Barbara Drennen has been honored to serve on the Public Hospital District 1 Commission for the past six years.  It has been a tremendous learning experience and an ideal opportunity to give back to the community that has been her lifelong home.  Barbara grew up in Kent, raised her family here, and been a tireless advocate for children and public health throughout her distinguished career. As co-founder and Executive Director of Pediatric Interim Care Center (PICC), Barbara has helped thousands of drug-affected newborns through withdrawal and served as a resource to caregivers, medical personal and others statewide and nationally.   A winner of the prestigious Jefferson Award, she embodies public service and is a true inspiration to many.

As your commissioner, Barbara’s focus will be on patient care and safety, and she will always be a voice for children and other vulnerable populations.  But as someone who runs a nonprofit health care center, Barbara also understands that fiscal responsibility is critical if needed services are to remain viable. Under her leadership PICC has saved Washington State millions of dollars in health care for drug-exposed infants. 

Barbara’s experience on the commission has given her invaluable insights into the challenges ahead.  This is a time of rapid change in the health care industry, and hospitals are striving to keep up.  Barbara supports Valley’s alliance with UW Medicine because it has expanded the hospital’s access to a broad range of specialties and resources, strengthening its position in a highly competitive environment.  She will continue to work with the Board to see that quality, cost-effective medical care is available to all South King County residents.

I am running for hospital commissioner of King County Hospital District I because current commissioner Drennen is not taking her responsibilities to the hospital district seriously. Since January of 2018, Drennen has not physically attended 75% of the total number of commissioner and trustee meetings.  Despite this poor showing at meetings, she led a move to remove Dr. Paul Joos as commission president before his term concluded - because he testified before the legislature in Olympia supporting a bill to return control of Valley to the elected commissioners.

Drennen’s actions are consistent with her position that elected commissioners should take a back seat to unelected UW Medicine trustees.  She also voted for a $50 million bond increase that will cost you the taxpayer millions and millions of dollars.

I believe that the commissioners YOU elect should run Valley, because it is the taxpayers of the hospital district - not an external hospital alliance - that are subject to taxes to support the hospital.  Public institutions must be accountable and transparent with taxpayers and act in the interest of the public.

I have been a taxpayer advocate in our state and a community volunteer.   My husband and I are invested in the community with children here, and I have resided in this hospital district for the past two decades.

As a daughter of a retired nonprofit healthcare administrator who put community and patient needs first, I have been inspired by that example.  I will take an active role as part of the Board of Commissioners, and it will be my priority to attend the regular meetings in person.  This is the best way to create a proactive environment to best serve our community.  I respectfully ask for your vote.