Providence Swedish is working with local child abuse intervention advocates to prevent an interruption of services when its Abuse Intervention Center (AIC) in Lacey closes Dec. 31.
The AIC provides specialized medical evaluations, forensic nursing services and psychosocial care to children who have been affected by a trauma such as abuse and assault.
The AIC has been a “vital part of our community” since the early ‘90s, Providence Swedish said in a news release.
But “due to changes in the health care landscape,” Providence Swedish said, “it has become necessary to close the program Dec. 31 and work with community partner organizations to transition to a more sustainable model of care for these patients.”
Providence Swedish said it is closing the AIC in response to “multiple pressures facing health care,” including state and federal cuts to Medicaid, added costs resulting from state legislative policies, ongoing denials and delayed payments from commercial insurers, higher labor costs, and higher costs for pharmaceuticals and supplies due to inflation and tariffs.
These headwinds will only intensify when cuts to safety-net programs that were included in the recently passed H.R.1 — also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — take effect, Providence Swedish said.
The announcement that the AIC will close has “sparked deep concern across multiple counties impacted by this decision,” said the Monarch Children’s Justice & Advocacy Center, an accredited advocacy center that works with the AIC and serves children from Lewis, Mason, and Grays Harbor counties who have experienced sexual or physical abuse.
“This decision impacts multiple counties and is detrimental to children who’ve endured abuse should the decision not be reversed or at least delayed,” Monarch Program Manager Courtney Prothero said in an emailed statement.
The Monarch Children’s Justice & Advocacy Center, along with leaders from Thurston, Mason, Lewis, and Grays Harbor counties and other community partner organizations, met with Providence Swedish staff on Dec. 19 to discuss and plan the referral and operational process going forward.
The meeting was scheduled following “a strong public response” to the news that Providence Swedish was closing the AIC, according to Monarch.
“We are grateful that Providence Swedish has come to the table to listen and begin the hard work involved in finding a solution,” Prothero said. “Children in our community deserve safety, and their futures must remain a priority in every decision.”
Providence Swedish will continue offering forensic nursing services at the emergency departments of Centralia and St. Peter hospitals. To help with the change, Providence St. Peter Hospital has committed to keeping a specialized ARNP on staff to care for pediatric patients during the transition period. The funding for this interim resource is being supported by the Providence Southwest Washington Foundation.
“We understand that implementing these changes will be challenging. We remain committed to supporting our caregivers and community partners during this transition and are thankful for their dedication to our patients and community,” said Suzie Scott, chief nursing officer for Providence Swedish South Puget Sound. “Our goal is to achieve financial sustainability; allowing us to maintain and extend the core medical services we offer well into the future, while still being able to provide services and referrals to patients who have been abused or assaulted. We believe this change is a crucial step toward securing sustainable health care for South Puget Sound.”
