PeaceHealth, EEP finalize three-year contract

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — PeaceHealth and Eugene Emergency Physicians (EEP) have finalized an agreement to continue working together on emergency department physician services in Lane County.

This three-year agreement for both PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend and PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center reflects a shared commitment to patients, caregivers, clinicians and the community, and follows several weeks of direct and constructive discussions focused on how to strengthen emergency care in the region. Our shared priorities from those discussions were maintaining continuity of care and expanding coordination with caregivers, first responders and community healthcare partners across the region.

“Over the past several weeks, we’ve spent a great deal of time listening to physicians, caregivers and members of the Lane County community,” said Heather Wall, interim chief executive for PeaceHealth Oregon. “What we heard clearly is that people care deeply about emergency care in this region and want to see us working together to strengthen it. This agreement reflects that shared commitment. We know there is important work ahead, but we believe this creates a stronger foundation for how we move forward together in support of our patients, caregivers and communities.”

With this new agreement, PeaceHealth and EEP are establishing a more collaborative and accountable approach to emergency care delivery. This includes a shared focus on improving emergency department performance and patient experience, regular data review and transparency, and strengthened clinical coordination within the department and across Lane County. A dashboard featuring key metrics – such as lobby wait time and EMS wall time – will be made available publicly and will be updated regularly.

“We believe this agreement marks an important step toward a stronger, more collaborative future for emergency care in our community,” said Brad Anderson, president of Eugene Emergency Physicians. “Together with PeaceHealth, we have a shared commitment to delivering measurable improvements in access, experience and the quality of care our patients depend on every day.”

“As we move forward, our focus is on turning this reset into real improvements that patients, caregivers and clinicians can feel day to day,” said Mark Korth, chief transformation officer for PeaceHealth. “That means strengthening coordination across our emergency departments, improving patient flow and access to care, and being more transparent and accountable about how we are performing as a system.”

Both organizations are also committed to ongoing engagement with first responders, community leaders and regional partners to support a more coordinated approach to emergency services across Lane County. PeaceHealth looks forward to sharing more details as development continues on a community coalition centered on emergency care partnerships in Lane County.

This is an important step forward, and both organizations are committed to continuing the work needed to deliver measurable improvements for patients and a more stable, supportive environment for caregivers.

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a non-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, nearly 3,200 physicians and clinicians, more than 160 clinics and 9 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.