Women have been the driving force behind local quality healthcare in our community for over 50 years.
Tireless Hospital Advocates
Pauline “Polly” Harpole, the island’s first public health nurse, established ‘Twill-do’ maternity home in 1934 where she delivered over 3,000 babies. She went on to establish multiple clinics, a mobile x-ray unit and a speech workshop as well as her daring 18-minute emergency transports to a waiting ferry.
In the Hands of Women
When challenging childbirths, sick infants and epidemics like diphtheria and smallpox struck, it was predominately women who stepped in to care for each other’s families.
It’s no surprise that a group of women lead the charge to build a hospital and bring reliable healthcare close to home. In 1957, a group of 20 tenacious women formed The Parent Group, igniting island wide commitment and the formation of over 20 neighborhood guilds. Together they raised more than $70,000 to furnish and equip multiple essential patient treatment areas.
The dream of local quality healthcare became a reality when Whidbey General Hospital opened its doors on March 10,1970.
Critical Roles
Since then, women continue to lead the way; defining innovative programs, protocols, and procedures to meet the needs of the ever-changing healthcare landscape.
Women make up over 74 percent of the WhidbeyHealth workforce. Their diverse roles range from receptionists and admins to physicians and specialists. They’re nurses, facilities engineers, clinic and lab managers, maintenance crews, leadership teams, our Foundation and our board of commissioners.
Exceptional Care
Their diverse skills, knowledge and expertise are invaluable in the delivery of quality care in our Emergency Department/Level III Trauma Center, award-winning cancer center, and Walk-in and specialty clinics as well as on our surgical, diagnostic, labor & delivery, and EMS teams.
A critical part of our competent, compassionate, and caring team, these women are dedicated to delivering critical and life-saving healthcare, education and the resources needed to support the health and well-being of our diverse community.
TO LEARN MORE about the breadth of services available at WhidbeyHealth visit: https://whidbeyhealth.org/services.
