2016 spring / summer healthquest

SPRING/SUMMER 2016

HealthQuestA publication of Skagit Regional Health

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Precision in Cancer CareLatest in radiation therapy equipment arrives 6

Happy FeetPodiatrist offers tips to having healthy feet 12

Carpal TunnelSyndrome

Finding a solution

A return to pain-free activity 4

2015 gratitude report reflects amazing generosity

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June 24,2016

10 a.m.Skagit Golf & Country Club

Burlington, Washington

To support the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation

Kidney Dialysis Project and Cancer Care Patient Assistance Fund.

For more information, see page 25.

Gregg Agustín Davidson, FACHEPresident and Chief Executive Officer

That is the opening sentence of a letter I recently received in my office. This letter goes on to thank our “amazing, wonderful, competent staff” for providing outstanding care to not only the patient, but to the patient’s family. And the writer uses words including kind, gentle, helpful, world-class and sensitive. The letter thanks us for maintaining such high standards.

Those high standards are set by all who are involved in Skagit Regional Health – from the Board of Commissioners, to leaders, to providers, to staff, to volunteers. Our standards are all about the patient and I am very proud of this team.

One way we recognize the good work of our clinical staff is by honoring outstanding nurses with the Daisy Award.

An appreciative family started the Daisy Award with a pilot program at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and it quickly spread across the country as a way to acknowledge those who provide extraordinary patient care. In 2015, we honored five nurses with the Daisy Award at Skagit Regional Health (pictured above left to right except Alice Riddle):

• Tami Hoeft, RN, STAT nurse• Alice Riddle, RN, IV Therapy• Don Small, RN, Medical and

Pediatric Care• Theresa Langlois, RN, Cardiac

Catheterization Lab • Betsey Thompson, RN, Float Pool

We appreciate the hard work, compassion and expertise of our Daisy Award winners and the excellent group of health care professionals at Skagit Regional Health who care very deeply about the work they do and are honored to serve the people of our communities.

They perform their duties – some lifesaving, some comforting, some supporting – while continuing to care for growing numbers of patients. In 2015, our team cared for 57,077 patients in Urgent Care; 33,246 Emergency Department patients and helped deliver 1,116 babies in the Family Birth Center.

At Skagit Regional Health, we continue to work hard to provide advanced, safe, quality patient care. The organization recently

completed a rigorous accreditation survey by DNV, an international accrediting firm that reviews our work and partners with us on continual quality improvement.

Another example of good work is our recent perfect score on a survey of our Mental Health Center by the Department of Social and Health Services

Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery. Hats off to the entire Mental Health Center team for achieving a score of 100 percent in a detailed, three-day survey.

And, we were recently honored as a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality by the Human Rights Campaign for demonstrating our commitment to equitable, inclusive care for patients and families.

Our focus on quality, safety and compassion for people is why I get letters like the one that starts “One month ago, you saved my husband’s life.”

“You saved my husband’s life.”

Spring/Summer 2016 3

HealthQuest is published three times a year by Skagit Regional Health and the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation.

WHERE TO FIND USIn Person:Main Skagit Valley Hospital entrance located on Hospital Parkway in Mount Vernon.

By Mail:P.O. Box 1376Mount Vernon, WA 98273Phone: 360-424-4111Fax: 360-814-2416

On the Web:www.skagitregionalhealth.org

Find a Doctor Phone Line:360-848-5555 or 360-629-5850

SKAGIT REGIONAL CLINICSAnacortes: 360-293-0308Anacortes Urology: 360-293-2173Camano Island: 360-387-5398Cardiology: 360-336-9757Mount Vernon: 360-428-2500Oak Harbor: 360-639-3093Residency Clinic: 360-814-6230Riverbend: 360-814-6800Sedro-Woolley: 360-856-4222Smokey Point: 360-657-8700Stanwood: 360-629-1600

SKAGIT VALLEY HOSPITAL REGIONAL CANCER CARE CENTERIn Person:307 South 13th St., Ste. 100Mount Vernon, WA

3823 172nd St. N.EArlington, WA

By Phone:Phone: 360-814-2146 or 360-618-5000Fax: 360-814-2445

THE BREAST INSTITUTE360-814-8148

For additional copies of HealthQuest or more information, contact Outreach and Media Coordinator Linda Wright at 360-814-2325 or go to our Web site at www.skagitregionalhealth.org.

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 / VOLUME 13 / ISSUE 2

HealthQuest

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HealthQuest ClassesStanwood and Camano Island

HealthQuest ClassesMount Vernon

HealthQuest ClassRegistration

Cover PhotoSkagit Regional Clinics recently welcomed hand specialist and Orthopedic Surgeon Jimmy Dang, DO who joins Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Edwin Chang, MD in offering a wide range of surgical services.

Photo by Linda Wright

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2015 gratitude report shows amazing community generosity

Carpal tunnel syndromeSurgeons offer solutions to end pain, regain activity

Latest in radiation therapyNew equipment provides treatment precision

State approvalSkagit Regional Health to operate Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics

Happy feetPodiatrist offers tips to keep your feet healthy

Board of CommissionersBrowning, Dennis join the board

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“We use our arms and hands in our everyday activities, and an injury to them can leave us significantly limited,” said Dr. Dang. “My goal is to help you restore your function, through the least invasive means possible, to allow you to return to the things that you enjoy doing most.”

Dr. Dang treats patients of all ages who suffer from upper extremity problems, including fractures, arthritis, sports and tendon injuries, and nerve compression conditions.

“Carpal tunnel release is the most common procedure that I perform,” said Dr. Dang.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Edwin Chang, MD, FACS has been treating local patients with carpal tunnel syndrome since 2013 when he joined Skagit Regional Clinics.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when there is compression of the median nerve at the wrist, said Dr. Chang. Compression can have many causes including swelling of the flexor tendon lining, fractures, arthritis or fluid buildup. However, it is most commonly

associated with lifestyle and occupational exposure to repetitive motion, vibration and mechanical stress. It affects between three and four percent of the population.

If you have experienced numbness or tingling in your hand, particularly in your thumb, index or ring finger, you may have carpal tunnel syndrome. Many patients find that their symptoms worsen at night or with certain hand positions. Some have wrist soreness extending up the forearm. Patients with more severe cases can have decreased dexterity, said Dr. Chang.

People whose occupations involve repetitive motions or exposure to severe vibration are more likely to have carpal tunnel syndrome. This includes

welders, construction workers and hairdressers. Women are three times more likely to have carpal tunnel syndrome than men, said Dr. Chang. Pregnancy is another common cause of carpal tunnel and patients can continue to have problems even long after childbirth, noted Dr. Dang.

Dr. Chang recommends that patients experiencing these symptoms talk to their primary care provider for an initial work-up. They may be referred to a neurologist for a nerve conduction study or for hand surgery.

For mild cases, non-operative treatments such as splinting and

therapy can offer relief. Carpal tunnel release surgery is

necessary for patients with more severe cases

or for those who have not improved with

non-operative treatment.

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Hand specialist Dr. Jimmy Dang recently joined

the orthopedics and sports medicine team at

Skagit Regional Clinics – Riverbend where

his practice focuses on orthopedic problems

between the shoulders and fingertips.

for carpal tunnel syndrome

RELIEFSurgeons offer


JIMMY DANG, DO was raised in Vancouver, WA. He is a graduate of Kansas City University of Medicine

and Biosciences in Missouri. He completed his Orthopedic internship and residency at Oklahoma State University Medical Center in Tulsa followed by an Orthopedic

Hand Surgery Fellowship at Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa where he provided hand and shoulder care at a Level I Trauma Center. In addition to carpal tunnel syndrome, Dr. Dang treats trigger finger release, arthritis at the base of the thumb, hand fractures and ganglion cysts. He is board certified.

Appointments are available by calling 360-814-6800.

EDWIN CHANG, MD, FACS attended University of Michigan Medical School and completed Plastic and

Reconstructive Surgery residency training through the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor. Dr. Chang is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a

Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In addition to treating patients with carpal tunnel, he also offers cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Chang joined Skagit Regional Clinics in 2013.

Appointments are available by calling 360-814-6120.

Dr. Jimmy Dang

Dr. Edwin Chang


Jimmy Grierson, MD, who practices family medicine with obstetrics at Skagit Regional Clinics – Stanwood is the first-ever recipient of the Provider of the Year award by the Medical Staff of Skagit Regional Health.

The award is voted on by fellow medical staff members and honors a provider who embodies excellent clinical performance as well as community engagement and service. Providers of the quarter were selected and those winners became nominees for the annual award.

Dr. Grierson, selected in third quarter of 2014, was applauded for his hard work and dedication to Safe Harbor Free Clinic in Stanwood. Safe Harbor was founded in October 2008 by community leaders and medical practitioners as a facility providing quality, respectful and loving free health care and referral services to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the underinsured in a safe and welcoming environment. The clinic, which started providing services at

Skagit Regional Clinics – Stanwood, recently moved to a new facility with the ability to expand hours and services.

Dr. Grierson joined the medical staff in 2004. He received his medical degree at the University of Washington School of Medicine and completed a residency in family medicine at Family Medicine of Southwest Washington in Vancouver.

ADDITIONAL QUARTERLY WINNERS:• Deborah North, MD,

Skagit Regional Clinics, Internal Medicine

• Mehrdad Jafari, MD, Oncology, Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center

• Bonnie Baker, MD, Internal Medicine and Hospitalist, Skagit Valley Hospital

• Morrie Johnson, MD, Skagit Regional Clinics, General Surgery

Grierson chosen by peers as

PROVIDER of the year

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Regional Cancer Care Center earns national accreditation

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) granted three-year accreditation to the cancer program at Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center.

To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.

Because it is a CoC-accredited cancer center, the team at the

Regional Cancer Care Center takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists. This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care.

The cancer care program at Skagit Valley Hospital has been accredited since 1975.

Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional

organizations dedicated to improving patient outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons.

For more information, visit www.facs.org/cancer

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LEFT: David Kantorowitz, MD, radiation oncologist at the Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center.

New radiation therapy equipment at the Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center will bring the latest in treatment, with a focus reducing side effects, lowering treatment times and destroying cancer cells while protecting healthy tissue.

“This truly reflects the commitment of Skagit Regional Health to the community to provide the latest in cancer diagnosis and treatment,” said Radiation Oncologist David Kantorowitz, MD, PhD. “This is the newest

SUSA N A N D L E IGH TON WO OD FA M I LY R A DI AT ION W I NG

The latest in

Precision, speed, patient comfort key to new radiation therapy equipment


QAAND

Dr. Michal Whiton Radiation Oncologist

What about this equipment makes it so precise?

The new machine is Elekta’s Versa HD which is equipped with a 160 multi-leaf collimator called the Agility. This device uses 160 fine-resolution “leaves” that shape the treatment field from multiple different angles for the patient. During the treatment, the Agility’s leaf-changing speed is more than two times faster than other systems. The leaf movement is verified in real time, providing extreme precision and high reliability for a broad range of cases. The high-precision beam shaping due to the finely shaped leaves, supports exceptionally accurate tumor targeting and improved healthy tissue preservation. Combining this novel technology with a high dose rate mode, the Versa HD provides rapid delivery of more advanced therapies within standard treatment times.

