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On Tuesday the borough assembly reviewed capital projects needs in Petersburg. Out of 81 requested capital projects across the borough, new and continued, 11 ranked top priority for state funding. The top two priorities are continuing projects for the Petersburg Medical Center replacement. The first is for Phase 4, Main Hospital Construction, seeking $37 million in funding to cover the cost in full. The second is for Phase 5, Main Hospital Interior Build out, seeking $30 million. Hospital project Phases 1 through 3, in the amount of $29...
Trekking up the harbor ramp as the sun set at North Harbor, scores of film production crew members geared up to their chins and strapped with various pieces of equipment made their way back to the Tides Inn after a long day at Little Duncan Bay. A Netflix reality television show called "Outlast" recently filmed its second season on National Forest System lands in the Petersburg Ranger District, around Little Duncan Bay on Kupreanof Island. The series follows 16 individuals as they "survive off...
In January The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously voted to award the construction contract for the Blind Slough Hydroelectric refurbishment project to McG/Dawson Joint Venture for an amount not to exceed $5,744,000. The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved an ordinance in its first reading that would rezone a lot located at 10 N. 12th Street for commercial use. The rezoning was requested by the Petersburg Indian Association ahead of their prospective purchase of the lot, which h...
The Cedar Social Club opened Dec. 11 as Petersburg’s first adult day program. This four-hour day program provides personal care, social activity and meal service in a homelike environment for adults who could benefit from spending time in a safe space with trained staff and licensed nurses. “Right now, we’re really at the ground zero. We are building this and creating it,” said Home Health Clinical Manager Kirsten Testoni. “We need to tailor it to everybody’s likes and wants…” While serving as an alternative to assisted living or long-term ca...
"This groundbreaking is a symbol of unity, commitment to the well-being of our community," PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter addressed ceremony attendees. "It's a cornerstone that represents the future of healthcare. And with the WERC building ... it represents a stronger workforce and economy across generations, and serves as a pivotal moment for the quality of care, the quality of life, from community members to our long-term care residents." Petersburg Medical Center invited the community to the new...
During October's hospital board meeting, program facilitators presented a review of the PMC Youth Programs under the Petersburg Medical Center community wellness department - primarily highlighting Kinder Skog's past year as a PMC pilot program. The outdoor-based childcare program transitioned from operating under Petersburg Lutheran Church's Good Beginnings Preschool to PMC in August 2022 after the hospital board agreed earlier that year to establish a pilot childcare program in the Community W...
To Whom It May Concern To the Editor: I am 82 years old now. My great-grandchildren are seventh generation of family residents growing up in Petersburg. Kay and I were adopted and given Tlingit names by elder Pete Marten, Senior, fifty years ago, into a Tlingit society that has been scientifically and indisputably proven to exist in S.E. Alaska for over 10,000 years and literally hundreds of generations. Thirty years ago, Spencer Israelson, who spent his youth at Point Agassiz, took me to the mainland and showed me many petroglyphs that he and...
Clear Answers to our Petersburg Medical Center, Part 1 To the Editor: Like many in Petersburg, I didn’t understand specifically why we needed a new facility and how it would be paid for. I addressed the facility problems in the previous two letters. Apparently the decision to build a new facility was made over twelve years ago. Our CEO, Phil Hofstetter, was hired almost six years ago to rebuild by the hospital board. The 2015 architectural report (8 years old) cites $43 million to repair the systems. This is not possible with patients there a...
Late Monday night, a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Sitka crashed on Read Island in Farragut Bay during a search and rescue mission for a nearby fishing vessel -leaving four helicopter crew members in need of urgent rescuing, as well. The prompt response from Petersburg's emergency services played a crucial role in the successful rescue operation that resulted in the survival of all four helicopter crew members. Two members were discharged from the hospital Wednesday morni...
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) named Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter as Alaska's 2023 "Community Star." Hofstetter is being recognized by the national organization for his dedication to enhancing rural healthcare and addressing the health needs of the Petersburg community through wellness and prevention activities, education, collaborative partnerships, and accessible at-home care. "Phil and PMC have advanced local healthcare through numerous...
November 8 – An officer conducted foot patrols downtown. An officer conducted a security check at a business on North 1st Street. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of lost property from Valkyrie Street. An officer assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with an overdose on Fram Street. A driver at Baltic Street and North Nordic Drive received a warning for failure to stop at a stop sign. Officers conducted a security sweep at a business on South Nordic Drive. November 8 – An officer responded to a report of a monitored fir...
October 18 – An alarm accidentally activated on South 2nd Street. A protective order was served. An officer was unable to locate a dog reported to be wandering around the North 2nd Street area. An officer responded to a report of a fawn having been struck by a motor vehicle on South Nordic Drive, but upon arrival was informed the fawn had left the area with a doe. An officer conducted a welfare check on South 2nd Street. An officer searched and secured a business on Fram Street after finding an unlocked door. An officer conducted a welfare c...
