Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
Santiam Hospital & Clinics is working on a potential affiliation with Samaritan Health Services that likely will lead to the hospital teaming up with Samaritan.
The Stayton-based hospital issued a press release Wednesday, May 22, noting that the two health care entities have signed a non-binding letter-of-intent that will allow the two parties “to further evaluate the affiliation with the anticipated outcome of Santiam Hospital & Clinics becoming part of Samaritan Health Services.”
Samaritan Health Services is a nonprofit regional health system that includes five community hospitals, more than 100 physician clinics and multiple health insurance plans. It serves more than 290,000 residents in Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties. The hospitals are in Corvallis, Albany, Lebanon, Lincoln City and Newport.
Samaritan employs more than 6,000 workers, including 620 clinicians, and is governed by a volunteer board, which includes community members, physicians and hospital leaders.
Santiam Hospital & Clinics also is a nonprofit health care organization, governed by a volunteer board of directors. Santiam Hospital & Clinics features an independent, acute-care hospital in Stayton, and also operates 11 clinics serving the Santiam Canyon in Marion and Linn counties. Santiam Hospital & Clinics employs more than 600 people, including 70 medical staff.
Melissa Baurer, director of integrated health and outreach at Santiam Hospital & Clinics, told The Canyon Weekly that Santiam and Samaritan “have been in discussions… for some time.
“We have always had a good relationship with Samaritan Health Services and align well with each other.”
Baurer said that “complete affiliation could take up to a year or more and [that] there should be no change to patient care as a result of this portion of the process. Both of our missions’ center on providing care for our communities, and that remains our priority.”
No financial terms have been released and Santiam Hospital declined The Canyon Weekly’s request to review the letter-of-intent.
Maggie Hudson, the CEO and president of Santiam Hospital & Clinics said “This potential affiliation is a strategic shift to secure a better future for the patients served by Santiam Hospital & Clinics. It is our commitment to strengthen this long-lasting health care system to be here to serve the residents of the Santiam Canyon, not just for today or tomorrow, but for decades to come.”
The hospital press release also included a statement from Doug Boysen, president and chief executive officer of Samaritan Health Services.
“We are excited about working more closely with the team at Santiam Hospital & Clinics as we move into this next phase of our collaboration,” he said “Throughout our discussions it has been clear that the alignment of our organizations – our missions, values and culture – positions us well to strengthen services across the region for those in our communities.
“The health care industry is evolving, and we believe that this affiliation will ensure that Samaritan Health Services and Santiam Hospital & Clinics both remain sustainable, strong institutions, providing access to quality health care.”
Hudson agreed, noting that “we are focused on serving our respective communities and learning from each other. Our shared strengths position us well for continued vitality so we both remain long-lasting institutions. I’m driven by the relationships we are forging between our organizations, leaders and clinicians in order to better serve our communities.”
Baurer was asked if the merger might lead to more options for patients because of the combined assets of the two organizations.
“We have more questions than answers currently, as we are in the exploration phase,” she said.
