EvergreenHealth marks a significant milestone in its history as it celebrates its 45th anniversary.
Since 1972, EvergreenHealth has served King and Snohomish County families as their public hospital district, growing alongside the community from its origins as Kirkland’s rural hospital, into the nationally recognized comprehensive two-hospital health system it is today.
“As we reflect on 45 years of service to this community, we feel incredibly proud and privileged to be our patients’ trusted partner in health,” said EvergreenHealth CEO Bob Malte. “Our work today fulfils the legacy of an inspiring group of individuals who saw the need to serve this area more than four decades ago. We’re humbled to continue the important work of fulfilling their vision, and expanding on it, to advance the health of our community through our relentless commitment to quality, safety and exemplary service.”
EvergreenHealth has embraced its commitment to community since voters approved the creation of Public Hospital District No. 2 in 1967, paving the way for the construction of Evergreen General Hospital, which would open for patient care just a few years later on March 9, 1972. Though the health system’s name has evolved over the years to reflect its breadth of service, it continues to pay homage to the theme chosen by a Bothell resident who won a hospital-naming contest in 1968 with her entry, “Evergreen.”
In recent years, EvergreenHealth has celebrated its mission to advance the health of the community with several strategic growth initiatives, including its alliance with Valley General Hospital in Monroe, Wash., to become EvergreenHealth’s sister hospital, EvergreenHealth Monroe. It launched the Halvorson Cancer Center, a collaboration with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, on its main hospital campus in Kirkland, and most recently opened two new patient-care floors in its Silver tower in Kirkland, as well.
This 45th anniversary year, EvergreenHealth also became one of Healthgrades’ 2017 America’s 100 Best Hospitals, joining an elite group that represent the top two percent of hospitals nationwide for its outstanding clinical performance. In the past year, it became one of just 83 hospitals in the country to earn a 5-Star Overall Rating from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), it received a Leapfrog “A” Hospital Safety Grade, and also earned recognition as one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Regional Hospitals.”
As the health system continues to reflect on 45 years of service throughout 2017, it invites the community to share memories and birthday wishes on a dedicated webpage at www.evergreenhealth.com/EH45 or by posting on social media with the hashtag #EH45.
