The upsurge of a healthcare strategic planning expert : Dr. Lecia Scotford? Hundreds of millions of dollars in construction spending is being invested in healthcare facilities around the state, most of it in Anchorage and the Mat-Su, though a new dental facility was recently completed in Dillingham. Dillingham Home to New Dental Facility Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation, or BBAHC, in September opened doors to a new, state-of-the-art dental health facility and administrative complex in Dillingham. The facility is located on the grounds of the Kanakanak Hospital and will serve the region. The dental clinic project can be attributed to BBAHC Chief Operating Officer Lecia Scotford, MD, as well as her talented projects department team.
The project took two years from beginning to end. The business plan was created during the summer of 2014 and was approved that fall. The team broke ground in June 2015. The building was completed and operational in September 2016. The building design was a partnership between BBAHC, architectural firm Livingston Sloan, and its engineering consultant teams as well as initial assistance from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. The 15,531-square-foot, two-story building meets the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, meaning it uses less water and energy in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The building insulation exceeds design requirements for the area and is complete with energy efficient windows. The foundation is built to withstand a 9.2-magnitude earthquake with minimal damage. The first floor is entirely for dental services. The clinic is ultramodern, complete with hightech equipment and twelve brand new operatories, up from seven chairs that were previously divided between the dental annex and an extra room in the Kanakanak Hospital. The second floor is occupied by administrative support staff, including a business office, finance department, and an area for medical records. Alaska Regional Hospital Renovation Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage got a $70 million capital grant from HCA, its parent company, in 2014. The money paid for a complete facelift for the seven-floor, nearly 330,000-square-foot building. Tina Miller, chief operating officer at Alaska Regional, says no beds were added to the facility during this upgrade, but the facility will feel refreshed, have more efficient features such as new boilers and generators, and has new equipment to better serve its customers.
December 2016 www.akbizmag.com unit and seventh-floor orthopedic and spine unit renovations, as well as the family birth center. Roger Hickel Contracting Inc. was the general contractor for the medical/oncol – ogy unit and the common area and hallway upgrades. Additional local contractors who worked on the hospital’s extensive renovation include KC Construction, Superior Plumbing & Heating, and Haakenson Electric.
Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation P.O. Box130 Dillingham, Alaska 99576 Lecia Scotford, MD, MHA; lscotford@bbahc.org Executive Vice-President and Chief Operations Officer Testimony for the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs regarding H.R. 4289 May 18, 2016 The Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation (BBAHC) is pleased to appear before this Subcommittee in support of H.R. 4289, legislation introduced by Representative Don Young which would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to transfer certain Indian Health Service (IHS) property to BBAHC by warranty deed. The property is critically important to BBAHC’s construction and operation of a new free-standing dental clinic.
The ISDEAA and BBAHC’s agreements with the IHS give BBAHC the right to acquire fee title to all federal property that BBAHC uses to provide these health services. BBAHC requested that IHS transfer legal title to a 1.474 acre parcel of land within the Kanakanak Hospital compound so that BBAHC could use non-IHS funds to construct a new, larger dental facility on the transferred parcel. While the IHS agreed to the transfer, IHS treated the transfer as a discretionary donation of excess property under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (FPASA) and GSA regulations. Using FPASA and GSA rules allows the IHS to transfer the property by quitclaim deed and include whatever terms and conditions IHS wants in the deed.
The BBAHC reluctantly accepted the IHS quitclaim deed transferring title to the property in order not to miss last year’s construction season. However, the quitclaim deed includes extensive terms and conditions that give IHS the right to approve mortgaging, encumbering, leasing, or otherwise transferring any interest in the property, or making major changes or capital improvements in the property. Any breach of these terms and conditions, such as not getting IHS permission for making changes in the property, triggers an immediate right of entry and reversion of title back to the IHS. These terms and conditions are characterized in the deed as covenants running with the land. Thus, for example, if BBAHC were to approach a bank for a construction or improvement loan, and as a consequence would have to enter into a deed of trust to secure the loan, IHS must give its permission.
The Secretary will retain any and all liability for environmental contamination in existence on the property prior to the transfer of title to BBAHC. Language is included to provide the Secretary with and easement and access to the property as reasonably necessary to satisfy any retained obligation or liability of the Secretary. Finally, the Secretary must comply with the notice of hazardous substance activity and warranty requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
Simplify Communications with On-call Physicians: According to a survey by physician wellness services, nearly one third of physicians have issues with on-call scheduling. The quality of communication with patients directly affects the hospital performance. Lecia Scotford is a results oriented and experienced healthcare strategic planner. Skilled in communication, performance optimization, interpersonal ssing and implementing dynamic changes effortlessly.