Nestled among three beautiful rivers, the Tri-Cities are three adjacent cities in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington. Together, Kennewick, Pasco and Richland offer a mix of outdoor recreation and urban charm. Kadlec has been the leading health care organization in the region for more than 75 years and Kadlec Clinic is a growing network of primary and specialty care clinics where nurses and medical assistants collaborate with doctors to help care for the community.

Kadlec Senior Medical Assistant Alyssa says, “Since I was young, I’ve known I wanted to live here. The day after I graduated high school, I moved to Tri-Cities.” Here are three reasons Alyssa and other clinic caregivers love living and working with us in this special area of the Pacific Northwest.

1. Vast outdoor activities

The Tri-Cities is known for great weather. Residents get to experience all four seasons distinctly, with warm and dry summers, breezy springs and falls, and cool winters with little snowfall. With over 300 days of sunshine annually, enjoying the outdoors is a pleasure year-round.

Kadlec Clinic RN Danielle says, “I love being outside in any capacity that I can be, whether that’s hiking or kayaking or car camping. I always enjoy being in the outdoors. That’s what helps refill my bucket.”

The Tri-Cities sits where the Yakima, Snake and Columbia rivers come together, which makes it a haven for boating, fishing and watersports, whether you want to join a Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) Yoga class or go on an action packed jet ski ride.

Beyond paddling, fishing or floating in the three rivers, there are wildlife reserves, parks and green spaces, with miles of trails, all within city limits. “Just close by, there’s a lot of activities,” says Raina, Lead Medical Assistant. “Within two hours of here, you can find fantastic camping, hiking, water stuff.”

2. Big city energy, with a rural feel

Because the three small cities border one another, the Tri-Cities feels like one uninterrupted mid-sized city. Danielle calls it “a very big, small town” and explains, “It has that smaller community feel, but it is much bigger than most people realize because it’s three cities combined into one. And there’s a huge amount of diversity here in jobs between Hanford and Pacific Northwest National Labs and the agricultural areas. And then there’s a lot of people that work in the medical field within Kadlec and then everything in between.”

Alyssa appreciates how accessible everything is. “Everything is just so close to each other. You don’t have to travel far to go from one city to the next.” Having a short commute is an added bonus. “I live five minutes up the road. I could walk to work if I wanted to.”

Raina describes it as “big city energy, but rural feel.” And she enjoys the patient population. “We have a lot of elderly and aging patients, and they are just by far my favorite. They’re fun. They’re happy. They try really hard to follow treatment plans. They really are interested in getting better and getting healthy.”

3. Family fun

When considering where you want to work, choosing the best place to raise your kids can be an important consideration. Considering factors like education, fun and cost of living, Kiplinger ranks the Tri-Cities in the top three great cities to raise your kids, describing it as a ”northwest technology hub surrounded by farmers’ fields.” Elementary school students outperform peers on state standardized tests and family-friendly attractions abound.

“Tri-Cities is a great place for kids and families,” says Kadlec Medical Assistant Laura. “I love to spend time with my kids; they are very busy girls. Whether it’s the trampoline park, the escape rooms, or the laser tag places, there’s just lots of family-oriented things to do in Tri Cities.”

Tri-Cities families enjoy cooling off in two splash parks that are free to the public, fishing in the Columbia Park Pond where youth under 14 can fish for free and visiting the 12,000 square foot Playground of Dreams, which was designed with the input of local elementary school children. The community caps off the summer with the Benton Frankline Fair, where they celebrate youth achievements, the agricultural industry and friendships.

Want to join our clinic team in the Tri-Cities?

HR Solutions, a company that conducts employee surveys and is endorsed by the American Hospital Association, has awarded Kadlec a “Best in Class” seal for its high ratings in employee satisfaction. Kadlec scored in the top 10% of attracting, engaging and empowering employees.

“I’m really passionate about the work that I do and the people I get to care for. And I feel welcomed and encouraged by the team that I work on,” says Danielle.

Visit Kadlec’s clinic page to find the role that’s right for you.