Daily Sitka Sentinel

January 12, 2018, Community Happenings

Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital Patients Get Traditional Food Options

Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital’s nutrition staff, in partnership with NMS, is making traditional food options available to inpatients.

Providing care means more than traditional medicine, it means comforting those who are not feeling well, the hospital said in a news release.

One way Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital nutrition staff members thought they could provide additional comfort was to add traditional foods such as local game, seafood, plants and berries to the inpatient menu.

Adding traditional foods to the hospital’s menu required coordination with more than one state agency, including the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Fish and Game.

Undaunted by the tasks, the MEH nutrition team set out to develop a policy that would satisfy both the state and SEARHC. The traditional foods policy they created has resulted in a system that now allows MEH to accept donations of locally harvested meat, seafood, vegetables and berries to be used exclusively for inpatient meals.

“As a team, we truly believe that the food we serve, and the hospitality we provide, aid in the healing process. NMS is proud to prepare traditional foods that bring comfort to Mt. Edgecumbe patients, and we are committed to doing so,” said Lexie Smith, NMS chef manager at Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital. “The menu is meant to engage our guests, honor tradition, and respect the land. The venison stew, in particular, is a recipe calling for fresh vegetables, herbs, and Sitka venison (as supplies are available). The stew is a popular menu option that many guests relate to and feel comforted by. Our traditional foods policy allows the public to make donations of indigenous foods as long as it has been properly handled.”

For now, every Friday the MEH “chef special” for inpatients is venison stew. Ideally, however, if MEH were to receive donations of other items – such as fish, herring eggs, beach asparagus, fiddleheads, berries, reindeer or moose – the nutrition staff could incorporate those into the menu as well, Smith said.

They could also employ traditional methods of preserving.

Smith said the hospital nutrition staff would like to see items such as local jams and pickles, herring egg salad, bone broths and smoked fish on the patient menu in the future.

“Patient-centered medical care is a critical component of the way we deliver health care at SEARHC,’’ said President and CEO Charles Clement.

‘‘Our traditional foods policy is an example of that and an enhancement to our vision of promoting a healthy balance of mind, body, and spirit,’’ he said.

Additional information regarding traditional foods that may be donated can be found at http://dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/Food/Traditional_Foods.html by reviewing the links under the “requirements” section at the top of the page.

Individuals with questions about donating traditional foods to Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital can contact David Alexander, NMS Food Service and Catering general manager at 966-8325 or david.alexander@nmsusa.com, or Lexie Smith, NMS chef manager at 966-8470 or lexie.smith@nmsusa.com. 

SAFV Board Meets

The board of Sitkans Against Family Violence will meet 5:25 p.m. Jan. 16 at the shelter. The meeting is open to the public. For directions and more information, call 747-3370.

PFD Application

Help at LIO Office

The Sitka Legislative Information Office at Totem Square is available to help with PFD applications from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, or call 747-6276 for an appointment.

Card of Thanks

The family of Scott Brill wishes to extend our profound thanks to all who helped us through the death of our husband, father, brother, grandfather and dear friend.

The EMTs Valerie Heritch, Greg Raschick, Matt Hunter and Adam Horton of the Sitka Fire Department and Officers Wheeler and Ford of the Sitka Police Department were stellar! Dr. Roesel and the ER staff at Sitka Community Hospital were amazing as well. Special thanks to Christine Davenport for her caring and support.

To all our friends, neighbors and relatives near and far, thank you for the visits, gifts, cards and phone calls. We are so grateful to have you in our lives.

Special thanks to Prewitt Funeral Home for making arrangements so seamless and to the Sitka Sentinel for printing the beautiful picture of our family and obituary.

We will spread his remains in the crater at Mt. Edgecumbe in late June or early July and have a celebration of life at that time.

God bless you all.

Bev, Brad, Ty Bill and families

Hames Center

Open on Monday

Hames Center will be open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Offerings will include tot’s gym  from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., TRX at 10:30 a.m., dance aerobics at noon and lunch spin at 12:15 p.m.

For schedule information visit www.hamescenter.org or call 747-5080. 

Japonski Boathouse 

Is Topic of Talk

The Sitka Maritime Heritage Society maritime talk will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Japonski Island Boathouse.

Kathryn Snelling, Mary Bowen and Roberta Modrell will share memories of growing up and spending time at the  boathouse. Historic images and film footage of life and boatbuilding in Sitka in 1950s, ’60s and ’70s will be included. Hot beverages and light snacks will be served.

The event is free and will be held at the Japonski Island boathouse, located on Seward Avenue, next to the O’Connell Bridge and U.S. Coast Guard dock.

White E Shop

Sale Saturday

The White Elephant Shop children’s store will have books for $2 per grocery bag on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. 

‘Religious Tolerance’

Topic at Unitarian  

Jennifer Carter will present “Shall We Gather at the River? Religious Tolerance” Sunday at Sitka’s Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship. It is the next session of the series “Faith Like a River.”

All are invited to attend. Fellowship begins at 10:30 a.m. with the program beginning at 10:45 a.m. Soup and bread follow at noon. The Fellowship Hall is  at 408 Marine Street, with parking behind off Spruce Street.

New Dog Training

Classes Starting

UAS-Sitka Campus is offering two dog training classes beginning Tuesday, Jan. 16, for six weeks. Classes will be offered 6-7 p.m. Tuesdays.

The first class, puppy kindergarten, is for puppies 6-16 weeks. It teaches basic manners, good behavior and more.

The second class, beginning dog obedience, is for dogs of all ages.

Call UAS at 747-6653 to register, or for more information. Instructors are Susan Royce and Karen Royce.

Little League

Registration On

Sitka Little League registration is open for baseball, softball and T-ball. 

An early-bird discount of $20 off is being offered to players who register before the end of the month. Tryouts for minor league and higher will be held Feb. 18 and 20.

For more information and to register visit sitkalittleleague.org.

Banff Film Festival

In Sitka Feb. 9

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour will present big-screen stories about adventure, action and travel 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, at the Sitka Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are on sale at the Hames Center for $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. For ticket information call 747-5080.

The stop on the world tour is hosted by Hames Center and Sitka Banff Film Fest Committee. 

Fiber Friends Meet

Fiber Friends will meet noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, in the Gus Adams room at the Sitka Public Library.

Weavers, spinners, dyers and other fiber users are welcome. All are invited to take projects to show and questions for lively discussions. For more information contact Alice at 747-3931.