Walla Walla General Hospital Officially Closed
July 25, 2017: Walla Walla General Hospital closed yesterday after more than a century of serving the local community.
Healthcare Finance reported that the hospital’s Adventist Health parent system also closed the Adventist Home Healthcare services and their clinics.
Nearby Providence St. Mary Medical Center is expected to absorb a lot of the closing hospital’s patients.
Many physicians previously affiliated with Walla Walla General have already transfered to Providence Medical Group. This will allow them to continue practicing in the area.
Plans announced in April to transfer the control of Walla Walla General from Adventist Health to Providence Health & Services were halted in June.
Adventist Health announced that the hospital would instead be closed.
Regulatory hurdles threatened to delay the intended transfer of control or make it impossible. This led to the closure decision.
The decision to close the hospital was made despite specific measures to revive the hospital in recent years including a multimillion dollar renovation. In addition, a new CEO had been hired in October 2016.