The board of elected officials who govern the Whidbey Island Public Hospital District is seeking candidates interested in filling a vacant seat on the board until the November election.

The Position 5 seat on the WhidbeyHealth board became open after Katherine Rose, who was elected in 2023, passed away on April 24 after “a swift and courageous battle with renal cancer,” according to her obituary.

The board nominated James Canby for consideration and appointment, but the members will also consider other people interested in the seat. Canby filed to run for a different seat, Position 3, in the November election.

Until June 13, registered voters residing on Whidbey Island may submit candidate nominations to the board for appointment consideration. Candidates should provide a written letter of interest and a professional resume to gleasj@whidbeyhealth.org.

Application information is online at whidbeyhealth.org.

Board members are considered “at large” so candidates don’t need to live in any specific location on Whidbey Island.

This year’s election will dramatically change the makeup of the hospital board. Three of the five positions on the board will be on the ballot, with no incumbents running for the seats.

Canby, a Clinton resident, is a retired Navy lieutenant commander and the former financial officer for the Naval Hospital at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, according to an online biography. He will run for Position 3 against Oak Harbor resident Christina LeClaire, who is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist.

Two medical professionals are running for Position 4. They are Coupeville resident Dr. Mark Borden, an emergency physician and falconer, and Oak Harbor resident Juliann Althoff, the former commanding officer of Naval Health Clinic Oak Harbor.

Four candidates filed for Position 5, but the number will be whittled to two in the primary election.

Dr. Dennis Rochier of Greenbank is the chief medical officer at Renown Health, according to his social media page. Dr. Kirk Gasper of Oak Harbor is a family physician. Morgan Cooper of Langley is former member of the hospital board, a marketing specialist and a former clinic administrator for the bariatric program at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. Oak Harbor resident Theodore Smith is a scientist, educator and former executive with 30 years experience in state government, according to his LinkedIn page.