Home About Samaritan Our Organization Samaritan & MultiCare Affiliation
Plans are underway for Samaritan Health Services to affiliate with MultiCare Health System, a highly respected, mission-driven organization based out of Tacoma, Washington.
The affiliation, which is expected to be finalized in the spring or summer of 2026 – pending state and federal regulatory approval – will enable Samaritan to remain a locally governed, community-based health system while gaining access to new resources and expertise.
As part of the agreement, MultiCare has committed to invest resources over the next 10 years to modernize Samaritan’s facilities, grow primary and specialty care, and introduce new technologies and telehealth capabilities that improve access, patient experience and help lower the cost of care. This investment also includes plans to expand Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, adding inpatient capacity and ensuring the region’s growing population has continued access to local hospital care. The affiliation will also bring MultiCare’s leading behavioral health network – the largest in Washington – into Samaritan’s service area, increasing access across the mid-Willamette Valley and central coast.
Through this affiliation, Samaritan, including its hospitals, clinics and health plans, will serve as MultiCare’s first health system in Oregon and bring the first health plans and critical access hospitals into the MultiCare system.
Photo: Samaritan President and CEO Marty Cahill (left) with MultiCare Health System CEO Bill Robertson and President Florence Chang in the healing garden at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital.
Samaritan leaders are inviting the public to learn more at a series of upcoming town halls across our service area.
Each session will be hosted by Marty Cahill, president and CEO of Samaritan Health Services, together with Samaritan hospital and system leadership. Learn about the planned MultiCare affiliation and have the opportunity to ask questions during an open Q&A session.
Many community members have also expressed interest in learning more about Medicare and Medicare Advantage health plans, and licensed health insurance agents who specialize in Medicare will host informational tables at each in-person event to answer questions before and after the presentations.
Registration is required as seating is limited at each in-person event.
Because of the enthusiastic response in our communities, a new event has been added for valley residents on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at Boulder Falls Inn Event Center in Lebanon.
Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, conference rooms A/B/C/D.
525 N Santiam Hwy., Lebanon
Use hospital’s back entrance to access conference rooms.
Event has occurred.
Lincoln City Community Center Multipurpose Room.
2150 NE Oar Place, Lincoln City
Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, conference rooms A/B.
3600 SW Samaritan Drive, Corvallis
Use hospital’s front entrance to access conference rooms.
Albany Town Hall – Monday, Nov. 24, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Samaritan Albany General Hospital, Reimer Room.
1046 6th Ave. SW, Albany
The Reimer Room is in a standalone building, just northwest of the main hospital building.
Boulder Falls Inn Event Center
605 Mullins Drive, Lebanon
Center for Health Education, halls A/B/C.
740 SW Ninth St., Newport
Virtual forum via Microsoft Teams. You will receive a link after registering.
To meet the needs of our communities, we must be able to expand services, modernize facilities and recruit more clinicians.
We need improved tools and spaces for our talented team of caregivers to deliver the very best care — from ensuring patients can see a clinician close to home to reducing wait times or investing in programs that help people stay healthy.
This is not the first time we’ve taken bold action to secure our future. Nearly 30 years ago, Lebanon Community Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis joined together to form Samaritan Health Services. What began as two hospitals has grown into the five-hospital integrated delivery system we are today. This affiliation is the next evolution of that journey — ensuring we will not only survive, but thrive, and continue serving our communities for generations to come.
This is a historic moment for Samaritan, and together with MultiCare we are ensuring a stronger, healthier future for the people and communities we serve.
We are proud to continue serving our community and are excited about what this affiliation means for the future of health care in our region. Together, we will provide even greater access to the excellent clinical care for which Samaritan is known.
It’s important to note that our affiliation with MultiCare does not change anything for our patients today. Samaritan Health Services patients can continue to see the same providers they know and trust.
What will stay the same:
The affiliation doesn’t change our team’s commitment to provide compassionate, high-quality care to each and every patient. The dedication, expertise and compassion of Samaritan employees are a key part of what makes Samaritan so special.
Samaritan and MultiCare share strong alignment in structure, culture and commitment to community. Both organizations are:
This affiliation is about strengthening health care in our region – while giving our teams new tools and resources to provide high-value care. Samaritan will remain a locally governed, community-based health system while gaining access to new resources, technology and expertise.
