Kodiak hospital pauses reverse osmosis, steam generator design

Design work on a new reverse osmosis and steam generator system at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center is on hold after the work raised concerns the new equipment may not be compatible with the hospital's existing sterilization equipment. Sterilization guidelines from the Asia Pacific Society of Infection Control advise that design should not advance until compatibility is assessed and documented.

Codi Allen told the Kodiak Island Borough Health Facilities Advisory Board on July 7 that the concerns surfaced during design and the project is paused pending further evaluation. Tyler Steele, a Providence representative, said a system-wide sterilization service assessment is underway. A facility evaluation is scheduled for Aug. 3 to guide next steps. Board members discussed that the existing design contract may need to be terminated and the project redesigned.

Allen put the estimated cost of all medical center projects at about $10.8 million. Air handler and transfer switch work adds roughly $4.8 million, and that figure excludes a separate Rural Health Transformation Program grant. Providence estimates project costs have escalated 10% since 2024.