Mid-Columbia Medical Center Approved Agreement
to Join Adventist Health
Adventist Health commits $100 million to MCMC to strengthen rural healthcare in the region
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 (pending regulatory and state review). The affiliation with Adventist Health will advance rural healthcare – the nonprofit healthcare organization has committed $100 million to finance MCMC’s strategic capital needs. Over time, both organizations will work together, striving to meet the community’s needs.
“This is an exciting milestone event that reflects the hard work of our board of trustees, physician leadership and executive leadership as we worked with the exceptional team at Adventist Health to come together in ways that will provide significant opportunities for our team of healthcare professionals, physicians and APPs, as well as our entire community,” said Robb Van Cleave, chair of the MCMC Board of Trustees.
Together, MCMC and Adventist Health intend to maintain and enhance the immediate and long-term financial viability of MCMC that enables us to make needed investments in the healthcare campus, technology, programs and people.
For our community and patients, the affiliation will:
- Promote reliability, availability and continuity of healthcare in order to meet the needs of the community;
- Strengthen MCMC’s ability to deliver healthcare programs that support the well-being of the community;
- Increase health equity and equitable access to care for all residents of The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge, furthering our charitable mission;
- Broaden and deepen MCMC’s engagement with and support of the community; and
- Provide a broader depth of healthcare services that people of our community need and can access close to where they live and work.
For our employees, physicians and APPs, the affiliation will:
- Provide access to sophisticated recruitment capabilities to retain high-quality primary care and specialty care physicians and APPs;
- Provide additional resources and opportunities that can position MCMC as an employer of choice for employees and clinical partner of choice for the medical staff community;
- Build upon the great work of our teams to continue increasing the clinical quality of our services and programs; and
- Promote and retain our team-based culture, consistent with the Planetree Philosophy that celebrates our past, while building our future.
MCMC will have a legal board of directors comprised of the Adventist Health Board of Directors. MCMC will also have a community board which will include all trustees serving on the MCMC Board of Trustees at the time of the closing of the affiliation, and which will also include physicians on the MCMC medical staff and other qualified members of the community appointed by Adventist Health.
“We look forward to the benefits our affiliation with Adventist Health will bring to our community, especially as it pertains to access, equity, cost and quality,” said Dennis Knox, president and CEO of MCMC. “While we’re still waiting on state approval, our two organizations will continue to meet and discuss how, together, we can best deliver equitable, cost-effective, high-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. “Affiliating with MCMC is a natural mission and cultural fit, as we both are deeply passionate about improving access to rural healthcare and supporting team members and medical staff.”
Pending final regulatory and state approvals, MCMC will become part of Adventist Health’s Oregon Network, which includes other medical centers in Portland and Tillamook and over 47 other clinics.
The MCMC Board of Trustees worked with health care-specialized investment banking firm Juniper Advisory to review several possible health system affiliates, ultimately entering into an LOI with Adventist Health throughout the due diligence phase that has led to the approval of the final affiliation agreement.
About Mid-Columbia Medical Center
Founded in 1901, Mid-Columbia Medical Center is a nationally recognized hospital dedicated to serving residents of The Dalles and its surrounding communities. In 1992, MCMC became the first hospital in the nation to integrate 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 provide a caring, nurturing and educational environment; puts great efforts into humanizing and demystifying the medical experience; and strives to empower people to become active partners in their own healthcare.
About Adventist Health
Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit, integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii with over 400 sites of care. Founded on Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 37,000 includes employees, physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: 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 and whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing to support community well-being.
Below you can find some answers to questions that may be on your mind. If you have any additional questions, MCMCmarketing@mcmc.net
Frequently Asked Questions
Mid-Columbia Medical Center and Adventist Health are announcing that their leadership teams have approved an affiliation agreement for MCMC to join Adventist Health (pending regulatory and state review). This contract specifically outlines what our relationship looks like going forward and the details of how we will affiliate. As part of the agreement, Adventist Health committed $100 million to MCMC to strengthen rural healthcare in the region.
The affiliation agreement brings us one step closer to officially becoming affiliated with Adventist Health. We now await final regulatory and state approvals before MCMC will officially become part of Adventist Health’s Oregon Network, which includes other medical centers in Portland and Tillamook and over 47 other clinics.
We should know more regarding the timeframe of these approvals later this year and will communicate any updates as soon as possible. In the meantime, our two organizations will continue to meet and discuss how together we can best deliver equitable, cost-effective, high-quality care now and for years to come.
Over the past several months as our two organizations have met to determine the details of our affiliation, Adventist Health has proven that they are the right cultural and operational fit for MCMC, our team members and the community.
Adventist Health has a longstanding tradition of nonprofit, integrated healthcare that spans beyond their hospital walls. They are dedicated to the long-term viability of their affiliated health systems, from investing in their employees and physicians to expanding the services they provide. Additionally, like MCMC, Adventist Health has a culture of care and kindness as well as the expectation of high-quality healthcare.
The affiliation between MCMC and Adventist Health will provide additional resources to enhance the quality of healthcare and invest in our people and resources in ways not possible otherwise. Together, we look forward to the continuation of local patient-centric care as well as new growth opportunities for the communities we serve.
