DEVOTED TO HEALTHFUL LIVING COMPASS EARLY SUMMER 2026 BuildCMH: What the expansion means to our caregivers
2 HEALTH COMPASS Early Summer 2026 A communitycentered expansion Erik Thorsen, CEO Over the last six months, the expansion on the Columbia Memorial Hospital campus has become much more visible. From the initial foundation work showing the footprint of the building to the rising steel superstructure, we are now witnessing one of the largest construction projects in Clatsop County history taking shape. As construction work has continued, it has been incredible to see the magnitude of the project and the impact it will have — both physically in its current location and with the care that will be provided there. In the years leading up to this work and as we have been in the construction phase, we have included our neighbors as much as possible. From our community-led Board of Trustees making the decisions to inviting feedback, answering questions, holding fundraisers, and sharing project milestones online and with the media, our community has always been at the heart of the BuildCMH Expansion Project. It’s because of this community that the Board made the decision to expand. With the project’s progress becoming more and more visible every day, we couldn’t be more excited to see the expanded hospital become a reality so we can provide better care than ever before. Read through the rest of this edition of the Health Compass to hear about the latest updates on our communitycentered expansion. Warrenton Clinic remodel complete Caregivers are breathing a sigh of relief, and patients are taking in a breath of fresh air at the Warrenton Clinic. The facility remodel, which has been in the works since 2024 and under construction since June of 2025, was completed in mid-April. The clinic has grown into the adjacent space vacated by Farmers Insurance. The remodel expanded lab services and added more exam rooms, along with more shared office spaces and a conference room. The clinic’s first major update since its opening in 2013 also reconfigured the waiting room, reception area, break room and soiled workroom. This project was especially challenging, because the clinic continued running with all services available during the renovation in a condensed space. We are grateful for the flexibility of our caregivers and patients while we worked to enhance privacy and improve functionality, as well as modernize the clinic’s appearance. Come see us! CMH-OHSU Health Medical Group – Warrenton offers primary care, urgent care, behavioral health, and lab and imaging services at 1639 SE Ensign Ln., Ste. B103, Warrenton, Oregon. Call 503-338-4500.
COLUMBIAMEMORIAL.ORG Early Summer 2026 3 One of the most common questions we receive about the BuildCMH Expansion Project involves the hospital’s bed count for inpatients. CMH is a 25-bed hospital and will remain a 25-bed hospital with the expansion. But the definition you use for the number of “beds” matters. Our 25 inpatient beds are available for those who need to stay in the hospital longer than 48 hours. But about 80% of the patients we see in the hospital are there for outpatient business. This means that 80% of patients are going home the same day or within less than 48 hours. Only 20% of the patients we see will need one of these inpatient beds for longer stays. More than meets the eye Even though we are staying a 25-bed facility, we are expanding beds elsewhere: ● We have added four dedicated observation beds, available for patients who need to be admitted as inpatients but who won’t stay longer than 48 hours. These four beds are in addition to the 25 inpatient beds. ● Our Emergency Department (ED) currently has eight beds, plus four more in the halls due to lack of space in our existing facility. The expansion will include up to 24 beds in the ED at CMH. In comparison, Oregon Health & Science University’s main ED in Portland has 32 beds. While our ED sees around 17,000 patients per year, OHSU’s sees 76,000. The growth in the size of our ED here will be significant. ● In our Surgical Services Department, we will expand from seven pre- and post-operative rooms to 19. Those are “beds,” too. With most patients here for procedures like total joint replacements, colonoscopies and hysterectomies going home the same day or the following day, we don’t need more inpatient beds. The bottom line Modern medicine has seen a shift away from inpatient care to outpatient treatment and surgeries. Alongside that, our Medicare designation as a Critical Access Hospital — essential to our bottom line as a rural hospital — requires us to limit bed count. With these guidelines in mind, the Board evaluated the county’s demographics and needs for inpatient beds. Taking into account the average daily patient census of 12 and average length of stay of three days, Board members made the decision to stay a 25-bed hospital. By understanding how beds are counted, you can rest assured that the expansion will help CMH modernize and serve increasing community needs. Have more questions? With the expansion even more visible this year, we are excited to involve the community even more. Read the latest project news, submit questions and feedback, and keep an eye on the project by watching live construction cameras at columbiamemorial.org/ buildcmh. BUILDCMH UPDATE Why 25 is the right number The math behind the bed count in the expanded facility
4 HEALTH COMPASS Early Summer 2026 Jamee Meier Orthopedic Clinic Nurse “As a nurse who lives and has been employed here for over 20 years, Columbia Memorial isn’t just a workplace — it’s where my neighbors, friends and family come for care. The expansion means improved resources, modernized spaces and the ability to deliver exceptional care close to home. I’m excited to be part of a hospital that continues to grow while staying true to its mission of excellence, teamwork and putting patients first.” CMH caregivers eagerly await We asked our caregivers what they are most looking forward to in CMH’s expansion. Here’s what they had to say. Coby Stubbs Desktop Support Technician “From an IT perspective, I’m looking forward to having more modern infrastructure with more accurate and available documentation.” Tiffani Casper House Supervisor “Larger rooms for the inpatient side so that patients have room to get up and move around and visitors feel comfortable to visit without feeling like they are in the way or interrupting patient care when caregivers enter the room.”
