At health care forum, islanders get news and information

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, February 3, 2026

About 100 islanders packed the Vashon High School theater Thursday night for a public health care forum where Sea Mar Clinic officials offered the most detailed update yet on the nonprofit’s new Vashon facility — a project they said is on track to be completed by mid-to-late July, with expanded services expected to begin in late August or early September.

Harshiem Ross, Sea Mar’s vice president of medical operations, said the new clinic across the street from Vashon IGA Plaza, is expected to significantly broaden local access to care. In addition to primary care, Ross said Sea Mar plans to add dental, behavioral health services, X-ray and an on-site pharmacy.

Ross said the new clinic is designed for about 21 exam rooms and six dental operatories, with a goal of staffing five to six medical providers — though he emphasized hiring remains a challenge.

“We of course have to continue to recruit to meet the needs all of you folks here on the island,” Ross said. “We’re looking forward to that new facility and providing you excellent services and care.”

The news came at the start of a two-hour forum convened by the Vashon Health Care District, titled “Who Ya’ Gonna Call: A Community Forum on Island Health Care,” where speakers representing nearly all of the island’s health care providers outlined their services, hours and how residents can access care for medical and emergency needs.

Panelists included representatives from Vashon Fire & Rescue, Sea Mar Clinic, Vashon Natural Medicine, Vashon Mobile Integrated Health, DispatchHealth, Vashon Pharmacy and the Neighborcare Health’s school clinic, as well as Tim Johnson, superintendent of the health care district. The forum was moderated by Sarah Howard from the health care district.

Johnson said the district has been inundated with questions from residents about which provider to call, when to call and how to access services. He said the district convened the special meeting in part to create a resource residents can reference later.

“We’re also making a video and some follow-up things so we can answer those questions for our neighbors in perpetuity,” Johnson said.

During the presentations, good news came from Vashon Mobile Integrated Health, which said it can now help cover some off-island transportation costs — but only after patients reach the mainland, Lilie Corroon, the program director of Vashon Island Fire & Rescue, said.

The program cannot provide transportation on Vashon, but it does have an account with King County that can dispatch a Seattle Yellow Cab from the Fauntleroy ferry terminal’s triangle parking lot to medical appointments elsewhere in King County, as long as the patient can get to the ferry and walk to the pickup point, Corroon said.

The rides are covered for the patient and one support person, she said. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. MIH said the service can be used for one-way or round-trip medical transportation, including trips for substance use treatment.

The audience also heard details about services at the Neighborcare school-based health center, housed at Vashon High School. Jess Cagle, who represented the clinic, said it serves all island youth ages 4 to 19 — regardless of school enrollment, insurance or documentation status — and families without insurance are not billed for medical, dental or mental health care.

The clinic does bill private insurance when students have it, Cagle said, but families are not charged copays or deductibles. The clinic provides medical, dental and mental health care during the hours of school operations only.

Vashon Fire & Rescue Chief Bill McLaughlin described the fire district’s role as providing around-the-clock ambulance service for emergencies. He encouraged residents to call 911 in urgent situations, noting that dispatchers determine whether a basic life support response is appropriate or if the county’s Medic One advanced life support unit should also respond.

“If you are having an immediate emergency, call 911,” McLaughlin said.

Panelists emphasized that MIH and DispatchHealth are not emergency services and are generally appointment-based. MIH staff said its current operating hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., though the program hopes to expand in the future.

DispatchHealth representatives said the service operates on Vashon from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, including holidays, providing in-home urgent care for issues such as respiratory infections, urinary tract infections and flu-like symptoms.

Tyler Young, owner of Vashon Pharmacy, said the pharmacy expanded clinical services in late 2024 and early 2025, allowing pharmacists to treat some uncomplicated conditions — such as uncomplicated urinary tract infections and yeast infections — and provide chronic care services including blood pressure evaluations and diabetes support.

Young said the pharmacy’s clinical side accepts many commercial and Medicaid plans but cannot bill Medicare for those clinical visits because pharmacists are not currently recognized as providers under federal rules.

The pharmacy is also open seven days a week — Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — and can offer some vaccinations and prescribe medications within its scope.

Representatives from Vashon Natural Medicine said they provide primary care for patients of all ages and accept insurance. Kelly Wright, the clinic’s owner and managing physician, said the clinic typically spends more time with patients than many traditional models, with 45-minute first appointments and 30-minute follow-ups, and said the clinic is generally accepting new patients.

Throughout the forum, panelists repeatedly urged residents who are unsure whether a situation is urgent to err on the side of calling 911. Vashon Fire & Rescue officials said residents are not billed simply for calling 911 and their insurance is billed only for ambulance transports. However, for those without insurance, ambulance service is free of charge.

The meeting also included questions about gaps in after-hours urgent care, access to X-rays, and assistance for uninsured or undocumented residents — topics that drew repeated questions from the audience.

Johnson and other panelists said residents should start with their insurance providers to understand which island services are in-network, while noting some local providers — including MIH — said they do not turn patients away based on insurance status or documentation.

While MIH does not currently bill insurance, they plan to do so in the future.

The health care district also encouraged residents to use its “health care how-to” handout distributed at the forum, which lists services, hours and contact information and to follow the district’s newsletter and website for updates.

To watch the livestream, visit tinyurl.com/yz92wy5j. To learn more and see the continum chart visit, vashonhealthcare.org.