SPRINGFIELD — PeaceHealth and Eugene Emergency Physicians (EEP) have finalized an agreement to continue working together on emergency department physician services in Lane County.
This three-year agreement for both PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend and PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center follows several weeks of discussions focused on strengthening emergency care in the region.
“Over the past several weeks, we’ve spent a great deal of time listening to physicians, caregivers, and members of the Lane County community,” said Heather Wall, interim chief executive for PeaceHealth Oregon. “What we heard clearly is that people care deeply about emergency care in this region and want to see us working together to strengthen it. This agreement reflects that shared commitment. We know there is important work ahead, but we believe this creates a stronger foundation for how we move forward together in support of our patients, caregivers, and communities.”
With this new agreement, PeaceHealth and EEP are establishing a more collaborative and accountable approach to the delivery of emergency care, according to PeaceHealth. This includes a shared focus on improving emergency department performance and patient experience, regular data review and transparency, and strengthened clinical coordination within the department and across Lane County. A dashboard featuring key metrics – such as lobby wait time and EMS wall time – will be made publicly available and updated regularly.
“We believe this agreement marks an important step toward a stronger, more collaborative future for emergency care in our community,” said Brad Anderson, president of Eugene Emergency Physicians. “Together with PeaceHealth, we have a shared commitment to delivering measurable improvements in access, experience, and the quality of care our patients depend on every day.”
“As we move forward, our focus is on turning this reset into real improvements that patients, caregivers, and clinicians can feel day to day,” said Mark Korth, chief transformation officer for PeaceHealth. “That means strengthening coordination across our emergency departments, improving patient flow and access to care, and being more transparent and accountable about how we are performing as a system.”
Both organizations are also committed to ongoing engagement with first responders, community leaders, and regional partners to support a more coordinated approach to emergency services across Lane County. PeaceHealth looks forward to sharing more details as development continues on a community coalition centered on emergency care partnerships in Lane County.
