Health provider has seen loss of revenue, increased expenses in serving public during outbreak
SPOKANE – Part of the challenge in dealing with the current COVID-19 pandemic is the rapidly changing nature of the outbreak itself. Measures to slow the spread of the respiratory disease, along with testing and treatment attempts have left health providers scrambling at times of meet demands — while losing revenue as a result of other steps taken.
To help out, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Health Resources Administration (HRSA) awarded over $36.58 million in funding to health centers in Washington state on April 8, of which just over $2.12 million was given to CHAS (Community Health Association of Spokane). It’s the fourth largest amount awarded to 27 health centers in the state receiving funding, provided by Congress and the White House through the C.A.R.E.S Act, and second largest east of the Cascades, with Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic in Toppenish awarded $3.8 million.
“We are very appreciative of this crucial funding, which helps us maintain operations and staffing levels during the coronavirus pandemic,” CHAS Chief Administrative Officer Kelley Halverson said.
CHAS’s role of providing primary care to everyone regardless of insurance status or ability to pay has helped lower utilization of hospital, including emergency services, under normal circumstances. With clinics throughout the county, including three in Spokane Valley, those resources have been key to providing care and testing for patients during the outbreak.
In an April 13 news release announcing the implementation of a CHAS foundation, the center said it had screened 5,546 individuals for COVID-19, with 947 tested and 31 positives. At the Cheney Clinic on 2nd Street, the center has conducted 36 tests with two positives and two still pending results as of April 15.
But the work has come at a price, with Halverson noting CHAS has spent over $500,000 on COVID-related expenses, and does not include “significant” projected revenue losses due to reduced operations and patient appointments. One of those areas of reduction has come in dental services, part of Gov. Jay Inslee’s mandate halting all non-urgent dental procedures, as service also provided at the Cheney clinic.
“We expected to provide 12,000 dental visits per month through August, and will now most likely see less than 700 per month for emergency-only services at limited locations,” Halverson said. “This is a significant decrease in much-needed patient access, as well as a large loss in revenue.”
Like many other health care providers, CHAS’s most pressing need right now are N95 and surgical masks to help keep health care workers and patients safe.
To accommodate patients’ needs while adhering to COVID-19 requirements for maintaining social distancing and limiting contact, CHAS has converted most of its patient appointments to telehealth visits when appropriate. Halverson said this includes video visits and phone calls, and has been effective with the medical and behavioral health services.
“Although there are some limitations in being able to examine the patient, being able to connect patients with the evaluations they need and their regular prescriptions has been helpful for maintaining their comfort and safety,” Halverson said.
The measures still come at a price, and Halverson said they are exploring all funding options available to the center to offset the costs of the changes in operation and response to the COVID outbreak. Part of that is the new CHAS Health Foundation, a process that began last year and recently announced the formation of a board of directors needed to begin a fundraising campaign to meet the center’s needs.
According to an April 13 news release, the Foundation has begun receiving “seed” funding, including donations from CHAS Health employees, and actively soliciting donations from the public through its website.
“We know people in our community are being impacted by layoffs and lost wages right now,” Foundation spokesperson Lindsey Ruivivar said. “We want to use the Foundation to start providing patient assistance immediately.”
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
Reader Comments(0)