Thank You for Passing the Bond!
We want to thank the community for their support of Ocean Beach Hospital and Medical Clinics’ capital facilities bond in the Aug. 1 primary election. We are grateful the community sees the value of local access to quality health care. Because of you, we will fund critical projects to increase access to health care right here at home.
We’re proud to serve this community and grateful for your ongoing support. As always, we’ll keep you updated on our progress and report back to you as we implement these service improvements.
Thank you again,
SCOT ATTRIDGE, CEO of OBHMC
NANCY GORSHE, Chair of Board of Commissioners
Bond Proposal for 2023
Ocean Beach Hospital & Medical Clinics asked voters to consider a bond to improve access to local health care. The measure required a 60 percent supermajority per state law and the measure failed by just five votes (59.93 percent).
Almost 60 percent of voters saw the benefit of increasing access to health care for our rural community. That is why the Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to place the measure back on the ballot for the August 1, 2023, primary election.
Many people in our community still must travel long distances to get the basic and specialty care they need. If approved by voters in August, the bond will fund improvements to increase the quality of and access to healthcare services here at home.
The bond will fund:
- A nonprofit urgent care center
- Expansion of the Ilwaco Clinic, the Wellness and Rehabilitation Center, and pharmacy
- Renovating patient bathrooms
- Adding a procedure room for gynecological exams and pap smears at the Ocean Park Clinic
- Acquiring or adding space for specialty services such as orthopedics, dermatology, podiatry, urology, behavioral health, and diabetes care
- Upgrading medical equipment
- Improving delivery of in-home nursing care services
The bond is projected to cost $0.17 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The cost would be $5.67 per month or $68 per year for the owner of a $400,000 home. This rate is less than half of what voters approved in the last bond, which was paid off in 2021.
Ballots must be postmarked by August 1, 2023, to count.
More information can be found below.
“We want to better serve the health care needs of our community here at home.”
– Larry Cohen (retired), Chief Executive Officer
DR. LAURIE BELKNAP
Dr. Laurie Belknap is a hospitalist and clinic physician at OBHMC with expertise in both clinical and academic medicine, and has special interests in hospital medicine, women’s health, and pediatrics. She joined OBHMC in 2020. Dr. Belknap was raised on a farm in rural Ohio and has a passion for rural community life.
“I am proud to be part of the high-functioning health care team at OBHMC. I work every day to deliver high quality, compassionate and patient-centered care for the people of this community. Having access to high quality medical care teams and facilities allows patients to get the care they need without costly or potentially harmful delays. The potential to enhance and expand basic health services in our community through improvements at the hospital and at Ocean Park Clinic would mean safer, higher quality care for our patients and the capability to better serve our patients close to home. As a physician based in a Critical Access Hospital, I am often caring for critically ill patients who are unable to transfer to another hospital for a variety of reasons including dangerous weather conditions, road or bridge closures, or a lack of beds available in another hospital. Patients sometimes need to be transferred to hospitals hours away from home and family to get the care that they need, which can be dangerous and costly. The health outcomes, treatment options, and safety of each patient depends on the facilities, medical equipment, pharmacy resources, and health-care team at OBHMC. Bond supported projects such as adding a nonprofit Urgent Care Center, renovating patient rooms, and upgrading medical equipment will provide access to care, prevent delays, and save lives. Enhancing clinic services to increase capacity and enhance women’s health care services at the Ocean Park Clinic would better serve the peninsula and allow patients to access the care they need close to home.”
DIANA THOMPSON
Ocean Beach Hospital and Medical Clinics asked community members to share their stories about how the public hospital district has made a difference in their lives. Here’s one from small business owner Diana Thompson.
“I have lived at the north end of the peninsula since 1999. I was delighted when the Ocean Park Clinic was created because it eliminated the need to drive to Ilwaco for many medical appointments. This clinic has been a valuable asset in helping my parents with their medical appointments. In addition, it would be very valuable to have women’s services available at Ocean Park Clinic, especially for our older population who may have issues with driving. Although the drive to Ilwaco (the only clinic that currently offers women’s services) is not that long, it does take time. And for a business owner like me, that time is often needed for other important uses.”
LYNN DICKERSON
Mike and Lynn Dickerson are longtime rural residents and have lived in the Ocean Park and Long Beach area for more than 25 years.
“For me, early intervention and having access to diagnostic tools at a hospital close to home saved my life. I was a longtime smoker but had quit. I was eligible for a lung cancer screening and I got in right away at Ocean Beach Hospital where doctors found a tumor on my left lung. Because I was able to be seen so quickly, they caught it early. This meant I had curable lung cancer, which is not common. My CT scan and diagnostic information was sent to my surgeon in Olympia, who was particularly impressed with the quality of the scan and cleared me for surgery immediately. One month after doctors at Ocean Beach discovered the tumor, I went into surgery to have it removed from my left lower lobe, stopping it from spreading and becoming fatal.
That was five years ago. Today, I am cancer-free and forever grateful for the highly skilled staff and quality of care I received at Ocean Beach Hospital.”
MIKE DICKERSON
Mike and Lynn Dickerson are longtime rural residents and have lived in the Ocean Park and Long Beach area for more than 25 years.
“Last June, I had a stroke out of nowhere. Later, I learned the stroke was caused by atrial fibrillation – a type of abnormal heartbeat – that I hadn’t noticed. My wife drove me to the Emergency Department at Ocean Beach Hospital. The doctors acted very quickly, performing scans, and coordinating with stroke experts at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland to determine treatment. (Ocean Beach partners with Providence Health & Services for TeleStroke services.)
The stroke left me temporarily blind, but I felt the sense of urgency and was comforted by the emergency team who did a great job of keeping me calm and talking me through every step of the process.
Within 20 minutes of my arrival, I was given an anticoagulant shot and then flown down to Providence St. Vincent for the rest of my care. This level of coordination is not only incredibly impressive but critical to minimizing the impacts of a stroke.
Today you would never know that I had one. I feel lucky to live in a rural community with such high-quality medical care, but we can’t take that for granted. We need to continue to support our public hospital district by providing funding for more specialty care, equipment and technology upgrades and other improvements that will increase access to care and provide better patient outcomes.”
Presentation Available
Ocean Beach Hospital & Medical Clinics welcomes invitations to speak to community groups, local service organizations or homeowner associations and provide a 15-20 minute overview of the bond proposal being considered. To schedule a presentation please contact Scot Attridge, Chief Executive Officer, at 360-642-6301 or sattridge@oceanbeachhospital.com.
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Board Meeting on December 15
Public encouraged to participate