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Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 Appoints Rhonda Holden as New Superintendent

Cle Elum, Wash. (December 12, 2024)

The Board of Commissioners for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 (KCPHD#2) has appointed local resident Rhonda Holden, RN, BSN, MSN, as the new Superintendent of KCPHD#2. The decision was made during the regular Board meeting on November 16, following the retirement of Julie Petersen, who served as the Superintendent of KCPHD#2 and CEO of KCPHD#1.

Rhonda Holden brings extensive experience in healthcare leadership and rural community service to her new role. A longtime resident of Roslyn, Holden has dedicated her career as a registered nurse to addressing the unique healthcare challenges of rural communities. She currently serves as the Chief Ancillary Officer at Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH) and has been the Director of Strategic Initiatives for KCPHD#2.

Holden’s impressive resume includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), along with decades of hands-on clinical experience and strategic advisory roles. Her leadership has focused on enhancing access to quality healthcare services, developing innovative care delivery models, and fostering collaboration between healthcare providers across the county.

Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 is committed to providing critical ambulance services to Upper Kittitas County residents through Upper Kittitas County Medic One. The district also supports healthcare services at KVH Urgent Care – Cle Elum and the Open Door Medical Clinic. Funding for these services is primarily derived from taxes paid by property owners in Upper Kittitas County.

In her new role as Superintendent, Holden is poised to build upon the district’s mission of delivering accessible and high-quality healthcare to the community. Her deep understanding of the region’s needs and her dedication to rural healthcare excellence make her uniquely qualified to lead KCPHD#2 into the future.

For more information about KCPHD#2 and its services, please visit https://www.ukcmedicone.org/.

Holden Superintendent Appointment. PDF

Media Contact: Michele Wurl Email: mwurl@kvhealthcare.org Phone: 509-933-8838

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Hospital District 1 and Hospital District 2: Partners in Quality Healthcare

Your access to high-quality healthcare should not depend on where you choose to live. In the last decade, more than 100 rural hospitals in the U.S. have closed. Another 700, 30% of remaining rural hospitals, are at risk of closure. Multistate hospital systems, private equity firms, or other for-profit companies have acquired many more. Rural communities that lose their hospitals not only lose access to care, but they forfeit economic vitality and many family-wage jobs. Rural communities that lose control of their local hospital find that governance, the ability to determine which services will be available, and how earnings will be reinvested are outsourced to national headquarters.

Washington State is unique in the number of independent, community hospitals that continue to serve rural residents. That’s because fifty-six communities in Washington State take advantage of a WWII-era statute that allows for the creation of Public Hospital Districts (PHDs). These communities made a choice and investment to keep quality care local. Residents of Ellensburg made that choice in 1960 when they voted to form Kittitas County Public Hospital District 1, now operating at Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH). For sixty years, KVH has been on the forefront of protecting Kittitas County’s community health. As the only hospital in Kittitas County, KVH is responsible for the well-being of over 44,000 residents who call this valley home and for the millions of visitors who pass through. In 1969, Upper County voted to form Kittitas County Public Hospital District 2. Hospital District 2 operates the Medic One ambulance service, providing the only licensed advanced life support paramedics to all Upper Kittitas County, from Snoqualmie Pass to Elk Heights.

Back in 1960, HD1 provided hospital services, and primary care was provided by small, private practices scattered around the hospital and throughout the community. Today most physicians choose to become employees of hospitals, health systems, or large groups, and Kittitas County is no different. Like the rest of the country, we grapple with healthcare access. This shortage is worse in rural areas and undermines the well-being of rural residents. Public hospital districts stand as unique champions for community-centric healthcare and prioritize accessibility and inclusivity. As nonprofit organizations, every dollar earned goes to answer the needs of the community. By pooling resources and leveraging community partnerships, these districts bridge healthcare gaps, ensuring that essential services are within reach for all residents. Moreover, they foster a sense of ownership and accountability, empowering communities to shape their healthcare futures.

