FROM YOUR BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS | ANNUAL LETTER

Dear Community Members,

It has been an exciting and successful year at Lake Chelan Health (LCH) and as we close out 2025 and look forward to 2026, we’d like to share our accomplishments as well as some of our plans for 2026.

Our Specialty Care Clinic moved into its new location in July, and with the expansion came new specialty doctors, including Dr. Touloei in Dermatology, Dr. Sobba-Higley for Ear Nose and Throat, and Dr. Dahl in Orthopedics. Early this new year, we will be starting Cardiology with Dr. Gautam Nayak, Joel Rhyner PA, and Katie Bates, DNP, ARNP. More specialists are on their way and announcements will be coming soon for the new year!

 

It didn’t take us long to add new providers at the Express Care location in downtown Chelan. We welcome our new Pediatrician, Dr. Reynolds as well as several Primary Care Providers to expand our availability for these important services. By extending the Express Care Walk-In Clinic hours of operation, we hope to have same day appointments be the norm rather than the exception and provide you with regular appointments as your needs arise.

The inpatient care provided by our 24/7 hospitalist team with Drs. Kalliath, Coyne and Pappy are about to recognize their one-year anniversary. This program has received resounding compliments from our patients and has demonstrated the anticipated improvements to care and wait times. The hospitalists also brought a new program called Compass, which will bring our emergency department and inpatient care providers access to various tele-services, including cardiology, pulmonology/critical care, infectious disease and nephrology. With this new service and as our new specialists become busier, the hospitalists will give our community the opportunity to truly receive quality health care close to home.

In September, we broke ground on our new EMS building. After 50 years of service, we are excited to provide a permanent home for this award-winning team of professionals. This project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.

Early this new year, we will launch a new billing software that will enable patients to view and pay bills online or from their phones. You will be able to group your family members, view billing details, set up patient plans and more.

As a board, it is so much easier to plan strategically for our future when operational systems are working as they should. While we can always anticipate the healthcare industry will have its own unique financial and regulatory challenges, we are extremely proud of the significant financial and quality of care improvements that have been made over the past three years. These improvements have allowed us to finally act on a long-term goal of purchasing and implementing a new electronic medical records software system (EMR). We are finally financially and organizationally healthy enough to sustain both the cost and time associated with a changeover to this new EMR. We know that this will be a patient and employee satisfier to truly moving health care forward in our facility. The transition should begin in 2026 and be fully implemented by 2027.

The board would like to give a huge thanks to the executive leadership team for providing us with relevant, transparent, and timely information to help our decision making; to the entire staff and associates who provide excellent compassionate care to our patients; and to our community for having the trust and confidence to allow us to provide your health care needs when you need them.

We wish you and your family a happy and healthy New Year!

Your Board of Commissioners, Lake Chelan Health

Jordana LaPorte, Chair
Lori Withrow, Vice Chair
Mary Murphy, Secretary
Doug Gibson, Member
Len England, Member

 

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Happy New Year Greetings From Lake Chelan Health Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Aaron Edwards!

As we close out the tumultuous year of 2025 and begin the new year, you will undoubtedly be hearing more about small hospitals facing closures in the communities they serve. Please know that the Lake Chelan Health Leadership Team and Board of Commissioners remain focused on providing access to high-quality healthcare services for our community.

To help keep our community informed, I will be reaching out more frequently to share strategic actions being taken by our Board and Administration to keep our community hospital open and strong. We are extremely grateful for the support you have given our Board and staff, and we will continue to strengthen our financial foundation and the services we offer—for the benefit of you, our neighbors, and friends.

In a series of messages over the next few weeks, I would like to emphasize important actions we are taking to ensure our community remains well cared for and to address common questions and concerns we are hearing—such as concerns about Lake Chelan Health closing Labor and Delivery, which we are not.

