SEARCH unveils new Sitka hospital and $300 million regional investment

SEARCH (the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium) told an audience in Sitka that its new Mount Edgecombe Medical Center is a 235,000‑square‑foot critical access hospital designed to expand surgical and outpatient services in the region. Megan Bosak, federal and agency affairs director for SEARCH, said the facility will have 25 beds and that "this marks about a $300,000,000 investment in Southeast Alaska." The consortium plans a ribbon‑cutting next Thursday and to move all services to the new site in June.

SEARCH officials described several construction innovations at the Sitka campus, including on‑site concrete batching, a ground‑source heat pump and an underwater transmission line to bring power from Baranof Island. Bosak said those measures and campus consolidation are intended to improve reliability and broaden local access to specialty care such as expanded pharmacy, outpatient services and additional surgical capacity. "This is a state of the art facility," Bosak said.

Matt Carl, who oversees SEARCH's brand engagement and tribal relations, framed the Sitka project as part of a broader regional strategy under SEARCH's mission and Indian Health Service obligations. He emphasized that investments in Sitka add capacity for communities across a region SEARCH described as roughly the size of Florida. Carl said SEARCH serves roughly 41,000–42,000 patients within a regional population of about 70,000 and keeps a focus on reducing travel burdens for patients who previously had to go out of state for specialty care.

Workforce development is tied to the facility plan: Bosak said SEARCH constructed 46 housing units in Sitka to support recruitment and retention, offering one‑ to three‑bed apartments and single‑family homes to help providers put down roots locally. SEARCH also highlighted existing partnerships with national providers and academic centers to bring specialists to Southeast Alaska and noted investments in telemedicine and a new patient portal to improve access for outlying communities.

SEARCH described its board governance (15 members from 15 communities) and a three‑year strategic cycle called View 2028 to prioritize growth areas such as "caring for our caregivers," quality of care and unified organizational culture. Bosak and Carl said the new Sitka hospital will consolidate many services and is meant to reduce the need for patients to travel outside the region. They offered continued community outreach and invited attendees to the upcoming grand opening events.