Date:  November 10, 2025

Across Eastern Washington, small hospitals and clinics are the backbone of their communities. They provide lifesaving care, good jobs, and stability for families. But many hospitals are struggling to stay open. With rising costs and shrinking support, these hospitals face a future where reserve funds will soon run out.

The Mission of Prosperity Eastern Washington is to call attention to the need for local economies to thrive, and support the hardworking families in rural Eastern Washington communities. 

These billboards are located in these areas:  Cheney, Medical Lake, Rockford, Fairfield, Ritzville, Sprague, Latah, Rosalia, Clarkston, and Walla Walla.  The billboards are a reminder that hospitals and healthcare clinics are vital to their local, rural economies.  When rural hospitals close or reduce their services, entire communities are deeply affected.

Date:  November 16, 2025

In late September, Prosperity Eastern Washington installed a billboard on HWY #395 in Ritzville that stated: “How Far For Care When East Adams Closes”.  This billboard message prompted numerous local residents to call East Adams Hospital concerned about the billboard message, frantic that they may be losing their hospital.  Due to the volume of calls, the hospital Chief Operating Officer, Dallas Killian asked us to take the message down.  While we have a right to freedom of speech, we did agree to minimize the impact by changing the message to: “How Far For Care If East Adams Closes”.  That message remained there until this week. 

On 11/12, The Spokesman Review headline stated that Ritzville Hospital will lay off over 100 employees in January, and that East Adams Rural Healthcare is in critical financial straits.  Prosperity Eastern Washington is concerned that with this many layoffs, the hospital services will be slimmed and the local residents will suffer from a lack of critical services.  The Ritzville community deserves to know the truth that their critical access hospital might not exist in the near future.

The Mission of “Prosperity Eastern Washington” is to call attention to the need for local economies to thrive, and support the hardworking families in rural Eastern Washington communities. 

Date:  January 8, 2026

Rural Eastern Washington needs Congress to do their job.  The Trump administration has given $20 billion to Argentina, while granting only $12 billion to American farmers as compensation for the destruction of hard-won foreign markets due to their trade war.  Farmers of Eastern Washington want the ability to grow and sell their products in a fair market.  Congress should be the oversight for a government that is allowing tariffs to drive away markets and forcing higher costs on the farmers of Eastern Washington. 

By letting the ACA expire, and allowing cuts to Medicaid with the OBBB, Congress is showing its lack of concern for the needs of the hardworking people in rural Eastern Washington. 27% of farmers rely on the ACA for healthcare.  Over 70% of births are paid for by Medicaid.  Rural hospitals are at risk of closure.  Lifesaving care will be further away and far more expensive.  Costs for housing, utilities, food and healthcare are rising and Congress’ failure to act has direct financial consequences for these people. 

Prosperity Eastern Washington is calling attention to the pain congress’ inaction is causing by putting up billboards in Rockford, Fairfield, Latah, Walla Walla, Cheney, Clarkston, Medical Lake,

Date:  January 9, 2026

Due to mismanagement of funds, East Adams Hospital has applied to become the first REH in Washington State. The hospital will scale down its services to 24/7 emergency care and outpatient care. No inpatient care will be available. Last month, 100 employees were laid off but it is likely that 2/3 of those employees will be retained.  Loss of good paying jobs and healthcare access will cause suffering to this community.  Families who depend on healthcare income will have less money to pay for housing, food and utilities.

We put up the following billboard in Ritzville.  To show support for the East Adams Hospital community.  We are trying to raise awareness for what the East Adams community has already lost and what more is at genuine risk.

Our message is urgent.  Rural hospitals are the lifeline of their communities and must be retained to support the hardworking families in rural Eastern Washington. 

Date:  February 27, 2026

Eastern Washington rural communities want their local economies to prosper but they struggle with rising costs.   National policies need to address their concerns.

Residents are facing sharp increases in the cost of basic needs, such as healthcare premiums, prescription costs, grocery bills, and utility rates.  Families are forced to make impossible choices just to get by.

Farmers are especially vulnerable. Tariffs have increased the cost of inputs while shrinking foreign markets, putting additional pressure on already thin margins.  At the same time, manufacturers restrict repairs on modern farm equipment, forcing farmers to pay higher prices and endure costly downtime.  Eastern Washington family farms are the backbone of local communities, supporting jobs that sustain rural economies.

These billboard messages call attention to issues relevant to rural residents and their communities.

Date:  April 3, 2026

In 1942, under Nazi occupation, Norwegian women resisted by knitting traditional “nisse” hats—an act the regime later banned. Inspired by this history, a Minnesota yarn shop revived the design after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, creating the “MELT THE ICE” hat. The pattern has since spread globally.  Honoring this legacy of resistance, a group of Spokane women are contributing their time and talents to create red hats, with all proceeds going to support the Help Save America/Prosperity Eastern Washington billboard project.