Legislature(2005 - 2006)CAPITOL 106
02/22/2005 03:00 PM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HJR10 | |
| University of Alaska Board of Regents | |
| Professional Teaching Practices Commission | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HJR 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 22, 2005
3:08 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Peggy Wilson, Chair
Representative Paul Seaton, Vice Chair
Representative Tom Anderson
Representative Vic Kohring
Representative Sharon Cissna
Representative Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Lesil McGuire
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10
Relating to a proposed reduction in the Federal Medical
Assistance Percentage for Alaskans; and urging the United States
Congress to take action to prevent the reduction.
- MOVED HJR 10 OUT OF COMMITTEE
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
^University of Alaska Board of Regents
Carl H. Marrs - Anchorage
Robert Martin - Juneau
Jeff Staser - Anchorage
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
^Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Karen Macklin - Sitka
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HJR 10
SHORT TITLE: FEDERAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE REDUCTION
SPONSOR(S): FINANCE
02/14/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/14/05 (H) HES, FIN
02/22/05 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
SUE WRIGHT, Staff
to Representative Mike Chenault
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HJR 10 on behalf of the House
Finance Committee, sponsor by request, which is co-chaired by
Representative Chenault.
JOEL GILBERTSON, Commissioner
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HJR 10 and answered questions
regarding HJR 10.
CARL MARRS, Appointee
to the University of Alaska Board of Regents
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents.
JEFF STASER, Appointee
to the University of Alaska Board of Regents
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents.
ROBERT MARTIN, Appointee
to the University of Alaska Board of Regents
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents.
KAREN MACKLIN, Appointee
to the Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Sitka, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Professional
Teaching Practices Commission.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR PEGGY WILSON called the House Health, Education and Social
Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:08:14 PM.
Representatives Wilson, Cissna, Seaton, and Anderson were
present at the call to order. Representatives Gardner and
Kohring arrived as the meeting was in progress.
3:08:49 PM
HJR 10-FEDERAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE REDUCTION
[Contains a brief mention of SJR 6.]
CHAIR WILSON announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10, "Relating to a proposed reduction
in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Alaskans; and
urging the United States Congress to take action to prevent the
reduction."
3:09:17 PM
SUE WRIGHT, Staff to Representative Mike Chenault, Alaska State
Legislature, presented HJR 10 on behalf of Representative
Chenault, sponsor. She explained that the proposed joint
resolution was crafted to urge the U.S. Congress to take action
to prevent the reduction of the Federal Medical Assistance
Percentage (FMAP) for Alaskans from a 57.58 percent
federal/42.42 percent state match to an even 50:50 even split on
October 1, 2005. She said, "This resolution outlines the
environmental and demographic reasons health care costs in
Alaska are so high and substantiates that it is reasonable to
maintain a rate at 57.58 percent instead of a reduction to 50
percent."
3:10:26 PM
JOEL GILBERTSON, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Health and
Social Services, explained that HJR 10 has a parallel in the
Senate side, which is SJR 6. He said:
What this gets towards is a resolution by the
legislature finding a lot of cost drivers in the
Alaska health care system. And also acknowledging
that, absent some congressional action, on October 1,
2005, ... we will see a sizeable reduction in the
federal support for our health care system in this
state. ... It's quite concerning to this
administration and to health care providers generally.
And what this resolution expresses is an
acknowledgement of this challenge and this problem,
and urges Congress and the presidential administration
to focus on passing legislation this session that will
hold Alaska harmless and will preserve our current
Medicaid match rate.
3:11:43 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON continued:
To give you a little background: we run this program
called Medicaid ... which, for the State of Alaska, is
serving almost 130,000 Alaskans. And in our FY 06
[fiscal year 2006] budget, for the first time ever, it
actually creeps above $1 billion in program
operations. It's a billion-dollar program, but it's
not wholly financed by the state. The Medicaid
program, when established in 1965, was established as
a partnership between the states and the federal
government to provide ... health care services to low
income and needy populations. Many people become
eligible because of other assistance benefits they
have access to, such as being disabled and being on
[Supplemental Security Income (SSI)]. But regardless
of how you got on the program, there is federal
support to finance that person's health care services.
