Samaritan Health Services has received approval from the Oregon Health Authority for its proposed affiliation with MultiCare Health System, which was announced last year. The two Pacific Northwest nonprofit health systems can now move forward with remaining regulatory approvals and legal and administrative steps to complete the transaction.
Samaritan Health Services operates five hospitals that serve Oregon’s Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties. MultiCare Health System operates 13 hospitals across Washington State.
The affiliation is not final, and the approval does not change how patients receive care or access services in the near term, as Samaritan and MultiCare will continue to operate independently until the transaction closes. The organizations are working toward closing “early in the fourth quarter of this year.”
Samaritan adds that there are no planned changes to the health insurance plans accepted by Samaritan Health Services, or to the types of plans offered by Samaritan Health Plans, through 2027.
If and when the affiliation is complete, MultiCare has committed to investing $700 million over 10 years to “support expanded access to care, recruitment and retention of providers, improvements to facilities and technology, and opportunities to bring more services closer to home throughout Samaritan’s region.”
Following closing, Samaritan and MultiCare will begin a phased integration process, with teams from both organizations working together “to share expertise and identify opportunities to strengthen care delivery while maintaining operational stability.”
Click here for more information about the proposed affiliation via Samaritan.
