This is a time of growth and expansion for the hospitals owned by Samaritan Health Services, which serves the mid-Willamette Valley and central Oregon Coast with clinics and senior living centers in addition to its medical campuses.

How well are Oregon’s hospitals meeting local needs? Are they making smart decisions about their money? Today, The Lund Report runs the fourth in a series of stories exploring hospitals across the state.

This project begins with a review of more than 50 hospitals licensed to operate in Oregon. These stories look at profit margins, hospital size and reach, and touch briefly on executive compensation. Part 1 profiled Providence Health System’s eight hospitals. Part 2 examined Legacy Health’s four Oregon hospitals. Part 3 visited with hospitals owned by four small chains: Kaiser, Asante Tuality and Salem Health. Today, we dig in to Samaritan Health Services. Click on the accompanying Excel spreadsheets for a look at the data collected: a breakdown of Samaritan's finances and a list of what Samaritan top brass were paid in 2012.

After examining the details of every Oregon-licensed hospital, The Lund Report will follow up with stories that dive deep into the facts we’ve uncovered. We’ll ask about profits, compensation and the cost of caring for the poor.