Local legislator successfully amends budget to save PICC
OLYMPIA – After facing possible closure due to state budget cuts, a valuable Kent clinic will continue to care for Washington’s smallest, most vulnerable residents.
Included in the state’s operating budget, which Governor Gregoire signed last week, is dedicated funding for the Pediatric Interim Care Center (PICC). Also known as “the newborn nursery,” PICC provides life-saving care for drug-exposed and medically-fragile newborns as an alternative to hospitalization.
Funding for PICC was a top priority for state Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines), whose district includes the west half of Kent where the clinic is located.
“PICC provides compassionate care for medically-fragile babies, but it also saves taxpayers money. The same kind of care in a hospital setting would cost the state much more, and that’s why it’s so important to continue our support for this one-of-a-kind clinic,” Upthegrove said.
As legislators struggled to close a $5 billion shortfall in the 2011-2013 state budget, PICC’s dedicated state funding was omitted from the budget passed by the Senate, as well as from the House budget proposal. Upthegrove persuaded House budget writers to amend the final budget, saying he was prepared to withhold his vote on the operating budget if PICC’s funding was not included.
Upthegrove’s office received numerous letters of support from local physicians attesting that the majority of infants referred to PICC would require hospital stays of days or even weeks if not for PICC’s round-the-clock care.
PICC’s staff also provided Upthegrove’s office with examples of how the clinic is saving the state money. One was the case of a baby named Sarah, who had been prenatally exposed to heroin and crystal meth. She needed 24-hour monitoring and special care to ease her through the effects of withdrawal, a process that typically takes about 30 days. In a hospital, the level of care Sarah required would cost between $2700 and $3700 per day. At PICC, Sarah’s care, formula, clothing, transportation and social work support cost the state a mere $162 per day.
“That kind of savings can’t be ignored, particularly in these difficult budget times when every dollar counts,” Upthegrove said. “But in addition to saving money, PICC is also a voice for these babies. They come into the world needing medical attention, but they also just need to be held and nurtured. PICC’s staff is dedicated to providing that loving care, and you can’t put a price tag on that.”
This is not the first time PICC’s dedicated state support has been in jeopardy.
Two years ago, legislators considered eliminating PICC’s funding as they worked to close a shortfall in the 2009-2011 budget. The state provides 60 percent of PICC’s support, without which the clinic would most likely shut its doors. Then, as now, Upthegrove made the case that PICC’s services are a net savings to the state, and the funding was ultimately preserved.