Lewis County Hospital reports improved January results and expands tuition-paid career pathways

At the Legislature's committee reports, the hospital board update noted a January loss of $276,000 compared with a budgeted loss of $420,000 and said year-to-date performance was better than planned.

Legislator Nort and hospital representative Jerry Ker reported Fort Drum leadership visited the hospital and that 175 deliveries are scheduled over the next six months. Hospital leadership said it recently signed a family-practice/internal-medicine physician (name not released pending notices) and a family nurse practitioner to bolster women's health services.

The hospital also expanded the 'Caring Gene' career pathways initiative beyond the nursing home to include other facilities in the system and affiliated sites (Beaver River, Copenhagen Family Health, Harrisville Health, Lewis County Family Practice, Lewis County General Hospital, Lewis County Internal Medicine, South Lewis Health Center, school-based health center and women's health services). Under the program, eligible local students completing LPN or other designated health credentials and subsequently employed by the county health system have tuition covered by the grant-funded pathway.

Hospital leaders framed the initiative as an investment in local workforce development intended to increase retention of health professionals in Lewis County.