LWVWA’s position on healthcare is clear, “all people should have access to the healthcare they need; and it should be affordable, geographically accessible, and cover all legally approved services including abortion and end of life care." Currently in Washington we are far from meeting the stated expectations of our LWVWA position.

First, what is a Public Hospital District? It is a special services district (think of your library or fire department as analogies) organized to assure a community has access to the services it deems necessary or desires. A Public Hospital District (PHD) is governed by elected officials and paid for in part by property taxes like any other special service district, so the community has a vote on decisions made and on who makes those decisions.  

What is this Civic Education Project? At the League Convention in 2021, delegates voted unanimously to approve the PHD Civics Education Project. Understanding existing PHDs in our state (there are currently 58) and what healthcare is offered by PHDs in those communities provided the needed grounding for this project and is what the project team tackled first. Currently only 44 PHDs have hospitals. PHDs also provide services such as hospice, outpatient, emergency, and wellness care.  

PHDs can fill health care gaps. As hospital mergers become common place and fewer secular healthcare options are available, the role of PHDs in filling gaps in needed healthcare services, such as end of life options and full reproductive healthcare, may be seen as increasingly necessary.

Three modules help explain PHDs. In response to an initial survey of local Leagues and the project team’s own findings in background research on the topic, the team created a Webinar, PHD 101 (Module I).  The Webinar is a comprehensive introduction to PHDs. The Webinar explores all aspects of PHDs to adequately inform interested League members and to provide education for other community members. Module II, “Engagement”, explores the process of developing a PHD for a community in depth. This module uses a slide deck along with other tools. In Module III, “Formation”, information about how to evaluate the status of healthcare options currently available in the community, whether a PHD currently exists in the community, and how they might either become more involved or consider forming a PHD to meet gaps in needed care.  

The Project Team is Available to Support You. After deciding what Module your League might be interested in, don’t hesitate to request a team member to be available for a presentation, to answer any questions, and provide further information. Leagues may download any Module for review from the webpage prior to a presentation.  

How Leagues might influence healthcare service decisions through commissioner elections and citizen presence at PHD meetings (if one is present in the community) is the primary goal of the project and fits nicely within the LWVWAs wheelhouse of a well-informed citizenry.  

For more information on PHDs in Washington and to request a Team Member, go to our website: League of Women Voters of Washington - Public Hospital Districts: Making Democracy Work for Local Healthcare