Welcome to Your (New) Hospital - Bartlett Regional Hospital

HouseCallsFall 2009
We bring healthcare information home to you.
Welcome to Your (New) Hospital
Surviving Breast Cancer
in Juneau – page 6

Community
Health
Bartlett Beginnings
Classes are free.
For times & registration call 796-8422 or
go online:
www.bartletthospital.org
Health Pregnancy: Nov. 2 & Nov. 9
Just for Dads Prenatal: Nov. 18 & Dec. 9
Weekend Intensive Childbirth
preparation: Oct. 17 & 18
Regular Childbirth series: Nov. 5, 12, 19,
26 & Dec. 10
Breastfeeding Success: Dec. 7, 14, 21
Dads & Babies Playgroup: first Saturday
every month
Baby Parent Time: every Thursday
Toddlers Play Group: every Monday (at
REACH)
Let’s Quit! Tobacco Cessation Program
Tuesdays, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27; Nov. 3, 10
(For information: 796-8920)
Mobile Mammography
Craig: Oct. 12-14
Metlakatla: Oct. 16-23
Women’s Health Forum
Centennial Hall, October 17
Alaska Women’s Expo
(Bartlett Foundation fundraiser)
January 30, Centennial Hall
Call 907-321-4466
Cover photo: Representing most departments of
Bartlett Regional Hospital, staff members stand at
the foyer of the new admissions area that was completed
during Phase II of Project 2005.
HouseCalls is written and produced by Peter Metcalfe;
graphic design by Sue Kraft; research & writing assistance
by Sharon Gaiptman; and copy editing by Liz Dodd.
Photos are by Michael Penn, Art Sutch, Peter Metcalfe
or Jim Strader. Page 11 award winners (Perry, Jones and
Heueisen) are courtesy of Linda Wild.
Board Talk
As the State of Alaska continues to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, it is
truly amazing to think about how much hospital care has changed
in Juneau since statehood. In 1959, the Catholic Hospital run by
the Sisters of St. Ann served a local population of about one third of what it
is today. In 1971, St. Ann’s Hospital closed and Bartlett Memorial Hospital
opened its doors. Within ten years of its opening, a major planning effort
had been put in motion to expand and improve Bartlett—efforts that continue
to this day.
This year, at the end of July, contractors applied the final touches to Project
2005, the most extensive, and ambitious, expansion and modernization
project in our hospital’s 38-year history.
First, I would like to give a big “thank you” to former board members Ed
Flanagan, Dr. Bob Urata, and CBJ Liaison, Merrill Sanford. Not only did these
dedicated individuals consistently give of their time and expertise, but, along
with the rest of the Board, helped steer our hospital’s organization through
this period of major construction and growth. I thank the entire Board — as
well as the Hospital’s administration—for its commitment and perseverance.
And a big thank you to our patients and their families. It speaks well of
our community that so many unavoidable inconveniences during the project
could be time and again met with good humor and understanding.
Most especially, I wish to thank our staff—the nurses, housekeepers, security
and admissions personnel—everyone who came to work at Bartlett
Regional Hospital during the construction process and did their jobs efficiently
and in good spirits despite the many disruptions.
I also welcome our new board members, Dr. Alex Malter, Robert Storer, and
new CBJ liaison, David Stone. We thank the City and Borough of Juneau
Assembly for appointing such skilled and dedicated citizens to our board.
We welcome new executive director for the Foundation, Michelle Shaw.
On behalf of the hospital board of directors, we give our heartfelt thanks to
Charlotte Richards, who left early last year after nearly a decade of contributions
to the foundation as both a trustee and executive director.
We continue to welcome new doctors, four of whom you’ll get to meet in
this issue: surgeons Dr. Pamela Gruchacz, MD and Dr. Ben Miller, DO; radiologist
Dr. Steven Strickler, DO, of Diagnostic Imaging; and pediatrician
Dr. Amber Miller, DO.
In the 50 years since statehood, the hospital serving Juneau has gone from
a small neighborhood facility run by the Sisters of St. Ann to a strong, cityowned
regional institution that continues to find the personnel and to
expand facilities to better serve our region.
Happy Birthday, Alaska. And congratulations, Bartlett Regional Hospital.
Loren Jones, President
Bartlett Regional Hospital Board of Directors
HouseCalls — 2

Welcome To Your (New) Community Hospital
Patient & Family Centered Healthcare
As she took on the duties of Chief
Operating Officer for Bartlett
Regional Hospital in November
2007, Debi Lehner walked right
into the middle of a major construction
project that had gotten underway only
a few months before her arrival. She
immediately immersed herself in Phase
II of Project 2005, the renovation of the
hospital’s original structure. Phase I,
the hospital’s new wing, which had just
been completed the preceding spring,
had expanded the hospital’s square footage
by more than 50%, from 89,000 to
134,000.
“Construction of the hospital’s new
wing, as difficult as it may have seemed
at the time, did not have the challenges
of an in-hospital renovation project,”
says Lehner, who in previous hospital
administrative positions had been
involved in similar projects. “Renovating
within a hospital, next to occupied
space, you have noise challenges, dust
control issues, and the confusion of rerouting
access—among many other difficulties.”
Some of the construction challenges
were unique to Juneau. The new Juneau
high school project competed with
Bartlett’s needs for labor and subcontractors—a
situation unfamiliar to Lehner,
who had previously worked in much
larger urban areas where labor shortages
could be easily resolved.
Being new to the job had its advantages.
“Most of the ‘value engineering’ decisions
had been made before I arrived,”
she says, explaining that such decisions
involved space allocations for individual
departments. Some were happy, others
not so much. Physical Therapy got
much more space, Respiratory Therapy
did not. The Sleep Lab was able to
move from rented space to new quarters
within the hospital, while Pharmacy
Hospital CEO Shawn
Morrow, right, stands
with staff members. In
this newsletter, both
Morrow and Board
President Loren Jones
thank hospital staff,
and everyone affected
by Project 2005, for
their understanding
and good humor
during the construction
process.
moved to a new location without an
increase in square footage. Although
the new pharmacy quarters are centrally
located—an improvement—
storage and general pharmacy space
were to remain the same.
Lehner is confident the public will find
the “new” Bartlett Regional Hospital to
be much more accommodating to the
comfort of patients and their families
than was the old facility.
“We now have additional space and special
chairs in maternity and critical care
rooms so a family member can overnight
with the patient. There are now several
waiting rooms throughout the hospital
to accommodate family members; and
we now have a meditation room.” Such
changes, she says, go a long way toward
fulfilling Bartlett’s commitment to “family
centered” care.
Lehner is now preparing for the next
renovation process: the conversion
of the remaining nine two-patient
rooms—several of which will be converted
to accommodate the needs of
orthopedic patients—to private, onepatient
rooms; and expansion of the
short-stay surgical suites and waiting
rooms. To allow for the expansion of
short-stay surgery, Medical Records has
vacated space in the hospital and moved
over to renovated space in the Medical
Arts Building, joining that building’s
remaining tenants: Nutrition, Diabetes
Education, and Human Resources.
(Pencil drawing at top is an artist’s conception of the
hospital’s new wing at the outset of Project 2005.)
3 — Fall 2009

Project 2005 Overview
Appearances that changes have
come to Bartlett Regional Hospital
in fits and starts are not
deceiving—the road from the hospital’s
first day of operation in 1971 to
the expansive regional facility that welcomes
patients today has been anything
but direct. The hospital’s first major renovation
project was completed in 1987,
after five years of planning and eighteen
months of construction. Over the past
twenty years, all of the hospital’s major
renovation and construction projects
have required extensive and complex
planning and procedural reviews that
have, on average, taken two to three
times as long as the construction itself.
Planning for Project 2005, the most
recent and by far most ambitious modernization
of the hospital, began in 1994,
when Bartlett’s board of directors and
management set out to remake the facility
into a regional medical center. The
multi-phase project came to a conclusion
in late July 2009.
The project’s principal advocate, former
hospital CEO Robert Valliant (1989-
2006), did not live to see its completion,
dying of cancer at the age of 64
on December 19, 2006. Bruce Hahnlen,
Bartlett’s construction manager, guided
the project from its inception until he
retired in mid-2008. Hahnlen and his
family now live on a small farm in northeastern
Washington.
An immensely complicated undertaking,
Project 2005 may well rank as the
most complex building/engineering
development in Juneau’s history. The
construction of a new medical facility is
an exacting enterprise, especially in conjunction
with a working hospital.
Ten years of planning, government review
and approval, architectural design, voter
approval of the financing plan, bidding
Project 2005 Milestones
HouseCalls — 4
1994 2000 2001 August 2004
Planning for hospital expansion initiated
by the hospital’s board of directors
Juneau voters approve
project funding
Certificate of Need approved
by the State of Alaska
Phase I construction of
new wing begins

