Kanakanak Hospital in Dillingham can accept inpatients again as of today.
For nearly two weeks, the Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation hospital diverted patients who needed acute care to other facilities because it was short-staffed. It lacked a hospitalist–a doctor with expertise in caring for hospitalized patients.
BBAHC said in a press release today, “The Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation has returned to normal operations in our inpatient care section after regular staffing levels of hospitalists have been reached. Patients may again be admitted to the Kanakanak Hospital for acute medical treatment and other health care services.”
Currently, the hospital is staffed by a temporary duty hospitalist.
Health corporation spokesperson, Cynthia Rogers told KDLG in an email that, “a full-time permanent BBAHC hospitalist returns on April 24. In May, a rotation of four other hospitalists will include both [temporary duty] and full-time permanent employees. BBAHC has both full-time providers who reside in Dillingham and [temporary duty] providers who travel in to provide care, many of whom have been doing so for years.”
BBAHC says its Emergency Department and Outpatient Clinic are operating normally.
