The prospect of a strategic alliance between Valley Medical Center and UW Medicine deserves careful scrutiny. As Valley CEO Rich Roodman says, it’s a game changer for a hospital he has grown during his nearly 30 years there.

Valley is the prize in this courtship between two medical institutions. It has earned its national rankings as a great place to receive care and to work. It has served its patients well for decades; it would be a shame if it lost any sense of identity in the final agreement to form an alliance.

Charged with protecting Valley’s interests – and those of its patients, doctors and staff – are the medical center’s commissioners and Roodman himself. The board has had its moments of disagreement, over process and perhaps because of disparate agendas. Roodman and some board members have had a contentious relationship.

One thing the board (including those who lost their seats at election time) and Roodman did learn in the hospital-district annexation fiasco a few years back is that the public wants to fully understand any major changes to their beloved hospital.

That’s why it’s heartening that Roodman and the board have promised a full vetting of the strategic alliance with the public. That’s essential if the public is to fully embrace the major changes possible to Valley Medical.

We would be remiss, too, if we didn’t congratulate the board for its unanimous approval of a non-binding letter of intent that lets the exploration of the alliance move forward. Such a unanimous vote, even if it still left Valley in control of its future, wasn’t a sure thing.

We’ll follow closely the details of the agreement as they are worked out. At first blush, such an alliance seems like a sure bet to improve health care in South King County. That’s the mission of Valley Medical and UW Medicine. But that doesn’t mean that hard questions aren’t worth asking.

What Roodman is proposing is evolutionary – if not revolutionary – for Valley Medical, as hospitals are required under health-care reform to collaborate with peers and become more efficient – and at the same time maintain high medical standards.

Valley and UW Medicine share a strong commitment to quality patient care. Frankly, patients would see little, if any change at Valley because of an alliance, other than increased services. Doctors who treat them had initial concerns eased as the alliance was explained to them in greater depth.

Valley wouldn’t lose its identity, even as it becomes a part of the UW Medicine system that includes such medical icons as Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington Medical Center. That’s a commitment from Roodman, who came up with the name Valley Medical Center.

Community leaders twice came out to make their positive feeling about an alliance known to the board. That’s a pretty strong endorsement for the idea. The applause after the board’s unanimous vote was loud.