If you have input for Vashon Health Care District, here’s how to share it
By Caitlin Rothermel
In this issue of The Vashon Loop, Islander Steven Nourse gives his opinion on the Vashon Health Care District’s new budgetary priorities. This article is an extended version of Steve’s comments that were presented to the Vashon-Maury Community Council on June 20, 2024.
At that meeting (link available online), Tim Johnson, the Superintendent of the VHCD, gave an update on the organizations’ plans for new programs, as well as guidance on how Island residents can communicate their interests to the VHCD.
The VHCD was established in 2019 with the mission of ensuring continuous operation of the Vashon primary care clinic. In the previous decade, primary care vendors couldn’t maintain profitability here, and so didn’t stay long. The VHCD’s funding (about $1.95 million per year, obtained from a property tax levy) was primarily used to provide an annual clinic subsidy.
But, as of 2023, the current clinic (SeaMar) no longer needed the subsidy, which gave the VHCD substantial and unexpected annual income. Roughly speaking, there were two options for next steps – reduce the levy amount while backstopping savings for future primary care problems or maintain the levy and expand into areas identified by the VHCD as secondary priorities.
The VHCD decided to expand its services and to build its reserve fund. At the V-MCC meeting, Johnson focused on the VHCD’s youth behavioral health initiative, a collaboration between the VHCD and several Island organizations.
This pilot initiative is approved for one year of $268,000 in funding, with the potential for ongoing support. The money will be used to hire new staff: half-time counselors at both the elementary and high schools (to be managed by Vashon Youth and Family Services and DOVE), a social worker to provide case management and develop community needs assessments, and a part-time data specialist. These last two positions will be housed at the high school’s Neighborcare Health clinic.
Also discussed was the VHCD’s work to establish urgent care on the Island. Mobile urgent care is being considered, and the VHCD is evaluating Island needs in context with the fire department’s new Mobile Integrated Health program.
A few meeting attendees brought up the concept of “mission creep,” with one person politely noting that, while these VHCD initiatives may make sense, this should be put back to a vote of the people.
But that’s not how it works. Islanders voted to establish the VHCD, but we don’t get to vote on its priorities. The groups’ five elected commissioners are responsible for any planned programming or levy resets. If you have something to share, you need to communicate with the commissioners.
The easiest way to do this is to attend VHCD business meetings on the third Wednesdays of the month at the Presbyterian Church from 7:00-9:00 p.m. (you can also attend by Zoom). All meetings have a public comment period, or you can contact Tim Johnson at superintendent@vashonhealthcare.org) to request discussion of a specific referendum item.
The commissioners also promise to start providing “office hours” again, in front of local supermarkets and coffee shops. Last, you can email VHCD commissioners directly.
I’ll also add that, if community dissatisfaction persists, come late 2025, two commissioners’ terms will be coming to a vote. Islanders have a range of views, and the leadership of our organizations should reflect this.
The Loop is grateful to Steve for his opinion article, and we invite other Loop readers to contact us (editor@vashonloop.com) with short articles summarizing their opinions on key Island issues.
