The board of directors for Southwest Washington Medical Center has voted unanimously to move forward with a planned merger with Bellevue-based PeaceHealth, Southwest spokesman Ken Cole said Thursday. Cole said the board voted during its Oct. 22-23 retreat after reviewing the details of a preliminary agreement to affiliate with PeaceHealth.
Cole said the vote doesn’t guarantee a merger but is an important step forward to make it happen. The boards of both Southwest and PeaceHealth are expected to take final votes to finalize a merger agreement in November. “We hope to build a strong, regional approach to care,” Cole said.
