Until then, the private security and transport company, owned by Todd and Crystal Herring, had operated largely behind the scenes, escorting mental health patients around Alaska and providing security to hospitals and other facilities.
operative agreement between the municipality and private enterprise (which, to date, has operated at a loss) as a sweetheart deal rather than an attempt to fill an urgent need in the community, requires a very narrow perspective and clearly does not stand up to scrutiny, co-owner Crystal Herring wrote i
When the pandemic hit in 2020, WEKA was already planning to expand into emergency medical services to offer higher-level medical care to mental health transport patients, according to Crystal Herring. WEKA had applied for an EMS agency license and hired a paramedic as operations supervisor.
Running a clinic dispensing monoclonal antibodies was not in the plans until the summer of 2021, when the Herrings both contracted COVID-19. Crystal Herring said she was near death until she received an infusion of monoclonal antibodies.
Crystal Herring said the couple donated to Bronson because they had seen friends lose their businesses during pandemic shutdowns and felt he would support and represent Anchorage small businesses best. In October, she said the couple had even greater respect for him in attempting to provide more
the state and operated the center as a private business -- albeit one getting free monoclonal antibodies from the federal government as well as free rent and electricity from the city. WEKA worked on a direct bill model, submitting claims to insurance on behalf of patients, Crystal Herring said.
Despite the free rent and gratis medications, WEKA still had significant overhead costs to pay including staff and protective gear, Crystal Herring said. Lacking reimbursement from insurance for months, WEKA began charging a $550 fee upfront to patients starting at the end of December, she said.