Lake Chelan Health will keep our Labor and Delivery Unit OPEN.
  • This year we sent a nurse to live and train in Spokane for three months in order to prepare to expertly serve in our OB (Obstetric/labor and delivery) unit.
  • This year’s budget includes the purchase of specialized equipment focused on labor and delivery.
  • We have and will continue to urge Governor Ferguson to include nearly $12 million in his request to the Federal government to help fund labor and delivery in rural hospitals, including LCH.
  • We participated in a national film “Giving Birth In America Just Got More Dangerous” and the video can be found at https://youtu.be/HZq94uLdj08?si=zMt6a-V1l_5l-D9m (or at perfectunion.us).
  • We will continue to visit state and national lawmakers to ask for help in sustaining the labor and delivery service.
  • This year we will begin a formal collaboration called “Smooth Transitions” with Columbia Valley Community Health (CVCH) to further improve the care our mothers and babies receive.
  • We are committed to require and support all OB labor and delivery staff and providers to maintain the skills necessary to ensure the highest quality patient care and safety is provided.
We Need Your Help—Supporting Local Labor & Delivery

To sustain our Labor and Delivery program, we must help offset the nearly $1 million in unpaid OB care we provide each year with revenue from other hospital services. In 2025, Lake Chelan Health delivered 80 babies—just five fewer than in 2024. These numbers are very small for maintaining a full Labor and Delivery program without having the support of other resources.

You can help keep this essential service available right here in our community:

  • Encourage growing families to choose Lake Chelan Health for their OB care and deliveries.
  • Use our expanded local services, including primary care, specialty care, lab, radiology, and physical therapy.
  • Ask your healthcare provider to send your lab and imaging orders to Lake Chelan Health instead of facilities farther away and save valuable time.

Every visit, test, and referral to our local hospital helps support Labor and Delivery and ensures that families can continue to welcome their babies close to home.

Thank you for helping us keep care local, strong, and growing.

Respectfully,
Aaron Edwards, MHPA, RHCEOC
CEO, Lake Chelan Health

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LAKE CHELAN HEALTH HOSPITAL WELCOMES FIRST BABY OF 2026

Chelan, WA – Tuesday January 2, 2026 — While many in the community were still sleeping in after ringing in the New Year, the Labor and Delivery team at Lake Chelan Health Hospital was already hard at work welcoming 2026’s first baby.

Baby boy Taylor Owyn Denney was born in the early morning hours of January 1, 2026, to proud first-time parents Kaitlynn Miller and Daytin Denney. The arrival of the New Year’s baby is always a special occasion, and this year’s first delivery brought smiles to both family and staff— especially for Obstetrics Nurse Juliana England and Columbia Valley Community Health (CVCH), Dr. Hippe and resident Dr. Piper, who were part of the delivery team.

“The team did really good and made it easy on us, which was much appreciated,” the parents shared.

In celebration, the family was presented with the annual New Year’s Baby Basket, generously donated by Lake Chelan Health Hospital Guild B. Pictured are Kaitlynn and Daytin Denney alongside Juliana England, OB Labor and Delivery nurse and manager.

The Denney family expressed appreciation for their experience in the hospital’s Labor and Delivery unit. The unit features four spacious suites, each designed to provide comfort, privacy, and ample space for family and care teams to support growing families. Since moving into its new facility three years ago, Lake Chelan Health Hospital has provided 24-hour hospital services and continues to support growing families—from birth in Labor and Delivery to ongoing care at Lake Chelan Health Pediatric Care.

In 2025, Lake Chelan Health Hospital welcomed more than 75 babies from communities throughout the region—continuing its commitment to providing high-quality, close-to-home maternity care.

The Lake Chelan Health Hospital Guild B has a long tradition of bringing joy to growing families. Established in 1947, this non-profit organization has donated over $200,000 to the hospital, funding essential equipment and the cherished New Year’s baby basket.

