Unity Care NW announces early leave

Unity Care NW chief operating officer Shanon Hardie making her final quarterly operating report to Point Roberts hospital district commissioners on October 11.Photo by Andrew Grubb

Preparations for a new health service provider for the Point Roberts health clinic just received fresh impetus after Unity Care NW executive director Desmond Skubi announced they would cease offering their services effective December 31, 2018. He told Point Roberts hospital district commissioners at a quarterly meeting held October 11.

Unity Care had originally told the hospital district that they’d be willing to work with the district past the end of the contract period to ensure that services continued without gaps. However, Skubi said that while chief operating officer Shanon Hardie and other staff members had worked hard to continue providing services, he didn’t believe his organization would be able to continue to do so past the end of the year.

“That’s disappointing,” said hospital commissioner Stephen Falk and pointed out that Unity Care had said in the letter of termination they would extend their services past the end of the year if necessary. In response, Skubi said, “If you remember, we said we’d try. I don’t think we have the ability to do so past the 31st,” and encouraged the district to do everything it could to have the new service providers up and running by then.

Skubi promised to aid the district in transferring patient records and other administrative tasks that would need to be completed before the new provider, Super Track, could take over. “We want this to be seamless and work for everybody,” he concluded.  Hardie also brought up the fact that nurse practitioner Natalie Davidson would be on leave from the end of December “until at least April.”

Hospital district superintendent Barb Wayland said the contract between Super Track and the district was in the final stages of approval. She added she’ll be meeting with them to discuss next steps.

Wayland also advised the board regarding progress on the 2019 budget and said it would be ready to submit to the county before it’s due at the end of the month. The board’s next meeting takes place Wednesday, November 7.