One of UW Medicine’s key strategic goals is to deepen relationships with community-based hospitals to close gaps in the care delivery system as well as to support our tertiary and quaternary services and our teaching and research activities.
Earlier this year, I shared with you the formation of a new public/private partnership with RCCH HealthCare Partners (RCCH) that will strengthen UW Medicine’s geographic reach and allow us to share our clinical expertise with hospitals and providers throughout Washington, Idaho and Alaska. Under the partnership, RCCH will operate jointly owned hospitals, and UW Medicine will provide consultation and expertise in patient safety and quality improvement. The first hospital in the partnership was Capital Medical Center, where UW Medicine already had existing relationships through an affiliation agreement, the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network and the jointly established Olympia-based UW Neighborhood Clinic.
I am pleased to announce that Trios Health is the second facility in the partnership, effective Aug. 4, 2018. Trios Health is a public district hospital with associated clinics in Kennewick, Washington. Trios Health has been in financial difficulty for the last several years but has continued to maintain its dedication to quality and access to care in the community. With its specific expertise in managing small community hospitals, RCCH is an ideal partner for Trios Health to continue its community mission. UW Medicine has had a collaboration agreement with Trios Health since 2015 to help ensure that patients in need of advanced specialty care have access to the services of UW Medicine. We are excited to deepen our relationship with Trios Health to improve the health of communities throughout the Tri-Cities region. Trios Health will continue with their local leadership and name, but will join the growing network of hospitals branded as “A UW Medicine Community Health Partner.”
Our affiliation with RCCH is an ideal complement to the important and valuable teaching and research relationships we have built over the decades in the WWAMI region. Through our work with RCCH, UW Medicine will continue to promote community access to quality care close to the patient’s home and improve patient and provider access to specialized expertise when necessary. The healthcare industry is evolving at an historic pace, and we believe this new relationship positions UW Medicine for success in the coming years.
I look forward to sharing more with you as our partnership continues to develop.
Sincerely,
Paul G. Ramsey, M.D.
CEO, UW Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and
Dean of the School of Medicine,
University of Washington
