Southwest, PeaceHealth finalize merger

Southwest Washington Medical Center and PeaceHealth made their marriage final Wednesday, signing papers to launch a nonprofit health system with roughly 15,000 employees, eight hospitals and nearly $2 billion in revenues.

The deal cements Bellevue-based PeaceHealth’s plan to move its corporate headquarters and some employees from its other locations to Vancouver, bringing some 340 new jobs with it. It also boosts Vancouver-based Southwest Washington Medical Center’s capacity to expand hospital services in the years ahead while enabling it to team up with another PeaceHealth affiliate — St. John Medical Center in Longview — to serve Southwest Washington residents.