How will this improve the patient experience?

For the patient, new ergonomic features and softer streamlined shapes of the Versa HD create a gentle, more relaxed treatment environment from the patient perspective. Combining low mechanical noise with ambient lighting effects, Versa HD was truly designed with patient comfort in mind, Dr. Whiton said. The high dose rate mode also provides a faster treatment time for patients, reducing the amount of time that they need to lie in the radiation treatment position.

Why it is so important to keep this equipment current?

We are thrilled to be acquiring Elekta’s state-of-the-art technology for accurate and efficient radiation

delivery. Many of our patients have cancers that are located in very critical areas and demand an extra level of tumor targeting precision, or lesions that require very high doses of radiation to achieve better tumor control, which reduces the length of the treatment course. Versa HD is perfect for these complex cases by virtue of its advanced beam-shaping, imaging and high dose rate technologies.

Which cancers are most commonly treated with radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to kill or control malignant cells. Radiation therapy may be curative in a number of types of cancer if they are localized to one area of the body, such as with lymphoma, prostate cancer or skin cancer to name a few. It is also common to combine radiation therapy with surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy or some mixture of the four.

Radiation therapy is commonly applied to the cancerous tumor because of its ability to control cell growth. Ionizing radiation works by damaging the DNA of cancerous tissue leading to cellular death. To spare normal tissues (such as skin or organs which radiation must pass through to treat the tumor), shaped radiation beams are aimed from several angles of exposure to intersect at the tumor, providing a much larger absorbed dose there than in the surrounding, healthy tissue. Besides the tumor itself, the radiation fields may also include the draining lymph nodes if they are involved or at risk of being involved with tumor.


offering. It will be faster and better, delivering even more conformal radiation treatment while reducing side effects.”

In 2006, the new comprehensive cancer center opened, providing radiation and medical oncology in one convenient Mount Vernon location. The radiation oncology program, located in the Susan and Leighton Wood Family Radiation Wing, opened with two linear accelerators to provide tumor-shrinking radiation oncology and a third was added in 2010.

This year, the program is again updating equipment to bring in the latest technology for optimal patient care by replacing one linear accelerator plus a major upgrade to a second with a total investment of $3.3 million. The program is also

expanding the number of providers to three with the addition of Dr. John Register, radiation oncologist, in June,

joining Dr. Kantorowitz and Michal Whiton, MD.

With the rapid advancement of technology, treatment times can be reduced and outcomes improve, Dr. Kantorowitz said. Each patient has a detailed, personalized treatment plan and a team of providers including doctors, nurses, physicists and more.

“Our patients become like family,” Dr. Kantorowitz said. “We’re a village, a team, facing cancer together.”

In the case of lung cancer, use of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) has dramatically improved patient outcomes from 25 percent success rate to 90 percent with three to five treatments of higher dose radiation therapy.

“It totally changed things and it really is a different ball game,” he said. “When you have that positive outcome for a patient, there is nothing in my career that makes me feel that way. You can imagine how emotionally satisfying that is.”

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$316 million

1NUMBER OF GRAND PIANOS IN THE SKAGIT VALLEY HOSPITAL MAIN LOBBY

57,077TOTAL NUMBER OF SKAGIT REGIONAL CLINICS URGENT CARE VISITS IN 2015

2,025NUMBER OF SKAGIT REGIONAL HEALTH EMPLOYEES

1,116NUMBER OF BIRTHS IN 2015 AT THE SKAGIT VALLEY HOSPITAL FAMILY BIRTH CENTER

33,246NUMBER OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS TO SKAGIT VALLEY HOSPITAL

1,712 THE NUMBER OF WATER BOTTLES SAVED BY PATIENTS USING THE REFILL FOUNTAIN IN THE HEATHER SCHOLS CARDIAC REHABILITATION CENTER

400,405 NUMBER OF CUPS OF COFFEE SERVED IN A YEAR AT SKAGIT VALLEY HOSPITAL

1NUMBER OF REVOLVING DOORS AT CASCADE VALLEY HOSPITAL IN ARLINGTON

2NUMBER OF HOSPITALS OPERATED BY SKAGIT REGIONAL HEALTH AS OF JUNE 1, 2016

11NUMBER OF SKAGIT REGIONAL CLINICS LOCATIONS (ADDING FIVE MORE IN JUNE)

2016 SKAGIT REGIONAL HEALTH BUDGET

B Y T H E N U M B E R S


receives state approval to lease, operate Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics

Skagit Regional Health

Skagit Regional Health received a Certificate of Need (CON) from the state Department of Health granting approval to enter into a long-term lease of Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics. State approval gives the green light for the two organizations to complete work on integration details and begin the 30-year lease on June 1, 2016.

“We are very pleased with the rapid and positive response to our Certificate of Need application so we can move forward with integration between Skagit Regional Health and Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics,” said Gregg Davidson, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer of Skagit Regional Health. “We look forward to our two organizations coming together toward our mutual goals of retaining and advancing health care services for the people of north Snohomish County.”

In the Certificate of Need review documents, the state notes “…after reviewing the extensive process undertaken by both hospital districts to determine the best alternative for CVH, the department concurs that the long-term lease of CVH is the best alternative for the community.”

The evaluation also notes that Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics is an integral component of health care services in north Snohomish County and surrounding

communities and the plan promotes continuity of services for the people of the region.

“I am delighted to have received the formal response to our CON application from the state Department of Health. I agree with the department’s assessment that affiliation is a good way to assure long-term availability of health care in Arlington,” said Clark Jones, Chief Executive Officer at Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics. “I look forward to completing the due diligence process leading to a smooth transfer of operations on June 1.”

Skagit Regional Health’s total operating revenue for 2015 was more than $300 million and the organization closed the year with 2,013 employees. Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics’ revenue for 2015 was nearly $50 million with a total of 457 employees.

In November 2015, the Boards of Commissioners of the two public hospital districts each voted to approve a definitive agreement for the integration.

The definitive agreement states that Skagit Regional Health (Skagit County Public Hospital District No. 1) will lease, operate and manage Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics, including the 48-bed hospital in Arlington, five clinics and a free-standing surgery center.

About Skagit Regional Health:

Skagit Regional Health includes Skagit Valley Hospital and Skagit Regional Clinics. Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon, which expanded in 2007, is licensed for 137 beds, features a full range of services including comprehensive cancer care; surgical services; a Level III Emergency Department; a well-appointed Family Birth Center; comprehensive diagnostics; and advanced heart and vascular care. Skagit Regional Clinics is a network of 11 health care facilities providing primary and specialty outpatient care in north Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties.

About Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics:

Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics includes the 48-bed acute care facility, five associated clinics and a free-standing surgery center. A major expansion and renovation adding state-of-the art technology and equipment throughout the hospital was completed in 2010. Cascade Valley Hospital provides acute care, critical care, surgery, a level IV Emergency Department, and Family Birthing Center, plus a wide array of outpatient and diagnostic imaging services. Clinics include family practice offices in Darrington and Granite Falls along with orthopedic, pediatric and women’s health practices in Arlington.


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Laura Grantham, PA-C Specialty: Rheumatology

Practice Location: Skagit Regional Clinics – Mount Vernon

What do you most enjoy about your practice? I love the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with

patients and to form a supportive partnership to provide the highest quality care. Rheumatology interests me because the problem solving and research

that this field requires is an intriguing challenge. Each patient is truly unique and requires thoughtful attention to detail to achieve the best outcomes.

What sparked your interest in medicine as a career? I have always been interested in the field of medicine and honestly never thought of doing anything else. I started my career as an athletic trainer working with various sports teams focusing on the prevention and treatment of athletic related injuries. I enjoyed providing patient care, establishing a trusting relationship with patients, and working with them to educate them on their injuries and rehabilitation. This led me to pursue becoming a physician assistant, where I could expand my interests and work with a larger patient population.

Ms. Grantham attended Duke University’s Physician Assistant Program in Durham, NC. Appointments can be made by calling 360-428-2550.

RHEUMATOLOGY

Mark Baldwin, DO, FACOI Specialty: Internal Medicine/Nephrology

Practice Location: Skagit Regional Clinics – Mount Vernon

Practice Philosophy: I enjoy partnering with my patients to provide the highest quality of care and understanding.

Special Interests: Hypertension, diabetic kidney disease, metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease.

What do you most enjoy about your practice? I enjoy working with people with complex medical problems and giving them a competent and compassionate

resource. I also enjoy being a part of the teaching faculty for the internal medicine and family medicine residencies and helping the young physicians understand challenging clinical and emotional aspects of patient care.

Dr. Baldwin attended the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, MO. He went on to complete an internship and residency at Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Baldwin also completed Nephrology fellowships at Northwestern University Medical Center and Loyola University Medical Center, both in Illinois. Dr. Baldwin cares for patients, works in Skagit Regional Health’s Graduate Medical Education program and serves as the Medical Director for the Skagit Valley Kidney Center. Internal medicine, hypertension and nephrology appointments can be made by calling 360-428-2592.

INTERNAL MEDICINE/ NEPHROLOGY

Gary Blume, MD, PhD Specialty: Family Medicine

Practice Location: Skagit Regional Clinics – Sedro-Woolley

Practice Philosophy: Team work between you and me, with an emphasis on keeping you well, and with an absolute commitment to giving you world-class medical care, has always been and will always be my guiding practice philosophy.

Special Interests: I have additional training in cardiovascular preventive

medicine and diabetes prevention and have special

interests in personalized

medicine, complex medical issues

and disabilities medicine.

What do you most enjoy about your practice? Each patient is a treasure and I consider it an amazing privilege to be a part of their lives. It is a remarkable experience to be able to take knowledge acquired through years of study and hard work, apply it to the problems that people face, and come up with solutions that are unique to each person.

Dr. Blume received a medical degree with distinction from Northwest University in Chicago. He completed his residency training at Duke-Watts Family Medicine in Durham, NC. Dr. Blume is board certified. He joins Skagit Regional Clinics in May. Appointments can be made by calling 360-856-4141.

FAMILY MEDICINE

New Providers


FACS – What does it mean?

David Escobar, DO Specialty: Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Practice Location: Skagit Regional Clinics – Stanwood

Practice Philosophy: My patients and I practice together as “partners in health,” working toward their vision of ideal health and well-being.

Special Interests: I love bringing an

osteopathic manipulative skill set to the bedside. It is not a panacea, but can be a fantastic treatment modality for any number of medical conditions. I also study and practice integrative medicine, which incorporates alternative and complementary therapies in an evidence-based fashion.

What do you most enjoy about your practice? I enjoy being able to practice the full spectrum of primary care medicine, especially preventive and integrative medicine. My favorite days involve talking to patients about diet and exercise!

Dr. Escobar is a native Washingtonian who attended high school, college, medical school and residency in Washington state. Dr. Escobar earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at Pacific Northwest University of Health Science in Yakima. He completed a Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment residency at Skagit Regional Health. Appointments in Stanwood will be available in August. Call 360-629-1600 to schedule.

FAMILY MEDICINE AND OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATIVE

MEDICINE N A T I O N A L

The Mount Vernon and Anacortes police departments will participate in a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-sponsored National Drug Take-Back Day.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, people can bring in their unused and expired medications for disposal.

