Last updated 6/4/25 – Scroll down for answers to Frequently Asked Questions
On May 12, 2025, Valley Medical Center shared difficult news with our teams that is necessary for our continued journey forward. Because of significant financial instabilities and uncertainties created by the state and federal government and private sector reimbursements, we continue to be faced with some very difficult challenges and decisions. We must further scale back operations to match our shifting financial realities. This requires a large-scale restructure of our workforce, as well as the consolidation and closing of some clinics and departments. All changes will roll out over the next two months.
These are very tough decisions that impact people’s lives, both our employees and the community we care for, and that is not something we take lightly. While incredibly difficult, these changes are necessary for Valley’s future stability.
A fundamental operational change includes shifting staffing models in most areas from part-time to full-time, a process that impacts more than 50% of our staff across many areas of the organization. Employees are eligible to apply for open, future positions, and depending on the role, there are possibilities to rebid, restructure, relocate, or shift to support other operational areas. Given this process, we do not yet know the number of FTEs who will separate.
Significant thought and consideration were given to areas of closure and consolidation to ensure the presence of other local resources. Patients who are seen at impacted departments and clinics will be referred to other local, community-based providers.
Valley is not alone in making these hard decisions, as systems across the country are facing similar decisions. As we move forward, we do so with respect for what we’ve built and hope for what’s ahead. Our mission remains. And with an evolved, hyper-focused structure we are determined to continue forward—with resilience, heart, and a deep sense of responsibility to the communities that rely on us.
Below details the Valley units and clinic locations closing and/or consolidating:
Hospital Units Closing June 27: Where appropriate, patients will be transferred to other trusted community-based providers.
- Northwest Pavilion Inpatient
- Inpatient Pediatrics
Clinics Closing: Patients will be referred to other Valley locations and/or other trusted community-based providers:
- Kent Primary Care: June 27
- Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic: Contract for satellite services ends June 27
- Occupational Health Services: June 27
- Pediatric Neurology & Pediatric Sleep Medicine: June 27
- Renton Landing Urgent Care: May 12
Clinics Consolidating:
- Medication Management-Covington: June 20 (partially consolidating to Renton location)
- Valley Women’s Healthcare-Covington: June 27 (partially consolidating to Renton & Auburn locations)
Note: Our last day seeing patients at the clinics listed above will be June 20, with the exception of Renton Landing Urgent Care (May 12) and Valley Women’s Healthcare-Covington (June 25).
Additional Information:
Context & Rationale
- Because of the significant financial instabilities and uncertainties created by the state and federal government and private sector reimbursements, we continue to be faced with very difficult challenges and decisions.
- Valley is taking difficult, but necessary steps to address these challenges. Currently, Valley has a year-to-date operating loss of -$25M and growing.
- We must focus on serving those we can, rather than attempting to serve everyone at the cost of compromising care for all. Significant thought and consideration were given to areas of closure and consolidation to ensure the presence of other local resources (see FAQS for a listing of alternative options).
- These changes aim to realign resources to create a path for future stability.
- Over the past four months, we’ve taken extensive leadership and non-clinical cost-saving measures before turning to clinical workforce restructuring.
Support for Affected Employees
- Individual notifications are being delivered with respect and transparency.
- Impacted staff may apply for other open roles, and many will be eligible for rebid, relocation, or restructuring opportunities.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and leaders are available for support.
Financial & Strategic Background
- In March, reduced leadership by 13% and workforce by 8%.
- 135 positions on hold; 96 positions vacated and will not be backfilled.
- Pediatric inpatient volumes have dropped to an average of 4 patients/day—Valley will continue outpatient care and rely on regional children’s hospitals for inpatient needs.
Communication & Timeline
- Valley’s Board of Trustees endorsed plan, notifications and FAQs shared with staff starting May 12.
- Rebids expected to take place June 12-13; with the exception of RLUC, closures occur on June 20 and June 27.
Our Path Forward
- We remain committed to our mission as we stabilize and strengthen operations.
