Dahl Memorial Clinic in Skagway. Photo by Mike Swasey.

Two more high-level employees at Skagway’s medical clinic are out as the exodus of staff continues. There are many unanswered questions about the clinic where over a dozen employees have left over the past year.

On Thursday night the clinic board president Cory Thole announced two more departures from the Dahl Memorial Clinic. A family nurse practitioner had been let go earlier this month without any explanation. 

“We are actively looking to refill that position,” said Thole.

But that wasn’t the only departure announced by the board president.

“We also received the resignation of our executive director, her last day will be on December 17,” said Thole.

The clinic’s executive director is Estelita Fielding. On September 8, the board of directors held a special clinic board meeting behind closed doors. In the executive session, the Executive Director faced a review of both staff surveys and a board evaluation. About one week later she resigned.

This follows last month’s resignations of another nurse practitioner as well as an account specialist.

The total number of recent staff departures this year now climbs to about 16. That’s among a staff roster of less than 20 people at the medical clinic. 

The remaining medical staff not on their way out includes two temporary hires and an interim Medical Director.

To date, there have been no public explanations for the high turnover. But to understand the structure, this is how the small clinic’s chain of command works. 

  • The medical clinic’s eight-member board can hire or fire the Executive Director.
  • That Executive Director oversees the Medical Director, some contract employees, and regular staff.
  • The Medical Director oversees the contract providers like nurses or physician associates.
  • The clinic staff are borough employees which gives the borough manager some authority over them. 
  • The assembly can appoint or remove clinic board members, they will confirm the hiring of the executive director and approve contracts and budget appropriations of over $25,000.

So it would be the interim Medical Director — under the oversight of the Executive Director — to make any decisions over the firing of a  nurse practitioner. But no official explanation has been offered as to why. The borough manager isn’t talking. And the clinic’s outgoing Executive Director Estelita Fielding did not return requests for comment. 

Clinic Board President Cory Thole told the Skagway Assembly on Thursday that the clinic has contracted with recruiting agencies and is currently interviewing candidates for at least a half-dozen vacant positions.