03/13/2001 04:02 PM House HES

HB 76-NEW FACILITIES FOR API                                                                                                  
HB 77-APPROP: REPLACEMENT OF API                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 0750                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  announced the  committee  would  hear testimony  on                                                               
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE  FOR HOUSE  BILL NO.  76, "An  Act authorizing                                                               
the commissioner  of health  and social  services to  provide for                                                               
the design  and construction of psychiatric  treatment facilities                                                               
to replace  the facilities of the  Alaska Psychiatric Institute,"                                                               
and SPONSOR  SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE  BILL NO. 77, "An  Act relating                                                               
to  appropriations   for  the  design   and  construction   of  a                                                               
replacement  facility or  facilities for  the Alaska  Psychiatric                                                               
Institute and  for a grant  to study the feasibility  of locating                                                               
certain health  programs at  the site  of the  Alaska Psychiatric                                                               
Institute; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 0815                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NORMAN ROKEBERG,  Alaska State  Legislature, came                                                               
forth as sponsor of SSHB 76 and  SSHB 77.  He stated that this is                                                               
a  very  important  issue that  faces  Alaska,  particularly  the                                                               
people  of Anchorage.   He  said he  understands the  priority to                                                               
replace the  API (Alaska Psychiatric Institute)  facility, and he                                                               
became interested when the deal  with Charter North fell through.                                                               
He  stated that  he introduced  this legislation  to discuss  not                                                               
only the  replacement of the  API facility but also  the addition                                                               
of what  had historically  been a  wing for  forensic psychiatric                                                               
use.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ROKEBERG mentioned  that  it was  brought to  his                                                               
attention   that  University   or   Alaska   Anchorage  and   the                                                               
Municipality of  Anchorage had some preliminary  discussion about                                                               
co-locating some of  their facilities with land in the  area.  He                                                               
remarked  that since  real  estate  is "dear"  in  that area,  it                                                               
becomes  an  important issue  about  what  the highest  and  best                                                               
values  are for  property in  that particular  neighborhood.   He                                                               
added   that  there   have  been   historic  conversations   with                                                               
Providence  Hospital,  Providence   Medical  Center,  and  Alaska                                                               
Regional  Hospital  regarding whether  they  had  an interest  in                                                               
participating [jointly  in a combined facility]  in the Anchorage                                                               
Area.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 1035                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG stated  that right now there  is the Mike                                                               
Module unit in an Anchorage  correctional facility where the most                                                               
seriously mentally  ill patients in the  state are kept.   In the                                                               
Hiland  Mountain Correctional  Center  (for women)  there are  19                                                               
beds in a unit  called Michelle Module.  The Taku  unit is a ten-                                                               
bed unit  in API primarily  for the psychological  evaluations of                                                               
those who  are incompetent  to stand  trial under  Title 12.   He                                                               
added that there is a  Palmer special-needs facility with 18 beds                                                               
for those who have one year or  less to serve [in prison] and the                                                               
Spring  Creek Correction  Center's Echo  Module has  65 beds  for                                                               
chronically mentally  ill offenders who  are serving one  year or                                                               
more  [in  prison].     He  remarked  that   in  total,  Alaska's                                                               
correctional  system has  140  beds for  those  that need  mental                                                               
health treatment.   He expressed that  he thinks it is  a "crying                                                               
shame"  that  prisoners  who  need  mental  treatment  have  been                                                               
neglected.   He  remarked that  with  "time served"  many of  the                                                               
prisoners in Alaska,  almost invariably, will be back  out on the                                                               
street, so it is important to get them treatment.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG  stated that the  issues that need  to be                                                               
looked  at are:   the  location of  this particular  institution,                                                               
what's the highest and best use  of the available land, the scope                                                               
of the  institution, the  number of beds,  the design,  the cost,                                                               
and the financing.   He remarked that the governor  has a similar                                                               
bill  that  calls  for  the  appropriations  to  make  up  what's                                                               
currently   available,  and   that  recommends   certificates  of                                                               
participation, which add an ongoing  lease payment on the part of                                                               
the state in the general fund  every year.  He added that another                                                               
issue is the demolition cost of the existing structure.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
[HB 76 and HB 77 were held over.]