MultiCare has grown over their 140-year history through affiliations like ours into a system with more than 28,000 employees, with 13 hospitals in Washington, supported by more than 300 clinics and care locations across the Pacific Northwest. They are nationally recognized for their expertise in population health and operate the region’s largest behavioral health network.
Samaritan is a nonprofit regional health system that brings together five community hospitals, more than 80 physician clinics and multiple health insurance plans to serve more than 280,000 residents in Oregon’s Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties. Samaritan employs more than 6,000 employees, including 650 clinicians, and is governed by a volunteer board made up of community members.
Nothing is changing today; daily operations will remain the same. We remain committed to our number one priority: providing our patients and members with compassionate, high-quality service.
Samaritan and MultiCare have signed a formal affiliation agreement, paving the way for Samaritan to become part of MultiCare. The two organizations are taking the steps needed to bring the affiliation to completion – including seeking necessary state and federal regulatory approvals – which are expected to occur in the spring or summer of 2026 followed by a period of integration before we are fully operating as one system. This is a historic moment for Samaritan, and together with MultiCare we are ensuring a stronger, healthier future for the people and communities we serve.
Submit your question if you are not finding the information you need below.
The affiliation between Samaritan and MultiCare represents a formal integration. Samaritan will join MultiCare Health System while retaining our name, local leadership and governance. This is not a merger or acquisition. Rather, it’s a strategic affiliation that brings Samaritan into the MultiCare organization while ensuring decisions about local services, investments and community needs continue to be made in Oregon. The affiliation allows both systems to share expertise, technology and resources to strengthen community-based care across the Pacific Northwest.
To meet the growing health care needs of our communities, Samaritan must continue to evolve. That means expanding services, modernizing facilities and recruiting more clinicians. We need the tools, technology and spaces that allow our teams to deliver the very best care – whether that’s ensuring patients can see a clinician close to home, reducing wait times or expanding preventive programs that help people stay healthy.
Samaritan’s Board of Directors and senior leadership undertook a thoughtful and comprehensive evaluation process, guided by an independent consultant specializing in nonprofit health care. This process explored a full range of options – including remaining independent – to ensure Samaritan can strengthen and grow its mission for generations to come.
The Board identified clear objectives for any potential affiliation: Strengthen Samaritan’s role as the region’s trusted provider, partner and employer of choice; Expand access, improve quality and promote health equity; Maintain local governance and community-based decision making; Find a strong cultural and strategic fit; Secure the capital necessary to modernize facilities and support future growth.
Both Samaritan and MultiCare are nonprofit, locally governed, mission-driven organizations with deep commitments to community-based care. Our shared values – including a focus on health equity, quality and population health – make this an ideal partnership. From our first conversations, it was clear that our missions and cultures align closely.
Yes. Samaritan evaluated several potential partners using defined criteria, including mission alignment, community commitment and long-term sustainability. MultiCare emerged as the strongest match for Samaritan’s values, strategy and vision for the future.
Samaritan and MultiCare have submitted an application to the Oregon Health Authority’s Health Care Market Oversight program and have signed a definitive agreement. The definitive agreement is the legal document that finalizes the terms of the affiliation, to which each organization’s board of directors have agreed. The affiliation will require review and approval from state and federal regulators. After those reviews and the closing of the transaction, we will begin integration planning.
The process will take many months. We anticipate receiving regulatory approvals in the spring or summer of 2026, which will be followed by an integration period that will likely take several months before we are operating as one system.
The agreement allows us to continue to use our name and logo alongside MultiCare’s logo in an endorsing format, reflecting our shared mission while preserving Samaritan’s strong local identity.
Samaritan leaders visited several MultiCare hospitals and clinics and spoke with board members, physicians, nurses, leaders and frontline staff to learn directly about their experience. Feedback was consistently positive: Leaders shared that MultiCare has honored its commitments, invested in modernizing facilities, expanded services and access points, and supported local teams in continuing to meet community needs. These visits gave Samaritan confidence in MultiCare’s partnership approach and long-standing track record of strengthening care in the communities they serve.
