Despite community concern, St. Michael’s holds firm on clinic closure

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Roughly 30 people filed into the Silverdale Kitsap Regional Library branch April 13 to discuss concerns and impacts regarding the planned April 24 closure of a pediatric rehabilitation clinic at St. Michael Medical Center.

SMMC president Chad Melton confirmed via email that hospital leadership hosted a separate meeting April 13, “with select family representatives to have a focused and productive conversation.”

“We’re frustrated that the hospital isn’t here to tell people that directly, that they’re leaving it once again, to parents and providers, people who never should have been tasked with sharing this information with the community. This speaks to the lack of communication and the lack of transparency that we’ve received from St Michael’s throughout this entire experience,” Darci Bassett, One of the Stand for St. Michael’s Kids organizers,said.

When asked if SMMC leadership planned to attend the meeting at the library, Melton said, “We appreciate the effort to bring these families together and understand how important this issue is. Our focus now is on the smaller meeting with select family representatives, which is designed to support a focused and productive dialogue,” he said.

SMMC previously reported a $1 billion cumulative operational loss from 2022 to 2026 across eight hospitals. “Losses were due to a variety of factors, including inflation/substantial cost increases on supplies and services, double-digit wage increases, and reimbursements not keeping pace with those added costs,” Melton said.

Melton confirmed that SMMC leadership didn’t provide impacted families with the cost of maintaining clinic services, adding, “We did not share a specific dollar figure for the clinic. Decisions like this are not based on a single number, but on a broader evaluation of how we can continue to provide for our community over the long term,” he said. “We are continuing to evaluate other options to further support families during this transitional time. St. Michael Medical Center leaders held meetings with families and the community to address concerns and support care coordination. While we do not plan to host future meetings, we will continue to support families through this transition.”