Orcas Island Health Care District has hired Christopher Chord as its new superintendent. Mr. Chord will assume his duties November 15, 2022.  “The board is very excited to welcome Chris as our new Superintendent.  His background in health administration and finance should be a tremendous asset for our District, and the fact that he grew up a ferry ride away in Anacortes will help him understand the unique needs of our community,” said Pegi Groundwater, Board President. 

Please join the District in welcoming Chris and his family to Orcas.  By way of introduction, Chris has shared the following:

I am very humbled to serve as the Superintendent for the Orcas Island Health Care District. I was born and raised on the other side of the ferry, in Anacortes. I’ve been a handful of places since then, living in Japan, Salt Lake City, upstate New York and then in West Michigan. I’ve enjoyed each of those places and cultures, but I have always felt a strong connection to the moody, melancholic Pacific Northwest weather and our beautiful landscapes. 

From an education background, after completing my Finance undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University I pursued a Master of Health Administration degree from Cornell University. I worked on a finance team, spent some time with a consulting firm, and then landed at Trinity Health, a large non-profit healthcare system based out of Michigan. I’ve been with Trinity for seven years now, working on an array of projects including Medicare insurance innovation, new primary care models, expanding telehealth programs, and then finally on their investment fund-backed innovation team. 

During my interviews I was very impressed with the commitment to the community that residents on Orcas have. Many people wear multiple hats, and each member of the community has an important role to play in the ecosystem of the island. I am enthusiastic to get involved, but also ready to learn the role that I can help play in the island community. As the superintendent I see my main responsibilities as helping to bring community resources together, advocate for the needs of the island, and work to be a strong steward of the funds the community members have invested for our health services. The commissioners and community individuals have helped create a strong strategic vision for the health care district, and I am happy to play a part in helping bring that vision to fruition. I look forward to meeting all of you, and hope you’ll be willing to share your thoughts with me.

At home, my partner Maressa and I have two boys ages 8 and 1, and a husky mix pup. We look forward to meeting people around the community, whether it’s through school, kids’ activities, or dining out at the different restaurants. In my free time I enjoy snowboarding and trail running. For those of you that spend time on the trails, it’s likely you’ll see me out running on turtleback or the Moran trails. Feel free to heckle me or say hi to my dog Marv who might be running with me.