PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center marking 10th anniversary

||| FROM ANNE WILLIAMS for PEACEHEALTH PEACE ISLAND MEDICAL CENTER |||

On Thursday, Nov. 17, PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center will mark 10 years of serving the healthcare needs of the San Juan Island community.

The 2012 opening celebration, attended by hundreds of community members and PeaceHealth caregivers, was the culmination of a five-year, grassroots effort by local residents to bring integrated, high-quality, 24/7 healthcare to the San Juan Islands.

Under the umbrella of the San Juan Island Community Foundation, these citizens formed a hospital committee and began researching potential operating partners. They ultimately chose PeaceHealth, impressed by its Mission of respect, compassion and caring and depth and breadth of services.

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center. San Juan Island

The committee identified a 25-acre family homestead near the airport. Local residents generously donated $10 million towards the effort, with PeaceHealth contributing another $20 million. Construction started in July 2011; the hospital opened on time and on budget at 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 17—a nod to the street address, 1117 Spring St.

A 10-bed critical access hospital, PeaceHealth Peace Island was built to reflect the culture and values of the island, featuring sustainable materials, abundant local artwork and design elements that complement the natural beauty of the islands.

In addition to a 24-hour Emergency Department, PeaceHealth Peace Island houses a cancer care/infusion center, inpatient medical unit, imaging department, laboratory, surgery suite and family medicine clinic.

With access to an array of services previously unavailable to them, San Juan Island residents have been saved thousands of off-island medical visits since PeaceHealth Peace Island opened. Some 10-year totals:

• 35,817 Emergency Department visits
• 1,575 patients admitted
• 133,203 clinic visits
• 17,661 chemotherapy infusions
• 2,825 colonoscopies
• 8,600 mammograms
• 16,934 CT scans
• 1,841 MRIs
• 9,330 ultrasounds
• 380,174 lab tests
• 14,719 outpatient rehab therapy sessions (new service in 2020)
• 159 orthopedic outpatient surgeries (new service in 2015)
• 356 general outpatient surgeries (new service in 2015)

Today PeaceHealth Peace Island employs 109 full-time caregivers and providers and eight visiting specialists, and is supported by the exceptional Peace Island Volunteers organization. The medical center works with multiple valued community partners, including San Juan Public Hospital District, the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center and San Juan County Health & Community Services, to keep local residents safe and healthy.

“We are proud of our progress and incredibly grateful to our caregivers, volunteers and community partners for helping us serve with compassion and dedication, and to our patients for trusting us with their care,” said Jack Estrada, PeaceHealth Peace Island chief administrative officer. “It’s been our honor. We look forward to serving the community for many more decades to come.”

About PeaceHealth: Based in Vancouver, Washington, PeaceHealth is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.

About PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center: Located in Friday Harbor, Washington, PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center is a 10-bed critical access hospital which also houses an expanded primary and specialty care clinic to serve the San Juan Islands. The hospital is celebrating its 10^th anniversary in November of 2022.