Island Health is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a federal grant of $2.5 million to advance surgical services in our community, including a state-of-the-art surgical robot. This funding, supported by Senator Patty Murray, marks a significant milestone in advancing healthcare innovation and improving patient outcomes in our public hospital district.

The robotic technology will bring the newest surgical innovations to the community for general surgery, urology and gynecology. Robotic surgeries are shown to improve patient outcomes through less-invasive procedures, lower infection rates and expedited patient recovery time. The benefits to patients also include smaller incisions and less blood loss, pain and scarring than traditional methods, yielding shorter hospital stays. The surgical robot will dramatically increase the type and number of procedures that Island Health can perform, and it will enable expansion of new services and procedures as community needs and provider recruitment allow.

“This important project supports keeping healthcare close to home by expanding surgical services for Skagit, Island and San Juan counties. On behalf of Island Health, I’d like to thank Senator Patty Murray for championing our community’s healthcare with access to improved surgical services through funds for a surgical robot that enhances care in our community and removes barriers to recruiting new providers to our region,” said Island Health CEO Elise Cutter.

The investment will enable Island Health to procure the latest advancements in surgical robotics, empowering our skilled medical team to advance care locally. Planning for the new technology and updates to the facility will begin in the next few months, with a targeted launch of the robot in 2025.

Island Health is part of Skagit County Public Hospital District No. 2, serving Fidalgo, Guemes, Cypress and Sinclair Islands. Our convenient location attracts patients from Whidbey Island and La Conner. Island Health also operates a primary care clinic on Orcas Island, serving many San Juan County residents as the closest acute care hospital in the region. With a 5-star quality rating by Medicare, Island Health is dedicated to being the best healthcare partner to those we serve. Learn more about our services and our public hospital district at islandhealth.org.