We would like to announce the formation of the Dr. Gary Koch
Scholarship to be administered as part of the Vashon Community
Scholarship Foundation. This scholarship (or scholarships depending
on how much we can raise) will be awarded to graduating high school
students who demonstrate high achievement and dedication in any
field of endeavor with special consideration for students with broad
interests, which may include the sciences, humanities, the arts or
technical fields. We are hoping that enough funds might be raised to
continue the scholarship for some years into the future. Since Dr.
Koch’s retirement from the Vashon Clinic in June 2018, many have
expressed interest in honoring his many contributions to our
community, and we can think of no better way to honor him than by
giving back to the people of Vashon and to whom he has been so
dedicated.
Dr. Koch saw his first Vashon patients in 1978 while a resident in
Seattle at the Doctors Hospital (later merged into the Swedish
Hospital system). A year later he saw patients at the Vashon Health
Center as part of his clinical training, and then in August 1980
became employed at the clinic. At that time Vashon was considered a
medically underserved region, and he started working as part of his
National Health Service Corps obligation for school loan repayment.
But he never left, and he soon became a committed member of the
Vashon community. At the time of his retirement, he had been caring
for Vashon patients for 40 years!
There are of course many who know him from his role as a physician.
He has truly been the “family doctor”—delivering babies, treating
all ages, helping with chronic diseases and those with acute
injuries. Gary was always committed to the concept of 24-hour care
for the island, and he was instrumental in allowing us to provide
this in all but the last couple of years. But I don’t think many
realize all of the other things he did in addition to patient care.
He was the medical director for over three decades. This involved
recruiting providers to a small island with “rural” practice demands
for significantly lower pay than on the mainland. And recruit he
did—including Mary Ellen Walker, Mary and John Hoagland-Scher, Gail
Fulton, Kim Farrell, Laurel Kuehl, Stephanie Lee, Jeff HansPetersen
and many others (and including, of course, me in 1983). It seemed
that whenever there was a shortage of providers or illness, Gary
would step in. He also was a clinical instructor for numerous nurse
practitioners and medical residents in training, notably including
Kimberly Scheer who went on to set up her own clinic and Katie
Konrad who continues now to see patients on Vashon.
Gary was also the one responsible for communicating and negotiating
with the Vashon Health Center and Granny’s Attic Boards. Especially
in the first 20 years, he was closely involved with Vashon Island
Fire & Rescue, which for many years operated with only two medics
and an active volunteer organization. He always let the aid crew
know they could call with questions at any hour and that we would
see their patients if needed. Gary was the supervising doctor for
the nurses at Camp Sealth for many years, and he was the point
person for the school nurses as well. And he always had a heavy load
of patients at the Vashon Community Care center, spending many “off
hours” tending to their needs.
As is painfully obvious today, primary care is a struggling field.
It is critical to our health but very poorly reimbursed. Indeed,
this problem resulted decades ago in the original formation of the
Vashon Health Center along with the Granny’s volunteers to support
it, and eventually it forced the Health Center to merge into
Highline, then CHI and now Neighborcare. For the same reason other
clinics have had to close or not take the full range of medical
insurance. When Gary started working on Vashon, we were a formal
“underserved area.” In an odd way, we remain so today with no
24-hour availability and limited general care options. Despite all
of these travails over many years, Gary always seemed to have
incredible optimism. He would never quit looking for an answer to a
logistic problem (even when we could not always find one). He made
sure we had clinic parties to celebrate the staff, and he organized
our Vashon Health Center parades at Strawberry Festival.
This is only an abridged version of his contributions to health care
on Vashon. But there is more to his community involvement. Gary has
been an active member of the Lutheran Church and on several search
committees for its pastors. He loves music and has sung with the
Vashon Chorale for many years, both as member and soloist. He has
been in plays and sung in operas and for chamber groups,
fundraisers, funerals and weddings (including my own). And in almost
all cases, he is as excited as a kid in a candy shop to be doing
them.
We are proud to establish this scholarship fund to honor Gary and
hope those who have been touched by his care and community
involvement will consider contributing to it. No donation is too
small—or too large!! The Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation is
a 501(C)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible to the
extent of the law. Contributions may be made by check to the Vashon
Community Scholarship Foundation (or VCSF) and sent to PO Box 1413,
Vashon, WA 98070, or through their website at
www.vashonscholarshipfoundation.org. Please indicate on the check or
online form that it is to the Dr. Gary Koch Scholarship Fund. Please
tell all whom you think might be interested. Thank you so much.
We would like to announce the formation of the Dr. Gary Koch
Scholarship to be administered as part of the Vashon Community
Scholarship Foundation. This scholarship (or scholarships depending
on how much we can raise) will be awarded to graduating high school
students who demonstrate high achievement and dedication in any
field of endeavor with special consideration for students with broad
interests, which may include the sciences, humanities, the arts or
technical fields. We are hoping that enough funds might be raised to
continue the scholarship for some years into the future. Since Dr.
Koch’s retirement from the Vashon Clinic in June 2018, many have
expressed interest in honoring his many contributions to our
community, and we can think of no better way to honor him than by
giving back to the people of Vashon and to whom he has been so
dedicated. 
Dr. Koch saw his first Vashon patients in 1978 while a resident in
Seattle at the Doctors Hospital (later merged into the Swedish
Hospital system). A year later he saw patients at the Vashon Health
Center as part of his clinical training, and then in August 1980
became employed at the clinic. At that time Vashon was considered a
medically underserved region, and he started working as part of his
National Health Service Corps obligation for school loan repayment.
But he never left, and he soon became a committed member of the
Vashon community. At the time of his retirement, he had been caring
for Vashon patients for 40 years! 
Gary was also the one responsible for communicating and negotiating
with the Vashon Health Center and Granny’s Attic Boards. Especially
in the first 20 years, he was closely involved with Vashon Island
Fire & Rescue, which for many years operated with only two medics
and an active volunteer organization. He always let the aid crew
know they could call with questions at any hour and that we would
see their patients if needed. Gary was the supervising doctor for
the nurses at Camp Sealth for many years, and he was the point
person for the school nurses as well. And he always had a heavy load
of patients at the Vashon Community Care center, spending many “off
hours” tending to their needs. 
As is painfully obvious today, primary care is a struggling field.
It is critical to our health but very poorly reimbursed. Indeed,
this problem resulted decades ago in the original formation of the
Vashon Health Center along with the Granny’s volunteers to support
it, and eventually it forced the Health Center to merge into
Highline, then CHI and now Neighborcare. For the same reason other
clinics have had to close or not take the full range of medical
insurance. When Gary started working on Vashon, we were a formal
“underserved area.” In an odd way, we remain so today with no
24-hour availability and limited general care options. Despite all
of these travails over many years, Gary always seemed to have
incredible optimism. He would never quit looking for an answer to a
logistic problem (even when we could not always find one). He made
sure we had clinic parties to celebrate the staff, and he organized
our Vashon Health Center parades at Strawberry Festival. 
We are proud to establish this scholarship fund to honor Gary and
hope those who have been touched by his care and community
involvement will consider contributing to it. No donation is too
small—or too large!! The Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation is
a 501(C)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible to the
extent of the law. Contributions may be made by check to the Vashon
Community Scholarship Foundation (or VCSF) and sent to PO Box 1413,
Vashon, WA 98070, or through their website at
www.vashonscholarshipfoundation.org. Please indicate on the check or
online form that it is to the Dr. Gary Koch Scholarship Fund. Please
tell all whom you think might be interested. Thank you so much.