PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center and North Cascade Cardiology, PLLC, have agreed to explore potential affiliation as a way to sustain and expand vital cardiovascular services to the communities they serve.

The Medical Center and North Cascade Cardiology’s physician shareholders have approved a letter of intent to begin assessing possible affiliation, with a tentative timeline for completion by the end of this year.

“The potential affiliation provides an opportunity to build on the strong partnership and foundation of the successful cardiovascular service line that the dedicated, hard-working and caring teams have built together over the years,” say PeaceHealth representatives. “In addition, the new structure will increase the seamlessness of care for all patients and reduce duplication of costly technology, promoting more efficient use of healthcare resources. We believe that by working together more closely, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center and North Cascade Cardiology we can improve healthcare delivery and overall health outcomes for the people of Northwest Washington.”

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, which includes a not-for-profit full-service hospital sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, is part of the PeaceHealth system with medical centers in Alaska, Washington and Oregon. In addition to the hospital and PeaceHealth Medical Group, PeaceHealth’s local services include several Centers of excellence, a diagnostic laboratory, a joint venture outpatient imaging service, a specialty clinic in Sedro-Woolley and a critical access hospital being developed on San Juan Island.

North Cascade Cardiology offers a full complement of first-rate cardiovascular services, utilizing the latest technologies and advances in treatment. The 13-member medical practice is nationally recognized in specialized cardiovascular care and state-of-the-art procedures. The practice has clinics in Bellingham, Anacortes, Friday Harbor, Orcas Island and Southeast Alaska.