Calling all seniors citizens! Join us for a fun-filled afternoon hosted by South Peninsula Hospital in collaboration with local agencies. Participants can expect a presentation on “Frailty, Fractures, and Reducing Falls” with Dr. Joe Llenos, lunch, freebies, blood pressure checks, resources from local organizations, followed by a beginner level fitness activity!
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September 10, 2025
Kachemak Bay Campus
South Peninsula Hospital (SPH) will roll out a new electronic health record (EHR) in August. Known throughout the industry as Epic, and with a patient portal named MyChart, this new EHR is expected to help streamline care and improve experience for both the patients and the staff who provide their care. This change will happen in all patient care areas except Long Term Care and Home Health, which are separately licensed facilities. The go-live dates are Saturday, August 9 at the hospital and Monday, August 11 at the clinics.
Rachael Kincaid, DNP, APRN, has been named South Peninsula Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer. Rachael has served as the organization’s Chief Nursing Officer and Long Term Care Administrator since 2022.
Rachael received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Medical University of South Carolina with a focus on gerontology. Prior to South Peninsula Hospital, she worked in the greater Charlotte, North Carolina area, specializing in hospice and palliative care. Rachael succeeds Angela Hinnegan who recently left after five years on the hospital’s leadership team to serve as Chief Financial Officer at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna.
Amber Gall, RN, has been named the new Chief Nursing Officer. Amber has been a trusted nursing leader at SPH as Director of Surgical Services since 2020, where she successfully increased department staff retention, decreased the need for travel staff and expanded surgical services offered locally. Prior to SPH, Amber worked in Wyoming in both critical access and surgical specialty hospitals. She looks forward to being part of the executive leadership team with a continued commitment to high standards of care, staff development, and patient-centered practices.
Ryan Smith, hospital CEO, feels fortunate to have such talented leaders already in place to make for an easy transition. “Rachael and Amber have earned deep respect and trust from both our medical staff and employees in a short period of time. Their strong ties to the community, deep understanding of our organization, and unwavering dedication to patient care position them to make a meaningful impact on the hospital’s future. We are also incredibly grateful to Angela Hinnegan for her exceptional leadership and service as COO. Her steady guidance has laid a strong foundation, and we deeply appreciate her many contributions to our mission and team.”
South Peninsula Hospital’s Long Term Care (SPH LTC) has been recognized as a 2025 Silver – Achievement in Quality Award recipient by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). The award is the second of three distinctions possible through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program, which recognizes organizations that meet progressively rigorous standards of performance to further improve the lives of residents and staff in long term care.
“Earning the Silver award is an incredible honor for our team,” said Katie Martin, Director of Nursing and Licensed Nursing Home Administrator of South Peninsula Hospital Long Term Care. “This accomplishment reflects our commitment to continuously improving the quality of care and services we provide to our residents each day. We are proud of the progress we’ve made and remain dedicated to continuing our efforts toward providing high quality care to our elders and others in need of long term care.”
The National Quality Award Program has three progressive levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. At the Silver level, recipients have met the criteria for the Bronze award and can now move on to the final and most prestigious level of the program, the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award. Trained examiners review each application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria.
Data shows that Silver and Gold awarded providers outperform the rest of the nation. SPH LTC earned the bronze level in 2024, and has continued with significant improvements in several key areas, particularly in workforce development and quality of care. These advancements have led to better resident outcomes, including reduced hospitalizations and emergency room visits, decreased use of antipsychotic medications, fewer depressive symptoms among residents, and lower staff turnover rates.
In response to workforce needs, SPH LTC has successfully developed, implemented, and sustained an in-house Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) training program. These efforts have contributed to high satisfaction rates among residents, their families, and staff.
“Earning the Silver award is no small feat, and South Peninsula Hospital Long Term Care has demonstrated exceptional commitment to quality improvement,” said Cathy Bergland, AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board Chair. “This recognition is a clear reflection of their hard work and unwavering focus on delivering superior care and service to residents and staff.”
The National Quality Awards will be presented during the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo, October 19-22, 2025, in Las Vegas, NV. More information on SPH Long Term Care can be found at https://www.sphosp.org/services/long-term-care/.
