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Hospital District 3/4 candidates spar over grants, funding and PeaceHealth contract at League forum
Summary
In a League of Women Voters forum, candidates for Hospital District 3/4 commissioner position 5, Dr. Ellen DeYoung and Germaine Kornegay, discussed reliance on grant funding, the district’s contract with PeaceHealth and outreach to residents.
Dr. Ellen DeYoung and Germaine Kornegay, the two candidates for Hospital District 3/4 commissioner position 5, debated the district’s heavy reliance on grants and whether the United General–PeaceHealth relationship can sustain local services.
The candidates spoke at a Skagit League of Women Voters candidate forum organized to give voters a chance to compare platforms and ask questions about district priorities.
Most of District 3/4’s community programs are grant-funded, the candidates said, and both warned that federal and state grant streams are uncertain. Germaine Kornegay said an impact report shows grants fund about 55% of United General’s programs and praised the district’s grant writer; she noted many prevention and wellness offerings are free to the public. Dr. Ellen DeYoung, a retired family-practice physician, agreed grants are central but urged vigilance, saying some federal funding partners are “losing funding and they’re losing people in positions,” and cautioned that contract changes or health-care mergers could affect local hospital services.
Both candidates described outreach as a priority. DeYoung proposed more open houses and a “question-and-answer desk” to help residents understand what is covered by district programs and what is not. Kornegay said she has been engaging directly with residents while campaigning and had found a district brochure at the library; she said United General has increased visibility through community events and expects continued outreach efforts.
On the district’s relationship with PeaceHealth, DeYoung emphasized the need for commissioners to monitor whether PeaceHealth continues to deliver contracted services. "We have to make sure they're honoring the contract that they have," she said, adding the commission must be alert to mergers or provider changes that can affect access to care. Kornegay said commission oversight focuses on the programs United General runs and on ensuring grants and donations sustain services when grants expire.
Both candidates stressed they do not want higher taxes. Kornegay cited recent local fundraising — noting a hospice gala that raised $325,000 — as evidence of community support; DeYoung said the district must look for new revenue sources and not “sit on our hind legs.”
The forum included candidate opening and closing statements and a question-and-answer rotation moderated by the League, intended to give voters comparable answers on funding, access and community outreach. There were no formal votes or endorsements at the event.
Looking ahead, both candidates framed their campaigns around maintaining programs for seniors and families while protecting the hospital services operated under contract by PeaceHealth.
Germaine Kornegay (candidate) and Dr. Ellen DeYoung (candidate) spoke at the forum about grants, the PeaceHealth contract and outreach. The League provided time-limited questions and answers to let voters compare positions.
