Unless major actions are taken, Gillette, Wyo.-based Campbell County Health could be insolvent by 2026, Wyoming Public Radio reported April 4.
The system's financial problems have existed for several years and were magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced a reallocation of staff and resources, cut some profitable services and canceled elective surgeries, Adrian Gerrits, board chair of the board of trustees, told the station.
"We got a lot of COVID relief funds in 2020 that made our 2020 not look horrendous," Mr. Gerrits said. "Really, I would say the worst part of the pandemic was this last fall, toward the end of 2021. … We got hit really hard and the COVID relief funds, the big boluses of cash infusion that we had got the year before really weren't there."
Patients are also sicker and staying for longer, and the surgery department has faced more competition from surgery centers, he said.
The trustees are putting in effort to avoid bankruptcy, including making a medical records system to increase billing efficiency, which will be ready by next year, according to the report. The trustees also closed the Close to Home Hospice Hospitality House, which had high operating and maintenance costs.
Additionally, the system is looking to receive grants to offset financial challenges.