I am Terry Clark, and I am currently Commissioner No. 1, and I am running to be reelected to the Kittitas Valley Healthcare District #1 Board of Commissioners.  I am a Board-Certified Doctor of Pharmacy with a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis on Healthcare Technology.  I have practiced Pharmacy in Kittitas County since 1979. I bring a wealth of experience in the health care field including; Bi-Mart Pharmacy manager for ten years, Director of Pharmacy at Kittitas Valley Healthcare for twenty-two years, 45 plus year membership in the Washington State Pharmacy Association, 25 year membership to the multi-state Amerinet Northwest Pharmacy Council, I have supported a diverse group of volunteer organizations in Kittitas County over the years and was the Chairman of the Hospice Friends Board. My membership in the Washington State Pharmacy Association and 20-year membership to the multi-state Amerinet Northwest Pharmacy Council has given me insight into other healthcare systems throughout the state which will help me bring this knowledge to our community.

 

Being a member of the community in Kittitas County and practicing here for over forty years has provided me with an opportunity to interface with patients and community members regarding the challenges and successes of Kittitas Valley Healthcare. Our hospital has overcome several bouts of adversity since its inception over sixty years ago. Kittitas Valley Healthcare has allowed our community to prosper while providing access to local health care and living wage jobs. When a community loses its hospital, it’s not just losing a source of health care. The impact has a ripple effect across people’s lives, jobs and the community as a whole. The foundation of the success of Kittitas Valley Healthcare is the staff, both professional and technical. The front line of our staff are the nurses who have my full support.

 

Kittitas Valley Healthcare has grown and faces the challenges that organizations of all sizes face. I am committed to the transparency in the actions of the Board of Commissioners and open communication with the community and staff regarding the Board of Commissioners actions and direction. Recruiting and retention of providers will be a personal focus for me as a Commissioner. Once a provider is recruited it is essential that we focus on their retention. The connection between Kittitas Valley Healthcare and our providers must continue to be strong and when it appears to weaken it is imperative it is effectively addressed.

 

The value experienced by our community in the relationship with their local provider must be strengthened with meaningful retention efforts. I have personally experienced the frustration and barrier to obtaining healthcare when retention efforts fail. Healthcare provider retention is a better investment than spending money recruiting and replacing providers and far less disruptive to the community.

 

The current economic environment in healthcare will continue to be a challenge for Kittitas Valley Healthcare. The challenges we see in our political environment regarding the Affordable Care Act forcefully challenges the Board of Commissioners to be financially responsible and nimble in their management of our community healthcare system.

 

As a Kittitas Valley Healthcare Board Member, I will emphasize access for our community to quality healthcare. It will be core to my membership of the Board of Commissioners to solicit and be assailable to the multiple perspectives of our diverse community. I will look for input from our community to be able to ask the specific and important questions that are being discussed around the dinner table on a daily basis. As a representative of our community, I will voice the concerns I hear from our community which includes our providers and staff.

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Representing and advocating for my local community as a Hospital District 1 Commissioner these last 6 years has been my honor. Several fundamental principles have guided me during my term, and I have also been living in Kittitas County. Ensure the hospital system remains financially viable, and carefully expand available medical services. Use my commissioner authority to ensure that KVH remains an employer of choice that attracts the most excellent quality workforce and gives all employees, as well as patient’s very respectful dignity and responsiveness.

I want the community to always be involved in this hospital district #1 public meeting. On Every 4th Thursday of each month except November and December these are a different date, this public meeting is at the KVH hospital and the public is 100% allowed to attend the meeting and make a public comment at the beginning of the meeting for about 3 minutes or a bit longer, you also must say your name and your address. The public involvement is always used to assist the commissioners in identifying community needs how to address them and also to address concerns the community has about some of our healthcare actions. This will help me and the other commissioners to look at what the hospital needs to do and needs to stop. Overseeing this will help prevent our hospital from getting close to bankruptcy like several other hospitals in our state.

In our state we are in the top 1/3 of healthcare of 39 counties in the state. Many of rural hospitals have gone bankrupt and closed their doors but as commissioner of the KVH I am proud to say that we successfully have navigated our finance. We also adding to our availability of services (Ears nose and throat, allergy, cardiology, vascular surgery and neurology. Since KVH is financially strong we are significantly also expanding our hospital it will support the increase of our population. There are 2 more surgery rooms and increase our radiology services along with increasing the ability of our laboratory to conduct all body tests. I was on the Quality Improvement committee and have been able to verify that all these actions that our hospital can do are 100% good quality. I am on the Compliance Committee and am able to oversee and monitors of compliance and laws for the hospital.  This hospital district has been able to meet and exceed all the compliance items associated with this hospital district.

Since I am a commissioner for this public hospital district, I spend time with any community member who wants to give me a message.  This then has me speak for all the members of our community and do what’s best for each and every one that talk with me.

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Thank you,

 

Terry R. Clark MBA, PharmD, BCPS