This hospital commissioner election is about making difficult choices about leadership and trust in the commissioners we hire to assure Olympic Medical Center (OMC) continues providing local health services.
I worked with Dr. Gerald Stephanz and other board members to reshape and transition the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic into the now successful Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic.
Jerry is an incredible person to work with. He is an excellent listener, gathers and respects different points of view and is a problem-solver.
Having been a member of national and local boards and organizations, Jerry is very experienced with the types of complex reviews and compliance issues that OMC has been grappling with. His feet-on-the-ground experiences in rural and urban health settings are invaluable.
While the tasks the commissioners deal with are focused on OMC, it is hard to be successful unless the commissioners fully consider local community health and social service needs and which organizations fill gaps.
Jerry has those connections and has been a member of the Clallam County Board of Health since 2017. I believe he will focus on what services are most important for OMC to retain within limited financial resources. He is a realist and fully understands financial constraints.
Open communication in public meetings is necessary. Public accountability is crucial.
It is time to restore public confidence and bring additional skill and perspectives to the commission.
I strongly support Gerald Stephanz for the position of Hospital District 2, Position 1.
Jack Williams
Sequim