That outcome was clear from the get-go, after initial election results released on April 25 showed just 31% of the nearly 7, 000 ballots tallied so far had voted for approval.
In the days since, elections officials have counted about 3, 500 additional ballots, bumping the approval vote by 2 percentage points, as of April 28. That is still well below the majority-threshold required for approval.
As of April 28, 33.5% of registered district voters had submitted a ballot, on par with what officials predicted for the off-year special election.
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The Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District stretches from Snoqualmie Pass to the southern Duvall city limit, including the majority of the Snoqualmie Valley and a section outside Issaquah. It includes over 31, 000 registered voters.
“To say our team is disappointed is an understatement, ” they wrote. “We are grateful for the votes we received, the friends we made, the partnerships we solidified and the ability to be able to listen to what matters most to our neighbors.”
Earlier this year, the hospital district’s board of directors voted 4-1 to put the property tax hike, a levy lid lift, on the April 25 special election ballot. The lid lift would have raised property taxes roughly 46 cents per $1, 000 of assessed property value. The board members will hold discussions in June before deciding if they will pursue another ballot measure in 2023, said Sherry Jennings, a hospital spokesperson.
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In an email to the Valley Record, Jennings said SVH is still financially healthy and on track with operational goals. She emphasized that while hospital staff are disappointed in the result, they are “not defeated.”
“We were able to get out into the community to educate residents and businesses about what Snoqualmie Valley Health is doing and the importance of community health care, ” she said. “We see this as a win.”
The levy lid lift would have helped fund strategic investments, substantial growth and other programs the hospital would have otherwise been unable to afford, Jennings said. The hospital’s top priority remains replacing its CT scanner. Funding its replacement will delay other capital projects and adding or expanding services this year, Jennings said.
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Puget Sound Fire released a statement after the late evening rescue that lakes and rivers are still extremely cold this time of year.As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in health care, the national movement towards electronic health record systems is leading to many improvements in the quality of patient care.
Dr. Kimberly Witkop, Vice President of Medical Affairs for Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District, was instrumental in promoting physician adoption of electronic health records at the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital and its clinics.
“We introduced electronic health records in our hospital and clinics in 2006 as a way of bringing in the best practices, ” Witkop said. “EHR’s allow a collaborative care effort in that patient records can be shared, not only within our organization, but across other organizations and with our patients as well.”
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Electronic health records contain all of a patient’s health information including age, weight, medical history, medication and allergies, immunizations, laboratory test results, radiology images and billing information in digital format. The records are complete, accurate, up-to-date and remotely accessible to providers.
Digital records make it possible to improve quality of patient care in numerous ways. For example, they require less time to update than paper records, allowing providers to spend more time with patients. Patient allergies are prominently displayed and reminders can be activated when certain tests or procedures are due.
Electronic health records are also more secure than paper records, requiring individual passwords and limited to staff who have a legitimate “need to know” for treatment, payment or operations purposes. Plus, transcription errors and handwriting issues are eliminated with digital records.
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“Anytime you remove the potential for human error from the process, you increase patient safety, ” Witkop said. “This is due to interfaces with laboratory instruments, imaging equipment, medication dispensing units and other similar devices.”
Perhaps the most significant impact of electronic health records, is improved quality and safety of medicine administration. Snoqualmie Valley Hospital uses a barcode medicine system to match patients to their correct medication, reducing the potential for medicine errors.
Future capabilities of electronic health records include a web-based patient portal that will enable patients to schedule appointments, ask questions of their physicians, view test results and order prescription refills.
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“These capabilities will allow patients to become more involved in their personal health care, ” Witkop said. “It’s exciting to be part of a system that delivers such high quality patient care.”