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LAKE CHELAN HEALTH: COMMITTED TO CARE AMID STATE CUTS AND MEDICAID CHANGES

Lake Chelan Community Members: A few things from Lake Chelan Health regarding state spending cuts, additional state taxes, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA):

  • Lake Chelan Health is committed to serving our community and providing local access to health care long into the future.
  • It’s true that hospitals and clinics are facing a challenging financial landscape with cuts to Medicaid at the federal level and additional cuts and new taxes at the state level. This is on top of hospitals in Washington State collectively being in a state of financial losses over the last several years.
  • We are currently evaluating the impact these cuts will have on our organization. Some of them will be felt in the next year; however, the biggest cuts do not appear to take effect until the beginning of 2027, and they increase every year thereafter.
  • In light of these legislative changes, we are thoughtfully considering the possibility of making adjustments to some of the services our hospital district offers. Please know we will keep the community up to date should we need to make any changes to service lines. At this point, however, we do not have any immediate plans to close any services at Lake Chelan Health.  Our goal is to try to offer new services that are both meaningful to the community and profitable to be able to absorb some of these cuts.  We are making significant progress to that end.  In fact, this fall we are adding a new pediatrician, a new orthopedic surgeon & orthopedic physician assistant, adding ear nose and throat services, and adding new offerings from our general surgeon (with more services to come).  Most of these new services will be offered from our new specialty clinic, which is across the street from the new hospital and is expected to open on August 4th.  Our new pediatrician, Dr. Emily Reynolds, will be practicing out of our downtown Chelan clinic alongside our primary care and express care teams.   Over the past three years, we have made significant improvements financially and believe we are positioning ourselves well to maintain services and be a meaningful place for our teammates to work and serve their community.
  • We do know that community members who are enrolled in Apple Health or Medicaid for their health insurance will have significant new requirements to maintain that coverage, most of which take effect in early 2027. As details become available, we will plan ways to help our Medicaid patients remain eligible and enrolled as much as possible.   As community members lose coverage, we will likely see a large increase in uncompensated care (charity care), which has already increased substantially over the past few years.  We do not, will not, and cannot, turn those without the ability to pay away, and as we receive no reimbursement, we do incur additional expenses related to these visits and care.
  • Apple Health/Medicaid is an important part of keeping our community healthy and funding our hospital. Every one percent cut in Medicaid takes roughly $84K away from our facility annually. Governor Ferguson has already signed into law cuts to the Medicaid program amounting to at least 1%.
  • For Lake Chelan Health, beginning in 2028, we expect our first cuts to our direct provider payments (DPP), and they will continue to reduce year after year until 2035, when they will sink to just 10% of our current payment. If there are substantial decreases in Medicaid enrollment in the patients we serve, the payment is cut further.  We receive a little over a million dollars a year from these payments, in addition to cuts to hospital payments from the state. These cuts are large enough that they will have an impact on all people seeking health care services in Washington State. For some, it may mean longer wait times, for others it may mean the loss of some local services requiring additional travel. For some, it could mean the loss of insurance coverage or much more expensive insurance coverage. For patients in rural hospitals like ours, who often need to transfer to a higher level of care, it could mean extended waits.

The implications from new state taxes and cuts and the impacts OBBBA will take time to figure out.  Once we understand the full impact of both the state and federal budget cuts and new taxes on hospitals, we will work with the hospital board and citizens to determine the best path forward for our community.  If you would like to stay up to date on this and other topics you can attend our monthly board meetings on the 4th Tuesday of each month (either virtually or in person), you can listen to KOZI Radio Community Connections on Friday’s following the board meeting for a brief recap (approximately 8:10am). Additionally, we will periodically send out updates on social media and our website and may host a special forum as details become clearer.

We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you long into the future.

