Adventist Health will commit at least $100 million to MCMC to advance access and care in the region

(THE DALLES, Ore. (August 11, 2022) – Today Mid-Columbia Medical Center (MCMC) and Adventist Health announced the approval of a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) for MCMC to join Adventist Health. As part of the proposed agreement, Adventist Health will commit at least $100 million to finance strategic capital needs. Both organizations have committed to exploring our shared vision for a future healthcare campus. MCMC will also work with Adventist Health to determine the best way to meet community needs and expand our mission.

“The healthcare industry has continually evolved, with rural community hospitals like ours facing the strongest headwinds,” said Robb Van Cleave, Chair of the MCMC Board of Trustees.

“In order to continue to meet the demands of our diverse, growing community, we have taken this important next step to explore an affiliation with Adventist Health, who shares our mission and vision and intends to help us ensure high-quality healthcare remains in this community for generations to come.”

Why Adventist Health

The potential affiliation underscores both Adventist Health’s and MCMC’s commitment to rural healthcare and combines the two organizations’ missions to create a more vibrant and comprehensive healthcare hub in The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge.

“Adventist Health has a longstanding tradition of nonprofit, integrated healthcare that spans beyond their hospital walls,” said Paul Cardosi, M.D., Co-Chair of the MCMC Board of Trustees Strategic Exploration Committee. “They are dedicated to the long-term viability of their affiliated health systems, investing in their communities, employees, physicians and the services they provide. Joining Adventist Health will allow MCMC to further enhance the breadth and depth of the medical staff team, as well as expand patient services offered at MCMC today.”

If finalized, MCMC would become part of Adventist Health’s Oregon Network, which includes other medical centers in Portland and Tillamook and over 47 other clinics.

As MCMC and Adventist Health continue to determine the details of a formal affiliation agreement, the following commitments have been agreed upon by both organizations.

Together Mid-Columbia Medical Center and Adventist Health intend to:

• Maintain and enhance the immediate and long-term financial viability of MCMC that enables MCMC to make needed investments in the healthcare campus, technology, programs and people;
• Recruit and retain high-quality primary care and specialty care physicians and APPs;
• 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;
• Promote and retain our team-based culture consistent with the Planetree Philosophy that celebrates our past, while building our future;
• Continue effective and efficient local governance;
• Increase health equity and equitable access to care that furthers our charitable mission;
• Promote reliability, availability and continuity of healthcare in order to meet the needs of the community;
• Broaden and deepen community support and engagement;
• Strengthen MCMC’s population health capabilities; and
• Maintain and expand access to needed services for all residents of The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge.

“The entire MCMC Leadership and Physician Leadership team is committed to ensuring the brightest possible future for healthcare in our region. In order to achieve this goal, our Board has taken this important next step to explore an affiliation with Adventist Health, who has demonstrated their commitment to our future,” said Dennis Knox, President and CEO of MCMC. “The rural health expertise of Adventist Health allows MCMC to benefit from enhancements in clinical and organizational initiatives, purchasing support, access to additional clinical and operational expertise, greater economies of scale and much more.”

While this is an important milestone for the community and the health systems, there is still more work to do in determining the specific details of a potential affiliation, and nothing changes today. As this work continues, MCMC remains focused on delivering on its mission and its commitment to provide excellent, person-centered healthcare.

“Adventist Health is excited about potentially joining with and growing MCMC’s ability to empower exceptional teams to expand high-quality services in The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge,” said Kerry L. Heinrich, President and CEO of Adventist Health. “Both our organizations share a commitment to improving access to rural healthcare, and believe that together, we can achieve more for the benefit of patients, the community, team members and medical staff.”

Pending further Board approvals and regulatory review, the health systems hope to reach a deciison later this year. To learn more, please visit: MCMC.net/partnership-exploration.

The MCMC Board of Trustees worked with health care-specialized investment banking firm Juniper Advisory to review several possible health system affiliates.

Media Note: If you would like to request an interview, please contact Travis Dray at 541-506-5750.

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. For more information visit mcmc.net.

About Adventist Health

Adventist Health is a faith-inspired, 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 34,000 includes employees, medical staff 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 whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing to support community well-being.