COLUMBIAMEMORIAL.ORG Early Summer 2026 5 Rebekah Gustin Foundation and Donor Specialist “There is so much to look forward to! One of the things I’m excited about is how this will impact each person’s everyday experience — with increased privacy for our patients and more dedicated spaces where caregivers can recharge, too. Those might seem small in the grand scheme of this huge project, but they change everything about how care feels, both in giving and receiving it.” Darren Ideue Physical Therapy Aide “Seeing our new inpatient rehab gym that will provide more care and services to our acute care patients.” Marcy Wasiluk Seaside Clinic Manager “The most anticipated aspect of our expansion is creating a patient-centric, high-tech and healing environment that addresses our growing community needs.” What’s next? Our target is to be completely weathertight, including windows, roof and siding completed, by the end of 2026. We are still on track to have the building turned over to CMH at the end of 2027. This means our building will be available for us to move in, train and get ready for patient use. We’re hoping to have the first patient in the expanded hospital in early 2028. Visit columbiamemorial.org/buildcmh for the latest construction photos, project news and more. the enhanced space Grant Lehman Business Systems Analyst “Seeing the services expand to meet the needs of the community.” Emily Collins Clinical Education Coordinator “More space for education! Technology and spaces to better support our patients, staff and community.” Liz Rathfon Patient Experience Manager “I’m excited about a more healing environment at CMH, where patients will have private rooms and bathrooms and greater privacy during medical procedures.” Paula Larson Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness Manager “I’m looking forward to a new building with added safety and security features that will enhance the overall safety of our patients, staff and visitors.” Jennifer Scott-Culp Telemetry Technician “Bigger inpatient rooms to better care for our patients and accommodate their families.”
6 HEALTH COMPASS Early Summer 2026 Molly Wing, CPA, was named the project director for the BuildCMH Expansion Project in January 2025. Wing is a certified public accountant and has been at CMH for more than 15 years. She previously worked as a staff accountant, accounting manager, senior business systems analyst, and a senior strategic business consultant for the expansion. Q: What does your role as project director entail? I’m responsible for the overall coordination and successful delivery of the hospital expansion. That includes overseeing budgets, schedules and quality while aligning the efforts of architects, engineers, contractors and hospital leadership. A big part of my role is ensuring that every decision supports both the long-term vision of the hospital and the immediate needs of patients, caregivers and the community. Q: What excites you most about the CMH project? What excites me most is the impact this project will have on the community — both day-to-day and in critical moments. We’re creating a modern health care environment that improves access and patient care while also building a facility that can stand strong during natural disasters, like a tsunami. Being part of something that can serve as a place of safety in a crisis is incredibly meaningful. Q: What does your normal day look like? There really isn’t a typical day. I spend a lot of time meeting with the architect, general contractor, vendors and internal CMH teams to review progress, address challenges and keep the project on track. Some days focus on design decisions and equipment purchases; others on grant funding, construction progress, or stakeholder and vendor communication. We’re also working through how resilience is integrated into the facility — from structural systems to emergency operations — so that the hospital is prepared for a wide range of scenarios. Q: What are some things you’re working on behind the scenes? We’re working with the City of Astoria on permitting and zoning code amendments to ensure the project aligns with requirements and community planning. At the same time, we’re planning how services, departments and staff will transition smoothly into the new spaces when the time comes. We’re making preparations with vendors for medical equipment that has complex infrastructure needs, as well as managing the integration of all medical equipment in the facility. We’re also collaborating with clinical teams on workflows and conducting mock-ups to make sure the spaces are efficient and safe and truly support patient care. Q: What are some of the challenges of working on a project of this size? Maintaining the budget and schedule while adapting to changing conditions, supply chain considerations and evolving health care standards can be challenging, as is ensuring that construction progresses smoothly while the hospital continues to operate safely and effectively. Q: Is there anything else we should know? This project is about more than expanding health care capacity. Our goal is to create a facility that the community can depend on — for care and as a place of resilience and safety when it matters most. Meet Molly Wing
