Candidates for Skagit Regional Health oversight seats discussed the district’s financial pressures, access and quality at a League of Women Voters forum.

Jeff Miller, a candidate and incumbent commissioner, said the board prioritized growth—adding patient volume, clinics and services—to spread high fixed costs and capital investments across more procedures, thereby containing patient costs. Miller cited the hospital system’s expansion of urgent care centers and a surgery center and said the district expects substantial patient encounters in the current year.

Barb Jensen, a former oncology director and interim chief nurse, emphasized clinical experience, quality improvement and workforce issues. Jensen said she would bring operational and frontline perspective to board governance and stressed aligning resources to maintain access and quality.

Sam Irons said his campaign focused on health equity and community outreach; he urged more visibility of the hospital district and more opportunities for public input, including interpreter services to reach under‑represented groups. Irons also tied transparency to education about what the hospital district does and encouraging community members to participate in meetings.

On transparency, candidates described existing practices—quarterly forums for employees, public board meetings and marketing efforts—but said more public outreach and clearer communications could improve community understanding. On financial health, candidates described challenges from rising health‑care costs and potential cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, and emphasized collaborating with other providers, innovation and workforce engagement.

Candidates also discussed improving access by supporting workforce recruitment and retention, investing in timely care and coordinating with community partners to reduce duplication of services and improve triage and first‑responder operations.

No formal votes or official board actions were taken at the forum; the event provided the candidates an opportunity to describe priorities and answer voters’ questions.