KENNEWICK -- The Kennewick Public Hospital District on Thursday unanimously adopted a $122.6 million operating budget for 2010 that includes a 1 percent increase in tax collections from district property owners.
The district expects to bring in just under $1.1 million in taxes in 2010 -- a drop in the bucket compared with its roughly $122 million in revenues expected from patients.
Spencer Harris, Kennewick General Hospital controller, told the board patient admissions are expected to rise 3.5 percent in 2010, and the number of days beds are filled is expected to go up 3 percent.
Visits to KGH Physician Clinics are expected to rise 7.5 percent, from a projected 162,318 for 2009 to 174,414 for 2010.
That's up from 104,341 clinic visits in 2007, Harris said.
"We've got the door open it looks like," he said. "Now we just have to keep them using our services. October was our best month ever with 15,600 visits."
The hospital plans to add 18 full-time employees in 2010 to meet demand, boosting its total employees from 595 to 613 and making KGH the second largest employer in Kennewick outside of the Kennewick School District, Harris said.
Despite having more patients, net revenue remains a concern as the state struggles with its budget.
As part of a package of state cuts to balance a $9 billion deficit forecast in the 2009-2011 budget, the Legislature in April reduced the rates at which hospitals are paid to provide services for Medicaid patients.
With another $1.7 billion deficit anticipated for the supplemental budget the Legislature will adopt in 2010, Harris said he's worried rates will drop even further.
"If the state budget continues to deteriorate, they may come back with additional cuts we did not anticipate," he said.
The budget adopted Thursday reflects only current expenses. It does not include capital money budgeted for construction of a new hospital in Kennewick's Southridge neighborhood.
-- Michelle Dupler: 509-582-1543; mdupler@tricityherald.com
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