COLUMBIAMEMORIAL.ORG Early Summer 2026 7 We couldn’t have said it any better — the comments we received from those who attended the CMH Giving for Good Gala speak for themselves: “Everyone looked great all dressed up. The food was delicious, the signature cocktails were fun, the auctioneer did a great job, and the live band was a nice touch.” “My table guests and I had the best time at the Gala.” “Congratulations on a great event. Best one we’ve been to!” “This has to top my list of parties over the years.” Fabulous fundraiser tops $300,000 The Gala was a huge success, raising $338,000 for the BuildCMH Expansion Project capital campaign. As in previous years, we were blessed with vendors and local businesses who donated goods and services, with volunteers who went above and beyond to make sure everything was just right for the day, and with a community that rallied around CMH and supported our efforts to build an expanded, state-of-the-art hospital. We have an extremely generous community. We want to thank the event sponsors and all those who raised their bidder cards on May 2. Since 2022, when we launched this campaign, 733 people have given to the BuildCMH project. That includes 197 CMH providers and caregivers who have contributed over $343,000. Because of this community support, we hosted a fabulous Gala event and are now on the cusp of $8 million raised for the expansion. Thanks to all who attended, and thank you for giving so generously. Support the CMH Foundation If you’d like to learn more about our featured campaigns, please visit columbiamemorial.org/giving. COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION Good times and a great cause Gala helps bring capital campaign close to $8 million
Cover photo by Austin Miller, videographer and graphic designer. CMH HEALTH COMPASS is published as a community service by COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, a Planetree Gold-Certified Person-Centered Care Facility. 2111 Exchange St., Astoria, OR 97103, telephone 503-325-4321, website: columbiamemorial.org For information about CMH HEALTH COMPASS: Sarah Bello, MBA, Director of Communications CAPT. Doug Kaup President, Board of Trustees Erik Thorsen, MBA, CPA, FACHE Chief Executive Officer Nicole Williams, MPA, FACHE Chief Operating Officer/ Assistant CEO Jimmy Heilman, MD, MBA Chief Medical Officer Brandon Parker, MBA, CPA Chief Financial Officer Information in CMH HEALTH COMPASS comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. 2026 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Jennifer Peach-Guzman, RN, BSN, MBA Vice President, Patient Care Services Jarrod Karnofski, DPT, ATC, MSHCA Vice President, Ancillary and Support Services Christopher Laman, PharmD, MBA , FACHE Vice President, Strategy Nicole Perez, BSHA, MSITM Vice President, Health Information Services Doug Mays, MHA Vice President, Facilities, Security and Environmental Care COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 2111 Exchange St. Astoria, OR 97103 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Salem, OR Permit No. 86 Meet a CMH provider Jennifer Sopko, PA-C, CMH Urgent Care Jennifer Sopko, PA-C, is a physician associate working in the CMH Urgent Care clinics in Astoria, Seaside and Warrenton. Sopko was born and raised in Seaside. She joined the Urgent Care team in early 2026 and is thrilled to have returned to her roots and be working closer to family again. What drew you to urgent care? I’ve always felt my life’s calling was to be a healer — my earliest childhood memory was knowing that I was going to be a doctor or a nurse when I grew up. I’ve always been intrigued by the mechanisms of the human body and how to fix it when it goes awry. I have found that Urgent Care provides the perfect combination of emergency-type medicine with banker’s hours, so I’m able to spend more time with my loved ones. What do you enjoy most about working with patients? I love taking the time to talk everything out with my patients so they can fully understand what is going on with their body and how our treatment plan is going to help fix it. I love to see the relief and joy on their faces when everything clicks and they understand their diagnosis and the purpose of their treatment plan. Plus, I love any opportunity to geek out over medicine and explain how amazing the human body is. What is your approach to care in urgent situations? I understand the fear and frustration that someone feels when their health is threatened and that they’re coming to urgent care with the hope that we can quickly fix it. It’s important to empower patients to feel in charge of their health decisions and to give them hope. How do you balance efficiency with making patients feel heard? I make sure to follow my own golden rule of always providing the care that I would want my loved ones to receive. My goal is to always take the time to ensure that my patients fully understand and agree with their diagnosis and their treatment plan before I leave that room. Urgent Care is here for you Our clinics are open 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Visit columbiamemorial.org/urgent-care to find a location near you. CMH-OHSU Health Foot & Ankle Clinic Complete podiatry services: ● Foot and ankle pain ● Diabetic foot care ● Nail and skin conditions ● Sports and overuse injuries ● Surgical and nonsurgical treatments Call for a podiatry appointment today! Seaside: 503-738-3002 Astoria: 503-338-4075
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