"We need to expand our emergency department so award-winning emergency medicine is provided in treatment rooms instead of hallways," the hospital said in a statement detailing the project.
Pullman Regional Hospital—a Washington State-based hospital with almost $130 million in net patient revenue and 25 total staffed beds—is investing $45 million in an 80,000-square-foot expansion as well as more medical equipment and remodeling of Pullman Regional Hospital and several of the hospital’s other properties.
The project will expand the hospital’s emergency department by 50% to 60% for more triage rooms and mental health services. The hospital will also add a fifth operating room, an additional GI lab, and expand its surgical recovery room. Several other plans are in the works including a specialty healthcare space for new services including endocrinology, dermatology, and rheumatology, according to Pullman Regional. The hospital is also looking to add more onsite practices and providers that will improve access to care and eliminate the cost of rented spaces.
"We need to expand our emergency department so award-winning emergency medicine is provided in treatment rooms instead of hallways," the hospital said in a statement detailing the project. "We need to recruit more specialists and provide more specialty care like psychiatry, oncology, neurology, dermatology, and rheumatology, but we do not have the physical space for these providers or patients. We need to better meet our patients’ needs through team medicine and co-locate practices like Palouse Pediatrics and Pullman Family Medicine on the hospital campus. We need to make mental health part of the patient experience so that we can address a crucial community need."
Potential funding sources for this project include tapping into the hospital’s reserves or borrowing, which Pullman Regional says will not exceed $10 million, taxpayer bonds between $22.5 million and $29.5 million, as well as philanthropy and grant sources between $6 million and $12.5 million.
"Over the course of 18 years, there has been more than 18 remodels projects, one minor addition, and each year, services are relocated off the main campus to make more room for patient care," the hospital says. "Every area of patient care at Pullman Regional Hospital has seen growth. The addition of 10,000 square feet in 2018 for same-day services is the only project which added to the footprint of Pullman Regional Hospital. During those 18 years, the city of Pullman has continued to grow and is projected to grow even more. Simply put, we are out of square footage to see and treat our growing community, and we need to expand patient care spaces."
Amanda Schiavo is the Finance Editor for HealthLeaders.