Samaritan approves wage increase, effective Sunday

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare employees, except hospital administrators and staff physicians, will receive a 3.5% raise, effective Oct. 30. Hospital commissioners approved a recommendation made by administrators at the regular commission meeting Tuesday. Steve Brooks, Samaritan’s chief human resources officer, said the raise will help retain current staff and make Samaritan a more attractive alternative in the search for employees. “We’re going to make sure we’re competitive with the local market,” he said. Brooks estimated the pay increase would cost Samaritan about $149,000 per month on an annualized basis. It would add up to about $1.8 million per year...