Skagway’s municipally run medical clinic has been struggling with high staff and management turnover in recent months. Now, Skagway’s borough assembly has approved some big changes to the clinic’s board of directors.
Skagway’s Dahl Memorial Clinic has become the source of much discussion at the borough assembly table over the last year. During its last session, assembly members voted to make changes to the clinic’s governing body.
Two clinic board members with three decades of service between them were removed by the assembly. In their places, the assembly assigned two of their own.
Former president of the board Cory Thole and board member Linda Calver were removed on March 17. Assembly members, Deb Potter and Dustin Stone were assigned to the newly vacant seats. The assembly approved the changes with a 5-1 vote. Assemblymember Jay Burnham cast the lone no vote without explanation.
Potter said at the March 17 borough assembly meeting that the changes would bring fresh eyes to the board.
“The only motive is to be able to continue to keep those doors open and provide reliable medical care,” said Potter.
Additionally, Assemblymember Sam Bass will serve as the assembly’s liaison to the clinic board. He says Skagway’s clinic is facing understandable challenges and he hopes these changes help address them.
“Right now it’s hard to get any medical people anywhere, even down south they’re having a hard time getting medical staff. But regardless if those hurdles that exist, we still have to overcome those hurdles. The board, the assembly, the town, has to overcome those hurdles because we have to provide medical to our citizens and our visitors. It’s a requirement,” said Bass.
Assemblymember Dustin Stone said he believes the clinic is failing the community. He said the majority of community-based complaints he gets as an assembly member are about the clinic, and he says the board and assembly are responsible. He argued in favor of the changes citing a lack of communication between the board and the assembly.
“When I was the liaison for the clinic board, I was asked to leave during executive sessions, I was told that I was not supposed to be a part of them. And that’s kind of problematic if I’m the liaison between those two boards, and we’re supposed to be working together,” said Stone.
The clinic board is made up of nine members and two alternates that have yet to be appointed. Community member Katie Auer vacated her alternate position to accept a regular board member position. Another alternate Sam Cornman resigned as did board member Miranda Miller.
The board is the body that makes the decisions about how the community-run clinic operates. They are in charge of hiring staff, drafting budgets, and grant acquisitions.
According to municipal bylaws, the assembly can remove a board member at any time with a majority vote, and must approve all improvements to the building of over $50,000, or any sale of the clinic itself.
Last summer Skagway’s borough manager invited the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, known as “SEARHC,” to make a bid to take over operations of the clinic. Assemblymember Reba Hylton has been an outspoken advocate of the move and was serving as the assembly liaison before the changes were made.
“I am outspoken about SEARHC. And I want to continue to be outspoken about SEARHC because I believe in what they do. And I believe it’s the best thing for our community. And I don’t want anyone to even think or for there to be an appearance that I have an ulterior agenda by being a part of the clinic. So I’m going to step away from that. I do wish you all the success,” said Hylton.
The initiative to sell the clinic operations, building, and property to SEARHC will be decided by Skagway voters later this year.
The clinic has been hit hard with staffing shortages over the last two years. Currently, their interim executive director is working remotely and not managing day-to-day operations. The clinic is advertising seven vacant positions including an executive director, typically it employs less than 20 people.
