In a recent announcement, Providence Health Care confirmed it will be discontinuing several outpatient services in northeastern Washington, specifically in Spokane and Stevens counties. This decision includes the closure of DominiCare, a Chewelah-based program that has provided companion-based non-clinical in-home services to the elderly. Additionally, outpatient physical therapy clinics in Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Chewelah will also shut down.
The implications of this move are significant, as approximately 60 positions will be impacted. Some employees may face layoffs, while others could be reassigned to different roles. This decision has drawn criticism from several quarters, including Washington U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, who expressed her concerns during an event in Spokane.
Cantwell pointed to ongoing fears stemming from the Trump administration’s plans to scale back Medicaid spending. She emphasized the essential services that rural communities need to maintain, including health care, stating, “One of the great things about rural Washington is that it is more affordable, but you have to have schools, you have to have health care, you have to have law enforcement.” Cantwell highlighted the challenges faced by individuals needing care and expressed that traveling significant distances, such as 90 minutes, to receive health services is not an ideal situation.
This restructuring by Providence reflects a larger trend impacting access to health care in rural areas, raising alarms about the future of health services amid financial pressures.
In another significant event, the Spokane Homeless Coalition is focusing on the pressing issue of fentanyl addiction, particularly its intersection with homelessness. The coalition organized a fentanyl mini-conference aimed at better understanding the relationship between these two crises.
At the conference, panelists shared their personal experiences with fentanyl addiction, shedding light on the complexities of the issue. One speaker, a woman named Phylicia, recounted her journey into addiction, stating that her substance use initially revolved around marijuana, alcohol, and meth. However, following the death of her mother in 2022, she fell into fentanyl use and experienced homelessness as a result.
Phylicia is now a counselor with Compassionate Addiction Treatment, showcasing the possibility of recovery and the importance of support systems. Another panelist, Sarah Nowels, daughter of Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels, discussed her struggles with fentanyl addiction starting at the age of 17. Unlike some speakers, she did not experience homelessness but emphasized the role of family support in her recovery journey.
The conference highlighted key themes related to addiction: many individuals begin using substances at a young age, and the path to recovery often starts with a conscious decision to change their lives. Each speaker pointed out the critical role of community and familial support in overcoming addiction, particularly for those facing challenges without a strong support network.
In political news, Pete Serrano, the current Mayor of Pasco and a former attorney with the U.S. Department of Energy, is expected to be nominated as the new U.S. attorney for eastern Washington. According to reports, Serrano’s nomination could happen as early as next week, succeeding Stephanie Van Marter, who is currently the acting U.S. attorney following the departures of Richard Barker and Vanessa Waldref earlier in the year.
As Mayor, Serrano has served on the Pasco City Council for several years, and his potential appointment would make him the fourth individual to hold this position within a single year. The U.S. attorney’s office for eastern Washington maintains locations in Spokane and Yakima, and Serrano’s experience in both local governance and legal work positions him uniquely for this role.
Turning toward the humanities, organizations across the Northwest are seeking alternative funding sources following the cancellation of numerous grants by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). To mitigate these losses, Humanities Washington recently distributed over $100,000 from its Stories Fund to support 20 different organizations impacted by the grant cancellations.
Julie Ziegler, the executive director of Humanities Washington, noted that a private donor had stepped in to fund these vital grants. Recipients of the grants include institutions such as the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, FAVS News in Pullman, the Methow Valley Interpretive Center in Twisp, and Wenatchee Valley College in Omak.
Ziegler highlighted the importance of local funding in telling the stories of the community, stating, “to really be able to continue to tell the stories of our communities, we are going to need to take control of this ourselves and fund some of it with private donations.” The competition for these funds was intense, with a ratio of four to five applicants for every grant awarded, underscoring the ever-increasing challenges faced by cultural and educational organizations.
Additionally, recent developments in Idaho indicate a shift in the state’s approach to immigration enforcement. According to Governor Brad Little’s office, a team of Idaho state troopers has begun assisting immigration agencies by transporting detainees from state to federal facilities. This proactive measure resulted in the transport of three men with criminal backgrounds from a local jail to an ICE facility in southern Idaho.
The transportation initiative is funded through part of a $300,000 allocation from the governor’s emergency fund, allowing state police to conduct as many as 100 such transports over the next year. This action raises questions regarding the collaboration between state and federal agencies in immigration enforcement efforts, and it reflects broader national conversations on this contentious issue.
Finally, President Donald Trump has made headlines by calling for the resignation of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan on his social media platform, Truth Social. Trump characterized Tan’s situation as “highly conflicted” but did not provide any specific evidence to support his claims. This controversy is believed to stem from Tan’s investments in Chinese technology companies aligned with the government, an issue previously raised by Senator Tom Cotton.
Although the president does not possess the authority to remove a CEO, his comments have raised concerns among investors, leading to a drop in Intel’s stock prices. Intel, while headquartered in California, has a significant operation in Hillsboro, Oregon, and remains the largest private employer in the state, with roughly 18,000 employees, down from 23,000 in recent years.
Together, these developments—ranging from health care and addiction issues to governance and corporate leadership—illustrate the evolving landscape in the Pacific Northwest and its ripple effects on communities throughout the region.
image source from：spokanepublicradio
