A big part of this is the homeless problem. People are staying in Harborview for a long time even when they are not ill because they cannot be discharged to homelessness. The hospital is essentially being turned into a very expensive homeless shelter. This removes beds that would otherwise be there to treat people who can provide some payment. It's not right. Something needs to be done to our laws to remedy this problem - and it's urgent - a change needs to happen now!

@1
Source?

The people doing the financial cutting at UW Med are making very sure that EVERYONE but themselves feel the sting (I know people inside). They are cutting essentials, such as nurses and their supports, but the bloated budgets that allow admins to travel and send flowers, go to out of town conferences and buy lunches are sacrosanct. And the blame for the resultant sub-standard performance will then be blamed on those nurses, not the incompetents at the top.

@5:

Sorry, but we don't do "stigginit" around here - that's in your wheelhouse. And you didn't actually dispute @4's point, because of course you can't, can you?

@2 Harborview is THE safety net. Always has been. Long before the homeless and opioid crisis. It has a clinic in Pioneer Square which opened in 1971 to deal with indigent and homeless clients. Homeless patients have much longer hospital stay than the general public (and this is well documented and easily googled) due to their many complex health care and social service needs.

All of this “free”care is actually very, very expensive.

No Profit, No Patients.

“UW Medical Center Describes “Extraordinarily Difficult Time” Amid Potential Cuts and Closures”. Translation: We need to lay people off so our administratiors can keep collecting their big pay and raises. You gotta wonder if these folks balance their personal finances like they do the systems - or if they even have to worry about it.

Two years ago as we entered contract talks Harborview was in fine shape. UWMC was in a massive hole because managers had completely screwed up the cost of getting coverage while nursing staff was trained on the new systems in the newly built units. Now it is the payment mix. Oh and on the laundry, UW Med. operates Valley Medical under contract. For some reason Valley cancelled it's contract with the laundry. That started the chain. Oh and where is the laundry? Prime real estate on the west side of the Mt. Baker light rail line. I think bottom line is some bean counters want the cash out of that land for the endowment fund.