HealthFirst Financial, a national patient financing provider, secured a $70 million line of credit from a lending syndicate that includes Umpqua Bank, Columbia Bank, Opus Bank and Pacific Continental Bank.

HealthFirst Financial will use the proceeds to finance the growing demand from hospitals and medical groups for affordable patient payment programs.

In 2014, Umpqua, Columbia, Opus and Pacific Continental combined their efforts to start a syndicate that helps finance projects that are giving back to their communities. Together, the group represents more than $40 billion in assets and has locations across Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and Nevada.

“Many consumers are overwhelmed when they are faced with a medical bill that their budget can’t afford,” said KaLynn Gates, president and corporate counsel of HealthFirst Financial. “We help ease that financial pain by partnering with healthcare providers to offer patients a budget-friendly way to pay medical bills. Our new credit line enhances our ability to work with more providers and patients to cope with rising deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. We are partnering with many providers now to utilize these funds in their communities.”

Founded in 2001, HealthFirst Financial has helped hundreds of thousands of patients afford care while improving the financial performance of healthcare organizations.