The new Physical Therapy quarters, much more spacious
after the renovation project, provides therapist
Paula McMeen and Jacinda Ryan ample room
to practice with a suspended harness, similar to a
harness track system installed in the Ryans’ home.
Jacinda, who has cerebral palsy, is wheelchair dependent.
She has always wanted to walk, says McMeen,
who explains that the object of the exercise is to help
Jacinda develop the muscles and skills to use the harness
at home to move about. “It is really important for
people with severe disabilities to get out of their chairs
and move — just like you and I,” says McMeen. “This
is good for her overall health, helps build stronger
bones by distributing weight through her legs, helps
with circulation, and strengthens the heart and lungs.”
Jacinda’s mother, Vicky, sits in her daughter’s wheelchair
to observe the exercise.
A MESSAGE FROM SHAWN MORROW, CEO
At the end of July, we brought Project 2005 to completion, drawing to a close a process that
began fifteen years ago.
During the five years of construction that began in 2004, the process of adding to and improving
our community hospital caused considerable inconvenience for the public as well as our
staff. On behalf of the management and board of Bartlett Regional Hospital, we thank you for
your patience and the kind considerations we witnessed repeatedly during construction, as
people navigated a confusing labyrinth of passageways.
We would also like to thank the contractors, construction crews, various trades, engineers,
architects, consultants, and government regulators who collaborated to make this difficult
process run as smooth as it could be. This is not to say there were no bumps along the road —
there were plenty. But most of these were unavoidable due to the challenges of building adjacent
to, and renovating within, an active fully operational hospital.
Everyone in the service area of Bartlett Regional Hospital — in other words, most of Southeast
Alaska — now has access to a facility worthy of its “regional” title. Bartlett is truly a medical
center, with facilities that comfortably accommodate a range of medical, rehabilitative, and
mental health services. We also take considerable pride in the allocation of space that has
added to the privacy of patients and the comfort of their families.
I pay tribute to my predecessor, the late Robert Valliant, who guided this project from its initiation
in 1994 through planning, financing, and initial construction, until his life was cut
short by cancer in December of 2006. During the course of such a long project, others have
retired or moved on, including CBJ project manager Rod Wilson, BRH construction manager
Bruce Hahnlen, and inpatient care administrator Sheryl Washburn. Several dozen
board members served during this period — to all of them and to everyone whose creativity,
labor, and commitment contributed to this project, our heartfelt thanks.
Shawn Morrow
Chief Executive Officer
the project, building a new administrative
office building, and the demolition
of a one-story wing of the hospital
all preceded the August 2004 ground
breaking for the new, three-story wing.
By the time of that ground breaking,
the optimistic name, “Project 2005,” had
become outdated.
In March of 2007, the new wing opened
and, twenty months later, in November
2008, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting
opened the new lobby/admissions area.
By late July 2009, fifteen years after conception,
the final touches to “Project
2005” were complete.
New Wing
First floor: Emergency Department
• Diagnostic Imaging
Second floor: Critical Care Unit
• Bartlett Beginnings (OB)
Third floor: Mental Health
Renovated
• Lobby • Patient Admission Services
• Patient rooms (20) • Pharmacy
• Histology/pathology • Respiratory Therapy
• Microbiology • Physical Therapy
• Blue Heron Gift Shop
New or Moved to the Hospital
• Sleep Lab
• Meditation Room • Laboratory Waiting Room
• Family rooms for CCU and Bartlett Beginnings
• Cardiac Rehabilitation • Infusion Therapy
• Health Education Resource Center
• In-patient Rehabilitation Gym
Next Phase, Fall 2009
Renovation of nine remaining patient rooms
Renovation and expansion Short Stay Surgery
Renovation of Medical Arts Building
Demolition of old REACH building for parking
March 2007 August 2007 November 2008 July 2008
Occupancy of new wing
Renovations completed
Phase II renovation of original
hospital structure gets underway
Ceremonial ribbon-cutting opens
the new admissions lobby
5 — Fall 2009

Surviving Breast Cancer in Juneau
The therapeutic value of friends and neighbors
Helen Davies, an accountant
for the City and Borough of
Juneau, received her diagnosis
of Stage III breast cancer on March
4, 2003. “I was 35—way too young,”
she says. The mother of a two-year-old,
Davies had just started a new job in the
City and Borough of Juneau Finance
Department.
For Cathy Jeans, an accountant with the
Alaska Division of Investments, the official
diagnosis she received in mid-July
last year was not a surprise, but it could
hardly have come at a worse time. Jeans
had lost her 44-year-old husband, Jeff,
just days before to a rare form of cancer.
“I had a mammogram a few weeks
before he passed,” Jeans says. “My doctor
looked at it and said, Maybe. I looked
at it and knew it was cancer.” The test
results she received just after losing her
husband confirmed that she had cancer:
Stage II, grade 3.
A cancer “stage” describes the extent
or severity of an individual’s cancer. A
“grade” classifies cancer cells by how
quickly the tumor is likely to grow and
spread.
Davies and Jeans received their initial
diagnosis after routine mammograms
at Bartlett Regional Hospital. Both
were referred by their primary care
physicians in Juneau to oncology specialists
in Seattle. These consultations
determined post-operative treatment,
which in Davies’ case is a particularly
complex story. The two women each
received their chemotherapy treatments
from Tamara Simone-Collins, RN, at
Bartlett’s infusion therapy unit.
Today, Jeans and Davies share the most
important of all similarities: they have
survived. For Jeans, the five-year milestone
for cancer survivors is still four
years away. A check-up in June revealed
she is in remission, and her prognosis
is very good. For Davies, surviving sixmonths
seemed a gift and yet she is now
more than six years past her initial diagnosis
and remains cancer free.
Davies had a mastectomy at Bartlett four
days after her diagnosis in 2003. She had
received her primary care from a naturopath,
who could not prescribe chemotherapy,
so she engaged Dr. Bob Urata.
“My first appointment was March 17,
2003,” she says. “Dr. Urata insisted I see
an oncologist immediately, and two days
later I was in Seattle.”
During this visit, the results were
encouraging. An MRI (magnetic resonating
imaging) was negative that the
cancer had metastasized (spread). “We
were told an MRI usually gives false
positives, so this was very good news at
the time.”
Returning to Juneau, Davies began a
regimen of chemotherapy administered
by Simone-Collins.
During a subsequent trip in May to
Seattle a PET scan (nuclear imaging)
revealed a spot at the base of her spine,
confirmed by another MRI. While awaiting
the results of a bone biopsy, Davies
had an infusion in Seattle. It was not an
experience she would care to repeat and
left Davies with a deepened appreciation
for Bartlett’s Simone-Collins.
After the bone biopsy confirmed a
malignancy, her oncologist downgraded
Davies’ diagnosis to Stage IV. He began
discussing with Helen and her husband
Brian “quality of life” decisions that
would have to be made. “I was told I’d be
Brian, Ronan and Helen Davies outside their home
above Twin Lakes.
on chemo for life’,” she says. “The oncologist
talked about managing the disease,
not curing it.”
Just describing the situation, Davies’
voice betrays a hint of wonder that she
lived to tell the tale. She is quick to admit
she has a niggling superstition that voicing
any confidence in her condition
could inspire bad luck.
She advises anyone who is diagnosed
with cancer to ignore the statistics.
“Don’t compare yourself to others,” she
says. “Your disease is not their disease.”
Davies’ Stage IV diagnosis was, statistically,
all but a death sentence.
After many consultations, she and
her husband decided on an aggressive
course of chemotherapy and radiation.
A catheter was inserted under the skin
of her upper chest and connected to a
large vein, so she could more comfortably
receive repeated infusions. Other
than the one infusion while in Seattle,
Davies had all her chemotherapy treatments
at Bartlett Regional Hospital.
HouseCalls — 6

