Salem (Ore.) Health Hospitals and Clinics and Stayton, Ore.-based Santiam Hospital and Clinics have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to explore a potential affiliation.
The goal is to evaluate how Santiam Hospital could become part of Salem Health, improving access to care and preserving local health services, a Salem Health spokesperson said in a statement shared with Becker’s on Dec. 23.
“Our conversations are rooted in mutual alignment — we share a commitment to keeping healthcare local, we serve the same populations, and a commitment to invest in high-quality patient care,” the spokesperson said. Santiam Hospital referred Becker’s to the Salem Health statement.
The letter of intent comes nearly seven months after Santiam Hospital and Corvallis, Ore.-based Samaritan Health Services mutually agreed to walk away from their proposed merger. That effort began in May 2024, when Santiam said it was exploring joining Samaritan.
Santiam Hospital and Clinics includes an acute-care hospital and 12 clinics, and employs more than 700 people. Salem Health operates two hospitals and several clinics.