HR1 includes major reductions to Medicaid funding beginning in 2027, which will create financial pressure for all community-based health systems. While these cuts affect both Samaritan and MultiCare, the affiliation strengthens Samaritan’s ability to navigate these changes.
By partnering with MultiCare, Samaritan will have access to stronger population health tools, care-coordination resources and data systems that help manage cost and improve outcomes – important advantages as funding declines. Both organizations are preparing for these federal changes, and the affiliation positions Samaritan to continue providing high-quality, local care even as the health care environment becomes more challenging.
Both Samaritan and MultiCare are committed to this partnership and optimistic about the path forward. However, the process includes multiple steps and approvals. Until those are complete, the affiliation is not final.
Over the past year, Samaritan has made significant progress improving access, stabilizing finances and strengthening operations. That progress will continue regardless of the outcome. Should there be a delay or change in the affiliation process, we will remain focused on sustainability and advancing our mission of building healthier communities together, while continuing to explore strategic partnerships that benefit our region.
Samaritan is committed to open and ongoing communication throughout this process. We have established a dedicated webpage samhealth.org/Affiliation to share updates, key milestones and answers to common questions.
In addition, we will continue to keep our communities informed through public forums, outreach meetings, speaking engagements, press releases, e-newsletters, social media and other engagement opportunities. Our goal is to ensure that community members, employees and partners have clear, timely information as the affiliation progresses and that their voices remain an important part of the process.
Yes, you can continue to see the Samaritan providers you know and trust. Please continue to keep your appointments and access the care you need as you need it.
Daily operations will continue as normal throughout this process. We remain committed to our number one priority – providing our patients with compassionate, high-quality care and our members with service they deserve.
Yes. Samaritan Health Services will continue to offer the MyChart patient portal with no disruption to access or features.
Both Samaritan and MultiCare are deeply committed to expanding access, improving quality and advancing health equity. MultiCare has made a significant long-term investment commitment to Samaritan, focused on strengthening hospitals, clinics and services so that our communities have even more care options close to home.
MultiCare brings deep expertise in population health, value-based care and behavioral health – areas that directly benefit patients by improving care coordination, enhancing outcomes and reducing unnecessary costs. Through its Physicians of Southwest Washington population health enterprise, MultiCare has successfully managed care for hundreds of thousands of patients through advanced analytics and integrated clinical programs.
Together, Samaritan and MultiCare will apply these same capabilities to strengthen care delivery across the mid-Willamette Valley and central Oregon Coast – expanding access, improving efficiency, and ensuring patients receive coordinated, affordable care.
With 13 hospitals and more than 300 clinics, MultiCare Health System offers a comprehensive range of medical specialties, including cancer, neuroscience and cardiac institutes. They also provide comprehensive specialty care in their pediatric and behavioral health hospitals.
Through this affiliation, Samaritan patients will gain greater access to specialty physicians and services. In some cases, MultiCare specialists may travel to our region to provide care, and when appropriate, patients may choose to visit a MultiCare hospital in Washington for advanced treatment.
Yes. MultiCare brings strong recruitment expertise and resources that will complement Samaritan’s efforts to attract and retain top talent. Together, we will share best practices and leverage MultiCare’s experience to strengthen recruitment strategies for physicians and other medical professionals in our region. These efforts will help ensure access to high-quality care for our communities.
We do not anticipate that patient costs will increase as a result of this affiliation. In fact, one of the key reasons Samaritan selected MultiCare as its partner is because of MultiCare’s proven success in improving quality while lowering the total cost of care in the communities it serves.
It is important to Samaritan that these services are maintained in our communities as we move forward with affiliation. MultiCare and Samaritan are culturally aligned, and reproductive, gender-affirming and end-of-life care would continue to be supported and available for patients in our region.
Absolutely. Addressing social determinants of health such as housing, nutrition and transportation remains central to Samaritan’s mission of building healthier communities together. Both Samaritan and MultiCare share a strong, long-standing commitment to advancing health equity and improving population health. Through this affiliation, we will be able to expand resources and partnerships that help remove barriers to care and improve overall well-being.