LOCATIONS:Mount Vernon Police Department 1805 Continental Place 360-336-6271Anacortes Police Department 1218 24th Street360-293-4684

A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT POINTS:• The program is anonymous; no requests

for identification will be made.• Controlled, non-controlled and over-the-

counter substances may be collected. • Participants may dispose of

medication in the original container or directly into the disposal box.

• All solid dosage pharmaceutical products will be accepted.

• Liquid products must be in a sealed container.

• Intra-venous solutions, injectables, syringes, chemotherapy medications, or medical waste will not be accepted.

Healthcare providers’ names are often followed by a series of letters signifying their credentials. MD is Medical Doctor; DO is for a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine; ARNP is Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner and PA-C stands for Physician Assistant, certified.

Some physicians complete additional education and evaluations in the areas of clinical competence and ethics to become a Fellow in his or her field of expertise.

To become a Fellow, a physician must be board-certified for at least a year, then undergo an application process, review and approval.

Skagit Regional Clinics’ general surgeon, Joshua Hawkins, MD, FACS recently completed the process of becoming a Fellow of the American

College of Surgeons (FACS). Applicants must submit

a case log for review then undergo a face-to-face interview, indicating his or her motivations for fellowship, academic goals, and local community involvement, said Hawkins. Becoming a Fellow is the highest honor that a surgeon or specialist can receive. For patients,

fellowship credentials mean that the physician adheres to the highest standards of quality, education and professional integrity.

DRUG TAKE-BACK DAYA P R IL 30, 2016

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How to have

By Nathan Ullom, DPM

April is nationally recognized as Foot Health Awareness Month so I would like share some general tips in maintaining proper foot health.

Healthy pain-free feet are essential to maintaining an active lifestyle in today’s fast-paced society. I often refer to the feet as the unheralded workhorses of the body. The average American takes more than 5,000 steps every single day. Naturally, our feet are subject to quite a bit of wear and tear with just general activity. Add in long work hours standing on hard surfaces or a lifetime of athletic injuries, and this can leave many of us with some very significant discomfort with even the simplest of activities.

Here are a few tips to keep pain under control and to help keep you up and active:

First let us start with an obvious one: Wear comfortable and appropriately fitting shoes.

The average individual experiencing discomfort has a foot type which tends to be quite flexible. Excess flexibility leads to a collapse of the arch as we bear weight; this is commonly referred to as pronation. Most individuals with a flexible foot type will see significant benefit from wearing shoe gear with additional support in the arch, which will help limit the pronation. If your shoe gear lacks arch support, consider adding an over-the-counter insert. There are many quality over the

counter inserts which can be helpful to prevent collapse of the arch but remember this advice: Softer rarely equals better. A quality shoe insert

typically includes a rigid shell which is covered in more comfortable material. Almost all individuals choosing to utilize a quality shoe insert, otherwise known as an orthotic, will require at least a few weeks to break them in appropriately. The break-in period should be done slowly in order to prevent the frustrations of achy

feet that can accompany breaking in an orthotic. I suggest my patients begin with as little as an hour a day and slowly increase at their own comfort level. Comfortable accommodative shoe gear can make all the difference and prevent the chronic ache and soreness that can accompany an active lifestyle.

The next tip I have is one that I cannot stress enough: Stretch!

This may sound obvious, however, I find that as a community, stretching is rarely an activity we perform on a daily basis. Your legs and feet are essentially a complex system of pulleys and levers and, as such, balance within this system is imperative for them to function correctly. Stretching is one of the most helpful activities we can perform to maintain this balance. Commonly, with daily activity, we will observe a strengthening of the muscles in the back (posterior compartment)

of the leg compared to the muscles in the front (anterior compartment) which leads to an imbalance. This can cause issues such as excessive pronation or heel pain. Performing daily calf muscle stretches can help eliminate this imbalance and play a major role in allowing normal function of the foot, ankle and leg.

Lastly and most importantly: Walk . . . . a lot.

Daily exercise is crucial in maintaining our overall health as well as good foot health. There are 27 bones and 33 joints within each foot alone and they require regular use to maintain muscle and ligament strength. Spring is a great time to initiate a regular exercise or walking routine. Get out and take a stroll around a park or through the tulip fields - your feet will thank you. Now for some of you, attempting to initiate an exercise regiment or walking routine will lead to an increase in foot discomfort and pain which can be very deflating and discouraging, a catch-22 of sorts. If stretching and comfortable shoe gear haven’t helped reduce your discomfort, come see us at the Podiatry Department at Skagit Regional Clinics and we will work hard to get you back up and walking pain-free.

Dr. Ullom is a podiatrist with Skagit Regional Clinics – Mount Vernon. He attended Temple University of Podiatric Medicine and completed a residency at Hahnemann University Hospital, both in Philadelphia. To make an appointment, call 360-848-4120.

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Joe Wilson, MD views medicine as a team sport and key members of the healthcare team are those who mentor and teach the next generation of providers.

“To be most effective, medicine requires a team of professionals who share their knowledge, experience, and expertise,” Dr. Wilson said. “Being a healthcare provider requires a lifelong commitment to learning and to sharing that knowledge with our patients, colleagues, and healthcare learners.”

Dr. Wilson brings this approach to Skagit Regional Health’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program as the new Director of Medical Education. Dr. Wilson oversees a program that currently hosts 22 third and fourth-year medical students from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, and 26 residents in Family Medicine, and Internal Medicine.

“Medical education is really a transformational process,” Dr. Wilson said. The first two years of medical school provide a foundation in a classroom and lab setting. The final two years provide medical students with the opportunity to continue learning in clinical rotations in provider offices and hospitals. After graduation, it’s on to residency to continue the transformation process that results in a well-trained, capable, and compassionate physician.

Dr. Wilson was a practicing OB/GYN for 25 years, including eight years as a physician in the U.S. Navy. Throughout his career, he

was involved in educational efforts with residents, students, techs, nurses, first responders, and fellow

physicians. His interest in education then took him to Trinity School of Medicine in Alpharetta, Georgia where he oversaw the redesign of the clinical clerkship curriculum and development of clerkship sites across the United States.

As a demonstration of his own commitment to life-long learning, Dr.

Wilson is currently enrolled in the Master of Education in the Health Professions (MEHP) Program at Johns Hopkins University School of Education, a distance learning program he will complete by 2018.

Dr. Wilson was drawn to the Northwest and is impressed with the growth and the quality of the Graduate Medical Education program established at Skagit Regional Health in 2010.

“The level of commitment it takes for an institution to develop residency programs, especially a community-based institution, is tremendous,” he said. “It is visionary and part of what makes this place special. There is a vision of how to best serve this community. Community hospitals are sponsoring residency programs more and more to meet their manpower needs and it’s a tremendous resource for the community.”

Dr. Wilson said various clinical affiliations with academic

institutions in the region provide invaluable resources to Skagit Regional Health. The link to the osteopathic program through Pacific Northwest University provides significant educational and research support resources. As an affiliate of the Family Medicine Residency Network based at the University of Washington in Seattle, the Family Medicine residency program benefits from dedicated funding and other program development resources. “The effects of these affiliations benefit not only Skagit Regional Health, but the communities we’re privileged to serve”, according to Dr. Wilson.

Nationally, transition is under way to a new, single accreditation system for all graduate medical education. When fully implemented in July 2020, the new system will allow graduates of osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) medical schools to complete their residency and/or fellowship education in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited program and demonstrate achievement of common milestones and competencies. Skagit Regional Health’s GME program started the transition process for both Internal Medicine and Family Medicine residencies.

“Since the programs were started in 2010, the people in GME here have done an incredible job of keeping the program moving forward and strengthening it,” Dr. Wilson said. “Now it’s a matter of taking it to the next level.”

lifelong learningCommitment to

Graduate Medical Education program continues to grow

14

Gout is a type of arthritis caused by excess accumulation of uric acid that eventually deposits as crystals into various tissues of the body. Gout most commonly impacts joints, but can also include skin, kidneys, and other tissues.

In gout’s classic presentation, the joint at the base of the big toe will suddenly become very painful and enlarged causing a considerable amount of pain to the point of not even being able to have a bed sheet touch it.

After a number of days, the symptoms may subside and completely go away for a period of time. Then, sometimes months or years later, another flare of arthritis will happen – often in the same area, but could be in a completely different joint (knee, ankle, elbow, finger or toe).

For men, this acute joint inflammation process usually starts in their 20 – 30’s, but can

start in their middle ages or even later in life. For women, gout is less common and usually doesn’t start until after menopause as estrogen

provides a protective effect from getting gout.

Fortunately, gout is a very treatable condition and the treatment comes in two forms: 1) treatment of the acute gouty arthritis and 2) treatment of the underlying excessive amount of body uric acid. Fortunately, treatment for both of those issues is very effective.

Treating acute flares of gout is generally done with three types of medications: 1) colchicine (an anti-gout agent), 2) anti-inflammatories (indomethacin, naproxen, ibuprofen), and 3) corticosteroids (prednisone). All of these types of medications are very helpful in reducing the pain and swelling related to a gout attack.

The other part of gout treatment is the focus on reducing a person’s excessive amount of body uric acid. This is most commonly done through medications that trick the body into making less uric acid. These medications are allopurinol and febuxostat (Uloric). The good news is that doing this will, over time, stop the process of gout and the person will have no further

symptoms as long as they continue treatment. Initially after starting a medication like allopurinol (or febuxostat / Uloric), gout flares can worsen and often do for a number of months. Eventually, gout flares will cease, but that may take a number of months, or in some circumstances, years. When a person starts therapy for gout with allopurinol, it is common practice for a person to be given a daily dose of colchicine to prevent gout flares that commonly worsen after starting allopurinol.

Also, consuming less beef, pork, lamb, seafood, high fructose corn syrup (i.e. soda pop), and alcohol can be helpful as these types of foods lead to increases in uric acid in a person’s body. But, dietary changes are usually not adequate enough in preventing gout and the mainstay of therapy is uric acid reduction (again, usually through the usage of allopurinol). Eventually, a person can be free of gout symptoms, but they have to stay on allopurinol for the rest of their life to keep gout from ever affecting them again.

Dr. Welk is a rheumatologist with Skagit Regional Clinics – Mount Vernon. He attended the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City, completed a residency at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences and a fellowship at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. To make an appointment, call 360-428-2550.

By Kevin Welk, MD

14

Have you heard about Gout?


Physical activity increases lifespan and maintains cognitive function (in

non-dementia population). Staying active also reduces the likelihood of falls and fall-related injuries. Activity can lead to improvement in chronic conditions such as mood disorders, chronic pain, congestive heart failure, stroke, constipation and sleep disorders.

The American Heart Association and the American College of Sports

Medicine recommend that adults over age 65 years participate in:

Aerobic exercise Start with walking 10 minutes

five times a week. Increase by 5 minutes each week. If you are wheelchair bound, move your legs like you are riding a bike. Your goal will be to walk (or move your legs in your wheelchair) for 30 minutes, five days each week. Individuals with chronic disabling conditions may not be able to achieve the minimal recommended amount of physical activity but should be active as tolerated without doing harm by sitting less, and moving legs and arms more).

