Newswise — SEATTLE – (Nov. 8, 2017) — Virginia Mason announced today Edmonds Family Medicine, the largest family practice group serving north King and south Snohomish counties, plans to become part of the Virginia Mason Health System early next year.

The acquisition has been unanimously approved by Edmonds Family Medicine shareholders and is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2018.

“This is an exciting time for Virginia Mason as we welcome this accomplished group practice into our health system,” said Virginia Mason Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD. “Edmonds Family Medicine shares our focus on high quality and appropriate care at the lowest cost possible, and is committed to focused improvement of health care delivery.”

Established in 1975, Edmonds Family Medicine includes more than 20 physicians, including family practice providers who specialize in obstetrics. Several of its physicians also have positions at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

“Our decision to become part of Virginia Mason recognizes the shared values and patient focus that distinguish both organizations,” said Andrew Thurman, MD, group president of Edmonds Family Medicine.

Edmonds Family Medicine is a member of the Puget Sound High Value Network (PSHVN), which was established by Virginia Mason in 2014 and includes organizations committed to delivering high quality care at a low cost. Other PSHVN members are EvergreenHealth Partners; Overlake Medical Center; SignalHealth; MultiCare Connected Care; and Seattle Children's. In 2015, PSHVN was selected by the Washington State Health Care Authority as one of two accountable care programs to serve state employees.

About Virginia Mason Health System
Virginia Mason, founded in 1920, is a nonprofit regional health care system based in Seattle that serves the Pacific Northwest. In the Puget Sound region, the system includes 336-bed Virginia Mason Hospital; a primary and specialty care group practice of more than 500 physicians; regional medical centers in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Federal Way, Kirkland, Issaquah and Lynnwood; Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed and built specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS; Benaroya Research Institute, which is internationally recognized for autoimmune disease research; and Virginia Mason Institute, which trains health care professionals and others from around the world in the Virginia Mason Production System, an innovative management methodology for continually improving quality, safety and efficiency. Virginia Mason online: VirginiaMason.org

Virginia Mason Health System also includes Virginia Mason Memorial, a 226-bed hospital serving the Yakima Valley in central Washington since 1950. Memorial online: YakimaMemorial.org