Samaritan begins clinic, ER remodeling
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald Samaritan Healthcare commissioners (from left) Julie Weisenburg, Alan White, Dale Paris, Tom Frick and Joe Akers listen to a report at a December meeting. In August, commissioners dropped an effort to affiliate with Confluence Health.
MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare officials ended an effort to build what they called “a vertically integrated health care system” with Confluence Health in August. Confluence Health is based in Wenatchee and includes both Central Washington Hospital and Wenatchee Valley Clinic.
The two sides had been working on what they called “affiliation” for about 18 months, and signed an agreement, a memorandum of understanding, in May. But while working through the details, “it (became) clear the work group would not be able to find a sustainable financial model that is acceptable to both parties,” according to a joint press release issued Aug. 8.
Gretchen Youngren, the hospital’s director of communications, said hospital officials are not looking for other affiliation partners, at least not now.
The unaffiliated Samaritan Healthcare is in a good financial position as 2016 wound to a close. In November, the last month for which information is available, the hospital’s net income was $6,015,000 for the year, higher than the same period in 2015, and above the 2016 budget projection.
But interim chief financial officer Paul Isizuka warned in November that while operating revenues are projected to increase in 2017, it will only be by about 1 percent. That’s mostly due to a change in reimbursement for Medicaid, he said. The 2017 budget includes a five percent rate increase.
Hospital commissioners approved two remodeling projects that are scheduled for completion in 2017, remodeling Samaritan Hospital’s emergency room and the first floor at Samaritan Clinic.
The emergency room remodel is already underway; total project cost is $1.8 million. The changes include three rooms remodeled to allow treatment for conditions like sore throats and low-grade fevers. Rooms that were designed to treat specific illnesses will be remodeled to treat any illness, and two rooms will be set aside for mental and behavioral health patients.
The clinic’s first floor will be remodeled to make it easier to navigate and more welcoming, said chief executive officer Teresa Sullivan. Total project cost is $950,000.