Federal Funding Case Studies > Washington County, North Carolina

Washington County, North Carolina

Washington County, North Carolina is home to approximately 13,700 individuals. Like many communities across the America, Washington County is no stranger to hard economic times. 22 percent of residents live below the federal poverty line. There are several residential areas of the County with no indoor plumbing. The North Carolina Department of Commerce designated the County one of the most economically distressed areas of the state.

Currently, 23 percent of Washington County’s citizens are over 62 years of age, and that number is rising.  As the average age of the County’s population grows, so does demand for medical services.

Washington County Hospital is the only comprehensive medical facility serving County residents. The County Hospital emergency room was constructed in the 1960s and until recently had not undergone any major renovation since that time.  When constructed, the emergency room consisted of four small rooms with limited physician and nursing support areas. Moreover, the technology and equipment used to care for patients was drastically outdated, so much so, that the Hospital was unable to comply with certain federal patient privacy laws. 

In order to maintain the current level of service and to prepare for the demands of the future, Washington County Hospital has undertaken a $2.75 million renovation project. The planned improvements will expand the current emergency room to 6,850 square feet and will include a total renovation of examination, triage, and support areas. 

Washington County Hospital contributed a significant amount of local resources to this initiative. County and Hospital board members realized they could not afford to fund this project alone. Fortunately, the County was successful in leveraging funding from the Golden Leaf Foundation and the North Carolina Department of Commerce, but they soon realized there was still a gap. They needed help.

County officials reached out to their congressional delegation for assistance.

Recognizing that Washington County Hospital was in desperate need of repairs, Washington County’s Congressional Delegation stepped in and earmarked $300,000 for the hospital in fiscal year 2005. Washington County used this funding solely for the emergency room expansion project.

As a result of these federal dollars, Washington County Hospital was able to complete the emergency room expansion and renovation project in 2007. The upgrades have provided the necessary ground work for the County to participate in several pilot programs.  Furthermore, the hospital will now be able to secure the necessary infrastructure to become fully HIPAA compliant.