Chilkat Valley Medical Center will close its doors Nov. 1 after nine years of operation, marking the end of the last private medical practice in Haines.

Linda Keirstead, the clinic’s only doctor, announced the closure in a letter sent to the center’s patients this week.

“This is not a decision we take lightly, and we have explored many alternatives looking for one that would allow us to continue practicing without being consumed by the enormous and escalating administrative burden,” Keirstead wrote.

The clinic will help patients transfer their medical records to new providers, the letter said.

Two years ago, Dr. Len Feldman closed down his office, making Keirstead’s clinic the last private medical practice in Haines. After this week’s announcement, the only local medical option will be the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, or SEARHC.

David Keirstead, who works at the Chilkat Valley Medical Center, declined to comment on the closure beyond the contents of the letter.

Mary Crann, the clinic administrator at the Haines SEARHC office, said the agency would work to absorb Keirstead’s patients.

“We’ve always worked closely with Dr. Keirstead,” Crann said. “I will guarantee the patients and the community: We will work to make sure that everybody is taken care of.”

Though she had no information specific to the Chilkat Valley Medical Center’s closure, Crann said operating medical practices has become increasingly difficult.

“Healthcare in general, because of the government-imposed rules and regulations, is getting hard,” she said. “They’re making very high standards for electronic medical records and quality measures.”

“It’s not easy for us, either,” she added. “We struggle trying to check all the boxes. It costs a lot of money.”

Dave Olerud, a patient of Keirstead’s, blamed the closure on government bureaucracy.

“I’m very irritated,” Olerud said. “We have just lowered the value of our community.”

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