Hospital looking to open daycare

Discussions started to change River Mountain Village Assisted Living into daycare

NEWPORT – Newport Hospital and Health Services staff have started discussions to convert River Mountain Village Assisted Living into a daycare facility, hospital district commissioners heard at their board meeting Thursday, Jan. 30.

CEO Kim Manus said staff has started discussions with the state Department of Commerce to change the use of the assisted care facility. Since there is a loan from Commerce based on River Mountain Village being an assisted care facility, Commerce would have to agree on the change for it to happen, Manus said.

“They have to agree that it would be in the best interest of the community to do that,” Manus said. She said that if that is possible, staff will continue discussion to make the change into a daycare. If they get permission from Commerce, she said she would bring the change back to the elected commissioners.

Manus said that between the River Mountain Village Assisted Care and River Mountain Village Advanced Care there was a $1.5 million loss in 2024. She said assisted care has no waiting list for admissions currently.

“People are just not inquiring for that lower level of care,” she said. Manus said Smith is finding there is more interest for advanced care placements.

“She’s getting calls from Texas and Arizona, from people who are interested in coming back to this area,” Manus said. “That has been where the focus has been, on that higher level of care that people are looking for.”

Manus said that there has been a lot of excitement by administrators in starting a daycare, because currently the main daycare operation in the area is in Usk at the Camas Center for Community Wellness. “There’s a waiting list up there, is my understanding,” she said. Manus said if NHHS were able to establish a daycare, it would include caring for babies.

Manus said Smith has been exploring what grants for day- care may be available. Smith will be going to Olympia to speak with legislators soon. Among the things she wants to bring up is the NHHS’s capital needs.

“We have buildings that need to be upgraded,” Manus said.

Smith said that the hospital district plans to hire a marketing and foundation manager.

“Seventy percent of that position is going to be marketing focused,” Smith said, working on business management. “That will allow me to focus more on strategic planning, business development, big grants and really trying to work to make sure that everything we do is aligned with our strategic plan, long-term strategic focus.”

The hospital foundation has a strong event planner, she said, so whoever is hired will do less foundation and more on marketing.

After iFiber discontinued providing cable television, there was a need for hospital televisions for patients who stayed overnight or longer. The televisions the hospital was using were old, so they are being replaced with smart TVs. The secure internet connected televisions will allow patients to use their own Netflix accounts when staying in the hospital. The hospital foundation agreed to pay for the 22 new televisions, extended warranties and two years of service.

“It came to the tune of just under $46,000, with tax,” Smith told the board. Manus pointed out that no extra wiring was needed. “That was huge,” Manus said.