What is wrong with the PMC buildings? To the Editor: After reviewing the 50-page 2015 architectural report and visiting with the current Petersburg Medical Center employees, I am sharing my understanding of this issue in two letters. The hospital consists of three separate constructions: the long-term care, built in 1959 is cement. The acute care building in 1983-84 is steel and wood. The clinic consists of 5 modular sections. They are wood and connected in 1994. The architectural design is amazing with the available space. Renovations include...
At the Alaska Hospital and Health Care Association (AHHA) conference in Girdwood last month, Petersburg Medical Center Long Term Care received the top award of Excellence in Quality for the 2023 Nursing Home Quality Awards. The Alaska Nursing Home Quality Achievement Award was bestowed to PMC by Mountain Pacific, a nonprofit corporation that oversees the quality of care for Medicare and Medicaid members through federal and state contracts, as a Gold Pan award for the quality of care delivered... Full story
During the recent Hospital Board meeting Sept. 28, Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter shared news of receiving the "verbal greenlight" for a $20 million treasury grant earlier that day. The verbal greenlight came from PMC's liaison with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) at the state governor's office, which is the agency that is working with the Department of the Treasury, Hoffstetter explained to the Pilot in an interview. This $20 million grant will be used to develop the... Full story
Negative stereotype To the Editor: In the spirit of free enterprise, Sig and Ambre Burrell are trying to address the demand for affordable housing in our community by developing a manufactured home neighborhood on their privately-owned land. Some people argue that Petersburg should not give up this beautiful open space; they also complain about ugliness and lack of cleanliness in mobile home parks and of prevalent crime in these neighborhoods. One individual believes that people who live in trailer homes neglect their pets and are outsiders,...
After 23 years, Brandy Boggs moved away from Petersburg. Although she may no longer be here in person, her substantial contributions to the community will continue as she remains Petersburg Medical Center's patient navigator - now working in a hybrid role. Over the years, Brandy has held various roles serving rural Alaskan communities. She worked for the state doing child protection with the Office of Children's Services for a number of years before transitioning to her role in the court, where...
Do we really need a new hospital? To the Editor: When I first heard about the hospital project, like many of you, I had a lot of questions. Do we really need a new hospital? The clinic, which is the part I mainly visit, looks great. And, how in the world would we pay for an $85 million facility? Phil Hostetter and the hospital board informed me on both questions. First, they started with a study of the current hospital. The original hospital, where Long Term Care is located, dates to the 1950s and is failing rapidly due to poor plumbing and...
The Petersburg Medical Center is introducing a new program for psychiatric care under the behavioral health department, with the support of a $300 thousand federal grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) is a one-year grant that HRSA awarded PMC to “address immediate needs in rural areas through improving access, capacity and sustainability of prevention, treatment, and recovery services for substance use disorder,” according to the language of the grant. PMC is...
Jerod Cook What is your age? I am 54 years old Why have you chosen to run for Hospital Board at this time? I have been on the hospital board for a number of years, and because we are in the middle of the process of getting a new facility built, I feel I need to help finish the project I was involved with starting. I feel it is important to make sure the future health care needs of the community are met and continue at the level they are, or better, going into the future. What experience do you... Full story
Rick Perkins What is your age? 69 Why have you chosen to run for Assembly at this time? I have been asked to bring people and ideas together without a divisive tone in this capacity. What experience do you have that prepares you for this role? In working for the Boeing Company, I was able to bridge the gap from engineering to assembly, by building the tooling to do so regardless of paperwork or personalities. I have built 7 of my own homes, I have worked on 3 different water plant projects, and... Full story
Carl Edward Crome passed away on September 8, 2023 at United General Medical Center in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Officially, he died of complications from Alzheimer’s-related dementia and heart disease. But really, he died of a broken heart because he couldn’t fish anymore. Carl is survived by his wife, Judy, his brother Donnie, his children Carl Hensen, James Hensen, Julie Bartholoma, Linda Jackson, Lara Stark, and Daniel Crome, as well as many, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Car... Full story
At the office of Petersburg nonprofit Humanity In Progress, anyone experiencing food insecurity can pick up a grab-and-go bag from the storage container just outside the door. Inside, a thoughtful collection of products to meet a person's basic needs are stacked against the walls. Humanity in Progress, also called HIP, is a small local nonprofit organization that aims to address the present humanitarian needs for shelter and sustenance in Petersburg. There is currently a housing shortage in...
As the first practical measure taken by Petersburg’s Early Childhood Education Task Force, the PIECE program is nearing the mark of its first year in action. So far, eight childcare provider employees across three services in Petersburg have received a first round of fiscal incentives under the program. For some, the extra benefits have given them a positive boost toward higher education; for others, the bonus check has not provided enough of a platform to launch from. PIECE, short for Petersburg Incentive Education for Childhood Employees, i...
