Pullman, WA—Pullman Regional Hospital’s Board of Commissioners has approved a project proposal to relocate approximately 9,000 square feet of administrative services, remodel approximately 17,000 square feet within the hospital, and add approximately 54,000 square feet of patient care space to the existing building and adjacent hospital-owned property.
The plan calls for expanding the emergency department, surgery and gastrointestinal services, mental health services, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, sleep studies, cardiac and pulmonary services, integrating services currently off campus, reducing rented spaces and providing patient care spaces for new potential services such as rheumatology, endocrinology and dermatology.
The project signifies the first major expansion for Pullman Regional Hospital since the hospital was built eighteen years ago, in 2004. Currently, the main campus of Pullman Regional Hospital spans 105,000 square feet; the hospital leases an additional 20,000 square feet of space in Pullman.
The hospital’s facilities planning efforts started in December of 2021 when a Strategic Health Care Facilities Planning Committee—led by Ned Warnick of Design West—was formed. The committee included hospital staff, local physicians, hospital commissioners, members of Pullman City government, and leaders from Washington State University, and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories.
The committee shaped goals for hospital expansion plans and helped develop a list of medical entities to interview. Interview feedback from 26 local healthcare entities defined immediate space needs and space for future service line growth. The committee reviewed three plans, ranging from 58,000 to 115,000 additional square footage, with a final recommendation of 58,000 square foot expansion and 17,000 square foot remodel estimated to cost $45 million—including minor medical equipment.
The proposed project was first presented during the public May board meeting, and funding options were first discussed during the public June board meeting. A public comment meeting was held on June 15th with the majority of attendees voicing support of an expansion. Several emergency department employees referenced the frequent use of sticky notes to designate additional “rooms” in the hallway because every room was full.
During the July 6, 2022 public Board meeting, Commissioners were presented with a recommended funding plan including ranges for hospital borrowing (not to exceed $10 million); philanthropy, grants and other sources (between $6 million to $12.5 million), and a tax payer bond (between $22.5 million and $29.5 million).
The board will host a special public comment meeting on Thursday, July 14th and a second meeting to act on a funding plan on Tuesday, July 26th; both meetings begin at 5pm and are open to the public. If an approved funding plan includes a tax payer bond, this would place a bond measure before Pullman voters on November 8, 2022.
To provide equal opportunity for comments during the July 14th meeting, each participant can take up to three minutes. Written comments may be emailed to hello@pullmanregional.org
The meetings will be held in conference rooms C and D at Pullman Regional Hospital, 835 SE Bishop Blvd. Pullman, WA 99163 or via Zoom.
Find more information about the project, timeline and public meetings: pullmanregional.org/expansion
Contact: Alison Weigley, Director of External Relations
Pullman Regional Hospital & Foundation
Office: (509) 332-2041 / Cell: (509) 330-0242
alison.weigley@pullmanregional.org