A health care nonprofit in northeastern Washington will expand its reach in an underserved rural region, thanks to the legislation Congress passed to end the government shutdown on Nov. 12.
As part of the short-term spending bill to reopen the federal government, Congress approved funding for multiple projects in Washington requested by the state's representatives in the House and Senate, including $2 million for NEW Health’s Chewelah branch. Both Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell requested funds for the clinic through the process formerly known as "earmarking," but Cantwell and most of her fellow Democrats voted against the legislation because it didn't address expiring health insurance subsidies.
Desiree Sweeney, NEW Health’s CEO, said the funds will be used to create both clinical and nonclinical jobs in the organization. This, she said, will allow her organization to expand workforce development, as well as dental and health access for future generations in northeastern Washington.
“We cover about 5,600 square miles in Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille (counties), as well as having a mobile unit that deploys out to school for physicals, dental access days, career fairs, health fairs,” Sweeney said. “The reach for this project would go far beyond Chewelah and really impact the entire eastern region.”
In August, the area saw closures of orthopedic services and the DominiCare program at Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital, a companion-based program that serves elderly people who need nonclinical home services.
In a news release on Aug. 8, Providence attributed the decision to multiple financial pressures, including cuts to state and federal funding for Medicaid and Medicare, higher costs related to state policies, payment denials from insurers and rising labor and supply costs.
“These headwinds will only intensify," the release said, after congressional Republicans in July passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which enacted restrictions on Medicaid eligibility intended to cut an estimated $1 trillion in spending by 2034.
Baumgartner, who voted in favor of the short-term spending bill on Nov. 12, credited its passage to Republicans in a news release, accusing Democrats of wasting time. He said he was "relieved this pointless DC drama is finally over" after the six-week shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.
"I thank the Democrats who were willing to work across the aisle to end this needless shutdown and put country over party," Baumgartner said in the statement. "Now it’s time to get government working again and put everyday Americans first."
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, negotiated the three appropriations bills that were added to the legislation to fund the rest of the government through January. But although one of those bills included the funds for NEW Health, Murray also voted against the full legislation, citing the same concerns about health insurance subsidies.
In a statement at the time, Cantwell said she voted against the bill because it "doesn’t address the core issue that millions of Americans will no longer be able to afford ACA insurance coverage next year,” referring to insurance plans purchased from marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Similar to Cantwell's statement, Murray spoke on the Senate floor, explaining she voted no because she felt Congress needed to address health care costs before moving forward.
“But Mr. President, I want to be clear. While I cannot vote for this overall deal today, not when we still need to address health care, I do absolutely support the appropriations bills and CR that we will move forward – which do take meaningful steps to reject drastic cuts and extreme policies pushed by both Trump and House Republicans and make sure that Congress—not Trump—is in charge of federal spending," Murray said.
Acknowledging the closures of local behavioral health resources, Sweeney said NEW Health is ensuring it continues to meet what the community needs.
“When we see a lot of changes in the healthcare landscape, especially around critical access hospitals, NEW Health is leaning into our communities. We’re community invested,” Sweeney said.
Monica Carrillo-Casas is a Murrow News fellow for Spokane Public Radio and The Spokesman-Review. All stories produced by Murrow Local News fellows can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. Image rights may vary.