The governing board of a public hospital district is elected by the district’s residents. These elected board members are responsible for the oversight of the operations of PHDs. The board is responsible for strategic direction, approving budgets, and representing the interests of the community in healthcare matters. Board members uphold the principles of accountability and stewardship. Throughout this process, transparency, public participation, and adherence to legal requirements are crucial to ensuring the effectiveness of the publicly elected board.

We thank our community for creating Kittitas County’s two hospital districts that work together to elevate the quality of healthcare you receive. Together, we will continue to build a brighter future for the people of Kittitas County.

Michele Wurl
Chief Public Relations Officer
Kittitas Valley Healthcare

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Growing our “own” Newly Trained Paramedics in Kittitas County Hospital District 2

By Tricia Sinek

Growing our “own” Newly Trained Paramedics in Kittitas County Hospital District #2:

Congratulations to Nate Henderson and Matt Schauer for recently passing the National Certification exam for Paramedics.

Three years ago Hospital District # 2 negotiated a new contract with the IAFF Firefighters Union.  Initially, the District agreed to cover the cost of training for 1 new Paramedic per year.  During this negotiation period, the Board and Union made the determination that it would make more sense to expand beyond the terms of the contract and cover the cost of 2 new Paramedic students to be completed at the same time.  This change would help to ensure that Hospital District # 2 can keep pace with the emergent needs of a rapidly expanding population in Upper County. The population is growing faster than any other District in the State and combined with the number of tourists coming to Upper County for recreational purposes – demand for emergency services in Upper County is considerable.

Two current employees of Hospital District # 2 who have served for years as EMT’s decided to undertake the Paramedic training program together.  Both Nate Henderson and Matt Schauer wanted to become certified as Paramedics, but trying to take a year or more off from work to attend school full-time was simply too financially burdensome for either man to consider.  Recent changes to the Paramedic Program at Central Washington University in Ellensburg opened up a new path forward, allowing them to attend a portion of the courses on-line.

  The program required substantial classroom time, lab time, in-hospital clinical time and time riding with various emergency providers throughout the State to assure they had developed the competencies needed to become certified as paramedics.  Both men continued to work their full-time 48 hour per week schedules in the District, care for their families, and attend all required coursework.   Matt said he is “very grateful to have had this opportunity – but it was a rough 18 months” and “I am not sure I’d ever do it again!”

The Hospital district paid for tuition, books and testing fees and both Matt and Nate had to agree to pay for all travel for specialized training in order to meet the program requirements.  These personal costs included hotels, and all food and fuel for travel to the various classroom, lab and on-the-road trainings.  Many of the trainings and all-day labs occurred in Spokane, Edmonds, Yakima, Wenatchee and elsewhere over the 18 month time period.

Nate and Matt graduated in June and recently passed the National Certification exam.  Like all nationally registered paramedics, they will need to retake the exam every 3 years to prove they have maintained their competency.  For most of June 2022, they have both been working as Paramedics in the District.  Their new training and certification allows them to deliver more complex care to the patients they serve every single day in the Upper County area. 

Your newest paramedics want to say a big “THANK YOU” to the District and the Board for this opportunity.  Both have an ongoing commitment to remain local.  This is their home and they intend to stay for long careers in Upper County.   They say it’s nice to be able to serve this community, to work for an employer that values and supports their employees and that understands the needs of the community at-large.  They agree that growing internal expertise is a win-win, because you aren’t hiring and training someone who doesn’t intend to stay in this community after gaining short-term experience.

The change from serving as EMTs to paramedics means both men are now able to provide full patient care, give medications they were not previously allowed to administer, care for cardiac emergencies, give breathing treatments to those suffering from emergent respiratory problems, intubate patients in the field if needed, provide expanded coverage to the service area and deliver a higher level of care than previously possible.   This is the right thing to do for the community and helps Kittitas Valley Hospital District # 2 to “grow their own experts” who are committed to continued service in the place they call home.

Congratulations to Matt and Nate!  Well done.   And special thanks to the Board of Hospital District # 2 for their visionary and innovative approach to staffing emergency services for Upper County.