Respectfully,
Aaron Edwards, MHPA, RHCEOC
CEO, Lake Chelan Health

LCH Committed to Care Amid State Cuts and Medicaid Changes 7.24.25

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LAKE CHELAN HEALTH EMS RECEIVES MISSION:LIFELINE®EMS GOLD AWARD

Lake Chelan Health EMS is a leading EMS system in Washington State! For the 6th year they have been recognized for their commitment to providing quality care for heart attacks and strokes in the Lake Chelan Valley. The American Heart Association presents the Mission: Lifeline® EMS-GOLD with Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Heart Attack Honor Roll Achievement Award for proven dedication to best practices and life-saving care. The American Heart Association/ American Stroke Associations recognizes this prehospital provider organization for demonstrating continued success in using the Mission Lifeline® program.
Mission: Lifeline EMS® recognition is the American Heart Association’s program that recognizes prehospital emergency agencies for their quality of care for heart attack and stroke patients. The recognition program focuses on transforming care quality by connecting all heart attack and stroke care components into a seamlessly integrated care system. Key tenets of these systems of care reinforce evidence-based guidelines and measure performance, identify gaps, and engage in quality improvement.

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CHELAN HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR EXPLORES HEALTHCARE CAREER THROUGH HOSPITAL INTERNSHIP

Melissa Anaya, a senior at Lake Chelan High School, is gaining valuable real-world experience through her Career and Technical Education (CTE) Career Connections class. As part of the program, Melissa applied for and was selected for a competitive internship at Lake Chelan Health (LCH), giving her the opportunity to shadow healthcare professionals, ask questions, and explore potential career paths. With aspirations of becoming a labor and delivery nurse, this hands-on exposure has been instrumental in shaping her future goals.

The internship was made possible through the coordination of Dave Dawson, LCH Clinical Coordinator, and Jeff Pearl, CTE Career Connections teacher at Chelan High School. Internships at LCH are highly competitive—currently, only one position is available—and the application process mirrors that of hiring a new healthcare staff member. However, unlike full-time employees, high school interns strictly observe and do not provide hands-on patient care.

Applicants must complete a formal application, attend an interview, and once selected, go through a thorough onboarding process. This includes a background check and comprehensive training in patient privacy, safety, infection control, and hospital procedures.

Melissa began her internship in January and has since had the opportunity to shadow professionals across several departments, including rehabilitation, radiology, emergency, laboratory, the medical-surgical unit, and the Lake Chelan Health Clinic located downtown at 219 E. Johnson Avenue.

One of the most impactful moments of Melissa’s internship came with patient consent—she was able to observe a cesarean section, a powerful experience that further solidified her passion for becoming a labor and delivery nurse.

Lake Chelan Health has long been committed to supporting educational opportunities and is proud to help inspire and guide the next generation of healthcare professionals.

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LAKE CHELAN HEALTH REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE CARE FOR ALL

Chelan, WA, February 20, 2025– Chelan, WA – The mission of Lake Chelan Health (LCH) is to provide the highest quality healthcare with compassion and respect to the community we serve. LCH hospital and clinic services want to reassure our community that our hospital and clinic campuses are a place of healing, open to everyone, no matter their immigration status. We understand that some people may be afraid to seek medical care due to concerns about immigration enforcement, but we want to make it clear: we are here to provide care for all.

Washington State hospitals, including Lake Chelan Health, are taking steps to protect the rights and privacy of all Washington patients. While hospitals must follow legal court orders or warrants, we are committed to making sure our patients feel safe and secure when they come to us for care.

What Lake Chelan Health is Doing to Protect Patients:

  • Controlling Access to Facilities – Private patient care areas, such as the Emergency Room, Radiology, Labor and Delivery, Inpatient Unit, Surgical Services, Rehab Department, and Primary, Express and Specialty Care clinics, are only accessible to approved individuals to protect patient privacy and safety.
  • Supporting Our Staff – Hospital leaders are prepared to handle immigration enforcement situations. Our staff has been trained to direct any enforcement actions to a designated administrator who can access legal support.
  • Verifying Enforcement Requests – We will not allow immigration officers access to patients or private areas without a properly executed court order or warrant. Our staff is trained to verify these requests before taking any action.
  • Protecting Patient Privacy – We follow strict state and federal privacy laws and will not share patient information unless required by law.
  • Offering Opt-Out Options – All patients have the right to opt out of being listed in the hospital directory, which means their presence at the hospital will not be confirmed to anyone who inquires. Undocumented immigrants and their advocates may want to ask to be opted out of the patient hospital directory.

