Despite coronavirus funding, the future is uncertain for rural hospitals in Washington
A new funding package has infused struggling rural hospitals in Washington with millions of dollars in coronavirus relief funds.
But hospital executives and lawmakers say it is unclear whether the funds will be enough to rescue hospitals that were already financially strapped before the pandemic.
Shane McGuire is the CEO of Columbia County Health, a hospital in rural Dayton where a quarter of the population is over 65. Like many rural hospitals, McGuire said Columbia County Health was already running on a shoestring budget.
“You’re kind of already operating at a very razor thin type of survival margin,” McGuire said. “We run on negative margins every year.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/despite-coronavirus-funding-the-future-is-uncertain-for-rural-hospitals-in-washington/ar-BB13QsEE?ocid=hplocalnews
