Three Rivers Hospital revisits building plans, seeks efficiency

BREWSTER—Strategic planning for a new Three Rivers Hospital (TRH) building continues to be a primary topic for the Board of Commissioners, which met on Wednesday, July 31.

CEO Scott Graham said outreach continues with community groups, regional hospital partners, consultants, and prospective funding sources in tandem with a reassessment of the hospital's position regarding its goal of building a facility supported by all stakeholders. Recognizing that areas remain where improvements can be made to streamline operations and better use staff and resources, outside expertise is being evaluated to help.

“We have been working as a leadership group on reading a book called The 4 Disciplines of Execution,” said Graham. “We have decided to bring on someone who can coach us in how fully implement the concepts in that book.”

TRH received a $425,000 Distressed Hospital Grant that can be applied to efficiency training, consultants, and assessments. Graham said a provider will be selected next month. 

Until recent developments, three new facility options were under evaluation:

• Build a scaled-down version on the present site: Estimate $72 million.
• Build new offsite: Estimate $71 million.
• Build scaled-down offsite (including land cost): Estimate $55 million.

Recently the owners of the target property sought by the hospital have declined to sell, removing the two offsite options under consideration.

“We have gone back to architect Dave Franklund and asked him to do some even more creative reconfiguring to see of there some other kinds of renovations that can be done to help us bring that cost burden down,” Graham said.

The necessity to revisit the drawing board for the existing site will delay any consideration of a bond measure on the upcoming November ballot.

“We are not yet there in terms of construction possibilities,” said Graham.

The next opportunity to put another bond on the ballot to voters does not appear to be until 2025.

Graham said he is encouraged by the possibility that TRH can reach a level where the hospital is consistently breaking even on monthly operations costs.

“Financial viability that we have never had in the past 20 years would enable us to put money aside,” said Graham. “That would put us in a better place to have options for financing in the event we are unable to go after bond funding.”

Following last year’s bond defeat, Graham said several entities came forward with creative funding ideas to strengthen the hospital’s financial base and make it look better to banks.

TRH plans to explore funding options that include providing a free grant writer to members of the Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts.

In other TRH business:

• The board approved a resolution to put the 2025 Maintenance & Operations levy for approximately $1,345,000 (.33/$1,000 valuation) on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. The levy pays for most of the annual $1.8 million cost to staff ER operations.
• Approved Stryker power unit purchase quotes for orthopedic surgery rooms.
• Agreed to pursue a discounted contract for swing bed services with Allevant Solutions.
• TRH Foundation President Dan Webster reported that the scholarship program launched by the Foundation in 2023 for schools in the hospital district—Brewster, Bridgeport, Mansfield, Liberty Bell, and Pateros—has been awarded, and checks for $2,000 each have been released to selected graduates.
• TRH was recognized by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association with the 2024 Rural Stroke Bronze Award for adhering to emergency room guidelines by promptness in getting patients to CT and EKG services.

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media