'Big Dig' starts new hospital

construction

By DANIEL SPOTH/Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU -- A long-awaited ceremony brought local dignitaries and interested citizens alike to the future site of the Mat-Su Valley Medical Center at the junction of the Parks and Glenn highways. Golden shovels bit the earth and shiny, white hard hats reflected the unexpected fair weather as a crowd of local and state dignitaries threw the first shovelfuls of dirt onto the building site.

Christened the "Big Dig," the Monday event drew not only top executives from Valley Hospital and Triad Hospitals Inc., the Texas-based hospital management company which Valley agreed to partner with in late 2003, but politicians such as Sen. Lyda Green, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Lt. Gov. Loren Leman.

"After years of planning, it's exciting to see the spades going into the ground to bring a new hospital to the Mat-Su," George Larson, CEO of Valley Hospital, stated earlier in a press release.

The cost of the new building is projected at $87.7 million. The hospital is expected to create 1,200 to 1,800 new jobs, pay $1.3 million in property taxes annually and generate approximately $106.5 million in revenues each year, according to a fact sheet circulated by the hospital.

Plans for the new hospital include a nearly 200,000-square-foot facility with 74 beds total on the 30-acre plot off Trunk Road. These beds will allow the hospital to take care of 40 percent more patients, patients who currently seek care outside the Valley, according to the press release.

"I'm excited to commence this long-planned project," said Clyde Boyer, head of Valley Hospital's Board of Directors, adding that he and his colleagues were groundbreaking not only for a new hospital, but for the Valley's health-care needs for years to come.

Boyer complimented Valley Hospital's many faithful employees in particular. "These people are what got us here," Boyer said. "Today, as in the past, it's employees that make Valley Hospital what it is."

Several longtime hospital employees joined the collection of dignitaries in shoveling the first clods of dirt out of a prepared bank near the new hospital site.

Boyer said he believed the hospital was fulfilling its mission statement by enhancing the health of those it serves.

"Our employees ensure that this mission becomes a reality," he said.

Boyer said Mat-Su is the fastest-growing borough in the state, and one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation. For this reason, he said, it was absolutely necessary to obtain a larger facility.

"Where we're going in the future sometimes requires a large crystal ball. But in that crystal ball, we saw that we needed a bigger place," he said.

Boyer said he believes the hospital's 85-percent increase in square footage and 100-percent increase in available operating rooms will help the facility to "define health-care technology for the 21st century here in the Valley."

The goals of hospital administrators, with the construction of the new facility include doubling the current contingent of physicians, recruiting a number of specialists in assorted medical fields, and establishing leadership groups and managing boards to derive input from local residents and physicians.

Larson also spoke and thanked the cities of Palmer and Wasilla for making the association's plans to open a new facility a reality. Larson gave a pair of golden shovels to Wasilla Mayor Dianne Keller and Palmer Deputy Mayor Tony Pippel, standing in for Mayor Jim Cooper.

Murkowski spoke about what a pleasure it was for her to see the hospital break ground locally and to work toward its completion on a federal level.

"We're here not only to celebrate the opening of a new hospital," she said, "we're here to celebrate the realization of a vision."

Murkowski also mentioned the Valley's growing population, and said it was good to see the hospital growing with it. She said she regretted the fact that Alaska has fewer doctors per capita than most other states, and said she hoped the new facility would ease the amount of overtime worked by current nurses and other health professionals by bringing more doctors to the area.

"This new hospital is going to make practicing here in the Valley much more attractive to our providers," Murkowski said. "This will help us to hand off a stronger and healthier Alaska to our children."

Green also voiced her support of and hopes for the new hospital.

"Nowhere do you see this kind of support for a groundbreaking," she said to the crowd of more than 300. Green said she was impressed by the turnout, but even more impressed by the outpouring of support for the new hospital. "I don't think there's anyone in this crowd who hasn't done something positive for this opening," she said.

Denny Shelton, Chairman and CEO of Triad Hospitals, said he believed the new hospital would be "the nicest hospital we've ever built in the most beautiful location."

"We've built a lot of hospitals over the years," Shelton said, "and I can tell you that this'll be a great hospital."

Shelton said possibly the greatest benefit of the new facility would be its placement of those who require health care closer to their friends and family. Currently, Valley residents requiring serious medical attention are often transported to larger Anchorage hospitals, making visitation by family and friends a difficult affair.

Under the agreement between Valley Hospital and Triad, each of the two entities will control half of the governance of the new facility, with Triad controlling roughly 75 percent of the assets and Valley controlling the remainder.

Chief Gary Harrison with Chickaloon Village also spoke at the ceremony, emphasizing the need for a second new hospital in the area in the future.

"Even with this hospital, there's not going to be enough care out here," said Harrison, who added that this prospective second hospital would not be in competition with the new medical center. "We're all in the same competition to help the people out here in the Valley."

Harrison concluded his address with a traditional prayer for the success of the new hospital and the well-being of all of the Valley's residents.

The ceremony also included a religious invocation from Rev. Nancy Campbell. The Carhartt Brothers entertained the crowd with renditions of classic tunes with the Alaska and United States flags as a backdrop, and Stonehill Gardens provided refreshments.

Green, among others, said she eagerly anticipates the eventual opening of the medical center.

"We look forward to the time when we can be back here and finish this wonderful project," she said.

Ribbon-cutting for the completed hospital is planned for Spring 2006.

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.