University of Washington Medicine in Seattle and PeaceHealth in Vancouver, Wash., have signed an affiliation agreement that will make UW Medicine hospitals the preferred tertiary and quaternary provider for PeaceHealth patients in the northwest.
The agreement is not a merger, nor does it involve a change in ownership or governance. Similarly, the deal is different than the "strategic affiliation" the two organizations signed this past May. PeaceHealth and UW Medicine officials are still looking to reach a definitive agreement on their larger alliance, which they said will revolve around providing a more cost-effective, community-focused continuum of care with an emphasis on shared data and evidence-based medicine.
Leaders at both organizations said the partnership will not affect patient choice of provider. In addition, the agreement will not alter UW Medicine's secular policies. PeaceHealth is a Catholic-based organization.
"This strategic collaboration will support UW Medicine's mission to improve the health of the public by providing more seamless access to UW Medicine clinical services for many patients in the northwest," Paul Ramsey, MD, CEO of UW Medicine, said in a news release. "We are committed to continue our full array of services including those related to reproductive health and end-of-life care. Our services will be available to a larger population of patients."
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