A grassroots group of Kitsap residents has been working for years to establish a countywide public hospital district, which they say could provide solutions to some of the region’s most pressing health care problems.
However, after years of discussion, it’s unclear at this point whether the idea will ever become a reality.
The debate over creating a public hospital district was reignited earlier this year after a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine report commissioned by the Kitsap Public Health District Board listed exploring the feasibility of a public health district as one of eight measures that could improve access to health care in Kitsap.
In a presentation to the health board on Tuesday, Susan Young, president of the Alliance for Equitable Health Care, said creating a public hospital district is not a complete solution, but it could go a long way in addressing some of the county’s health care needs. Members of the alliance, whose goal is to expand access to affordable health care in Kitsap County, have been advocating for the creation of a public hospital district since 2022, Young said.
“What we want to say to you today is we believe a public hospital district would go a long way in streamlining how health care is financed in this region and how it responds to the needs of this region,” she said.
The public hospital district’s request comes as consolidation and staffing shortages have left Kitsap County lacking health care providers capable of providing basic medical care, prenatal care, mental health and other medical services.
But there are no concrete plans at this time to consider setting one up in Kitsap, said Dr. Tara Sell, chair of the Kitsap Public Health District Board, though the board remains open to the idea.
“This is something that everyone is looking at,” she said. “It’s a very interesting idea that needs to be explored further.”
Health district administrator Yolanda Fong said she appreciates the coalition sharing the research and will “continue to explore the potential value of a public hospital district.”
A hospital district is a government entity that local governments can establish under state law. Hospital districts are run by elected commissioners and funded through property taxes. Hospital districts are typically established in rural or other underserved areas to supplement a health care system that is not meeting the needs of the community.
In the West Sound and Olympic Peninsula region, Kitsap County is one of the few counties without a public hospital district. Clallam, Jefferson and Mason counties all have at least one public hospital district, and Vashon Island also has a public hospital district.
Most districts build or operate hospitals, but some fund more specific needs, which can include everything from emergency services and primary care to substance abuse treatment and dental care.
Young said she is not interested in building a hospital and would like to work with St. Michael Medical Center. The idea of creating a district is to create a sustainable funding source that can address Kitsap’s needs, she said.
“A public hospital district can act as a funding mechanism,” she says, “without having to build anything.”
Forming a district requires a ballot measure that is supported by a majority of voters. To be placed on the ballot, county commissioners must pass a resolution or a petition must receive signatures from at least 10% of the district’s voters.
If approved, the district would impose a new property tax on residents, which, according to state law, could range from 25 cents to 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson, who is also a health board member, said it may be tough to get a majority of county residents to support the incorporation. Traditionally, South Kitsap voters have not tended to support tax plans like school bonds, Erickson said.
Erickson encouraged a health district that excludes South Kitsap instead of a countywide hospital district, arguing it would be easier to pass legislation.
“The realities of the political world are important when you go ahead with any initiative, and it would be terrible to go ahead with an initiative and have it fail,” she said. “I understand that South Kitsap residents would use the services even if they weren’t included. If we were successful in actually bringing the neighborhood together, that’s fine.”
Connor Wilson is a Murrow News Fellow, a program run by Washington State University, who reports for the Kitsap Sun and Gig Harbor Now, a Gig Harbor-based nonprofit newsroom.
