Support Pend Oreille County Public Hospital District #1
Hospital Proposition 1
KEEP CARE LOCAL — VOTE YES ON HOSPITAL PROPOSITION 1
Newport Community Hospital (Pend Oreille County Public Hospital District No. 1) has an important proposition on the November 3rd ballot, but it needs community support to pass. The hospital expansion will add up to 36,000 square feet of modern space and bring more services to Newport.
Your YES vote on November 3rd could shape the future of local healthcare:
Expanding the Emergency Room with up to 12 rooms and 2 behavioral health safe rooms — so you don’t have to wait for care when you’re feeling horrible.
Adding up to 3 more Operating Rooms to reduce surgery wait times — the hospital can bring more specialty surgeons to Newport and reduce wait times for surgery.
Bringing oncology and other services to Newport — treatment close to home.
Increasing space for Physical Therapy — quicker scheduling and fewer wait lists.
Adding a new MRI inside the building and expanding the imaging suite — no more walking through the parking lot to the MRI trailer.
Expanding the Laboratory so more services can be done in Newport — right now, many of the lab tests are sent to Spokane, which means you and your doctor have to wait longer for results.
Why is the hospital running this bond now? Can’t it wait?
Newport Community Hospital provides great care in a building that drastically needs improvements. Not cosmetic improvements, but space to serve our growing community and infrastructure to support today’s technology and medical equipment.
The current space won’t allow them to grow — the old part of the hospital was built in 1958, and many of the rooms can’t be refurbished or improved for today’s health care environment or Washington State regulations.
If you’ve been following the news, many specialty care medical providers in Spokane are closing their doors. We need to make sure our hospital has the space it needs to bring specialty care to Newport and take care of our community’s ER, physical therapy, and Laboratory needs.
The longer the hospital waits to build, the more expensive it becomes. In fact, it’s about 5% more each year — that’s $2.75 million for every year they wait to expand. That will only increase the future burden on taxpayers.
Can’t the hospital just get a loan?
No, unfortunately public hospital districts are limited in the amount of debt they can carry. It’s called “debt capacity”. That means they cannot borrow an unlimited amount of money without taxpayer support.
YES, YOU CAN GET YOUR PROPERTY TAX MONEY BACK
The hospital board authorized up to a $750 annual medical bill credit for hospital district property tax payers.
If the bond passes and you use services at Newport Hospital and Health Services or get your prescription drugs at Seeber’s Pharmacy, you can get up to $750 credit back on your out-of-pocket expenses (based on the amount of property tax you pay on this bond). Most property tax payers in Pend Oreille County would get ALL of their tax money back — and you get to claim that tax credit every year for the life of the bond!
To see how the bond would impact you, use our Bond Calculator tool!
Note: This credit only applies to District property tax payers, not Idaho residents or anyone else who lives outside of the District.
What would the hospital expansion bond cost your family?
Calculate your taxWE ARE COMMITTED TO THE FUTURE OF LOCAL HEALTHCARE
Yes for Hospital Expansion believes our community deserves healthcare close to home.
Every resident should have access to high-quality, modern medical care without having to leave Newport or drive to the city. We already have an outstanding community hospital and dedicated providers who are ready to do more for the people they serve.
Specialists want to bring more services to Newport — but they need the space to make it happen.
Hospital expansion means more care, more services, and more opportunities for our community — right here at home.
Let’s invest in the future of local healthcare and make sure our community has the care it deserves. Join us in making a difference for our community’s health and future. Ask how you can help!
OUR AVAILABILITY
As volunteers, our hours are a bit sporadic, but we welcome your input. Your support is vital for the success of this campaign, and we would love for you to join us. We are also here to answer questions — just email us anytime! We’ll get back to you soon.