As communities in Skagit, Snohomish and Island counties grow, so do the healthcare needs of their residents—and Skagit Regional Health (SRH) is responding with a clear strategy: expand access, reduce barriers and design care models that work for the people who live here.

SRH’s clinical advancements are guided by one central question: What does our community need most, now and in the years ahead?

Expanding care where the need is greatest

One of the most significant expansion initiatives underway is the development of new primary and urgent care services in Arlington, a quickly growing area where access has struggled to keep pace with demand.

SRH leaders are responding to an expanding and aging population with increasingly complex medical needs. A new medical building in Arlington, slated to open in 2027 next to Cascade Valley Hospital, is designed to support immediate access and future demand while easing congestion across the broader system.

“We’re seeing both population growth and increasing medical complexity,” explained Jennifer Benson, MD, MHA, Chief Physician Officer for Skagit Regional Health. “Expanding primary and urgent care there ensures patients can receive timely care close to home instead of waiting weeks or traveling farther than they should.”

Systemwide, SRH has expanded urgent care capacity by recruiting additional providers, reducing wait times and improving same-day access. Ultimately, these efforts will help prevent unnecessary Emergency Department visits and keep care local.

A new model for surgical readiness

Among SRH’s most impactful initiatives is the Surgical Optimization Clinic, which opened this spring. Located alongside General Surgery and staffed by board-certified internal medicine physicians, the clinic prepares patients safely and efficiently for surgery well before the day of their procedure.

“Surgical care doesn’t begin the morning of an operation,” Dr. Benson says. “By optimizing patients’ health weeks in advance, we reduce risk, improve outcomes and help patients feel confident and prepared.”

The Surgical Optimization Clinic focuses on supporting patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, addressing complex medication plans and ensuring appropriate preoperative testing is completed in advance.

The model was driven by provider feedback. Surgeons identified the need, and SRH leadership responded by building a solution modeled after a successful program at the University of Washington—demonstrating how frontline insights shape systemwide improvements.

Maintaining strong local trust

At SRH, innovation is not about novelty; it’s about solving real problems for real people.

One example is the Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Clinic, launched in late 2025 to improve care transitions and outcomes for high-risk patients. Through close coordination between cardiology and case management teams, patients are scheduled directly into the CHF Clinic at hospital discharge, reducing delays in follow-up care and strengthening continuity.

A key component of the clinic’s success is the CHF Care Companion, a digital tool integrated within a patient’s MyChart account. The platform supports remote monitoring through personalized reminders, task checklists, medication prompts and educational content. Providers monitor dashboards in real time, allowing earlier intervention.

Reducing barriers through every stage of care

SRH’s expansion efforts are part of a broader strategy to reduce fragmentation throughout the care process.

In 2025, the organization implemented a program allowing patients seen in the Emergency Department or urgent care to leave with a follow-up appointment already scheduled. This helps patients access timely care after discharge.

Population health nurses further support patients by checking in after hospitalization to ensure medications are taken correctly, questions are addressed and follow-up care is coordinated.

The human impact of expansion: colon cancer screening

The impact of these advancements is especially visible at SRH’s Mount Vernon Surgery Center. Before its opening, limited procedure rooms and long wait times created barriers to colon cancer screening. Now, advanced imaging, trained care teams and specialized procedure rooms make it possible to screen more patients safely. In addition, healthy patients age 45 and over can schedule a colonoscopy without a referral through the Direct Access Colonoscopy program.

Colonoscopies have since risen steadily, particularly among patients who previously delayed care. One patient shared, “If it hadn’t been this easy, I probably would’ve kept putting it off. My doctor detected a precancerous polyp and probably saved my life.”

Strengthening community for the long term

Skagit Regional Health is always assessing the needs of the community, population growth projections and demographic trends. Our mission is to ensure our region can access exceptional healthcare, always, for generations to come.

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