By Sarah Evans, ARNP

KEEP Muscle strengthening

Start by using a weight that you can lift eight times – you can even begin by using soup cans as weights. Exhale as the weight is lifted. Your movements should be slow through repetition. Avoid locking your joints and know that muscle soreness is normal.

Flexibility exercises Flexibility exercises should

be performed twice a week for 10 minutes. Stretch after aerobic and muscle strengthening.

Sarah Evans, ARNP, practices Internal Medicine at Skagit Regional Clinics – Sedro-Woolley. She received her ARNP at the University of Washington School of Medicine. To make an appointment, call 360-856-4222.

NOTE: The following conditions should be treated or discussed with your health care provider prior to initiating a new physical activity: infection, fever, DVT, unexplained weight loss, foot sores, or proliferative retinopathy, retinal bleeding or detached retina and recent surgery.

Staying active offers a variety of benefits to older adults who have less aerobic capacity, muscle mass, and strength due to physiological changes associated with aging. There is evidence that after mid-life, lean-mass loss is about 1 percent per year and loss of strength is 2.6 percent per year.

ACTIVEin your golden years

16

Palliative Care services expanding at Skagit Regional Health

Vaccination records, also called immunization records, are needed multiple times throughout one’s lifetime, from child care registration to college entrance and beyond. Adults may be asked to provide documentation of vaccinations for certain jobs or to travel abroad.

The Washington State Department of Health offers a convenient new way to access your family’s vaccination records online by signing up for

the Department of Health’s MyIR program. This will allow you to view, download and print your family’s vaccination records on demand.

To sign up, visit the Washington State Department of Health website (www.doh.wa.gov/immsrecords) to download an Authorization to Release Immunization Records form. You can authorize the Department of Health to release the vaccination records of up to five members of your immediate family. After completing the form, you can return it via e-mail, fax or mail:

E-MAIL: [email protected] FAX: 360-236-3590 MAIL: Washington State Immunization Information System P.O. Box 47843 Olympia, WA 98504-7843

After submitting the authorization form, you will receive a temporary PIN and instructions for activating your account. Once your account is activated, you will have access to your records.

State offers online access to vaccination records

Many people confuse Palliative Care with hospice or end-of-life care. In fact, it’s a very different form of medicine.

When someone faces a serious illness, whether cancer, stroke, or a chronic disease such as congestive heart failure or kidney disease, Palliative Care focuses on relieving discomfort and distress. Palliative Care providers help ensure that symptoms such as pain, fatigue, nausea, and anxiety are addressed and well managed.

Through collaboration with a patient’s other doctors, a plan of care is developed to help make sure that a patient’s needs are addressed. Done well, Palliative Care support can help

improve a patient’s quality of life.Unlike hospice, Palliative Care

is available to patients with both terminal diseases and illnesses that can be cured. A patient can begin to receive Palliative Care as soon as they are diagnosed with a serious illness. In fact, the earlier that Palliative Care support is provided, the better it does at helping address a patient’s care needs.

Skagit Regional Health’s Palliative Care

Team includes physicians, advance practice nurses, social workers and chaplains. Together, the team takes a holistic approach to a patient’s treatment. The Palliative Care team can follow the patient

throughout the course of his or her treatment, and holds regular visits with the patient and family to talk about how a patient is responding to treatment, and whether additional support is needed.

See page 35 for information on an upcoming panel discussion regarding palliative care.

SKAGIT REGIONAL HEALTH’S PALLIATIVE CARE TEAM:• Dr. David Hoeft, Provider

and Medical DirectorABOVE PHOTO (left to right):• Sharmon Figenshaw, ARNP• Cindy Moffet, MD• Kathryn Kay, MSW• Erika Stanley, MSW

and Program Manager• Denise Katterhagen, MSW• Lindsey Keane, Administrative Assistant• Deborah North, MD


Skagit Regional Clinics opened a Patient Resource Center in October 2014, offering a centralized department to assist patients with common requests. The group initially consisted of eight staff members, serving five clinic departments. The Patient Resource Center has now grown to 19 representatives who schedule appointments for 91 provider practices. The team also facilitates referral requests, verifies insurance eligibility, confirms appointments and is educated to answer general questions.

Patient Resource Center representatives are also trained to assist community members in finding a local provider to establish care when they call the Find a Doctor phone line.

The Patient Resource Center is open extended hours, seven days a week allowing patients to schedule appointments, check on referrals and ask questions on their schedule.

Elisa Garton has worked as a Patient Service Center representative since the center opened. She has found that it offers additional

convenience for busy patients. Prior to the opening of the Patient Resource Center, a patient who needed to request a medication refill, check on the status of a referral and schedule an appointment, would have needed to place up to three phone calls, Garton said. By utilizing the Patient Resource Center, patients can take

care of multiple tasks with one call. Garton noted that patients appreciate speaking to the same knowledgeable representative who is able to take care of all their needs.

Dana Holmes brought six years of experience as a receptionist at Skagit Regional Clinics’ Internal Medicine practice in Sedro-Woolley when she joined the Patient Resource Center in 2015.

Holmes knows from experience that the Patient Resource Center offers advantages to both patients on the phone and in the office.

Patient Resource Center staff available to assist patients

“We can take the time to listen to patients and do not have to rush them because there is a patient standing in front of us,” said Holmes. In turn, receptionists in the office are able to focus their attention on each patient who is checking in without the interruption of phone calls.

Holmes noted that most of her days fly by as she and her coworkers assist patients from the time they log in until they log out at the end of the day.

As a group, the Patient Resource Center representatives average between 10,000 and 11,500 calls each week.

The Patient Resource Center will continue to grow, with a long-term goal of fielding calls from all of Skagit Regional Clinics’ departments.


PATIENT RESOURCE CENTER HOURSMonday – Saturday: 6:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Call 360-428-2500

BELOW: Dana Holmes is a Patient Service Center representative, assisting patients with scheduling appointments at Skagit Regional Clinics.

18

The Hospice of the Northwest Foundation funds dignity, compassion and comfort to terminally ill members of our community and ensures that quality hospice care is available to all who are coping with a life-limiting illness. If you would like more information about the Foundation or Hospice of the Northwest services, please visit our website, www.hospicenw.org, or call 360-814-5702.

Gold Level ratingHospice of the Northwest

Foundation was awarded the GuideStar Exchange Gold Level. The Gold Level is the highest rating offered by the nonprofit organization that gathers and publicizes information on nonprofits. GuideStar

gives individuals and foundations information on nonprofits

so they can make better decisions on where to

donate, who to give grants and where

to volunteer. GuideStar collects information on nonprofits from the IRS and other sources and

organizes it into one of the most

respected databases of information

about nonprofits.

2016 agency grant approvalThe Trustees of the Hospice of

the Northwest Foundation voted unanimously in January to approve program funding requests for Hospice of the Northwest totaling $375,295. The Foundation is able to fund these grants through the generous donations of individuals and businesses in Skagit, Island, San Juan and Snohomish counties.

The 2016 agency requests include funding to support uncompensated patient care, non-routine patient care, clinical education and

training, complementary therapies like massage and music, bereavement

services, outreach and education, volunteer services, and the purchase and maintenance of equipment and technology.

In the past five years, the Foundation has approved more than $1.6 million in funding to enhance the care that Hospice of the Northwest provides. Wendy Rohrbacher, Executive Director of the Foundation expressed gratitude to donors and supporters assuring them that their gifts “will ease pain, inspire compassion, provide dignity, touch hearts, and make a difference to thousands of people in the communities Hospice of the Northwest serves.”

18

Celebration of GratitudeOn Thursday, February 18, more

than 120 donors and supporters gathered at the Swinomish Casino for the second annual Celebration of Gratitude. At the event, donors were thanked for their commitment to quality hospice care in our community.

year when you were asked to give, hospice staff members are able to say ‘yes’ to patients and their families every day.”

Also during the evening, donors heard stories from hospice staff members about how their gifts touch families in many ways. One story, shared by a Hospice Spiritual Counselor, described how $30 worth of donated art supplies helped a family with young children to talk about the changes in their home and how to cope with sorrow and loss.

The evening ended with the announcement of the 2016 Ports of Call destination. Longtime event supporter and hospice donor Mary Ann Kingma Whipple had the honor of revealing the results of 217 votes cast in an online poll. And the winner is … the lost City of Atlantis.

Some of the highlights of the evening included Assistant Medical Director Dr. Leslie Estep’s description of how donors impact the care the agency provides. In her comments, she told the audience, “This is a time of life when people, patients and families, need to hear ‘yes.’ Yes, we can help you be more comfortable so you can hold the baby. Yes, we provide therapy so you can walk into your newly built home on your own. Yes, we can help repair your car for your cherished Sunday drive. Thanks to the all the ‘yes’s’ that you in this room have said this


SPEECH TIMEARMSFACEFace – uneven smile, facial droop or numbness, sudden change in the way you see

Arm and leg – weakness, numbness, difficulty walking

Speech – slurred, wrong words, or unable to speak

Time – Call 911 immediately; then, check the time so you will know when the first symptoms started.

Remember to act FAST and call 911 if you have new symptoms or see someone else having them.

High blood pressure. Know your blood pressure. It should be lower than 140/90.

Tobacco use. Cigarette smoking is the No. 1 preventable risk factor.

Heart disease. Common heart disorders: atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, or heart failure have a higher risk for stroke than hearts that work normally. Working with your doctor to manage heart disease decreases your risk for stroke.

Diabetes. Diabetes causes destructive changes to the vessels throughout the body, including the brain. Treating diabetes can delay the onset of complications that increase the risk of stroke.

Carotid or other vascular disease. Arteries narrowed by fatty deposits from atherosclerosis may become blocked by a blood clot.

Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). TIA is a “warning stroke”, sometimes called a “mini-stroke”. Warning signs are the same as stroke but last only a short time and symptoms disappear. They are good at predicting if a stroke will appear but not when it will happen. Call 911 for TIAs as well as strokes.

High blood cholesterol. A high level of total cholesterol in the blood (240mg/dL or higher) is a major risk factor for heart disease, which raises your risk of stroke. LDL (“bad”) cholesterol should be 100 mg/dL or less.

Physical inactivity and obesity. Go for a walk, take the stairs, and do whatever you can to make your life more active for at least 30 minutes total on all or most days of the week.

For more information and a quiz regarding stroke symptoms, go to www.StrokeAssociation.org/warningsigns

What are the treatable risk factors for stroke?

FASTAct

Friday, May 6th4:30–7:00 p.m.Breast Care Center

1320 E. Division Mount Vernon

Bring your mother, your daughter, your friends!

mocktails • snacks gift bags • raffle


Mother’s DayMammography

Party

Please call 360-428-7270 to RSVP

20

SKAGIT REGIONAL HEALTH TO OPEN BUSINESS CENTER

in the NEWS

20

MOUNT VERNON HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR AWARDED SCHOLARSHIP

Skagit Regional Health President and Chief Executive Officer Gregg Davidson presented a $1,500 scholarship to JENNIFER SOLANO, a senior

at Mount Vernon High School, during the annual Champions of Diversity Celebration at Skagit Valley College.

In the program, it was noted “Jennifer is brave, compassionate and thoughtful.” She has earned a 3.5 GPA at MVHS while being part of the Dreamers, Believers, Achievers Club, National Honor Society and AVID. She also participates on the cross-country team and volunteered at school and

community events. Her goal is to attend the University of

Washington and become a doctor.

