Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Phone
3605444133
Email
gasperforhospitalcommissioner@gmail.com
Town where you live
Oak Harbor
With over 30 years as a practicing Family Physician and extensive experience in hospital oversight, I am well-qualified for this position. During my 20+ years in Navy Medicine, I supervised a wide range of hospital services, including serving as Director of Healthcare Business (overseeing referral management and business operations) at Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Chair of the Medical Staff at NH Naples, and Director of Medical Services at NH Oak Harbor, where I managed outpatient primary care, urgent care, and mental health services. My clinical experience spans outpatient clinics, Emergency Departments, Labor and Delivery, intensive care, and other inpatient services. After receiving additional training in Medical Informatics, I have practiced in telemedicine for the last 5 years, so am familiar with this emerging medical frontier. This broad background equips me to help guide leadership decisions that enhance the value and service WhidbeyHealth provides to our community.
My 20+ years of Naval service, including seven duty stations and multiple deployments to the Middle East, form the foundation of my public service record. Since settling in Oak Harbor 16 years ago, I have served five years on the Church Council of Living Word Church and nine years on the Board of Directors for the Barrington Heights Homeowners Association.
WhidbeyHealth continues to face significant challenges in its mission to provide the highest level of care while navigating ongoing financial pressures. Medical reimbursements in our rural healthcare setting are increasingly at risk due to both current and projected funding cuts. The recently approved federal budget includes substantial reductions to the Medicaid program, which will further strain the financial resources needed to operate a full-service community hospital.
My goal is for the Whidbey Island community to feel confident that when illness strikes, they can rely on the WhidbeyHealth system to meet their acute medical needs with exceptional care in a compassionate, welcoming environment.
WhidbeyHealth can prepare for future pandemics through several key actions. Maintaining a strong emergency preparedness plan that includes infectious disease scenarios is essential. Expanding telehealth will connect patients to care while reducing exposure risks. Partnerships with larger regional hospitals can support patient transfers and specialist access.
Keeping a stockpile of essential supplies like PPE and medications is critical. Clear communication with the community about when to seek care, safety protocols, and vaccine/testing availability builds trust.
Cross-training staff and strengthening infection control infrastructure enhance flexibility and safety. Finally, financial planning and advocacy for funding are vital to sustaining operations. With these steps, WhidbeyHealth will be ready to protect our community during future health crises.
Phone
2533341437
Email
dennis.rochier@gmail.com
Town where you live
Greenbank
Experience (300 characters max)
Physician for 40 years. Medical Director of Hospitalist Team, Adult Family Medicine, Rural Health Clinics including WhidbeyHealth. Chief Medical Officer of Acute Care and Rural Hospitals, Chief Physician Executive of Overlake Medical Clinics. Master of Healthcare Administration from UW.
I have worked in healthcare for over 40 years including 8 years as a children's hospital lab tech, and 35 as a physician. My experience in leadership has been particularly helpful in preparing me for this position as it includes experience in both the outpatient clinics and hospital settings including rural hospitals and clinics.
I have also served on the board of directors of a large food bank operation in Northern Nevada. I have served on the faculty of two medical schools and taught clinical medicine to nurse practitioner students, medical students, resident physicians and physician assistants.
This broad experience gives me a unique perspective on the challenges facing WhidbeyHealth and the ability to communicate effectively with both clinical and non-clinical stakeholders.
I am also trained in the Toyota Production System which we used at Virginia Mason for quality improvement. This system teaches respect for people and respect for the customer, in this case patients.
I have worked as a volunteer physician at various events including the high school soccer games and elementary school track meets in the Federal Way School District, NCAA Championship Swim and Dive Meets at the Federal Way Aquatic Center, and the Seattle Rock'n'Roll Marathon. I also volunteered as a classroom assistant for the Federal Way School District. I served as a leader in both the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America. I served as a youth basketball coach for the Federal Way Boys and Girls Club. I was a member of the Board of Directors for the Northern Nevada Food Bank, a large operation providing meals and stocking food pantries serving over 400,000 residents of Northern Nevada.
