A message from Samaritan Healthcare

MOSES LAKE – Samaritan Hospital has a 75-year history as being a community hospital. Grant County Public Hospital District No. 1 was formed in 1947 and two years later, with the support of the community, Samaritan Hospital opened in a converted barracks. In 1952, as the area continued to grow, the hospital board of commissioners agreed to construct a new hospital on Samaritan’s current site and it opened in 1955, with an increase to fifty beds.

Since the last major addition/renovation, more than 20 years ago, the delivery of healthcare has changed dramatically. Changes to healthcare today include requiring more room for patients, equipment for medical and technology needs, and supplies. There are also additional regulations, such as more efficient air handling, fulfilling the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as energy codes, and specs and preparedness for seismic activity. With modern infrastructure—from energy-efficient windows to up-to-date construction materials and design—the increased efficiency in terms of utility costs will easily exceed Washington State’s new energy standards.

With the leadership and guidance of the Samaritan Healthcare Board of Commissioners, the construction of our new Samaritan Hospital is being planned and will be owned and operated by the community. This hospital is a culmination of our planning, research, data, and community input over the last few years. A replacement hospital is necessary to meet the community demand for comprehensive, state-of-the-art healthcare, to best serve the District residents for generations, as well as being a facility designed to support the physicians and staff in providing care and continuing to recruit and retain medical professionals, clinicians, and staff.

“Our current hospital is also at its maximum capacity for adding additional specialty care departments and providers, which was one of the healthcare areas requested by those who responded to our 2016, 2018, and 2021 surveys,” said Alan White, Commissioner of Samaritan Healthcare. “The recruitment and retention of physicians, nurses, and staff allow us to continue to grow our full spectrum of specialty healthcare. Over the last seven years, we’ve more than tripled our number of on-staff providers and added eight new medical specialties: Allergy, Behavioral Health, Cardiology, Diabetes Care, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Occupational Medicine, and Pain Management. We’re currently at our maximum capacity with no room to add more.”

Moses Lake and the surrounding area continue to grow, both in population, as well as in various industries and the services offered to our residents. Businesses, schools, and other services have grown and expanded. The Samaritan Hospital must expand in order to be able to meet the needs of our growing region and to continue to offer local, high-quality healthcare.

The Samaritan Healthcare Board of Commissioners is committed to finding a solution to building the new Samaritan Hospital.

“Our new hospital will allow our staff to provide patients an efficient, high-quality care experience close to home,” said Susan Carbon, Commissioner of Samaritan Healthcare. “Rather than feeling hampered by the constraints of previous construction, the age and limits of our building, and the changes in the delivery of healthcare, we are proposing a new hospital that will improve the delivery of healthcare to our community.”

The goal for the new Samaritan Hospital is to provide a facility that supports our staff so they can care for patients in an environment that is purposefully built to maximize their talent, time, and workflow. The inpatient rooms will have increased privacy and space for family members to stay overnight when conditions allow. The rooms will feature pass-through cabinets so supplies can be stocked for the room without interrupting patients or their families. There will also be a separate, private corridor for movement of staff, supplies, and patients.

The new hospital will serve as a regional hospital providing specialty care to patients from around the area, as well as an expanded emergency department (ED) to improve patient experience, increased surgical capacity, increased capacity in the infusion clinic, and improved access for ancillary services, such as lab and imaging. 

“A new hospital shows that Samaritan is committed to the health of our community. The ED is overcrowded more often than not and the lack of space is the biggest barrier. On days where there are a lot of patients and the ED is overcrowded it is more complicated, but we rise to the challenge,” said Rebecca Suarez, RN, Director of Emergency Services at Samaritan Healthcare. “Staff are more efficient when given adequate work space, patients are placed in appropriate care areas, such as flex care or trauma room, or a main ED bed.”

The need to update the Mother and Baby Unit is also being addressed within the design of the new hospital by constructing a regional labor and delivery unit with the capability of serving more than 1,500 annual births and creating an advanced nursery for higher-risk births.

“We are looking forward to having dedicated LDRP (labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum) rooms. A mother in labor will check into one room and stay there throughout her stay. This cuts down on patient movement while increasing patient comfort, and saves on staff time, resources, and supplies, due to not having to constantly move patients,” said Tammy Fisk, Labor and Delivery RN at Samaritan Healthcare. “This, along with the state-of-the-art design and equipment, will also attract patients to deliver in our facility.”

From 1947 to today, Samaritan Healthcare continues to take bold steps toward the future of medicine in our community. We believe local patients shouldn’t have to travel for the healthcare they deserve and, above all, that healthcare should be accessible by all. And we believe the best is yet to come.

As we continue moving forward with our new community hospital, please watch for updates in the weeks to come.