NURSE KEEPS WAIT TIME INTERESTING FOR PATIENTS

Skagit Valley Hospital Emergency Department nurse KARI BRENNAN, RN, developed a cart of diversional activities for patients to help alleviate frustration during wait times for tests and exams. The cart is organized by age and activities and is filled with art supplies, games, reading material and puzzles. The cart is especially helpful with children and those suffering from dementia and other cognitive issues.

Skagit Regional Health is leasing a former grocery store near 18th Street and College Way in Mount Vernon to serve as the organization’s new Business Services Center and work space for more than 220 employees and 11 departments.

The 53,000-square-foot building is currently under renovation and will be complete by July 1, 2016. Departments that will relocate to the building include Finance, Information Systems, Business Office, Quality, Risk, Performance Improvement and Human Resources. The building will also feature state-of-the-art Information Systems training rooms.

The relocation of employees will free up parking for patients and visitors around the main Skagit Regional Health campus. Skagit Regional Health owns a 14-person shuttle van that will provide transportation for employees to and from the new Business Services Center and remote parking lots to the main campus.

20

The Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation is extremely grateful to the Burlington Eagles for their generous gift of $8,150 to the Cancer Care Fund in Memory of Jim Stull. These funds were raised through their annual Shuffleboard Tournament dedicated to the cause.

A GENEROUS GIFT FROM BURLINGTON EAGLES


2 0 1 5 R E P O R T


NURSE KEEPS WAIT TIME INTERESTING FOR PATIENTS

It is with great pleasure that the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation presents its annual “Gratitude Report” for the Year 2015.

Thanks to individuals like you, the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation was able to give more than $500,000 to support programs and services at Skagit Regional Health last year.

Thanks to you, we were able to pay for a $410,000 project to open the Heather Schols Cardiac Rehabilitation Center and the Mark Iverson Rehabilitation Gym. Since the center opened in September, 69 new patients have been welcomed and nearly 800 exercise visits have been logged.

Thanks to you, we were able to purchase specialized treatment chairs for the Wound Healing Center, to provide patients greater comfort when they receive their rehabilitative therapy.

Thanks to you, the Foundation was able to award dozens of smaller grants to support important needs throughout the hospital and our clinics.

Truly – these amazing accomplishments would not have happened without you!

2 0 1 5 R E P O R T

2222

Thank you for attending, sponsoring and supporting our signature events - the Festival of Trees, the Par Tee Golf Classic and the Have A Heart for Kids dinner – and thank you to the more than 1,000 volunteers who gave their time to help us achieve our success.

In May 2015, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees committed to raise $415,000 to

purchase 27 new hemodialysis machines for the Skagit Valley Kidney Center. The center, now in its 24th year of delivering dialysis care, provided more than 18,500 treatments in 2015 and continues to do so, six days a week, 19 hours a day.

Needless to say, the current machines are well used and are nearing the end of their

“useful” life. The new machines are extremely efficient and will enhance the treatment process. Thanks to you,

the Foundation has raised nearly 60 percent of the goal in seven months, which gives us great momentum!

Our work is not yet finished and your continued support is needed and appreciated to assure that we maintain the goal of providing quality health care in our community. On behalf of the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation trustees and staff, thank you for partnering with us to make a difference.

Sincerely,

Richard Roozen, PresidentSkagit Valley Hospital Foundation

Anesthesia Education FundBellingham Anesthesia

Associates, P.S.

The Breast Institute FundShelly ChampionCPI Plumbing & HeatingFraternal Order of Eagles

Ladies Auxiliary #3041Park Village Social ClubRiverside Health ClubSedro-Woolley Riding ClubMichelle & Kyara Smith

In Honor of Andy SalsburyCPI Plumbing & Heating

Cancer Care FundB-EHS Associated Student BodyWinetta BemisDarrell & Dorothy BergamCamaloch Ladies18

Hole Golf ClubCamaloch LassiesCamaloch Men’s ClubCoastal Farm & RanchGerald & Diane CohnKatie CorzineRandall & Diane Daniel

Susan DavisKaren DinkinsMargaret DixonBen & June DunlapLinda EjdeKarla Freyglassybaby White Light FundDouglas & Paula GrosecloseJoan HaidleRalph & Rae Ellen HolmanChris & Betty HuddlesonChris & Barb JensenMolly KledzikRon & Meg LoDolceDeborah MartinTamara MatthewsJeannette McColloughW.E. & Patricia McGlashanFrancis & Carolee MoeschBrenda MorrowRussel & Betty Olson

Park Village Social ClubDarryl & Brigitte PhippenElaine RickmanJames & Charlene ScottCharles & Rosemary SeaburgLarry & Jean ShawSkagit Woodstock

Music FestivalGladys TeslowGerine VoegtlinGerald & Karen WeiderstromWes Anderson Memorial

Bowling LeagueRichard & Shaun Wesen

In Honor of Len BraarudShirley Jo Marshall

In Honor of Minda Holtcamp

Dolores & Karen Holtcamp

$410,000$11,500

BUILT THE HEATHER SCHOLS CARDIAC

REHABILITATION CENTER

PURCHASED SPECIALIZED TREATMENT CHAIRS FOR THE WOUND HEALING CLINIC

PURCHASED A TELEVISION AND DVDs FOR SKAGIT REGIONAL CLINICS

PEDIATRIC CARE WAITING AREA

P R O G R A M S S U P P O R T E D

The Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation is forever grateful to our 2015 donors who generously

gave gifts totaling more than $650,000. These gifts were

received in the form of cash, stock, pledges, event proceeds,

in-kind gifts and bequests.

In turn, the Foundation was able to provide more than $502,000 to support programs and services at Skagit Regional Health. Adjacent

are a few projects that the Foundation was able to support

thanks to your generosity.

O U R D O N O R S

23Spring/Summer 2016

$9,000 PURCHASED SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE CHILDREN’S THERAPY PROGRAM

PROVIDED ANESTHESIA

TECH EDUCATION $350

$1,450

PURCHASED FOOD MODELS FOR THE DIABETIC

EDUCATION PROGRAM $545

With sincere gratitude to our community for your support, the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees proudly presents

our Annual “Gratitude Report” for the year 2015.

We apologize for any incorrect or misspelled names that may appear in any of our listings. Please help us maintain accurate donor records by notifying the Foundation office of any errors by calling 360-814-8376. Donations listed were received January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015.

24

MISSIONThe mission of the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation

is to raise, manage and distribute funds to assure

the continued availability of quality health care

services and programs at Skagit Valley Hospital. The

Foundation will foster awareness of and community

support for Skagit Valley Hospital through the

involvement of the people it serves.

BOARD OF TRUSTEESVolunteers are the key to the Skagit Valley Hospital

Foundation’s efforts in securing philanthropy. The Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation is led by the following group of community leaders who

serve generously and without compensation.

Zach BarborinasDee Berglin

Kevin BinghamSusan Brown

Chris CammockJill Christensen

Kati CollinsCheryl Conner

Mary June CurtisGregg Davidson

Jacqueline HawkinsDr. Joshua HawkinsDebbie Hendricks

Jim HobbsKelli Hutchens

Virginia LearnedJean Miller

Melissa NelsonChristie Peterson

Jill PickeringRichard Roozen

Brett SimbeJim Spane

Shirley Watkinson

Dr. Rob Zwick

Linda FrizzellExecutive Director

Wendy RagusaDevelopment Coordinator

Becky WellsDevelopment

Associate

To learn more about how you can support the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation, visit

skagitregionalhealth.org/Hospital-Foundation

Skagit Valley Hospital FoundationP.O. Box 1376Mount Vernon, WA 98273360-428-2140

Like us on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/ SkagitValleyHospitalFoundation

S T A F F

In Memory of Francis Bacoka

Merwyn & Cathy Dutton

In Memory of Don BelisleBeryl Belisle

In Memory of Angela Bittmann

Gerald & Susan Christensen

In Memory of Nikki BlissGerald & Susan Christensen

In Memory of Dorothy Bowman

Ralph & Mary Ann Monty

In Memory of Montine Danielson

Donald & Elfreda Ashe

In Memory of Betty Donnerberg

Elaine Mc Ivor

In Memory of Chuck FaberHarvey & Mary Jo Wolden

In Memory of Gary FidlerDonna Johnson

In Memory of Jennifer Hargis

Randy & Lynn Rabenstein

In Memory of Greg Hegeberg


In Memory of Shirley IronsMr. & Mrs. Alfred Johnson

In Memory of Alfa JacksonGerald & Susan Christensen

In Memory of Jane JohnsonJames & Nancy JohnsonMike & Mary Regan

In Memory of Ramon O. Johnson

John & Kerry Divine

In Memory of Laurice Majors

Dolores & Karen Holtcamp

In Memory of Tim McManus

Virgil Halstead

In Memory of Judy MyersGeorge Myers

In Memory of Dennis & Judith Pearce

Jeffrey & Linda Pearce

In Memory of Edie PearsonMark Pearson

In Memory of Russell Rawls

Tanya Sparks

In Memory of Judy RichGeorge & Grace ArnoldDon & Louise BottlesScott & Laura BreckenridgeDouglas & Donna DewardRichard & Carolyn DixonTed & Pamela DurfeyMerwyn & Cathy DuttonJeff & Linda FrizzellJames & Glenda HobbsBarbara JohnsonRandy Koster & Deanna ScottKevin & Kristy KottkeyMargaret LarsonMyrene MollerKyle & Kelly ReepHelga SchinkSkagit BankRandy & Rebecca Welch

In Memory of David Schink

Helga Schink

In Memory of Patty Steineke

Douglas Steineke

In Memory of Jim StewartGerald & Susan ChristensenHeritage BankRay & Margaret HorakRobert & Judith MottJerry & Cathy Pelland

In Memory of Ryan Stollwerck

Eric & Karla Stollwerck

In Memory of Bob StoneNeil & Susan Hall

Cardiac Care FundTami AllenMichelle ChambersLouis & Dominique DaillyDr. John & Marie Erbstoeszerglassybaby White Light FundCheryl & Dean GoodEric Hall & Susan WilsonFrank & Lynn HandyElizabeth HoffmanDr. Paul Johnson &

Kim KusickRandy Koster & Deanna ScottWilliam Jay LechnickLouise NewmanPeggy OlsonMarcie OzakiMaurice & Janine RagusaMaryl SkjeiGina SmithDonald & Debbie SnyderDr. & Mrs. Robert StewartSvend & Caitlin SvendsenMerrilyn Thornquist

Spring/Summer 2016 2525Spring/Summer 2016

R E P O R T

Thursday Overeaters Anonymous

Craig & Becky WellsJay & Kathy WrightMichael & Shawna Yengich

In Memory of Mike AgnewGerald & Susan Christensen

In Memory of Roy Ballinger


In Memory of Don BelisleBeryl Belisle

In Memory of William Bewley


In Memory of James Caudill

Dorothy Howard

In Memory of Joan GreenBob Green

In Memory of Jonathan Handy

Frank & Lynn Handy

In Memory of Gerald Highet

Cardiac Rehab: 10:30 Heart Healthy Fitness Class

Mary Lavandier

In Memory of Mark Iverson

Jerry & Toni FranulovicJoyce LinnSusan MayhewRonald & Christine PetersonEdna StregeRuth Wylie

In Memory of Annette Iverson Minkler

Joan BradyPeter & Janet FlonesJeanne FrankJerry & Toni FranulovicFaye GeerdesCameron & Marcia HershawGlen & Nadine LarsonElaine Mc IvorJerry & Mildred RindalJanet Stein

In Memory of Priscilla Johnson

Bill & Anna Bowron

In Memory of Richard Lemley

Lou Ann Davis

In Memory of Gordon Lisser


13th Annual ParTee Golf Classic

Save the Date!

