Senator Patty Murray Visits Jefferson Healthcare to Highlight Rural Healthcare Access

September 3, 2026

Senator Murray met with Jefferson Healthcare doctors, administrators, and hospital commissioners.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray visited Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend Tuesday afternoon to tour the hospital and hear from local healthcare leaders and providers about the importance of maintaining access to high-quality care in rural communities.

During the visit, she learned about Jefferson Healthcare’s efforts to expand specialty care, strengthen cancer services and maintain critical services for patients across East Jefferson County.

For more than a decade, Jefferson Healthcare has made bringing care closer to home a central focus of its work. The hospital has invested in new facilities, recruited specialists and expanded services so patients can receive more of the care they need without leaving East Jefferson County.

The hospital’s Expanding Healthcare for Rural Seniors project was supported by $2 million in Congressional Directed Spending secured with the support of Senator Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell and former Representative Derek Kilmer in 2024.

That investment helped Jefferson Healthcare recruit providers and build services that previously required patients to leave East Jefferson County. New and expanded services include radiation oncology; ear, nose and throat care; pulmonology; urology; neurology; wound care; podiatry and infectious disease.

“Thanks to Senator Murray’s support, we were able to expand our campus, build the Castle View wing, and introduce new specialty services like radiation oncology,” said Jefferson Healthcare CEO, Mike Glenn. “Federal investment and community support made the project possible. Our priority now is ensuring our patients can continue to access the specialty services we’ve built to help them live healthy lives. We are concerned about local families who may lose coverage as a result of H.R. 1.”

“When we can help people manage their chronic conditions, they tend to stay healthier,” said Dr. Asif Luqman. “We know this approach works. But when people lose their coverage, their care is more likely to be disrupted, especially primary or preventive care. As a result, our patients often don’t get the care they require, or worse, show up sicker and seek treatment in our emergency room rather than in our clinics.”

“Our belief is simple: access to healthcare should not depend on where you live,” Glenn said. “Rural communities deserve access to the same high-quality care available in larger communities, and we have spent years building the services and infrastructure to make that possible here in East Jefferson County.”

Expanding Cancer Care Close to Home

One of the most significant investments has been the development of local cancer care, including radiation oncology.

Before Jefferson Healthcare established radiation oncology services, hundreds of local patients had to travel outside the community for radiation treatments. “For many patients, especially seniors, transportation becomes a healthcare barrier,” said Dr. Sabrina Prime, radiation oncologist at Jefferson Healthcare. “A patient may need treatment five days a week for several weeks. What appears to be a manageable drive can become physically and financially exhausting when you’re fighting cancer,” Prime added, emphasizing the importance of cancer care close to home.

Protecting Maternity Care and Expanding Services for Survivors

Jefferson Healthcare also continues to provide 24/7 labor and delivery services in a rural county that delivers approximately 80 to 90 babies each year. Without local maternity services, pregnant patients would need to travel at least an hour to reach a labor and delivery department in a neighboring county.

Approximately half of the births at Jefferson Healthcare are covered by Medicaid. Despite the financial challenges of operating a rural labor and delivery department, Jefferson Healthcare remains committed to providing this essential service to the community.

The hospital also has expanded its Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program to serve pediatric patients. Following the closure of a pediatric SANE service in the region earlier this year, Jefferson Healthcare is now the only SANE program serving pediatric patients throughout the North Olympic and Kitsap Peninsula regions.

“Just as women deserve maternity care close to home, survivors deserve access to trauma-informed care in their own community,” said Dr. Molly Parker. “Reducing the barriers to receiving care makes it more likely that survivors will be able to access the support and services they need.”

Committed to Keeping Care Local

Together, these investments reflect years of deliberate work to strengthen rural healthcare in East Jefferson County.

“We are here because of and for our community,” Glenn said. “We are proud to be publicly governed and responsive to our community’s voices and values. Our focus now is ensuring our patients can continue to access the services we’ve built to help them live healthy lives right here in their community.”

During her visit, Murray toured Jefferson Healthcare and met with hospital leadership and healthcare providers to learn more about the challenges and opportunities facing rural healthcare.

“Everything we have built represents a long-term commitment to the communities we serve,” Glenn said. “We have expanded specialty care, built cancer services, protected maternity care and created new opportunities for seniors to receive care close to home. Our focus now is ensuring our patients can continue to access these services and that rural communities like ours can continue to have healthcare close to home.”

About Jefferson Healthcare

Jefferson Healthcare is an award-winning, full-service healthcare organization meeting the care needs of East Jefferson County. Jefferson Healthcare offers inpatient and comprehensive outpatient services, including primary and specialty physician care.