Tim Johnson, an islander who has for years been deeply involved in local healthcare and civic issues, has been named interim superintendent of Vashon Health Care District (VHCD).
Johnson’s appointment closely followed the announcement that the district’s current superintendent, Eric Jenson, would leave the role at the end of October to take another position in executive health management.
The vote to place Johnson in the position on an interim basis took place at a special meeting of VHCD’s commissioners held on Friday, Oct. 14, with all four commissioners present at the meeting voting unanimously for the hire, after they returned from an executive session to discuss Johnson’s application. Commissioner Don Wolczko was absent from the meeting.
No other candidates had applied for the position, said the commissioners.
After the vote, commissioners thanked Johnson for stepping forward to be considered for the position and noted his attributes for the job.
“Tim is a proven leader on the island with many years of experience in these issues, and he has also shown his communication skills,” said commissioner Eric Pryne. “I think his skill set is a great fit for what we are in need of right now.”
Johnson will be paid at an hourly rate of $63.40 for 24 hours of work per week for the district — 60% of a full-time job.
His appointment comes amid VHCD’s recently renewed negotiations with Sea Mar Community Health Centers, which currently operates the district’s healthcare clinic on Sunrise Ridge.
Since late August, Sea Mar executives have made a series of declarations regarding the nonprofit’s relationship with VHCD as well as its continued presence on Vashon.
But after weeks of standstill on negotiations for Sea Mar’s exit from the clinic, both parties recently announced they had returned to the bargaining table.
Johnson said he is eager to help the district move forward on an interim basis, adding that both he and the board would need time to assess whether he would be suited for the role on a more long-term basis.
Acknowledging that VHCD’s relationship with Sea Mar was still “a little up in the air, and frustrating,” he said the district remained strongly committed to the health and wellbeing of islanders.
“I hope to be a part of that effort,” he said, adding that it was important to him to be visible and available to listen to islanders’ concerns and ideas for the district, going forward.
Another immediate focus for Johnson will be working with Jensen to finalize the district’s 2023 annual budget, due in November.
Since 2011, Johnson has been the manager of Granny’s Attic, a nonprofit thrift store founded in 1975 to support Vashon’s health care clinic. The organization, still true to its mission, continues to serve an important philanthropic role in healthcare causes. (See story, below.)
Johnson said that he would now step back from his role at Granny’s, reducing his hours there to a small, part-time position, as two current Granny’s staffers took over the shop’s day-to-day operations, for now.
Johnson, a former organic food executive, moved to Vashon in 2009 and quickly seemed to find his purpose here in community service.
He became active in the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council and served as its president from 2010 to 2013, during a time of transition in the council’s structure.
Also, for the past decade, he has been at the forefront of healthcare efforts for Vashon including the Vashon-Maury Healthcare Collaborative and the campaign to establish Vashon’s Health Care District (VHCD).
He has also been named to community task forces dealing with healthcare issues, including one recently formed by VHCD on matters related to its efforts to build a community-owned healthcare clinic on Vashon.
