Financially struggling rural hospitals can transition to provide 24/7 emergency care and various outpatient treatments like lab work, radiology, and behavioral health with no observation stays for over 24 hours. No other care will be available.
Rural Emergency Hospital (REH)
East Adams Hospital: Due to mismanagement of funds, East Adams Hospital has applied to become the first REH in Washington State. The hospital will scale down it’s services to 24/7 emergency care and out patient care. No inpatient care will be available.
Washington State: RCW 74.60.150
Washington State maintains a Hospital Safety Net Fund
These funds help financially vulnerable "critical access" and small rural hospitals.
Supports essential services like emergency rooms, obstetrics, or behavioral health services, which might otherwise be cut due to finances.
Ensures that your local hospital can continue to treat anyone who comes through its doors.
East Adams Hospital in Ritzville has received $2 million from this bill.
The Rural Health Transformation Program
As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), a fund was established to help rural hospitals.
The RHTP fund allocates $200 million of funds annually to each state for the next 5 years. To receive this funding, states must have an approved Rural Health Transformation Plan which requires the following:
preventative care,
long-term access,
highly skilled workforce,
innovative care and tech innovation.
This does not sufficiently offset rural hospitals’ losses with the significant increase in uncompensated care caused by OBBB.
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Washington State applied for this funding from the RHTP. This funding will not replace the dramatic cuts imposed on rural hospitals due to the OBBB, but will be alocated to rural hospitals for infrastructure and technology improvements and support chronic disease management, behavioral health care, and maternal health care.
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