Join us for a Communication Disorder Support Group on the last Saturday of each month. This group offers a welcoming space for individuals with speech, voice, and communication disorders and their families to share experiences, access resources, and find encouragement to communicate in supported ways. Please contact Martie Klouser, MS, CCC-SLP at (907) 235- 0372 with questions.
As a community in 2025, we walked the equivalent of three times around the Earth! For prizes, 40 walkers won $50 in Homer Bucks, and our “Extra Tough” days winner received their favorite fleece-lined XTRATUF® boots. Thank you all so much for stepping with us this past May!
Join us for our weekly Wellness Wednesday events at the Kenai Peninsula College on Pioneer Avenue. Health talks begin at 5:30pm, and Qi Gong with Kate Henry begins at 6:30pm. Free homemade soup and bread is provided. Please note that these are the last Wellness Wednesday events until the fall!
As volcanic activity increases in our region, South Peninsula Hospital urges everyone to be aware of the potential health risks associated with volcanic ash. Ash fallout can cause serious health hazards, particularly for the respiratory system, eyes, and skin.
Health Hazards of Ash:
Protect Your Health:
For more detailed information on how to protect your family, home, and business, please refer to the full emergency preparedness guide here: Ash Alert: How to Protect Your Family, Home, and Business.
Stay informed and stay safe.
Additional resources:
Mt. Spurr FAQ (updated 3/19/25)
Lars Matkin, MD, performed a hip replacement surgery at South Peninsula Hospital in January, rounding out the full suite of orthopedic surgeries now offered here. This event marks the first total hip replacement in recent times. Michael Craig, the recipient of the new hip, is a local resident of Homer and expressed delight in being able to access this expertise in Homer. Craig was up and walking hours after the surgery, and reported nothing but good outcomes at his follow-up appointment.
“I really don’t like driving and I really want to get my care locally,” Michael shared while visiting with the surgeon the day after surgery. Michael already had a relationship with SPH’s Dr. Brent Adcox and Dr. Kurt Mentzer for other orthopedic care, and he really appreciated the quickness and ease in which they were able to connect him to Dr. Matkin for assessment and scheduling. Though he’d never met Dr. Matkin before, Craig had been acquainted with his father for many years. Between knowing his dad, and being referred by Dr. Adcox, he felt very comfortable and was excited to be the first patient to have this surgery here.
Homer born and raised, Matkin attended medical school at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and credits time spent with Dr. Adcox as his inspiration to practicing orthopedics. He practices mostly in Anchorage, but now joins the SPH orthopedics team in Homer on a twice monthly basis, focusing on patients with hip issues.
Matkin joins South Peninsula Orthopedics where two full time orthopedic surgeons, Brent Adcox and Kurt Mentzer, offer a full range of orthopedic services including sports medicine, orthopedic surgeries, total joint replacements and care of cervical and lumbar spinal disorders. Adcox, the founding provider at South Peninsula Orthopedics, completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the University Of Texas Health Sciences Center, and completed his spine fellowship at South Texas Spinal Clinic. Mentzer earned a Fellowship at Hand Center of San Antonio and completed residency at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center.
Matkin really appreciates the levels of support here as compared to other places. From a very effective and talented surgical staff and the familiarity of relationships found only in a small town, to a very diverse physical rehabilitation team which offers all types of specialties and even does home visits, Matkin is super impressed with the whole patient care experience here and looks forward to expanding his practice in the coming years.
South Peninsula Orthopedics is located at 4201 Bartlett Street, Homer. Appointments can be made by calling (907) 235-0310.
SPH speech/language pathologists are now offering a support group for individuals and their families with speech, voice and communication disorders. This will be a chance to share experiences, access resources and find encouragement with others facing similar challenges. The group is hosted by Martie Klousner, M.S. and Haley Jenkins, M.S., the Speech-Language Pathologists in the Rehabilitation Department at SPH. It will meet the last Saturday of every month at the SPH Training Center at 4014 Lake Street, #101. The first support group meeting is Saturday, February 22 from 12:00-1:00pm. For more information contact the SPH Speech Therapy office at 907-235-0372. To learn more about our speech services, visit https://www.sphosp.org/
