<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2ZcNec_1D9gHWU400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2ZcNec_1D9gHWU400" width="640" height="334" >PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As Oregon health officials weigh the potential merger of two hospital systems, both entities are urging state leaders to approve the proposal sooner rather than later.Salem Health Hospitals &amp; Clinics and Santiam Hospital &amp; Clinics revealed on Wednesday that they have requested an emergency exemption from the Oregon Health Authority’s Health Care Market Oversight program. The filing comes as Santiam Hospital “faces imminent risk of insolvency,” according to an announcement from both systems.The hospitals revealed their intent to merge in January, arguing the acquisition could help the entities ensure long-term service for patients in the mid-Willamette Valley amid financial woes such as inflation and a lack of funding for health care.However, the systems are now claiming Santiam’s economic status has “deteriorated rapidly” since it signed a definitive agreement with Salem Health earlier this year.“Despite our commitment to preserving access to care, our financial outlook is expected to worsen, threatening rural health care for residents of the Canyon,” Santiam Hospital President and CEO Maggie Hudson said in a statement. “Santiam’s expenses are up, and revenue has not kept pace with these cost increases.”With one hospital, 13 clinics and more than 750 workers, the health system is the largest private employer in the Santiam Canyon area and also offers the rural area’s primary ambulance service, according to the organization. Salem Health employs more than 6,400 people, with hospitals in Salem and Dallas and several clinics.Hudson claimed some residents of the canyon will be forced to drive about an hour outside of the area for emergency and maternity care, if Santiam Hospital shuts down.The health systems also revealed the hospital is slated to transition its electronic health record system this September, as its contract with Epic is scheduled to terminate in 2027, but the organization does not currently have the funding to complete the transition.Both systems have asked OHA to issue a decision on their emergency exemption by Aug. 1.“The goal of this partnership and our mission remain the same — to ensure continued local access to care for the residents of the Santiam Canyon,” Salem Health President and CEO Cheryl Nester Wolfe said in a statement. “Salem Health is prepared to bring investment and operational support to the Canyon to prioritize patients now and into the future.”OHA told KOIN 6 it is currently evaluating the request, and has asked that the health systems provide a version of the filing that would be shared with the public. The public health agency added that it could potentially ask both entities for further information.</div></body>

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As Oregon health officials weigh the potential merger of two hospital systems, both entities are urging state leaders to approve the proposal sooner rather than later. Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics and Santiam Hospital & Clinics revealed on Wednesday that they have requested an emergency...

‘Deteriorated rapidly’: 2 Oregon health systems request emergency merger exemption

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