Registration Now Open for Walking Challenge

Registration for the 10th annual Homer Steps Up community walking challenge (May 4 -31) opens April 15 on HomerStepsUp.com. Coordinated by South Peninsula Hospital, with support from numerous partnering agencies, the yearly challenge is designed to motivate the community to engage in more movement to help improve overall health as well as provide a fun, interactive community event as Homer transitions into summer.

The program will be hosted on the same online platform and app as last year. Participants can sync their smartphone or wearable fitness tracker for easy tracking, or there are options to manually upload steps from a pedometer. Last year, 667 individuals across 68 teams participated, leading to 177,128,943 steps logged as a community.

Thanks to support from South Peninsula Hospital Foundation, all individual participants reaching a minimum of 7,500 daily steps will be entered in to win weekly Homer Bucks.  Teams of five+ participants will be ranked based on the average of their members’ steps (not a total sum), and the top three winning teams will get the opportunity to designate cash donations to a local non-profit of their choice. 

As part of the Homer Steps Up Challenge, SPH is extending sponsorship of free weekly indoor walks at the SPARC on Mondays from 11:45 am – 12:45 pm through June. Starting April 20 and going through May, there will also be a Homer Steps Up registration and help desk available, as well as free blood pressure screenings.

There are also multiple community events happening throughout May that can help participants reach their steps goals: Kachemak Bay Running Club meets at Bishops Beach on Wednesdays, the Shorebird Festival’s Migration Run 5k on May 10, South Peninsula Behavioral Health Services walk-a-thon on May 28, and Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic’s satellite Alaska Run for Women event on May 30. 

Complete information is at www.homerstepsup.com

End of Life Decision Making – recording now available

Thank you to the many community members who attended our free educational presentation, “End of Life Decision Making,” this spring! This event was originally scheduled for Fall 2025, and we appreciate everyone’s flexibility with the rescheduling. We were honored to have Homer Medical Center’s Dr. Giulia Tortora, local estate planning attorney Lindsay Wolter, and Hospice of Homer death doula Morgan Laffert lead this important conversation. Together, they covered key aspects of end-of-life planning, including living wills, medical power of attorney, legal and medical decision-making, and emotional considerations.

Direct link to video

Slides (compressed version) 

Presentation Handout

Estate Planning Handout

Alaska POLST (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) Form

Alaska Advance Health Care Directive

The Five Wishes Document

Planning for your Pet’s Future

Healthy in Homer April Newsletter

SPH Submits Letters of Interest to Rural Health Transformation Program

South Peninsula Hospital recently submitted Letters of Interest to the State of Alaska Rural Health Transformation Program, a five-year federal grant program to improve health care in rural areas across all fifty states. These letters are the first round of submissions, and are some of nearly 1,800 which were submitted from locations across Alaska. We expect to learn sometime in April, 2026 if any of our submittals are invited to complete full applications. Complete program information for Alaska can be found here: https://health.alaska.gov/en/education/rural-health-transformation-program/

South Peninsula Hospital’s Letters of Interest for 11 projects are found below. Please note that the first five pages of the LOI submittal have been redacted to remove contact information and other sensitive company information. Three additional submittals were submitted in cooperation with other applicants, listed here is the project summary only.

South Peninsula Hospital Letters of Interest:

Inquiries made in conjunction with other entities:

  • Collaborative Project for a Shared Medical Office
  • Collaborative Project for Value Based Care
  • Collaborative Food as Medicine Pilot Program

 

Lunch with SPH Leaders

South Peninsula Hospital invites you to a continuing conversation about the future of SPH. Join us on Wednesday, March 18 at the Kachemak Bay Campus of Kenai Peninsula College in Homer to hear plans for the future of your community hospital and give feedback on this or anything related to SPH. Board members and senior leadership will be on hand, and lunch will be provided. Doors open at 11:45am and the program begins at 12:15pm. Learn more about SPH strategic planning here https://www.sphosp.org/about/strategic-plan/

March Wellness Wednesday

Join us for Wellness Wednesday, we’ve got a great line-up this month!

Navigating Health and Resources

Community members are invited to this free public event on Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Homer Senior Center Cafeteria.

This event is designed to help residents connect with local health services, community supports, and resource navigation, all in one place.
During the lunch hour, attendees can visit information tables, ask questions, and pick up resources from a variety of local organizations, including:
  •  South Peninsula Hospital: offering flu shots, blood pressure screenings, and information on living wills, POLST forms, and legal document
  • Independent Living Center: providing guidance on enrollment and waiver processes
  • Public Health: sharing available local resources and supports
  • Hospice of Homer: offering information about local services and support
  • Laurie Deakins: offering information regarding Medicaid waivers
  • Homer Senior Center: sharing details on community programs
Free lunch prepared by the Homer Senior Center kitchen will be available.
Everyone is welcome, and there is no cost to attend.
For more information, community members can contact the Homer Senior Center at (907) 235-7655.

SPH welcomes two new board members

South Peninsula Hospital Board of Directors appointed two new members to the board and elected new officers at their December, 2025 board meeting.

