Two hospitals of Ascension have signed definitive agreements to be acquired by RCCH HealthCare Partners. Lourdes Health in Pasco, Washington, and St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, Idaho, signed letters of intent with RCCH predecessor Capella Healthcare in connection with the proposed acquisitions in June 2015.
“Throughout this process, our goal has been to strengthen these health ministries so their associates, physicians and volunteers can continue to provide exceptional, caring health services to their respective communities,” said Robert J. Henkel, FACHE, Executive Vice President, Ascension, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension Healthcare, a division of Ascension. “RCCH works with communities to build strong local healthcare systems that are known for quality patient care, and its values align closely with those of Ascension. In addition, RCCH has a strong presence in the region, and we are confident that joining RCCH will give Lourdes and St. Joseph the ability to faithfully serve individuals in the Pasco and Lewiston communities well into the future.”
RCCH HealthCare Partners currently provides high quality, compassionate healthcare services in 17 regional markets, including Willamette Valley Medical Center in McMinnville, Oregon; Capital Medical Center in Olympia, Washington; and Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana.
“Just as the staff of Lourdes and St. Joseph’s have done for decades, our 14,000 employees and 2,000 affiliated physicians and mid-level providers are committed to providing outstanding community-based healthcare,” said Marty Rash, Executive Chairman of RCCH HealthCare Partners. “We look forward to becoming part of the Pasco and Lewiston communities and living up to the trust that Ascension and these hospitals have placed in us. Our goals will include working together with healthcare professionals and community leaders, led by local boards that are 100 percent made up of community leaders and physicians, to ensure the continued provision of high-quality, compassionate healthcare and to expand and enhance services provided locally.”
Both Ascension and RCCH support maintaining the hospitals’ faith-based heritages.
St. Joseph’s roots date to 1901, when the Sisters of St. Joseph of Belvidere, Illinois, agreed to establish a hospital in Lewiston, Idaho. The hospital opened in 1902 in a seven-room frame house.
“We have gone through many changes since the Sisters of St. Joseph began our health ministry more than 114 years ago,” said Tom Fitz, President and CEO, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. “In our rapidly evolving healthcare environment, joining RCCH will make us better able to continue our mission of service, and it reaffirms and strengthens our commitment to this community.”
Lourdes traces its beginnings to 1916, when the Sisters of St. Joseph arrived in Pasco via the Northern Pacific Railroad and took up residence in the old Montana Hotel. There the Sisters set up everything necessary to care for the sick. Soon the hospital was placed under the patronage of Our Lady of Lourdes and opened its doors to the sick of the community.
“When the Sisters first came to Pasco 100 years ago, they could not have envisioned the tremendous growth and changes in store for their fledgling health ministry, or for the evolution of healthcare in the United States,” said John Serle, President and CEO, Lourdes Health. “Through all the changes, our commitment to serving the health needs of our community has been steadfast, and that commitment will continue and grow as we become part of RCCH.”
