Baker County commissioners will discuss results from a recent survey about health care in the county during their meeting Wednesday, March 5, at 9 a.m. at the Courthouse, 1995 Third St.

In the wake of Saint Alphonsus Health System’s closure of the ICU and birthing center at the Baker City hospital in 2023, the county worked with Oregon’s Kitchen Table to ask county residents about the status of health care and potential options for changes.

Oregon’s Kitchen Table, a program of the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University, set up an online survey last fall and coordinated two public meetings in Baker City in November.

(The full report is included with this story; readers can scroll through the 33-page report page by page.)

Commissioners heard some general results from the survey during their Dec. 18 meeting.

Wendy Willis and Sarah Giles, project manager for Oregon’s Kitchen Table, told commissioners during that meeting that the closure of the hospital ICU in January 2023, and closure of the birthing center in August 2023, were issues that most people mentioned in the survey and during the public meetings, which drew about 120 people.

“There’s a lot of concern about hospital services,” Willis told commissioners.

In addition to concern about the ICU and birthing center closures, a common theme among respondents was a need for more medical specialists in the county.

The most common, Giles said, are cardiology and oncology, both cited by about 20% of respondents.

Also on commissioners’ agenda Wednesday:

• Agreement with CB Construction Inc. to build a small animal barn at the fairgrounds.

• Discussion of potential appeal of Oregon’s wildlife hazard map.

Commissioners have urged residents to appeal if their properties are both rated as being at high risk for wildfire and within the wildland-urban interface.

• Update on Idaho Power Company’s property tax appeal.

Idaho Power Company has been the biggest property taxpayer in Baker County for six straight years.

The Boise company’s tax bill for 2024-25 was $2,200,699. The assessed value of its property within Baker County, which includes dams and power lines, was more than $212 million, according to state appraisers.

But Idaho Power appealed, claiming the state appraisers overestimated the value of the company’s property by about 45%.

Due to Idaho Power’s appeal, Baker County diverted about 45% of the company’s tax payment — $990,000 — to a holding account rather than distributing the money to the county, cities, school districts and other districts.

If Idaho Power loses the appeal, the county would distribute that money to school districts, cities and other taxing districts.

• Update from Noodle Perkins, county roadmaster.

Excerpts from the health care survey:

How satisfied are you with access to the health care you need for yourself or your family?

(355 responses)

Not satisfied at all: 39%

Mostly not satisfied: 30%

Mostly satisfied: 23%

Very satisfied: 6%

Not sure or don’t know: 1%

We have heard that some people in Baker County are unable to access healthcare services that they need or want. What do you believe is keeping people in Baker County from being able to access the health care they need? Please select all that apply (1,347 responses)

Lack of specialty care or providers: 22%

Long waits for setting healthcare providers: 17%

Travel to access health care is too far: 16%

Transportation to get health care: 10%

Poor experiences with healthcare providers: 10%

Health care costs too much: 9%

The healthcare system is confusing: 5%

Lack of information: 3%

People are able to receive the health care they need: 3%

Healthcare providers do not speak languages people need: 1%

What would most help support people in Baker County getting the health care they need? Please select the three that you think are the most important. Only select three. (771 responses)

Recruit and retain healthcare workers: 41%

Transportation: 20%

Help to better understand and pay medical bills: 10%

Information about healthcare and services in simple English: 6%

Information and events about how to prepare for emergencies: 5%

Information about healthcare and services in many languages: 3%

Better cell service: 2%

What kind of information do you want to get about health care? Please select all that apply. (657 responses)

How to find healthcare providers: 26%

Healthy living: 19%

More about how health insurance works: 14%

How the healthcare system works: 13%

How to prevent disease, like vaccines and screenings: 11%

More about elder care, like how to prevent falls: 10%

What kinds of health care do you and others in Baker County wish you could get, but are not able to? Please select all that apply. (1,360 responses)

Specialty care: 20%

Maternity care: 17%

Mental health care: 11%

Elder care: 10%

Primary care: 9%

In-home care: 8%

Dental care: 7%

Veteran care: 7%

Respite care: 6%

Substance abuse treatment: 3%

QUESTION: In terms of specialty care, what kinds are important for people to be able to access in Baker County? Please select the three that you think are the most important. Only select three. (929 responses)

• Heart care: 22%

• Cancer care: 19%

• Skin care: 11%

• Brain, spinal cord and nerve care: 10%

• Kidney care: 9%

• Stomach care: 9%

• Urinary system care: 5%

• Hearing and speech care: 4%

QUESTION: How concerned are you about being able to access transportation if you or someone you know would need it to get to health care? (360 responses)

• Somewhat concerned: 35%

• Very concerned: 28%

• Not too concerned: 20%

• Not concerned at all: 15%

QUESTION: The Birthing Center and the Intensive Care Unit at St. Alphonsus Hospital have been closed for about a year. How concerned are you that health care services in Baker County have been reduced? (364 responses)

• Very concerned: 84%

• Somewhat concerned: 11%

• Not too concerned: 3%

• Not concerned at all: 1%

QUESTION: Which of these three appeals to you the most? Please choose your top choice. Only select one. (350 responses)

• Partner with a different healthcare system, such as another hospital in Eastern Oregon to offer hospital and other healthcare services: 52%

• Form a health district that would oversee the hospital and other healthcare services: 33%

• Continue with the hospital services that St. Alphonsus and healthcare services other providers offer now: 11%

QUESTION: Please choose the one statement you agree with most. You do not have to agree with all of it.

• I would like to see Baker County work with either the current hospital system (St. Alphonsus) or another partner to provide the hospital services community members need. I want this even if it means that community members do not have control over the decisions that are made about those services: 50%

• I would like the community to form a health district so community members can have some control over healthcare and hospital services in the county. I want this even if it means that we have to pay a property tax to support the district: 45%

• I would like the community to stay with the level of healthcare and hospital services we have now. I want this even if it means that community members have to drive far or wait for a long time to get the healthcare and hospital services they need: 5%

QUESTION: If Baker County were to form a health district, there are a few ways that it could be managed. There are two ways that people are talking about right now. Both of these options would take some time to set up. In both of these options, the health district would decide on what healthcare services to offer and provide oversight. Please choose the one statement you agree with most. You do not have to agree with all of it.

• I would like to see a new health district directly provide healthcare and hospital services for the county. I want this even if that means that it might take more time and money because the healthcare district would need to hire staff and set up the administration of the hospital: 54%

• I would like to see a new health district contract with St. Alphonsus to provide hospital services for the county. This may take less time and money than the other option because the staff and administration of the hospital are already in place. I want this even if it means that St. Alphonsus continues to be the main hospital provider in Baker County: 46%

Demographic information

Respondents by age group

60-69: 23%

70 or older: 22%

30-39: 17%

40-49: 16%

50-59: 14%

18-29: 7%

17 or younger: less than 1%

No answer: 2%

Where in Baker County do you live:

Baker City: 85%

Other: 5%

Haines: 4%

Halfway: 3%

Sumpter: 2%

Unity: 1%

Richland: 1%

Oxbow: less than 2%

What sector do you work in?

Retired: 34%

Healthcare: 17%

Small business or self-employed: 13%

Schools or education: 8%

Public sector or government agency: 7%

Other: 6%

Agriculture or ranching: 5%

Community-based organization: 4%

Not working at this time: 4%

Large business or corporation: 2%