At one point she suffered a fever that
interrupted her course of chemotherapy
for a couple of weeks. With heavy
doses of antibiotics, her illness resolved
and chemotherapy resumed the day
before Thanksgiving. At Bartlett’s Infusion
Therapy unit, Tamara began the
infusion. Helen felt and heard a “pop.”
Immediately transferred to Bartlett’s
Diagnostic Imaging department, it was
determined that the catheter, connected
to a major vein near her heart, was leaking
and had to be removed.
“I woke up in the operating room with
Dr. Urata holding my hand—that was
huge!”
Urata, having consulted with Davies’
oncologist, wanted the chemotherapy
to resume as soon as possible. “It was
the week following that we were trying
to get the surgeon to insert a new port,”
says Davies. “The surgeon did not want
to do it so soon. He was concerned that
my fever may have been due to an infection
caused by the previous catheter
that had been removed. Dr. Urata told
the surgeon to place the port; that he’d
worry about infection.” The surgeon
inserted a new catheter.
“Dr. Urata, he is an amazing advocate,”
says Davies. “Tamara, bless that woman’s
heart, she stayed for hours after her
shift ended to apply the chemo, a threehour
process.”
It was later determined the fever had
been caused by a sinus infection that
Davies’ compromised immune system
had been unable to suppress.
Although Cathy Jeans was all but certain
she had breast cancer upon first viewing
the image of her mammogram, it wasn’t
until after she had a stereostatic biopsy
at Bartlett, and her primary physician,
Dr. Sharon Fisher, had received the
pathologist’s report, that Jeans learned
the stage and grade of her cancer. Dr.
Fisher honored Jeans’ preference and
referred her to Swedish Cancer Institute.
Two weeks after her husband died,
Jeans was in Seattle for further testing.
The new tests confirmed the diagnosis,
but a suspicious mass was also detected
in her other breast. Jeans had to wait
three long days to find out whether she
would need a lumpectomy or a double
mastectomy. “I was super-lucky,” she
says of the determination that the other
mass was benign and that the cancer
had not spread to the lymph nodes. “In
another six months it would have spread
and the cancer would have advanced to
stage III or worse.”
Following a lumpectomy, Jeans received
an initial round of chemotherapy in
Seattle so she could be observed for any
allergic reactions. “I had my remaining
sessions in Juneau. I am really grateful
that our hospital has that service.” Now
Cathy Jeans endured the experience of being diagnosed
for breast cancer just after losing her husband,
Jeff, to a rare form of cancer. Helping her through the
chemotherapy were “A wonderful group of women
(who) brought meals, cleaned the house, and stayed
with me to keep me company.”
that she was a single parent of a teenage
son, Jeans wanted to be at home.
“The last two years of my husband’s life
involved a lot of travel.”
Cathy Jeans is forever grateful for the
quality of care she and her husband
received in Juneau. “Dr. Urata is an
excellent physician who went above and
beyond the call of duty for our family,”
she says. “He’d stop by to visit Jeff often,
and called almost every day to make
sure he was doing okay. Jeff and I were
also fortunate to have nurse oncologist
Tamara Collins as our infusion nurse.
She, like Urata, went beyond the call
of duty, stopping by our house to visit.
Words cannot fully express the outpouring
of love and hope these individuals
provided during a very difficult and
emotional time in our life.”
In all, Jeans underwent 16 weeks of
chemo and eight weeks of radiation.
She lost her hair, but was pleasantly
surprised to find she had a “Nice bald
head—a cue ball,” as she characterizes
Tamara Simone-Collins at the new quarters for Infusion Therapy, now
located just off the hospital’s admissions lobby. Simone-Collins is credited
by both Helen Davies and Cathy Jeans for going above and beyond the call
of duty during their chemotherapy.
7 — Fall 2009

her appearance. “My hair grew back,
at first curly, but after I got it trimmed,
now it is back to normal.”
Both women seem genuinely surprised
at the community support they
received. “People here are so generous,”
Helen Davies says. “There was an amazing
outpouring of generosity.”
At one point, Dr. Urata arranged for
Davies to have an unscheduled test. Her
husband called Helen at work—“Mary
Norcross, my supervisor, answered,”
Davies explains. “She knew I had gone
in for a cancer test, and that I had been
unable to contact Brian. It just crushed
her that she had to tell him I was at
Bartlett getting a cancer test.” This was
in 2003, before cell phones were in
near universal use and were still relatively
expensive. “Mary bought two cell
phones and paid for our service for over
a year. It was incredibly generous.”
Davies received a lot of unsolicited leave
time from her co-workers at her new
job in the city finance department, but
was especially touched that so many of
her husband’s colleagues at Eaglecrest
donated so generously. “I didn’t lose
a paycheck: Eaglecrest is an amazing
community of people.”
While Cathy Jeans was receiving surgery
and chemo, her sister took Jeans’
19-year-old son to Hawaii so he could
attend his first year in college there. Having
just lost her husband, she was alone
for the first time in her 2,500 square-foot
house. Jeans’ friends rallied to her side.
“There was overwhelming support,”
she says. “A wonderful group of women
brought meals, cleaned the house, and
stayed with me to keep me company.”
For both women, there is no underestimating
the therapeutic value of the support
they received from their friends,
neighbors, and co-workers, and the
treatment, advice, and care provided
by local professionals—many of whom
they know personally. Being able to
get much of their cancer care without
leaving town aided in both women’s
recovery.
NEW MODALITIES
Breast Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment at Bartlett
Dr. Theresa Shanley, a radiologist
with Diagnostic Radiology Consultants,
who returned to her hometown
of Juneau two years ago, says the hospital
has made huge advances recently
in both diagnosing and treating breast
cancer.
“The big thing for our community,”
Shanley says, “is that you can get a lot
of diagnoses and workups in Juneau that
were not available here just a few years
ago.”
Kathy Callahan, Director of Physician
Services for Bartlett Regional Hospital,
says that cancer patients can now
go from diagnosis to therapy in Juneau.
“With our visiting oncologist, Dr. Paul
Weiden, we have a full team — radiologists,
pathologists, and surgeons, and
capabilities that include chemotherapy
and breast reconstruction,” she says.
“I know of one patient who got all her
treatment without leaving town.”
Callahan says decisions about courses
of treatment are highly individual. “It
very much depends on the type of breast
cancer. The patients’ primary care physicians
usually refer them to medical centers
that specialize in specific types of
cancer.”
Dr. Shanley says another change for
Juneau has been the direct hire, by the
hospital, of two surgeons who are very
interested in breast work, Dr. Benjamin
Miller and Dr. Pamela Gruchacz. Both
have extensive experience with breast
surgery.
Bartlett’s Diagnostic Imaging department
is fully digitized. Film mammograms
are a thing of the past. MRI (magnetic
resonance imaging) is also available
at Bartlett to detect breast cancer,
although this form of imaging is rarely
used for breast screening. “An MRI is
much more sensitive than either mammograms
or ultrasound, but it is easy
to get false-positive readings,” explains
Dr. Shanley. “An MRI is very useful in
problem solving. If we see something
on a mammogram, but not on an ultrasound,
we’ll use an MRI.”
Radiologist Dr. Theresa Shanley of Diagnostic Radiology
Consultants. Now that the hospital has fully converted
to a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications
Systems), Shanley and her colleagues can make
full use of the enhancement characteristics of digital
imaging software.
While Dr. Shanley takes pride in the
advances of Bartlett’s Diagnostic Imaging
department, she also recognizes
there is more to cancer treatment than
equipment and professional capabilities.
A lifetime resident of Juneau close to
Dr. Shanley received her chemotherapy
at Bartlett. “Having lived all her life in
Juneau, being able to have her chemotherapy
at Bartlett, it was huge,” says
Shanley. “Her friends, her family, her
whole support group lives here.”
HouseCalls — 8