Our affiliation will create a more vibrant and comprehensive healthcare hub in The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge—and allow MCMC to benefit from Adventist Health’s enhancements in clinical and organizational initiatives, purchasing support, access to additional clinical and operational expertise, greater economies of scale and much more. Together, MCMC and Adventist Health intend to maintain and enhance the immediate and long-term financial viability of MCMC that enables us to make needed investments in the healthcare campus, technology, programs and people.
For our community and patients, the affiliation will:
- Increase health equity and equitable access to care for all residents of The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge, furthering our charitable mission;
- Promote reliability, availability and continuity of healthcare in order to meet the needs of the community;
- Strengthen MCMC’s ability to deliver healthcare programs that support the wellbeing of the community;
- Broaden and deepen MCMC’s engagement with and support of the community; and
- Provide a broader depth of healthcare services that people of our community need and can access close to where they live and work.
For our employees, physicians and APPs, the affiliation will:
- Provide access to sophisticated recruitment capabilities to retain high-quality primary care and specialty care physicians and APPs;
- Provide additional resources and opportunities that can position MCMC as an employer of choice for employees and clinical partner of choice for the medical staff community;
- Build upon the great work of our teams to continue to increase clinical quality of our services and programs; and
- Promote and retain our team-based culture consistent with the Planetree Philosophy that celebrates our past, while building our future.
Both MCMC and Adventist Health have committed to exploring our shared vision for a future healthcare campus. A feasibility study has been conducted to help assess the community and patient needs of the region, as well as the unique opportunities and challenges that MCMC may face today and in the future. MCMC and Adventist Health are currently evaluating the findings to determine the best way to meet community needs and continue to expand our mission.
While nothing changes today, if the affiliation is approved by the health authority of the state of Oregon, we will rebrand our health system with a combination of MCMC and Adventist Health brands.
This exciting development brings us one step closer to officially becoming affiliated with Adventist Health. We now await final regulatory and state approvals before MCMC will officially become part of Adventist Health’s Oregon Network. This will allow us to share best practices while gaining access to the expanded resources Adventist Health offers. In the meantime, our two organizations will continue to meet and discuss how together we can best deliver equitable, cost-effective, high-quality care now and for years to come. Integration will take many months and even years, and there is still much work to be done before we begin the integration process.
As a nonprofit health system Adventist Health takes great pride in providing for the communities they serve. And as a faith-based organization Adventist Health focuses on the whole-person including patients’ spiritual needs. People of every faith and background are equally welcome – and employees are welcome to live their faith at work, if they wish. Our care is about spiritual health, not religion. At Adventist Health, we don’t judge people based on their beliefs – we support, care for and welcome all.
We do not anticipate any job losses. Meeting the current and future health care needs of our service area depends on maintaining, recruiting and advancing a dedicated and high performing workforce. We can’t achieve our shared goals without them.
Over time, Adventist Health will provide MCMC with access to services currently provided across the system, including:
- Comprehensive support and back-office services;
- Comprehensive physician infrastructure services;
- Expertise and infrastructure to achieve operational efficiencies;
- Programs, services and infrastructure that support the transition and advancement towards population health management and value-based care;
- Quality improvement, data collection, financial tools, programs, infrastructure and systems to enhance care quality, patient safety, sustainability and growth;
- Medical management policies and programs, standardized care, and post-acute care management protocols to improve clinical quality;
- Technology, data, analytics, telehealth capabilities, and evidence-based best practices, including Adventist’s data warehouse platform and performance analytics;
- Captive insurance and risk management programs;
- Branding and marketing services;
- Fundraising support; and
- Access to efficiencies in administrative and clinical operations (including revenue cycle management, labor productivity systems, overhead management systems and system policies and procedures).
- An affiliation with Adventist Health will enable MCMC to continue to meet the demands of our diverse, growing community and provide high-quality local healthcare for generations to come.
Specifically, for our community and patients, the affiliation will:
- Increase health equity and equitable access to care for all residents of The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge, furthering our charitable mission;
- Promote reliability, availability and continuity of healthcare in order to meet the needs of the community;
- Strengthen MCMC’s ability to deliver healthcare programs that support the wellbeing of the community;
- Broaden and deepen MCMC’s engagement with and support of the community; and
- Provide a broader depth of healthcare services that people of our community need and can access close to where they live and work.
Today, nothing changes. Patients should keep their appointments and continue to visit the providers, clinics and facilities they always have.
MCMC will continue to accept all current insurance plans. Patients will continue to have access to their current providers without any disruption.
This announcement does not change or impact donations to the Mid-Columbia Health Foundation. In fact, the Foundation is excluded from the affiliation and remains separate and independent. We will continue to accept and encourage donations. Our Foundation board remains local, and every dollar raised will continue to support quality healthcare for The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge.
We now await final regulatory and state approvals before MCMC will officially become part of Adventist Health’s Oregon Network, which includes other medical centers in Portland and Tillamook and over 47 other clinics. We should know more regarding the timeframe of these approvals later this year and will communicate any updates as soon as possible. In the meantime, our two organizations will continue to meet and discuss how together we can best deliver equitable, cost-effective, high-quality care now and for years to come. Check back here to find updates on how we’re moving forward together.
We are committed to being open and transparent and we will keep the community informed throughout the journey. Stay tuned for more information as we move through the regulatory process.