Following the announcement of major service and job cuts at Valley Medical Center, State Senator Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, issued the following statement criticizing legislative Democrats for ignoring repeated warnings about the mounting financial crisis in Washington’s health care system:
“This is what happens when warnings go unheeded. For years, especially during my time as ranking member of the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee, I’ve been the canary in the coal mine, sounding the alarm that our hospitals are financially suffocating under the weight of unsustainable policies, underfunded mandates, and new taxes. This year, the majority party added insult to injury with $200 million in cuts and additional taxes that directly threaten care for our most vulnerable.”
Valley Medical Center, which serves over 600,000 residents in Southeast King County and a high proportion of low-income and minority patients, announced it will close two inpatient units and five clinics by the end of June. The cuts impact more than half of the hospital’s 4,000 employees. The closures come amid a backdrop of Medicaid reimbursement shortfalls and new legislative budget measures that exacerbate hospital financial strain.
“Let’s be clear: This is not just about numbers on a balance sheet; this is about real people losing access to essential care in their communities. Clinics are closing, inpatient care is disappearing, and thousands of patients are being left with fewer options. We’ve warned the majority that this system is cracking. Their response has been, at best, one of indifference. In one ear and out the other.”
Muzzall pointed to the sudden end of a Medicaid reimbursement program and the Legislature’s failure to renew critical funding streams as further examples of neglect. The latest biennial budget included tax hikes and cuts that the Washington State Hospital Association now says will cost hospitals an estimated $200 million annually.
“This isn’t isolated. It’s a preview. Valley is the first major system to make drastic cuts, but more will follow if we don’t change course immediately. This isn’t about partisanship, this is about access to health care. When hospitals close services, it’s the people with the fewest resources who pay the highest price.”
Muzzall said he will continue advocating for immediate action to stabilize hospital funding and roll back punitive tax measures before more communities suffer.
“We need policies that actually support our health care providers, not punish them. The Legislature must act before we see the collapse of more clinics, more departments, and eventually, entire hospitals.”