Valley hospital appeals approval of Issaquah facility

Published 9:37 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital joined a group of three other hospitals and health care providers in a joint appeal of the new 175-bed hospital planned in Issaquah by Swedish Medical Center.

Snoqualmie joins Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Evergreen Hospital Medical Center and Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in filing a June 22 appeal with the Washington Department of Health Certificate of Need program, which granted permission for Swedish Health Services’ new facility.

The group of Eastside health care providers argue that the Department of Health’s decision in favor of Swedish would negatively impact area residents by putting all hospital bed capacity through 2018 in one location, instead of a broader distribution.

“The residents of our communities have not been well served by this decision,” said Rodger McCollum, CEO of Snoqualmie Valley Hospital.

McCollum urged the Department of Health to review its analysis.

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