Let’s talk about the need for a balanced board for Jefferson County’s public hospital district board of commissioners.
Its members do not practice medicine in their roles on the board.
They are the governing body of a hospital district.
The board establishes hospital district policies (as set out in RCW 70.44.060), including all decisions with respect to the operations of the hospital district.
They oversee policies relevant to quality patient care, but they do not provide that care and need no deep insider knowledge of any specialized aspect of the practitioner’s perspective.
We already have both a retired doctor, Kees Kolff, and a retired nurse-midwife, Marie Dressler, on our board of only five members; one more medical person would give a quorum to practitioners.
What we wouldn’t have is anyone with management experience, with a background in finance and business operations.
We wouldn’t have anyone with extensive experience in board governance.
Given these concerns, look at Bruce McComas’ record.
He has a master’s in business administration from the University of Washington and has successfully managed a business much larger than our hospital.
Talk to his former employees.
He has been instrumental in the creation and operation of several nonprofit boards that directly impact our community: Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County, Jefferson County Community Foundation, Jefferson County Education Foundation (now Port Townsend Education Foundation).
Talk to his peers on those foundations.
He was selected as Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Port Townsend Citizen of the Year in 2008.
Talk to the people who supported his nomination.
Get your information from people who know his record, and you’ll join me in voting for Bruce McComas.
Deborah Jahnke,
Port Townsend