The island’s health care landscape is changing again, as Dr. Gail Fulton, owner of Fulton Family Medicine, will soon close her clinic and join the staff of Vashon’s Neighborcare clinic; meanwhile, the fundraisng effort to support Neighborcare Health on the island is underway, while work continues for the clinic to open this month.

Fulton, whose practice serves 1,500 islanders, spoke about the latest developments on Monday, noting that the decision to close her practice has been some time in the making and was based on economics.

“It was not financially viable in the current health care environment,” she said. “That is the cold fact.”

Fulton bought the practice from Dr. Charles Weispfenning in December of 2011, when he retired after serving as an island physician for 36 years. Since then, she has worked there part-time with one or more nurse practitioners, while continuing her work as a doctor at the Puyallup Tribal Health Authority. She had made the decision to close the clinic, she said, but was urged to reach out to administrators at Neighborcare Health — and was impressed. Neighborcare has also hired the two medical assistants from her office, she said. Nurse practitioner Julie McPherson, who has worked at the Fulton clinic for the past three years, may also join Neighborcare, but that has not yet been finalized.

Neighborcare has not announced a firm opening date, but officials have continued to say they are planning for the middle or end of this month. Fulton, who plans to work two days a week on Vashon, said if her required credentialing process is completed by the time the clinic opens, she will be begin then. If not, it will be shortly after.

In the meantime, Fulton Family Medicine will be open limited hours this month, she said, likely Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with priority given to patients who need medical care urgently and to ensuring that all patients have necessary medications. She planned to send out a letter to patients on Tuesday of this week, she said, informing them of the news and giving the required 30 days’ notice that the clinic is closing.

At the Neighborcare clinic, previous Fulton Family Medicine patients may have to sign a release regarding their health care records, but for practical purposes, she said, she will have access to their paper and electronic records, so accessing necessary medical information should go smoothly.

Overall, Fulton said, having made the decision to close the clinic, she is pleased her work on the island will continue.

“I feel really lucky to be able to provide care here,” she said.

Meanwhile, with the clinic opening date drawing closer, many islanders have been working to raise the money Neighborcare said it needs to make up for its projected losses the first two years: $380,000.

Rick Wallace has been heading that effort, which is taking multiple forms with outreach to major donors, a broader community effort that will include volunteers circulating in the community beginning next week and an upcoming effort to get islanders without insurance enrolled in a plan and those who need appointments scheduled.

All money raised will go to Neighborcare Health and will be dedicated to funding startup and operations expenses over the next two years, including minor facility work, such as painting, and the purchase of necessary equipment, Wallace said.

With a team of people in recent days, Wallace has been meeting with major donors, providing them with information about Neighborcare Health so they fully understand what is transpiring with island health care and asking them to support the clinic effort.

“The response so far has been fantastic,” he said.

Next week, about a dozen islanders involved will be visible in the community, providing information about the clinic — and the need for it — and asking individuals to contribute. Tag Gornall is part of this component and said he and others will be out on street corners, in front of businesses and available to talk to groups of any kind about the latest developments. He stressed their aim is twofold: to inform and to raise funds.

“We want to use as many venues in the community as possible to get the word out that there is a need to get this up and running and solid for the future,” he said.

Gornall is the president of the Vashon- Maury Health Collaborative, which initially reached out to large providers, such as UW Medicine and Swedish Medical Center, to replace CHI-Franciscan. However, those providers required that their annual losses, estimated to be about $500,000, be compensated. Now, Gornall and other members of the collective are supporting Neighborcare’s arrival.

“Medically, this will benefit the whole island,” Gornall said last week. “They have the ability to serve people across the board, and we (Vashon residents) have to be part of this.”

Islander CC Stone has also stepped into the fundraising fray, saying she would like to raise $50,000. She noted she was among the group of people that Sen. Sharon Nelson first tapped to work on the fundraising effort. While she does not know many people that she would be comfortable asking for large donations, she said she realized she knew about 20 people who could likely donate $100. As she began talking to them and inquiring, she said most told her they would donate and ask 10 others as well. Now, she said, she wants to ask everyone who has used the clinic to contribute.

“I am on the hunt for 500 people on this island who will each give $100 so that we can have this clinic that will serve every single one of us,” she said.

Others have offered to assist, she said, including Dale Greenfeld Cunningham, who will manage the social networking side of the effort, and Susie Calhorn, who is the president of the Vashon Senior Center.

Stone noted the fundraising work is happening in a compressed time frame, and with the clinic opening this month, time is essential.

“The treadmill is set at a really high speed, and it’s a sprint to the finish,” she said. “It would be really nice if the community gave us a great big tailwind so we could finish this.”

Reached last week, Neighborcare Health’s Mary Schilder said the organization is grateful for the support and generosity islanders have already shown to Neighborcare.

“We are also very thankful for the local volunteer fundraising committee that has been working tirelessly to ensure the partnership between Neighborcare Health and Vashon has a strong start and a solid future. It underscores how important access to quality health care is to the island,” she said in a recent email.

While the goal is to raise the necessary funds quickly, those involved stress the importance of islanders using the clinic — if not for all their care, then part of it.

In that vein — and because she believes in access to health care — islander Hilary Emmer has also gotten involved. She is acting as the liaison between Neighborcare Health and the community, and she said in the two weeks before the clinic opens, she will arrange to have Neighborcare representatives come to the food bank, senior center, free community dinners and the library to schedule people, particularly those with Medicare and Apple Health (Medicaid) for medical appointments. They will also help those without insurance become insured or learn about the clinic’s sliding scale.

Like others, Emmer stressed the importance of people using the clinic for their medical needs.

“This will only be successful if people come back,” she said.

Finally, among the preparations in recent weeks was finalizing the lease between Neighborcare Health and Sunrise Ridge Health Services. Greg Martin, the president of the Sunrise Ridge board, said the lease is for one year and provides for two two-year extensions. He noted Neighborcare has been busy at the clinic, painting, cleaning and getting the needed technology systems in place.

“We are terribly excited at Sunrise Ridge and appreciate the clinic will serve again as a health center for Vashon,” he said.