Praise for Dispatch Health

This summer I had a leg injury while mowing my lawn and a rock shot out, cut through my jeans and opened a deep wound on my shin. A friend came to help, but when the bleeding wouldn’t stop, we went through a long and confusing loop between Seamar and 911, all while I was lying on the floor with my leg elevated. After asking countless questions, we finally found Dispatch Health — and I’m so grateful we did.

They were able to see me the same day. The team arrived at my home and was incredibly kind, friendly and professional.

Right in my kitchen they took all my vitals, examined the injury and confirmed I needed stitches — four of them. They also recommended an X-ray to rule out a fracture and to my surprise, they booked it for the very next day … also at my home. The X-ray technician came with a portable machine and completed everything without me needing to step outside.

The entire experience was convenient, affordable (far cheaper than an ER visit) and filled with genuinely caring people who made a stressful moment so much easier. I was blown away by the quality of care and the comfort of receiving it all from home.

I highly recommend Dispatch Health to anyone on Vashon. Their service is truly exceptional.

Luciana Santos

Celebrate what?

The Jan. 8 issue of The Beachcomber included a letter called, “A Mighty Celebration.”

It suggests a parade beginning with a large American flag. Following that would be “Indians/First Nations folks” who, I suppose, would be celebrating forced marches, small pox laced blankets, bullets and extermination of the bison.

Next would come veterans, many of whom would no doubt be disfigured after fighting in unnecessary wars started by the U.S. Next would be “island residents with flags of the nations their ancestors came from.” They would need to be careful of ICE. To be safe, only the light-skinned should march, and maybe lose the flags.

Then “All the other manifestations of our American-ness.” That, I suppose, would be the lynching of African Americans, murder of young Black men by police and the beating and imprisonment of suffragettes. More recently, it would include attacks on boats in the Caribbean, the abduction of the President of Venezuela, the enabling of Israel’s killing of Palestinian children and a federal government of lunatics and fascists.

Why would anyone in touch with reality think we should celebrate this country?

Shelley Simon

It’s time to “dispatch” Dispatch Health

Can a community have too much of a good thing? On Vashon, the answer is yes. With the new SeaMar facility underway, and likely fully staffed by 2027, we are on track to have a permanent, local medical provider. That makes it even more important to eliminate duplication and invest in the service that meets the island’s needs.

Dispatch Health was a creative stop-gap when Vashon Health Care District first explored options and Vashon Island Fire & Rescue was still considering Mobile Integrated Health. But today we effectively have two overlapping services. We only need one, and Mobile Integrated Health is clearly the more capable, consistent and sustainable choice.

Duplicate systems waste money. Running two parallel programs means two administrative structures, two accounting systems and unnecessary overhead. Consolidating under VIFR would provide more funding and resources for direct client care.

Voucher-based social services lack consistency. The Health Care District distributes funds through multiple agencies, each with its own intake and service standards. As someone with a masters degree in social work, I can say this fragmentation undermines continuity and accountability.

VIFR transports to off-island hospitals; Dispatch does not. In emergencies, stroke symptoms or cardiac concerns, Dispatch must hand patients off to VIFR. That delay can cost precious minutes and, potentially, lives.

Dispatch is part time; VIFR is 24/7. Islanders deserve round-the-clock response, not an eight-hour window where insurance gaps remain.

Conclusion: the Health Care District should not renew its contract with Dispatch Health. Those funds should be redirected to VIFR’s Mobile Integrated Health program, which already provides comprehensive, reliable, island-based care. Likewise, mental health voucher funds should be consolidated under VIFR to ensure consistent, accountable and effective services for all residents. It’s time to streamline, strengthen and invest where it truly counts.

Steven W. Nourse