Don Wee, CEO of Tri-State Memorial Hospital, said managing the Clarkston, Wash.-based critical access hospital is like running an endless marathon, according to an interview with The Lewiston Tribune.
At Tri-State Memorial, Mr. Wee manages more than 600 healthcare professionals. Whether it's dealing with reductions in Medicare reimbursement, tackling a new healthcare need or recruiting top talent, he compared his tasks to a "marathon that doesn't have an ending, because you always have to keep improving. That's the positive attitude that's here," he told the publication.
Mr. Wee also spoke with The Lewiston Tribune about his hospital's push to increase healthcare access through clinics. While Mr. Wee said the process has "gone slower than we hoped," the cash- and credit card-only centers may be helping people get primary care physicians.
"[Patients check in], and we check whatever the ailment might be and then they're on their way. I think some people like that, because we're seeing a good percentage that don't have a traditional primary care physician relationship. We try to help them establish one, because that's the best thing. We're still evaluating the success or not success of that. We'll see how it plays out, and if it doesn't, we'll move forward," he said.
Read the full interview here.
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