OPINION: Support access to emergency care in South Anchorage

As the fire chief of Girdwood Fire and Rescue, I support the proposed Alaska Regional Hospital South Anchorage Emergency Room, which would significantly benefit Turnagain Arm, Girdwood, Whittier and Hope residents.

I started driving ambulances to Anchorage hospitals in 1996. When you are providing emergency medical interventions in the back of an ambulance, the drive from Girdwood or other sections of the Seward Highway to Anchorage hospitals can seem like an eternity with a critical patient. While many things have changed since 1996, the drive time to the hospitals and life-saving care has not improved.

Emergency response times for patients in Girdwood and the surrounding areas are long. Our ambulances, responding to incidents from Bird Creek to the Hope Cut-off, face transport times ranging from 45 to 85 minutes to reach the nearest emergency facility. Many of those calls involved trauma-related incidents stemming from vehicle accidents and Alaska recreational activities. The Seward Highway is well known as a highway safety corridor known for bad accidents and poor weather conditions.

Ground transports by the Girdwood, Whittier and Hope ambulances can take three to four hours per incident from initial incident dispatch to arrival on location, treatment and transport of the patient to the hospital and returning to fire station quarters. The addition of a closer emergency room in South Anchorage would reduce these transport times, improving patient outcomes and allowing more efficient use of ambulance resources and staffing.

Beyond improving access, a new ER would enhance the efficiency of emergency medical services. With shorter transport distances, ambulances could return to service more quickly, reducing response times for subsequent emergencies. This would benefit not only the residents of Girdwood, but also those in Whittier and Hope who rely on timely ambulance transport or choose to self-transport their sick or injured family member.

The proposed facility would also complement Anchorage’s existing network of hospitals and emergency services, providing more options for patients and relieving the pressure on overburdened emergency departments. In doing so, it would enhance the overall health care infrastructure of Anchorage, making it more resilient and responsive to the needs of its residents.

The expansion of emergency services into South Anchorage is not just about convenience; it’s about providing equitable access to care for all residents, regardless of where they live.

Next time you drive the Seward Highway south of Potter Marsh, ask yourself: If I needed to access an emergency room for my family member in an emergency, would I feel more comfortable knowing there was an option available in South Anchorage? Or would you be OK knowing that the closest emergency room was in the U-Med district?

Let’s together support access to emergency care options in South Anchorage. By advocating for this facility, we ensure that every resident has timely access to the lifesaving care they deserve.

Michelle Weston serves as fire chief with the nonprofit Girdwood Fire and Rescue Inc.

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