Public Hospital District
What is a public hospital district?
A public hospital district is similar to a school district or a fire district. Residents of an area form these districts to provide needed services, and they pay a levy, which is a percentage of money taken from their taxes, to support the services.
The Public Hospital District Difference
A public hospital district is different from a private hospital or health system.
For one, EvergreenHealth hospitals are governed by a board of publicly-elected commissioners who are elected by the community just like your city council or school board. As King County Public Hospital District No. 2, EvergreenHealth in Kirkland is governed by seven publicly-elected commissioners. EvergreenHealth Monroe, which is Snohomish Public Hospital District No. 1, is governed by five publicly-elected commissioners. The strategic partnership between the two EvergreenHealth campuses is governed by the five-member Alliance Governance Board. Commissioners of each board are responsible for making sure community health needs are being addressed – both now and into the future. Private hospitals appoint their board of directors with no input from the public.
EvergreenHealth also subscribes to the state's public meeting act and public records laws. This means our board meetings are open to the public, and the majority of our documents are available to the public. Private hospitals do not have to share documents or hold open meetings.
Community Support for EvergreenHealth
Since opening in 1972, the community has embraced EvergreenHealth as the Eastside's public hospital district, supporting our organization's evolution every step of the way.
Lifelong residents and new families alike continue to recognize the value of the services we offer close to home. EvergreenHealth also continues to earn awards from industry peers, including being distinguished as a Healthgrades Top 50 Hospital for 2023.
During that time, our system has grown rapidly, fueled by both our area's population growth and our outstanding reputation for delivering high-quality care and service.
We now serve more than 1 million residents in north King and south Snohomish counties, with our two hospitals as well as numerous clinics and practices located throughout the region to ensure access close to home and work.
How are Public Hospital Districts Funded?
A public hospital district receives funding in various ways. Like most hospitals, the majority of our revenue comes from Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance. However, not-for-profit public hospital districts are different from private hospitals and health systems in that our district residents provide a small portion of funding, which is collected via property tax contributions.
This contribution gives our community members their ownership stake in the hospital and supports services that would likely not exist otherwise. Property tax funding also impacts a public hospital district's ability to grow alongside its community and support the population's demand for health care.
There are additional safeguards put in place to ensure the community's contributions are used effectively and responsibly. For instance, standard tax contributions can only be used to help keep the hospital open and operating to serve patients' needs. However, the community can support initiatives like the Strategic Growth Plan, with the funds only going toward supporting capital projects, including buildings and equipment needed to serve rising patient volumes and the services they need as outlined by the law.
