The decision about hospital beds for MultiCare in Covington, Valley Medical Center in Renton and Auburn Regional has been extended by one month.

The decision was to be announced Oct. 7, but Mark Thomas, analyst for the Department of Health, said his office has taken a 30 day extension. Thomas said the decision is now planned for release Nov. 8.

MultiCare has requested approval for 58 beds in a hospital it is proposing to build at the medical facility’s Urgent Care site in Covington.

Valley is requesting 60 beds at the Renton hospital and Auburn is asking for 70 beds at its hospital.

Each of the medical facilities submitted a certificate of need applications to the Department of Health outlining each entity’s argument for granting the beds.

Both MultiCare and Valley are also planning to build free standing emergency departments in Covington, but only MultiCare has a proposal to construct a hospital.

Thomas said Wednesday by phone his office is looking at each certificate of need application, but the decision will be a “single evaluation of all three.”

All three providers are in one health care region.

Department of Health Executive Director Bart Eggen said Aug. 13 the decision on how many bed allotted would be based on need and any combination could be granted.