Leaked Documents Reveal Confluence Health Failing To Meet Goals Under New Leadership
Tensions growing between providers and new CEO, who acknowledges "we cannot meet the needs of our patients and community under the current way of doing things"
According to leaked documents from Confluence Health, the largest medical provider in North Central Washington has been failing to meet all of its internal goals for 2023.
The documents offer a rare insight into the inner workings of Confluence and reveal that they’ve been losing patients and market share. Operating margins have been in the negative numbers for May and April, the last two months with data available.
Sources within the organization also speak to friction between the physician’s group, known as the Wenatchee Valley Medical Group, and Confluence Health’s new CEO, Dr. Andrew Jones. Jones was hired after the man originally tapped to take over as CEO, Dr. Doug Wilson, abruptly quit. Prior to Jones, Dr. Peter Rutherford had served as Confluence CEO for many years, and from all accounts he built a loyal following within that organization.
Some say Jones is attempting to push out Rutherford’s people, and that changes in staffing levels and working conditions have led the doctors’ group and nurses’ union to discuss signing a letter of no confidence in his leadership.
On June 30, I received a letter from someone who wrote they are a Confluence Health employee.
“Recently at Confluence Health – something is amiss. Recently, Glenn Adams – a senior VP, the most ethical, honorable person was fired. Yesterday, the chief medical officer, Dr. Jason Lake is being let go – again, very ethical. In the past few weeks several other upper management have resigned or suddenly gone,” they wrote. “Many employees suspect each person has disagreed with the CEO Dr. Jones. These employees are all long timers and Glenn and Dr. Lake have been Dr. Rutherford’s fellow co-workers through the years.”
After I received the letter, I immediately reached out to Confluence Health communications manager Adam McDonald to verify if the information about Lake’s resignation was true.
“I can confirm that Dr. Jason Lake, chief medical officer, has recently submitted his resignation from Confluence Health to pursue other opportunities,” MacDonald wrote.
But I wanted to know why Lake resigned. So I gave the news to the Wenatchee World to break and set about contacting sources throughout Confluence’s organizational structure. I spoke with folks from top to bottom and learned much. But no one would go on the record.
So I waited and kept talking with sources.
I reached out to Glenn Adams but he declined to be interviewed because he had signed a non-disclosure agreement as a part of his severance package. I reached out to Dr. Lake, multiple times, but he did not return my calls or texts.
I began to despair a little. There’s nothing worse for a journalist than knowing you have a story but you can’t tell it because you have no one willing to speak on the record and you have no source documents.
Then another piece of mail came.
This one was in an envelope almost bursting with documents, and although the return address label had been blacked out with a Sharpie you could plainly see it was sent from someone at Confluence.
The first page was a list of medical providers who provide LGBTQIA+ Care, which puzzled me. Then there were printouts of web pages from Confluence’s website that anyone can access online. These featured the board of directors, the executive leadership team, the marketing team, etc. I was beginning to despair once again.
Then I turned the page and came upon this.