Lack of Primary Care Providers in the Growing Central Washington Region
Central Washington State is experiencing a population boom, but there are not enough doctors to address the current and future needs of its residents. While the greater Columbia Basin service area has seen a modest 6% growth in the last decade, the Moses Lake region grew 23.5% between 2010 and 2020.
On average, Samaritan Healthcare provides care to about 760 patients per day, and in 2024 provided over 11,000 acute inpatient days, 4,500 surgeries, 25,000 emergency department visits, and 100,000 primary care, same day, urgent care and specialty visits. Samaritan also delivered over 1,000 newborns last year alone.
Family medicine providers often practice a full spectrum of care. However, we currently have a shortage of more than 22 primary care providers to meet demand – and this number is growing.
In this vast rural landscape, patients are frequently forced to travel a minimum of 3 hours round trip for quality specialty and primary care or wait long times in order to see their local providers. Samaritan Healthcare, a community-owned healthcare provider serving the Moses Lake region and beyond, is working hard to change that.
Greater Samaritan Service Area
“As a community-owned hospital, our top priority is meeting the needs of our growing region. This residency project will open much-needed access to primary care, and help develop a future physician workforce for our region.”
– Theresa Sullivan, Samaritan Healthcare CEO
- Samaritan is proposing a Family Medicine residency program partnership with the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University, a program uniquely designed to address the healthcare needs of rural communities.
“Both Samaritan Healthcare and WSU are each uniquely positioned within the community to promote and advance high standards of health, medical care, innovative programs, and healthcare education and training. Working together, the Parties desire to leverage their respective strengths and expertise to better fulfill their shared interests in delivering expert healthcare services and education to promote a higher quality of life for the communities they serve.”
– 2022 Memorandum of Understanding
The Family Medicine Residency Program with WSU School of Medicine would provide an enhanced culture of teaching and learning throughout the region, while also providing a workforce pipeline of trained physicians committed to serving in a rural setting.
Federal funding for this project would create:
- A Rural Residency Continuity Clinic complete with exam rooms, and operational clinic space that provides collaborative program support and training while meeting the patient demand for primary care services.
- Resident work and learning spaces dedicated to supporting the GME program, including student study spaces, conference & education rooms to support remote learning
Simulation and skills lab.
With approved funding of $2,500,000 for the above infrastructure, the project could move forward as soon as 2026. Samaritan proposes four residents in the first year (estimated 2029), eight in the second year, and up to 12 residents in the third year of the program.
Letters of Support for the Rural Residency Program
Members of the 13th Legislative District:
- Senator Judy Warnick
- Representative Tom Dent
- Representative Alex Ybarra
CEO’s of the Grand Columbia Health Alliance Hospitals:
- Corey Fedie, East Adams Rural Healthcare
- Rosalinda Kibby, Columbia Basin Hospital
- Glenda Bishop, Quincy Valley Medical Center
- Connie Agenbroad, Othello Community Hospital
- Brett Antczak, Odessa Memorial Health Center
Samaritan Healthcare Medical Directors & Physician Staff:
- Dr. Andrea Carter, Chief Medical Officer
- Dr. Brett DeGooyer, Medical Director of Samaritan Clinics
- Dr. Lyndon Dieter, Medical Director of Perioperative Services
- Dr. Jordan Smith, Medical Director of Trauma
- Dr. Matthew Lockwood, Medical Director of Emergency Medicine
- Dr. Andrea Matson, Medical Director of General Surgery
- Dr. Alexis Rogers, Medical Director of CareToday
- Dr. Chayle Turner, Hospitalist & WSU School of Medicine Graduate
Physician Leadership from Moses Lake Community Health:
- Dr. Ryan Tolley, Medical Director MLCHC
- Dr. Carlina Menjivar
- Dr. Logan Mims
- Debbie Doran-Martinez, Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce
- Brant Mayo, Grant County Economic Development Council
- Washington State Office of Rural Health
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