Bastyr, Everett would make perfect partners

It’s hard to imagine a better pairing than Everett and Bastyr University.

Bastyr, currently based in Kenmore, is the nation’s leading institution for natural health sciences. Founded in 1978, the university has 1,300 students and 13 degree programs, and operates a natural-medicine clinic in Seattle, the state’s largest.

Everett is in the midst of a resurgence, marked by exciting waterfront and downtown improvements, and an economic development plan that promises to bring a new level of sophistication and livability to the city. Bastyr fits that plan perfectly.

A task force composed of university and city officials, as well as local health-care and education leaders, has been formed to explore potential partnerships. Bastyr is growing rapidly, and is running out of room at its current location on Lake Washington. A new campus on the old Simpson Mill property along the Snohomish River, land owned by the city, would provide Bastyr with the room it needs and a city that would value its presence. The city would get a responsible steward for some of its most sensitive and treasured land.

Beyond that, having Bastyr here would provide citizens with exciting new opportunities in health care and education. The task force includes the presidents of Providence Everett Medical Center and the Everett Clinic, as well as the president of Everett Community College. Natural medicine is gaining credibility and popularity, and partnerships with Providence and the Everett Clinic could offer local patients more treatment options.

New educational opportunities for Everett CC students, particularly those in nursing, could arise through Bastyr. The average age of Bastyr students is 32, indicating opportunities for students exploring career changes.

Members of Bastyr’s board of directors no doubt will want to be as certain as possible that the university will be welcome here. City and community leaders are throwing out the welcome mat, and there’s every reason citizens should, too. Those who live near the Simpson property, as well as environmental groups, should be thrilled at the prospect of a neighbor with a proven record of environmental sensitivity.

And Bastyr would bring prestige, adding to the pride Everett already feels as a Navy homeport, host to the Boeing Co. and one of the nation’s leading cardiovascular programs at Providence.

Bastyr and Everett have much to offer each other. It’s a partnership that should be pursued vigorously.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, file photo, a man using an electronic cigarette exhales in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, the American Medical Association said it is calling for an immediate ban on all electronic cigarette and vaping devices. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
Editorial: Shut down flavored tobacco’s gateway to youths

Legislation in Olympia would bar the use of flavors and menthol in vape products and cigarettes.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Tuesday, Feb. 18

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Herald report of Everett protest inaccurate, biased

I was at the rally and protest in Everett last on Feb.… Continue reading

Media shouldn’t use ‘she’ for trans people

About 79 percent of Americans oppose those observed male at birth from… Continue reading

USAID freeze halts vital aid work

I am outraged the Trump administration is making the U.S. weaker in… Continue reading

Goldberg: Trump declares war on higher ed, not just woke parts

The move, aided by Elon Musk, to gut NIH funding, is part of a larger and debilitating attack on academia.

Comment: Trump’s Kennedy Center will narrow exposure to art

Trump’s move to takeover the Kennedy Center is not about the arts but about celebrating his tastes.

Rivian, based in Irvine, Calif., has introduced its new R2 models, smaller and more affordable SUVs. (Rivian)
Editorial: Open electric vehicle market to direct sales

Legislation would allow EV makers to sell directly to customers, making lease or purchase easier.

People walk adjacent to the border with Canada at the Peace Arch in Peace Arch Historical State Park, where cars behind wait to enter Canada at the border crossing Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. Canada lifted its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but America kept similar restrictions in place, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from coronavirus travel bans. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Editorial: U.S. and Canada better neighbors than housemates

President Trump may be serious about annexing Canada, but it’s a deal fraught with complexities for all.

CNA Nina Prigodich, right, goes through restorative exercises with long term care patient Betty Long, 86, at Nightingale's View Ridge Care Center on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Boost state Medicaid funding for long-term care

With more in need of skilled nursing and assisted-living services, funding must keep up to retain staff.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, Feb. 17

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Comment: No one saw Musk’s DOGE rampage coming or its threat

With no formal grant of authority, Musk is making cuts without fully understanding the consequences.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.