Adams County Healthcare System to Layoff Another 108 Workers

Like a number of rural healthcare and public hospital districts in WA state East Adams in Ritzville has been hit hard by rising costs, and funding shifts in WA State. Now, they're laying off more workers.

  A WARN Alert says 108 jobs to go in January

A combination of rising healthcare costs, and decreasing compensation from state programs have put many rural systems in jeopardy.

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According to the Columbia Basin Herald and the Ritzville Adams County Journal, a recent audit shows the East Adams Rural Healthcare System (the Adams County Public Hospital District #2, has lost $14 million since 2020, and recently laid off 16 workers earlier this fall.

 The Journal reports the losses are carried forward as debt, and at the end of October, several options were put forward. They include: (according to the Journal)

"bankruptcy, closure, consolidating with another healthcare facility, merger/acquisition, restructure, partnerships, increasing levy dollars, federal and state grants, and sale of assets."

With WA state making deep Medicaid cuts, to the tune of $729 million by the legislature earlier this year, and lower reimbursements, and a new hospital tax looking in 2026, many systems are strained to the breaking point.

The WARN (worker adjustment retaining notification) from Employment Security termed the cuts as "layoffs."   They did not mention any closure).  The hospital is located in Ritzville. No updated data has been released about which workers will be cut.