Hospital officials make their case in D.C.

Three hospital leaders trekked to the other Washington last week to make the case at Congress for support of Coulee Medical Center.

"During our meetings with Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Maria Cantwell, and Rep. Dan Newhouse we discussed CMC's workforce housing needs, overdose prevention efforts and recent success in increasing breast cancer screening, as well as the significance of federal Medicaid funding to maintaining accessible healthcare services in our region," Chief Executive Office Kelly Hughes said.

She and Chief Operating Officer Shawn Groh, and Chief Financial Officer Natalie Dennis spoke with Senators Cantwell and Murray at their offices, and grabbed a hallway meeting with Newhouse.

Newhouse, who Hughes said has been quite supportive of Coulee Medical Center, encouraged further updates as the House tackles federal department downsizing ordered by President Donald Trump.

The process, including a goal of cutting $880 billion from the budget of a House committee overseeing Medicare, Medicaid and more, has many across the nation in health care quite worried. Although Medicare, Trump has said, won't be touched, Medicaid is another matter.

Newhouse, a Republican representing Washington's 4th Congressional District, said the House hasn't taken the matter up yet, but encouraged Hughes to continue to give him input and call, she said.

Cantwell and Murray, both Democrats, have repeatedly spoken out against cutting healthcare.

On Tuesday, Murray railed against mass layoffs at the Health and Human Serices, which includes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Indian Health Services, and more.

At Coulee Medical Center, 70% of their pediatric patients are covered by Medicaid, 39% of all their patients. Some 49% of obstetrics is covered by Medicaid.

The group also impressed on the legislators their hopes for an innovative housing proposal for CMC's workforce - a "tiny home" development on hospital property south of SR-174. Newhouse added it to his appropriations list for 2025 but it won't get funded this year.

Hughes said they're hoping it will be funded with the 2026 appropriation.

"We got a lot of feedback that it was good that we went and they saw our faces," Hughes told the hospital district board Monday night. "And they were really appreciative of seeing us and hearing from us."