... How much of your ... Medicaid program that's
going to be financed by the federal government is
based on a pretty rough formula that tries to
calculate [if the state is rich or poor]. And this
formula is called the FMAP, or the Federal Medical
Assistance Percentage, and it's a really rough
formula. It looks at a state's per capita income and
then compares it to the national average for per
capita income, and benchmark[s] states according to
that continuum of incomes. The richest states are
required to bear a greater burden of their Medicaid
costs. The poorest states, and overwhelmingly that's
always been Mississippi, ... receives the highest
amount of federal support.
3:13:33 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON continued:
The least you can receive in federal support is 50
percent, and historically Alaska was a 50:50 state,
meaning that when that claim for Medicaid went through
the system ... the state [paid 50 percent of the claim
and the federal government would pay 50 percent of the
claim]. What that formula failed to acknowledge is
that, while our per capita incomes might be
incrementally higher in Alaska, our cost of delivering
that care is exponentially higher. And when you start
looking at the cost of living, the cost of delivering
supplies, the labor costs, the construction costs,
[and] the geographic challenges around transportation,
... it is very expensive to deliver health care
services in this state. We spend almost $10 million a
year just on Medicaid transportation for nonemergency
cases, just bringing people into more urban areas to
receive services....
3:14:46 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON continued:
[There are] a lot of cost drivers. We're dealing with
a state that, ... in land mass size, has no peer
amongst other states. For these various reasons, ...
Congress twice - once in 1997 and once again in 2000 -
passed legislation to temporarily increase Alaska's
Medicaid match rate. It was historically a 50:50
state, then U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski ... passed
legislation ... to increase Alaska's Medicaid match
rate to 59.8 [percent] ...; it increased the federal
share by 9.8 points, and in real dollars that brought
in about $100 million of additional support for our
health care system for three years. When that sunset,
he passed another piece of legislation to extend and
to increase the subsidy .... And this time it was not
set at a fixed amount; it was a formula change. The
net effect was [that] it decreased our per capita
income going into the formula by about 5 percent. But
in real dollars, it increased our Medicaid match rate
to about ... 61 percent federal. ... And that has
slowly evolved down as per capita income in the State
of Alaska has increased over the last couple of years.
And right now, in the last year of that five-year rate
adjustment, we're getting about 57.5 percent federal
financing for a Medicaid claim.
3:16:27 PM
What has that meant to the State of Alaska over those
five years? It's meant about $300-350 million of
additional federal funds that have come into our
health care system through this adjustment over that
time period.
... This last adjustment was a five-year adjustment
for the State of Alaska; it sunsets on October 1,
2005. And ... I believe the department provided to
the committee a set of charts and documents [a 6-page
handout included in the committee packet, with the
first page labeled, "Impact of FMAP Reduction on State
Match"], ... which sort of explains what is the long
term fiscal impact to the State of Alaska's health
care system - absent change. And that change can be
about one thing: ... legislation passed by the United
States Congress to extend the adjustment, [to] hold
harmless the State of Alaska, or [to] come up with
some other methodology that acknowledges the high cost
of delivering care in this state.
3:16:51 PM
Absent that change, October 1, 2005, which ... would
run for three quarters of our fiscal year of 2006, the
impact would be the loss of about $53 million in
federal support to the state's Medicaid program and
our health care system generally. Once that's
annualized in the first state fiscal year, 2007, where
it runs for a full 12 months, the impact will be
roughly $73 million. And what you see in the charts
we provided is that over the next 10 years the loss of
this federal adjustment that was passed by Congress
five years ago would be almost a billion dollars -
$914 million dollars over the next ten years - of
support that's providing services across the state.
