Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 has entered into a discussion with Kittitas Valley Healthcare and Swedish Health Services regarding a unique future collaboration.
The three entities are considering a move which would allow Kittitas Valley Healthcare to relocate KVH Urgent Care – Cle Elum into the building on 1st Street that currently houses Swedish Primary Care – Cle Elum. Swedish Health Services would move into the current KVH Urgent Care – Cle Elum space at 201 Alpha Way, which is owned by Hospital District 2 and leased by Kittitas Valley Healthcare.
KVH Urgent Care – Cle Elum is outgrowing its current location. The building on 1st Street would provide additional space for patient care in a location that is better suited for an urgent care facility. The facility would maintain its current hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily, and increase staffing levels.
A move by Swedish Health Services into the building on Alpha Way would allow Swedish to focus on specialty care and telehealth services that are not currently available in the area. Primary care services would no longer be offered in Cle Elum by Swedish Health Services.
In addition, Swedish has proposed expansion of the Global to Local (G2L) program into Cle Elum and Upper Kittitas County. G2L is a nationally recognized non-profit organization that develops programs and interventions to improve health, lower the cost of care, and empower underserved communities across the country. Communities affected by health disparities are diverse and widespread—women, people of color or poverty, immigrants and refugees—and exist both in rural and urban spaces. G2L’s objective is to adapt programs on a local level, share learnings, and replicate its work across organizations and clinics nationwide. G2L’s key tools include activating local community leadership; using technology to overcome barriers and increase access to care; generating campaigns around community-identified health issues; empowering community-based organizations; linking health with economic development; and linking clinical care with public health and social services.
“We have a decades-long relationship of collaboration with Kittitas Valley Healthcare for primary care and urgent care services in our community, and Swedish Health Services has just marked 10 years of providing care in our community” said Floyd Rogalski, President of the Board of Commissioners for Hospital District 2. “This proposal is the very definition of collaboration, with the entire medical community working together as a team to ensure that patients have access to the best care.”
Hospital districts are charged with tailoring their services to meet the unique needs of their individual communities. Collaboration and adaptability can maximize access to healthcare providers, which can be an incredibly scarce labor force in rural areas.
Discussions will continue in the coming months, with a goal of finalizing agreements for facility use in the near future.
