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Update with Complete Solution
MultiCare Health System
Overlake Medical Center Affiliation Recommendation
Prepared by:
Develop an affiliation recommendation ( suggested length of 7 – 10 pages ), which will be submitted to Overlake Medical Center’s advisory board for approval, by doing the following: A. Discuss the goals and rationale for an affiliation by doing the following:
- Explain two key goals for the affiliation and specific criteria a candidate affiliate must meet. Goal 1 The first goal of an affiliation for Overlake Medical Center is to increase the community’s access to care and services. The affiliate must expand the geographical reach of Overlake Medical Center while offering more advanced services and healthcare options (Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, 2024). Goal 2 The second goal of an affiliation for Overland Medical Center is to provide funding to address its growing healthcare demands. The affiliate must provide funding and collaboration while allowing Overlake Medical Center to maintain its current structure and healthcare values ( Overlake and MultiCare Sign Afiiliation Agreement , 2024).
- Identify three specific advantages a well-aligned affiliation would provide for Overlake. Advantage 1 The affiliation provides access to a broader range of resources, which is advantageous as it allows Overlake Medical Center to provide continuity of care for its patients. Patients can remain in their established care with the providers they have grown to trust while seeing providers in the same network for their other needs, without disrupting their care. The affiliation also allows all health record sharing between providers and makes them easily accessible in one place for the patient ( Overlake Forward , 2024). Advantage 2 One advantage of a well-aligned affiliate is that it strengthens Overlake Medical Center's position within its region. The strengthened position is a result of capital investments. The affiliate must provide financial stability ( Overlake Forward , 2024). Advantage 3 A well-aligned affiliate would provide academic resources and learning opportunities. Offering residency programs and continuing education would be advantageous (Sharma, 2024).
- Analyze Overlake's current state and Overlake's anticipated projected market segmentation based on the proposed affiliation. Demographic data
must support the Analysis and include the following elements:
- Overlake’s current state, including anticipated market segmentation
- location-specific demographics
- how the population’s health needs align with the proposed affiliation Current State Overlake Medical Center is an independently operated healthcare provider focusing on community and delivering excellent patient care. They have a traditional hospital- based model for providing care to their patients. Their anticipated market segmentation will target specific patient needs and geographic areas (Staff, 2016). Overlake Medical Center services two markets, local and outlying. The population of these markets combined is 977,461, with 25.2% minors, 62.0% adults, and 23.6% seniors. 59.7% of the population is Caucasian, 23.6% is Asian, and Latino, African American, or multiracial comprise the last 16.7%. Within the service area population, the percent of individuals below the federal poverty level, unemployed, or lacking a high school diploma is relatively low compared to state rates. 95.9% of adults and 98.1% of minors have health insurance coverage (Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, 2024). Demographi cs Overlake Medical Center has a market focus on demographics and geographics. They currently provide care in the Eastside region of King County. This area has seen dramatic population growth. The local market comprises five service areas (Bellevue, East, Issaquah/Sammamish, Redmond/Kirkland, and SW) and 22 zip codes. The outlying market includes two service areas (North and South) and 14 zip codes (Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, 2024). Population Health The vast change in the community's health needs due to the growing population has led Overlake Medical Center to expand its portfolio. They are looking for additional resources to offer the care their patients need (Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, 2024). The Community Health Needs Assessment conducted in 2024 identified significant health needs in access to care, chronic disease, healthy eating, housing and homelessness, mental health, preventative practices, sexually transmitted diseases, and substance use. With the MultiCare affiliation, the system can address access to care, chronic disease, housing and homelessness, mental health, preventative practices, and substance use (Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, 2024). With the assistance of MultiCare, the medically
health system, Overlake Medical Center can provide more comprehensive and continuous patient care. The patients can receive the timely and appropriate care they need. Improved access to care improves health outcomes as patients can manage their illnesses promptly. It also reduces healthcare costs as preventative care will lessen the risk of more serious conditions requiring expensive treatments (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2021). Benefit (^2) Another significant benefit is that Overlake Medical Center will become the region's flagship. The affiliation allows MultiCare to expand its reach into the North Sound region. The size and network of Overlake Medical Center allow it to serve as a leader in the North Sound region ( Overlake Forward , 2024).
