Hospital Merger Could Happen Soon Improves Care

Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital is moving toward a partnership with a Seattle hospital that could make a big impact on health care in the Yakima Valley. Memorial CEO Russ Myers says Memorial is pursuing a formal affiliation with Virginia Mason Health System that he says would increase access to health care and improve the patient experience and value of care. "There are services that can occur in this community that perhaps are not avilable in this community. And we believe both organizations are committed toward providing lower costs." However Myers says there's no merger at this point. He says the boards of both hospitals have voted to sign a letter of intent, which is the next step in the affiliation process. The signing of the letter of intent enables the two organizations to conduct detailed discussions in the near future. he says the affiliation could take 4 to 6 months.  Myers says partnerships in health care are occurring across the country as a way to improve service, lower costs and respond to health care reform.