Monday, April 11, 2016

UPDATED: EvergreenHealth public hospital to vote on expanding the Board of Commissioners from 5 members to 7 members

Editor's Note:  At their April 19th regular public board meeting. EvergreenHealth’s Board of Commissioners approved the resolution to expand the King County Public Hospital District No. 2  (EvergreenHealth) board from five to seven commissioners.  The resolution requests that King County Elections places a proposition on the August 2 election ballot to allow the registered voters in EvergreenHealth’s district to decide on the expansion. 

My wife and I went to the meeting. I was surprised that no one else showed up.  I thanked the Board and Superintendent for considering the recommendation to expand the Board and encouraged a more Open Government. 

While at the meeting we learned that If the proposition passes on August 2, EvergreenHealth's Board of Commissioners will appoint two interim commissioners to serve until the November, 2017 election.   In the November 2017 election, candidates will run for two new "member at large" commissioner positions.  This information was not included in the hospital's April 19 press release.  You had to go to the public meeting to learn about it. 

04/06/2016
Kirkland, Wash. – EvergreenHealth’s Board of Commissioners is considering a recommendation to expand the Board of Commissioners of King County Public Hospital District No. 2 (d/b/a EvergreenHealth) from five to seven commissioners. A formal resolution, which will request King County Elections to place a proposition on the Aug. 2, 2016 election ballot, will be reviewed for vote at the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting on April 19, 2016.  
As a public district health care system, EvergreenHealth is governed by a Board of Commissioners, each of whom is elected by the voters in the district to serve a six-year term. The Board currently has five commissioners; one from each of the three sub-districts (Kirkland/Kenmore, Bothell/Woodinville/Duvall and Redmond/Sammamish) and two at-large positions. Current members of the Board of  Commissioners include: Al DeYoung, board chair (Bothell/Woodinville/Duvall), Jeanette Greenfield, secretary (At-Large), Rebecca Hirt (Kirkland/Kenmore), R. August Kempf (Redmond/Sammamish), and Charles Pilcher, M.D. (At-Large).
Since formation of King County Public Hospital District No. 2 in November 1967, the Board of Commissioners has been comprised of five members. The Formation Committee believed that a board of five commissioners would be appropriate and allow for future growth of the district. At the time, northeast King County had just over 22,000 residents and Evergreen General Hospital (as it was known then) could adequately serve this population with its original 76 licensed beds and 15 medical specialties.
Now, the total population within the boundaries of the district is nearly 300,000 residents and the total service area includes nearly one million residents spanning two counties. With a 318-licensed-bed tertiary hospital at the Kirkland campus, 74-licensed-bed community hospital in Monroe, 10 primary care locations throughout the Eastside and east Snohomish County, three emergency departments, two urgent care facilities, nearly 1,000 members of the medical staff and 30 specialty care locations, EvergreenHealth has expanded services to meet the area’s growth. During its 44 years of serving the community, EvergreenHealth has grown to one of the largest employers on the Eastside with gross revenues exceeding $1 billion – currently employing more than 4,000 people who provide care to our entire community.
“As the community continues to grow in size, diversity and complexity, the Board seeks to mirror that growth to continue to meet the needs and broaden the viewpoint and representation of the community,” said Al DeYoung, chair of EvergreenHealth’s Board of Commissioners. “We also seek to increase the number of commissioners to help provide oversight within our ever-increasing, complex health care environment, with added expertise and a broad mix of skills and leadership styles among commissioners.”
“Typically, health systems of this size and complexity have larger boards,” said Bob Malte, CEO of EvergreenHealth. “We have a very engaged and effective Board of Commissioners, and adding two additional members will further enhance the ability to serve our growing community.
The Board provides governance and has ultimate responsibility and accountability for EvergreenHealth’s mission, vision and purpose, quality, service and overall effectiveness, through the CEO.
Board meetings are open to the public, and public comment will be taken at approximately 6:35 p.m. PST at the April 19 board meeting, located in room Tan 250 on the Kirkland campus.

If you have questions, concerns or requests, please contact us at patientrep@evergreenhealth.com. To learn more about EvergreenHealth, visit www.evergreenhealth.com.
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About EvergreenHealth
EvergreenHealth is an integrated health care system that serves nearly one million residents in King and Snohomish counties and offers a breadth of services and programs that is among the most comprehensive in the region. More than 1,000 physicians provide clinical excellence in over 80   specialties, including heart and vascular care, oncology, surgical care, orthopedics, neurosciences, women’s and children’s services, pulmonary care and home care and hospice services. Formed as a public hospital district in 1972, EvergreenHealth includes a 318-bed acute care medical center in Kirkland, a network of 10 primary care practices, two urgent care centers, over two dozen specialty care practices and 24/7 emergency care at its Kirkland, Monroe, and Redmond campuses. In 2015, the system  expanded to include EvergreenHealth Monroe – an accredited, full-service 74-bed public hospital district, established in 1960 in Monroe, Washington. EvergreenHealth has clinical and strategic partnerships with several health care entities, including Virginia Mason, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and dozens of independent practices that are part of the clinically integrated EvergreenHealth Partners network and  the Puget Sound High Value Network. In addition to clinical care, EvergreenHealth offers extensive community health outreach and education programs, anchored by the 24/7 EvergreenHealth Nurse Navigator & Healthline.
In 2016, EvergreenHealth achieved its seventh designation (2009-2012, and 2014-2016) as a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence from Healthgrades®, placing it among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide, based on its outstanding clinical performance; and was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Truven Health Analytics™ in the “Large Community Hospitals” category for outstanding achievements in patient care, operational efficiency and financial strength.
For more information, visit www.evergreenhealth.com.

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