Jim Anderson and Ken Ciccoli, both of Homer, are newly appointed to three-year terms. Anderson has deep roots in the community, being born at South Peninsula Hospital and raised in Homer. He left for some time, and returned to Homer four years ago with his family, where he is a property investment manager and business brand consultant. He serves on numerous local boards and committees, and is active in the arts and youth programs. He is the Vice President of the Homer Chamber of Commerce and a board member at Homer Council on the Arts.

Ken Ciccoli has prior professional experience in healthcare working as a cancer pathology lab manager, and has a continuing interest in medicine. He is a young attorney who recently founded a state-wide law practice. He has served on the board of Homer Softball Association, Fisheries for the Future and is involved in local athletic programs. He is the founding partner and CEO of Inlet Law.

The board also elected officers at the December meeting.  Re-elected were Aaron Weisser as President; Preston Simmons as Vice President; and Beth Wythe as Secretary. Newly elected officer was Mike Dye as Treasurer. The officers and new board members officially take office at the next board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 28 at 6:30pm in the hospital’s conference rooms, lower level, entrance B. The monthly board meetings are open to the public to attend both in person or virtually via zoom.

Ending his board term after a total of 12 years of service is Walt Partridge. Partridge served as Treasurer the majority of his board tenure, and as a member of the finance committee. More information about board members, meetings and attendance can be found at https://www.sphosp.org/about/board-of-directors.

Welcome First Baby of 2026

Baby girl River Marie Burdick was born on Sunday, January 4, 2026 at 3:55pm at South Peninsula Hospital, earning her the bragging rights of first baby delivered there in 2026. River weighed six pounds, 10 ounces, and was 19.5 inches in length. She is the first child of Amanda and Aaron Burdick of Homer, Alaska. 

River arrived weeks earlier than expected, catching the Burdicks by surprise. The couple had just returned home from shopping and were putting the groceries away when Amanda’s water broke. They were at the hospital within the hour.

The Burdicks never imagined they would have the first baby of the new year, with a January 20 due date and the knowledge that 13 other women at their church were pregnant and due around the same time.  Amanda and Aaron are overwhelmed with all the attention and generosity, and are so impressed with the whole experience.  “The hospital stay was amazing, the food was phenomenal, and the gifts are insane. The nurses and midwives were truly a dream. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience!” said Amanda. 

The Burdicks moved to Homer from Michigan just over three years ago. Like many other residents in this area, they came to see friends and decided stayed. Aaron recently opened Northern Summit Financial, a book keeping, accounting and financial analysis firm for small businesses. The Burdicks also own and operate Still Water Charters, a fishing charter business based in Homer. They love the area and have no plans of leaving any time soon. “Homer is amazing, can’t beat it!” said Amanda.  Family members from out of state are arriving soon to celebrate River’s arrival.

The Burdicks were showered with over $1,000 worth of gifts and supplies which were generously donated by local businesses and community members as follows:

  • Homer Bookstore – gift card and paper lantern
  • Sprout – Bib, onesie, ball, books, washcloth
  • Northwind – teddy bear, onesie, counting & colors abacus toy
  • Yvonne Dunson – crocheted baby blanket
  • Twisted Goat – Gift Certificate
  • Homer Library – ABC of Kachemak Bay book
  • Homer’s Jeans – Lena James Onesie
  • Spenard Builders Supply – shovel, bucket, outlet covers, cabinet locks, Clorox wipes, gift certificate
  • Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware – GIANT BAG of baby stuff – blocks, dumbbell toy, stuffed animal, bus toy, diaper rash cream, Carhartt shorts, PJ set, pacifier packs, Nose Frida, snack cup
  • Grace Ridge – beanie and bottle
  • Oodalolly – stack toy and onesie
  • Bidarka Inn- Gift certificate for one night stay in the hot tub room
  • Stacey’s Coffee – Gift Card + glass tumbler
  • Kachemak Gear Shed – Gift Certificate
  • Classic Cook- Insulated bag, baby trainer truck plate, bottle brush, dish towels, stacking mixing bowls.
  • Cole’s Meat Market – Meat pack

For more information on the family birthing center at South Peninsula Hospital, contact Seaside Women’s Care at (907) 226-5630.

Community Resource Connect



Community Resource Connect (CRC) is a free community event designed to connect individuals and families with local support and resources. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, housing instability, or could use extra help with basic needs, we invite you to join us.

Location: SPARC: 600 Sterling Highway, Homer
Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Cost: Free and open to the public

More than 20 local service providers will be available to share information and help connect you with:
• Housing and homelessness support
• Public assistance and benefits
• Food resources
• Clothing and supplies
• Employment and job support
• Child and family resources
• Behavioral health and recovery support
• Community programs and referrals

This is a welcoming event for anyone who could benefit from support, guidance, or connection to services in our area. You can come to ask questions, gather information, and meet organizations that serve the Homer area and surrounding communities. Transportation assistance is available: call or text 907-435-1103 to learn more.Thank you to the SPARC for their generosity in supporting and housing this event