South Peninsula Hospital is speaking out against a proposal for a new clinic. Dr. Paul Raymond with the Kachemak Bay Medical Clinic is seeking a conditional use permit to build a roughly 20,000 square-foot clinic between South Peninsula Hospital and the Homer Medical Clinic.
The Kachemak Bay Medical Clinic is currently located off Bartlett St. The clinic provides children’s health, wellness and preventive exams and occupational medicine, among other offerings. It’s not clear if the new clinic would provide additional services.
The Homer Advisory Planning Commission considered Raymond’s request to operate the clinic in a residential office district Wednesday.
City Planner Rick Abboud recommended that the commission approve Raymond’s request.
“We're looking at this as a zoning issue, how it affects the neighborhoods, the qualities that we're looking for in our report,” he said. “How it affects the operation of a hospital financially is just not on our table.”
Abboud said the clinic met the requirements for a conditional use permit.
Roughly 25 people testified on the permit Wednesday with most speaking out against it. Hospital employees made up most of the people criticizing the permit.
Hospital administrators and staff argued during the meeting Wednesday that the process is proceeding too quickly, and they say they say there isn’t enough information about the services Kachemak Bay Medical Clinic plans to offer.
Hospital Spokesperson Derotha Ferarro said Thursday that the hospital is also concerned that the larger clinic could potentially hurt the hospital’s finances by increasing competition depending on the services it offers.
“It can absolutely reduce revenue for the hospital in the surgery department or if it's an outpatient freestanding imaging center, it could reduce depending on what is offered, it can reduce revenues,” she said. “So it just depends on what is offered.”
But on Wednesday’s meeting, multiple people spoke in favor of the new clinic, saying it would be a good location for a clinic. Resident Paul Sayer said he has faith the new clinic will be a valuable additional to the area.
“He hires wonderful people, friendly people, and his institution that he works in now provides wonderful care," he said. “I don't see how it could improve a lot, it is so good."
The planning commission declined to discuss whether it would approve the permit request, citing testimony asking that its decision be postponed. The commission is set to hold another public hearing on the permit at its next meeting on Sept. 19.
