A PeaceHealth Update
Mary Lynne Courtney
If you are wondering what is happening at PeaceHealth, a recording of Chuck Prosper’s presentation to the Healthcare Issues Team on March 18th might answer some of your questions. Chuck Prosper is the CEO of PeaceHealth Northwest. A recording of his presentation is available on the LWVBWC website on the Healthcare page. Also of interest, in February, there was a presentation to the Healthcare Issues Team about the reinstated PeaceHealth Palliative Care Program. This recording also is on the LWVBWC website.
Chuck Prosper’s presentation had a great deal of detail—the recording really needs to be seen in its entirely. However, let me offer some highlights from it. Almost 400,00 patients were seen in PeaceHealth clinics and there were almost 700,000 Emergency Department visits. Operating costs for PeaceHealth are almost $2 million a day. About half of that cost is due to salary expenses for persons providing healthcare services. Prosper reported that about 10% of the PeaceHealth’s yearly expenditures are directed toward community benefit. This includes almost $60 million for unreimbursed Medicaid costs and almost $12 million for free or discounted medical care provided for patients unable to pay.
Regarding new and expanded services, Peace Health plans to open a new clinic in Lynden this month providing primary care, specialty care, urgent care, and advanced imaging services. A new parking garage near St. Joseph’s Hospital is scheduled open in May. Also, PeaceHealth is in the permitting process for a new wing to the hospital, which will be called the Peter Paulsen Pavilion. It will house an expanded Emergency Department, a helicopter pad with direct access to the ED, and 80 additional acute care beds including additional beds for Labor & Delivery, Pediatrics, and the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit).
During the Q & A, Chuck Prosper and Dr. James Bochsler, Medical Director PHMG, answered questions about PeaceHealth’s advertising expenditures, its participation in the ACO-REACH program through Cascadia Community Care Alliance, TeamHealth (the private equity group of physicians staffing St. Joseph’s Emergency Department), patient satisfaction surveys, recruitment of specialists, the relationship between PeaceHealth and the Catholic diocese and the Religious Directives, and the composition of its Board.
The Healthcare Issues Team next meets as we go to press—April 15th at 10 am on Zoom. Julie Donovan, PeaceHealth Advance Care Planning Facilitator, will speak. She will discuss medical interventions that might be used in a healthcare crisis, Advanced Care Directives, and POLSTs.
—Mary Lynne Courtney