- These are hard decisions made with compassion, data, and the future of our community in mind.
- We recognize and honor the contributions of every affected team member.
- Valley’s mission must continue—with heart, resilience, and an unwavering belief in what’s next.
Alternative Sites for Care in our Community
Significant thought and consideration were given to areas of closure and consolidation to ensure the presence of other local resources, some of which are listed below.
Occupational Health Services:
- Concentra in Tukwila and Kent,
- AFC Southcenter in Kent,
- Kaiser Permanente in Renton,
- Multicare Occupational Medicine in Covington
- Other independent clinicians
Kent Primary Care Clinic:
- Primary Care: VMC Kent Station Clinic; Multicare Family Medicine of Kent; Family Care of Kent, UW Medicine Kent Des Moines Clinic, PacMed Renton
- Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Primary Care: SeaMar in Kent; HealthPoint in Kent, Renton, Tukwila and Auburn
- Other independent clinicians
Renton Landing Urgent Care:
- MinuteClinic in Renton
- HealthPoint Urgent Care in Kent
- AFC Urgent Care in Tukwila
- Indigo Urgent Care in Tukwila, Kent, Covington and Maple Valley
- Overlake Urgent Care
- POA Orthopedic Urgent Care in Tukwila
- ZoomCare in Tukwila
Pediatric inpatient care, pediatric neurology & pediatric sleep medicine:
- Mary Bridge
- Seattle Children’s
- Swedish
Maternal Fetal Medicine: Ending on-campus contracted service, returning to previous model of referral to local, community-based providers.
- Multicare-Auburn
- Overlake
- Seattle Children’s
- Swedish-First Hill
- UW Medicine
- Virginia Mason Franciscan Health-Burien & Federal Way
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Why is Valley Medical Center making these changes?
A: Hospitals and health systems across our state and country are feeling and reacting to the rapid changes and financial uncertainties in the healthcare landscape. Valley is more heavily impacted by state and federal shifts because we are a public, disproportionate share hospital and most of our funding comes from federal and state sources, putting us at greater risk more quickly. Valley Medical Center is restructuring to ensure future stability and continued care for the community.
Q: How were the decisions about closures and consolidations made?
A: Valley prioritized maintaining access to care by ensuring that alternative local resources are available where services are closing. Lists of alternative sites for care are available on our website.
Q: Is Valley having financial issues?
A: Valley is currently operating at a $25 million year-to-date loss. Leadership has already taken steps to reduce costs in non-clinical areas and is now restructuring to stabilize operations while maintaining care for as many patients as possible. The changes we are making right now are all centered around creating future stability for Valley so we can continue to be here for our patients and community.
Q: Is Valley closing more clinics in the future?
A: At this time, all planned closures and consolidations have been announced. Any further changes will be communicated transparently and with as much notice as possible.
Q: Will the change to your staffing model impact my care?
A: One of the reasons we have chosen to completely close several clinics and units is to avoid across-the-board trims in staffing that could potentially reduce quality of care. Our teams work diligently every day to give our patients the quality care they need and expect. Safety has always been our core value at Valley, and that is something we will never compromise.
Continuity of Care
Q: Will my appointment be affected?
A: If your appointment is at a clinic or unit that’s closing or consolidating, Valley staff will reach out to reschedule or refer you to another trusted provider. If you haven’t been contacted and are unsure, call your clinic directly.
Q: Will I still be able to receive care at Valley?
A: Yes. Most services are continuing, and where closures are happening, referrals will be provided to other Valley or community-based providers to ensure continuity of care.
Q: What happens to my medical records if my clinic closes? How do I transfer my records to another clinic or provider?
A: Your medical records remain secure with Valley Medical Center. They will be available for any future care you receive within Valley or can be transferred to another provider at your request.
If you choose to establish care outside of the Valley network, we are happy to transfer your medical records to your new provider if you fill out a Patient Authorization to Disclose, Release and/or Obtain Protected Health Information form. This form is available on our website at www.valleymed.org/records. Patient medical records are also available within MyChart.
