Health District meeting focused on COVID, clinic transition plans

||| BY SUSAN MCBAIN, theORCASONIAN REPORTER |||

Two major topics occupied most of the Orcas Island Health Care District’s first meeting of 2021: combatting COVID-19, and planning for the transition to a single medical clinic at the beginning of April.

Orcas Family Health Center (OFHC) staff members Aaimee Johnson and Shila Wachtel described the Center’s new mobile testing program. As of the meeting date (Jan. 5), they had held five clinics island-wide, testing about 200 people, symptomatic or not. They hope to continue these clinics at different locations around the island three times per week through the end of March, when OFHC will cease operations.

OFHC is using its CARES funding to pay for testing for residents who are uninsured or underinsured, as long as those funds hold out. Those who receive unexpected bills for the test are encouraged to call OFHC for assistance. The staff also noted that the number of tests is limited and asked residents to seek testing only if it seemed truly necessary. UW Medicine’s Mark Bresnick noted that the UW Medicine clinic continues testing for those who are symptomatic or needing a medical procedure. Weekly testing is being done at the clinic building.

Currently, the County is the only provider approved to offer vaccinations; it has received enough vaccine to provide vaccinations for everyone in Phase 1a. OFHC is seeking to become approved as a provider as well. Both OFHC and UW hope to be able to vaccinate any community member, not just their own patients. Vaccinations will be scheduled according to the latest distribution update from the Washington State Department of Health. But the situation is constantly changing, and many unknowns remain about future supplies, scheduling, staffing, and funding.

Ray’s Pharmacy is hoping to be able to provide some testing and vaccinations to assist both the providers and the County; however, the pharmacy will need additional refrigeration equipment and asked the District commissioners for help. Ray’s owner Rick Hughes noted that the County has for years asked his pharmacy to become a provider for children’s vaccines, which would be another use for the equipment. One possibility is relocating the District-owned refrigerator and freezer currently at OFHC once it becomes available. The commissioners requested that Hughes provide additional cost and revenue information.

District Superintendent Anne Presson noted that Island Hospital (IH) senior staff members are expected to discuss progress on the transition to a single clinic at the District’s Jan. 19 meeting. They plan to participate in the second District meeting of each month. Commissioner Patty Miller would like to see a timeline of key milestones that could be made public, hopefully before the Jan. 19 meeting.

(NOTE: Since the Jan. 5 meeting, IH has scheduled a “COVID-19 Vaccine Executive Community Briefing” on Jan. 14 at 5 p.m.; see the announcement on the District website for information on how to register to attend.)

Presson is also working with IH staff to continue producing regular articles describing IH’s services and plans. These will be published in The Sounder and The Orcasonian and posted on the District website. Community briefings such as that held on Dec. 17 will also continue on a regular basis; the next one is likely to be in early February.

Finally, the meeting ended with election of new District officers for 2021. Art Lange will take over as chair from Richard Fralick, and Patty Miller will continue as secretary.

The District’s next regular meeting will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 5 p.m. The Zoom link for the meeting will be posted a few days in advance on the District’s Meetings Calendar; click the link on Jan. 19 to attend.

[THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED TO CORRECT THE DATE OF THE COMMUNITY BRIEFING TO JAN. 14.]