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ASHLAND, Ore.--Dignity Health appears to be making good with its plans to expand since changing its name from Catholic Healthcare West, as officials announced that the organization is in exclusive partnership negotiations with Ashland Community Hospital. The talks in Oregon are Dignity's first move toward expansion since the system rebranded itself and severed formal ties with the Roman Catholic Church in an effort to increase expansion opportunities beyond its three-state footprint of Arizona, California and Nevada. Ashland Community is a 36-bed secular hospital, and the affiliation would give Dignity its first hospital in that state. After January's announcement, San Francisco-based Dignity counted 38 hospitals, with 23 Catholic and 15 non-Catholic. Ashland picked Dignity from four suitors, hospital CEO Mark Marchetti said in a news release, and the parties expect to complete a deal within 90...