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MultiCare layoffs announced in south King County and beyond. Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, September 9, 2026 By Bailey Jo Josie [email protected] It was announced Wednesday that there will be over 100 layoffs and closures at MultiCare hospitals and clinics across Washington state, including a few in south King County. The layoffs, which were referred to as separations in MultiCare's official letter to the Washington Employment Security Department, will total 138 and will occur between Oct. 27, 2026 and Jan. 1, 2027. Layoffs will affect the following King County locations: - Auburn Medical Center at 202 N Division St. in Auburn - Fountain Plaza at 505 South 336th in Federal Way - Off Campus ED Federal Way at 29805 Pacific Hwy S in Federal Way - Navos West Seattle Campus at 2600 SW Holden St. in Seattle The jobs with the most layoffs will be clinical assistant nurse managers (22), certified ophthalmology assistants (10), patient experience representatives I (8), ophthalmology assistants (6) and optometrist clinics (6). The rest of the job titles affected will be between one and four employees, totaling 86. None of the affected employees have union representation. Many layoffs will affect Tacoma and Puyallup locations, including: - 5th & L Building, 419 S L St. - Allenmore Hospital, 1901 S Union Ave. - Baker Center, 316 Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Commencement Plaza, 820 A St., Suite 200 - Indigo, 310 North K St. - Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, 305 S L St. - Tacoma General Hospital, 315 Martin Luther King Jr. Way - MultiCare University, 1317 E Main - Richard C. Ostenson Cancer Center, 400 15th Ave. SE There will be six closures and they will be at various MultiCare locations in Spokane and Spokane Valley.

MultiCare layoffs announced as CEO cites mounting economic pressures. September 8, 2026 4:13 PM Gift Article Key Takeaways AI-generated summary reviewed by its newsroom. The leader of Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System told The News Tribune on Tuesday the not-for-profit network is cutting 138 positions. Of those, 83 cuts came down last week, affecting employees and providers at four MultiCare clinics in the Spokane area. The rest of the layoffs include systemwide administrative/business support and some leadership positions that "we're seeking to unwind," CEO Bill Robertson told The News Tribune in a phone interview. The layoffs take effect Nov. 6. The latest action is to help the network be "better prepared to face the future, and there's more work for us to do to be ever more relevant, ever more efficient... and providing great care for our communities," he said. The estimated savings are still far short of the system's losses, he noted. Robertson stated that in the years "post-COVID" between 2022 and 2025, MultiCare had lost "about $652 million because of dramatic cost inflation and stagnant revenues." Robertson listed separate factors for the fiscal challenges, including cuts in federal spending, higher pharmaceutical and labor costs and the effects going forward from the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that was passed by U.S. Congress in 2025. "Over the next decade, that bill is going to strip $1.5 billion out of the current revenues of MultiCare," he noted. He also stated that "with the Affordable Care Act, there were expanded benefits in that space, and those have been rolled back." The result is "we're already seeing fairly significant - almost 6% increase in charity care because individuals are not getting insurance; they're just going into the uninsured status," he said. Robertson plans to retire from his leadership post at the health system on Dec. 31. Florence Chang, who now serves as MultiCare president, will move into the role of president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2027. He will continue serving in his role through the end of the year and work with Chang toward the transition. The layoffs become the latest unemployment hit for the Tacoma area in recent weeks. Grocer Fred Meyer recently announced the closure of its James Center store by the end of January. The Georgia-Pacific Gypsum plant at the Tideflats filed notice last week of its planned closure by the end of October, affecting more than 120 workers. Robertson cautioned that MultiCare wasn't alone in its economic struggles in the medical world with further challenges in supply cost management, energy management, significant Medicaid reimbursement cuts and more. "Every organization in Washington is going to have to keep adjusting, or we will cease to exist." Oregon update: 'The News Tribune can't just be in Washington' The Tacoma-based health system recently cleared another regulatory hurdle on its way to expanding into Oregon with its planned affiliation with Corvallis, Oregon-based Samaritan Health Services, announced last fall. "We are not, as an organization, having to subsidize the Samaritan Health Organization once they join us," Robertson told The News Tribune. "We're not buying them." Robertson noted the deal is a "membership substitution" which is a legal process where one not-for-profit health system becomes the controlling member of another similar health system. Robertson said of the Samaritan deal, "We'll be better having them with us. It isn't taking money from Washington and putting it into Oregon. It's a high-functioning organization joining us, and we'll be more capable together of serving our respective communities." He also said that MultiCare's goal as an organization for more than a decade has been to "be the Pacific Northwest's highest value system of health, and to be relevant to about a third of the population in the Pacific Northwest. "To get to that number, about 5 million people, we can't just be in Washington," he added. Previous reporting from The News Tribune contributed to this report. The News Tribune Debbie Cockrell has been with The News Tribune since 2009. She reports on business and development, local and regional issues.

California ASC asks community for help to stay open. By: Patsy Newitt Skyway Surgery Center, an ASC in Chico, Calif., is asking the community for help staying open amid financial challenges that could force its closure, KDRV reported Sept. 4. The ASC has operated independently since opening in 2004 and has three operating rooms and two procedure suites, performing orthopedic, dental, women's health and gastrointestinal procedures, among others, according to the report. Ray Yip, MD, Skyway's medical director, said insurers favor ASCs for their lower costs and reduced infection rates compared with hospitals. Doug Matthews, MD, a colorectal surgeon at Skyway, said the center's smaller footprint and leaner staffing let it operate on a slimmer margin. Dr. Yip and Dr. Matthews said growing hospital consolidation is squeezing the ASC's patient volume, as larger health systems increasingly require physicians to operate exclusively in hospital operating rooms. They are urging patients and physicians to request procedures at ASCs. Skyway has a management meeting scheduled for next month, and the ASC could eventually close if patient volume doesn't recover, according to the report. Dr. Yip said a closure would hit the community hard, particularly as nearby hospitals face closures or overcrowding. At the Becker's 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now. Wednesday, September 23 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT Presenter: Jerrilyn Ivey, CCS-P, CPCD, CPMA, MHA, MBA, NextGen Healthcare Next up in ASC news. * Hawaii panel approves $90M Keaau outpatient health center The Windward Planning Commission voted 5-0 Sept. 4 to approve permits clearing the way for Hilo Benioff Medical Center to... By: Hailey Bosek * MultiCare to close 3 eye clinics, cut 56 jobs MultiCare Health System will close three Rockwood eye clinics in Spokane County, Wash., by Dec. 31, affecting 56 employees, including... By: Patsy Newitt * American Vision Partners reaches $1.75M data breach settlement American Vision Partners has agreed to a $1.75 million settlement over a data breach, according to court filings pending in... By: Hailey Bosek Friday, September 4th, 2026