The Nursing Profession
Men are changing the public’s perception of the job
The job title of “nurse” will have to change. The feminine origin of the word
reinforces the prejudice that it is a women’s profession, yet in ever increasing
numbers, men are choosing nursing as a career. Two young Juneau residents
exemplify the trend.
Lincoln Farabee, a local glass artist,
completed his course work in
December 2007 when he graduated
from the University Alaska Anchorage
with a two-year Associate of Applied
Science Nursing degree. The program is
presented in Juneau through the University
of Alaska Southeast in cooperation
with Bartlett Regional Hospital and local
clinics. He now works at Bartlett’s critical
care unit and part time for Juneau
Hospice and Homecare.
Grieser is a diesel mechanic who has
worked in his father’s business, New Life
Motors, since he mustered out of the
U.S. Navy in 2004. During the two-year
nurse training program he has continued
to work for his father, Mike, through
summers and school vacations.
“Several reasons are pushing me out of
mechanicing and into nursing,” he says.
Being able to go anywhere and find
employment is important to Grieser, but
such practical concerns are not driving
his decision. “It is maybe a bit shortsighted,
but right now life experience is
more important to me than the accumulation
of wealth.”
Not to say he doesn’t enjoy his work as
a mechanic — at least for the first three
days of a work week. “By days four and
five, I’m tired of it,” Grieser says.
Among the many things Lincoln Farabee
enjoys about his new profession, he
finds the hours appealing. Currently, he
works the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift in the
hospital. A full work-week is 36 hours,
which has allowed him to take on a
part-time job with Juneau Hospice and
Homecare, and to devote some time to
other pursuits, such as playing bass in
the Thunder Mountain Band and making
blown glass jewelry and art objects.
Farabee met his wife, Tasha Walen, in
college, where they both majored in
music. Tasha went on to get a masters
degree in special education/early childhood
development and now teaches art
to adults with disabilities at The Canvas.
Farabee and Grieser appreciate the
opportunity presented by the University
of Alaska’s two-year nursing degree
program, which qualifies graduates to
get certified as registered nurses, but
both are also eager to complete Bachelor
of Science degrees. For Farabee, a
BS degree is a necessary step to entering
a masters program toward a Certified
Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), a
specialty he hopes to pursue in due time.
Grieser is considering continuing his
education to achieve a BS degree that
would qualify him to take advantage
Pat Grieser and one other Juneau man, Keith Goering, are
two men in a cohort of eight students with a semester to go
before graduating in December 2009 with an Associate of
Applied Science Nursing degree.
Bartlett Regional Hospital RN, Lincoln Farabee, took a
brief sabbatical from his nursing duties this summer to
attend the Pilchuck Glass School, north of Seattle.
of preferential nursing opportunities
afforded to military veterans. Grieser
served four years in the U.S. Navy as a
welder. An on-the-job injury landed him
in a military hospital, not as a patient,
but in a temporary, light-duty job. “I
was helping out doing really basic things
and found that I enjoyed working with
patients. I liked the atmosphere, and I’ve
always found the human body fascinating.
That experience sparked my interest
in nursing.”
Grieser sees a connection between his
current and forthcoming professions.
“Believe it or not, there is quite a bit of
cross-over between nursing and mechanicing,”
Grieser says. “In both situations,
you have to understand a full system,
think about it as a unit, and figure
out what is wrong.”
The University of Alaska’s two-year Associate
of Applied Science Nursing program is
available through UAS in Juneau, Ketchikan,
and Sitka.
The first of four semesters begins January
2010 in both Juneau and Ketchikan. This
cohort will graduate in December 2011.
Juneau contact: Elizabeth Williams 796-6128
Ketchikan contact: Wendy Girard, 228-4523
Sitka is on an alternate cycle. The current
cohort is scheduled to graduate in December
2010, with start-up of the first of four
semesters of the next cycle scheduled for
January 2011.
Sitka contact: Cheryl Stromme, 747-9473
9 — Fall 2009

S • P • O • T • L • I • G • H • T
Setting the Standard
Bartlett Beginnings, the hospital’s OB
department, was recognized during
the Juneau Health Summit this spring
for its “Contribution to the Health of
Mothers and Babies.” The award was
extended to the entire nursing staff for
setting the standard for community
wellness organizations in the category
of nutrition for breastfeeding.
Debi Ballam, RN, and Lactation Consultant
at Bartlett Hospital for many
years, who has taken the lead in promoting
the benefits of mothers’ milk,
said the hospital’s nursing staff goes
the extra mile. “We do an excellent job,”
says Ballam. “The staff works very hard
to support and promote breastfeeding.”
The statistics support Ballam’s assertion.
Ninety-three percent of infants
born at Bartlett are breastfed compared
to a national rate of about 74%.
It is well known among healthcare professionals
that children who breastfed
have lower rates of childhood obesity,
infections, diabetes, and cancer, among
enjoying many other benefits. But this
just in: a new study has determined that
breastfeeding protects mothers from
high blood pressure and heart disease
later in life.
As Ballam is fond of saying: “After loving
your baby, breastfeeding is the next
best thing.”
Thank you, Charlotte Richards…
Whether as a member of its original board or as overseer of day-to-day operations
as its executive director, through the years Charlotte Richards has
played an indispensable role in the development of the Bartlett Hospital Foundation.
She was there in 1992 when the articles of incorporation were filed to create
the Foundation, took over as its executive director in 1999 in time to help coordinate
the opening of Bartlett House, the hospital’s short-term stay facility, and was
instrumental in the Board’s efforts to raise more than $200,000 dollars to build the
Reifenstein Dialysis Center.
In praising a fellow foundation board member a few years ago, Richards remarked
that “the generosity of thoughtful people measures the worth of a community.”
Juneau is much the richer community thanks to the contributions of Charlotte Richards.
Thank you, Charlotte–for everything!
… And welcome, Michelle Shaw Wilson
When Michelle Wilson moved to Juneau on April 1, 1992, she did so to work at
KJNO-KTKU; not necessarily to be a mom, t-ball and soccer coach, start the
Great Alaskan Tour Drive… or run a foundation. Yet the Billings, MT native, who
was raised in Jackson Hole and San Francisco, can look back on almost two decades
in Juneau and a career path that led to her current position as the new executive
director of the Bartlett Regional Hospital Foundation.
During her first Christmas season with the radio stations,
Wilson started the Great Alaskan Toy Drive with
the Alaska Army National Guard. Now a holiday fixture,
the Drive continues to distribute more than 1,000
toys annually to those in need.
In early 2008, long-time executive director of the
Bartlett Foundation, Charlotte Richards, resigned to
move with her husband to Southcentral Alaska to be
closer to their grandchildren. The board hired Michelle
Wilson a few months later.
Wilson is planning to use her experience working with
Juneau’s private and public sectors to continue the
Foundation’s community outreach.
Among her many duties, she supervises The Blue Heron Gift Store, located in the
Hospital’s (new) main lobby. The Blue Heron opened on November 10, 2008 and
directly benefits the Foundation Fund.
Raising money for the Foundation is Wilson’s main task. Her success will be measured
by the leaves adorning the gifting trees of the “Memorial Donor Forest” that
can be seen opposite the elevators in the newly renovated main hallway at the Hospital.
Each major donor ($1,000+) rates an inscribed leaf.
HouseCalls — 10