3:17:48 PM
While this is money that comes through the state, this
money does not stay within the state; this money is
used to pay providers. These are the dollars that are
paying for everything from wheel chairs and
prosthetics, to seniors and skilled nursing care, to
home and community-based services, personal care
attendant services, acute care services, services for
chronic disease, for children, for youth, and for the
seniors of this state. These are resources that are
going out right now to support infrastructure, ongoing
operations and maintenance, and personal services of
facilities all throughout the state. And who is hurt
the most, I think, is largely rural Alaska, because
rural Alaska disproportionately relies upon Medicaid
as its primary source of payment ... and revenue.
3:19:06 PM
These challenges are real; the fiscal challenge is
real. What this resolution expresses is ... a
summation of the cost drivers in Alaska's health care
system. The reason why the formula currently does not
serve Alaska very well ... [is] that the underlying
formula is fundamentally flawed; it simply does not
acknowledge the high cost of delivering care in rural,
remote frontier states. And through resolution, [it]
urges Congress and the federal administration to pass
legislation this year to fix this funding challenge
and to continue the federal support for Alaska's
Medicaid program as it is doing in the current year.
3:19:34 PM
CHAIR WILSON asked if the fix would be temporary.
3:19:44 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON answered that that's largely the
discretion of the language drafters. He stated from experience
that the most recent adjustment for the state was set with a
five-year sunset, because that was the amount of money that was
available in the budget at the time. He said he thinks there
will be a lot of competing factors. He said in the grand scheme
of Medicaid "this is very small." He offered his understanding
that over the 10 years, Medicare/Medicaid will be spending $2.6
trillion. Notwithstanding that, he stated, "In the grand scheme
of the programs themselves it's very large when you start
talking about a state our size and with our population base."
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON said some states will be seeing their
federal support increase next year, while others will be seeing
it decrease. He explained that is due to an annual adjustment
that looks at a rolling average of per capita incomes. He
reported that Alaska is the most negatively affected state at a
7.5-point drop. The second-most affected state is Wyoming, with
a 3-point drop. The magnitude of Alaska's drop is
unprecedented. He concluded, "It's going to be a challenge to
get this passed; I think it's something that Congress can do,
and we're certainly working with our delegation to try and get
this passed this year. But will it be sunset again? I think
parts of that will be budgetary concerns that will drive that
decision."
3:21:28 PM
CHAIR WILSON asked if Commissioner Gilbertson thinks that the
delegation needs the resolution "to give them a little bit of
backup when they ask for it."
3:21:39 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON responded that he thinks Alaska's
delegation is keenly aware of the challenge and has been
generally supportive of the state's health care system. He
continued:
This has been passed twice by the United States
Congress; it's been passed twice by the U.S. Senate
unanimously. I think it's been generally acknowledged
that this is a challenge facing the state, and it is
in need of additional assistance. I'm sure we're all
aware ... federal employees receive a cost of living
adjustment for the state. Many federal programs are
adjusted. This is one that should be adjusted as
well.
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON said he thinks even though the
delegation is aware of [the need for adjustment], it is
important for all affected parties to share their concerns with
the delegation.
3:22:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked Commissioner Gilbertson to describe
the difference between Title 21 and Title 19.
3:22:46 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON explained that there is a different
match rate for different populations. He directed attention to
[the first page of the previously mentioned 6-page handout] and
noted that [the chart at the far-right of the page, titled,
"Announced FMAP*"] shows a 57.58 percent match in fiscal year
2005 (FY 05) [under Title XIX FMAP] and a 70.31 percent match
the same year [under Title XXI FMAP]. He said the former
reflects the general Medicaid population, while the latter
reflects the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage,
including the state children's programs, such as Denali Kid
Care. He added, "We also were able to get that enhanced match
rate for our breast and cervical cancer program, under
Medicaid." He noted that there is a third category for Alaska
Natives who receive services through Native operated facilities
at 100 percent federal reimbursement. That is not expressed on
the chart.
3:23:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked if the 100 percent match population
would be affected by the reduction.
