Medford, Ore.-based Asante Health System bought the former Surgery Center of Southern Oregon building for $10.3 million on July 30. The health system says it has no current plans for the property.
Asante confirmed the purchase Sept. 22, the Rogue Valley Times reported Sept. 23. The building sits next to the campus of Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center.
“Asante purchased the property given the immediate proximity to Rogue Regional Medical Center’s campus. We have no plans for the real estate at this time,” spokesperson Desirae Myers told the publication.
The surgery center employed more than 80 healthcare workers and closed June 30 after 29 years. In May, Asante tried to buy the facility and keep it open. It withdrew after the Oregon Health Authority denied an emergency exemption from its Health Care Market Oversight review. Asante had refused to give the agency three years of payer contracts, according to the report, saying the records would cost too much time and money to pull together.
OHA spokesperson Franny White said state law doesn’t give the agency authority to review the sale of an asset like a building.
State Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, questioned the purchase and pointed out that much of Asante Ashland Community Hospital also sits empty. Ms. Marsh said Asante has made big personnel and program changes because of its finances, so it’s fair to ask how its real estate fits into its long-term strategy.
Asante is the region’s largest healthcare provider and serves more than 600,000 patients across Southern Oregon and Northern California. This year it closed the birthing center at Ashland Community Hospital, ended a contract with 28 hospitalists and fired nine NICU physicians at Rogue Regional.
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