A call for a Community Advisory Group to Health District

— from Vincent Shu, MD —

We can not tell you how much we appreciated OIHCD’s commissioners’ tireless efforts to re-shaping our Island’s healthcare model in a cost-effective way. This need to look for other viable options is driven by the fact that the present healthcare model is not financially sustainable. After numerous hours spent at the District’s Board and the special meetings with the OIHCD hired consultants, it is clear that we now have enormous amounts of information which, while informative, is sometimes also confusing, perhaps misleading. And as of today (about 22 months since the inception of OIHCD), this complicated issue remains unresolved and undecided similar to driving on a roundabout without exiting.

Due to the aforementioned issues, a call for the Community Advisory Group reflecting a voice of community is needed.

This public forum meeting is meant to pick and spur the intelligent Islanders’ brains to come forth with creative ideas and alternative models for OIHCD’s consideration. They need not be extremely complicated but can be COMMON SENSE idea that we all have intuitively.

Our Tax-paying community’s voice deserves to be heard by OIHCD. This voice stemming from the community provides a unique strength reflecting the wills of our tax payers which may not be the best interests of a large corporate clinic. It is the community’s desire for an ideal healthcare not in the interest of a large corporate clinic but of a sustainable value to the community.

It is our pleasure to invite each of you for the meeting with this focus : Is OIHCD Owned Healthcare Clinic Workable and Achievable?

To give you background on the issues, please review the following articles at Orcas Issues:

  1. OIHCD’s ongoing work to create a future health care model for Orcas Island by OIHCD.
  2. Health District facing uncertainties regarding costs, structure, by Susan McBain
  3. To operate or subsidize a healthcare clinic? by Vincent Shu

Please join us for one of six public forum meetings as follows:

  • 02/27 Thursday 5-7 pm, Library
  • 02/29 Saturday 5-7 pm, Library
  • 03/05 Thursday 5-7 pm, Library
  • 03/07 Saturday 5-7 pm, Library
  • 03/12 Thursday 5-7 pm, Library
  • 03/14 Saturday 5-7 pm, Library

I want to express my sincere gratitude in advance for those who can attend one of those meetings to offer valuable input, thought and support because they’re concerned and actively engaged in their healthcare which we all hope to sustain for many years and generations to come.

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