3:24:08 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON said it's important to remember that the
reduction is not felt by the provider, but is felt initially by
the state. The real impact to the providers is felt the second
year when the legislature, as the appropriator, has to factor
into a new budget decision that "it's going to cost you $72
million in additional funding to do the same thing you were
doing the previous year." The challenge created then is whether
to offset that loss with the general fund or proposing program
reductions, or a combination of the two. He said, "When that's
converted, the providers will feel that downstream, because that
could be reductions in optional services, ... rates, [and/or]
... eligibility." He reiterated that the more rural providers
will be more affected by that, because they disproportionately
rely upon Medicaid as one of their key sources of funding.
3:25:05 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON continued as follows:
When the claim is submitted by our provider, we pay
that provider. We then turn to our federal sister
agency - Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services - and
we submit proof of that payment, and then we claim it
and request payment back from the federal government
for their share of that claim.
3:25:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON reiterated that he wants to know whether
the population with the 100 percent match would be unaffected by
the reduction and would still remain at 100 percent.
3:25:52 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON answered yes. He noted that's a
sizeable claim volume in the system. He added, "So, the numbers
that you're seeing, in terms of impact, to some extent [are]
actually more drastic, because it's that impact over a smaller
percentage of the overall Medicaid slice."
3:26:14 PM
CHAIR WILSON asked if many services will have to be cut "if this
doesn't happen."
3:26:29 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON responded that the governor's budget for
FY 06 assumes that the President and Congress will pass and sign
legislation this year that will hold harmless Alaska and not
implement this reduction. If there is no change in law by
October 1, 2005, the administration will submit "a supplemental"
to the legislature in FY 06 to offset the loss in federal funds.
It will be up to the legislature to decide at that time whether
to fully fund the supplemental request or not to and instead
propose changes to the program, "or some other reduction."
3:27:36 PM
CHAIR WILSON asked, "What happens if the legislature didn't okay
that? How would all this get paid then if it's past tense?"
3:27:56 PM
COMMISSIONER GILBERTSON said there is an acknowledged challenge
if the hold harmless provision is not passed by Congress. If it
is six-seven months into a fiscal year and the legislature
chooses not to fund the entire amount of the supplemental, that
would put tremendous pressure upon the agency to reduce
expenditures in the remaining months of the fiscal year "to
bring in line expenditures with authorization." He offered an
example.
3:29:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to report HJR 10 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HJR 10 was reported from the
House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.
3:29:47 PM
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
^University of Alaska Board of Regents
3:30:14 PM
CHAIR WILSON announced the next order of business would be the
confirmation hearing for appointees to the University of Alaska
Board of Regents.
3:30:59 PM
CARL MARRS, Appointee to the University of Alaska Board of
Regents, told the committee that he was born and raised in
Seldovia, Alaska, went to school in Kodiak, Alaska, joined the
Marine Corps, and worked as a commercial fisherman. Beginning
September 1973, he worked for Cook Inlet Region, Incorporated
(CIRI) in a lot of different capacities, including as president
and CEO for the last eight years until his retirement from CIRI
at the end of [2004].
3:31:47 PM
MR. MARRS, in response to a question from Chair Wilson,
confirmed that he is a new appointee. Furthermore, he shared
the reasons for his interest in the position. He said education
has always been a top priority. Even during his time with CIRI
he spent a lot of time on programs for children and helped fund
the CIRI Foundation for Education, which presently has an
endowment of approximately $48 million. He revealed that he has
served for the past five years on the Alaska Pacific University
Board. He said he thinks he can be helpful to the university in
philanthropic ways. He mentioned his concerns regarding
fisheries, artic research, and research in general and stated
that he thinks the university can be one of the finest in the
world in terms of research and he would like to help mold it
that way.
3:32:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA noted that the University of Alaska,
Anchorage has "the applied health ... for the state ... for all
of the large medical facilities," and there is a desperate need
for advanced degrees to be given on that campus "because of its
large applied health presence." She mentioned expansion of
alternative health. She indicated that [the university] could
be the hub of "distance delivery center." She asked Mr. Marrs
if he has considered those issues and would address them.
