Peacehealth St., a lonely hospital in County. According to the Joseph Medical Center, the number of Whatcom County families, which financial burden at the time of health complications, is increasing.
In the case of the local economic crisis, as the health programs and social safety nets are loosened nationwide, hospitals expect demand for IT and other non -profit organizations to increase over the next few years.
This challenge will affect more stronger than other people than other people, Rachel Lucy, a community health manager of peaceful health, told Cascadia Daily News.
In County, 38%of individuals do not earn less than county’s living expenses, and more people are not eligible for financial support than the level of federal poverty.
In this situation, the number of Whatcom residents lives in the majority of rural families, rising steadily and has been more than 10 years.
According to Peacehealth’s 2025 community health demands, housing and food economy are one of the main health problems of the community.
Lack of service for teenagers, including continuous opioid overdose and mental health, is also the highest health problem in the hospital. report Established
The list of waiting for youth mental health is the standard, Peacehealth recognizes, and the demand for Whatcom County’s service is higher than before the infectious disease. Meanwhile, overdose in Whatcom County is five times higher than the 199 infectious diseases, reaching 306 excess doses between 199 and 2024. As of the end of June, Whatcom County has seen 180 emergency room visits to overdose this year.
Peacehealth’s demand for services is also increasing, and as the number of services approached in 2024 compared to 2024, Peacehealth was busy and started more emergency room visit and profitable.
In 2024, about 14,000 people visited the hospital emergency room than three years ago. In 2024, there were about 3,000 more surgery and 6,000 outpatient clinic visits. $ 77.5 million The entire network is $ 36.3 billion.
Peacehealth released a report on July 4 before the Trump administration. The governor of Bob Ferguson is that most of the changes in health care in which the hospital can be closed and 250,000 Washington residents can lose Medicaid, and when the hospital hopes to add a new 6 floor capacity, the hospital has a new 6 floor capacity until the midterm elections in 2026, It does not apply until the end of the election.
“There have been many changes with the federal government, but I saw the trends before the new administration came in,” Lucy told CDN. “We are very worried.”
Since January, Whatcom County’s visit to Food Banks has decreased despite the need for services. Lucy said, “Food Bank, which provides services to a large immigrant community, as in Sedro-WOOLLEY, said I saw a massive get off.
County’s largest Bellingham Food Bank purchased more than $ 5 million to meet demand in 2024. In 2019, it cost almost $ 400,000 to meet demand.
Almost 70%of school district students, such as Mount Baker, FernDale and Nooksack, can reduce free and lunch. Although there are few registration of basic food benefits throughout the county, almost 50%of adolescents are qualified.
Food benefits for low -income people are one of those who are cut in the Trump Budget Act, but are not known when the SNAP is changed exactly. According to Urban Institute, a policy research organization, almost 22.3 million families will lose snap benefits nationwide.
In order to maintain tax exemptions according to AFODABLE CARE Act, non -profit hospitals such as Peacehealth must perform and post community health demands every three years among other IRS requirements.
The hospital will use the results of the report to establish and disclose the implementation plan at the end of summer. This includes insights into the planned community investments of the hospital.
Owen Racer is A US report Legion members dealing with Whatcom and Skagit County’s health care and public health. Contact the ower of ower@cascadiadaily.com. 360-922-3090 EXT. 101. Learn more and donate at Cascadiadaily.com/rfa.
