||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT |||
The Orcas Island Health Care District Board will hold two special levy informational town hall meetings to share details on Proposition 1 – San Juan County Public Hospital District #3’s 10 year temporary levy lid lift ballot measure, which will be on the April 22nd special election ballot.
More information on the 10 year temporary levy lift ballot measure can be found on our website – https://www.orcashealth.org/
Option 1
- OIHCD Special Levy Informational Town Hall Meeting
- Friday March 28th
- 1:00 – 2:30 PM
- Orcas Fire Hall
- 45 Lavender Ln, Eastsound, WA 98245
Option 2 –
- OIHCD Special Levy Informational Town Hall Meeting
- Wednesday April 9th
- 5:30 – 7:00 PM
- Orcas Fire Hall
- 45 Lavender Ln, Eastsound, WA 98245
The agenda and board packet will be posted within 24 hours of the meeting.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
OIHCD – please listen to the citizens of Orcas Island; we are voting NO on your 70% tax increase because it’s ridiculous! The current doctor’s office level of service is not worth what we are paying now, and you want more of our money??? Instead of trying to bring mainland levels of care to a small, semi-rural island at absurd expense, how about just accepting that for anything serious you will be flown off in a helicopter anyway and for anything less serious you will take the next boat to Anacortes?
We were promised a 24 hour emergency care facility. What we got is an overpriced taxpayer funded doctor’s office. I urge everyone to vote NO on this outrageous tax increase.
I, for one, am incredibly grateful that we have a primary care clinic on Orcas, and that we don’t have to deal with the ferry system every time we need basic, general medical care. I especially appreciate the coordination that now exists between Island Primary Care Orcas and the higher levels of care available through Island Health hospital and the wide range of specialists who practice there.
Medical care on the island is now the best it’s been during the (mere, I know) 18 years I’ve lived on Orcas. No, it’s not perfect, but in my experience) it’s good and getting better. Especially with the deterioration of WSF service, not having to gamble with trips to the mainland for every non-emergency doctor visit is worth paying for. Some amazingly capable and diligent islanders who have served on the healthcare district board have—with tremendous effort and finesse—gotten us to this point. I very much appreciate their work and will be voting YES on the ballot measure.
The information meeting noted in the article is your opportunity to learn more about the OIHCD Temporary Levy Lift. Take advantage of it. In the meantime:
ARGUMENT AGAINST
In late 2017 the Coalition for Orcas Health Care was formed by residents of Orcas with the result being a measure placed on the 2018 ballot to form a public health care district for access to high quality primary, urgent and after hours care in a financially sustainable and cost effective manner.
The commissioners established an efficiently running clinic; upgraded facilities and staff; partnered with Island Health; set up processes that included appropriate administration with transparency all with public input and within budget.
The current commission now is proposing a new 10 year Temporary Levy Lift (LL) increasing the millage rate from .415 to .700 or 69%.
The LL contains this statement: “Longer term, the district intends to serve as a catalyst to bring all health care stakeholders together to support a community approach to care that addresses all health care needs on the island”. This statement is a significant expansion of the original mission.
The proposed LL includes many high cost programs for modernization, staff housing and additional services.
I strongly encourage voters to learn exactly how the substantial increase will be spent in order to decide if you are willing to pay for those things with your tax dollars.
Bob Thomas
bobonisland@aol.com
THE ABOVE ARGUMENT AGAINST WILL APPEAR IN THE SAN JUAN COUNTY VOTER PAMPHLET.
MILLAGE RATE
The millage rate will increase from .415 to .700 an increase of 69%:
For a $500,000 house the Levy will increase from $207 to $350.
For a $1,000,000 house the Levy will increase from $415 to $700.
For a $2,000,000 house the Levy will increase from $830 to $1400.
There will be more details available in various forums and meetings. I encourage you to attend meetings (by zoom?) and make use of the OIHCD website. I applaud the District in their very through website. Be sure to look at “Documents” then “Meeting Documents” and the link to the Levy Lift on the home page (click on the arrows in front and behind the ferry) to get a feel for what the Commission is doing, how the funds are being spent and plans for the future.
THEN VOTE
TENTATIVE MEETING TIMELINE
Regular OIHCD Board Meeting 3/26
First OIHCD Town Hall Meeting 3/28
Meeting, Levy Lift Argument For Group 3/28?
Second OIHCD Town Hall Meeting 4/9
Meeting, Levy Lift Argument For Group 4/11?
Final OIHCD Town Hall Meeting 4/18?
Meetings have been changing so verify the dates, place and hour of meetings with listed groups.
I, too, am voting for this temporary levy lid lift. Access to medical care is an essential component of a healthy community. Many of our neighbors do not have the financial resources or time to go off island for care and treatment. The clinic is our best option for ensuring everyone can get the care they need. That is a worthy investment. I hope you will join me in supporting Proposition 1.
Will one of you self proclaimed “Yea” voters explain why you think we need to publicly subsidize what is essentially a doctor’s office?
Health care is of course important but this is not the mainland and that fact should be quite apparent to everyone who moves to the island. Trying to bring mainland level services to the islands is precisely the insoluble problem the medical center faces. Expecting mainland services on a small, remote island with a very small resident population is only going to end in debt and disappointment.
Perhaps a review of all the failed attempts to “partner” with Island Hospital, then UW and then Island Hospital again is needed in order to remind the taxpayers of the IMPOSSIBILITY of providing “high quality primary, urgent and after hours care in a financially sustainable and cost effective manner.” After all those failures, we were told we HAD to vote for a Health Care District and pay substantial property taxes to insure we had any medical center at all. We were promised 24 hour emergency care for our money. That promise has NOT been fulfilled or even seriously attempted . And the OIHCD answer is to all those failures is, “Give us MORE money!”
When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging; I urge everyone to vote NO on OIHCD digging the hole deeper with OUR money!
I will be voting NO. We were promised 24/7 care. And we have received excuses after excuses of why we can’t have 24/7 care.
My taxes go to this missfunded BS. Yet another inflated group that wants everyone to pay for a few.
A little over a week ago my husband need stitches, something that could have been done at the before promised 24/7 care. However due to mismanagement of money there is not a 24/7 care.
So we caught the ferry and went to the mainland ER. You know the one open 24/7.. for everyone … imagine that. .
So not only am I paying for a medical center that I don’t use, but can’t use as promised.
So again I ask why lie to the people just say you want free money to pay for a medical center many don’t or can’t use…. but a select few need. No I don’t want to pay for housing for the medical center, no I don’t want to keep paying for services many don’t or can’t use.
No the money is not free and I am tired of subsidizing buildings on this island that can’t make it due to bad choices.
But what do I know I have lived here 53 years and have watched the Orcas medical center fail EVERY TIME.