Your Guide to On-Island Medical Care

The number of options for on-island medical care has doubled over the last two years. Although many of us still need to hop on a ferry to access specialist care, and our small-town population can’t support a community hospital, the number of options for you to get on-island medical care is at a historical high level. This newsletter updates you on those medical care options and also provides a chart that boils down all the options into five easy-to-use columns.

Emergency: If in Doubt, Call 911

If you aren’t quite sure a situation is an emergency, don’t hesitate. Just call 911. It is better to be safe and call than to regret a delay. First responders would rather get there in time to save a life than arrive too late.

The 911 operator will help you figure things out in a hurry. When you call 911, be prepared with the location of the emergency, including the street address. The phone number you are calling from. The nature of the emergency.

In-Home Care

This has been a significant improvement to on-island medical care. We now have two in-home care providers on the island — no ferry ride required. They come right to your home, making house calls like the island’s old-time country doctors, except with vehicles full of high-tech equipment.

The scope of practice and hours differ for each service. For details, you will want to check out their websites and the five-column guide from Vashon Health Care District included in this issue of the newsletter.

Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) from Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR) provides in-home nurse care three days a week. MIH staff also includes a social worker who makes home visits. MIH plans to add a nurse practitioner or physician assistant in June to expand its scope of practice. Services are taxpayer-funded at no cost to the patient. vifr.org/mih/

Dispatch Health provides mobile urgent care under contract with the Vashon Health Care District (VHCD). It operates seven days a week, including all holidays. Services are covered by most insurance providers, and additional insurers are being added. tinyurl.com/VashonDispatchHealth

Clinical Care

For decades, the island’s two primary care clinics have been the entry point for basic medical care on Vashon. They continue to provide these services.

Sea Mar clinic at Sunrise Ridge offers primary care services weekdays. The Vashon clinic is part of the multi-location Sea Mar Community Health Centers organization. A new clinic is under construction in Vashon town center. tinyurl.com/SeaMarVashon

Vashon Natural Medicine (VNM) offers primary care services on weekdays. They include naturopathic care in their scope of practice. vashonnaturalmed.com/

Vashon Pharmacy has expanded its offerings to include clinical care such as management of chronic conditions and treatment of uncomplicated acute conditions, in addition to its traditional vaccination and medicine-dispensing services. vashonpharmacy.com/

Cheat Sheet for On-Island Medical Care: This helpful summary table provides valuable details for each of the options for no-ferry-required medical care. The number of options, as described above, has roughly doubled in the last couple of years. vashonhealthcare.org/resources/