Year in Review 2019: Point Roberts Public Hospital District

By Barb Wayland

The year 2019 has been a busy one. Dick Williams, long-time Point Roberts Public Hospital District (PRPHD) commissioner, retired from his position, and Richard Dennis was appointed in his place. In the recent county election, both Richard Dennis and Stephen Falk successfully ran for election as commissioners 1 and 2, respectively. Kandace Harper continues as commissioner 3. The hard work and dedication of these three individuals allows the work of the PRPHD to continue smoothly and cohesively.

We want to thank Dick Williams for his many years of service to the PRPHD and wish him happy retirement from public service. Dick, you were a great asset to this commission.

There are two other new faces at meetings of the PRPHD. One is our secretary Farrah Carsten. In addition to posting meeting notices, taking minutes, and preparing necessary documents, Farrah manages our website and is currently updating it to a new look. The other newcomer is Paulette Ladner, who became our bookkeeper earlier this year with the retirement of Jackie Gibilterra. We thank you, Jackie, for your excellent service to the PRPHD, and for finding Paulette and orienting her to the county financial processes.

Our Point Roberts clinic has been under the management of SuperTrack Urgent Care since January 2019, providing both urgent and primary care. Local patients are well cared for by providers Deb Shields, PA, and Virginia Lester, ARNP. Completing the clinic staff are our receptionist and scheduler Shivé Marshall, and nurse assistant Chwynyn Vaughn.

One major issue this year for people using the clinic was related to changes in coverage for individuals insured through Kaiser Permanente HMO. Beginning in 2019, the company withdrew from contracting with some providers, among them our clinic. In response, the clinic sponsored a free information session facilitated by Aaron Abraham of Cascadia Insurance to assist individuals in learning about their options related to coverage that would allow them to use our local clinic for their healthcare.

With the support of Sean Bozorgzadeh, MD, and Mae Lary, MD, the medical directors of SuperTrack, the clinic was able to obtain vaccine for our annual flu shot clinic. Immunizations were and are available for children and adults at our local clinic.

The hospital district commissioners authorized purchase of two pieces of important medical equipment, a new electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) machine and a spirometer. These replace older models owned by the clinic and no longer working or repairable.

PRPHD thanks the Point Roberts community for your continued support. As we work toward establishing an active telemedicine program for both urgent care and behavioral health, we encourage you to keep us aware of ways in which we can best serve the healthcare needs of Point Roberts.

We also remind you that the PRPHD and the Point Roberts SuperTrack Clinic are just part of the local organizations who provide for your health and safety. We are grateful to be part of this much larger circle, working for you.