Small hospitals weather the pandemic, but with heavy losses
MONROE — Five months into a pandemic that public health officials say could last many more, small local hospitals are shoring up their losses after the onset of the new coronavirus crisis curtailed operations and curbed revenue.
The pandemic has cost EvergreenHealth Monroe, Skagit Regional Health’s Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington, and WhidbeyHealth Medical Center in Coupeville millions of dollars each, officials say. The disaster has burdened them with extra expenses — such as protective equipment and additional staffing — while temporarily halting the surgeries and procedures that are among their biggest moneymakers.
The providers say they expect to stay afloat, citing returning patients and rebounding revenue as the state begins to reopen.
But hospital officials are weary. Another wave of cases could cause Gov. Jay Inslee to redouble restrictions, throwing budget projections into chaos and forcing the institutions to weigh cuts to programs and services that residents in some small cities and rural areas rely on.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/small-hospitals-weather-the-pandemic-but-with-heavy-losses/
