On Jan. 1, 2020, Northwest Hospital will become "UW Medical Center - Northwest," a second campus of the University of Washington Medical Center.
The current campus of University of Washington Medical Center will be "UW Medical Center - Montlake," a nod to its location near the Montlake Cut, the easternmost part of the ship canal that connects Lake Washington to Puget Sound.
Northwest Hospital opened in 1960 and became an entity of UW Medicine in 2010. It retains its "Northwest" roots as a dependable healthcare provider for the surrounding neighborhoods.
"Being the second campus of UW Medical Center will help in the expansion of services on the Northwest campus. The great care and service that Northwest Hospital has offered the community for nearly 60 years will continue with even greater access to specialty care," said Cindy Hecker, executive director of University of Washington Medical Center.
The integration realizes the long-range goal set in late 2009 when Northwest Hospital affiliated with the UW Medicine health system. Planning to formally integrate the two hospitals started in 2017, and the UW Board of Regents approved the proposal on Feb. 8, 2018, stating that it would better align clinical programs and improve patient care, create financial and administrative efficiencies, and reduce costs.
Under terms of the integration, former employees of Northwest Hospital are now employed by the University of Washington, and many of the hospital's doctors have joined the UW Physicians practice group. The integration has also involved merging systems for billing, payroll, and patients' electronic medical records.
"This project represents tremendous change. Both organizations have worked hard to make the transition as smooth as possible and to ensure that patients and employees receive the information and assistance they need," Hecker said.
With the change, she said, "UW Medical Center will continue to provide excellent care and service to patients at each of our campuses and will advance our role to improve health in the region."
Related: FAQ for patients
