I get good service at the IIMC now. Why can’t we just continue as we are?
Physicians and staff at the IIMC are working in an overcrowded building (even closets and storage areas are now being used for patient care) with barely adequate infrastructure for the equipment required to meet evolving medical standards. The population is more than three times what it was when the IIMC opened. A new integrated family practice clinic/outpatient/inpatient facility would:
- Support an expanded range of healthcare services
- Offer more immediate diagnosis and treatment of emergency cases
- Enhance continuity of patient care among island and mainland physicians and other caregivers
- Receive full, cost-based reimbursement from Medicare
- Decrease the time, expense, and stress of ferry and air transport for patients and their families
What might the facilities at a new, integrated medical center include?
- Enhanced Medical Clinic
- State of the art diagnostic, imaging, laboratory and information technology
- New 24/7 emergency department tightly coupled with the EMS service
- Expanded outpatient services including visiting specialist teams
- Limited inpatient care with services for observation, acute care and services for patients transitioning from mainland hospitals to their home or the convalescent center
What services might be offered?
The community has indicated an interest in a broad range of services. Not all are suitable. Many services might be provided by visiting specialists and/or tele-medicine. Among the types of services that may be offered are:
- Medical outpatient care, including chemotherapy
- State of the art imagining
- Selected outpatient surgical procedures
- Short stay and diagnostic care
- Medical inpatient care
- Emergency Care
My doctor is not associated with the Inter Island Medical Center. Would I be able to use the services of the integrated medical center?
Yes. The facility would offer expanded healthcare to the entire community, and all Islanders would be able to take advantage of the services.
What about Medicaid recipients?
The new integrated medical center would be open to Medicaid recipients, just as the Inter Island Medical Center is now. No patient would be turned away for financial reasons.
Would Islanders still have the option to go to a mainland hospital of their choice?
Yes. Patients would continue to be free to choose to use any mainland providers, and San Juan physicians and PeaceHealth would work cooperatively with those providers to assure coordinated care. Patient choice would continue to always be respected.
How much might a new integrated medical center cost and how would it be paid for?
Based upon initial findings of a feasibility assessment to evaluate whether our local Hospital District and PeaceHealth might form a relationship to create and operate an integrated medical center for the island, the total estimated cost capital cost is $29.8million: $22.8million for the building and $7million for medical, technical and other equipment. In addition to the actual construction, this cost includes government-required site studies and reports, architectural and engineering services, project management, fees, furnishings, information technology, medical equipment and other facility construction-related costs. It also includes sales tax, a 10% contingency allocation and a 10% cost escalation factor.
Building the integrated medical center would be financed through several sources:
| Community Philanthropy | $10 million | |
| PeaceHealth | $7million (approximate figure for all furnishings, medical equipment, IT equipment and installation, and other equipment) | |
| Hospital District | $12.8million (net cost remaining after above contributions) |
Would taxes have to be raised to build or operate the integrated medical center and to fund the Hospital District contribution?
The capital budget and financial model that have been developed DO NOT indicate the need for additional taxes. The Hospital District currently receives an annual tax levy of $1.4million. A ‘limited tax, general obligation bond’ could be obtained based on commitment of $950,000 of the levy; this would produce enough money for the Hospital District’s contribution, and still retain sufficient levy each year to contribute to the ongoing costs of charity care for Island residents who did not have insurance or the ability to pay for all of their care. Since PeaceHealth would assume full responsibility for operating the medical center and due to its reimbursement rules, there would be a reduced need for the levy to support the cost of operations.
Where might the new integrated medical center be located?
Expansion or addition to the current IIMC facility has been studied but determined not to be a viable alternative. Other locations are being investigated; however no site has yet been chosen.
Why can’t the IIMC just rent a few beds in the Convalescent Center for brief overnight medical inpatient services? Or use a back room of the IIMC?
State regulations for medical facilities include detailed specifications for the space, environment, and staffing requirements of rooms that can be used for inpatients receiving on-going physician supervised care. Neither the Convalescent Center nor the IIMC buildings include rooms currently certified for that category of inpatient care. Special construction or a licensing variance from the state would be required.
Tell me more about the feasibility study.
There are several questions specific to the feasibility study and process.
Click here to download the Executive Summary.
Click here to download the Overview.
Click here to see who participated on the PeaceHealth/San Juan Island feasibility team.
Who is Peace Health?
Have the Hospital District and PeaceHealth really entered into a long-term relationship agreement?
No. Neither the Hospital District Board nor the Governing Board of PeaceHealth have yet approved a long-term relationship agreement, and members of both groups have many questions that they want answered before making any decisions. Initial findings of the feasibility study were presented on May 28, 2008 to the Hospital Board, and the Board wants to hear the community’s input before making any decision about next steps. Community involvement will be essential to ensure that all Island residents have access to the highest-quality healthcare services over the long-term.
What did the community survey indicate?
Completed early in 2007, the survey consisted of a statistically valid sampling of 585 San Juan County residents. It included 369 completed telephone interviews with San Juan County Public Hospital District #1 residents (San Juan, Brown, Henry, Johns, Pearl, Spieden, and Stuart Islands) plus 219 completed telephone interviews with residents of other islands. Below is a brief summary of results; if you’d like to see the whole survey please stop by the Committee office at 640 Mullis Street, Suite 104 (in the Technology Center).
Among San Juan County Public Hospital District #1 residents:
92% believe a hospital would benefit the community
87% would use the hospital for as many of their medical needs as possible
84% think San Juan Island needs a hospital
72% would support construction of a hospital through additional taxes if needed
69% ranked “Improving health Care” as the number one local issue
65% would support a new tax to sustain hospital operations.
Who is working on this project?
The San Juan Community Hospital is an undertaking of the San Juan Community Hospital Committee, a not-for-profit corporation. Co-Chairmen of the committee are Charles Anderson, Tom Cable, and J. Michael Edwards. All are full time island residents. Members of the Board of Directors are Barbara Cable, Cathaleen Cavanagh, George Foster, Pamela Gross, Krista Mattox, Michael Roger, Roger Salquist, Fred Silverstein, George Swindells, Joyce Thomson, and Ron Woodard. Advisors are Beth Williams Gieger, Inter Island Medical Center Administrator; Greg Moran MD, Inter Island Medical Center; Michael Wingren MD, Inter Island Medical Center; and Jim Cole, SJIEMS Chief. The project coordinator is Susan Matthews. Many other islanders are contributing time and expertise.