Stevens Hospital seeks input on future plans

Published 10:31 am Thursday, August 5, 2010

Taxpayers often complain that they don’t get much say-so in how things are run.

Here’s your chance.

Stevens Hospital wants to hear from people living in the south Snohomish County communities it serves — Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, Woodway, Brier and surrounding unincorporated areas — about its future.

A series of four public meetings has been scheduled this month, with the first set for Thursday in Edmonds, to discuss a three-year plan for the taxpayer-supported hospital.

Among the ideas they’d like to hear from the public are what services the hospital should provide and what improvements it can make.

“The process is what are our goals for the future?” said board member Kimberly Cole. “Next will come how do we get there?”

One hospital department that generally ranks high on the list of public interest is the emergency department, board member Fred Langer said. The current emergency room is treating about twice as many people as it was built for.

One factor to consider is that Swedish Medical Center in Seattle is mulling over plans to open a satellite outpatient emergency room in Snohomish County, possible near the 128th Street SW exit of I-5, he said.

“There’s no question that emergency room services are something that we’re taking a close look at, and what role Stevens needs to play in emergency room services in southern Snohomish County,” Langer said.

Hospital board members and administrators also hope to explain why they think a tax increase is needed in the future to support improvement and expansion of hospital services.

Board members already have heard from business leaders, city council members, the medical staff and other hospital employees on plans for the hospital’s future, Langer said.

“We live in a world of limited resources,” Langer said. The meetings will help the hospital set priorities and decide which steps should be taken next, he said.

The meetings also have been scheduled in the hope that the public will feel as if the hospital is being open about its future plans, Langer said.

Part of those plans may include an alliance with another health care organization, said Charles Day, president of the hospital board.

A business partnership would allow the hospital to access more sources of money to fund improvements, he said.

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.

Public meetings

Here’s the list of upcoming public meetings to discuss Stevens Hospital’s future:

Thursday in Edmonds, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Plaza room at the Frances Anderson Center, 650 Main St.

Saturday in Edmonds, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Auditoriums A, B, C in Stevens Hospital, 21601 76th Ave. W.

Aug. 12 in Lynnwood, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Fire Station 15 Training Room, 18800 44th Ave. W.

Aug. 18 in Mountlake Terrace, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Ave. W.