New Director of Community
Relations
Jim Strader got his first view of Juneau from the
deck of a cruise ship. Then he got an overview on
a helicopter glacier flightseeing trip. While standing
on the Mendenhall Glacier, he turned to his wife,
Robin, and said, ”I could really live here.” Four years
later, Strader drove from Vermont, through Canada,
and up the Alaska Highway to Juneau (his wife,
Robin, came by air), joining Bartlett as the Director
of Community Relations on June 1st.
Strader’s professional background includes 30 years in television broadcast media
throughout the Lower 48. He has experience in public relations, marketing,
communications and production. Strader’s creative teams accumulated Emmy
awards, Ad Club awards, as well as numerous state and local awards for their work
in advertising, promotion and public service.
“Making the transition to health care marketing presented me with a wonderful
opportunity to do two things I’ve always dreamed of: live in Alaska, and use what I’ve
learned over the years to make a positive difference in people’s lives,” said Strader.
The transition is proving to be very rewarding for Strader. “The staff at Bartlett is
welcoming, supportive, and extremely receptive to new ideas and ways of looking at
things. The community is fantastic!”
Jim and his wife Robin have two daughters. Kimberly still lives in Vermont, is married
and has one son. Kristin lives in San Francisco.
The Voice of Bartlett
Executive Assistant to hospital CEO
Shawn Morrow, Toni Petrie is heard
each week on local radio stations during
Bartlett Updates. “I had never done anything
like this before, and at first I was
nervous,” she says. “Now it is fun. I hear
so many positive comments from the
public all the time, which is one of the
reasons I like doing it.” Petrie collaborates
with Jim Strader, Bartlett’s Director
of Community Relations, to develop the
scripts.
Patient Ethics Committee
How does a family reconcile end of life decisions? Should the
hospital staff take “heroic measures” to prolong life when
death is certain?
Fourteen people have taken on the responsibility of deliberating
such ethical considerations. John Wray, Bartlett’s Compliance
Officer, and Betty Stidolph, Director of Case Management, provide
staff support for the committee.
“Family members often bring issues forward, usually end-of-life
decisions, and we will call a meeting out of the blue to consider the
ethical implications,” says Wray.
Advice given by the committee is just that: advisory. Wray says the
committee investigates the issues, gathers information, and then
offers recommendations. “Family members, physicians, or hospital
staff can all face ethical dilemmas,” says Wray. “The Patient Ethics
Committee is a way to help address the implications. Our job
is to provide care givers with the framework by which to make an
informed decision.”
During a ceremony hosted by
Bartlett Regional Hospital Foundation
in November, awards were bestowed on, from
top left clockwise, OB nurse Katie Perry and Administrative
Assistant Eileen Jones (Peer Recognition
Awards); Justine Meunch (Verna Carrigan Humanitarian
Award); and Joe J. Heueisen (Edna Woodman
Volunteerism Award).
.
11 — Fall 2009

The Ticking Clock New stroke protocol at Bartlett
You sit down for morning coffee
with your spouse, and as comments
are exchanged about the
morning news, his coffee cup drops to
the floor. You look up and his right arm
hangs limply at his side. You realize you
don’t understand a word he is saying.
The staff at Bartlett’s Emergency
Department, alerted by Capital City
Fire and Rescue personnel, is ready.
Upon arrival, ED personnel make a brief
assessment. Your husband is soon on
his way to Diagnostic Imaging, where
he gets a CT scan. While the scan is
in progress, the emergency room staff
connects with a neurologist through the
REACH (Remote Evaluation of Acute
IsCHemic Stroke) program.
In less than 30 minutes since admission
your husband is wheeled back to the
emergency room and placed in front of
the REACH stroke cart.
Your husband’s life hangs in the balance.
A disembodied voice, that of a neurologist
stationed in Anchorage, begins a
dialog with the patient and the attending
Bartlett ED physician.
The first question that must be answered
is Which type of stroke? The neurologist
takes a look at the patient’s CT scan that
has just come up on his computer screen
in Anchorage. An ischemic stroke is
a blockage of the blood supply to the
brain. A hemorrhagic stroke (brain
bleed) applies pressure to the brain that
can stop blood flow. A patient experiencing
a brain hemorrhage would be
sent to surgery, while someone stricken
by a blood supply blockage would be
treated in the emergency department or
the critical care unit.
The neurologist quickly concludes that a
blood clot is the problem. Now, to determine
how to best deal with the condition,
the neurologist begins an examination.
he is more than 560 air miles
distant from the patient. The physician
adjusts the remote camera lens, zooms
in and focuses on the patient’s eye to
watch pupil response. While doing this
examination, the patient’s medical history
is being downloaded onto the doctor’s
computer.
Within an hour of entering the ER,
your husband is diagnosed and treatment
begins. Recovery from debilitating
impairment is now possible.
The REACH telemedicine system went
live at Bartlett’s Emergency Department
this May. According to Dale Erickson,
longtime ER nurse, the program—provided
free to Bartlett for a three-year
period—has proved much more useful
than anticipated.
“We thought we might use this equipment
half-a-dozen times a year,” he
says of the REACH stroke cart. “In the
course of the first three months, the cart
was used in seven examinations.
Erickson says there is a three-hour window,
beginning with the onset of symp-
Bartlett’s Emergency Department staff practice protocols for using the REACH Stroke cart.
Atop the computer monitor, a high-resolution camera points in the direction of the patient.
Through a high volume internet connection, a neurologist in another city interacts with
Bartlett’s medical team and the patient. While the staff emails the neurologist documents
and high resolution CT scan images relevant to the patient’s medical condition, the specialist
remotely operates the camera, which is capable of zooming to an extreme close-up for a
view of the patient’s pupil response.
HouseCalls — 12

toms, for the clot-busting drug, tPA
(tissue plasminogen activator), to work.
Other interventions can be effective
within six hours of symptoms.
An accurate diagnosis of the type of
stroke is critical: application of a clot
busting drug, which thins blood, could
easily be fatal for a patient experiencing
a brain bleed.
“While the patient is getting a scan, we
connect with the neurologist on call,”
says Erikson. “Most often, this is through
Providence Hospital in Anchorage, but
the physician could be anywhere there is
a computer connection.”
The physician doesn’t have to be sitting
in his office, so long as he has computer
connections. Erickson says that Alaska
Airlines is anticipated to accommodate
in-flight computer connections, and he
predicts that within a year, a neurologist
could be consulted by Bartlett staff
through the REACH program via computer
while onboard an Alaska Airlines
flight.
Cathy Carter, Chief Nursing Officer for
Bartlett, says that the new stroke protocol
through the REACH program is “a
pretty big deal for us. Now, within minutes,
we can assess and do interventions.
The most important next step is public
education.”
The ticking clock does not begin upon
entering an ER, but upon the onset of
a stroke. “Some people are reluctant to
come to the hospital,” Carter says. “Most
of us think of ourselves as hearty folks.
I’ll just deal with it, we tell ourselves.
That may be OK for a lot of scenarios,
but numbness, weakness, slurred
speech—this is not something you just
walk off.”
The FAST Stroke Diagnosis
Do not hesitate to call 911 if you or
someone close to you experiences
symptoms of a stroke. Time is of the
essence to lessen or eliminate potentially
life-long impairments. Symptoms that
seem to quickly resolve could be
indicative of TBA (transient ischemic
attack)—a strong warning of an
impending stroke. Remember to act FAST:
call 911 as soon as possible.
F
A
S
T
- Does the FACE look uneven or
drooping?
- Does one ARM drift down when
trying to hold both arms up?
- Does SPEECH sound strange?
- TIME is critical.
13 — Fall 2009

