Here is a community update outlining the Garfield County Hospital District (GCHD) operation since March 2020 to the present. There was a decrease in patient volumes at the clinic, lab, and outpatient physical therapy starting in March with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and at the beginning of quarantine orders. It is with pleasure to report volumes started to pick back up towards the end of May and are back to or in some areas, exceeding pre-COVID numbers. The district was fortunate that during our slow months for outpatient services business in our swing bed program picked up. The increase in transitional care helped offset losses in outpatient departments. Unlike most other rural hospitals, we have had minimal revenue losses at this point due to COVID-19.

The GCHD has received a significant amount of Federal and State funding to assist during the pandemic. Several grants have been received to go towards the purchase of personal protective equipment which has become more expensive and more difficult to acquire. Some of the funds received will be going towards a large capital project.

For several years, GCHD has needed to upgrade our 1940s electrical infrastructure and add adequate heating and cooling to the old hospital side of the facility. Currently, the architects and engineers are working to help design and plan a project that will expansion the building to house a new CT scanner.

The addition of a CT scanner will increase the District’s ability to diagnose and treat patients in the ER as well as help generate increased revenue with outpatient CT scans.

The project will have several funding sources: a legislative impact grant through the Department of Commerce; grant funding from the Washington State Rural Facilities Capital Grant Partnership Fund; and funding received from Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of the Rural Provider Relief Fund through the CARES Act. We have one additional grant application pending with the M.J. Murdock Foundation and will have a decision from them on August 27.

All of the funding for the entire project will come from grant funding. District levy funds will not be used for this project.

Under the current schedule, plans will be submitted to the state for approval in the fall, opening contractor bids this winter, so construction can begin in spring of 2021. This is an exciting time for the District and community.