Samaritan Health Services, the nonprofit health system that serves Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties, is now officially part of MultiCare Health System.
The affiliation took effect Nov. 1. MultiCare, a not-for-profit system based in Tacoma, Washington, has committed to investing $700 million in Samaritan’s service area over the next 10 years. According to Samaritan, that money is earmarked for expanding access to care, recruiting and retaining clinicians, workforce development, and upgrades to facilities and technology across the mid-Willamette Valley and central Oregon coast.
Samaritan will remain locally led under the new structure. Marty Cahill, Samaritan’s president and CEO, keeps that role and also becomes senior vice president and chief executive of MultiCare’s newly formed Oregon Coast to Cascades Region.
“The people who live here count on Samaritan, and we chose this partnership to strengthen our ability to serve them for generations to come,” Cahill said in a written statement.
Cahill added that MultiCare’s expertise and resources will help Samaritan respond to changing health care needs and support its clinicians and employees.
Samaritan operates five hospitals, including Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, along with primary, walk-in and specialty care clinics and health insurance plans. The system serves more than 280,000 residents.
MultiCare reports 18 hospitals and more than 36,000 employees, making it one of the larger community-based health systems in the Pacific Northwest.
MultiCare CEO Bill Robertson said the organization is proud to welcome Samaritan and to invest in health care in the region.
“Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of our neighbors in the Willamette Valley and central Oregon coast by improving access, delivering exceptional care and helping people live healthier lives,” Robertson said.
Officials did not detail specific new services or facility projects. Instead, a regional strategic planning process led locally and shaped by community input will determine longer-term priorities and how the investment is spent. Samaritan said improvements will be phased in over time.
MultiCare President Florence Chang said the main promise of the affiliation for patients and families is better access to care. She said the two organizations will work together to find where needs are greatest, and that success will be measured by the difference made for the people served.
Leaders from both organizations and community partners gathered Monday at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital to mark the affiliation and unveil new signage carrying both logos.
The ceremony is one of several employee and community celebrations planned across Samaritan’s region.