||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT |||
| Following our levy commitment in 2025, Orcas Island Health Care District (OIHCD) leadership spent a day earlier in 2026 working through a long-range strategic vision of the District’s role on Orcas. The visioning session looked out as far as 2050, along with priorities for the next three to five years.
District leadership worked with Colibri Facilitation LLC to develop this plan through a structured strategic planning process. This involved assessing the District’s current strengths and challenges, then building out both a long-range vision and nearer-term priorities. Current state With the finalization of a long-term contract with Island Health, signing of two new providers in 2026, and Island Health’s commitment to ensuring competitive wages for staffing stability, the district felt confident in the current stability of Primary Care access on Orcas. Island Health has been a consistent partner, with plans for ongoing recruitment for Physicians and providers, collaboration around community health needs, and a willingness to adjust their approach based on Orcas’ needs. With the stability of the Island Health relationship for Primary Care services, OIHCD was able to think more broadly about “Primary Care Services Expansion”, as referenced in the 2025 levy. Hospital Districts have a wide breadth of ability to support health care services in their community, and this was an opportunity to think about where we see OIHCD in the next few decades. Long-Range Visioning (2030 – 2050) The plan lays out several broad priorities for the coming decades:
Near-Term Priorities ( 3–5 years) Alongside the long-range plan, District leadership identified more immediate priorities, including:
What this Means Going Forward The district reports out on these strategies at their monthly board meetings, reviewing progress against one-year goals on a quarterly basis. Visuals, dashboards, newsletters and Superintendent reports will allow continued visibility and transparency into what the district is working on. These newsletters are a direct representation of the work the district is doing to try to share out more of our work and vision. For more information on the strategic visioning done by the district, visit our website page on our strategic plan – https://www.orcashealth.org/ Save the Date: Clinic Expansion Town Hall Meeting – August 26th The District is well into our multiple design phases for the clinic expansion of Island Primary Care – Orcas. Our architect partner DLR Group will be co-hosting town halls with the hospital district to allow the community to provide input, advice, and feedback on our clinic design process. For more information on the Strategic Facilities Plan that has guided our clinic expansion scope, see the full report here – https://www. Our next Clinic Expansion Town Hall Meeting will be held: Wednesday August 26th, 5:30 – 7:00 PM – Meeting Link Here – https://www.orcashealth.org/ This event will be held at the Orcas Center. Save the Date: Island Primary Care – Orcas – New Provider Meet and Greet
OIHCD and Island Health staff will be hosting a new provider meet & greet for island residents to informally meet Cameron Fralick, PA, and Paula Whitmire, MD. Cameron began working at the Island Primary Care – Orcas in the Spring, and Dr. Whitmire started the end of August. Upcoming Board Meetings Special Meeting to accommodate town hall date – Monday August 31st, 2026 – Meeting Link Here – https://www.orcashealth.org/ Wednesday September 23rd, 2026 – Meeting Link Here – https://www.orcashealth.org/ Held in-person at the Orcas Public Library and by zoom.  Board members generated mind maps that illustrated their priorities and passions. |
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