Clinic director reports HRSA award inquiry, pharmacy go‑live set for April 7 and strategic‑plan work with Foraker; gap insurance quotes on hand

Director Alex Wall updated the committee on four operational items: the HRSA notice of award, pharmacy launch, strategic plan work with Foraker, and gap‑insurance quotes.

HRSA notice of award: Wall said he had contacted the HRSA project officer, Kathleen Rook, and filed an inquiry through the HRSA portal (BHPC). He also said he contacted Senator Lisa Murkowski’s office; staff there took the grant number and agreed to submit an inquiry, which Wall said they are statutorily required to answer within three days. Wall described the timeline as still within HRSA’s expected window for notices (the committee’s award window extends into March) and said he was not "terribly worried" but would continue to monitor and report back.

Pharmacy: Wall reported a planned go‑live date of April 7 for an on‑site pharmacy linkage with a receiving pharmacy in Juneau and telepharmacy support. The team has configured software and telepharm connections; the remaining hurdle is receipt of a DEA registration number. "We have everything set up. All I need is the number," Wall said. The April 7 start will be staged: technicians will be on-site to support staff, and prescriptions will be limited initially to a small number of known patients.

Strategic plan and Foraker: Wall said the board president and he met with Foraker (a nonprofit advising organization) and that Foraker’s team is working on a schedule of stakeholder meetings. He described a proposed sequence of three remote one‑on‑one conversations between Foraker advisors and board members followed by a final on‑site convening; the process would take roughly four to five months depending on scheduling.

Gap insurance quotes: Wall said he collected three quotes for gap insurance (to cover areas not covered by FTCA or municipal coverage) and intends to include the information in a future board packet once separation from the municipality and funding authority questions are resolved. He recommended holding final decisions until after administrative separation because current coverage flows through the municipality.

Other committee business included scheduling checks (an October meeting date may conflict with a federal or local holiday) and a bylaws review meeting planned for the coming week. The committee thanked staff for recent clinic work and patient service; no formal votes were taken on these updates beyond the prior motions forwarding policies and contracts.