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Church wants assurance on hospital charity levels

June 25, 2008

The United Methodist Church's Pacific Northwest Conference has asked state officials to make the sale of Deaconess Medical Center conditional on Community Health offering charity care levels that meet Eastern Washington hospital averages.

A group of United Methodist deaconesses founded the hospital more than a century ago. It no longer carries a religious affiliation.

A state-commissioned report released this week stated that Community Health's charity care eligibility is expected to surpass Deaconess' current offerings. Whether it meets regional averages was unknown.

In a letter, United Methodist Bishop Edward W. Paup and Inland District Superintendent the Rev. Jo Ann Olson also asked that Community Health support local programs that assist the poor, specifically Project Access and the Wellness Works program.

Community Health has stated its intention to support health care programs but has declined to be more specific as regulators scrutinize its $156 million offer for Deaconess and Valley Hospital and Medical Center.

"It is critically important to recognize that Deaconess' value includes much more than the machines and building that are located at the foot of Spokane's South Hill," the two church leaders wrote. "The value includes, and the purchase price must reflect, the century of service, the traditions of care, and the participation in the community."

Also Tuesday, the Protect Our Hospitals Coalition said it supported the sale of Deaconess and Valley.

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