||| FROM TONI KNUDSON |||


An open letter to Orcas Island Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Williams, Orcas Island Board of Fire Commissioners and Jeff Richey, Executive Director of Airlift NW:

There is concern in our community about our 911 system [*Editor’s Note below], as has been exhibited by the multiple online
posts on local websites. Tensions are high and OIFR ranks continue to make poor choices rather than attempting to build trust and collaboration. Our community has a rural island culture that we all enjoy and expect our institutions to be consistent with our community beliefs. These institutions include OIFR and Airlift NW, who provide critical services to our island community.

I believe that during the January 11, 2022 Orcas Island Board of Fire Commissioners regular meeting, the community trust was broken by both of your organizations.

The people from your organization discussed in an open public forum a recent automobile accident micro-detailing a rarely-used medical procedure that was exercised, revealed the patient’s identity and that of the medical responders, and the patient’s future outcome, which was grossly incorrect. To those in the meeting that are friends of this person, there were many, the description was disgusting to hear and very hurtful. From a legal standpoint, these disclosures likely were a violation of HIPAA.

The participants were many: Commissioners Tim Fuller and Jim Helminski, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Williams and Assistant Chief Holly vanSchick, and Dr. Richard Utarnachitt, Medical Director of Airlift Northwest.

It has been pointed out online that such an exhibition should be reserved for discussions between healthcare providers, not in a public forum. The statement made by the Airlift Medical Director [that] said this was part of the presentation of a “challenge coin” was an excuse, not a reason. When I looked online, a challenge coin is to be given in private, with the discrete pass of a coin in the palm of the hand, from the presenter to the recipient, with a simple statement made to the recipient as to why they are receiving the coin. There is no mention of a celebratory activity. What happened in the meeting can’t be hidden by such justifications not understood by the public. The residents of Orcas Island need not be duped by such excuses and rationale, it’s nonsense and dishonest.

In my opinion, the community needs you and your organization to hold yourselves accountable and to rebuild trust. I might suggest that you consider the following actions that might help:

  1. A public apology to the community and a personal apology to the family of the victim.
  2. A commitment to the community to investigate how this happened.
  3. Make available all communications between the two organizations related to this event. The communications can be redacted for patient confidentiality, just as a reminder. This will allow the community to understand the motivation behind your organizations.
  4. An outside investigation by both organizations into the event to determine the root cause for disclosure of personal protected information and potential violation of HIPAA by Airlift NW and OIFR.

I am hopeful that this unfortunate display of exuberance by two of our healthcare organizations in public can be explained and avoided in the future. It was inexcusable, coming from multiple individuals responsible for the care of a patient in need on Orcas Island. A remedy seems in order, to assure such an event will never occur again, to rebuild the community trust in your organizations. I look forward to a response and I hope you will indeed take this matter seriously.

_______________

[* Editor’s Note: The E-911 emergency telephone system in San Juan County continues to work well and has no bearing on the incident being related in this Letter to the Editor.]


 

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