Recent member news: 7/12/2018

July 11, 2018

Air ambulances: how they can help save lives
“I get to take care of patients in likely the worst day of their life and hopefully make a very positive difference in their clinical care,” said Dominic Pomponio, Regional Director for Life Flight Network.

An epic undertaking at MultiCare
Spokane-area health care providers, administrators and patients alike should begin to see benefits immediately as a result of MultiCare Health System’s recent conversion to the Epic electronic health records system.

Amputees find support and humor at weekly gatherings
Members of the Harborview group have suffered boat accidents and tangles with a logging truck, diabetic complications and even a shark bite. But the group is far from gloomy. When they’re not trading tips on typing one-handed or how to avoid falls, they’re swapping jokes about half-off pedicures and jobs at IHOP.

Central Washington Hospital wins award
Central Washington Hospital has received the Mission: Lifeline Gold Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.

Harborview Medical Center: Sound Effect, Episode 149
This week we spend the hour with stories from Harborview Medical Center, the Level 1 Trauma Center covering four states and nearly 100,000 square miles.

Hepatitis C-positive heart transplants: Safe after all?
The UW heart transplant team, led by Dr. Jason Smith, the associate surgical director of heart transplantation and a cardiac surgeon, plans to transplant hearts from hepatitis C-positive donors.

Knowing the danger signs of drowning could help save a life
Each year, about 500,000 people across the globe die from drowning — 4,000 of them in the U.S., according to Yakima family physician Tanny Davenport, who also is Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital division chief of ambulatory medicine.

LifeCenter Northwest and partner hospitals save a record number of lives through donation and transplantation
Continuing a six-year upward growth trajectory of achieving life-saving milestones, LifeCenter Northwest is proud to announce a new record of 101 organs provided for transplant in one month.

New Virginia Mason medical center is open for business
The new Virginia Mason Bainbridge Island Medical Center, at 1344 Wintergreen Lane NE in the Wintergreen Walk development at Highway 305 and High School Road, has opened.

Paramedic shows super strength
For his feat of incredible strength and ingenuity, EMS Paramedic Nick Runions received a letter of commendation from Jason Armstrong, the area manager for the park and its satellite parks. The letter was presented to Runions at an EMS staff meeting on June 14 by Roger Meyers, Manager of WhidbeyHealth Emergency Medical Services.

The PEZ lady of EvergreenHealth Medical Center: Dispensing a fun, calming distraction
A technician at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland has built up a 20-year collection of PEZ candy dispensers, which she proudly displays at the hospital and which she believes acts as a “natural tranquilizer” for patients.

Pioneering dialysis nurse Connie Anderson retires from Northwest Kidney Centers after four decades of shaping dialysis practice
When Anderson joined Northwest Kidney Centers in 1974, dialysis nursing meant caring for patients from across the region, developing clinical best practices, manually building dialyzers for each treatment and adjusting the machines. She worked alongside physician pioneers such as Drs. Belding Scribner, James Haviland and Christopher Blagg.

Port Angeles City Council votes to create housing crisis task force
The task force will include representatives from Olympic Medical Center.

Project Jason leads the way for kids at Somerset Elementary School
Somerset students recently gave back to their community by providing clothing for homeless patients at Overlake Hospital.

Providence Centralia Hospital receives Pathway to Excellence designation
The American Nurses Credentialing Center awarded Providence Centralia Hospital a “Pathway to Excellence” designation. This designation identifies Providence Centralia as one of the best places to work, according to the organization.

Ronald McDonald House family room set to serve families visiting NICU babies
Crews are hard at work at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital on a space that’s not your average waiting room. The Ronald McDonald House family room will serve parents visiting their babies in the hospital’s NICU.

She kept complaining to her friend about a headache. What happened next saved her life
The story of the two friends spread through the grapevine, catching the attention of the hospital’s board, which was preparing for Stroke Awareness Month in May. As part of a partnership between CHI Franciscan Health and the Tacoma Rainiers, Greens got to throw the first pitch at a ballgame May 30.

St. John Medical Center earns award for stroke treatment
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center earned an award this week for its stroke care from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, according to a press release from the hospital.

These young doctors trained in the Tri-Cities. Now some of them are sticking around
Trios in Kennewick and Kadlec in Richland are graduating 11 residents, and three are staying in the Tri-City area to put down roots and continue their careers.

Tips can help you keep more money in your pocket as health care bills, deductibles rise
As health care costs rise and health insurance deductibles also increase, more and more costs have to be covered by the consumer. Here’s a look at six (mostly) easy ways to reduce your health care costs. “The average ER visit is more than $1,000,” said SignalHealth Chief Medical Officer and Virginia Mason Memorial family physician Tanny Davenport.

Trios Health to emerge from bankruptcy
Its plan will reduce the company’s pre-bankruptcy debt by about $350 million and paves the way for the health system’s acquisition by RCCH Healthcare, a Tennessee-based firm that has also offered a deal to buy Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco.

UW Medicine to implement single EHR platform
The University of Washington Finance and Asset Management Committee approved the UW Medicine Clinical Transformation project. The project will implement a single electronic health record (EHR) solution across the system.

Virginia Mason CEO named one of most influential physician executives for 13th time
Virginia Mason Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD, is ranked No. 42 on Modern Healthcare’s annual list of the 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders. This is the 13th time he has been included in the prestigious list.

Young volunteer given hero’s honor
Seventeen-year-old Emily Davidson volunteers at the hospital and wants to be an ED nurse someday. She’s already proven herself to be quick under pressure. While out in the community, she used her CPR skills to save a woman’s life earning her a community hero’s award.

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