Matt Ready

I received the following inquiry from the Port Townsend Leader reporter James Robinson (My response follows):

Hi Matt,
1. Can you describe the content of the secret negotiations you alleged in last week’s commissioner’s meeting? What’s the goal/objective?
2. Who was involved — the board of commissioners, hospital management?
3. What is the Peninsula Health Alliance?
4. Is this regarding a partnership/merger with Olympic Medical Center?
It’s clear by the audio that you don’t like how this is going down. What do you propose as an alternative?
That’s the gist.
Thanks in advance.
Kind regards,
James Robinson

Hi James,

Thanks for reaching out. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify my concerns.

1. Content of the “Secret Negotiations”

In early February, the Jefferson Healthcare Board was presented in executive session with a draft proposal for a new nonprofit entity called the Peninsula Health Alliance. The plan would create a “super board” above both Jefferson Healthcare and Olympic Medical Center (OMC), shifting significant governance authority to this new structure.

The proposed board would give Clallam County 7 seats and Jefferson County 5, creating an automatic voting majority for Clallam over decisions that affect both communities. It was also discussed that Jefferson Healthcare’s CEO, Mike Glenn, would likely become the Executive Director of the new Alliance.

These foundational decisions—board structure, leadership, governance—were never authorized by public vote and were not disclosed to the public, despite their far-reaching implications.

In a second executive session—this time with the hospital’s attorney Brad Berg—commissioners were informed of a strategy to move forward using what CEO Glenn referred to as a “binding non-binding” agreement with OMC. The intent was to appear as though public input was still pending, while legally committing Jefferson Healthcare to the plan. Brad Berg confirmed this could be achieved by having the board authorize the CEO to sign a letter of intent, effectively binding the district before public engagement.

2. Who Was Involved

The proposal appears to have been developed by CEO Mike Glenn and some JHC Commissioners in coordination with:

• OMC’s executive leadership (though it’s unclear how involved their board was),
• A firm called Juniper Advisory (based in Chicago),
• And Jefferson Healthcare’s legal counsel, Brad Berg of Foster Garvey (formerly Foster Pepper PLLC).

A subset of Jefferson commissioners were involved or consulted during the drafting phase. I was not. I only became aware of the proposal during the executive session on February 5. The full board has never voted to authorize the proposal or the direction of the negotiations. Much of the process has taken place out of public view, contrary to the principles of public hospital governance.

3. What Is the Peninsula Health Alliance?

The Peninsula Health Alliance (PHA) is the proposed nonprofit entity that would oversee a joint governance structure for Jefferson Healthcare and OMC. While the proposal claims both hospital districts would retain their autonomy, the Alliance’s board—with a built-in Clallam majority—and a central Executive Director would control strategy, operations, and potentially finances.

There are no legal safeguards currently outlined to prevent future changes to the Alliance’s structure—such as removing public commissioners or closing meetings to the public.

4. Is This a Merger with OMC?

It is not being called a “merger,” but the effects would be similar. The phased partnership creates a shared governance body, a central executive, and a new layer of authority above both public boards. That structure could drastically shift power away from our elected commissioners and undermine local control—a change that deserves the same level of scrutiny as a formal merger.

5. My Alternative Proposal

This process must be stopped until it’s made transparent, legal, and accountable. I propose:

• A public vote by the board before submitting any proposals on behalf of Jefferson Healthcare.
• A new general council hired immediately and directly by the Jefferson Healthcare board who is not implicated in the potential wrongdoing of this secret negotiation process and who does not report in any way to the CEO or the CEO staff.
• An independent legal review to evaluate compliance with Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA).
• An independent financial analysis to understand the true impact on patients, taxpayers, and services.
• Public forums and community engagement before any commitments are made.
• Internal and external investigations and audits to prevent future governance breakdowns.
• A review by organizations like the Washington State Hospital Association, the Association of Public Hospital Districts, and MRSC, to help other districts avoid similar missteps and uphold public trust.

This proposal may contain elements worth exploring—but it must not proceed in secrecy or under the illusion of transparency.

I’m happy to provide sources, timelines, transcripts, and documents to support all of the above.

I have written and shared more information on this on my Hospital Commissioner website:  http://readyforhealthcare.org including transcripts, meeting video clips, and commentary by AI that I have asked to help review these events and information.

Thank you for your interest,

Sincerely,
Matt Ready
Commissioner, Jefferson Healthcare Board

Posted April 1, 2025 | By Commissioner Matt Ready

Below are direct links to the two key documents related to Jefferson Healthcare’s proposed partnership with Olympic Medical Center (OMC):

📄 Draft Proposal

“Commission Packet.pdf” – Dated February 5, 2025
This draft was discussed in executive session and emailed to all Jefferson Healthcare commissioners.
👉 Download Commission Packet.pdf

📄 Final Submitted Proposal

“Jefferson_Healthcare_Peninsula_Health_Alliance_FINAL (4).pdf” – Dated February 12, 2025
This is the final proposal submitted by Jefferson Healthcare to OMC in response to their public RFP.
👉 Jefferson_Healthcare_Peninsula_Health_Alliance_FINAL (4).pdf

I will be posting the full transcript of events, correspondence, and board actions related to this proposal below. These records are provided to ensure transparency and accountability in the governance of our public hospital district.

— Matt Ready, Commissioner
Jefferson County Public Hospital District No. 2