3:34:12 PM
MR. MARRS stated that he's spent an inordinate amount of time
working with and helping set up the SouthCentral Foundation,
which is "the health arm for Cook Inlet region in Central
Alaska." He said there has been an explosive growth in health
care in the Anchorage area. Both [the University of Alaska
Anchorage (UAA)] and [Alaska Pacific University (APU)] play a
key role in that. He said APU has focused on health
administrative programs and has a Masters program in that area,
while UAA is focusing on research and nursing. He said he
thinks there is so much more that the university could do, but
it all equates to trying to get the funding to make it happen.
He said he thinks it's an area that he has some knowledge in, by
virtue of his work getting the SouthCentral Foundation set up
and headed in the right direction, and also because of working
with the federal government to get federal dollars to help those
issues.
3:36:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said he is pleased to see someone from his
district nominated for this position. He said there are
basically three concentrated campuses, in Fairbanks (UAF),
Anchorage (UAA), and Juneau (UAS), as well as the dispersed
regional campuses. He asked Mr. Marrs to share his evaluation
of those systems and whether he has strong support for the rural
campuses across the state or would like to concentrate the
elements into the three main campuses.
3:37:10 PM
MR. MARRS said he needs to learn more about those campuses, but
said he thinks they bring value to the university system. He
suggested that with today's technology there ought to be some
cost efficiencies built in to the system. He stated his belief
that having a campus in areas that have populations is necessary
for education. He mentioned timber, fishing, and tourism. He
said the university ought to be able to help communities in
those areas through research to make the state a better place in
which to work and live. He said he thinks the university has
the capability and the technology to "make those kind of things
happen." He noted, "We're one of the only universities in the
country that has a ... super computer."
3:39:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON thanked Mr. Marrs for his service to the
state, in terms of his philanthropy and business and private
sector experience. He said he thinks that will "complement your
public sector analysis as you help ... secure funding for the
university." He added, "I think we'll have a really good
advocate in Carl."
3:40:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to advance the confirmation of Carl
Marrs to the joint session of the House and Senate. There being
no objection, the confirmation of Carl Marrs to the position of
Board of Regents was advanced.
3:40:46 PM
JEFF STASER, Appointee to the University of Alaska Board of
Regents, noted that his grandfather was in the Sixth Alaska
Territorial Legislature and his parents met at the University of
Alaska Fairbanks campus. He related that he enlisted, attended
West Point Academy, and served a military career, ending up in
Washington D.C. as the assistant director of civil works for the
corps of engineers. After that, he was asked to join Senator
Ted Stevens' staff from 1994-1999. In 1999, the senator asked
him to serve in Alaska as the federal co-chair of the Denali
Commission. Mr. Staser noted that, while working for Senator
Stevens, he was the associate staff from the senator's office on
the Senate Commerce Subcommittee for Science and Technology.
Since coming back to the state, he has worked at the University
of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) as the Business School advisory board
member and Engineering School advisory board member, as well as
serving on the statewide [Experimental Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research (EPSCoR)]. Mr. Staser said he is deeply
rooted in the state and university system and sees "some
wonderful, unfolding opportunities to engage [the] university
with federal help with some of the issues that are looming large
right here in front of us in the very near future."
3:43:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA noted that she is a student and meets with
many students who have expressed concern about the lack of
advanced degree programs in advanced health fields. The result
is that those students don't have the incentive to stay at the
university and go Outside more often than not. She indicated
that there is not much opportunity to work in health
institutions right next to the university. She says this is a
problem that needs to be addressed. She said, "The concentrated
health center there does offer an opportunity that appears to me
not being taken advantage of. Have you thought of any way to
deal with that?"
3:45:05 PM
MR. STASER replied that the more he learns about the university,
the more he realizes how much at risk that institution is for
losing its accreditation and capacity to do research and
development. He said it's difficult to recruit Ph.D.s to come
to Alaska with their families, and without those Ph.D.
instructors, the university not only loses out on research
opportunities, but the classroom suffers. He suggested that if
the university cannot import instructors with Ph.D.s, it ought
to "grow" its own. He offered further details.
3:46:29 PM
MR. STASER said the multiple-disciplinary aspects of a full-
fledged Ph.D. program are huge. He said the boards he is
involved with have been working hard to get programs on the
campuses that promote having graduate level programs, so that
people can get degrees and stay in Alaska.