GOLF CLASSICThe 13th Annual Par Tee Golf Classic will take

place June 24, 2016 at Skagit Golf & Country Club in Burlington. The tournament, played in scramble format, begins at 10 a.m. with a shotgun start.

Other features include a putting contest, KP contest, hole-in-one prizes, progressive poker hand, a raffle and many giveaways!

This event raises funds to support quality health care services and programs at Skagit Valley Hospital. More than $70,000 was raised last year, and proceeds from this year’s event will support the Foundation’s Kidney Dialysis Project and Cancer Care Patient Assistance Fund.

For tournament and sponsorship and volunteer information, please contact Becky Wells at the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation, 360-814-8376.


In Memory of Beverly Ann Martin

Dorothy Howard

In Memory of Christy Martin

Isabel Stewart

In Memory of Dr. William G. Monzingo

Dorothy Howard

In Memory of Dr. Roland Reub

Dorothy Howard

In Memory of Heather Schols

Robert & Victoria BournsStacy Price

In Memory of Joycelyn Schroedel

Jerry & Sharon Hayes

In Memory of Patty Steineke

Douglas Steineke

In Memory of Susan WoodGerald & Susan Christensen

In Memory of Janey Zavala

Jason Dean & Amy Zavala-Dean

Cardiac Care Fund (Seven Lakes in Seven Hours in Memory of Heather Schols)Jon & Susan AarstadTami AllenSpencer BaldwinB-EHS Class of 82Kevin & Deana BinghamWarren & Diane BinghamTracy BrunzBirdsview Brewing CompanyBurlington Mid-Day RotaryChris & Shaun CammockCarletti Architects, P.S.Scott Clough, DDSJames & Jeanne CollinsColumbia BankKelly Cook &

Madeleine Roozen CookRonald & Susan DahlMeghan DahlMike DonDwayne Lane’s North

Cascade FordMike & Jodi DynesMarcus Fairbanks, DDS &

Darcy Galbraith, DDSFairhaven Runners & WalkersJerome & Karen FisherFisher Companies, Inc.

Rachel GarciaAnthony Gardiner, DDSEarl & Renata HasslerJoshua & Jacqueline HawkinsHexcel CorporationMollie HoareBill HowardPeter & Susan JanickiJohn & Katherine JanickiJennifer JohnsonKeeping Score, Inc.Tim & Heidi KjosMatt & Susan LehmanLes Schwab Warehouse CenterArlyn & Kristine LivingstonLonghorn SaloonSue Ann MaceGerald & Leanne MaskellJosh MaxwellGatlin & Erica McConnellDon Miller & Judy MartinMobile MerchandisersMichael & Dawn NewMichael & Nancy OswaldOswald and

Vander Giessen, PLLC

Keith & Christie PetersonDebra RandallMike & Anita RoozenDr. Robert &

Rebecca RosenfeldTerry & Julie RousseauRumours Hair Design LLCSalomonSavi BankMark ScholsTod & Teri ScholsJeffrey & Deborah ScottDavid & Cori ShackletonPaul & Jayci ShaddySharon’s BookkeepingSkagit BankSkagit SpeedwaySkagit Valley Academy

of Dance, Inc.Skagit Woodstock

Music FestivalSmiley Insurance

Services CorpSP General Contracting LLCDoug & Julie Spady

26

Spane Buildings, Inc.Tanya SparksSteve’s Automotive Center, Inc.Dr. & Mrs. Robert StewartSuperfeetThe Learning LadderThe Truss Company &

Building SupplyDoug & Sandy ThomasThomas Appraisals and

Associates, LLCRick & Naomi Vander GriendTina VillanuevaLloyd & Shirley WatkinsonSteve & Gina WellsMichael WoodmanseeDavid & Maureen WrightYukon Trading Company

In Honor of Brandon DiersCPI Plumbing & Heating

In Honor of Ed PerryAnonymousPeter & Wendy CarlettiMike & Kim FoxJeff & Linda FrizzellReed & Donna HarlowToni HulbertJeff & Krista JewettFrank & Gail NicholsJon & Mindi NicholsRumours Hair Design LLCSP General Contracting LLCCarol StimkaKyle & Amy Thomas

In Honor of Shelly WhanAmanda De VriesDoug & Lynn Den AdelErik & Michele HansenToni HulbertJennifer JohnsonJim & Kay RabensteinRoger & Wendy RagusaDr. Lester Richards &

Dr. Kaarsten Lang Richards

Chapel FundIn Honor of

Gretchen CohanJack Frisk

Children’s Therapy ProgramKathleen AbholdKrista AndersonZachary & Adele BarborinasKevin & Deana BinghamDr. & Mrs. Lyall BishopScott & Laura BreckenridgeDr. Gary & Susan BrownChris & Shaun CammockGerald & Susan ChristensenJeff & Mary June Curtis

Gregg & Lea DavidsonMike Dyberg &

Dr. Connie DavisBecky FirthBradford Furlong &

Eileen ButlerDr. Jeff & Julie GibbsGrace Cochrum GuildJames & Patricia GrenfellJoshua & Jacqueline HawkinsSean & Debbie HendricksJames & Glenda HobbsIndependent Silpada

Designs Representative - Kelli Hutchens

David JohnsonJames & Balisa KoetjeRandy Koster & Deanna ScottBruce & Debra LisserPasek CellarsFrank & Catherine

PattermannKeith & Christie PetersonRuth Anne PocockTim & Nancy RaschkoDonald & Jane RootWilliam Roozen &

Suzie JungemanSkagit Valley Hospital GuildDr. & Mrs. Robert StewartJonathon & Renee StoneTRICO Companies, LLCDr. Richard &

Elizabeth WilliamsonDr. Rob Zwick

In Memory of Virgil DodgeDonneta Mucke

In Memory of Myra RollerAnne Britten

In Memory of Helen Roozen

Ted & Aretta Jonkheer

Critical Care Unit FundKarla Bourgeois

In Honor of Dr. Oscar Briseno

Christopher Finlay

Community Education FundScott & Jammie Novak

Diabetic Education FundSuellen LemmonLarry & Janette LundFrank & Monica Quist

Gifts Complement Inspiration to Grow, Heal Skagit Regional Health counts its dynamic

collaboration with the Skagit Valley Hospital

Foundation Board of Trustees and their donors

as a major force behind the organization’s

successful growth of services. The Foundation’s

fund-raising efforts are deeply supported by the

“regional” generosity of families and friends. It is

through these partnerships that several of Skagit

Regional Health’s care areas are named in tribute

or honor of these gracious gifts.

THE SKAGIT WOUND HEALING CENTERSonya Beard Hyperbaric Oxygen Program Gail Edward Iverson Lobby

The Skagit Wound Healing

Center staff and providers

treat patients with wounds

that are not healing and

need special attention and

on-going monitoring. Gifts

from Mrs. Sonya Beard and

the Gail Edward Iverson

Circle of Friends helped to

establish the Sonya Beard

Hyperbaric Oxygen Program and the Gail Edward

Iverson Lobby respectively in the Skagit Wound

Healing Center. Before her death in May 2010,

Mrs. Beard of Mount Vernon

donated $165,000 to pay for

the two hyperbaric oxygen

chambers. The Gail Edward

Iverson Circle of Friends,

established in memory of

Gail, a grateful patient of

the center, raised close to

$250,000 to support the

wound healing programs

and equipment.


R E P O R T


Emerson & Barbara Koetje

Family Birth CenterRobert & Sharon GilbertBeverly PetersVernon & Tammy RinghouseRonald & Melinda Schrage

Festival of Trees Live Auction PatronsGrant & Claire BurwashJim & Kathy ChambersGerald & Susan ChristensenGregg & Lea DavidsonKirk & Stacy DuffyMike Dyberg &

Dr. Connie DavisKenneth & Michelle EvansJennifer Francis-SchmidtMatt & Heidi IversonDavid & Kylie KanzeTim & Colleen KnutzenSharon McPherson WidenDennis & Connie MillikenElmo & Veronica MoralesMark & Vickie NysetherDan & Jan OlsonSandi PaciottiMichael & Trista PendergrastKeith & Christie PetersonDennis & Cheryl PrattDale & Susan RaganDr. Robert &

Rebecca RosenfeldKim RubensteinDave Ryberg & Joan PenneyRichard & Tami SakumaHelga SchinkAnthony & Catherine SenffBrett & Nancy SimbeJim & Lacey SpaneTyler SteinmanRocky & Kristina StormStephen & Gayle TorgersonDoug & Kris VandersandenBrett White

Festival of Trees Fund-A-DreamGreg & Angela AbbottJacque Beamer & Julie BlazekCheryl BishopDr. Gary & Susan BrownPeter & Laurel BrowningJackie BrunsonDeb BundyGrant & Claire BurwashGerald & Susan ChristensenGregg & Kati CollinsScotty & Beth Collins

Mitchell & Brittany CrabbDennis & Wenda CrossGregg & Lea DavisdonJake DavidsonJosh DavidsonAlan Den AdelDoug & Lynn Den AdelClaire DrewsMr. & Mrs. Dick DuffyGary & Stephanie FiedlerBrian & Sheran FischerFoothills Auto CenterJennifer Francis-SchmidtJeff & Linda FrizzellBradford Furlong &

Eileen ButlerPatricia GoodJames & Patricia GrenfellPaul & Debbie HagmanNorman & Cindy HaugenJoshua & Jacqueline HawkinsDean & Suzanne HayesDave & Kathy HendersonSean & Debbie HendricksJames & Glenda HobbsEarl L. & Katherine H. JensenKen & Susan JohnsonScott & Mimi JohnsonDavid & Kylie KanzeChip & Brooke KennaughRudy & Kathleen KerkvlietTim & Colleen KnutzenJames & Balisa KoetjeClay & Virginia LearnedMike & Jan LiepmanBruce & Debra LisserTom & Brenda LitakerSid & Heather LoganDr. & Mrs. Teackle MartinWill & Karen McMahanSharon McPherson WidenBrad & Pam MethnerDennis & Connie MillikenJennifer MillikenKelley & Karen Moldstad

Steve & Lianna NeyensDan & Jan OlsonPacioni’s Italian RestaurantSandi PaciottiMichael & Trista PendergrastSteve & Kelli PerryKeith & Christie PetersonDanny & Jill PickeringRon & Gailyn PloegDennis & Cheryl PrattDale & Susan RaganRoger & Wendy RagusaSteve & Kari RantenTim & Nancy RaschkoRichard & Jaynie RoozenDr. Robert &

Rebecca RosenfeldDave Ryberg & Joan PenneyRichard & Tami SakumaMike & Lisa SargentRodger & Jan SchemenauerDebbie SchwartJudith SeayAnthony & Catherine SenffNorma SmithJim & Lacey SpaneAngela SpeerJonathon & Renee StoneAbby TaylorMichael ThomasClark & Sally ToddEric & Andrea Van PeltDoug & Kris VandersandenLeo Waldschmidt &

Sharon Cole WaldschmidtLloyd & Shirley WatkinsonDick & Rita WellonsDarcy WellsRon & Lisa WestBrett WhiteDon WickSloane WinkesMaury & Sue WrightRuth WylieJeff & Brenda Zeiger

10 percent from the sale of every 2016 “tulip” glassybaby will be donated to the Cancer Care Patient Assistance fund of the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation.