New Physicians
Benjamin A. Miller, DO
General Surgeon
With a surgical residency at a
teaching hospital in Detroit,
MI, Dr. Benjamin Miller got a wealth
of experience—St. John Oakland Hospital
has an emergency department
that treats close to 80,000 people annually.
He and his wife, Dr. Amber Miller,
a pediatrician, both wanted to move
to Juneau, but following completion
of their residencies, positions weren’t
available here. Instead he took a general
surgeon position in Roseburg, Oregon
for two years.
Dr. Ben Miller’s mother and two brothers
live in Haines, so when Juneau was
in need of another pediatrician and
general surgeon, the physician couple
jumped at the chance to move to Juneau.
They arrived in August 2008.
His specialty is general surgery–breast,
colon, appendix, gall bladder, hernia,
among other surgical conditions. Dr.
Miller also performs endoscopy (both
colon and stomach). He is clearly
impressed with the modernization of
Bartlett Regional Hospital. “There have
been amazing changes,” Dr. Miller says.
“Bartlett provides private rooms and
modern diagnostic equipment, including
breast MRI, and we are looking forward
to a new CT scanner as well.”
2007: Board Certified in General Surgery
2006-2008: General Surgeon, Roseburg Clinic
1996-1997 Laboratory Technician, Oregon
Medical Labs
Residency and Internship
2002-2006: General Surgery Residency, St. John
Oakland Hospital
2001-2002: Rotating Internship, St. John Oakland
Hospital
D.O.s Benjamin A. and Amber Smith
Miller with their son Carter.
Education
2001: Received Diploma Doctor of Osteopathic
Medicine from Kirksville College of Osteopathic
Medicine
1996: Graduate work in anatomy, University of
Oregon
1995: BS in Biology/Psychology, University of
Oregon
Professional Organizations:
American College of Osteopathic Surgeons
American Osteopathic Association
Honors and Awards
2003, 2005, and 2006: St John Oakland Hospital
Albert Rosenthal Surgical Resident of the year
2002: St John Oakland Hospital Intern of the year
DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine)
Amber Smith Miller, DO
Pediatrician
Like most physicians, Dr. Amber
Miller fixed on a career path during
her rotations—that period during
medical school and residencies when
medical students spend time in clinical
settings to learn patient care firsthand.
“At first, I thought I’d do family medicine,
but during the rotations I found
that I enjoyed pediatrics much more,”
she says, explaining that her pediatric
patients range in age from newborn to
18 or slightly older.
Another rotation, one she shared with
Ben Miller, her soon-to-be husband,
was in Juneau. “In July 2004, we did a
month-long rotation here during our
residencies. We really enjoyed the community,”
she says. Another attraction
was proximity to family in Haines.
She grew up in Iowa, and admits to feeling
slightly claustrophobic surrounded
by the mountainous terrain of Juneau.
She and her husband enjoy what she
describes “typical outdoor stuff”—hiking
and skiing—activities somewhat
circumscribed by caring for a young son,
Carter, now two years old. The Millers
are expecting a second child in January.
The two physicians found out how
stressful family life can be while both
Osteopathic medical physicians (DOs) have training comparable to those with MD degrees, with additional training in osteopathic
manipulative techniques.
“DOs are trained to take a more holistic type of an approach to medicine,” says Dr. Amber Miller, DO. “We use the same diagnostic tools
as MDs, the same medications, we just try to encompass the whole body.”
Osteopathic medical core principles:
1. The body is a unit, and the person represents a combination of body, mind, and spirit.
2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
4. Rational treatment is based on an understanding of these principles: body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of
structure and function.
HouseCalls — 14

worked fulltime in Oregon for two
years. “One of us was on call every
other night—we had only one weekend
off together each month,” she says. Dr.
Amber Miller is now working part-time
with Dr. Joy Neyhart at Rainforest Pediatric
Care. “Here, in Juneau, our lifestyle
is much better for our family.”
2005: Board Certified Pediatrician
8/2007-8/2008 Pediatrician, Roseburg, OR
7/2005-6/2006 Pediatrician, Grosse Pointe
Woods, MI
Residency
2002-2005 Pediatrics, St. John Hospital &
Medical Center, Detroit, MI
Internship
2002-2003 Pediatrics Track, St. John
Oakland Hospital, Madison
Heights, MI
Education
1998-2002 Des Moines University-
Osteopathic Medical Center,
Doctor of Osteopathy, Des
Moines, IA
1997-1998 Briar Cliff College, Sioux City,
IA
1994-1997 Mankato State University,
Mankato, MN
Pamela Gruchacz, MD
General Surgeon
Having worked as a police ambulance
paramedic in West Los
Angeles, Pamela Gruchacz (pronounced
“grew-house”) worked with a dramatic
range of medical trauma at the outset
of her medical career. She also served as
an Olympics paramedic during the 1984
summer games in Los Angeles.
A board certified surgeon since 2002,
Gruchacz has taken a strong interest in
breast surgery, which has constituted
about 30 percent of her practice, and
Lap-Band (laparoscopic banding), a surgical
weight reduction procedure that
has proven effective for those who are
otherwise unable to lose health-threatening
excess weight.
She says that Juneau is perfect
for her and her family.
Gruchacz, who keeps a mitt
and softball handy in her
office, says she, her husband,
and their 12-year-old son, are
all into athletics and outdoor
activities. “Living in Juneau is
like living in Boy Scout central,”
she says—perfect for
a mom like her, who loves
the outdoors. “Juneau has
that small town feel–well
protected from bad behavior you may
encounter down south.”
2002: Board Certified in General Surgery
Residency
2001: Chief Resident, General surgery, University
of Florida, Health Science Center
Education
1996: Doctor of Medicine, Loyola Stritch School of
Medicine, Maywood, IL
1985: BA Economics, University of California, LA
Service
Oct. 2005: Refuge International Medical Mission
to Guatemala
Dec. 2004: People-to-People Ambassador Mission
to South Africa with the American College of
Surgeons and Dr. Claude Organ, MD
Memberships
Fellow American College of Surgeons
American Medical Association
Texas Medical Association
Lions Club International
Dr. Steven Strickler, DO
In February 2008, Dr. Steven Strickler, DO, joined Dr.
William Richey and Dr. Theresa Shanley of Diagnostic
Imaging Consultants. The physician radiologists provide
diagnostic imaging services to Juneau’s medical
community at Bartlett’s Diagnostic Imaging Department.
Left, Dr. Strickler examines digital images on the
hospital’s ultra high-resolution flat screens. Bartlett’s
conversion to digital imaging was completed in 2008.
1995: Board Certified in Radiology
Fellowships
1995-96: Neuroradiology, University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL
Residency
1991-95: Diagnostic Radiology, Providence Hospital,
Southfield, MI
Internship
1990-91: Botsford General Hospital, Farmington
Hills, MI
Education
1990: Des Moines University, DO
1984: University of Iowa, BS, Des Moines, IA
Affiliations
American Roentgen Ray Society
American Society of Neuroradiology
Radiological Society of North America
15 — Fall 2009

New to Bartlett’s Staff…
Introducing Ernest Wick
radiology technologist, Ernest Wick
A has in the course of his 30-year career
worked in a variety of positions, including
chief executive officer of a licensed nursing
home, chief operating officer of a hospital
nursing home, and in-hospital materials
manager. But most of his professional experience
has been in diagnostic imaging. “I came
up in the field as a technologist in X-ray, CT
and MRI,” he says.
Wick and his wife moved from Pendleton,
Oregon, to Juneau, in February 2008. They
have three adult children: their daughter is
an attorney, one son is a computer specialist,
and the other a second-year medical student.
During his time in hospital and nursing
home management, Wick supervised as
many as 100 employees. The Bartlett diagnostic
imaging staff he now manages numbers
approximately 25.
“The people in my department—in the hospital
in general—are very caring,” he says.
“Characteristics like this stand out when you
come from elsewhere.”
Wick is also strongly impressed by the capabilities
of Juneau’s medical community. “I
came from a rural community in Oregon,
about fifteen thousand. Although Juneau is a
little bigger, it is more remote. Here, we don’t
have a another hospital 50 miles down the
road.”
Bethany Rogers, RN, CPHQ*
Director of Quality and Process
Improvement
On the job since May 2009, Rogers has
yet to work less than a 60-hour week,
a reflection of the hospital administration’s
commitment to achieving the highest possible
level of service.
“Because we have a lot of systems we are
building up, strengthening, and creating, the
organization has decided to devote a lot of
energy to quality improvement,” Rogers says.
A major part of her job is to ensure that
the hospital is in continuous readiness for a
survey by The Joint Commission, a national
organization that sets national standards for
patient safety.
HouseCalls — 16
Nine years ago, The Joint Commission
stopped giving advance notice of an impending
survey.
In July, Bartlett received a visit. “We do not
even know the day before that The Joint
Commission will be here to do a survey,” says
Rogers. “It is a huge process—three days,
four surveyors—that involves pretty much
everyone in the hospital.”
Rogers coordinated the process and activities,
assigning guides to each surveyor, pulling
together all the people the surveyors
needed to talk with, providing information,
and answering questions. Administrative
activities ground to a halt, as hospital personnel
endeavored to accommodate the survey.
After three intense days, the survey was over.
“We got a preliminary assessment—it was a
good result,” she says.
Prior to her move to Juneau last May, Rogers
had five years in quality management positions,
and over nine years as a nurse, working
in Idaho and Utah. Her husband, Chris,
remains in Idaho temporarily. He works as a
fireman and in construction.
“I love Juneau,” Rogers says. “I’ve never been
in a more beautiful place.”
Having lived in Juneau through the warmest
summer in recent history, and having come
from a desert-like environment, Rogers is
actually looking forward to cooler weather.
*Registered Nurse, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality
Julia Grant, HIM Director
Now a year into her position as director
of Health Information Management at
Bartlett, Julia Grant will soon be supervising
the move of her department to new quarters
at the Medical Arts Building.
“It will be a bit of a challenge to get everyone
to know that we have relocated,” she says.
“We won’t be getting new equipment, but
some new furniture. I think we’ll be more
visible, and the parking will be convenient.”
Although medical records have become ever
more digitized, state law requires records to
be retained for seven years. As a result, paper
files still require a significant amount of
space. “Now, our record keeping is a hybrid,
partially electronic, partially paper.”
Computerizing the records has reduced the
space needs, but the task of creating medical
records is no easier. “It takes a lot of work to
enter the records in a way that complies with
statutes and rules,” Grant says. “It takes time
to build the programs and interfaces with
the various hospital departments. Getting
the daily information entered, coded, and
billed—a lot of steps are involved.”
Grant arrived in Juneau in July 2008 with her
husband, an employee of the US Forest Service
who now manages the recreational areas
at Auke Bay and Skaters’ Cabin.
Jenice Watts, PharmD
Pharmacy Manager
Originally from Georgia, Jenice came
to Juneau last year with her husband,
a physician with the Coast Guard, and their
two young children. She previously served as
pharmacist and pharmacy director for the
Norton Sound Health Corporation in Nome
(1993-99) and several tours as a pharmacist
in the US Air Force at Edwards AFB, California
(2001-2003) and Nellis AFB in Las Vegas,
NV (2003-2005).
Jenice received her Bachelor of Science in
Pharmacy from the University of Georgia
and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2001
at Oregon State University.
When her family moved to Juneau last summer,
cold and rainy even by local standards,
she was warned about the weather. “I was
prepared for Alaska life, and this place even
has trees,” says Dr. Watts, who spent six years
in Nome.
Jenice supervised the move of the pharmacy
to their new quarters on the 3rd floor. “It
actually went really well,” she says. “We now
have a more central location, closer to ‘the
medical floor,’ and now have a sterile compounding
room, which is a huge gain.”
Next up will be the implementation of an
automated drug distribution system that
she describes as a “secure vending machine
for drugs.” The sophisticated equipment
includes a biometric fingerprint sensor. “We
expect it to cut down on hours, improve efficiency,
and reduce medication errors,” Dr.
Watts says. The implementation should be
complete by the middle of September.

