What do two islanders — one with a lingering case of COVID and another who had a painful encounter with a stingray — have in common?

Both were recently helped by Vashon Island Fire & Rescue’s (VIFR) Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) — a publicly-funded healthcare program that serves islanders in their homes with a wide range of non-emergency needs.

Note to readers: the program exists separately from DispatchHealth, a for-profit provider that last fall contracted with Vashon’s Health Care District to provide seven-day-a-week mobile urgent care on Vashon — an addition to Vashon’s healthcare landscape that The Beachcomber has detailed in recent issues.

The MIH program, launched in February 2024, has also received plenty of ink in The Beachcomber.

But now, MIH is marking its first anniversary with a significant expansion — tripling its days of service each week following recent hires of two additional part-time registered nurses and a part-time licensed independent clinical social worker to staff the program. A firefighter/EMT is also assigned to each MIH shift, rounding out the care team.

Previous to the new hires, MIH had one part-time registered nurse and booked home-care visits one day a week.

The program now offers appointments on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for a variety of needs. These include follow-up assistance in the transition from hospital to home, check-ins for patients with chronic conditions, assistance with tasks including catheter cleaning and wound care, medication management, suture removal, fall prevention assessment, immunizations, nutrition and wellness checks, and more.

That “more” would include the two aforementioned recent cases involving islanders — one involving a nasty virus and the other the venom of a cartilaginous fish.

Islander Donna Liberty said in an interview that she recently called MIH after a bout with COVID left her feeling isolated and unsure of her recovery, even after she had tested negative for the virus. She couldn’t get an appointment with a local doctor, she said, and even if that had been possible, she said, she wouldn’t have wanted to get in her car and drive to the clinic.

Liberty described her relief after her appointment with MIH’s registered nurse and a firefighter/EMT, who had shown up at her house to check her vital signs and reassure her that she was indeed on the mend.

Equally important, she said, was the emotional boost she got from the visit with the nurse and firefighter.

“It gave me contact with the outside world,” Liberty said. “I hadn’t been out of the house in two weeks, so that was important as well.”

Islander Kristin Hyde’s recent experience with MIH came shortly after she returned from a whirlwind weekend getaway to Mexico. That vacation went awry after Hyde was attacked by a stingray, resulting in a wound to her foot that was initially treated at a clinic in Mexico. After returning home, Hyde was unsure how to continue to care for her injury.

Hyde’s wife, Denise Pacquette, who works for VIFR as an administrative assistant, suggested that Hyde stop by the fire station to visit registered nurse Katie Burke, one of MIH’s most recent hires.

“Nurse Katie took great care of me, redressing the wound and sending me home with instructions on how to help the healing process,” Hyde said, describing the efficiency and good humor with which she had been helped.

Both Liberty and Hyde also expressed gratitude for another aspect of their care by MIH: it hadn’t come with any out-of-pocket costs.

That’s because VIFR’s MIH program — part of a state and nationwide network of such programs that deliver healthcare in partnerships with Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers — is funded entirely by a King County EMS levy and additional property tax revenues received by VIFR.

“No one receives a bill or is asked about their insurance when they book an appointment,” said Lilie Corroon, the administrator of VIFR’s MIH program. “It’s already paid for by your tax dollars.”

According to Corroon’s records, MIH served 240 patients in its first year, with just over 400 visits total to those islanders — numbers she called impressive given that until its recent expansion, MIH had only visited patients one day a week. Many of those patients were seen multiple times.

VIFR Interim Chief Ben Davidson said that wrap-around care is a key component of the program.

“The continuity of care and the continued care that’s possible by MIH staff being able to come back and check on people is one of its biggest benefits,” he said, adding that as MIH increases its hours of service, he anticipates seeing the numbers of islander using the program to increase accordingly.

Corroon and Davidson said that MIH provides care without any limits on the amount of time nurses can spend with patients — something that has proven to be a draw in terms of VIFR recruiting new healthcare workers for the program.

“Our new nurses are extremely excited and eager to get out and go visit people multiple times,” said Corroon. “They like having that rapport and getting to know the patients.”

One of those recent patients — who requested that his name not be used to protect his privacy regarding health matters — said that MIH had visited his home twice to unblock one of two ports in his arm through which he receives an antibiotic three times a day.

Calling the MIH team that showed up to help him “jolly and fun and very sharp,” he said the task was accomplished in about 45 minutes — saving him countless hours spent traveling back and forth to the mainland to have the problem addressed.

“I really commend the fire department for putting this program together,” he said.

Islanders can call 206-463-2405 or visit vifr.org/mih to book an MIH appointment. MIH also receives patient referrals from VIFR first responders and social services organizations including Vashon Senior Center, the Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness, and Vashon Care Network.

Vashon Pharmacy, Corroon and Davidson said, has also partnered with MIH to provide immunizations at home for islanders.

According to VIFR’s 2025 budget, total expenditures attributed to MIH are projected at $204,000 — an amount that factors in the costs of the current expansion of the program, plus another still-pending addition to the staff. $51,000 of the revenue serving the program will come from King County’s EMS levy, with the rest provided by revenues from VIFR’s separate levy approved by voters in 2023.

VIFR is currently in the midst of a hiring process to add a part-time physician’s assistant (PA) to MIH’s staff, said Davidson and Corroon — a hire that could come as soon as later this month.

The addition of a PA will be groundbreaking, according to Davidson, with Vashon being the first fire department in King County to add the position to its MIH staff. North Mason County Regional Fire Authority, he said, was the first department in Washington to do so, and is now helping VIFR navigate the parameters of adding the new position.

Having a physician’s assistant on staff will greatly expand MIH’s reach, Davidson said, to include elements of urgent care including suturing of wounds, prescribing medicines for illnesses and infections, and performing other clinical services for islanders seeking urgent care both in their homes and at VIFR’s Fire Station 55.

The fire station, currently undergoing a major renovation, is currently set to reopen in July and will include a fully equipped examination room to better serve islanders who walk in with injuries or health concerns.

Islanders treating islanders

All three of VIFR’s recent hires for its MIH program are islanders.

Registered nurse Katie Burke, according to a social media post by VIFR, brings extensive experience in pediatric nursing and family health to MIH. She’s also well-connected to island families through her other part-time nursing position at Neighborcare’s clinic for youth, located at Vashon High School.

“Since Katie’s hire, we’ve seen an uptick in younger patients and their families getting connected to MIH through Neighborcare,” said Corroon.

Dan O’Connell, also now working part-time as a registered nurse, is a longtime islander with valuable experience in rural healthcare and emergency medicine, according to his introduction by VIFR. He too has worked with island youth in his role as a substitute school nurse for the Vashon Island School District.

MIH’s new social worker, islander Lisa Coley, will officially start her work with VIFR by the end of February, providing services including care coordination, case management, patient advocacy, resource identification, and system navigation for patients with needs including mental and behavioral health issues, substance use, housing insecurity, financial, and other social service needs.

Coley, who has a master’s degree in social work, comes to VIFR with years of experience working for numerous public and private entities, including a 10-year tenure with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, in Tacoma.

“She’s eager to help fellow islanders and work with other social workers on Vashon to get our patients the best care,” said Corroon.

Mobile Integrated Health’s staff uses this dedicated vehicle to visit Vashon patients in their homes. (Vashon Island Fire Rescue photo)