RITZVILLE, Wash. — Hospital commissioners faced a packed room of concerned community members and staff at a town hall on Saturday, revealing the financial chaos threatening East Adams County Rural Healthcare Hospital's future.

The hospital has a $13 million debt, largely accumulated over the last three years.

The board claims past hospital leadership failed to complete audits for 2022, 2023, and 2024, leaving the board unaware of the financial problems for some time.

"It's very difficult to bring yourself to believe that professional people that you have been dealing with are doing things that appear to be seriously wrong," said Eric Walker, Adams County Public Hospital District Commissioner.

The board claims deception and false numbers tied to the missing audits led to the debt. Chief

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