We are concerned, very concerned
…and prepared
Are healthcare officials crying wolf? How concerned should we be
about the H1N1 Flu Virus (“Swine Flu”)?
Friends and family visits to mothers
and their newborns at Bartlett
Beginnings are now restricted
under the hospital’s new “social distancing”
guidelines in response to the H1N1
virus.
The husband (or significant other) and
siblings are not subject to the visitor
restriction policy, although they will be
screened for illness. No one showing
signs of illness will be allowed in the OB
ward. Other than the immediate family,
only two individuals (over the age of 12),
designated by the parents, may visit during
the duration of their stay at Bartlett
Beginnings. The health screening process
includes taking temperatures and
asking a series of questions such as current
illnesses and any recent contacts
with ill people.
“The public may think we are being
extreme,” admits Bethany Rogers,
Bartlett’s quality control director. “We
recognize birthing is a family oriented
activity—it is one of the few happy
things we get to do in health care—but
the problem is that pregnant women
and infants are immunocompromised.
Infants basically have no immune system
at all. So this is a population at
extremely high risk.”
Understandably, some families have
been upset, but Rogers is firm: the hospital
is responsible for patients’ health
and safety.
“Most of the time, the flu affects the
elderly. The US has 36,000 seasonal
flu-related deaths every year, and that
won’t be any different this year,” Rogers
reminds us. “The difference is that the
H1N1 flu is coming on top of the seasonal
flu, and has been affecting mostly
younger people, who are most of the
country’s active work force, and who
have dependents to care for. That’s why
H1N1 has such a high social and economic
impact.”
Compared to historical flu pandemics,
there have been relatively few recorded
deaths caused by the H1N1 virus, commonly
known as Swine Flu, especially
given the high level of concern expressed
by the Center for Disease Control and
other institutions. Remember SARS, the
respiratory syndrome that world health
officials warned could become a pandemic?
While the disease came with an
alarming fatality rate of about 10%, public
health measures managed to confine
infections to less than 10,000 people.
However, the very effectiveness of modern
health measures could mislead the
public into complacency. According to
Bartlett’s Infection Control Coordinator,
Jan Beauchamp, we should all be concerned
about H1N1 and be prepared
to deal with the consequences of a pandemic.
To those who know her, Beauchamp is
a calm, straightforward, no nonsense
Story continued next page
Keeping your distance
Social Distancing: The practice of encouraging people to keep a physical distance from each other during disease outbreaks in order to slow
the spread of infection. Avoiding handshakes is one example.
Public health strategies for social distancing include limiting access to obstetrics wards, closing childcare centers and schools, encouraging
telecommuting or staggered shifts for the workforce, and cancellation of public gatherings.
An amusing and informative one-minute video by the “rapping doctor,” John Clarke, MD, can be found on Youtube.com, which may have
more appeal for young people than other adult health recommendations. Search for “H1N1 Rap by Dr. John Clarke.”
At the end of the video, Dr. Clarke explains that his rap lyrics were informed by a visit to , which provides a wealth of
information for anyone interested in how to prepare for a pandemic.
17 — Fall 2009

Continued from page 17
Bartlett Regional Hospital Infection Control Coordinator,
Jan Beauchamp: “It is never a bad idea to be prepared
for any disaster,” she says.
person—not one to overly dramatize
a health threat. So when she describes
the potential consequences of an H1N1
pandemic, one can be forgiven for feeling
a cold chill.
If past experience is any guide, Beauchamp
says, a pandemic could bring
Southeast Alaska to its knees. It’s not
unrealistic to anticipate that in the face
of a true pandemic “Schools would shut
down, parents would have to leave work
to care for their sick children, and business
would grind to a halt,” she says. It
could get worse, much worse.
Never happen? Ninety-one years ago,
a flu virus caused what may well have
been the most virulent pandemic to ever
afflict the human race. By some estimates,
one-third of the world’s population
was stricken, suffering a mortality
rate of 20% (500 million infected; 100
million deaths). The disease reached the
most remote corners of Alaska, wiping
out entire villages.
It appears that Juneau got through the
1918 pandemic with few deaths, but in
some ways people were better prepared
then than we are now. In 1918, well
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before refrigerated vans supplied Southeast
Alaska with regular shipments of
perishables, pantries were filled with
enough canned foods and preserves to
last for weeks, if not months. People
were familiar with quarantine practices.
Modes of travel were slower and less
developed. Businesses and governments
were much less complex, not as interconnected
as they are today.
If H1NI becomes as lethal as many
health experts fear, the systemic collapse
of our modern world could exceed anything
experienced in 1918, which is why
hospitals and the community as a whole
are taking it so seriously.
“A lot of people out there are dependent
on medications that they may not have
access to during a pandemic,” Beauchamp
notes of one small consideration
when preparing for a potential systemic
collapse. “While such an emergency
should be short term, it is never a bad
idea to be prepared for any disaster.”
Bartlett is being proactive. A new committee,
the “H1N1 Outbreak Taskforce,”
is adapting a model developed by the
Center for Disease Control to plan for
an 8-week outbreak in a small community
like Juneau. “Based on this model,
we estimate a peak increase at Bartlett
of 17 inpatients at any given time, so we
are basing our planning on that number,”
says Bethany Rogers.
The taskforce’s work is guided by the
recommendations from the American
College of Emergency Physicians. “We
have several taskforce members who are
also participating in community-wide
and state-wide preparedness efforts,”
Rogers says. “The taskforce has been
meeting bi-weekly since July.”
The topics considered by this committee
include the likely increase in patient
load with a potentially decreased workforce;
developing employee vaccination
logistics and protocols for social distancing
among staff and visitors; medical
and nutritional supply preparedness;
expanding bed capacity; and issues of
isolation and financial impact.
Beauchamp says that anyone who has flu
symptoms should call ahead before coming
in. “Whether or not you come into
the ER or to see your personal physician,
call ahead so we can be prepared.”
“No one needs to panic,” Rogers points
out. “But we all need to take this seriously,
and listen to the advice from our
health and government officials, even if
we don’t like it.”
photo
Prevention: avoid using hands to suppress
coughing or sneezing — tissues can help, but
try using shoulders or inside of elbows. Clean
hands frequently (waterless alcohol-based products
are recommended); and when sick with flulike
symptoms, use a mask while in public places.
Preventative Measures
Wash your hands religiously.
Don’t spend a lot of time around
large groups of people.
Cough or sneeze into your elbow
or shoulder, not your hands.
If you are sick, stay home.
Call ahead to your healthcare
provider if your symptoms are
more than you can handle.
Identify your family’s
preparedness plan if schools close,
supplies become limited, or family
members get sick.

