PORT ANGELES — When the Olympic Medical Center board agreed to negotiate non-binding letters of intent with potential partners, it took another step along the path it began in December to explore the possibility of affiliating with another health care system.
The next step will come when commissioners publicly vote on a letter of intent that names a potential partner and summarizes the primary terms of a proposed agreement.
OMC has not released the names of the some 20 potential partners to whom it sent requests for proposals or the names of those it chose for further consideration. The name and the status of a potential partner will be coming soon, CEO Darryl Wolfe said at the board’s June 18 meeting.
“Very shortly there will be an announcement whether we’re pursuing or moving forward in that phase or not,” he said.
The board has stated throughout the exploration process that a partnership is not preordained, and remaining an independent public hospital has always been an option.
Seeking redesignation as a critical access hospital, like Jefferson Healthcare, also has been discussed. That particular switch would require significantly restructuring OMC’s delivery system, from a 67-bed acute-care facility with a Level 3 Trauma Center to a 25-bed facility with limits on length of stay, among other changes.
The possibility of an affiliation with a faith-based system, like Providence or Franciscan Health, has raised public concerns that access to certain services, particularly end-of-life care and women’s reproductive health, would end.
But even if OMC does sign a non-binding agreement, a partnership or change in designation isn’t guaranteed.
Washington has a highly regulated Certificate of Need program for certain kinds of health care providers, like hospitals, that want to expand or establish new services and facilities. Critically, providers must demonstrate that the proposed services are necessary for that community.
The process starts when a hospital files a letter of intent with the state Department of Health at least 30 days before it submits an application for a Certificate of Need. The letter provides an outline of the project it wants to undertake, a description of the service area and an estimated capital cost.
The DOH posts the letter of intent on its website for 30 days; after that, the DOH’s Certificate of Need program can choose to accept the application. If accepted, the application is screened to make sure it is complete.
Next, during the Beginning of Review process, the public can submit written comments on the application and the hospital is given an opportunity to respond. At that time, anyone can request the Certificate of Need program hold a public hearing regarding the project.
In an email, a DOH representative said, “A public hearing, in this context, is a meeting in which the program will facilitate a meeting for the public to ask questions related to CN (Certificate of Need) review criteria directly of the provider. This hearing is not to determine the merits of the application materials, but to allow the public to engage with the provider directly rather than just through written comment.”
The public hearings are held virtually, not in person.
Once public comment is completed, a Certificate of Need analyst reviews all of the submitted materials, including public comments, and drafts a recommendation for approval or denial. It’s submited to the Certificate of Need program manager, who makes a final decision.
Hospitals that are seeking a merger or other change in status also must file a notice with the Antitrust Division of the state Attorney General’s Office.
The DOH Certification of Need process can be found at tinyurl.com/36bjcbte.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