- Discuss two reasons to avoid affiliation with the other potential candidates. UW Medicine Overlake Medical Center should avoid an affiliation with the University of Washington Medicine because their primary goals and missions do not align. Overlake Medical Center focuses on providing patient-centered service with excellent care, using evidence-based practices ( Overlake Medical Center & Clinics: Seattle Area Hospital , n.d.). University of Washington Medical focuses on improving population health through research and clinical trials ( Mission & Vision , n.d.). The University of Washington Medical Center also has a history of affiliations, ending its agreements with them due to different strategic priorities. Valley Medical Center recently ended a 15 - year affiliation with them because they no longer agreed with their priorities. Losing a long-term affiliate suggests that the University of Washington Medical would not be suitable for Overlake Medical Center (Condon, 2025). Western State Hospital Overlake Medical Center should avoid an affiliation with Western State Hospital because they are a psychiatric state-operated government entity. Western State Hospital is fully funded and paid for by the state of Washington ( Western State Hospital | DSHS , n.d.). Overlake Medical Center is a non-profit organization funded by patient and insurance payments for its services ( Overlake Medical Center & Clinics: Seattle Area Hospital , n.d.). An affiliation between government and non-profit hospitals is not unheard of. However, they have been challenging to manage ( Public Hospitals and Partnerships | AHA Trustee Services , n.d.).
Additionally, Western State Hospital lost its accreditation in
- They voluntarily decided not to have the Joint Commission conduct their survey for accreditation. Western State Hospital decided to become unaccredited due to safety issues within the hospital, such as staffing levels and escaping patients (Browning, 2018). A nonaccredited hospital would not make a good affiliate for Overlake Medical Center. C. Discuss the affiliation plan for the proposed affiliation structure by doing the following:
- Describe the proposed affiliation structure and include justification for the selection. Affiliation Structure The affiliation will be a Joint Operating Agreement. Overlake Medical Center wants to retain its brand name while being provided funds to expand its service lines and increase access to care. A Joint Operating Agreement will allow this to happen. Overlake Medical Center and MultiCare will retain separate identities but share financial authority and costs.
- Create new vision, mission, and value statements for the new proposed affiliation structure of the organization selected in part B1. New Vision Join forces to deliver world-class patient care to our communities. Together, Overlake Medical Center and MultiCare will expand their services throughout the North Sound community, increasing access points for care ( Teaming up for the Better , 2024). New Mission Align efforts to support the health needs of the population we serve. The affiliation will address access to care, chronic disease, housing and homelessness, mental health, preventative practices, and substance use (Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, 2024). New Value Statement I ntegrity T eamwork H umility R espect I nnovate V aluable E xcellence (iTHRIVE) The organizations will demonstrate integrity by establishing trust with their patients and each other. They will be accountable and answer to the needs of population health. Westlake Medical Center and MultiCare will demonstrate teamwork through collaboration between both entities to prioritize evolving patient care needs.
depending on the goal. Accountability and transparency are crucial in this process. If the board cannot agree, the providers will decide. Principles, Strategies, & Tools The goals need to be defined in detail using clear and concise communication. All board members must give their input to ensure stakeholder engagement. All board members will provide feedback and adjust to changes as needed. The board will utilize the Ascent E3 (envision, execute, experience) change management process to plan for, implement, and monitor change. This process ensures that all stakeholders are doing their part and are accountable, and it provides a great visual for monitoring the changes in place ( Ascent E3 , 2020).
