Adventist Health News Notes

Leading Health Care Transformation

Physicians, nurses and support teams coming together in a prayerful commitment to provide healing, hope and reduced anxiety has the power to change lives and transform the health care experience for entire communities. For the Portland community, Adventist Health is becoming synonymous with this transformation.

When the Oregon Health Authority examined hospitals throughout the state for quality and patient safety, Adventist Medical Center topped the list of 28 participating hospitals. The hospital met or exceeded 10 out of 11 measured areas of quality improvement.

“When we work collectively in the best interest of our patients, great things happen,” says Carolyn Kozik, a registered nurse and executive director for organizational quality for Adventist Health in Portland. “This report demonstrates the success of our hard work and the steps we’ve taken to ensure our patients receive the best care available.”

Russell Named President and CEO

David Russell has been named president and CEO of Adventist Health in Portland, Oregon. He most recently served as senior vice president and chief operating officer under Joyce Newmyer, who will retain her Adventist Health regional position as president of the Pacific Northwest Region, including four hospitals in Oregon, Washington and Hawaii and a network of nearly 50 medical clinics. This leadership change will allow both Newmyer and Russell to focus full time on their respective roles.

“It’s a tremendous honor to carry on the Adventist Health mission of healing ministry, and I look forward to our continued leadership in transforming health in the state of Oregon,” says Russell.

Expanding the Ability to Serve

Adventist Health, OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University) and OHSU Partners have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to pursue an affiliation. If a final agreement is reached as anticipated, the affiliation would integrate Adventist Health’s Portland-area services with OHSU’s clinical enterprise, under the direction of OHSU Partners, a management company that oversees and directs the clinical programs and services of Salem Health, OHSU Healthcare and Tuality Healthcare as an integrated system.

In the proposed model, Adventist Health in Portland would continue to be owned by the Adventist Health enterprise based out of Roseville, California. Adventist Health physicians and team members would continue to be employed by Adventist Health and would become part of the integrated delivery system operated by OHSU Partners.

OHSU Partners was created in 2015 as an affiliation model that allows the partner organizations to retain their own assets, while operating as an integrated health system to create greater value for patients. By uniting the complementary strengths of Oregon’s only academic health center and Adventist Health's strength as a faith-based, community hospital with robust outpatient services, both organizations aim to improve outcomes and increase access for more Oregonians.

“We are excited to partner with innovative and respected organizations that are committed to quality care in our community,” says Joyce Newmyer, president of the Pacific Northwest Region of Adventist Health. “Any affiliation must allow Adventist Health’s unique faith-based culture to flourish stronger than ever. Our commitments to the health of our communities and to a whole-person approach to our patients and our team members will never change.”

The organizations involved will now conduct due diligence with the intention of reaching a final agreement by the end of the year.