Drafter
Clerk 01/29/2016
Title
AN ORDINANCE related to the operation and maintenance of the Harborview Medical Center, authorizing the King County executive and the president of the Harborview Medical Center board of trustees to execute a hospital services agreement with the regents of the University of Washington and adopting the mission statement and admission policy for the Harborview Medical Center.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The Harborview Medical Center was founded in 1877 as a six-bed county hospital in south Seattle.
2. The hospital relocated to its current location in 1931.
3. Currently, the Harborview Medical Center has four hundred thirteen beds, seven primary care clinics and forty-nine other specialty clinics.
4. In 2014 Harborview Medical Center provided 64,500 emergency visits and 247,350 clinic visits.
5. The Harborview Medical Center is maintained as a public hospital to provide health care to those groups of patients and programs which are determined to require priority treatment.
6. In accordance with RCW 36.62.290, the Harborview Medical Center board of trustees and the King County executive, with the approval of the King County council, entered into the Harborview Medical Center Management and Operations Contract with the board of regents of the University of Washington on December 19, 1995. A mission statement, to guide the provision of healthcare services, was made an exhibit to that agreement.
7. The parties have negotiated a new hospital services agreement for the operation and maintenance of the Harborview Medical Center. As part of those negotiations, the parties propose revisions to the mission statement to reflect the changes over the last twenty years in the operation of the Harborview Medical Center, in delivery of hospital services and in the populations of the most vulnerable residents of King County.
8. Under K.C.C. 2.42.050.B., proposed changes to the mission statement must be reviewed and approved by the council.
9. The parties also propose an admissions policy that reflects the requirements of RCW 36.62.100: within the resources available to the Harborview Medical Center, admission of patients to it shall not be dependent upon their ability to pay.
10. Under K.C.C. 2.42.050.E., the admissions policy for the Harborview Medical Center must be reviewed and approved by the council.
11. Both the revised mission statement and the admissions policy are exhibits to the new hospital services agreement and incorporated therein.
12. The new hospital services agreement will allow for the Harborview Medical Center to stay in public ownership and serve as a public asset for future generations of King County residents.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. The mission statement, found at exhibit 2 to the hospital services agreement, which is Attachment A to this ordinance, is approved.
SECTION 2. The admissions policy, found at exhibit 6 to the hospital services agreement, which is Attachment A to this ordinance, is approved.
SECTION 3. The county executive and the president of the Harborview Medical Center board of trustees are authorized to execute the hospital services agreement for
Harborview Medical Center substantially in the same form as Attachment A to this ordinance.