After six months of lengthy applications, hundreds of public comments and a series of state reviews, Salem Health and Santiam Hospital will close on their $61-million merger by Aug. 31.  While the two Marion County hospitals have been mulling the merger for over a year, they only recently got th e green light from state agencies. Beyond the dollars, merging the hospital systems will be a lengthy process, combining insurance agreements, workforce structures and decision-making…Continue reading — subscribe to unlock the full article. ...read more read less