Health care on Vashon has always been tricky, as it is in any small town. Basic care has been easy to find, but islanders have found themselves going to Seattle or Tacoma to see specialists, for urgent care or even for something as simple as an ultrasound. In recent years, however, the health care picture here has worsened. Several providers have discontinued their practices or cut their hours — often citing the demands of being on call and growing insurance requirements — and for the most part they are not being replaced with new faces. It’s now harder to find a doctor or other provider, particularly one who accepts Medicare. Several clinics say recruiting is difficult, and it’s becoming more and more apparent that Vashon is not an attractive place for health care providers to hang a shingle.
What will happen when there simply aren’t enough providers to serve Vashon’s population? Are we already at or nearing that place? Inadequate health care on the island could have ripple effects on our population. The issue has been a growing topic of conversation, and now one group of people has determined not to sit idly by. A group of well-respected islanders is taking a close look at this situation and surveying providers on their challenges. They’re trying to see what it would take to keep the island’s doctors, nurses and naturopaths in business, and to attract new ones.
It’s hard to imagine how private citizens could have much influence on the local health care scene. But leave it to Vashon Islanders to take that up as a cause. One early idea they have is to form a nonprofit that would help providers with the tasks they find most time consuming — insurance paperwork or billing — and offer services that they would find at larger clinics. That kind of aid, group members believe, just might keep their doors open or make Vashon a more appealing place.
This model for health care services isn’t a common one, and there are many unanswered questions. Chief among them is where the funding would come from. But this group is in its early stages; there are smart people on board, and they know the difficult task ahead. Simply quantifying the challenges Vashon providers face and framing the issue will be a positive step forward. We’re eager to see where they go from there.
