1700 13
th
St.
Everett, WA 98201
425-261-2000
providence.org
November 18, 2022
Snohomish County Council members
Everett City Council members
Attn: Megan Dunn, Snohomish County Council Chair
3000 Rockefeller Avenue, M/S #609
Everett, WA 98201
Re: Response to your letter on Nov. 15, 2022
To the members of the Snohomish County Council and Everett City Council,
We have received your letter and appreciate the concern you have for the health and
wellbeing of our community. We share your concerns about the sustainability of hospitals
and health care systems in Washington state and the nation, as facilities and providers across
the health care continuum, from acute care to skilled nursing facilities, are facing immense
operational and financial challenges.
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett admitted approximately 30,000 patients last
year and had nearly 500,000 outpatient visits. Our Emergency Department is one of the
busiest in the state and had about 80,000 patient visits in 2021. We are proud of our history
as a leading health care provider in Snohomish County and consider it a privilege to serve
our community.
However, like all health care organizations in the U.S., Providence Everett has been heavily
impacted by the pandemic. Providence Everett was the first hospital in the nation with a
confirmed case of COVID-19. In addition to being at the center of the pandemic, more
patients are coming in with more advanced diseases, hospitals' finances have been devastated
by inflation and stagnant reimbursement rates, and healthcare staff are leaving the workforce
nationwide. In fact, the International Council of Nursing estimates a worldwide shortage of
13 million nurses by 2030, and analysts predict a shortage of up to 450,000 nurses in the U.S.
by 2025.
Additionally, in line with other large health systems across the country, Providence has
reported significant operating losses this year, due to sharply increasing workforce costs,
supply costs, and shrinking reimbursement. Through the first nine months of the year, the
Providence health system experienced a net operating loss of $1.1 billion. Providence has
