THE DALLES – Mid-Columbia Medical Center (MCMC) and Adventist Health leadership announced that the two organizations have approved an affiliation agreement for MCMC to join Adventist Health (subject to regulatory and state review). Affiliation with Adventist Health will advance rural healthcare – the nonprofit healthcare organization has committed $100 million to fund MCMC’s strategic capital needs.
“This is an exciting milestone event that reflects the hard work of our board of trustees, medical leadership and business management as we have worked with the extraordinary team at Adventist Health to come together in a way that will provide meaningful opportunities for our team of healthcare professionals. Physicians and APPs, and our entire community,” said Robb Van Cleave, Chair of the MCMC Board of Trustees.
Together, MCMC and Adventist Health intend to maintain and enhance MCMC’s immediate and long-term financial viability, which allows us to make the necessary investments in campus, technology, programs and healthcare workers.
The proposed partnership was announced at The Dalles in August when a non-binding letter of intent was signed by both parties.
“Ultimately, we’re interested in building community health,” said Kerry Heimrich, Adventist Health’s president and CEO, during an Aug. 11 visit to MCMC. “We have a commitment in Oregon, we want to expand our footprint and expand Oregon.”
According to a Dec. 15 press release announcing the approval of the partnership agreement, the partnership will:
• Promoting the reliability, availability and continuity of health care to meet community needs;
• Strengthening MCMC’s ability to deliver health programs that support community well-being;
• Increasing health equity and equal access to care for all residents of The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge;
• Broaden and deepen MCMC’s commitment and support to the community; and
• Providing a wider range of health services that people in the community need and can access close to where they live and work.
For employees, doctors and APPs, membership will:
• Provide access to sophisticated recruitment opportunities to retain highly qualified GPs and Specialists and APPs;
• Provide additional resources and opportunities that can position MCMC as the employer of choice for employees and the clinical partner of choice for healthcare professionals;
• Build on the great work of our teams to continue to improve the clinical quality of our services and programs; and
• Promote and maintain MCMC’s team-based culture in line with the Planetree philosophy, which celebrates the hospital’s past while building for the future.
MCMC will have a statutory board composed of the board of directors of Adventist Health. MCMC will also have a Community Board that will include all trustees serving on the MCMC Board of Trustees at the time of the affiliation agreement, as well as physicians on the MCMC medical staff and other qualified community members appointed by Adventist Health .
“We look forward to the benefits that our association with Adventist Health will bring to our community, particularly in terms of access, equity, cost and quality,” said Dennis Knox, President and CEO of MCMC. “While we await government approval, our two organizations will continue to meet and discuss how together we can best provide equitable, affordable, quality care now and for years to come.”
“We are pleased to welcome MCMC to the Adventist Health family,” said Kerry L. Heinrich, President and CEO of Adventist Health. “Membership in MCMC is a natural mission and cultural fit as we are both very passionate about improving access to rural healthcare and supporting team members and medical staff.”
Subject to final regulatory and state approvals, MCMC will become part of Adventist Health’s Oregon Network, which includes additional medical centers in Portland and Tillamook and over 47 other clinics. To learn more, visit: MCMC.net/partnership-exploration.
The MCMC Board of Trustees worked with healthcare investment bank Juniper Advisory to review several potential healthcare system partners and ultimately entered into an LOI with Adventist Health throughout the due diligence phase that led to the approval of the partner agreement away.
Founded in 1901, Mid-Columbia Medical Center is a licensed hospital dedicated to serving the residents of The Dalles and the surrounding communities. In 1992, MCMC became the first hospital in the United States to incorporate the Planetree philosophy of patient care, which emphasizes the need to address a person’s intellectual, environmental, emotional, and spiritual concerns in addition to their physical needs. As a Planetree Affiliated Hospital, MCMC works to create a caring, nurturing and educational environment; makes great efforts to humanize and demystify the medical experience; and strives to empower people to become active partners in their own healthcare. Visit mcmc.net for more information.
Adventist Health is a faith-inspired, not-for-profit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii with over 400 care facilities. Founded on Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care facilities, hospices, and joint venture aging centers in rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 34,000 employees includes staff members, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers with one mission only; Living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. We are committed to staying true to our heritage by providing patient-centered, quality care. Together we are transforming the healthcare experience with an innovative holistic focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing to support community well-being.
