health

Unalaska’s clinic is investigating a security breach of its computer system.

The ransomware attack happened in August, according to James Kaech, executive director of Iliuliuk Family and Health Services.

He said the clinic’s access to its computer system was temporarily blocked, but it seems no information was stolen.

“Currently, it doesn’t look like there was any HIPAA breach," said Kaech. "It was just a system breach.”

Unalaska’s clinic has hired a new executive director after a yearlong search.

James Kaech will assume leadership of Iliuliuk Family and Health Services on Aug. 15, after he moves from Silver Creek, Washington.

Kaech has more than 25 years of experience in health care, according to interim director Michelle Cochran. She said he started his career as a military medic before working in nonprofit and tribal health services.

Unalaska’s clinic is still searching for steady leadership after its longtime executive director resigned this summer.

Since August, the board of directors for Iliuliuk Family and Health Services (IFHS) has appointed three interim directors: former board member Michelle Cochran, nurse practitioner James Novotny, and then Cochran once again.

For the first time in two decades, Unalaska's clinic has a n​ew policy for handling a​fter-hours calls for non-emergency medi​cal help.

But right now, it's not exactly clear what that policy is.

Iliuliuk Family and Health Services (IFHS) is open from 8:30 a.m. until at 6 p.m. At any other time, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) has long been responsible for answering requests for medical attention and then connecting patients with the clinic's on-call staff.

Unalaska’s clinic will soon become the first community health center in Alaska to implement an eICU program.  

That's a type of telemedicine technology that will connect health care providers at Iliuliuk Family and Health Services with intensive care providers in Anchorage.

Officially, the local clinic is a community health center, which means it’s only supposed to provide primary care and some urgent care. But the reality in Unalaska is a little different.