Edition 26
Three Rivers Hospital:
In November, TRH will go to the voters to fund a $45M hospital renovation. The previous attempt, for $73M, failed to secure the required 60% support. The smaller project will be a remodel instead of a full rebuild, but will still invest in the needed upgrades for Brewster’s hospital.
You may have read an opposition letter in last week's Omak Chronicle. (I can’t find a digital copy to link, but this one from the Methow Valley News is similar and from the same group.) The letter, written by the Okanogan Health Care Planning Group, a private citizen group, expresses concern that TRH may lack the operational funding to continue its operations and that the three small hospitals in the county are all struggling. They argue that the bond is a risky investment and the funds from the tax payers could be put to better use.
The group recommends a different approach:
“A better more sustainable system could be accomplished by combining Okanogan County districts, supporting a bigger, single hospital (probably in the Omak area) with outlying ERs and urgent care.”
Regional Planning:
In part spurred by the encouragement of the opposition group, the three hospitals have been meeting and trying to figure out ways to work together. A core component of this work is ensuring that each organization and community is successful.
It is not my view that North Valley should transition into an ER-only outpost or close services to support a bigger Omak hospital. The great news for all of us, and everyone who wants NVH to continue to serve the north county, is that we have the autonomy to control our own destiny. Decisions about service lines rest in the hands of our Board of Commissioners, who are elected to serve our district. The biggest risk to our survival will be our ability to continue to pay the bills. So how is that going anyway?
Financial Update and Budget:
Our Revenue Cycle team has made great progress getting caught up on our older claims, and it’s been great to see more payments coming in. The cost-cutting efforts have also put us on a better trajectory, and, combined with higher volumes, have yielded improved financial results over the last few months. As we work on the 2026 Budget, we will get a better handle on how our financial position will look without the benefit of some one-time payments we received in 2025.
Cerner:
Over the past few months, we’ve all invested a tremendous amount of time and effort learning our new EHR. That work is starting to pay off and we’re getting through the hardest part. As we move forward, our goal is to shift our focus from learning the system to using it as a tool that supports what matters most: excellent, compassionate patient care. Thank you for your patience, adaptability, and continued dedication to our patients and to one another throughout this transition.