Wenatchee Valley Physicians Group Pushing For Delay Of New Cancer Center
The physicians who comprise the Wenatchee Valley Medical Group (WVMG) are urging Confluence Health to pause plans to construct a $60 million cancer center project on the campus of Confluence Health Hospital.
Dr. Jen Jorgensen, the president of WVMG, said its board is concerned about the use of resources for a new cancer treatment facility and the impact on patients and the long-term viability of the region's local integrated healthcare system.
In a strongly worded news release, Jorgensen siad the WVMG board is asking Confluence Health to pause the project "for further review and collaboration with the appropriate stakeholders."
Jorgensen said WVMG is the largest affiliated group of physicians with Confluence Health. The alliance was formed in 2013 between the doctor-owned Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and Central Washington Hospital. It expires in 2027.
The concerns outlined by WVMG cite fiscal responsibility, patient care, and the longevity of an independent community health system.
WVMG's board says its physicians were not included in the initial planning of the project and WVMG oncologists and radiation oncologists were excluded from discussions on location, services, potential gaps in care, infrastructure needs, and alternative
opportunities.
"Spending $60 million on a new cancer center that does not substantially improve patient care is not responsible," according to the news release.
WVMG views the primary benefit of the proposed project as additional exam rooms and infusion chairs and that the proposed expansion could be accomplished at far lower cost and will delay investment in other necessary services.
WVMG believes a better use for the money would be investments in cutting-edge services such as advanced diagnostic imaging and interventional services that are not currently available here. WVMG says the Confluence plan prioritizes an expansion of clinical space.
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WVMG operates a cancer center in the Mares Building, with radiation and chemo-infusion services. The Confluence project adds two additional radiation vaults less than two miles away, without any meaningful improvement in patient care, and amounts to a duplication of healthcare resources.
The physicians group also has concerns the plan is moving forward without consideration of how WVMG and Confluence Health will collaborate after the current affiliation ends in 2027.
Last month, the CEO of Confluence Health, Dr. Andrew Jones said the cancer center meets a real need in the community.
“This project will bring expert care close to home, unify our teams around each patient, and shape our services to meet the real needs of the community we serve. It is our mission to provide local care, and having this state-of-the-art care close to where the patient calls home is what our families, neighbors, and future patients deserve.” --Dr. Andrew Jones
Confluence spokesperson Adam MacDonald said the project is in the schematic design phase after undergoing an initial feasibility study.
Confluence Health had not yet responded to our request for comment on the WVMG's request to delay the project.
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