OMC / Island Hospital Contract for Patient Care to Expire in December

— by Lin McNulty —

With the contract to maintain patient services at Orcas Medical Center (OMC) set to expire on December 31, 2016, Orcas Medical Foundation Board (OMF) and Island Hospital have been in negotiations for close to a year. These negotiations continued this week in a closed-door Executive Session on Tuesday, Aug. 23.

Details are sketchy regarding how much, and which parts, of the contract may be under discussion. The Board has not released any information.

Prior to the Executive Session, Dr. Dave Shinstrom was allotted five minutes to provide the board with a brief history of how Orcas Medical Center, which began in 1993, was initially built as a “field of dreams” (if we build it, they will come). Shinstrom expressed concerns about the feasibility of OMC continuing under the current agreement, suggesting that OMC become a single, centralized medical practice for Orcas, with three practitioners.

OMF provides and maintains the building and facilities with fund-raising dollars. Island Hospital provides, under contract with OMF, the medical staff, who are direct employees of Island Hospital. They are two separate entities which, together, provide for a health care facility on Orcas Island.

A levy to set-up a Hospital Taxing District on Orcas failed in 1997 by 47 votes.

Board Chair Catherine Henderson explained that “talks are continuing.”

On Aug. 27, the OIMF Board released the following statement:

“Statement from Orcas Medical Foundation Re: Contract Negotiations with Island Hospital

“As most residents of Orcas know, Orcas Medical Foundation (OMF) is responsible for the Orcas Medical Center (OMC) building, located next to Orcas Center on Mt. Baker Road. We currently contract with Island Hospital (IH) to manage the practice inside the building, and all OMC staff are employees of IH.

“Our current contract expires December 31 of this year. Discussions regarding an extension or renewal of the contract are underway.

“While specific details of the negotiation are confidential, we strive to serve the medical needs of all Orcas Island residents and visitors and welcome ideas from the community at large. That is why we welcomed Dr. Shinstrom’s thoughts at our August 23 OMF Board meeting.

“While we don’t agree with some of the numbers Dr. Shinstrom presented, we do agree that ongoing dialogue is the best way to reach a comprehensive understanding of healthcare needs on the island. Such an understanding will help OMF make the best possible decisions regarding a contract for OMC in 2017 and beyond.

“We know that many Orcas Islanders have passionate ideas about healthcare on Orcas. We’d like to hear from you. Please send your thoughts to us at ideas@orcasmedicalcenter.com.”

Neither Vince Oliver nor Community Relations staff at Island Hospital could be reached for comment.