WhidbeyHealth board loses third member, shifts to appointed commissioners

WhidbeyHealth's board set a special session in Chelan on Tuesday to begin the nomination process for another commissioner seat, a step that follows a third resignation this year and pushes the district further toward appointed leadership.

The move comes after months of turmoil at the Whidbey Island Public Hospital District, which owns WhidbeyHealth Medical Center and its clinics. Commissioners are supposed to provide strategic direction and financial oversight for the community-owned system, while day-to-day operations are left to the CEO. Instead, the board has spent much of 2026 dealing with vacancies, resignations and emergency appointments.

The latest shift traces back to Jan. 22, when the board voted 3-2 to fire CEO Nathan Staggs, then reversed that decision in the same meeting after doctors, nurses and other medical staff packed the meeting and objected. Commissioner James Golder resigned the next day, and by Jan. 27 two commissioners had stepped down in the fallout. By March 20, the board still had two vacancies after the resignations of Golder and James Canby, and a special meeting was set for March 24 to interview candidates for the open seats.

The June 30 session was scheduled to start the Public Hospital District Commissioner nomination process again, showing the district is still rebuilding its board rather than settling into stable governance. The district’s commissioner packet says any registered voter and resident of Whidbey Island may submit a written letter of recommendation or interest and a professional resume for appointment consideration. The board’s own job description says commissioners are elected to six-year terms and serve as liaisons between the hospital and the community.

That structure matters for Island County taxpayers and patients because every vacancy changes who is overseeing budgets, executive decisions and the hospital’s long-term direction. The board’s instability has already raised questions about confidence in leadership and whether the district can keep its focus on staffing, finances and patient services after repeated internal fights.

Medical staff warned during the January dispute that they could quit and even discussed recall elections if the board pushed ahead with the firing of Staggs. With another resignation now added to the record, the next test will be who fills the vacant seats, how quickly those appointments move, and whether the board can settle its internal disputes before they shape more decisions at WhidbeyHealth.