This petition is issued by a volunteer, community-based coalition of healthcare practitioners, patients, and residents of Ashland and the surrounding regions.  We are Save Our Ashland Community Hospital (SOACH)

For 119 years, Ashland Community Hospital served the medical needs of the residents of Ashland, Southern Oregon, and Northern California as a general hospital.  Our hospital had a birthing center, inpatient services, surgery services, an emergency room, laboratory, imaging services, and general medical care.  This made Ashland Community Hospital a general hospital. 

In December 2025 ASANTE announced that Ashland Community Hospital would become a satellite facility of Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford due to cost factors.  As of June 1, 2026, Ashland Community Hospital is no longer able to provide services as a general hospital.  Inpatient and birthing services will be referred to Medford or Grants Pass.  Ashland Community Hospital will only have a lab and imaging, a very limited outpatient surgical service, and an emergency room available 24/7. 

These cuts will hurt the people who rely on this hospital, especially seniors, people with disabilities, families, and anyone who needs hospital care close to home.  They will force patients to travel further, increase delays in care, and weaken the health care system this community has spent generations building.

We, the undersigned, petition the Ashland City Council, who is authorized by the Ashland City Charter Article XVII, section 1 and Article 1, section 47  of the Oregon State Constitution, to pursue all lawful and financially responsible  actions to preserve, restore, or reestablish hospital level health care services within the City.  Actions may include, but are not limited to, negotiating acquisition; land leasing of hospital facilities;  forming a health district;  referring funding measures to voters;  entering public-private partnerships;  seeking state or federal funding; conducting feasibility and financial analyses; and  referring funding measures to the voters.

We who have signed this petition agree that Ashland Community Hospital in Ashland Oregon should be reinstated as a general hospital and not be a satellite hospital for Asante.