Polk County Commissioners Approve Letter Supporting West Valley Hospital Expansion

Polk County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 16 unanimously approved a letter of support asking Gov. Tina Kotek and Dr. Sejal Hathi, director of the Oregon Health Authority, to consider Salem Health’s proposed modernization and expansion of West Valley Hospital in Dallas for federal rural health transformation funding.

The letter request comes as Congress considered a federal bill referred to in the presentation as “HR 1,” which the presenter said would create a temporary rural health transformation fund. Ruth Miles, government relations for Salem Health, told the commissioners the project is a four‑phase effort that Salem Health plans to begin next year and that the organization estimates capital construction at about $74,500,000 for all phases.

Miles said West Valley Hospital “is a critical access hospital and a level 4 trauma center.” She told the board the hospital has expanded to a licensed capacity of 25 med‑surg beds and has upgraded clinic space and laboratory equipment in recent years. Miles said the first phase — which she described as the most critical — would…