Letter to Editor | I am concerned about the future of healthcare on Orcas

||| FROM DOUGLAS  ELLIS |||

Some will say that it is easy to “Monday morning quarterback.” I understand the motivation of the OIHCD commissioners to concentrate all of the health care services on Orcas in one clinic, and to associate that clinic with a less than 50 bed hospital to improve medicare reimbursements. One of the goals of the commissioners is to provide health care and not increase the tax levy. I applaud the combining of the two current health care providers into one clinic. There was strong support for this before we voted for a tax district. When the commissioners were seeking proposals from providers to manage the combined clinic last year, and Island Hospital appeared to be strong contender I expressed my strong reservations. In light of the current developments at the UW Medicine Orcas Clinic I am very concerned about the provision of health care on Orcas after April 1st.

I was on the Board of the Orcas Medical Foundation in 2015 when Island Hospital notified OMF that it was once again terminating its management of the Orcas Medical Clinic. I am doubtful that a third time will be a charm. I am reminded of the saying “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me”.

When Island Hospital told us it was leaving in 2015, the Orcas Medical Foundation with the help of others including Kevin Ranker, negotiated with UW Medicine to establish a clinic similar to their neighborhood clinic model on Orcas. The establishment of that clinic was achieved by an enormous outpouring of support from the community. Over one million dollars was donated to make the UW Clinic possible. The community came together because it was tired of what was described as revolving door in the provision of healthcare on Orcas and because we were able to enter into a contract with a world-class healthcare provider, with the hope of real stability. It seems to me that we are letting those donors down.

Last year when the OIHCD was soliciting proposals for the management of the consolidated clinic on Orcas, I believe UW Medicine responded by saying it would not submit a new proposal, but would continue under its existing contract, citing the demands of the pandemic as a reason not to submit a new proposal. Knowing what we know about the pandemic today that was probably a very valid reason.

Let me close by saying that for the past 16 years my wife and I have received excellent medical care from two of the best doctors we have ever been fortunate to have. We were sad to see Tony Giefer retire and now we learn that we no longer will have the excellent care of Mike Alperin, nor will we have the alternative of Dr. Russell.

I am very concerned about the future of healthcare on Orcas. Is this not what the Health District was supposed to avoid?