s birthday with the Forest Service.


PMC Youth Programs offered five ORCA Camps this summer, enrolling 48 participants aged 6-16:

  • Theater Camp: Twenty-seven youth participated in two theater camps, culminating in heartwarming productions of Alice in Wonderland.
  • Kayaking Expedition: Twelve youth paddlers embarked on a five-day kayaking expedition, learning essential outdoor skills. This camp was made possible through a partnership with Onward and Upward and grant funding from the Alaska Community Foundation.
  • Fundamentals of Fly-Fishing: Nine youth learned fly fishing skills, including fly tying, casting, and landing fish, with a full-day fishing trip at Petersburg Creek. This camp was supported by a partnership with Tlingit and Haida’s Youth Navigators program.
  • Run POD: Seventeen youth engaged in running games and activities, culminating in the Freedom Run on July 3rd.
  • Basketball POD: Sixteen youth enhanced their basketball skills through games, drills, and teamwork challenges.

With a team of 13 summer staff, the programs successfully promoted health, wellness, social-emotional learning, physical activity, and so much more. We look forward to what summer 2025 will bring!

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Growing Our Own: Empowering Healthcare Careers at PMC

At PMC we take pride in our tradition of providing career training and advancement opportunities. For over 30 years, our Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program has been fundamental in our workforce development. This program has evolved to include paid on-the-job training during the six-week accelerated course, setting a standard that many facilities across the state now follow to address the CNA shortage. After completing the course, students must pass a national test to become a Certified Nurse Assistant. 


Every other year PMC partners with Petersburg High School to offer a year-long CNA program for students. This course blends in-person and online classes with eighty hours of clinical experience at PMC, providing a solid foundation for a healthcare career. 


Since 2017, our The Nursing program has thrived through a partnership with the University of Alaska. Experienced PMC nurses serve as adjunct faculty for the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), teaching and facilitating clinical learning in Petersburg. Nursing students also benefit from specialty rotations at larger facilities, gaining experience in areas such as surgery and obstetrics.   To date, PMC has graduated four nursing cohorts, totaling thirteen nurses, with the Fall 2024 cohort now underway and two more future nurses joining. About 70% of our graduates remain at PMC, reflecting a tremendous success in “growing our own.” 


Jennifer Bryner, CNO, emphasizes the value of our in-house training programs: “It allows us to model and train our nurses and CNAs into the type of healthcare providers we want them to be. We set the bar high because, in our small town, we are literally taking care of our friends and families.” However, local training does have some drawbacks, such as limited exposure to specialty areas like trauma and advanced procedures.


PMC remains committed to education and career training, which not only supports staff retention but also ensures strong continuity of care and high patient satisfaction.

Holli Davis and Bessie Johnson recently began their two year nursing program at PMC through the University of Alaska.

2024-2025 PHS CNA Class from left to right: Elizabeth Burns, Isabella Tarquino, Gabriele Whitacre, Freya Tucker, and Martha Midkiff.

Ron Hall sharing his art work with the community at his art show titled "Colors Speak to Me."

Linda Bell enjoying food and family at July's LTC picnic.

▲ Young visitors from the Kinder Skog program working with residents to make ornaments for Smokey the Bear's 80th birthday.

LONG TERM CARE UPDATE

Summer Outings and New Activities

Fall is in full swing in Long Term Care. Long Term Care enjoyed the summer sunshine while it lasted, but we are excited for the festivities of the fall season ahead.

              

We kicked off summer with an art show and community reception at the Clausen Memorial Museum featuring the art work of resident Ron Hall. This was a wonderful opportunity to share his work and connect with the community. 


In July, we hosted a picnic at Sandy Beach that saw a fantastic turnout from both residents and the community. The weather cooperated for the most part and left us with only slight showers during set up and clean up. We also reinstated our “Lunch with the Residents” program, allowing staff members to join residents for a meal provided by the dietary department, fostering social connections. Additionally, we enjoyed a visit from Kinderskog over the summer to help celebrate Smokey the Bear’s 80th birthday!


August brought a small COVID outbreak to LTC, but thanks to our vigorous infection control measures, we managed to keep the spread minimal. During this time we shifted to more outdoor activities and more one-on-one time with each resident.


As we transition into fall, our residents have enjoyed visits from both Kinderskog and the Girl Scouts. We’ve engaged in various arts and crafts projects themed around the season, alongside plenty of baking and cooking. Looking ahead, we have some exciting events planned:

  • Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration on Monday, October 14th, to honor the Alaskan and American Native Heritage of our residents and community members.
  • Annual Trick-or-Treating Event on Halloween (Thursday, October 31st) from 3-5 PM, which promises to be a spooktacular time for all!

