Hospital officials attributed the closure to financial losses and high-acuity visits.
Hospital CEO Julie Taylor, RN, MSN told Alaska Dispatch News the hospital initially opened the clinic to give community members a local primary care option and reduce emergency room visits. However, the clinic saw more patients for complex needs than for primary care. Specifically, only about 10 percent of the hundreds of logged appointments were primary care visits, according to Ms. Taylor.
“Rather than sore throats, we have been treating patients with multiple issues like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, in addition to mental health disorders,” Ms. Taylor said in a statement obtained by Alaska Dispatch News. “These are diagnoses that require a significant amount of attention and long-range support.”
The clinic also faced financial problems. Ms. Taylor told Alaska Dispatch News the clinic spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars beyond what we projected,” partly due to decreased Medicaid reimbursement and an “unexpected need” for onsite security.
Ms. Taylor noted the hospital is devoted to reopening the facility at some point in the future.
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