Two small community hospitals in northwest Washington state — Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon and Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics in Arlington — have voted to begin affiliation negotiations with Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth.
Skagit, Cascade and one other community hospital, Island Hospital in Anacortes, have been working together publicly since March to find a suitable affiliation. However, Island Hospital's board voted not to negotiate with PeaceHealth but will still look for another partner. Other contenders are Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle and Providence Health & Services in Renton, Wash.
Under initial terms of the affiliation agreement, Skagit and Cascade will become part of the PeaceHealth system, which also includes a potential affiliation with University of Washington Medicine, based in Seattle. Skagit and Cascade will both negotiate their own specific agreements with PeaceHealth, but electronic health records, development of service lines and accountable care organization participation are staples for both organizations.
Negotiations will take place over the next four to six months, with the hope of reaching a definitive agreement by early next year.
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