While 2023 brought with it an official end to the COVID-19 public health emergency, it was not a year without challenges. MultiCare, like many health systems, was buffeted by ongoing events largely outside of our control, including workforce shortages, record-high inflation and lagging reimbursement rates.
Yet these challenges did not define us, nor did they dampen our commitment to ensuring communities have access to the care they need. From expanding our footprint into Central Washington to increasing access to behavioral health services, MultiCare worked toward achieving our vision of becoming the Pacific Northwest’s highest value system of health.
MultiCare welcomes Yakima
On Jan. 17, 2023, MultiCare welcomed nearly 3,000 new employees into the organization as Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, numerous Yakima clinics and other health services became part of the MultiCare family.
Mary Bridge Children’s makes progress on new campus
The expansion of the MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital campus reached an important milestone in 2023 — crews completed the initial phase of demolition. This phase included the razing of historic Jackson Hall, which once housed the Tacoma General Hospital School of Nursing.
Increasing access to behavioral health care across Washington
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for behavioral health care has soared, yet many people are unable to access services due to provider shortages and gaps along the continuum of care. Among Washington adults reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression, 34.4 percent indicated an unmet need for counseling or therapy, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
In 2023, the MultiCare Behavioral Health Network opened two outpatient clinics and developed a new adolescent program to help address this burgeoning need.
Expanding emergency services and women’s care in Thurston County
Thurston County is growing, with the population now topping 300,000, according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management. With that growth comes increases in the need for health care, particularly access to around-the-clock emergency care.
To improve access to emergency services, MultiCare opened a new off-campus emergency department (ED) in Lacey. MultiCare is also making good on another promise we made when we acquired the hospital — expanding access to women’s health care services in the Thurston County region.