3:47:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said he thinks Mr. Staser's involvement in
nonprofit organizations is beneficial. He restated the question
he asked of Mr. Marrs regarding the main campuses and regional
sites.
3:47:57 PM
MR. STASER responded that as he travels around the state, he has
seen many rural communities and regional hubs. He said, "We're
all working in the connected world through the Internet. I
think one of our greatest natural resources is the untapped
mental capacity of our rural folks." He opined that if people
are not given access to education, "they'll never figure out how
to pay for and sustain their families and their communities."
He said the main universities and the regional areas are all one
economic engine, connected more so than ever. He continued:
We're at a threshold. We either recognize how to tap
into our ability to innovate, our ability to think,
our ability to work together, or we don't. And if we
can't do it effectively in a sustainable basis, who's
going to do it for us? I mean, shame on us if we
don't figure out how to get the optimum mix of access
to high ..., good ..., and sustainable education, so
that we can afford the university that we've got. I
think we can get there, but it's going to take an
awful lot of teamwork - a lot of realization that
we're all in this together, and we may have to read
just some of the opportunities versus constraints that
we're working with. One of the things I've learned
already through the university is how complex our
university system is, and ... we need to take a look
at that.
3:50:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON expressed that many are concerned that
funding will be concentrated at the main campuses and drained
from the regional campuses. He indicated that he doesn't want
total reliance on a connection to the rural centers through the
Internet.
3:51:01 PM
MR. STASER said he agrees. He said a person can't get a good
education "just through the Internet." He stated the importance
of lab work and hands-on experience. He concluded, "There's a
lot of things that could be done better in our rural communities
with the proper balance of resources and access."
3:51:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to advance the confirmation of Jeff
Staser to the joint session of the House and Senate. There
being no objection, the confirmation of Jeff Staser to the
position of Board of Regents was advanced.
3:52:18 PM
ROBERT MARTIN, Appointee to the University of Alaska Board of
Regents, told the committee that he was born and raised in the
rural village of Kake and graduated high school in Juneau. He
attended a technical school in Kansas run by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, and worked several years for the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) as a radar technician. He
attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), graduating in
1969, at which point he served in the U.S. Army. During his
service in the Army, he helped build the road to Prudhoe Bay for
the Alaska Pipeline. Since then he has worked primarily in the
electric utility and road building industries, primarily with
the then Department of Highways [currently the Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities]. Currently, he is working
as the regional transportation engineer for the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, with responsibility for transportation needs throughout
rural Alaska.
3:53:59 PM
MR. MARTIN stated he is interested in serving on the board for a
number of reasons. First, after receiving an excellent
engineering education from UAF, he said, serving on the Alaska
Board of Regents would be a way to repay the university system
for that education. Second, he said a huge benefit is having
"served my career in Alaska with people I went to school with."
He offered further details.
3:55:09 PM
MR. MARTIN described rural Alaska as an untapped workhorse.
Currently, he said, the state is facing a labor shortage so
severe that within a few years, it will become overwhelming if
nothing is done. He said rural residents have a problem
adapting to an urban lifestyle while going to school, but
offered his belief that rural citizens and those who need to
hire new engineers or business majors - for example - could help
each other.
3:56:13 PM
MR. MARTIN said he was fortunate to have grown up in a family
with a grandfather and uncle who both graduated from college.
The former was a territorial legislator and the latter served
his career as a certified public accountant (CPA). He added,
"That's not something that's available to most rural kids. So,
they grow up without someone that ... would ... be good at
things that they value. That sort of leaves out many of the
teachers, because the teachers aren't skilled at the things that
are valued in the Bush." He indicated that [by serving on the
Alaska Board of Regents] he could be a role model for the
children in rural Alaska.
CHAIR WILSON agreed that having a family member with a college
education can have a big impact on a person's life.
3:58:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA noted that the top employer in Alaska is
in the field of health care. She said it's a profession in
which people can work within a variety of job ranges. She
stressed the importance of having a health component at every
university, and asked Mr. Martin if he has given the matter
thought.
