Samaritan Healthcare operating profitably, despite COVID-19 shutdowns

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare didn’t make as much money in the first eight months of 2020 as it did in 2019, but it still turned a profit.

Chief Administrative Officer Alex Town said net income was $3.15 million for 2020 through the end of August. In 2019, Samaritan had made $5.56 million through August.

Town said the hospital made $1.51 million in net income in August 2020.

Most of Samaritan’s income is generated through treating patients, and through the end of August, expenses for the year have been higher than patient-generated income. The loss in what is called operating income is $2.94 million for the year. Samaritan does receive other payments, including investment income and delayed compensation for services provided in previous years, and that pushed its overall income back into the black.

Town said the COVID-19 outbreak is responsible for most of the shortfall. State officials ordered hospitals statewide to defer most non-emergency services and treatment from mid-March to mid-May. That included non-emergency surgeries and most outpatient procedures.

Surgeries in August were still lagging behind the budget projections. Town said some patients were still reluctant to come to the hospital for treatment. Obstetrics admissions and general medical admissions were below budget projections, Town said, mostly due to the effects of the pandemic.

Outpatient revenue (services where the patient doesn’t have to stay overnight) also was lower than the budget projections, Town said. Revenue at the Samaritan clinics, on Pioneer Way and Patton Boulevard, was higher than budget projections in August. But it’s below budget projections for the year, Town said.

Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan said clinic revenue was up substantially in July and August when compared with 2019. In part that reflects the hiring of more doctors and other medical professionals, Sullivan explained.

Samaritan had provided $4.7 million in charity care and bad debt writeoffs for the year as of the end of August. Town said the hospital’s financial staff projects Samaritan will provide about $7 million in “uncompensated care” by the end of 2020.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.