Blue Heron Gifts
Take an immediate left after walking through the hospital’s main entrance and you will
find Blue Heron Gifts that is one of Juneau’s most delightful stores, according to volunteer
Joan Trimble (left). “The quality of the products we sell is really superior,” Trimble
says, whose accent betrays her Maine origins. She has lived in Juneau for over 30 years.
“We carry unique gifts – a lot of this is for the kids, those who might be in need of a
comforting stuffed animal, but people come in for basics, too.”
The most popular item? Bartlett Bear, the stuffed animal that recalls the little cub,
which walked into the hospital’s emergency room on October 17, 1991, and whose
photo appeared in newspapers around the world. She was relocated to a drive-through
wildlife park in South Dakota.
Directory of Active Medical Staff, Bartlett Regional Hospital
Dr. Sarah Alvarez, Family Medicine...............................................463-4040
Dr. Gordon Bozarth, Orthopedic & Spine Surgeon........................364-2663
Dr. Robert Breffeilh, Ophthalmology ............................................586-2700
Dr. Beatrice Brooks, Emergency Medicine.....................................796-8447
Dr. Carolyn Brown, Gynecology.....................................................789-1812
Dr. George Brown, Pediatrics.........................................................586-1542
Dr. Kenneth Brown, Emergency Medicine ....................................796-8447
Dr. Catherine Buley, Family Medicine ...........................................463-4040
Dr. John Bursell, Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation ......................364-2663
Dr. Stephen Cameron, Chemical Dependency...............................796-8430
Dr. John Connolly, Anesthesiology ...............................................796-8433
Dr. Gregory Dostal, Plastic/Reconstructive/Hand Surgery ............586-3068
Dr. Amy Dressel, Pediatrics ...........................................................586-1542
Dr. Taylor Dunn, Family Medicine..................................................463-4040
Dr. Sharon Fisher, Family Medicine ...............................................586-2434
Dr. Steve Greer, Family Medicine................................................. 463-4040
Dr. Alan Gross, Orthopedics..........................................................364-2663
Dr. Pam Gruchacz, General Surgery............................................. 796-8700
Dr. Nathaniel Haddock, Internal Medicine ..................................789-2910
Dr. Daniel Harrah, Orthopedics ....................................................364-2663
Dr. Dorothy Hernandez, Family Medicine ....................................586-2434
Dr. Susan Hunter-Joerns, Neurology ............................................790-3224
Dr. Melissa Hynes, Internal Medicine...........................................789-2910
Dr. Lindy Jones, Family Medicine.................................................586-2434
Dr. Anh Lam, Podiatry ..................................................................789-5518
Dr. Jana Linfield, Family Medicine ................................................463-4040
Dr. Heidi Lopez-Coonjohn, Psychiatry...........................................796-8498
Dr. Aric Ludwig, Emergency Medicine ..........................................796-8447
Dr. Anya Maier, Family Medicine ..................................................586-2434
Dr. Alex Malter, Internal Medicine ................................................789-2910
Dr. Alan McPherson, Emergency Medicine ...................................796-8447
Dr. Amber Miller, Pediatrics ..........................................................463-1210
Dr. Ben Miller, General Surgery ....................................................796-8700
Dr. David Miller, General Surgery ..................................................586-4126
Dr. Kelly Moxley, Podiatry .............................................................789-0405
Dr. Joy Neyhart, Pediatrics ............................................................463-1210
Dr. Eric Olsen, Family Medicine .....................................................789-2910
Dr. Mary Owen, Family Medicine ..................................................463-4040
Dr. William Palmer, General Surgery ............................................586-1895
Dr. Steven Parker, Anesthesiology ................................................796-8433
Dr. Eric Paulson, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery ...............................789-5008
Dr. Catherine Peimann, Internal Medicine ...................................586-8100
Dr. Nathan Peimann, Emergency Medicine ..................................796-8447
Dr. Norvin Perez, Emergency Medicine/Family Medicine..............790-4111
Dr. Mark Peterson, Family Medicine .............................................463-4040
Dr. Gordon Preecs, Ophthalmology ..............................................586-2700
Dr. John Raster, Otolaryngology ...................................................790-4047
Dr. William Richey, Diagnostic Imaging ........................................796-8800
Dr. Joseph Roth, Family Medicine .................................................586-2434
Dr. Allan Schlicht, General Surgery ...............................................789-1277
Dr. Don Schneider, Family Medicine .............................................586-2434
Dr. Robert Schults, Psychiatry .......................................................796-8498
Dr. Charles Schultz, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery ..........................586-9586
Dr. Ted Schwarting, Orthopedics ..................................................364-2663
Dr. Marna Schwartz, Pediatrics.....................................................463-4040
Dr. Theresa Shanley, Diagnostic Imaging......................................796-8800
Dr. Janice Sheufelt, Family Medicine ............................................463-4040
Dr. Michael Singsaas, Urology ......................................................586-5656
Dr. Paul Skan, Anesthesiology.......................................................796-8433
Dr. Kim Smith, Family Medicine ...................................................789-2910
Dr. Anne Standerwick, Internal Medicine .....................................586-8100
Dr. Mark Stauffer, Psychiatry ........................................................796-8498
Dr. Verner Stillner, Psychiatry....................................................... 796-8498
Dr. Steven Strickler, Diagnostic Imaging .......................................796-8800
Dr. Myanandi (Nandi’) Than, Family Medicine .............................789-2910
Dr. James Thompson, Emergency Medicine .................................796-8447
Dr. Norman Thompson, Pathology ...............................................796-8840
Dr. Michael Tobin, Emergency Medicine .......................................796-8447
Dr. Robert Urata, Family Medicine ................................................586-2434
Dr. Priscilla Valentine, Family Medicine ........................................586-2434
Dr. Burton Vanderbilt, Pathology..................................................796-8841
Dr. Nell Wagoner, Gynecology ......................................................586-1717
Dr. Richard Welling, Family Medicine ...........................................586-2434
Dr. William Wood, Anesthesiology ...............................................796-8433
Honorary Staff
Dr. Henry Akiyama, Internal Medicine
Dr. Estol Belflower, Diagnostic Radiology
Dr. Tally Blair, Diagnostic Radiology
Dr. Len Ceder, Orthopedic Surgery
Dr. Fred Chu, Family Medicine
Dr. Gary Hedges, General Surgery
Dr. Sarah Isto, Family Medicine
Dr. Thomas McCabe, Pediatrics
Dr. Mark McCaughan, Urology
Dr. Ken Moss, Pediatrics
Dr. Joseph Riederer, General Surgery
Dr. Henry Wilde, Internal Medicine
19 — Fall 2009

BRH Board of Directors
Loren Jones, President
Kristen Bomengen, Vice President
Dr. Nathan Peimann, Secretary
Lennie Gorsuch
Dr. Alex Malter
Reed Reynolds
Robert Storer
Saturday October 17
Centennial Hall • 11-2 pm
Free • Open to the Public
Kevin Sullivan
Linda Thomas
David Stone, Assembly Liaison
Supported by Bartlett Regional Hospital, this event
includes a free (healthy) lunch, health education displays,
and keynote speakers Dr. Astrid Pujari (holistic
medicine), and Merritt Andruss (aging process).
See our updated website at:
www.bartletthospital.org
3260 Hospital Drive, Juneau, Alaska 99801
Presrt Std.
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PAID
Juneau, Alaska
Permit No. 130
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