SJCPHD#1 to Acquire Village at the Harbor

On November 2, 2021, San Juan County residents voted in favor of the District acquiring the Village at the Harbor. Integration of the Village into the Hospital District will begin in early March of 2022. The current administrator at the Village, Evan Perrollaz, has agreed to remain in his position indefinitely following the acquisition.

Part of the integration project includes adding a home healthcare program to the Village in late 2022. This will help senior residents on San Juan Island “age in place” by remaining within the comfort of their home while still receiving support from qualified caregivers and professionals.

One of the main goals of the District acquiring the Village will be to combat long-term care shortages by adding more Medicaid beds at the Village. Hospital District Superintendent Nathan Butler stated that “our goal in acquiring the Village at the Harbor is to improve accessibility to caregivers and health resources for seniors in our community. The acquisition of the Village at the Harbor will serve as an umbrella for these services.”

The District has plans for improving patient care at the Village and enhancing Village employee benefits and pay. Plans for 2022 include adding benefits and retirement for all current and future full-time employees at the Village. Commissioner Everett Clary noted that “we are acutely aware of the difficulty of finding and retaining capable, reliable, long-term care assistants on the island. This is one reason why the acquisition of the Village was so important to the plan, because it will serve as a nexus for attracting, training, employing, and retaining long-term care workers.”

San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 currently operates San Juan Island EMS and pays a large subsidy to support PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center. The District will officially close its deal with the Village at the Harbor on February 28, 2022, to expand long-term care.