PORT TOWNSEND — Successfully weathering the Great Recession, Jefferson Healthcare hospital is thriving, with revenues increasing and new investments in infrastructure and technology, according to its CEO.
Between 2010 and 2014, Jefferson Healthcare hospital has nearly doubled its total net worth from $16.8 million to $33.3 million and has seen a dramatic increase in the number of patients served, Mike Glenn, Jefferson Healthcare CEO, said during a presentation Monday to the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.
In 2011, 50,514 patients were treated at the facility, with that number rising to 70,890 last year.
“We expect it to continue to accelerate,” Glenn said.
And the hospital is undergoing a massive expansion, with work now underway on a $22 million Emergency and Specialty Services building.
The building, located on the south side of Jefferson Healthcare adjacent to Sheridan Street, is being constructed with funding provided through the USDA Rural Development Program, which provides opportunities to finance rural projects.
The loan will have a fixed rate of 3.5 percent and includes 25 percent financing through KeyBank.
Crews began working on the project May 18. The building is expected to be completed in July 2016, and the move-in date is the following October.
The facility will offer patients access to lab services next to the registration and lobby area, a new and expanded emergency department and orthopedic clinic, upgraded cardiology services and a heart health education program.
The 50,000-square-foot, three-story building also will include a women’s imaging center equipped with 3-D mammography, ultrasound and bone density scanning equipment.
Additionally, the facility will boast a state-of-the-art cancer treatment center and infusion services area that has been “thoughtfully planned as a tranquil healing environment with comforting scenic views of the water and mountains,” Glenn said.
The new building is also being wired for self-check-in kiosks similar to those found at airports that will allow patients to check in to the hospital without any need to speak to an attendant.
Such kiosks are still being designed and have not yet hit the market.
And the hospital may now use experimental medications to treat serious maladies.
“With our partnership with Swedish Medical Center, we are putting that in place,” Glenn said.
“So if a breakthrough drug comes out but isn’t fully released by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], it will now be eligible for treatment at Jefferson Healthcare, which is a big thing, particularly to that patient.”
Jefferson Healthcare is also invested heavily in the future of Jefferson County, Glenn said, noting that it is the largest local employer.
In 2010, about 380 full-time employees worked for the company, which generated about $28.8 million in salaries and wages that year.
The number of full-time employees rose to 423 in 2014, with about $37 million in payroll being generated.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
