Lorinda Bergen Named CEO of Willamette Valley Medical Center

Willamette Valley Medical Center (WVMC) announced today that Lori Bergen has been named its new chief executive officer (CEO). Bergen comes to WVMC from Providence Newberg Medical Center (PNMC) in Providence, Oregon, where she has served as CEO since 2012. She will replace interim CEO, Mark Nichols, effective May 4, 2020.“We are delighted to welcome Lori as the WVMC’s new leader,” said Sandy Podley, president of LifePoint Health’s Western Division, of which WVMC is a part. “In addition to her outstanding record of helping hospitals to enhance quality care and patient safety and strengthen their operations, she has a long history of building community partnerships that advance the health and wellbeing of people of all ages. We are confident she is the right person to lead WVMC into the future and move forward its efforts to make communities healthier.”

Bergen began her career as a nurse. She served as the director of nursing services at Providence St. Peter’s Hospital in Olympia, Washington, where she then assumed the roles of assistant administrator and vice president of operations. After leaving Providence St. Peter’s, Bergen founded Sage Healthcare Consulting, providing consulting and interim executive management services for various acute care hospitals and health systems in the western U.S. She left Sage to join PNMC as chief operating officer (COO) and chief nursing operator (CNO).

Under Bergen’s leadership, PNMC was ranked in the top 6% of U.S. hospitals for patient experience in CMS’s “Rate this Hospital” and awarded the national Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award for sustaining ED patient satisfaction at the 95th percentile for 12 consecutive months.

“Lori has a unique combination of clinical and operational experience,” said David Ulbricht, chair of the WVMC Board of Trustees. “She has seen and lived healthcare from the floor as a nurse and while sitting in a number of leadership roles.  We are excited to have her join the McMinnville community and the WVMC team. We look forward to working with her to continue to strengthen the hospital’s position as a vital partner to this community.”

Bergen earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s degree in Community Health Administration from the California College for Health Sciences. She holds RN licenses in Washington, California and Oregon and has been a Fellow at the American College of Healthcare Executives since 2010.

“I am honored to join WVMC and eager to get on the ground in McMinnville to learn more about the hospital, its team and community,” said Bergen. “I have been so impressed by what I have seen and heard so far. I believe we have great opportunities ahead of us keep advancing healthcare delivery throughout WVMC’s region and change people’s lives for the better.”