- Describe how to positively impact a culture's employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention. Employee Morale Employee focus will be a high priority with the affiliation between Overlake Medical Center and Multicare. Both entities will communicate the same information to staff. Leadership will remain open and transparent regarding the changes and growth of the organization. Overlake Medical Center will expand its employee benefits to include MultiCare's benefits, including accidental death and dismemberment insurance, disability insurance, wellness programs, a cohort offering with a local university, flexible schedules, volunteering opportunities, and a supportive work environment (Health, 2025). The organization will also implement a retention bonus of $1,000 awarded on every fifth service anniversary. Employee satisfaction will be tracked by having staff complete a Pulse Survey quarterly to gather feedback (Qualtrics, n.d.) and by monitoring Overlake Medical Center employee reviews on Indeed (Indeed, 2019). Overlake Medical Center will track Pulse Survey scores, negative reviews on Indeed, absenteeism rates, and adjusted voluntary turnover, and stay interviews will be conducted with valuable staff to monitor employee satisfaction. Employee engagement metrics to monitor include productivity, training and development participation, promotion, and recognition (Eser, 2025). Along with the data collections, performance reviews, and regular employee check-ins will be used to gather information on how engaged the team feels. Monitoring employee retention will include tracking
retention rates, adjusted voluntary turnover rates, average employee tenure, and cost of turnover. Exit interviews identify improvement areas to mitigate future employee leaving ( The 14 Best Employee Retention Metrics to Track | Paycor , 2025). Overlake Medical Center leaders will support the affiliation structure, as the leadership and staff structure will remain intact and give them autonomy to lead their teams as they see fit ( Overlake and MultiCare Sign Afiiliation Agreement , 2024).
- Describe two opportunities and two challenges for the affiliation. Opportunitie s One opportunity for the affiliation is that Overlake Medical Center will be the system's flagship within its North Sound region ( Overlake Forward , 2024). With Overlake Medical Center as the flagship, this creates value and can build a strong regional brand presence. Being the flagship will draw the attention of potential patients as flagships are more appealing to the customer base ( Flagship Product , n.d.). Another opportunity is the potential for expanding Overlake Medical Center’s current services. The affiliation with MultiCare brings abundant clinical expertise to grow their focus departments: cancer care, childbirth, emergency, and neurosciences (MultiCare, 2024). Challenges One challenge that may appear for the Overlake Medical Center and Multicare affiliation is managing the relationship. While the two entities seem a perfect fit, there may be unforeseen challenges regarding strategy, limitations, or expectations (Acceleration Partners, 2024). Another challenge of the affiliation is stability. MultiCare is a much larger enterprise. Overlake Medical Center could run the risk of over-relying on them for stability, especially financially, when they need to continue expanding their reach and services ( Are Healthcare Afiiliations Worth the Risk? , 2015).
- Discuss the impact both Overlake's and the affiliate organization's cultures could have on the proposed affiliation. Culture Impact The affiliation between Overlake Medical Center and MultiCare will have a positive cultural impact. There will be a culture of growth and learning opportunities for staff. With the affiliation, there will be greater opportunities for professional development and increased employee benefits. Improving the employee experience will create an
They will create a plan for the new focus of Overlake Medical Center so that it can stand alone after the affiliation. The team will prepare for unknowns such as patient resistance and legal disputes ( Afiiliations: A Clear Strategy | AHA Trustee Services , n.d.). Next, the project team will formally notify MultiCare that the affiliation will end. The team will set transition terms by developing a plan to ensure patients can continue their care without interruption and addressing what staffing changes are needed and how they will be executed (Business, 2025). Finally, the project team will notify all parties involved that the affiliation is ending. Patients, staff, and regulatory agencies will receive the notification ( Afiiliations: A Clear Strategy | AHA Trustee Services , n.d.).
- Discuss two future challenges and opportunities resulting from the affiliation regarding the evolving community healthcare landscape. Future Challenges One future challenge that may result is financial pressure. The organization must purchase the high-cost innovative equipment to continue delivering the best patient care, which increases healthcare costs for the patients. Moreover, insurance reimbursement rates continue to decrease. It will be challenging to ensure both entities remain profitable (2025). A second future challenge is the lack of staff availability. There is a worldwide shortage of skilled healthcare professionals due to population growth and increased illness. Many prospective healthcare professionals are opting not to move forward due to high stress levels and inadequate compensation. Current healthcare professionals risk leaving due to an increased workload and insufficient training (McNeill, 2025). Future Opportunitie s A future opportunity to leverage is the use of technology in healthcare. Accessibility of a patient's electronic health record and telemedicine make patient care and treatment easier and timelier. When patients need an appointment quickly, they can log into their electronic health record application and chat with their provider's office. Within no time, someone from the office responds and schedules a virtual visit with the patient. Advanced technology, such as robotic use during procedures, also delivers the most precise and accurate care the patients need, while taking pressure off the surgeons performing the procedures (Team, 2024).