3:59:59 PM
MR. MARTIN admitted that health care is not a matter he has
spent much time thinking about. Notwithstanding that, he said
that as the Baby Boomers age, the demand on the health care
system increases. He noted that many of the health care
professionals and technicians go out of state to get their
education, and he indicated that that is an issue that could be
addressed. He reported that at the last [University of Alaska
Board of Regents] meeting, the board approved the addition of an
x-ray technician program in the University of Alaska Southeast
(UAS).
4:01:44 PM
CHAIR WILSON stated that by 2010 Alaska will need 4,000 new
registered nurses (RNs). Two years ago, the university
graduated only 200 RNs. She predicted that, within five years,
there will be the beginning of a crisis in health care. She
said the problem is nationwide.
4:03:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said Mr. Martin covered the importance of
rural campuses in his remarks. He told Mr. Martin that he also
graduated in 1969 from UAF.
4:03:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER moved to advance the confirmation of
Robert Martin to the joint session of the House and Senate.
There being no objection, the confirmation of Robert Martin to
the position of Board of Regents was advanced.
^Professional Teaching Practices Commission
4:04:01 PM
CHAIR WILSON announced that the final order of business would be
the confirmation hearing for an appointee to the Professional
Teaching Practices Commission.
4:04:36 PM
KAREN MACKLIN, Appointee to the Professional Teaching Practices
Commission (PTPC), told the committee that she came with her
family to Alaska in 1967 as a senior in high school. After
graduating from high school, she spent several years working in
the private sector and owned businesses in the Anchorage and
Girdwood area. She received her BEd in [Elementary] Education
from the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) in 1985. She
said she has taught both regular and special education, pre-
school to college level, for approximately 20 years - 14 of
those years in Alaska. She noted that she holds a Masters of
Special Education from UAA. Ms. Macklin said she has been
active in NEA-Alaska and its local chapters, and has been
involved with her local school districts in a variety of
capacities.
4:05:50 PM
MS. MACKLIN stated her biggest reason for wanting to participate
with PTPC is: "I like the idea that we have the ability to
police our own profession; that we have the responsibility to
uphold the [professionalism] of educators." She said she thinks
the ethics that have been outlined in the Alaska Code are
important. Ms. Macklin said she is confident that she holds the
respect of her colleagues. She said in Sitka there has been a
new awareness of what the PTPC does and what the ethics actually
mean. She said she is interested in learning more, including
the legal vocabulary and processes used by the commission. She
stated that she has enjoyed the sessions in which she has
participated and has found the team to be professional and open
to discussion on tough issues regarding certification of
teachers. She revealed, "It's my first somewhat political arena
... to be involved in, and I've been enjoying it so far."
4:07:25 PM
MS. MACKLIN reminded Representative Wilson that she had met her
last year when she brought a group of students in for
"transition fair" from Sitka. She offered further details.
4:08:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER noted that Ms. Macklin had been involved
in [fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol spectrum
disorders (FASD)] coursework and said she's sure Ms. Macklin is
aware that "it's a huge problem for this state." She asked if
Ms. Macklin has any suggestions for things that should be done
in Alaska for FAS/FASD children that are not currently being
done.
4:09:18 PM
MS. MACKLIN responded that she would like to say there is an
easy answer to prevent FAS and [fetal alcohol effects (FAE)].
She mentioned that there is a related clinic in Sitka, but it is
difficult to get a diagnosis, because the mother doesn't always
want to admit that she was drinking or abusing substances during
her pregnancy. Notwithstanding that, she stated she thinks a
lot of the symptoms of FAS/FAE can be worked with whether or not
the student "has that label." She said the state offers
education on the subject and she can't think of anything else
that can be done but offer more education.
4:11:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to advance the confirmation of Karen
Macklin to the joint session of the House and Senate. There
being no objection, the confirmation of Karen Macklin to the
position of the Professional Teaching Practices Commission was
advanced.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee meeting
was adjourned at 4:12:30 PM.
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