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LISTEN: Alaska's health care system struggles with capacity amid COVID-19 surge

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation's hospital in Bethel.
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation's hospital in Bethel. Photographed on April 1, 2020. (Katie Basile/KYUK)

Hospital officials, doctors and other medical support staff are raising the alarm over high coronavirus case counts in Alaska, illness among their own ranks and the diminishing number of available beds for critical care.

How are hospitals managing the growing number of hospitalizations? What are the contingency plans for extra bed capacity if needed? And will patients have to leave their community or the state to get treatment?

We're talking with health care professionals on Talk of Alaska.

HOST: Lori Townsend

GUESTS:

  • Jared Kosin, President and CEO of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association.
  • Dan Winkelman, President and CEO of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation
  • Dr. Tom Quimby, Emergency Department Medical Director, MatSu Regional Medical Center

PARTICIPATE:

Call  550-8422 (Anchorage) or  1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast.

Send an email to  talk@alaskapublic.org (comments may be read on air).

Post your comment before, during or after the live broadcast (comments may be read on air).

LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, Nov 24, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. on APRN stations statewide.
LIVE Web stream:  Click here to stream.

Lori Townsend is the news director and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452.