Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital

Since the 1930s, there had been interest in establishing a hospital in Lincoln City, Oregon, but it wasn't until the 1960s that these efforts gained widespread community support. In 1963, a hospital feasibility committee was organized. Its members helped to lay the groundwork for passage of a ballot measure in April 1965 to form a hospital taxing district. The district, then known as North Lincoln Hospital District and now known as the North Lincoln Health District,[2] covers 115 square miles of north Lincoln County. With tax proceeds, federal grant money and the sale of general obligation bonds, the health district was prepared to begin construction of a hospital.

On Sept. 23, 1967, Oregon Gov. Tom McCall presided at a formal groundbreaking ceremony on a nine-acre tract of land overlooking Devils Lake in the northeast corner of Lincoln City. The governor returned to the site to deliver the dedication speech on Oct. 13, 1968. The doors of the new hospital officially opened on Oct. 28, 1968, with 50 full-time staff members. Six patients were admitted on its first day and two babies were born there during its first week.

On February 29, 2000 the North Lincoln Health District and Samaritan Health Services entered into an interim management agreement. The parties then entered into a 30-year Healthcare Facilities Lease on Jan. 1, 2001, in which Samaritan Health Services agreed to manage and operate the hospital and adjoining properties owned by the health district.

In the autumn of 2015, the health district and Samaritan Health Services agreed to a memorandum of understanding in which ownership of the district's hospital facilities and real properties totaling 12 acres would be transferred to Samaritan Health Services. In turn, Samaritan Health Services agreed to construct a new hospital on the existing campus within three years. The transfer of assets was legally completed on Feb. 3, 2016.

In July 2018, construction began on a replacement hospital building, which is planned to open in early 2020. Samaritan Health Services selected Skanska USA Building and HGA Architects and Engineers as the design/build team responsible for planning, designing, and construction of the new Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, which is being built directly east of the existing hospital building.[3][4][5][6]

The facility offers a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical services including emergency services, general surgery, diagnostic imaging (radiology), laboratory testing, colonoscopy and upper endoscopies, pharmacy services, obstetrics and gynecology, respiratory therapy and diabetes education.

The hospital is a level IV trauma center and serves the entire county, plus portions of neighboring counties.

The hospital offers many digital imaging services onsite including MRI machine, a 160-slice CAT scanner, PET scan, echocardiography, DEXA bone density testing, 3-D digital mammography, 3-D ultrasound and digital X-ray imaging.

The North Lincoln Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that raises private philanthropic support for Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital and to invest and manage these gifts to honor donors’ wishes. All funds raised are kept local to support the hospital.[7] Since their inception in 1983, they have provided more than $2.9 million to purchase medical equipment for the hospital, enhance program services, provide financial support for patient and community wellness programs, and help low-income individuals obtain medical care, including the provision of medical assistance grants of over $1.65 million to north Lincoln County residents.

Medical equipment purchases in 2016 included $175,000 for a cardiac ultrasound machine and $19,000 for video laryngoscope glidescopes for use in the emergency department, surgical services and ICU. There were quality of life donations for hospice patients - funding for non-medical, life-enhancing support such as travel for family members, massages, and music. They also gave three $1,000 Mary Decker Scholarships awarded to students pursuing a health care career.

From 2017 to 2020 the foundation and community will aim to raise $7 Million for equipment needs of the replacement hospital building.

Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital is one of five hospitals in the Samaritan Health Services system. The other four hospitals are Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Samaritan Albany General Hospital, Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, and Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital.

Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital is accredited by international accrediting agency Det Norske Veritas.

• List of hospitals in Oregon
• North Lincoln Hospital Heliport