Homer Steps Up Awards Party!

The month-long community steps challenge ends Sunday, May 28.

The entire community is invited to celebrate at Karen Hornaday Park Pavilion on Wednesday May 31st from 5-6 PM. We will have food, music, door prizes, photo opportunities, and an awards ceremony! The top three teams will be announced and recognized. Join us for some outdoor fun while celebrating a month of walking together as community.

View the flyer (pdf)

Headline: Healthy in Homer May 2023 – your local monthly health & wellness e-newsletter!

As we traverse into my most favorite season of all, I’m looking forward to more adventures, fresh produce from the farmers market, and spending more time in the beautiful playground of the nature that surrounds us!

Happy May, bring on the summer sun, and read on for more Healthy in Homer!

RFP

South Peninsula Hospital is seeking a vendor to provide brokerage services for worker’s compensation, employer’s liability, crime, and business auto Insurance programs.
Complete details here.  Deadline to submit is May 15, 2023.

Free Community Yoga Wednesdays in April

Free community yoga continues in April, presented by Erin Brege of Icy Mermaid Yoga. Erin is a certified yoga instructor, local Spanish teacher and global traveler who believes fully in the wellness power of yoga. Free community Yoga is every April in Wednesday from 6-7pm at SPARC, 600 Sterling Highway. All ages and abilities are welcome. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one, a water bottle and some extra layers to this free event.  Questions, call (907) 235-0285 or email wellness@sphosp.org.

View brochure

Request for Proposal

South Peninsula Hospital is seeking a vendor to replace the exterior lobby door. The RFP is attached. Deadline to submit is March 3. Questions regarding this RFP may be directed in writing to Harrison Smith, Facilities Manager, at hsm@sphosp.org . All emails must identify the RFP title in the subject line and include the contact information for the person submitting the question. Questions may be submitted as needed until 5:00pm Alaska Standard Time (AKST), March 3, 2023.

Covid-19 testing site set to close January 13th; Testing still offered through other venues

South Peninsula Hospital’s walk-up Covid-19 testing clinic on Bartlett Street is set to close on Friday, January 13th at 5pm.

The hospital started offering walk-up testing in March of 2020 at the start of the worldwide pandemic under a tent at the hospital’s main entrance. It relocated the service in October of 2020 to the current location at 4201 Bartlett Street.  Additionally, the hospital offered numerous off-campus “pop-up” testing clinics throughout the service area, and processed over 50,000 Covid test swabs during this time.

Demand for testing is low, there is now ample availability of testing services locally, there is easy access to free vaccines and boosters, a variety of effective therapeutics are available for the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus, there’s proven infection prevention strategies and the current strain circulating here at this time is causing a milder illness for most people.

Covid-19 testing will still be available at the hospital after the walk-up clinic closes through the self-referral program “Request-A-Test” at the hospital’s laboratory. This service is for self-pay only, insurance will not be billed, and will cost only $50.  In addition to a single Covid-19 test, a respiratory four-plex test for Influenza-A, Influenza-B, RSV and Covid-19 is offered, as well as other self-referred tests. A complete list can be found at https://www.sphosp.org/services/laboratory/

Most local clinics now offer Covid and flu testing as part of a visit for covid-like illness, which is usually covered by most insurances. Free test kits are offered at the hospital’s main entrance seven days a week, round the clock, while supplies last. Free kits can also be found at Homer Public Library and the Homer Chamber of Commerce. Free at-home test kits can be ordered online at www.covid.gov/tests, and they can be purchased locally, with the cost covered by most insurances.

Vaccines are also being discontinued, and the last day at the Bartlett Street clinic will be Friday, December 30. Between the community mass vaccine events in 2021 and at the clinic, SPH administered over 15,000 vaccines, including initial and booster doses. Covid vaccines are offered by appointment at all local primary care clinics, Homer Public Health and Safeway pharmacy. 

The hospital re-opened all hospital entrances in November, and the entire campus went to a self-screening mask-optional entry, asking visitors and patients to mask if experiencing Covid or flu-like symptoms, or if having a recent known exposure. Caregivers remain masked for all patient care encounters. Pre-procedure testing is still required at the hospital for some situations, and instructions are provided at time of your provider visit.

Other changes effective January 13 include the discontinuation of the hospital’s Covid information phone line.  Individuals are asked to call their provider’s office if they are in need of specific answers regarding their health, or the local public health office at (907) 235-8857.  The weekly testing results from SPH provided testing will no longer be displayed on the hospital’s website after the closure.

For more information on hospital services related to Covid-19 visit https://www.sphosp.org/covid-19-information, contact your destination office in advance or call Derotha Ferraro, Public Information Officer, at (907) 235-0397.

Free Community Yoga at SPARC Every Wednesday Evening in November & December!

We are proud to be sponsoring weekly free community yoga classes at SPARC (South Peninsula Athletic & Recreation Center, 600 Sterling Hwy) from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm each Wednesday evening through December. Please bring your own yoga mat if you have one (we will have extras!), some extra layers, and a water bottle. All ages & abilities are welcome to these drop-in classes. Check the Events Calendar or the South Peninsula Hospital Facebook page for more information.

Know Your Numbers: Understanding Lab Results

Thank you to all who attended “Know Your Numbers: Understanding Your Lab Results”, a free community forum to help individuals interpret their lab results from the annual Rotary Health Fair.

Michael Hennigan, MD, Endocrinologist, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, provided the free presentation on Tuesday, November 15th from 6:00-7:30pm at Kenai Peninsula College discussing the purpose of each test and what the results mean, followed by a question and answer period.  Dr. Hennigan is a visiting specialist to the South Peninsula Hospital, offering endocrinology clinics at the South Peninsula Family Care Clinic on a monthly basis.

To view the video recording of this presentation, click here.

For a PDF of Dr. Hennigan’s slides, click here.

Rotary Health Fair

In-Person Health Fair Returns Saturday, November 5th!

Our free in-person fair event returns on Saturday, November 5th, 2022 from 9am-1pm at the Homer High School!

Over fifty exhibits will offer health information, screenings, demonstrations and more – click here for a printable PDF of the full exhibitor list. Don’t miss the Nolan the Colon inflatable walk-through experience, free flu shots, CPR trainings, Great Candy Exchange, and more! Click here for the full event flyer and visit rotaryhealthfair.org for more information.

Rotary Health Fair is in it’s 39th year and is sponsored by Homer Kachemak Bay Rotary in cooperation with South Peninsula Hospital. This year marks the return of the in person fair after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic.

End of Life community forum with Dr. Giulia Tortora

In September, South Peninsula Hospital hosted “End of Life Decision Making” presentation to discuss living wills, medical power of attorney and medical and legal components related to end of life. Presenters were Dr. Giulia Tortora, family practice physician at Homer Medical Center and Lindsay Wolter, local estate planning attorney. A recording of the event, and handouts are posted below.

Click here for PDF flyer.

Watch the video recording below or at this link.

Handouts:

PDF Slides of Dr. Tortora’s presentation

Alaska POLST (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) Form

Alaska Advance Health Care Directive

The Five Wishes Document

Estate Planning Handout