Your recent story about the proposed emergency room plans in South Anchorage was good news for our community of Girdwood and Turnagain Arm residents.
As a 50-year resident of Girdwood and former CEO of Alyeska Resort, I have witnessed countless medical emergencies on the Seward Highway including serious accidents on the mountain slopes. For a Girdwood resident or visitor in an emergency, the nearest hospital is an hour away.
The Girdwood Clinic, a critical service for our community, provides excellent care.
But it is only open five days a week during daytime hours and is not equipped to handle emergencies.
I was pleased to read that Alaska Regional Hospital has an application for an emergency room in South Anchorage. The time is right for our residents of Girdwood and other Turnagain communities to have an emergency room closer to home.
This facility will reduce overcrowding in existing ERs, cut ambulance turnaround time and, at the end of the day, save lives.
I am writing to the Alaska Department of Health’s Certificate of Need program urging the approval of this facility. I am sure the majority of my friends, neighbors and residents of our community would greatly appreciate such an ER facility in South Anchorage.
— Chris von Imhof
Girdwood
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