Practice comprehensive oncology with the clinical trial access, specialist consultation, and academic collaboration of OHSU Knight Cancer Institute while enjoying the autonomy, patient relationships, and work-life balance of community practice. At Celilo Cancer Center, you'll join a highly respected cancer program serving approximately 85,000 residents throughout Oregon's Columbia Gorge, supported by Adventist Health's resources, a multidisciplinary care team, and a culture built around physician satisfaction and patient-centered care.
Founded in 1901 by pioneering physicians Dr. Belle Cooper Rinehart and Dr. Mary Powell Johnson, Adventist Health Columbia Gorge has served the Columbia River Gorge for more than 124 years. Throughout its history, the organization has been recognized for innovation and its commitment to personalized healthcare.
In 1992, the hospital became the first in the world to implement the Planetree model of patient-centered care facility-wide, fundamentally redesigning care delivery around the patient experience. In 2007, it earned recognition as one of only five Designated Patient-Centered Hospitals in the United States.
In June 2023, Mid-Columbia Medical Center joined Adventist Health and became Adventist Health Columbia Gorge, gaining the resources and stability of one of the West Coast's leading nonprofit health systems while maintaining its local identity, community focus, and physician-driven culture.
Adventist Health Columbia Gorge serves as a comprehensive community medical center offering a full spectrum of acute and specialty care services. In addition to oncology services, the organization provides cardiology, orthopedics, family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, urology, ophthalmology, women's health, emergency medicine, sleep medicine, rehabilitation, hospital medicine, and occupational health services.
This breadth of specialties allows oncology patients to receive coordinated care close to home while providing physicians access to a strong referral network and multidisciplinary support.
The organization has earned numerous quality recognitions, including:
These distinctions reflect a longstanding commitment to clinical quality, advanced diagnostics, coordinated care, and exceptional patient experience.
For more than 20 years, Celilo Cancer Center has provided comprehensive cancer care throughout the Columbia Gorge region. The center offers integrated medical oncology, radiation oncology, infusion services, surgical collaboration, patient navigation, and supportive care services designed to address the full spectrum of patient needs.
The program's multidisciplinary structure promotes collaboration rather than fragmentation. Medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, pharmacists, navigators, and support staff work together through established care pathways and multidisciplinary tumor boards to ensure patients receive coordinated, evidence-based treatment recommendations.
Advanced technologies available within the program include:
The center's physical environment reflects its longstanding commitment to patient-centered care, featuring comfortable infusion areas and support services designed to reduce barriers and improve the patient experience throughout treatment.
A defining strength of Celilo Cancer Center is its formal partnership with OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, bringing the resources of an academic cancer center directly into a community oncology environment.
The partnership is structured through a jointly governed program integrating OHSU's medical oncology and infusion services with Adventist Health Columbia Gorge's radiation oncology and support services. This collaborative model allows patients to receive comprehensive cancer care locally while benefiting from the expertise, innovation, and clinical resources of a nationally recognized cancer program.
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is the only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center between Sacramento and Seattle and serves as headquarters for the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) Cancer Research Network. The institute is internationally recognized for advances in precision oncology, clinical research, and cancer therapeutics.
For physicians, the partnership provides:
The program also participates in national research initiatives, including the PATHFINDER 2 multi-cancer early detection study, reflecting a commitment to innovation and expanding patient access to emerging therapies.
This partnership creates a rare practice environment that combines the intellectual engagement, specialist access, and evidence-based rigor of academic medicine with the autonomy, patient continuity, and work-life balance of community oncology.
The opportunity at Celilo Cancer Center is strengthened by a clear and growing community need.
According to Adventist Health Columbia Gorge's 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death throughout the region. Cancer ranks among the most significant disease burdens in both Hood River and Wasco counties, while residents continue to face substantial barriers to specialty care access.
Key findings include:
For a medical oncologist, this translates into meaningful impact. The opportunity extends beyond maintaining an established practice—it provides the ability to improve access to cancer care for an entire region while helping patients receive treatment closer to home.
Adventist Health Columbia Gorge is led by a team focused on physician engagement, clinical excellence, and long-term sustainability.
Kyle King, President of Adventist Health's Oregon Service Area, oversees operations across Adventist Health Columbia Gorge, Adventist Health Portland, and Adventist Health Tillamook. His leadership has emphasized strategic growth, physician support, and collaborative partnerships, including the organization's relationship with OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
Jayme Thompson, Administrator of Adventist Health Columbia Gorge, assumed her role in 2024 and brings a clinical leadership background focused on collaboration, quality, and operational excellence.
Together, leadership has committed significant resources to the Columbia Gorge region, including a $100 million investment over the next decade. Physicians benefit from direct access to leadership, a collaborative decision-making environment, and a culture that values physician input and long-term retention.
Adventist Health Columbia Gorge is supported by Adventist Health, a nonprofit integrated healthcare system serving communities throughout California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii.
System highlights include:
Physicians benefit from the scale and resources of a large integrated system, including robust operational support, capital investment, clinical best practices, purchasing power, compliance infrastructure, and long-term financial stability.
Importantly, Adventist Health maintains a physician-centered approach that preserves local decision-making and clinical autonomy while providing the advantages of a larger network.
The organization's commitment to the Columbia Gorge includes a $100 million investment over the next decade, reinforcing its long-term vision for regional healthcare growth and sustainability.
Few oncology opportunities offer the combination of clinical autonomy, academic support, lifestyle balance, and community impact available at Celilo Cancer Center.
Here, physicians practice broad-spectrum oncology supported by a multidisciplinary team, academic collaboration through OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, and a healthcare system committed to long-term investment in the community.
Patients choose Celilo because of its reputation for personalized care and clinical excellence. Physicians stay because they are supported by collaborative colleagues, engaged leadership, and a culture that prioritizes quality over volume.
The result is a practice environment that allows physicians to focus on what drew them to oncology in the first place: building meaningful patient relationships, delivering exceptional cancer care, and making a lasting difference in the lives of the patients and communities they serve.