FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 24, 2007
Contact:  Cheri Russum, (425) 304-0591

Court Dismisses Appeal of State Decision Granting Additional Beds to Providence Everett Medical Center

OLYMPIA – A legal challenge to the state’s approval of 106 additional beds for Providence Everett Medical Center (PEMC) has been dismissed in Thurston County Superior Court.

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Anne Hirsch dismissed an appeal of the state decision that had been filed by a coalition calling itself the “Campaign to Make Health Care Work,” whose members include the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

After a public hearing in Everett in September 2006, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) approved 106 of the 166 additional beds requested by Providence Everett Medical Center as part of PEMC’s planned new hospital tower on the Colby Campus in Everett. 

Though no one spoke in opposition to the request at that hearing, the “Campaign to Make Health Care Work” appealed the Department’s decision to Thurston County Superior Court.

The Campaign asserted that the additional 106 beds would drive up health care costs.  In her decision dismissing the Campaign’s appeal, Judge Hirsch said “there has been no showing by the Campaign that it can establish a concrete interest that has been harmed” by the approval of 106 additional beds for PEMC.

“We are obviously pleased with the decision,” said PEMC Chief Executive Gail Larson.  “Our hospital is nearly full, and the addition of the 106 beds means that for at least the next decade, PEMC will have sufficient capacity to serve the steadily increasing number of patients from Everett, Snohomish County and the surrounding area who need quality hospital care.”

“Community leaders in Everett and Snohomish County spent a lot of time and energy participating in the planning process and in evaluating and ultimately approving our overall project,” added Janice Halladay, chair of the PEMC board of directors.  “They, and the many patients, doctors and others in the community who support this project, clearly understand the need for the additional beds.  We certainly appreciate their strong expressions of support for this project to the Department of Health and the court.”

Halladay also noted that any delay as a result of the lawsuit would have increased the project’s cost by “many millions of dollars because of construction cost inflation.” “The Court’s decision means the hospital can move full steam ahead to build the new tower at the lowest possible cost,” she said.