Economic Impact
Whatcom County's largest employer
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center and our clinics are the biggest employers in Whatcom County, with over 3,000 employees. We invest more than $1 million a day in our Caregivers.
In FY23, PeaceHealth made $87M in capital improvements in Northwest Washington.
Whether it’s building new facilities or getting the latest medical equipment, PeaceHealth is dedicated to providing high-quality care for Whatcom County residents.
Operating PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center
It costs over $818.4 million each year to run PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center and our clinics in Whatcom County. Over half of this amount goes to paying our caregivers, including their salaries, benefits, and payroll taxes — that’s more than $1.2 million a day.
Supporting All of Northwest Washington
Our impact goes beyond Whatcom County. We also run medical centers and clinics in Sedro-Woolley and Friday Harbor. In Fiscal year 2025, it cost more than $120 million to operate these facilities, with more than 55 percent going to caregiver payroll and benefits, and $9.2 million in community benefit.
Increased regional access to care:
Essential services in rural communities:
Critical access hospitals are essential for providing health services in rural areas, but they often struggle to stay open. Being part of a larger system allows us to support these hospitals and ensure that people in Sedro-Woolley and other rural communities don’t have to travel far for care.