At this time, there have been no reports of immigration enforcement actions at Lake Chelan Health or any other hospitals in Washington State. Our focus remains on providing quality care and ensuring that every patient feels safe when seeking medical attention.

We encourage anyone in need of medical care to visit us without fear. Your health and well-being are our top priorities.

Lake Chelan Health
509-682-3300 • Info@lcch.net
LakeChelanHealth.org

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DEAR COMMUNITY MEMBERS: A LETTER FROM THE LAKE CHELAN HEALTH BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Dear Community Members, 

As 2024 has come to a close, we would like to express our gratitude for your steady support and engagement with your Hospital District throughout the year. We also want to share key accomplishments that Lake Chelan Health achieved due to the expertise and dedication of our employees and affiliates, as well as other important news.  

The Washington State Hospital Association recognized Lake Chelan Health with the Rural Quality Everyday Extraordinary Award for its Aggregate Quality Score. The Aggregate Quality Score measures organization-wide quality of care and patient satisfaction.  

LifeNet Health honored Lake Chelan Health Hospital with the Tissue Donation Standards of Excellence Award. This respected award recognizes the hospital’s unwavering commitment and efforts to achieve and sustain high standards in initiating the tissue donation process to save and enhance patients’ lives in the region.  

The American Heart Association presented the Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold with Target: Heart Attack Honor Roll Achievement Award to Lake Chelan Health Emergency Medical Services for proven dedication to best practices and life-saving care for people with heart attacks and strokes in the Lake Chelan Valley.  

This past year, we were saddened by the loss of our associates who passed away. They will be remembered for their compassionate service to patients and their friendship and collaborative efforts with us at Lake Chelan Health.  

Also, the Administration and Board set specific parameters and goals to achieve to award performance bonuses to the employees of Lake Chelan Health. Many of these goals were met and exceeded and for the first time we were able to award an organizational wide year-end bonus for their exceptional work in providing exceptional care to our community. 

Looking ahead to the new year, we are excited about new and expanded services and facilities that will enable us to continue to offer you high quality healthcare close to home. 

  • The new Hospitalist program begins in January and will provide round-the-clock care for patients in the hospital, as well as consultations and training for the UW Rural Family Residency Program.  
  • More Family Practice, Speech Therapy, Dermatology and Pediatric services will be offered.  
  • Your new Specialty Care Clinic will open at the Apple Blossom Center this Spring to provide specialty medical services close to your hospital.  
  • We will break ground this fall for your new EMS facility on the hospital campus.  As well as a new home to EMS, this facility will also provide much needed training and conference room areas. 

We wish you a happy and healthy New Year and look forward to continuing to provide the quality healthcare our community deserves. 

Board of Commissioners, 

Jordana LaPorte, Lori Withrow, Len England, Doug Gibson and Mary Murphy 

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FOUR LAKE CHELAN HEALTH NURSES HONORED WITH 2024 DAISY AWARDS FOR EXCEPTIONAL CARE

Chelan, WA — Four outstanding nurses from Lake Chelan Health (LCH) Hospital have been honored with the prestigious Daisy Award in recognition of their exceptional care and dedication in 2024. The awards were presented by LCH CEO Aaron Edwards, LCH Board Chair Jordana LaPorte, Board Member Mary Murphy, and hospital staff during a heartfelt ceremony.

The Daisy Award is a highly regarded recognition program that celebrates extraordinary nurses who demonstrate compassion, excellence, and commitment to their patients and communities. This year’s recipients were selected through a thoughtful and rigorous process involving nominations from patients, families, staff members, and community members. Over the past year, nomination forms were placed throughout the hospital, and a committee of nurses carefully reviewed each submission to identify four deserving honorees.

Meet the 2024 Daisy Award Nurse Recipients:

Audrey Temes: Audrey’s kindness, humor, and easy-going spirit made an indelible impact on her patients. One nomination shared, “Audrey made the stress of a situation dissipate with her kindness. She was compassionate and attentive to my husband’s every need. We’re so thankful to have met her and be in her caring hands!”

