A public hearing on the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital affiliation process was held on Tuesday, May 30, at Snoqualmie City Hall. The hearing was an opportunity for citizens to comment on aspects and criteria they would like to see included or considered in the hospital’s request for proposals, or RFP.

Scott Scowcroft, the former Executive Director of the Hospital Foundation and former hospital staff member, spoke at the hearing and offered his suggestion of a change in perspective on the part of the board to encourage focus on middle-tier priorities.

“I think it’s a given that anyone responding to the RFP likely already has the operational wherewithal to run a hospital and clinic,” Scowcroft said. “The change in perspective I’d like to encourage the board to adopt is to assume the same is true in terms of debt management. In other words, being able to manage the debt finances, including the debt, is the price of admission… The competition then becomes for the middle-tier priorities. What else can you do for us?”

Scowcroft then suggested some steps RFP respondents could consider, including public health grants to local non-profit organizations, similar to Verdant Health’s affiliation with Swedish Hospital, or school-based health programs like Group Health in Seattle schools.

“The point is, to not undersell yourself and to aim high,” he said.

Snoqualmie City Councilman Bob Jeans, speaking only as a citizen of Snoqualmie, asked what type of affiliation the board had in mind and suggested asking respondents of the RFP if they have affiliation experience.

“One candidate for you will be really more of an acquisition, while the others will be more affiliation, which maybe you have in mind. So I’m curious as to how close this comes to being an acquisition,” Jeans said. “The other point is, are there hospital organizations in this area… who have relationships like this, who have hospitals like our unique hospital, and is that part of the criteria? That ‘you’ve done this before and you know what you are doing,’ that would certainly be of help.”

At the next regular meeting on Thursday, June 8, the board will consider the comments received at the public hearing, vote on the RFP and approve the criteria for selecting finalists from those who respond.