Buy one today for your bouquet.

“Tulip” is available in glassybaby stores, online at glassybaby.com and in the Skagit

Valley exclusively in the Skagit Valley Hospital gift shop.

Join us May 4th for our glassybaby Spring Road Show in the Skagit Valley Hospital north lobby.

Skagit Valley’s “tulip” has a new hue!

Festival of Trees SponsorsAmeriTeam Services, LLCLeanna AndersonAngell & Co., Inc.Arne Svendsen TruckingAssociated Petroleum

Products, Inc.Janis BackstromBaird Foundation, Inc.Baird Private Wealth

ManagementBank of the PacificJacque Beamer & Julie BlazekBellingham Anesthesia

Associates, P.S.Kevin & Deana BinghamCheryl BishopBlade ChevroletScott & Laura BreckenridgeMichael & Dr. Patti BrettellDr. Oscar Briseno &

Monira VakilBy Design Auto Group, Inc.Calico Cupboard Cafe &

Bakery of Mount VernonDr. Laurence “Del” CambronCarletti Architects, P.S.Dr. Edwin ChangCharley’s Greenhouse

& GardenGerald & Susan ChristensenDr. Robert Coffey &

Dr. Deborah NorthConcrete Nor’WestCraft Stove of Western

Washington, Inc.Jay & Susie CrawfordCrown Distributing Co.Gregg & Lea DavidsonDavis Wright Tremaine, LLPDay Creek ChapelJoel & Jennifer DeanDimensional

Communications, Inc.

tulip

one of a kindness®

27

28

John DwightECG Management

Consultants, Inc.Edge Analytical, Inc.Environmental

Abatement SVC IExpress Employment

ProfessionalsFood Services of AmericaFoothills Auto CenterJeff & Linda FrizzellFrontline Cleaning ServicesG & D Wallace, Inc.G & W Commercial

Flooring, Inc.Ronald & Jeanne GerdeDr. Jeff & Julie GibbsGilbertson Funeral HomeStephanie GildnesDavid GoldmanCaryl GreenwoodJames & Patricia GrenfellFran HansenHansen’s FurniturePhil & Jana HauptJoshua & Jacqueline HawkinsHawthorne Funeral Home

and Memorial ParkJerry & Sharon HayesDuane & Lynnette HensonHeritage BankBarry & Karen HiattAlfie Hill-BantaJames & Glenda HobbsWarren & Shelly HoldenHughes Farms, Inc.Insight Healthcare

ArchitectureJEM Family Guild of

Skagit Valley HospitalDr. Morrie & Marcia JohnsonJoseph D. Bowen, P.S.Joshua Anderson InsuranceRod & Mari JuntunenKelvin Cooling &

Heating ServiceKern Funeral HomeKey BankKiwanis Club of

Mount VernonJames & Balisa KoetjeRandy Koster & Deanna ScottDr. Chris KweonLaboratory Corp Of AmericaLanded Gentry Realty, Inc.Dr. Duncan &

Bridget LandrethDr. David LauterDr. Steven LeeJean LeibSuellen LemmonLife Care Centers of

America, Inc.Lisser & Associates, PLLC

Carl & Cheryl LoebSophia LucateroCarol LuveraMaple Wood Farm, Inc.Mary McClungElizabeth McNett-CrowlCorey Mendoza & Jyl BrunsMexico CafeJudge John & Susan MeyerMeyer Sign & Advertising

Co., Inc.Mister T’s Awards &

EmbroideryModern CleanersDiane Morton & Wendy CobbMoss Adams, LLPMatt & Megan O’BryanDr. Stacey O’KinsellaOn-Time Logistics, Inc.Pacific Woodtech CorporationDr. Vidhu Paliwal &

Dr. Kiran ChaturvediDr. Chinnaya ParimiPeoples BankPeter A. Ripper & AssociatesAllison Porter, MDPRIMAC Electric, LLCRallye Auto Sales Inc.Steve & Kari RantenKyle & Kelly ReepMark RoetcisoenderRolfson’s Home

Furnishings, Inc.Donald & Jane RootRichard & Jaynie RoozenBrandon & Christa RoozenEthan & Dr. Yelena RosenbergColin & Alisa SandsSB & C, LtdHelga SchinkJeffrey & Deborah ScottSierra Pacific FoundationBrett & Nancy SimbeSkagit BankSkagit Endodontics PLLCSkagit Radiology Inc., P.S.Skagit Valley Hospital GuildSkagit Valley’s Best

Produce, Inc.Skagit Wild Bird SupplyMaryl SkjeiSoroptimist International

of BurlingtonSound PhysiciansState Farm Insurance -

Carol Lawson Agency State Farm Insurance -

Brad Methner AgencyState Farm Insurance -

Keith Sorestad AgencyDr. & Mrs. Robert StewartLynn & Barbara StraussThe Learning LadderThomas Cuisine Management

CARDIAC REHABILITATIONThe Heather Schols Cardiac Rehabilitation Center Mark Iverson Cardiac Rehabilitation Gym

Two beloved community

members who had a

lasting impression on

the hospital community,

inspired family members

and friends to support the

Foundation’s campaign

to build a new Cardiac

Rehabilitation Center at

Skagit Valley Hospital. The

center houses a three-part program of exercise,

education and behavior modification for patients

recovering from a heart incident. The naming of

the Heather Schols Cardiac

Rehabilitation Center

became a reality through

the philanthropy of Kelly

Schols ($100,000), his

daughters, family members,

friends and the Seven Lakes

in Seven Hours fund-raising

event. The center is named

in memory of Kelly’s wife

Heather. The center also includes the Mark Iverson

Cardiac Rehabilitation Gym, named in memory

of long-time Foundation donor and friend. At the

2014 Festival of Trees auction, guests raised their

bid cards to collectively give $50,000 to honor

Mark’s long-standing support of the Foundation

and support this special naming opportunity.


R E P O R T

The March 7 benefit dinner - the most successful to date- raised $16,425 for the Children’s Therapy Program at Skagit Valley Hospital. The six-course dinner and

silent auction event was sponsored by TRICO Companies LLC and hosted by Alberto Candivi, chef and owner of Il Granaio Italian Restaurant. The event celebrated its 13th year and has raised more than $150,000 in its history. We are grateful to TRICO, Alberto,

our dinner patrons and silent auction sponsors.

Tower Pacific Construction, Inc.

TRICO Companies, LLCTwin City Foods, Inc.Urban Forest Nursery, Inc.Urban Forestry Services, Inc.Valley Farm & Pet CenterVenture ClubWashington State

Hospital AssociationLloyd & Shirley WatkinsonWhidbey Coffee CompanyMike & Helen WilliamsWilliams & Nulle, PLLCAnn Wilson ReynoldsWomen’s Hospital

Guild AuxiliaryWycoff Insurance Agency, Inc.Michael & Shawna YengichDon & Linda Zimmer

Festival of Trees Gifts-In-Kind2 ParksAlaska AirlinesLuke & Jessie BennettBertelsen WineryBilly’s CafeKevin & Deana BinghamThomas & Holly BraatenDr. Gary & Susan BrownChris & Shaun CammockChelan FreshChildren’s Museum of

Skagit CountyGeoff & Jill ChristensenRalph & Lynda ColeColumbia BankCredo GraphicsAndy CrossJeff & Mary June CurtisGregg & Lea DavidsonJosh DavidsonTesha DeeterMike Dyberg &

Dr. Connie DavisEaglemont Golf ClubEl Sage DesignEMP MuseumFarmers Insurance -

Dani HoskinsonTracy FinneganJerry ForbesStephanie GageGamble SandsGene’s TavernGet12s.comJoshua & Jacqueline HawkinsSean & Debbie HendricksBob & Kathy HillTina KiesKiona WineryKelley Kirkpatrick-Berg

Kristi KrollTanya LarsonClay & Virginia LearnedTom & Brenda LitakerMax Dale’s Steak &

Chop HouseJeff & Jean MillerDennis & Connie MillikenJoanie MoeElmo & Veronica MoralesKristin MowatScott & Jammie NovakPenguin CoffeePostal & MoreQuantum Health &

Yoga LoungeRadley Muller PhotographyWilliam RailtenReel Class ChartersVernon & Tammy RinghouseReg & Terri RobertsonRichard & Jaynie RoozenPaul & DiAnn SagerSkagit Valley Family YMCANorma Smith

Soroptimist International of Burlington

Jonathon & Renee StoneStudio 7 FitnessTechPower Solutions, Inc.The Woods CoffeeThree Little BirdsTrain WreckTri-DeeValkyrie’s ChosenAnji ViolaRichard & Laury VolwilerBeth Ward

Fine Art FundJamie BeerJennifer BowmanDeirdre CzoberekJeff & Linda FrizzellMatt & Heidi IversonJohn ParksSteve Schultz

In Honor of Dr. Gary & Susan Brown

Helga Schink

Foundation Support FundZachary & Adele BarborinasBellingham Anesthesia

Associates, P.S.Bruce & Dee BerglinGeoff & Jill ChristensenGregg & Kati CollinsJeff & Mary June CurtisGregg & Lea DavidsonCharles & Pam EgerJoshua & Jacqueline HawkinsSean & Debbie HendricksPamela HerzogMark & Elizabeth HoldenBrittany HolleyJim & Kelli HutchensInFaith Community

FoundationDr. Paul Johnson &

Kim KusickKeyBank FoundationJames & Balisa KoetjeRandy Koster & Deanna ScottTom & JoAnn Lazaron


ABOVE: Children’s Therapy Program staff L to R: Karen Pederson, Erin Kaui, Laura Griffin and Sarah Smith

BELOW: Alberto Candivi, chef and owner, Il Granaio Italian Restaurant

BELOW: Benefit Sponsor Trico Companies, LLC owners Bruce Berglin and Nate Wolfe

2016 Have a Heart for Kids Raises Funds for the Children’s

Therapy Program

30

SKAGIT REGIONAL HEALTH’S REGIONAL CANCER CARE CENTERSusan and Leighton Wood Family Radiation WingDr. Maynard and Selma Johnson LobbyBishop Patient and Family Consultation RoomGerry and Susan Christensen Complementary

Therapy CenterPACCAR Patient Education Resource CenterWalter Blade Healing GardenSkagit-Mount Vernon Rotary Healing GardenSafeway Conference Room

In December 2006, the doors opened to the new Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center providing comprehensive cancer care to our community. The Foundation’s largest capital campaign to date ($4 million) promised and delivered a center providing state-of-the-art radiation oncology, medical oncology, access to clinical trials, complementary medicine and support services.

