Talkeetna healer among two killed in Parks Highway crash

June 22, 2007

By John R. Moses

Frontiersman

TALKEETNA - Thunder rolled across the Upper Susitna Valley. Lightning lit the ground and rain fell in thick droplets through a blue-hued evening sky Wednesday as word quickly spread through this close-knit community that a driving force behind the Sunshine Community Health Clinic's survival and expansion died hours earlier in a Parks Highway automobile accident.

Jessica Stevens, 47, of Talkeetna was killed shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday near Mile 94 after her 1997 Subaru station wagon crossed the center line and collided with the side of a tour bus before striking a pickup truck head-on, Alaska State Troopers report. Also killed in the accident was the 61-year-old driver of the white Toyota truck, Paul Markoff of Togiak, who was airlifted from the scene but died en route to an Anchorage hospital.

There were no passengers on the Princess Tours bus. Driver Denise Mayward, 54, of Anchorage was shaken-up by the crash.

Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters said troopers responded at 5:56 p.m. Wednesday. Stevens' 1997 Subaru station wagon was traveling northbound when it crossed the center line at Mile 93.7, colliding with the side of an empty Princess Tours bus. She then collided head-on with the 2007 Toyota truck driven by Markoff.

Troopers report Stevens was wearing her seat belt and investigation shows Markoff was not belted-in. Traffic began flowing again a little past 9 p.m. after the bus and the two vehicles were cleared from the roadway.

Another blow to Talkeetna

News of Stevens' death spread quickly by word of mouth, much as news that Su Valley Jr./Sr. High School was burning traveled on June 5. Like that disastrous fire, the loss of the hardworking physician's assistant, former clinic medical director and active arts community volunteer had immediate impact.

Stevens was the primary caregiver for many of the area's youth, including Fairview Inn manager Mike Lindgren's child. Lindgren is close friends with the family and worked at KTNA public radio for years along with Stevens' husband, station manager Robert Ambrose. The station's news staff was in his bar to hear blues music.

&#8220She was probably the busiest and one of the most active people in this area,” Lindgren said of Stevens.

Like most of Stevens friends, Lindgren could find few words. Many were too upset to talk.

Aside from being a popular physician's assistant and maintaining a large caseload at the clinic, she was active in the Denali Arts Council and recently assisted with the council's long-term planning. She had friends who were fierce defenders - many of whom she had helped in times of need.

Lindgren, formerly the radio station's events coordinator, told the station's news staff.

Official identification by troopers wasn't available at that hour and a power failure darkened the area between Talkeetna and Willow just after 11 p.m. for about three hours. The station continued with evening programming and the bad news was verified.

By morning some impacts were apparent in the seemingly random community announcements read over KTNA by the noon newscaster between calm and reflective music interludes from, &#8220Music in the Key of Love.”

The Sunshine Clinic would be closed until Monday, one report states. The radio station's planned call-in fundraising drive this weekend was canceled. Thursday Yoga classes, taught by a close friend of the Stevens family, were also canceled.

A respected health professional

Stevens, a physician's assistant-C and the former clinic medical director, came to the Sunshine Clinic in 1993, six years after its founding and at a time when it was struggling. The battle to keep its doors open was long and fought even during a pregnancy.

&#8220My first clinic patient had a huge gash from a chain saw,” she wrote in 2002 in a history of the clinic titled &#8220The Little Clinic that Could.”

&#8220Donned in a black garbage bag with plastic sacks on my feet, I used expired anesthetic and a miscellaneous assortment of cleaning solutions and sutures to clean and repair his wound. That was only the beginning.” she wrote.

&#8220She was such a wonderful person, and it's such a blow after the fire,” said Suzy Kellard, a longtime Talkeetna resident and merchant who is also president of the local chamber of commerce.

Stevens met late one night to plan a successful fundraiser that kept the small clinic afloat, went home and delivered a child four hours later.

Later came government grants which led to today's modern facility.

Stevens received honors for her work there and is credited with helping save the clinic from financial difficulties could have meant the loss of low-income medical care in the growing rural area. The nearest hospital is 70 miles away.

Stevens resigned from the clinic earlier this year in a dispute with clinic management and its board. The executive director's resignation was accepted after an emotional February meeting in Willow between clinic directors and angry Stevens supporters who called for her reinstatement. She was still working at the clinic at the time of her death.

Some of the clinic's staff spent Wednesday evening calling clients with upcoming appointments and notifying them that the clinic would close until Monday. That move leaves the Talkeetna area - swelled with summer tourists - with no daytime medical care.

Dr. James Yates has a private practice downtown but is covering this week for a doctor in Wasilla who is vacationing out of state. Yates said he feels the clinic's decision to shut down is irresponsible and he hopes he'll be able to accommodate Talkeetna patients who need immediate care during his limited late hours. He vowed to fly his plane instead of driving to make it back to Talkeetna from Wasilla on a timely basis.

No information about memorial services was available at press time.