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Description

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OVERVIEW
Coulee Community Hospital is a non profit Public Hospital District located by the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in rural Eastern Washington State The community sits squarely on the corner of Douglas Grant Lincoln and Okanogan Counties and provides services to residents of the towns of Electric City Grand Coulee Coulee Dam Nespelem Coulee City Hartline Wilbur Almira and Keller as well as numerous unincorporated communities located throughout five counties and the Colville Reservation Comprehensive services including imaging laboratory inpatient and outpatient services emergency general surgery obstetrics and well woman services are provided to patients at Coulee Community Hospital and Coulee Family Medicine located in Grand Coulee Additionally our skilled medical staff provides outreach services to patients at Coulee City Clinic and the Indian Health Service Clinic located in Nespelem on the Colville Reservation

COULEE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Coulee Community Hospital is a 25 bed Trauma Level IV Critical Access Hospital providing high quality cost effective service to its patrons Established as a quotcommunity hospitalquot patients receive a wide range of services while experiencing personalized service from a caring supportive staff and the comfort of being near family and friends An excellent network of visiting professionals and referral services enables the hospital to provide a broad spectrum of comprehensive care With a staff of highly trained healthcare professionals and technical personnel Coulee Community Hospital offers a high level of community care attending to the personal physical emotional and spiritual needs of the community

In addition to Acute Care services Coulee Community Hospital also supports a Long Term Care Unit which is located in a wing of the main hospital and is usually at capacity A large airy activitydining room and fenced patio and garden are available to all residents and their families and offer an ideal location for many activities The unit also offers a full range of services that are either unique to or shared by the main hospital facility An activities director sees that residents enjoy daily scheduled social activities and coordinates special entertainment and service projects by community members Speech occupational physical and mental health therapy are all available through visiting specialists who either personally perform the therapy or design programs that are implemented by long term care staff Formal quotCare Conferencesquot for residents and family members allows families to ask questions and give input to specific care needs Being located in the hospital complex gives the unit the advantage of having quality emergency assistance available close at hand A uniqueness not all facilities can match

MISSION STATEMENT
It is the mission of Coulee Community Hospital Long Term Care Unit and the Coulee Family Medicine Clinic to provide the highest quality healthcare possible in a rural community cost effectively with each patient being treated in a courteous and respectful manner The healthcare needs of the community will be met in this rapidly changing field of medicine by carefully assessing services needed recruiting highly competent physicians and support professionals and cooperating with area health agencies provider visiting specialists and regional hospitals Through both internal efforts and cooperative efforts with outside agencies strategies will be carefully developed and revised as needed which will promote strong patient physician relationships in a cost effective manner

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History

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HISTORY
The history of Coulee Community Hospital parallels that of the Grand Coulee Dam Born in the early 1930s during the Great Depression the hospital knew difficult times and adversity

The original area hospital was Mason City Hospital located on a hill overlooking Grand Coulee Dam in what is now East Coulee Dam Built in 1934 the twostory wood frame building consisted of 75 beds and accommodated the emergency health needs of workers on the dam and their families Early records from a Bureau of Reclamation safety publication noted that in 1938 the hospital was renovated by Kaiser Permanente This pioneering HMO helped staff the facility and offered affordable healthcare coverage to its customers Records also noted that personnel numbered 51 and medical staff consisted of 8 physicians and surgeons to accommodate the many medical needs For one six month period the outpatient clinic alone provided 21274 treatments an average of 3554 per month and more than secured its place as a vital necessity in the community Scores of families still in the area today can point back to the many benefits the emergency and nonemergency services provided

In 1960 hospital directors voted to relocate the Mason City Hospital and build a new facility in the city of Grand Coulee The new hospital was given a new identity Coulee Community Hospital to encompass the area of service Coulee Community Hospital was privately owned during part of its history and due to financial difficulties was closed for short periods The last closure was in 1973 and almost ceased operations again in 1990 due to a shortage of physicians

When area citizens voted their support by forming Douglas Grant Lincoln Okananogan Counties Public Hospital District 6 in 1990 Coulee Community Hospital became publicly owned The public taxing district and the monies it collects provide the hospital with a stable monetary base for operations A board of five Commissioners assure the public that an appropriate standard of care is maintained and provide for sound administrations and budgets

Since the formation of the tax district hospital utilization has more than doubled and Coulee Community Hospital is now on sound financial footing The Long Term Care Facility now operates at capacity and the hospital owned Physicians Clinic known as the Coulee Family Medicine Clinic now boasts over 18000 patient visits per year With the help of the tax district volunteer organizations such as the Coulee Medical Foundation the Hospital Auxiliary and community support Coulee Community Hospital has and will continue to touch the lives of those in need