Public Hospital District

In the late 1960s, residents of northeast King County decided the best way to provide hospital services to their growing area was to form a public hospital district, much in the same way a fire district or a school district provides services.

Voters approved King County Public Hospital District No. 2 in 1967, and their levy money was instrumental in building the original Evergreen General Hospital, which opened in 1972.

Today, the levy money is used to provide much-needed community health services. There isn't profit in providing free vaccinations for schoolchildren or health classes for seniors, or in helping the community's underinsured connect with preventive care. But because Evergreen is owned by the community, we have a responsibility to provide these services regardless of their profitability. 

The District is governed by five publicly elected Commissioners, whose duty is to make sure community health needs are being addressed.

About the Evergreen Levy

Roughly $14.9 million of Evergreen Healthcare's annual operating budget comes from the levy money paid to King County Public Hospital District No. 2. Some of this money is used to pay for buildings and equipment; the rest funds innovative community health programs to meet the diverse needs of the area we serve. The taxation rate for 2011 is $.2835 per thousand, or $85 for a $300,000 home.