Orcas Public Hospital District Candidates’ Statements: Pegi Groundwater

Pegi Groundwater

Statement by Pegi Groundwater:

I am running for Commissioner position number 2. I became a candidate because I believe that local access to primary, urgent and after hours urgent health care are essential elements of a vibrant community. I believe that a public hospital district is the best way to assure that we have that access on Orcas now and in the future by providing financial support for those services. I have seen how important access to medical care is personally while caring for my mother during her final years and as a volunteer helping people on Orcas access medical insurance through Medicare and the Affordable Care Act. As a Commissioner I would work to ensure that the PHD impartially supports both the Family Health Center and the U of W Orcas Medical Clinic. I would strive to make sure that your tax dollars are spent wisely and would seek to make sure that service quality issues raised by our Orcas community are addressed in the support agreements that the PHD enters into with our medical practices. I believe that Orcas residents want the PHD to be transparent in it’s operations and deliberations, careful in it’s expenditures of tax dollars, impartial in its support of our primary care medical providers, and creative in seeking solutions to care problems raised by the Orcas community. To have that kind of PHD, I think Orcas wants Commissioners who are thoughtful, open, prudent, hard working, and creative. I believe that I possess those qualities and that my background as a business lawyer will be a strong asset to the PHD as it begins its operations, which are subject to a wide array of legal requirements. My experience as a business woman and business owner gives me the financial background that I believe will be essential to understand the needs of our medical practices and to make sure that your tax dollars are not wasted. Please visit my website at www.pegigroundwater.com to learn more about my background and the values I stand for as a candidate.