Wellpath congratulates leadership and staff at the Department of Health and Social Services for API being recertified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and receiving a new license from the State of Alaska’s Health Facilities Licensing and Certification Section.
“Today’s announcement represents thousands of hours of collaborative work with the department, and is a huge development for API’s patients and their families,” said Jeremy Barr, division president at Wellpath. “It has been our privilege to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the dedicated staff at DHSS as we worked together to address the enormous challenges presented at API. Earning CMS certification and a new state license sends a strong signal that API is back on track to meeting the community’s needs, and should assure state leaders that problems are being addressed. More work is required to get API back to full capacity, and we look forward to continuing to improve the quality of care available at Alaska’s largest and most important psychiatric facility.”
Following improvements made at API, The Joint Commission also reaccredited the facility in April. The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
Wellpath was brought on as a management consultant by DHSS in February after API fell into crisis.
Gov. Dunleavy talks about improvements at API
The Governor of Alaska, Mike Dunleavy stated in a press conference, “There have been a lot of positive changes at API due to the actions taken by Commissioner Crum and his team. It has gone from a state of emergency to a psychiatric facility in good standing with federal and state regulatory agencies. I applaud the leadership at API and DHSS for making the safety of patients and staff a top priority. All Alaskans will benefit from having this critical piece of our behavioral health system functioning safely and effectively.”
API’s chief executive officer, Matt Dammeyer added, “I’m proud to be a part of the positive changes underway at API. When it comes to the health and well-being of our patients and staff, I know that there’s still room for improvement but we will continue to work towards creating a culture of excellence at API.”
Below is a television news story highlighting the announcement from Alaska news outlet KTVA.