EDMONDS — Stevens Hospital is now one step away from approving a partnership with Seattle-based Swedish Health Services.
That step could come next month when the Stevens Hospital board is expected to vote on the proposal.
But before that happens, the hospital wanted to hear from the public on what questions they had about the pending deal.
During a meeting Monday night, people raised issues about the future of mental health, care provided to people who don’t have insurance and other services at the hospital.
And while 45 people attended the meeting, many came to listen. Few people raised objections to teaming up with Swedish. The hospital’s physicians and its union back the move.
Brook Townsend of Edmonds said she has been a patient and volunteer at the hospital, donating about 2,000 hours of volunteer time.
She questioned the legality of property owners continuing to pay taxes to Stevens Hospital after Swedish takes over its operations.
“Swedish is not supported by taxes in Seattle; why should it here?” she asked. If Stevens does affiliate with Swedish, “then give me back my tax money,” she said.
Under the current proposal, the taxing district that helps support Stevens will continue. Publicly elected hospital board members will continue duties such as overseeing charity care policies and ensuring that hospital services are properly funded.
Dr. Marc Rosenshein, president of the hospital’s medical staff, said physicians have supported the affiliation with Swedish from the beginning.
“Swedish is a great brand, and we’re proud to affiliate with it,” he said. “Overall, the medical staff couldn’t support this any more strongly.”
Laura Hall, former mayor of Edmonds, said she first suggested a partnership with Swedish seven years ago.
“We will be … having the health care we all want and deserve,” she said. “I would like to tell Swedish we’re so thankful you’re coming.”
Fred Plappert, who serves on the county’s mental health advisory board, questioned whether the 18-bed psychiatric unit now at Stevens — the only hospital in the county to operate an in-patient psychiatric unit — would continue or perhaps even be enlarged.
Mary McNaughton, an oncology nurse, spoke on behalf of Service Employees International Union 1199 NW.
She noted that the union had been included in discussions on a possible partnership with Swedish from the beginning.
She thanked Howard Thomas, a consultant appointed by the hospital board to conduct negotiations with Swedish.
“We thought he did a very thorough process to reach a deal that’s in the best interest of the patients in the community,” McNaughton said.
The proposed agreement calls for Swedish to pay the Edmonds hospital $600,000 a month in lease payments, commit up to $90 million in capital upgrades during the first 10 years and an additional $60 million in facility improvements.
This could include an upgrade to its emergency room, which is treating about 42,000 patients a year, nearly double the number of patients it was originally built to accommodate.
Swedish also will commit to putting at least 25 percent of the earnings from Stevens back into its operations.
Dr. Jonathan Chinn of Edmonds formerly worked at Ballard Community Hospital, now part of Swedish. He also is a Swedish board member.
“I would like to compliment the hospital district on choosing Swedish,” he said. “They are a first-class operation.”
Although Swedish “has the reputation of being a 600-pound gorilla,” it’s in their interest to make all the parts work and work well, Chinn said.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.
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