• Skagit County Public Hospital District, No. 2 (Island Health) was created in 1962 to build a hospital in Anacortes, serving Fidalgo, Cypress, Guemes and Sinclair Island residents.
• As a Public Hospital District (PHD), a portion of tax payer dollars support hospital maintenance and operations.
• Approximately five percent (5%) of Island Health’s revenue is from taxpayer dollars.

If approved, the levy will provide:

• 24/7/365 Life-saving, Award-winning Care: Exceptional community-owned care now and into the future.
• Neighborhood Access to Specialized Care: Access to mental health, maternity, senior and specialized services, close to home.
• Modern & Secure Technologies: Early detection of diseases with the latest technologies and access to advanced, robot-assisted surgeries.
• Strong Local Workforce: Support strong local careers, joining over 740 healthcare professionals in Anacortes.

• Local, Critical Hospital Services, 24/7/365: As a community safety-net hospital, Island Health provides critical hospital services to residents of Skagit, San Juan and Island County 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, including labor and delivery, trauma care and emergency services, and intensive hospital care. These services save lives and are provided regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.
• Less Travel, Better Outcomes: When a member of our community needs healthcare, having essential and life-saving services available nearby is vitally important. Healthcare close to home means more convenience, less travel, better outcomes and more time with the ones you love.
• Highest Quality of Healthcare: Island Health is a 5-star hospital, rated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. At the heart of our organization is the healthcare workforce that cares for our community each and every day. Reasonable and competitive wages, as well as organizational stability, are crucial to retaining and recruiting the people who take care of you to provide this 5-star care.
• Relevant, Current and Competitive Healthcare: The levy will support flexibility for Island Health to develop enhanced healthcare services and programs, ensuring we can adapt to the evolving needs of our residents.

If passed, the rate may decrease over time as property values fluctuate, but the estimated M&O levy amount of $0.75 will remain until an adjustment is approved by the taxpayers.

The last M&O levy lift request was voted on and passed in 2017.

The levy proposes a total M&O rate of $0.75 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

If passed, the M&O levy will provide an estimated $4 million annually to support essential healthcare services at Island Health.

Based on the average property value in Anacortes ($800,000), the levy would be an additional $320/year ($0.88/day).

Your property bill reflects both the bond levy (passed in 2004 to build the new hospital) and the current Maintenance & Operations levy. The bond levy expires in 2028.

Without additional funding, Island Health will not be able to grow with and respond to the community’s evolving healthcare needs. Other hospital districts and hospitals in our state have reduced critical services such as labor and delivery, mental health and specialized services, due to lack of funding. With your support, Island Health will be able to keep up with the rising costs associated with healthcare technology and staffing demands to meet the critical needs of our community.

It will not. Our ability to provide cancer care is based on several factors related to federal and state designations as well as financial barriers. Advocacy at both federal and state levels continue to be a focus.