 

Carrie Bonner: Carrie’s dedication to teamwork and going above and beyond in challenging situations earned her recognition. One patient recounted, “Carrie came to the rescue during a messy situation when everyone else scattered. Despite it being after hours, she donned full PPE and cleaned up the mess with no complaints.” Her commitment to patient care and her team is truly inspiring.

 

Kim Ramella: Kim’s exceptional compassion was evident in her care for a mother whose newborn was transferred via life flight. “Kim wheeled the mother down the hall to watch her baby take off and stayed by her side, offering comfort during a heartbreaking moment,” a colleague shared. Her thoughtful actions touched the hearts of everyone involved.

 

Linzy Stone: Linzy’s efforts in advancing the hospital’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program have transformed patient care at LCH. After earning her SANE certification, Linzy dedicated herself to creating a robust program, networking with law enforcement, and developing safe, efficient protocols. She also secured grants for aftercare packages to provide patients with essential items. Linzy’s tireless dedication ensures patients receive care with respect and compassion, leaving a lasting impact on the community.

The recipients received a pin that they can wear proudly, a certificate, and a Healer’s Touch Sculpture. The sculpture represents the bond between nurses and their patients and are hand-carved out of serpentine stone from Shona artists in Zimbabwe. There are many benefits and opportunities as a DAISY Honoree that will be awarded as well.

About the Daisy Award:

The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. The DAISY Foundation was established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes after he died from complications of the auto-immune disease ITP in 1999. During his hospitalization, they deeply appreciated the care and compassion shown to Patrick and his entire family. When he died, they felt compelled to say “thank you” to nurses in a very public way. To learn more, visit DAISYFoundation.org.

Cinnamon rolls are presented to the unit of the recipient because when Pat was ill, he had lost his appetite until one morning when he asked for a cinnamon roll. He was able to eat the whole thing and asked his family to bring back more cinnamon rolls for the nurses. DAISY hopes that whenever you smell or taste a cinnamon roll or bake with cinnamon you will let the cinnamon aroma be a sensory trigger reminding you of the positive difference nurses make in a patient’s and/or their family’s life.

About Lake Chelan Health: Lake Chelan Health is dedicated to delivering exceptional healthcare to the Chelan Valley community. With a team of skilled professionals, LCH strives to create a compassionate, patient-centered environment that meets the needs of its patients and their families.

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THE SPIRIT OF GIVING LIVES ON WITH THE FIRST BABY OF THE YEAR

Christmas may be over, but the spirit of giving continues all year long—a sentiment beautifully demonstrated by the family of the first baby of the new year. The family graciously decided to pass on the gift they received: a basket donated by Lake Chelan Health Hospital Guild B.
It didn’t take long to find a deserving recipient. Just a few days later, on January 7, 2025, Zoey Mae May Jones made her grand entrance into the world. Born at 9:07 PM, Zoey measured 18 inches and weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces.
Breanna Spencer and Daniel Jones, proud first-time parents, welcomed their bundle of joy with excitement and a touch of surprise. “Things happened really quickly,” Breanna shared. “We were told it would take about an hour, but 30 minutes later, they said, ‘Let’s go!'”
Breanna had an excellent healthcare delivery team that included Columbia Valley Community Health (CVCH) attending physician Scott Hippe (pictured above), as well as CVCH providers Dr. Tessa Moore and Dr. Andrew Gray, and the dedicated Lake Chelan Health labor and delivery staff. Breanna and Daniel were thrilled with their experience at the hospital, which has now been open for two years. “What a difference from the old hospital, especially in room size,” said Daniel. The hospital is equipped with four large Labor and Delivery Suites, each capable of accommodating two patients if needed.
The Lake Chelan Health Hospital Guild B has a long tradition of bringing joy to families and reminding us that the spirit of giving knows no season. Established in 1947, this non-profit organization has donated over $200,000 to the hospital, funding essential equipment and the cherished New Year’s baby basket.
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