Spokane Internal Medicine will join the MultiCare Rockwood Clinic in November.

Founded in 1979 by three physicians, Spokane Internal Medicine is a primary care clinic that offers both internal medicine and adult primary care services to the communities of Spokane and Spokane Valley. 

Spokane Internal Medicine is located at 1215 N. McDonald Road. The clinic has a staff of nine physicians, five nurse practitioners, and one physician’s assistant.

With the addition of Spokane Internal Medicine, MultiCare Rockwood Clinic now operates a network of over 70 clinics throughout the Inland Northwest.

“Our vision at MultiCare Rockwood Clinic is to partner with groups in the community that improve access and quality to health care,” says MultiCare Rockwood Clinic president Bryan Mueller. “Our relationship with SIM will support our vision and we are thrilled to have SIM join the Rockwood Clinic team.”

Mueller says Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare has been in discussions with Spokane Internal Medicine about the partnership for the past two to three months.

Although no new service offerings are planned as a result of the partnership, Mueller says, “The partnership with SIM will allow MultiCare Rockwood Clinic to expand our access to primary care and better coordinate care within our care delivery system under one medical record.”

President of Spokane Internal Medicine Dr. John Sestero says the clinic is excited for this new partnership opportunity with MultiCare. 

“There is an overdue shift occurring in the health care industry … toward quality and value of care rather than quantity of care,” Sestero says. “Quality and value require effective communication between hospitals, specialty groups, and primary care offices, this is why we are excited to be joining the MultiCare Rockwood clinic.”

Sesteros says the partnership is a step toward developing that communication network with hospitals and specialists.

“Our goal is to be able to provide faster, more efficient and less expensive health care for our patients,” he says.

The partnership will not change daily functions at the clinic, and patients will continue to have access to physicians and staff at SIM’s Spokane Valley office, Sestero says.

“Our hope is that our patients will notice very little (difference) as far as day-to-day functioning of the clinic,” he says. “They will still see their same doctor and there will be very few changes with our staff.”