MEET THE STAFF

Championing Home Health in Petersburg

Laura Holder, the Home Health Manager for Petersburg Medical Center, has a rich and diverse background that shapes her approach to healthcare. Growing up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she spent her teenage years studying in the Czech Republic. Upon returning to the U.S., she pursued a degree in Slavic languages with an emphasis on Russian at a college in North Carolina. Her educational journey also included an immersive experience in Moscow.


Inspired by her personal experiences with her mother and hospice nurses, Laura developed a deep desire to become a nurse. She returned to nursing school and has been a certified nurse for 15 years. The last 11 years of her career have been spent in Alaska. Laura began her journey as a travel nurse in Wrangell, where she met her husband. Together, they blended their families, bringing six children and two grandchildren into their lives, and they now call Petersburg home.


Laura joined PMC in July 2022 as a home health nurse, expressing her passion for the field by saying, “I love home health.” In the spring of 2024, she stepped up as the interim manager for the department and has since been officially appointed to the role. One of the most exciting aspects of her position is the potential for expanding services. A primary goal is to achieve certification as a hospice organization, both locally and regionally. Laura emphasizes that while Home Health is currently doing much of the vital work related to palliative and end-of-life care, they are not adequately compensated for it. Becoming hospice certified will enhance their capabilities and allow them to serve more individuals sustainably.


Despite the challenges of navigating Medicare regulations and bureaucratic hurdles to achieve hospice certification, Laura considers building a dedicated team to be one of her most significant challenges. With selective hiring and intentional team-building efforts, she has fostered a committed group of individuals who genuinely care for their community and patients.


When she's not working, you can find Laura enjoying Bingo nights with her team, where they enthusiastically juggle multiple cards and daubers, creating a fun and lively atmosphere. Outside of Bingo, Laura loves spending time at their cabin on Farm Island, a cherished gathering spot for her family, including her children and grandchildren who still reside in Wrangell. Laura is also a sports fanatic— a self-proclaimed “massive Formula One fan” and a “big MMA enthusiast.”

▲ Laura (back right) loves her Home Health team - they have a great time together in their cozy space in the PIA building.

Laura enjoys boat rides and outdoor activities with her family and their dog!

Kellii Wood with daughters Kaia (15) and Mia (12) d

DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT

Inside the Essential Roles of the Joy Janssen Clinic's Reception Team

The reception team at Joy Janssen Clinic is the first point of contact for patients, embodying warmth and professionalism. Front Desk Supervisor and Referral Coordinator Chris Waechter captures their mission well: “Nobody really wants to go to the doctor….but we feel like we have accomplished our goal if everyone leaves feeling like they were treated with dignity and respect, and were heard and well cared for.”


Their responsibilities extend beyond answering phones and checking in patients; they are crucial facilitators, managing communications between patients, providers, and external facilities to ensure seamless operations. The Referral Coordinator plays a key role, overseeing both internal referrals (e.g., physical therapy) and external referrals to specialists. So far in 2024 PMC has processed over 1,500 referrals – about two thirds of which were to external specialties. The team’s commitment to these tasks is evident in their persistent follow-ups and their efforts to expedite appointments, which can sometimes take months to be processed and scheduled by receiving facilities. To address this, PMC’s Referrals Coordinator diligently tracks each referral, following up within 24 hours to confirm receipt and again after seven days to check on scheduling progress. 


Behind the scenes, Insurance Specialist Megan Litster ensures patients’ insurance details are accurate and prior authorizations are obtained, streamlining billing. The Medicaid Travel Coordinator also plays a vital role by securing travel authorizations and vouchers for Medicaid recipients, making transportation to appointments stress-free.


Jessica Franklin and Kaili Watkins cherish their interactions with the community, while Megan excels at resolving complex insurance issues. The camaraderie within the team is palpable, celebrating “flannel Fridays” together and noting that their favorite part of the job is working alongside such a supportive group. With nearly 20 years of combined experience at PMC, it’s clear that their dedication is both deep and lasting. 

The Joy Janssen Clinic's Reception team welcomes all patients, visitors, and staff with a friendly smile. From left to right: Jessica Franklin, Kaili Watkins, Chris Waechter, and Megan Lister.

Petersburg Medical Center | 907-772-4291 | pmcweb@pmc-health.org
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