Patients and members can be assured that there will be no changes to the insurance plans accepted at Samaritan facilities in 2026 as a result of this affiliation. You can continue to use your current in-network insurance when receiving care at Samaritan locations.
The affiliation requires both state and federal review, which we anticipate will conclude in 2026. Only after regulatory approval would any planning for future integration begin.
Learn more about our in-network insurance plans at samhealth.org/InsuranceBilling.
No. None of Samaritan’s current or 2026 plan offerings, pricing, or networks will change because of the planned affiliation. Members and employers will continue to receive the same level of service and access to their trusted providers. In the years ahead, Samaritan and MultiCare will explore ways to enhance value, expand access, and improve quality for members and employer groups.
Pursuing affiliation does not impact our network today for our health plan members.
There should be no interruption to services or claims processing.
Yes. Samaritan Health Plans will remain in place and continue operating as they do today. MultiCare values health plans as a key component of population health strategy and sees Samaritan’s health plan as a strength of this affiliation. Together, we will explore opportunities to enhance value and improve care coordination for members, while maintaining the same commitment to quality and affordability.
Samaritan Health Plans call centers, member services and grievance processes will continue as usual, and we remain committed to our number one priority – providing our members with compassionate, high-quality service.
MultiCare does not currently operate health plans. However, they are building this capability as part of their strategy to advance population-based care and value-based payment models. Samaritan brings deep expertise through Samaritan Health Plans and InterCommunity Health Network CCO, which will strengthen MultiCare’s integrated network. Together, we’ll be able to enhance how care is coordinated, managed and delivered, improving outcomes for the people and employers we serve.
MultiCare and Samaritan are both committed to local governance for community-based decision making. The affiliation will fully comply with Oregon Health Authority requirements for coordinated care organizations, including maintaining a community advisory council and local oversight structure. These councils ensure that the voices of our members, providers and community partners remain central to decision making, just as they are today.
MultiCare’s success is rooted in disciplined financial management, strategic growth, and a strong commitment to community-based care. Over the past decade, MultiCare has expanded thoughtfully through affiliations and investments that align with its mission. The organization maintains solid credit ratings and strong cash reserves, enabling reinvestment in facilities, technology and workforce development. Operational efficiencies and a focus on quality have positioned MultiCare to sustain growth while continuing to deliver high-quality care across the Pacific Northwest.
Samaritan will continue to be led by local community members and leaders who understand the unique needs of the mid-Willamette Valley and central Oregon Coast. After the affiliation closes, Samaritan’s Board of Directors and leadership team will remain in place, overseeing day-to-day operations, strategy and community investments just as they do today.
Samaritan’s local board will develop and approve its annual budgets and priorities in collaboration with MultiCare’s system board, ensuring alignment and access to the resources and expertise of a larger system. Samaritan will also have a presence in MultiCare’s system governance. This ensures that Oregon voices help guide the overall direction of the MultiCare Health System, reflecting the priorities and perspectives of our communities.
This governance structure was intentionally designed to keep Samaritan rooted in local leadership and community accountability, while gaining the benefits of MultiCare’s capital, technology and operational expertise. It ensures that Oregon perspectives remain at the table – and that Samaritan’s health care dollars stay in Oregon, serving our patients and communities.
No immediate changes are expected to existing partnerships. Samaritan will continue to collaborate closely with our medical school and allied health partners to ensure continued alignment and support. Like Samaritan, MultiCare operates robust graduate medical education programs and values the opportunity to educate and train future health care professionals.
MultiCare has a strong philanthropic infrastructure, with several foundations that support hospitals, programs and services across Washington. These foundations enable donors and volunteers to contribute directly to health care causes that matter most to them.
Samaritan Foundations and their programs will remain in place, continuing to support our hospitals, programs, and services in the mid-Willamette Valley and central Oregon Coast. This ensures that local philanthropy continues to benefit patients and communities right here at home.
Samaritan’s commitment to supporting our community through community benefit activities, partnerships and strategic sponsorships remains unchanged.
Donor intent and local impact remain central to Samaritan’s philanthropic mission. Funds donated to existing Samaritan foundations will continue to be managed locally and benefit the hospitals and communities they were intended to support. This approach will not change through the affiliation process.
