As we all wait to learn the full outcome of Tuesday’s election, there is one clear result in King County that deserves recognition and celebration: the passage of Proposition 1 approving a bond measure to fund much needed upgrades to Harborview Medical Center.
Harborview, which is owned by King County and managed by UW Medicine, provides outstanding care to the people of Seattle, including many of our most vulnerable residents. It is King County’s only public hospital and a center of excellence for patient care, teaching and innovation in trauma and many other fields. As we continue to battle the pandemic, our community’s need for Harborview has only become more acute.
The approval of this bond measure will fund a number of major capital projects including seismic upgrades and expanded space for the region’s only Level I trauma and burn center, which serves not only the people of Washington, but our neighbors in Idaho, Montana and Alaska. The measure will also enable us to better meet current best practices for infection control and patient safety, which is urgently needed in the COVID-19 era.
I offer my deepest thanks to everyone who helped ensure the passage of this important measure, beginning with the voters of King County who overwhelmingly chose to invest in our community’s health and safety, now and for years to come. Thank you to our partners at King County who have been invaluable in the effort to ensure that Harborview provides excellent service. We have collaborated with King County to promote voter engagement and it has been inspiring to see so many students and community members working to get out the vote. And thank you to the incredible healthcare workers and staff who provide the care and service that makes Harborview so important to our region.
And finally, thank you to all the people across our state who serve the public through elected office, including many UW alumni, and congratulations to those who won their seats in this election. Today, we can celebrate a future in which Harborview will have the resources to meet the healthcare needs of our growing, diverse region and where our own state and local leaders will work together to advance the core mission of public service that drives us.