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Who We Are

Choosing which hospital you can trust with your care is an important decision.

At Columbia Memorial Hospital, we have a passion for partnership. We seek to meet your health care needs and preferences because we know that you are more than a patient — you are a person with hopes, dreams, goals, preferences and a life outside of your diagnosis.

CMH has been serving families living and visiting the North Coast and Lower Columbia region since 1880. With a team of more than 600 caregivers, we are deeply committed to improving the health and well-being of our community. We are always seeking new ways to innovate and advance our level of care and service so that members of our community, like you, have the resources right here in our town to meet your health care needs.

More than just a hospital

CMH is the fastest growing rural hospital in the state of Oregon. We are a full-service, not-for-profit, Level IV Trauma and Critical Access Hospital located on the north coast of Oregon, and we are one of only five remaining independent hospitals in the state.

CMH is a hub for health care in the region. The main hospital includes private, inpatient suites for patients needing medical and surgical care, critical care, and labor and delivery. Our emergency department is centrally located to all needed services and is staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians. We have a state-of-the-art surgical program, full-service lab, advanced radiology technology, integrated behavioral health services and more.

CMH offers many specialty services right here in our small town that you might otherwise need to travel to a larger metropolitan area for. We are able to provide this high-quality care through our unique academic/rural partnership with OHSU. CMH also continues to expand its reach and services through satellite clinics in Warrenton and Seaside, Oregon.

Our commitment to excellence

Planetree: Person-centered care

CMH has the distinction of being one of the first Planetree-certified hospitals in the world. In 2019, we were awarded Gold Certification, representing the highest level of achievement in person-centered care.

As part of the certification process, Planetree representatives visit CMH every three years to speak directly and candidly with patients, family members, hospital leadership, caregivers and others about their experience at CMH. To achieve the Planetree certification, health care organizations must meet more than 80 specific criteria within the five drivers to prove our commitment to a person-centered health care experience:

  • Structures that promote engagement.
  • Connect values, strategies and actions.
  • Promote partnership.
  • Know what matters.
  • Evidence-based improvement.

Planetree Inc. was founded in 1978 by a patient in San Francisco. Today, the Planetree membership network is a global community of healthcare facilities trying to improve the health care experience.

Our promise of excellence

In addition to adopting the five drivers of Planetree, we strive to develop and implement tools and processes that promise a culture of safety and service excellence for every patient, every time. We make a promise to our patients that we will provide excellent service that is compassionate, respectful, safe and customized to the individual's needs and preferences.

Each employee commits to the CMH Promise of Excellence:

"I will do my best every day, and I will provide excellence, quality and care in every interaction."

The employee values are an acronym for the word CARES, because we want our employees to remember that caring for each other, the patients and their loved ones is our top priority:

  • Compassion: I strive to understand others and show kindness.
  • Accountability: I am responsible for my actions and strive to improve.
  • Respect: I am attentive to everyone’s needs and preferences and strive for equity and inclusion of all people.
  • Empowerment: I am part of making CMH a great place.
  • Safety: I speak up, collaborate and model safety.

Accreditation

CMH is a Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program accredited hospital. HFAP is a nationally recognized health care facility accreditation organization, with authority from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). HFAP meets or exceeds the standards required by CMS to provide accreditation to health care facilities.

Mission and vision

Mission statement

We help people live their healthiest lives.

Vision statement

CMH is a national leader in rural health care, improving the health and well-being of our community and beyond.

We offer state-of-the-art care to meet the health care needs of the region. We collaborate with other organizations and providers to deliver the best care to our patients and promote wellness in our community. We invest in our caregivers, facilities and technology to support the delivery of safe, quality care. Sound financial stewardship ensures we fulfill our commitment to the community to provide accessible care. Robust employee engagement supports a strong, healthy organization, making CMH the best place to work.

Our history

CMH traces its roots back to 1880, when the Sisters of Providence founded St. Mary's Hospital in Astoria, Oregon. It was the region's first and only hospital until the early 1900s.

In 1919, Astoria's Finnish community began Columbia Hospital. The Lutheran Church took over the project and solicited funds from congregations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. In 1927, Columbia Hospital opened as a not-for-profit facility. In 1971, Columbia Hospital purchased St. Mary's Hospital.

During the mid-1970s, the Columbia Hospital Board of Trustees approved a site for a new hospital. The present-day Columbia Memorial Hospital opened in 1977.

CMH continues to be a not-for-profit hospital that receives no tax support from the city of Astoria or Clatsop County and remains dedicated to serving and improving the health of our community.