The main challenge for the Hospital District is similar to rural health systems across the country, predominantly financial challenges. Resources are becoming increasingly scarce for rural systems that serve a population which is generally older and poorer than found in urban settings. The burden of illness in the population increases with age and by 65 years, most Americans have five or more chronic conditions. History has taught us that the most effective health care is also the least expensive. The Hospital District should focus on improving quality while at the same time becoming more efficient. This nearly impossible task can be accomplished if the district focuses on recruiting and retaining the best personnel. Reducing turnover, especially in clinical positions is key. The Institute of Medicine states that health care should be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable. Doing so with less funding is the predominant challenge facing the District
The main strategy in preparation is practice. The district already has resources within its employee education programs to provide ongoing communication, practice drills, briefings and then to perform skill validation of all personnel, both clinical and support staff. The local community of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who provide the majority of face-to-face care here must also be offered opportunities to interface with the training programs. Effective leadership and governance play the most important role in ensuring these systems are current, supported by sound scientific evidence and consistent with the regulatory environment set for by the state's various health oversight bodies. Finally ,the District must have personal protection equipment on hand at all times to avoid panic buying during times of crisis. This creates shortages and drives up the cost of simple items like gloves, face masks and even handwashing products.
Phone
915-267-5256
Email
tcsmith@gmx.com
Town where you live
Oak Harbor (rural)
Experience (300 characters max)
30 years as scientist and administrator in California State Government; 17 years as college science educator. Government experience includes strategic planning; budgeting; account monitoring; legislation review; data security; and staff oversight.
I have considerable experience as a scientist, planner, and administrator. My education has been multidisciplinary, which has enabled me to identify gaps that can result from "thinking silos." I also engage in innovative thinking and help others do the same. In one case, while facilitating a strategic planning session, I repeatedly encouraged those involved to think about how they could serve a new set of potential customers; those questions led to new funding of more than $1 million per year, helped expedite installation of updated technology, and improved the speed (from months to seconds) with which earthquake-shaking data became available.
I focus on being a servant leader, encourage others to become servant leaders, and collaborate well with others. At the same time, I have had to help make critical programmatic decisions due to fiscal constraints (such as 15% budget cuts). Given the uncertain future of Medicaid funding, those skills could prove valuable to the district.
While I have never run for elected office, I have 30 years experience in California State government as a scientist and administrator. My administrative experience includes strategic planning; budgeting; account monitoring; legislation review; data security; oversight of administrative, publication, science, and engineering staff. I led the efforts to create the first website for the California Geological Survey, and served as interim director of a new state mine reclamation agency and interim deputy director of the state's geological survey. I also served on the Boards of Directors of several organizations, including Ascension Lutheran Church of Citrus Heights, Geology in the Public Interest, and Whidbey Island Community Advocates for Refugee Efforts.
I have 17 years experience as a college educator, including 2 years as subject matter lead in environmental science and paraprofessional education. That involved encouraging students to learn and faculty to focus on improving learning.
The District had made good progress in emerging from its recent financial difficulties, but fiscal challenges remain, including proposed Medicare cuts and recently imposed tariffs on major equipment, pharmaceuticals, and supplies. Past financial difficulties linger in one or more contracts that require rapid payment to preserve access to critical medications and supplies. Continuing the improving fiscal health of the district is key to minimizing such issues. Encouraging local residents to use district resources also will help preserve access and strengthen finances.
Another major concern is keeping the hospital computer systems secure from attacks by hackers. Across the nation, hospital computer systems are attacked hundreds of times daily.
Finally, new technology can help attract highly qualified medical staff and improve patient outcomes, enabling improvements in minimally invasive surgery and shortening recovery times. The district needs to find ways to achieve both.
Changes in federal agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and National Institute of Health have left States and local entities, including hospitals, more vulnerable to pandemics and epidemics. The last pandemic sometimes found states bidding against each other for critical supplies and equipment. The district needs to explore ways to better collaborate with state and local governments, Island County government, and local physicians to assure early warning of disease outbreaks and develop constantly refreshed stockpiles of critical medical supplies and equipment.
At the same time, the district should review its own emergency preparedness. For example, how ready is the district to cope with a major earthquake that might cut off electrical power for weeks? How might such an event impact medical services and related administrative activities?
Finally, does the hospital have the resources needed to remain operational and fiscally sound should hackers ever lock up key computers?
