Sitkans continue to call for the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, or SEARHC, to reestablish its home healthcare department after it closed last fall. When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight (4-9-24) it will consider a resolution urging SEARHC to re-establish the Medicare-certified department.
SEARHC replaced its home health department with a “home based care” model last September. SEARHC maintains that the program continues to provide equivalent services. But some community members say the new program isn’t the same – and they want a return to Medicare-certified home health.
The resolution is sponsored by assembly members Kevin Mosher and Tim Pike. A memo included in the assembly packet reads, “While we acknowledge that we are not experts in the medical care profession and respect SEARHC’s independence, we respectfully request that SEARHC consider undertaking a sincere and inclusive public outreach effort in Sitka. Furthermore, we ask SEARHC to reconsider reinstating their previous program if it is both desired by the community and feasible.”
In other business, the assembly will consider authorizing the municipal administrator to apply for a $1 Million hydroelectric incentive grant from the Department of Energy and consider property tax exemptions for Sheldon Jackson Childcare Center and Youth Advocates of Sitka.
The Sitka Assembly meets at 6 p.m. tonight. Raven News will broadcast the meeting live, following Alaska News Nightly.
