PeaceHealth in Whatcom receives $12.6 million in federal coronavirus relief money
PeaceHealth in Whatcom County received about $12.6 million in federal grants — most of it for St. Joseph hospital — meant to help health care providers that were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money came through the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, and the data was collected by a group called Good Jobs First on its Covid Stimulus Watch website.
Systemwide, PeaceHealth received a total of nearly $75 million in CARES Act stimulus grants, according to Charles Prosper, chief executive of PeaceHealth’s Northwest Network.
Headquartered in Vancouver, Wash., PeaceHealth has medical groups and 10 hospitals in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, including in Bellingham.
“While we are deeply grateful for relief funds we have received through federal legislation,” Prosper said to The Bellingham Herald, “the grant funding covered just 17% of the system’s total operating costs in March and April, for COVID and non-COVID related patient care.”
PeaceHealth operations in Whatcom County received a little over $12 million for the hospital and its PeaceHealth Medical Group received $522,557 through the CARES Act.
The number of patients seen at the hospital and its medical practices was down sharply in recent months — a combination of people not seeking medical care because they were contracting the virus that causes COVID-19 and an order from Gov. Jay Inslee, since fully lifted on May 18, that limited care to emergencies in order to conserve personal protective equipment and hospital capacity during the early days of the pandemic.
“The drop in patient volume during the months of March and April at PeaceHealth St. Joseph mirrored the drop across the PeaceHealth system — close to 30%,” Prosper said. “We are beginning to see that volume returning as people who may have delayed care are seeking it now, but we anticipate that it will take much of the remainder of the year to get back to a normal patient census.”
As a result, PeaceHealth has instituted cost-saving measures throughout its system, including in Whatcom County that include temporary pay cuts for medical providers such as doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners; offering voluntary sabbatical leave or early retirement to other, non-medical employees, with medical benefits; flex staffing based on patient volume; and temporary cuts of 10% to 15% in the base pay of management that include executives and vice presidents.
Even as it made cuts, PeaceHealth also added 80 hours of COVID-19 paid sick-time bank for caregivers, according to Prosper. That sick time can be used to cover caregiver’s absences because of illness.
He said other benefits include an emergency fund to help caregivers who need financial assistance due to the pandemic. The COVID-19 Caregiver Heroes’ Emergency Fund, as its called, is there to help with housing, utilities, transportation, food and child care costs.
“We continue to navigate through this rapidly changing environment and are working to find solutions that balance stewardship with the well-being of our valued caregivers,” Prosper said. “We will do everything we can to support the needs of our caregivers right now, while also being mindful of how we must plan for an uncertain future as we continue to respond to and recover from COVID-19.”
This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
