SEATTLE, Wash. – Harrison Medical Center, a part of CHI Franciscan Health and Regence BlueShield today announced agreement on a new contract providing Regence members access to all local health care services at Harrison Medical Center and Harrison HealthPartners at in-network rates. Regence BlueShield and Harrison Medical Center were previously without a contract since August 22, 2014.The new agreement, which becomes effective Feb. 15, 2015, is a win-win for residents of Kitsap County and the Olympic Peninsula.
“We are extremely pleased that we have been able to come to an agreement with Regence BlueShield on a new contract,” said David Schultz, President of Harrison Medical Center. “This contract affords our patients continued access to all the providers and services Harrison Medical Center has to offer and at the same time provides for the continued financial success of both organizations.“
“Today’s agreement with CHI Franciscan Health ensures that Regence members will have access and choice as they seek quality care at an affordable price for themselves and their families,” said Don Antonucci, President of Regence BlueShield. “We’re pleased to have come to an agreement that benefits our members in Kitsap County and the Olympic Peninsula.”
Founded in 1918, Harrison Medical Center has evolved from a small community hospital into the region’s busiest medical center. Harrison serves patients in Kitsap, North Mason, Clallam and Jefferson counties. Harrison Medical Center affiliated with CHI Franciscan Health 2013, joining one of Puget Sound’s largest health care systems.
Founded in 1917, Regence and affiliated companies employ nearly 1,800 Washingtonians across the state. Additionally, Regence and its Washington employees contributed over $734,000 to nonprofits in 2014 in support of the causes they believe in and the communities where we live and work.
About CHI Franciscan Health
CHI Franciscan Health is nonprofit health system based in Tacoma, WA with a team of more than 12,000 doctors, nurses and staff who provide expert, compassionate medical care at eight acute care hospitals and more than 100 primary and specialty care clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties. This includes St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor, one of the newest hospitals in the state; St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood; St. Elizabeth Hospital, Enumclaw, designated as a Critical Access Hospital; St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way; St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma, a tertiary referral center; Harrison Medical Center, Bremerton and Silverdale, offering the only dedicated orthopedic hospital on the Peninsula; Highline Medical Center, Burien; and Regional Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital located within Highline Medical Center. Started in 1891 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, today CHI Franciscan Health is one of the largest health systems in Washington state with more than 1,100 acute care beds, a credentialed medical staff of more than 1,500 including more than 550 employed physicians providing specialties in cardiovascular care, cancer services, orthopedics and sports medicine, neurosciences, women’s care, surgical weight loss and hospice and palliative care. More babies are born at CHI Franciscan Health hospitals than any other system in our service area and at St. Joseph, Level III neonatal intensive care is provided in collaboration with neonatologists from Seattle Children’s Hospital. Every year, more than 300,000 of our neighbors turn to our hospitals’ 24/7 emergency departments, including the Level II Trauma Center at St. Joseph. Recipient of numerous awards and accreditations for our institutions and services, CHI Franciscan Health’s mission is to create healthier communities, including caring for the poor and underserved. In 2014, we provided $115 million in community benefit, including $27 million in charity care. For more information, visit www.chifranciscan.org.
About Regence BlueShield
Regence BlueShield has been serving Washingtonians in select counties for nearly a century and now provides more than 1.1 million members with comprehensive health insurance solutions. As a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regenceblueshieldwa or twitter.com/regencewa.