Boiler Bay, Ore. — Boards for Samaritan Health Services and MultiCare Health System approved an affiliation Tuesday that will integrate the Corvallis-based nonprofit into the Tacoma, Washington, system by mid-2026, pending regulatory approval.

The deal positions Samaritan — which includes Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, one of Lincoln County’s critical access facilities — as MultiCare’s first Oregon operation. Samaritan serves more than 280,000 residents across Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties through five hospitals and over 80 clinics, employing 5,000 people including 620 clinicians. MultiCare operates 13 hospitals and more than 300 care sites with 28,000 employees, providers and volunteers.

The affiliation maintains Samaritan’s local governance and nonprofit status. MultiCare pledged 10-year investments to modernize facilities, expand primary and specialty care, enhance telehealth and add inpatient beds at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis. It will also bring MultiCare’s behavioral health network — the largest in Washington — to Samaritan’s region, including the central Oregon coast.

“This affiliation represents an important step in securing the future of nonprofit health care in our region,” Samaritan President and CEO Marty Cahill said in a statement. “Our commitment has always been to remain a community-based, mission-driven organization, and this partnership strengthens that promise for decades to come.”

“MultiCare’s mission is partnering for healing and a healthy future,” MultiCare CEO Bill Robertson said. “It will be our privilege to be a part of the communities Samaritan serves.”

Patient care, staff and insurance plans remain unchanged during the transition.

The move follows a wave of regional consolidations amid rising costs and staffing shortages. MultiCare finalized a similar affiliation with Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, Washington, in October 2024 after announcing it in May. Oregon Health & Science University’s proposed acquisition of Legacy Health, announced in 2023, drew antitrust concerns over market dominance and was terminated in May 2025. Nationally, hospital deals reached over 20 in the first nine months of 2025, up from prior quarters, as nonprofits seek scale for technology and talent. Nonprofit hospitals saw 95 credit downgrades in 2024, exceeding upgrades.

For Lincoln County, the affiliation could potentially upgrade equipment at Newport and Waldport clinics and improve mental health access in a rural area strained by isolation and tourism. A 2023 American Hospital Association analysis found such mergers often sustain services in underserved areas by providing financial stability.

Critics cite risks from consolidation. Federal Trade Commission data links hospital mergers to price increases of 40% to 50% for insured patients due to reduced competition. A 2012 study of heart patients found post-merger treatment intensity rose but inpatient mortality increased. Research ties 5% price hikes after mergers to about 200 local job losses, including in non-health sectors.

Local coverage was positive but limited a day after the announcement. The Lincoln County Leader reported the approval as advancing community care. Philomath News described it as shaping Samaritan’s future through partnership.

Samaritan’s board selected MultiCare after reviewing options with consultants, citing aligned values and investment commitments. Details are at samhealth.org/Affiliation.