Providence Alaska Medical Center

Providence Alaska Medical Center is the biggest hospital in Alaska, measured by both money it makes and the number of beds it has. It has 401 beds, 1,190 nurses, and more than 850 doctors working there. Because it employs so many people, it is often called the largest private employer in Alaska.

The hospital is located at 3200 Providence Drive in Anchorage, Alaska, right across the street from the main campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage. This close location helps the hospital work together with the university.

Providence Alaska Medical Center is officially recognized and approved by the Joint Commission, which checks to make sure hospitals meet important safety and care standards. This makes it a trusted place for people in Alaska to get medical help.

Description

Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage has many important services. It includes a special hospital for children, a place for mothers and babies, and centers for heart and cancer care. It also has Alaska’s biggest emergency department with air ambulance service and one of the state’s only trauma centers. The hospital offers many types of care, including help for mental health and substance abuse for both adults and children.

The hospital is part of Providence Health & Services in Alaska, which is the largest private employer in the state. It employs over 5,000 people and is part of the larger Providence St. Joseph Health System.

Accreditation

Providence Alaska Medical Center is approved by the Joint Commission of Hospital Accreditation. The hospital’s radiation oncology department has national approval from the American College of Radiology. Its sleep disorder center is also approved by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Expansion

In 2010, the hospital started a big project to grow and improve, spending $150.3 million. This included building new places for babies, surgery, pharmacy, and more. In January 2018, they added a special area for children in the emergency department with 13 beds. The hospital also started using a new computer system to keep track of health information.

COVID-19 crisis

In August 2021, a doctor at Providence Hospital explained that the hospital was struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were not enough staff or supplies, and many people in the community had not gotten vaccinated. At that time, the city of Anchorage did not require masks or vaccines, following the wishes of the mayor who was elected with that promise.