The hospital was founded in 1950 and is governed by the private not-for-profit Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital Association.[6] It is Yakima's largest employer, with around 2,200 workers.[7]
In 2016, following affiliation with Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle,[8] Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital became Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital.
In 2020, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital reverted to its previous name after board members decided to unwind from the Virginia Mason Health System.[9]
In May 2022, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital signed a letter of intent to explore merging with MultiCare Health Systems.[10]
Therac-25 Incidents
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital was the site of two incidents, wherein hospital staff used a Therac-25 machine to treat cancer patients.[11] Due to a coding error[12] in the machine, the two patients involved received incredibly high doses of radiation.