September 12, 2013
Thursday PM

Editor,

As a school administrator, my days are spent planning and facilitating all that needs to happen to make sure our kids get the best education possible and how to best support our teachers in that goal. As a member of the Ketchikan Medical Center's Board of Governors, I've witnessed firsthand administrators and staff thoughtfully striving to meet another complex goal ensuring each person in our community has access to the widest array of high-quality health care possible, right here in Ketchikan.

I can attest to the painstaking consideration of needs, options, and costs as decisions are made regarding how to best use the resources available to serve the greatest number of people. Thanks to their dedication and the ongoing partnership with the City of Ketchikan we all enjoy more services at our Medical Center than most rural communities.

Last year, KMC leaders applied for and received a prestigious $3 million Innovation Grant from the Centers of Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS); the only one awarded in Alaska. The benefit to our community so far has been substantial. By adding a Family Nurse Practitioner, utilizing a triage nurse in the appointment making process, and extending clinic hours several days each week they ve respond to patients same day appointment needs for urgent issues. Best of all, they ve all but stopped referring patients to the ER if they can be seen in the clinic (referrals down by 94%). In addition, patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes or coronary heart failure are receiving ongoing guidance from care coordinators who help manage their diseases to stay healthier while at home so they re not ending up in the hospital.

KMC benefits our community in so many other ways: an amazing home health service, various community education opportunities like the monthly Seaside Chats, and strong recruiting efforts bringing talent caregivers to our community (they ve recently added new doctors in the Family Medicine, Pediatrics and Women s Health Clinics), to name just a few.

We all know someone who has counted on the services KMC provides in Ketchikan. At some point, that someone may be you. Vote Yes to support quality health care in our community well into the future.

Sheri Boehlert
Vice Chair
Governing Board PHKMC
Ketchikan, Alaska

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