Health & Life Sciences

The Intersection of Healthcare & Technology Is in Spokane Valley

The Spokane Valley area is a mission-critical hub where healthcare, health information technology (IT), health diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices all intersect. Our city is a magnet for life sciences research and innovation, starting with the 90,000 students enrolled in eight regional universities, to the 5,600 healthcare and life sciences companies based here. The life sciences sector in the eastern region of the state is on track to reach $2.5 million in the next 10 years, and employees to reach 47,450 employees.

Health Care Services

The Spokane region is the health care hub of the Inland Northwest and northern Idaho, and offers the largest concentration of medical services in four states. The region is home to five major hospitals and several cancer care centers that provide world-class medical services.

• CancerCare Northwest offers seven locations in the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene metro area, including Spokane Valley. The organization is home to 22 physicians, seven nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and more than 250 support staff prepared to provide quality cancer treatment.
• MultiCare Deaconess Hospital offers inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic imaging, medical, surgical and emergency services. As an acute care hospital, it has a Level III Trauma Center, a Certified Chest Pain Center, a Certified Total Joint Restoration Center and an accredited Primary Stroke Center. The hospital also features a Maternal Fetal Medicine program and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
• The Mann Grandstaff VA Medical Center is focused on providing veterans with primary and secondary care, with an emphasis on preventive health and chronic disease management. The VAMC operates 46 hospital beds and 38 rehabilitation-oriented nursing home beds. In addition, a mobile clinic, outfitted with two exam rooms, provides selected primary care services to veterans living outside the metropolitan Spokane area.
• Providence Holy Family Hospital is a progressive, full-service hospital offering a full range of medical and surgical services in addition to specialty support and outpatient services.
• Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in the Northwest. The medical staff provides the expertise and skills of over 800 specialists and primary care doctors.
• Spokane CyberKnife and Radiation Oncology Center offers diagnostic imaging, cancer treatments and clinical trials, onsite oral chemotherapy and lab services. Its radiation treatment options feature some of the most advanced non-surgical technologies available including Truebeam radiotherapy and CyberKnife radio surgery.
• MultiCare Valley Hospital is home to 530 practicing medical and allied health professionals, advanced medical technology and modern facilities. It is also an accredited acute care hospital with a level III trauma center.

In addition to these established healthcare providers, more than 500 research and clinical trials are underway in Spokane Valley and the Spokane Teaching Health Center consortium has secured federal funding to create six new medical residences in Spokane.

Pharmaceutical & Diagnostics

Spokane Valley is home to an expanding pharmaceutical, clinical diagnostics, medical laboratory and health IT sector. Companies in the city and nearby Liberty Lake include Multi-Care Inland Northwest Services, Incyte Diagnostics, S2Media and Itron Inc.

Companies in the greater Spokane metro include Providence Health and Services, Rockwood Urgent Care Clinics, Allele Diagnostics, Inland Imaging, GenPrime, Pathology Associates Medical Labs, Hyprotek, University of Washington medical and life science programs, and Washington State University medical and life science programs.

Finding a Skilled Workforce

Not only is Spokane County the largest labor market in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, but additionally, the area is home to 18 universities and colleges. In addition to these graduates, Fairchild Airforce Base provides a working pool of retired military and military spouses. The largest jobholder group is 25 to 34 years old.

Recognizing that finding a skilled workforce is one of the most critical needs of any company, Spokane Valley also offers a wide range of resources to support the hiring needs of employers.

The Spokane Workforce Council offers employers resources such as job posting and screening, candidate source, job profiling, assessment testing, behavioral interviewing, on-the-job training and work opportunity tax credits. The Council coordinates a robust network of talent solutions resources for local businesses, all available under one roof at the WorkSource Talent Solutions Center. WorkSource Spokane also specializes in providing employers with tax information, the tools to find qualified applicants, and help with employee training.

When combined with Washington's community colleges, job skills programs and workforce college, these resources make building a highly skilled team fast and simple.