Petersburg Medical Center’s septic pipes are failing, and its maintenance department is trying to stretch the aging system to its limits until the new hospital facility is built. That’s according to a report that will go before the Borough’s Hospital Board at its meeting tonight.
Wolf Brooks is the hospital’s facility engineer. In his report to the board, he noted that many septic system issues have cropped up in recent months. However, it’s nothing his department didn’t anticipate working on in the building that has some infrastructure over 50 years old.
Most of the hospital’s original septic pipes are reaching the end of their lifespan. Brooks says his plan is to fix problem areas as they arise. But they’ll hold off on any major restorations until they can move into the new hospital facility, which is currently in the works.
PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter reports that progress on the new facility site is “steady and going well.” Contractors have begun filling the part of the site with rock from the city quarry, as well as blasting the bedrock beneath it. According to Les Hostetler, Dawson Construction’s project superintendent, residents may hear two to three detonations per day until Thursday, May 2 — that’s if the contractors complete their work on time.
R&M Engineering has seismic monitors on site, and Dawson collaborated on a safety plan with the Borough’s fire and police departments, and the nearby airport for the demolition period. They also have 10 staff members on site to prevent people from coming into the blast zone. Notifications were sent out to residents living close to the blast zone.
The hospital is still waiting on responses to a few requests to the state and federal government to fully fund the project. A $37 million line item in the state’s Capital Budget is still pending. And two requests for federal funding — worth $15 million each — were submitted to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola on March 22. PMC also submitted an application for a $2 million grant from the Denali Commission on April 12.
In other news, PMC’s in-house youth program, Kinderskog, received a $20,000 grant for an outdoor kayak program this summer through the Alaska Community Foundation. And the hospital is planning to host dermatology and ear, nose and throat clinics next month.
Petersburg’s Hospital Board will meet tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Assembly Chambers. KFSK will broadcast that meeting live and post the recording in our Hospital Board Archive. Also at 12:30 p.m. today, KFSK’s Hannah Flor will host PMC Live: a call-in show with hospital staff.
