Rep. Newhouse hears plans for future of McKay Healthcare

April 24-- Apr. 24--SOAP LAKE -- Fourth Congressional District Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Yakima, was in town on Tuesday to hear plans from McKay Healthcare and Rehab Center in Soap Lake on ways the 80-year-old facility can stay in business.

Steve Wellein, head of the board of directors for Hospital District No. 4, which covers the Soap Lake area and provides a small tax base for the nursing home, told Newhouse that McKay is looking at expanding its services and even becoming a hub for veterans care.

"Veterans go to Spokane, Wenatchee, even Seattle," he said. "Everyone wants to come closer. Housing is also an issue."

"There are some challenges in central Washington in regards to veterans care," Newhouse said. "You could be onto something with that."

Wellein and Judith Gorman, president of the hospital district's foundation, said McKay needs to expand in order to stay in business, and serving veterans may be one way of doing that.

"We are reliant on Medicare and Medicaid," Gorman said. "And the cuts that are coming, you need to do something about that. It would save not just our facility, but a lot of other facilities."

"I know there are a lot of facilities closing," Newhouse said.

"Good, I'm glad you know that," Wellein responded.

Wellein and Gorman explained that even as the facility is dependent on Medicare -- the government health insurance program for the elderly -- and Medicaid -- the joint federal and state insurance program for the poor -- it spends $71 per day for each Medicaid patient the facility treats. Which means, on average, McKay loses around $470,000 per year, Wellein said. Currently, private insurance and Medicare payments keep the facility afloat, or the situation would be even worse than it is.

In fact, through disciplined management, McKay has been able to whittle its outstanding debt to Grant County down to just under $350,000 over the last year.

"I'm impressed you've been able to make up so much ground in a year's time," Newhouse said.

Hospital District No. 4 is the only hospital district in Grant County that does not actually have a hospital. Instead, it hosts McKay, the only dedicated, stand-alone long-term nursing care facility in the county.

Wellein said the facility has "plenty of water and plenty of power" and 22 acres just waiting to be developed.

"Everything is in place but a start," he said. "Once we start something, people will come here."

Newhouse said he would have his staff look for other small communities across the country that have faced a similar issue, and see what kind of money there could to pay for a formal study that could help things get started.

"You have a vision for the future, and you know the situation you are in," he said. "This is a great place to live, but a tough place to attract services to."

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