Hospital commissioner candidate William Hancock released a statement about his candidacy for hospital district position #5.
Hancock, who was in the 4th of July parade in a jeep as a M.A.S.H. doctor, is an MD who went to medical school at University of Washington School of Medicine in 1967. He worked as a Navy flight surgeon in the 60s and 70s, and took surgical trips to Nigeria and China. He is the founding partner of Northwest Eye Surgeons, which has five eye surgical centers in Western Washington, as well as a founding partner of TLC INC, laser eye surgical centers. Locally, he is President Elect of Rotary Club of San Juan Island.
Hancock and his wife Cheri have been islanders since they moved here 17 years ago.
Hancock is running against Bill Williams for position #5, and will have a booth at the County Fair. Read his full statement below.
“Since earning my MD degree in 1967, service to patients and advocacy for their rights has been the primary focus of my professional training and of my entire career. Improving other people’s quality of life brings me great personal satisfaction. As a Public Hospital District Commissioner I can work to preserve all Islanders’ access to the broad range of superior health care services that have recently been made available to us at Peace Island Medical Center.
I am well qualified to be entrusted with the responsibilities of this office. In 1985 I opened one of the first privately owned eye surgical centers in Washington State. By the time of my retirement in December of 2008, my company, Northwest Eye Surgeons, was operating 5 such centers in western Washington. We employed 13 doctors and 175 technical staff.
Continued success for Peace Island Medical Center and our EMS depends upon solving challenges very similar to the complex problems I successfully dealt with as owner, manager and chief surgeon at Northwest Eye Surgeons of Seattle.
I will not make promises that I cannot keep. I do promise to respectfully listen to islanders’ health care concerns. Dollars committed through the EMS Levy and the PIMC subsidy agreement must be responsibly spent with due regard to economic necessities and current legal requirements. I can effectively oversee these health care issues because I have 30 years of personal experience in controlling medical costs without sacrificing quality of care.
This rural island community must have an effective EMS and MedEvac. Our current EMS team is among the best in the nation. I will be pleased to work for passage of the EMS levy in 2016
It is critical that we develop attitudes of public cooperation instead of confrontation among all of our health care agencies. Cooperation and mutual respect are essential for us to adapt to major health care problems, such as inadequate health insurance, that currently threaten the security and dignity of all islanders.
Stop by my booth at the Fair. I am eager to your hear questions, concerns and hopefully some complements about your health care experiences on San Juan Island.
I would be honored to serve you as Public Hospital District Commissioner in position # 5.
William E. Hancock, MD”
Correction: This article previously incorrectly stated Hancock is still a practicing ophthalmologist. He has been retired since 2008.
