https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/30/optum-closing-anacortes-clinic-in-december/
3 replies (most recent on top)
Likely more closures, consolidations, and/or sales to come. There have been site consolidations and Poly Clinic oncology was also shutdown.
@a1 “This was an isolated clinic in an isolated geography,” Dr. English told CDN
UHG is more than happy to take Rural Health Transformation funds from the gubmint. UHC claims it and directs spend to Optum helping both sides of the house... unless it's a rural location that's too hard to operate in.
Optum is closing its internal medicine clinic in Anacortes this December. Patients can receive care at the clinic, Island Internal Medicine, until Dec. 4.
Optum, which is owned by UnitedHealth Group, told Cascadia Daily News in a statement that the health chain is consolidating services at its La Conner clinic, which is about 12 miles from the Anacortes facility.
An Optum spokesperson did not immediately provide additional information beyond indicating that patients “will have access to nearby options, including Optum’s clinic in La Conner and other providers in the community.”
The closure announcement comes nearly a month after Optum announced it was selling its Bellingham clinic. When asked in August whether other clinics would be sold, Optum Care Washington Executive Medical Director Dr. Steve English told CDN that the deal was isolated because the clinic was uniquely distant geographically from Optum’s other locations.
Optum’s Bellingham clinic was the group’s northern-most location that was a geographic outlier from its hub of services beginning in Snohomish County and stretching southward into the greater Seattle area. The Bellingham clinic is about 50 miles north of Optum’s specialty surgical services.
“This was an isolated clinic in an isolated geography,” Dr. English told CDN in August about the sale of the Bellingham clinic. “We are always looking at how we are investing resources, operationalizing different clinics. But really, there were specific factors with this clinic because of the geography,” Dr. English said.
After the Anacortes closure, Optum’s La Conner clinic will be the groups only location in Whatcom and Skagit counties.
Optum did not immediately respond to questions about the potential for the Anacortes clinic to be acquired. A spokesperson for Family Care Network (FCN) declined to comment citing a non-disclosure with Optum when asked if the Bellingham-based group was approached to acquire the Anacortes clinic, too.
FCNs clinics in Anacortes and Mount Vernon are accepting new patients. As of Nov. 1, FCN will begin accepting United Healthcare insurance with some exceptions again after ending its contract with the insurer in 2024.