A second opportunity is to increase the outreach care provided by the two organizations. Addressing health disparities across populations creates a more inclusive take on healthcare and the community (Williams et al., 2016). D. Acknowledge sources. (2025). Gallagherbassett.com. https://www.gallagherbassett.com/news-and- insights/2025/jan/future-focus-healthcare-trends-to-watch-in-2025/ Acceleration Partners. (2024, October 24). Navigating the Challenges of Afiiliate Partnerships – Acceleration Partners. Acceleration Partners. https://www.accelerationpartners.com/resources/navigating-affiliate- marketing- challenges/ Afiiliations: A clear strategy | AHA Trustee Services. (n.d.). Trustees.aha.org. https://trustees.aha.org/articles/1361-affiliations-a-clear-strategy Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2021). Access to healthcare and disparities in access. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK578537/ Are Healthcare Afiiliations Worth the Risk? (2015). KLR. https://kahnlitwin.com/blogs/business- blog/are-healthcare-affiliations-worth-the-risk Ascent E3. (2020). Ascent E3. https://ascent-e3.com/ Browning, P. (2018, October 25). Washington Psychiatric Hospital is no longer accredited. Kuow.org; KUOW Public Radio. https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-psychiatric- hospital-no- longer-accredited Business: S. (2025). Specialty Hospital Exit Strategy: Building a Sustainable Business: Exit Strategies for Specialty Hospitals - FasterCapital. FasterCapital. https://fastercapital.com/content/Specialty-Hospital-Exit-Strategy--Building- a- Sustainable-Business--Exit-Strategies-for-Specialty- Hospitals.html#Introduction-to-Exit- Strategies-in-Healthcare Condon, A. (2025, June 11). UW Medicine, Valley Medical to end 15-year afiiliation. Becker’s
Finalize Afiiliation. MultiCare. https://www.multicare.org/newsroom/2024/10/overlake- medical-center-clinics-and-multicare-health-system-finalize-affiliation/ Organizational Culture and Leadership | Flex Monitoring Team. (2024). Flexmonitoring.org. https://www.flexmonitoring.org/organizational-culture-and-leadership Overlake and MultiCare Sign Afiiliation Agreement. (2024). Overlake Medical Center & Clinics. https://www.overlakehospital.org/news/2024-05/overlake-and-multicare-sign- affiliation- agreement Overlake Forward. (2024). Overlake Medical Center & Clinics. https://www.overlakehospital.org/overlake-forward Overlake Medical Center & Clinics. (2024). 2024 CHNA implementation plan [Review of 2024 CHNA Implementation Plan ]. https://www.overlakehospital.org/sites/default/files/2024- 11/Overlake%20Medical%20Center%20FY25- FY27%20Implementation%20Strategy_Final_JC.pdf Overlake Medical Center & Clinics. (2024). 2024 community health needs assessment [Review of 2024 community health needs assessment ]. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://www.overlakehospital.org/sites/default/files/2025- 07/Overlake%20Medical%20Center%20FY24%20CHNA_FINAL.pdf Overlake Medical Center & Clinics: Seattle Area Hospital. (n.d.). Overlake Medical Center & Clinics. https://www.overlakehospital.org/ Public hospitals and partnerships | AHA Trustee Services. (n.d.). Trustees.aha.org. https://trustees.aha.org/articles/1335-public-hospitals-and-partnerships Qualtrics. (n.d.). What is an employee pulse survey? Qualtrics. https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/employee/what-is- employee-pulse-survey/ Sharma, S. (2024, May 22). US health systems Overlake and MultiCare sign afiiliation agreement. Hospital Management. https://www.hospitalmanagement.net/news/overlake- multicare- sign-affiliation/?cf-view Staff. (2016, January 28). Overlake Medical Center begins $242M expansion. Becker’s Hospital
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