Q: Where can I go to continue my care?
A: Patients needing urgent care can visit other Valley or community-based urgent care locations. A full list of alternate urgent care sites is available on the Valley website. If you need to establish care with a new primary care or specialty care provider, we recommend scheduling an initial appointment as soon as possible (see next question), as some locations have waits for new patient appointments.
Q: How do I find a new provider if my clinic is closing?
A: If you are looking for a primary care provider, all PCPs who are accepting new patients are listed at valleymed.org/pcp. Providers for other specialties can be searched at valleymed.org/find-a-provider. We also have alternative sites outside of Valley listed on the impacted clinics’ location pages.
Q: What happens to pediatric inpatient care?
A: Children needing inpatient care will be referred to regional children’s hospitals. Outpatient pediatric care will continue at Valley.
Q: Can I still use MyChart to message my care team if my clinic is closed?
A: Impacted clinics will remain open for phone calls and MyChart messages until June 27. After that date, you will no longer be able to contact your care team.
Q: If I’m referred to a new provider, will they have access to my health history?
A: Valley providers will be able to access your health history. If you transfer to a provider outside of Valley, you will need to have your records transferred (details above).
Q: Will my insurance still be accepted at the new provider I’m referred to? What if the alternative provider is out of network for me? Are there any new billing or cost changes I should expect as a result of these changes?
A: Your insurance coverage should remain the same if you are referred to another Valley provider. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that a non-Valley provider will be covered by your insurance and recommend you verify with your insurance company. It is possible you will incur additional charges if your new provider is out of network. We’re very sorry for any inconvenience.
Q: What if I have an appointment scheduled after the closure date?
A: We are trying to reschedule as many appointments as possible to occur before the closure date. Unfortunately, some appointments after that date will need to be canceled as care is transferred to a new provider.
Q: Why are appointments to establish care with a new provider so far out into the future?
A: The healthcare system is stretched thin, with many providers, locally and nationally, experiencing long waits for new patients. We are working to get patients in with new providers as soon as appointments are available and apologize for any delays.
Q: What will happen if I need care (visits, refills, referrals, etc.) before the appointment with my new provider?
A: If you need medication refills, please contact your pharmacy or use the “Request refills” button in MyChart to request the specific medication.
In Primary Care, the provider’s MyChart messages will be monitored for 90 days. If a refill comes from the pharmacy and you are scheduled with another provider, then we may able to give refills to last until the visit with the new provider. Otherwise, you may be directed to Urgent Care.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.
Q: Where is my provider going? Can I receive care from them in a new location?
A: Many of our providers are working on what their next steps will be. For those who do know, we are happy to share that information with you so you can investigate whether they will be covered by your insurance and if you’d like to establish care from them in their new location. If you’re not sure where your provider is going, we recommend scheduling an initial appointment with a new provider as soon as possible (see above for resources), as some locations have waits for new patient appointments.
Escalation and Staying Informed
Q: How can I stay updated?
A: Check Valley’s blog or main website. Patients at impacted clinics will be contacted directly regarding care options.
Q: Why wasn’t I informed earlier?
A: We apologize if you first heard about the changes from somewhere outside of Valley. The process of notifying our staff, leaders, and providers, and then preparing letters to notify our impacted patients took some time. Please know that we worked to notify you as soon as we could and that it is important to us that you find a place to continue your care.
Q: Where can I get a full list of services still available at Valley?
A: You can find information about all the services offered at Valley, including which providers are accepting new patients, on our website, valleymed.org.
Q: How can I make sure I’m notified of any future changes?
A: Any patients impacted by future clinic or provider changes will be notified as soon as possible via MyChart message and/or mailed letter. Changes to clinics are also posted on those clinics’ location pages on valleymed.org.
Q: Is there a hotline or central number to call for help navigating this change?
A: We are asking patients to call the clinic where they receive care. If your concerns are still not resolved, you can contact Patient Relations at 425.690.3403.
