Stayton, Ore.-based Santiam Hospital and Clinics and Corvallis, Ore.-based Samaritan Health Services said May 29 that they mutually agreed to walk away from their proposed merger.
“The nonprofit, community-based health systems remain committed to their missions of service within the region and will continue to look for ways to collaborate that might benefit the health and well-being of the community from the mid-Willamette Valley through the central Oregon coast regions,” they wrote in a prepared statement. “Patient care at either organization should not be impacted by this decision.”
Neither system provided additional details on the reasoning behind their decision.
Samaritan Health Services is a nonprofit regional health system with five community hospitals, more than 100 physician clinics and multiple health insurance plans, according to the statement. The organization has more than 5,000 employees, including 620 physicians.
Santiam Hospital and Clinics is a nonprofit organization with an acute-care hospital in Stayton, operating 12 clinics in Oregon, according to the statement. The organization has more than 600 employees, including 70 medical staff.
In May 2024, Samaritan and Santiam announced plans to pursue an affiliation, with a goal of Santiam joining Samaritan. They signed a definitive agreement to affiliate in October, pending approval from the Oregon Health Authority, according to the Salem Statesman Journal.
Santiam cited financial challenges as reasoning for pursuing the merger, the publication reported.
