Grays Harbor Community Hospital in Aberdeen, Wash., has collected more than 3,000 signatures in the hope of becoming a public-owned hospital, according to a Daily World report.
Only 1,502 valid signatures were needed to put the measure onto the area's August ballot, according to the report. If Washington officials approve the signatures, voters will decide whether the private, nonprofit Grays Harbor will move into a public taxing district structure. As a public hospital, Grays Harbor could receive 50 cents per $1,000 of property value.
The move bucks the general trend of hospitals moving away from public ownership structures. Since 2003, approximately 17 healthcare districts and public hospitals have declared Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
Last August, Grays Harbor affiliated with MultiCare Health System in Tacoma, Wash., for an array of clinical services.
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