“Hundreds of Clark County residents signed petitions and many community leaders wrote letters of support because they understand the future needs of a rapidly-growing aging population,” said Greg Pang, CEO of CHHH. “The Department of Health agrees we must prepare to avoid a shortage of hospice inpatient beds. When a hospice patient is actively dying, they cannot wait for an inpatient hospice bed and we must create capacity now to make sure that does not occur.”
The proposed Salmon Creek facility – a $10 million project – will house all of CHHH’s services: home health, in-home hospice, inpatient hospice, private duty home care and grief support. Plans also include an outdoor memorial garden and large conference space available for community use.
Pang said favorable commercial real estate prices, construction prices and interest rates aided his company’s decision to invest in a new facility. He also said Clark County’s “fee holiday” was a critical factor for the CHHH Board to move forward with the project. The fee holiday was enacted to spur private sector, job-producing economic development by waiving certain construction development fees.
CHHH will now look to secure project financing through the Washington Healthcare Facilities Authority before breaking ground. The company will also reach out to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in an effort “to move forward for the mutual success of both of our hospice programs, and to ensure prompt access to care for all Clark County citizens and communities,” according to Pang.
