Thursday, March 28, 2024

Confluence Health announces changes to naming of hospitals and other locations

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Confluence Health announced this week that it will be transitioning its naming conventions for its hospitals and other locations by summer of 2023 to increase clarity and allow for smoother services for patients. Though the name is changing, Confluence Health’s commitment to care is not.

“It’s important for patients to know that their doctors, medical professionals, and others they have come to know, and trust are not changing,” commented Glenn Adams, chief operations officer at Confluence Health. “The commitment to care and service that our communities have come to rely on remains the same.”

The naming transition has its roots in the history of the organization and how it came to be known as Confluence Health. In Wenatchee’s earlier history, there were several medical facilities independent of one another which evolved and changed in their relationships over the years. In 1940, Dr. L.M. Mares, Dr. A.G. Haug, and Dr. L.S. Smith founded the Wenatchee Valley Clinic. In 1974, Central Washington Deaconess Hospital and St. Anthony’s Hospital merged to become Central Washington Health Services Association. Soon thereafter, St. Anthony’s was renamed Rosewood Hospital and

the facilities combined at the expanded Rosewood site under the name of Central Washington Hospital. In 2013, Wenatchee Valley Medical Center (now known as Wenatchee Valley Medical Group) and Central Washington Hospital affiliated under the name of Confluence Health, while keeping the legal name of Central Washington Health Services Association. Though now affiliated, the two hospitals continued to operate under separate licenses due to needs at the time of the affiliation.

Now, almost ten years later, the time has come for the affiliated organization to transition fully to a single entity name: Confluence Health. Leaving behind the name of Central Washington Health Services Association, Confluence Health will officially now do business as, and be legally known by, one name.

Additionally, the current two hospitals – Central Washington Hospital and Wenatchee Valley Hospital – will unite under a single hospital license, being known collectively as Confluence Health Hospital. To differentiate between the two locations, the current Central Washington Hospital will be referred to as Confluence Health Hospital Central Campus and the current Wenatchee Valley Hospital will be referred to as Confluence Health Hospital Mares Campus. One hospital, two locations.

A few other changes will occur as well. In Omak and Moses Lake, the locations will now be referred to as campuses, specifically Confluence Health Omak Campus and Confluence Health Moses Lake Campus, to better reflect the locations’ offerings. All other rural health clinics, such as those in Winthrop and Cashmere, will still be referred to as clinics.

“We believe our new names will be easier for our patients to understand and show that both hospital locations are part of a unified system,” remarked Dr. Andrew Jones, CEO for Confluence Health. “We at Confluence Health are unified in our efforts to deliver safe, high-quality care in a compassionate and cost-effective manner, and are happy to now have a more unified naming convention which reflects this.”

About Confluence Health: Confluence Health serves the largest geographic region of any healthcare system in Washington State, covering over 12,000 square miles of Okanogan, Grant, Douglas, and Chelan counties. Confluence is one of only two locally-lead healthcare systems in the state with the purpose of maintaining availability and access to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare services for North Central Washington. The Confluence Health Board of Directors provides governance for Confluence Health, the Clinic, Central Washington Hospital, and Wenatchee Valley Hospital, and includes nine community board members and six physician board members.


 

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