Orcas Island Health Care District announces newsletter, social media accounts and expansion plan | Column

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Submitted by the Orcas Island Health Care District.

One of the most important things a health district can do is make sure the people it serves have access to clear, reliable information about their health care — what’s available, how to use it and what’s coming.

We are happy to introduce two new ways to stay connected — our new newsletter and our new social media pages– so you always know what’s happening with health care on Orcas.

The Orcas Island Health Care District exists to keep quality, island-appropriate health care available here — in a financially sustainable way, for the long term. That means building strong partnerships across the island, and planning carefully so that care stays close to home, not just today, but for future islanders too.

It also means staying connected to the community we serve. Find us in your inbox monthly, and now on Facebook and Instagram — with regular updates on the services available to you, the partners we work alongside and the work happening behind the scenes to keep island health care strong.

A brief history — and what’s next for OIHCD

Public hospital districts have been part of Washington state’s health care landscape since 1945, when the Legislature first gave local communities the authority to form them. Today, nearly half of the state’s hospitals operate within this model — locally owned, locally governed and built to meet the specific needs of the community they serve. That’s exactly why the Orcas Island Health Care District exists: to make sure island-appropriate, quality medical care is available to our neighbors, in a way that’s financially sustainable for the long haul.

Since 2018, when our hospital district was formed, our purpose has been something simple and essential: keeping our primary care clinic standing. In 2019, the district took ownership of the Orcas clinic, previously owned by Orcas Island Medical Foundation, as a single, tax district-subsidized clinic — the model that finally let us solve the staffing, after-hours care and financial puzzles that had challenged island health care for so long.

Today, we’re in a different position — one focused less on keeping the clinic afloat, and more on helping it flourish. In 2025, voters passed a levy that will expand our current primary care clinic services, building a space that will meet the community’s needs for decades to come, and offer flexibility for expanding primary care and visiting specialty services. That same year, the District entered a long-term, 10-20 year agreement with Island Health — giving our community a genuine foundation of stability to build on.

We’re excited for what’s ahead, and grateful to a community that keeps showing up to make it possible.

For more information on our District’s history and purpose, visit our website “About Us” page: https://www.orcashealth.org/about-us.

For additional information on the Hospital District Levy, passed in 2025, visit our website’s levy page: https://www.orcashealth.org/sustainable-community-based-care.

Save the dates: Clinic expansion town hall meetings

The District is well into our multiple design phases for the clinic expansion of Island Primary Care – Orcas. Our architect partner, DLR Group, will be co-hosting two town halls with the hospital district to allow the community to provide input, advice and feedback on our clinic design process.

For more information on the Strategic Facilities Plan that has guided our clinic expansion scope, see the full report here – https://www.orcashealth.org/files/8c918f444/OIHCD+Strategic+Facility+Master+Plan+-+Final+Report+-+11.30.2025.pdf.

Our two clinic expansion town hall meetings will be held:

Thursday, July 23, 5:30-7 p.m. Meeting link here: https://www.orcashealth.org/2026-07-23-clinic-expansion-town-hall.

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 5:30-7 p.m. Meeting link here: https://www.orcashealth.org/2026-08-26-clinic-expansion-town-hall.

Both events will be held at the Orcas Center.

We’re now on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094816530073) and Instagram (@orcasislandhealthdistrict). Follow along for health care news, community moments and updates between newsletters.

Upcoming board meetings

Wednesday, July 22. Meeting link here: https://www.orcashealth.org/2026-07-22-board-meeting.

Special Meeting to accommodate town hall date: Monday, Aug. 31. Meeting link here: https://www.orcashealth.org/2026-08-31-board-meeting-special.

Wednesday, Sept. 23. Meeting link here: https://www.orcashealth.org/2026-09-23-board-meeting.

Held in-person at the Orcas Public Library and by Zoom.