Petersburg Medical Center details replacement-campus plan and funding strategy as Alaska prepares to obligate RHTP funds

Petersburg Medical Center leaders told a joint workshop of the Petersburg Borough Assembly and the hospital board that a phased replacement of the hospital campus is necessary to address aging infrastructure, improve patient safety and keep care local, and that the hospital is preparing to pursue state and federal grant opportunities including funds from the new Rural Health Transformation Program.

Phil Hopster, CEO of Petersburg Medical Center, said the hospital's strategic priorities include financial stability, community engagement and workforce wellness as the organization expands services such as MRI, telehealth and behavioral health. "We're going live with our MRI in Petersburg here shortly, hopefully, if the state approves it," Hopster said while reviewing operations and service-line growth.

The hospital's architect described the existing facility as in "managed decay," noting systems so old they require improvised repairs and pointing to structural and life-safety vulnerabilities. Roy Rountree, the project architect, said the long-term care wing is nearly 60 years old, rooms are too small to safely handle some patient lifts, and prolonged power outages currently leave parts of the facility without heat. "When…