The affiliation between Virginia Mason and the Yakima-based Memorial Family of Services, which includes Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, became official on Jan. 1 as expected. The affiliation — a non-cash transaction — became official following regulatory review, making Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital part of Virginia Mason. The organizations signed legal documentation for the affiliation in November.
The affiliation expands Virginia Mason’s presence in Central Washington, where it has partnerships with Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg and Confluence Health in Wenatchee for providing or supporting specific services.
Teams from Virginia Mason and Memorial are developing plans that will guide the collaborative integration and service enhancements over the next several months. Clinical areas designated for integration and/or enhancement first include primary care, digestive diseases, heart, cancer, neurosciences and orthopedics. (Tim Pfarr)
