Community outcry and allegations against Ketchikan’s local hospital have come to a head in the last few weeks, with concerns raised about how Peacehealth Ketchikan Medical Center has been handling safety issues and treating employees.
Two former PeaceHealth employees created a Facebook group last month for community members to share their concerns about the hospital. It’s called “Ketchikan Citizens Holding PeaceHealth Accountable” and has gained over 550 members.
Many of the nearly 150 posts on the page are anonymous stories, allegedly from staff and patients.
Chief Hospital Executive Kendall Sawa says that the anonymity of these concerns makes them difficult to address.
“I think, unfortunately, the forum or format from which they’re raising some concerns makes it difficult for us to articulate what the ask is of us,” Sawa said. “And many of the things that are being posted on that Facebook site, which we are monitoring, and we are trying to garner some trends that at least the ones that we can manage are very specific patient occurrences.”
At a PeaceHealth Advisory Committee town hall last month, community members said staff doesn’t feel comfortable raising concerns in the workplace out of fear of retaliation. Some say they’ve seen others get fired for saying something, and that can affect quality of care.
The hospital has a policy in place that prohibits retaliation. But Sawa says it’s difficult to act on concerns without knowing the leader responsible for violating that policy. He urges people to come forward with formal and specific complaints, even if they are submitted anonymously.
“We want to know more about that if there is that underlying fear of retaliation,” Sawa said. “We want to understand where it’s coming from and we want to be able to address that because it is in our best interest to make sure that our caregivers feel safe to bring safety concerns to us.”
Many other concerns are from patients who have had negative experiences at the hospital, feeling disrespected, disregarded or unsafe. Sawa says those are important for PeaceHealth leaders to be aware of and act on.
“You know, I feel bad when maybe we miss the mark, as far as expectations go for some people who have sought care through our organization,” he said. “We want to listen and learn from that.”
Chief Administrative Officer Sarah Cook says that she has been informing staff of different avenues they can use if they have concerns. That includes checking in with all units and working with leaders to educate them on the policy against retaliation.
The Alaska Department of Health recently found a handful of deficiencies at the Ketchikan hospital, including cases of abuse and neglect, in its long-term care facility. Cook ensures those have been remedied and they are expanding recreational programming for patients.
Ketchikan City Council is meeting Nov. 25 for a special work session in light of the community concerns to discuss and review the hospital’s lease. The lease agreement includes an expectation of services that need to be delivered. That could include amendments or additions to the lease.
