Communications
In our third post designed to respond to questions raised at the June 19th Community Conversation, we share a few ways the Lopez Island Hospital District strives to communicate in a transparent, timely and open way with all members of the community.
On a monthly basis, the LIHD Board of Commissioners meets to discuss items of importance to District operations, as well as any concerns specific to changes in health care delivery. There’s an opportunity for Public Comments at every meeting, and the Superintendent produces and posts very detailed meeting minutes. You will find those on the Minutes tab.
The LIHD has an active Communications Committee, and early last year they took on the task of producing the health care newsletter, HealthMatters, that had previously been produced by CWMA. The Chair of the Communications Committee, Iris Graville, is very appreciative for the active participation and collaboration of the Committee members. This includes representatives from CWMA, Lopez Island Fire & EMS, UW Medicine and an individual representing the voice of the Lopez community. Together, the Committee developed a publication schedule and article topics. The first issue of the newly formed HealthMatters 2.0 Newsletter was published last October in the center two-pages of the Islands’ Weekly. A second issue was published earlier this year, and the next issue is scheduled for publication in August. Copies of Issue Nos. 1 and 2 can be accessed by clicking on the links below.
The Board recognizes there are different needs within each segment of the population, and the Commissioners consistently look to engage ALL members of the Lopez Island community in the health care conversation. One specific area of focus, that was mentioned at the June 19th meeting, has been on the Hispanic population. The Superintendent has been working closely with the Family Resource Center to ensure the needs and experiences of that population are being met. She is currently in the process of having the 2019 Health Care Survey translated into Spanish, and is working with the Hispanic community to design a Community Conversation specific to meet the needs of their community.
Please continue to watch for upcoming posts that will share some of the work underway that speaks to concerns we heard around mental health resources and support.