Olympic Medical Center Rejects Critical Access Hospital Downsizing
Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles, Wash., has decided not to pursue critical access hospital designation, according to a statement from marketing and communications director Bobby Stone given to Becker's Hospital Review. The designation would have reduced the 67-bed hospital to 25 beds and outsourced its rehabilitation, psychiatric, and hospice units. Stone said the hospital periodically considers the designation before dismissing it, and that its strategy instead focuses on improving access, reducing outmigration, growing volume, and managing expenses. A report from Peninsula Daily News indicates the hospital is close to hiring a permanent CEO, to be announced at a yet-unscheduled public meeting; Mark Gregson has served as interim CEO since August 2025.