EVERETT — The Everett Clinic has announced plans to buy a Kirkland-based family practice clinic and to open two new clinics in Bothell and Woodinville this year.
The purchase of Totem Lake Family Medicine, its first expansion on the east side of Lake Washington, is expected to be completed April 1. The Kirkland clinic has six doctors and a physician assistant.
“It was really a natural fit,” said Chris Knapp, chief executive of The Everett Clinic. “They feel like our family down there.”
Details of the purchase agreement were not immediately available. A representative of Totem Lake Family Medicine declined comment.
The clinic is adjacent to the EvergreenHealth campus in a building owned by the hospital.
The move is part of an expansion plan following The Everett Clinic’s purchase last year by DaVita Inc. Everett Clinic officials said becoming part of the larger DaVita organization would help finance its plans to double its size in four years.
“We and DaVita are really laser-focused on being the leading independent medical group in the Pacific Northwest,” Knapp said.
“Totem Lake really fits within that long-term strategy.”
The Everett Clinic’s growth has included opening a new $17 million clinic in Shoreline last year, its first in King County, as well as a $3 million community clinic in the Thomas Lake neighborhood near Mill Creek in December.
In January, it opened a $10 million outpatient surgery center and walk-in clinic in Edmonds.
It currently has 330,000 patients.
The Everett Clinic plans to open two more clinics, both costing about $3 million. One will be in Bothell Junction, a retail center, with primary care, behavioral health, a walk-in clinic, and X-ray services. The other will be in Woodinville, with primary care and some specialty services, Knapp said.
“Continuing down the I-405 corridor is absolutely part of our growth and expansion plans,” he said.
The Everett Clinic is still considering how to develop the former Emery’s Garden site, 5.5 acres it owns on 164th Street in Lynnwood. Plans could be announced later this year, Knapp said.
The expansion is not simply for the sake of growth, he said, but so the organization can effectively manage groups of patients. For example, Medicare Advantage insurance plans are placing more emphasis on keeping patients healthy rather than simply paying clinics for each medical service provided.
Doctors can receive a bonus when patients stay healthy, Knapp said. And some insurance plans provide incentives to patients who take steps to stay well.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
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