By Amy Ayers

My name is Amy Ayers and I am a candidate for Hospital Commissioner, District 2. I live in Freeland with my husband, Phillip. I am a registered nurse and have been for 40 plus years. I am a graduate of the University of Washington and received an Advance Credential in Health Care Administration from the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health. I have served on community boards, (mental health, community health advisory board and Whidbey Hospital Foundation.)

It is my desire to be of service to my community by utilizing my experience in health care as a member of the governing board. Being retired, I now have time to dedicate to this endeavor.

The financial stability of WGH is a major concern. However, financial security without meeting the increasing health care needs of a growing community, serves no useful purpose.

As I have stated in the candidate forums, presently only 50 percent of Whidbey Island citizens requiring hospital services utilize Whidbey General Hospital. When the hospital has high utilization rates it does well financially. For the community to utilize WGH it must have confidence that they will be treated in a safe, respectful and caring manner. A community which is loyal to WGH and chooses to use its services will go a long way to improving the financial stability of the organization. To this end I support and would work to continue the patient centered initiatives that are taking place at WGH.

Rates of reimbursement (especially Medicare and Medicaid) for hospital and physician services need to be addressed on the state and national levels. Hospital organizations, such as the Washington State Hospital Association and the Association of District Hospitals, have lobbying efforts in place to assist in that process. I have the time to work with these organizations on behalf of WGH.

WGH financial stability will require that a complete evaluation of all services be undertaken to determine their financial contribution or drain to the organization and their congruence with the hospital’s mission. This may mean the elimination of some services. This decision will be difficult and needs to be made with the analysis of the data and information available and with full disclosure to the community for input.

The success of the Whidbey Island Hospital Foundation in raising funds to support the purchase of hospital equipment is another means of enhancing the hospital’s financial stability. As a board member I will work to establish policies that support the Hospital Foundation’s efforts.

If elected to be a board member I will work to provide oversight of the organization by adopting general policies and procedures to meet the community healthcare needs. I will support the delegation of the day to day operations of the hospital to the administrator. It is not the role of the board to manage the day to day operations of the hospital. I will work to facilitate open dialogue which emphasis collaboration and serves to ensure that all points of view are heard, including the community’s. However, in the end a decision must be made and I will support those decisions that best serve the patient’s interest first.

If elected, I will be pleased and honored to serve as your hospital commissioner.