In April the Healthcare Issues Team heard all about Public Health Districts from Selena Knoblauch of Community First Whatcom, a topic which is gaining momentum in Whatcom County and holds promise for alleviating our healthcare disparities.
Click here to watch the recording
Most of the counties in Washington State have Public Health Districts (PHDs), including a small one in Point Roberts, and PHDs are also common across the country. Governed by a board of elected officials that is independent of county government, PHDs are funded by grants, government bonds, and creation of a voter-approved special taxing district. PHDs can tax up to $.75 cents per $1,000 of property value.
PHDs, despite their name, no longer build new hospitals because of the very high cost of new hospital construction. Instead, they can take on a broad scope of healthcare projects, from operating hospitals to building clinics, to collaborating with established healthcare services, to plugging gaps in existing healthcare infrastructure. They can be very responsive to local needs and direction.
PHDs are created by “petition of the electorate”: the gathering of signatures of 10% of voters who cast ballots in the last election, approximately 13,000-17,000 signatures. Then the PHD is put on the ballot in the next election and can be voted in by a simple majority.
Currently, a group of community members have been meeting regularly to determine the healthcare needs of our county and explore how another PHD might address those needs. If a PHD promises to serve county needs and public support for it is strong, their goal is to get a Public Hospital District initiative on the ballot in the next few years.
Save the date: On May 18th the Healthcare Issues Team will hear from Judge Angela Anderson about Whatcom County’s Mental Health Court which serves individuals with serious mental health problems who also have had problems with the law. Please join us to hear about this program which has very positively affected the lives of nearly 90 people.