Health District investigating primary, urgent care delivery models

— from Anne Presson for Orcas Island Health Care District —

The Commissioners of the OIHCD (Orcas Island Health Care District) have been working hard to identify the best primary and urgent care delivery model to serve the needs of our community. Throughout this process, we have been considering both the right approach to funding and the best patient care delivery model. As reported in our most recent article, the Board made the decision to move to a consolidated funding approach in 2021. While that means the District will transition from subsidizing two to subsidizing a single clinic, the final patient care delivery model is yet to be determined. Our activities over the next few months are focused on answering the question: what is the best functional and sustainable primary and urgent care model for our community?

While we continue to explore ways to strengthen or consolidate services through the current model, we are investigating several federal designations designed for unique populations. In parallel, we are also exploring partnerships with other health care entities in the region who could support a single clinic structure for Orcas Island. Under these scenarios, the ownership of the practice can fall to the OIHCD, a hospital, a non-profit organization or the practice itself.

Throughout this process we have received valuable information from experts in various areas of healthcare, and we are now at the stage of identifying what entities might be interested in partnering with us. As we assess the pros and cons of each opportunity, many factors will be taken into consideration. For each option we will consider the impact on taxpayers, patients, providers and clinical staff. In addition, we will review the scope of services to be provided, the understanding of issues unique to a rural, remote island, the level of local influence in decision-making, and the impact on additional costs and reimbursement levels. How the entity looks to solve the complexity of providing after-hours care is also something we will be placing a lot of emphasis on.

We began this investigation in the summer of 2019, after having stabilized the existing two practices and completed negotiations for their second-year funding, There are many players involved in any health care system, and we must understand the complexity and how pieces fit together before coming to a solution that is best for all stakeholders. We remain committed to doing the necessary due diligence to ensure that, whatever is designed, brings stability and will serve our community’s needs for the long-term.

In order to be thorough and involve all health care providers, EMS and members our community, this process cannot and should not be done quickly. Before finalizing any decision, we will be coming to you, the members of our community, to share our recommendations. We have always taken community input seriously and we will continue to do so throughout this process. Since being elected, we have been focused on transparency and keeping our community members well informed. We have used various channels to reach as many members of our community as possible, including Town Hall meetings, maintaining a robust website, and routinely publishing articles in the Islands’ Sounder and Orcas Issues. We will continue to use these channels to communicate our progress.

The Commissioners and our Superintendent remain responsive and accessible to anyone who wishes to communicate with us directly. We invite community members to contact us at any time to share your thoughts, observations and feedback. You can find our contact information on the OIHCD website.

Thank you for your continued patience, confidence, and support.