Despite millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief given to hospitals nationwide, many rural Washington hospitals are struggling to stay afloat, according to a July 6 article from Crosscut.
Elma, Wash.-based Summit Pacific Medical Center received $4.7 million through Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act Provider Relief Funds and $4.6 million through Paycheck Protection Program loans. Still, the relief only allowed the small hospital to retain staff and keep staff paid.
Many rural Washington hospitals, like Summit Pacific, were in financial trouble before the pandemic even began, according to a previous Crosscut article from December 2019. The article identified that one-third of Washington's rural hospitals were at risk of closure at the time.
A recent report estimated that even with pandemic funds, 14 Washington hospitals are at risk of closing in the next six years.
If these rural hospitals close their doors, it could mean over 30 minutes of travel for rural Washington residents to receive emergency medical care. These hospitals also tend to have a high elderly and Medicaid or Medicare patient population.