Believing in the mission to keep cancer care close to home, several families, a local service club and a regional corporation gave major gifts to support the campaign. These gifts are honored with the naming of the following areas: Gifts of $250,000 - the Susan and Leighton Wood Family Radiation Wing and the Dr. Maynard and Selma Johnson Lobby; gifts of $100,000 - the Bishop Patient and Family Consultation Room, the Gerry and Susan Christensen Complementary Therapy Center, the PACCAR Patient Education Resource Center, the Walter Blade Healing Garden, Skagit-Mount Vernon Rotary Healing Garden and the Safeway Conference Room.

Former Mount Vernon residents and publishers of the Skagit Valley Herald Susan and Leighton Wood and their family foundation’s gifts were instrumental in helping ignite the Cancer Care Capital Campaign and resulted in the naming of the radiation therapy wing.

Learned Commerical, Inc.Ben MannRoger & Mary Ann MercerJeff & Jean MillerMonday Night

Meetings of O.A.North Cascade

Intergroup of O.A.Keith & Christie PetersonDanny & Jill PickeringSkye & Sally RichendrferRichard & Jaynie RoozenS. Herbert RubinSB & C, LtdDarrell & Sherilyn SkilesSpane Buildings, Inc.Starbucks Coffee CompanyClaude TingleyLloyd & Shirley WatkinsonDr. Rob Zwick

In Honor of Debbie Hendricks

State Farm Insurance - Brad Methner Agency

In Honor of Diane Morton & Wendy Cobb

Roger Ulsky & Kathleen Waton

In Honor of Drs. Robert & Barbara Pringle

Jo Koles

In Memory of Charles Anderson

Joel & Rebecca Barton

In Memory of F. James Beckner, MD

Jean Henson

In Memory of Tom BergemJohn & Berdean RingMr. & Mrs. William Summers

In Memory of Socorro BritoAlfie Hill-Banta

In Memory of Donald Finsen

Huntly & Sandee Gordon

In Memory of Randy Grimes

Sid & Judy Kuperberg

In Memory of Willard Hansen

Clifford & Sally Lund

In Memory of Eleanore Hedbom

Skagit Bank

In Memory of Barb Snell Hernandez

Mike & Anita Roozen

In Memory of Mark IversonMichael & Lisette MastMargaret Potter


Ruth Beidler


Don & Louise BottlesMary CarneyHuntly & Sandee GordonRuth RobertsonSue Zimmermann


Chad & Colleen Fisher

In Memory of Donald Oldow

Pamela Oldow

In Memory of Rodney Olson

Steven & Suzanne Appelo

In Memory of Darlene Palmer

Ross & Donna Hunt

In Memory of Opal ReimLavonne Parker


Skagit Valley Hospital Guild

In Memory of Jim StewartMr. & Mrs. George DeweyHuntly & Sandee GordonBarbara PriceKyle & Kelly ReepJeff & Stacy Stewart

In Memory of Steve WellsHelga Schink

In Memory of Susan WoodHuntly & Sandee Gordon

Gail Edward Iverson Circle of FriendsIn Memory of

Mark IversonBob & Lisa WoodLen & Clara WoodDon & Linda Zimmer

Healthy Communities FundElizabeth McNett-Crowl

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32


R E P O R T

Making A DifferenceKidney Dialysis FundAmnis Management GroupBud & Jackie AndersonKelli AndersonWilliam & June BoundsElizabeth BrowningBev CarterElizabeth ColeGregg & Lea DavidsonJake DavidsonKandi DeVenereDr. Robert H. DigmanJohn DwightMike Dyberg &

Dr. Connie DavisJeff & Linda FrizzellLloyd & Lucille GardnerDr. Jeff & Julie GibbsRobert GruberKristina HadleySharon HaleNarajanti HandajaBarry & Karen HiattEd & Judy HjortBrittany HolleyDana KeefeKeyBank FoundationRandy Koster & Deanna ScottDr. Chris KweonRoxy LarsonWilliam Jay LechnickMike & Jan LiepmanTom & Brenda LitakerWendy LucasNancy MaasJeanne MatuskaMicrosoft Matching

Gifts ProgramSuzanne NeyMatthew NolanWorth & Lisa NortonHenning & Carol PearsonSarah PlaceMaurice & Janine RagusaRoger & Wendy RagusaTerry & Mary RiosJulia SalinasGeorge & Suzanne SantinoNora SchmidtAdele SkinnerStarbucks Coffee CompanyStuart StavigJames & Marilyn StroncekSwinomish Tribal CommunityWilliam & Krista ThomasMichael & Elizabeth TorgersonStephen & Gayle TorgersonHector ValadezClarence & Lona

Vander Griend, Jr.Laurene VigorenJulia Weinberg

William & Dawn WellsMark & Debra Woodard

In Honor of Health Information Management Department

Cecilia Plata

In Memory of Esta AsherJackie Solomon

In Memory of Doris AustinJamie Austin-Morvig

In Memory of Dorothy Conser

Lois Powers

In Memory of Montine Danielson

Martin & Dena Bobinger

In Memory of Richard Danielson

Martin & Dena Bobinger

In Memory of Imogene Harder

Ron & Bethany Gilbertson

In Memory of Hoke Hodgins

Evelyn Buchanan

In Memory of Tammi Hopkins

Chris & Jeanne Skeels

In Memory of Winnie Houser

Mark Houser & Joan Allmaras

In Memory of Miles Jackson

Joe & Linda White

In Memory of Ray JenkinsHelene Jenkins

In Memory of Jane JohnsonGregg & Lea DavidsonWilliam & Diane Gusa

In Memory of Nancy Knapp

Helene Jenkins

In Memory of Patsy Norman

AnonymousKen BechtelJames Selvidge & Trillis ParkerYellow Cab

In Memory of Ervin & Leah Otis

David & Beverly Gufler

In Memory of Dr. Darrell Stavig

Skagit Valley Hospital Finance & Business Office Teams

Janice StavigSpring/Summer 2016 3131Spring/Summer 2016

Last Spring, the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation’s Board of Trustees pledged to raise $415,000 to purchase 27 new hemodialysis machines for our patients at Skagit Regional Health’s Skagit Valley Kidney Center.

Thanks to your generosity, the campaign has reached nearly 60% of its goal raising $239,355 to-date.

Kidney DialysisThis life sustaining treatment for individuals with kidney

failure connects patients to a dialysis machine that removes waste products from their blood. A healthy kidney would perform this function. Individuals with kidney failure need dialysis treatment three days a week every week of their lives.

The current machines used for treatment are nearing the end of their “useful” life and often require expensive repair.

$25,000$50,000$75,000

$100,000$125,000$150,000$175,000$200,000$225,000$250,000$275,000$300,000$325,000$350,000$375,000$400,000

GOAL:$415,000

$239,355 Current Total

Amount Raised

Skagit Valley Kidney Center CareNow in its 23rd year of providing dialysis,

the center currently serves more than 130 patients from Skagit, Island and Snohomish counties. In 2014, more than 18,000 treatments were performed. The center operates six days a week from 3:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Higher Quality of TreatmentCampaign Chairs Clay and Virginia Learned

are honored to support this personal and important community initiative. “With the addition of new kidney dialysis machines, this center will provide state-of-the-art care and comfort for our patients here at Skagit Regional Health,” says Virginia, a Foundation board trustee. “We see this campaign as an opportunity to change lives.”

You Can HelpMake a gift today! Your tax-deductible

donation to the Kidney Center Project Campaign will help toward the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment to provide the very best kidney care to the patients of our region.

There are many types of giving arrangements. • Gift of cash or check, a bequest, tribute or

memorial gifts, stock, retirement assets. • Gifts of any size will make a difference!

Tax-deductible gifts may be made:Online: www.skagitvalleyhospitalfoundation.orgCall us: 360-814-2140Mail to: Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation/KD ProjectP.O. Box 1376Mount Vernon, WA 98273

32

In Memory of Janet Youngquist

Thomas & Jerry Kuntz

Dr. Maynard Johnson Endowment FundDr. Elizabeth Gauer

In Honor of Leighton & Susan Wood

Judge John & Susan Meyer

In Memory of James AgenDr. Morrie & Marcia Johnson

In Memory of F. James Beckner, MD

Dr. Morrie & Marcia JohnsonJudge John & Susan Meyer

In Memory of Carole Bindon


In Memory of Luella Bustad

Jim & Mary Lynn Kintner

In Memory of JoAnne Fisher

Dr. Morrie & Marcia Johnson

In Memory of Betty Fitzgerald


In Memory of Mary Gurney




In Memory of Priscilla Johnson


In Memory of Randy Leonard




In Memory of Melissa Mathison


In Memory of Mary Pennington


In Memory of Eva PiersonJudge John & Susan Meyer

In Memory of Necia Rasmussen


In Memory of Sondra Renco


In Memory of Judy RichDennis & Annette McDonald



In Memory of Vern SimsDr. Morrie & Marcia Johnson

In Memory of Barbara Strom


In Memory of Tony VernaJudge John & Susan Meyer

In Memory of Steve WellsDennis & Annette McDonaldJudge John & Susan Meyer

Mental Health Care FundFlora AdamsJoan BradyBud HanksGaylen HeacockDenise MacklinDr. Stacey O’KinsellaSteve & Kari Ranten

Par Tee Golf Classic SponsorsAmeriTeam Services, LLCAnonymousAssociated Petroleum

Products, Inc.Baird Private Wealth

ManagementBig Lake Fire Dept.

Community AuxiliaryCascade Natural GasChad Fisher

Construction LLCComprehensive

Pharmacy ServicesCoverys Community

Healthcare FoundationCPI Plumbing & HeatingDynacare Northwest

Inc/LabCorpECG Management

Consultants, Inc.Experian HealthExpress Employment

ProfessionalsFarmer’s Equipment

For five decades, long-time local physician Maynard L. Johnson, M.D. and his wife Selma helped further our physician community as one of the founding families of the Skagit Valley Medical Center, now known as Skagit Regional Clinics Mount Vernon. The cancer center’s lobby proudly bears their names.

Skagit Bank CEO Cheryl Bishop personally pledged to match Skagit Bank’s gift and in turn both gifts were given in honor of the bank’s founder James P. Bishop and his wife Mabel, who are Ms. Bishop’s parents, to name a family consultation room.

Dedicated Foundation donors and community supporters Gerry and Susan Christensen strongly believe in the power of complementary therapies for cancer treatment and gave a gift to assure these types of treatment had a dedicated space and are made available to cancer patients.

Regional transportation design and manufacturer PACAAR awarded the foundation a grant for the purpose of an in-house resource center for patients and their families.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

SKAGIT REGIONAL HEALTH’S REGIONAL CANCER CARE CENTER CONTINUED


R E P O R T

Company, Inc.Foster Pepper, PLLCG & W Commercial

Flooring, Inc.Hammes Company

Healthcare LLCHexcel CorporationJames & Glenda HobbsImpact, Inc.Jack Carroll’s Skagit HyundaiJudd & BlackJust Peachy Frozen Yogurt Inc.James & Balisa KoetjeLeverage Information SystemsPattie LewisLisser & Associates, PLLCMcKinstry Energy ServicesCorey Mendoza & Jyl BrunsJeff & Jean MillerMobile MerchandisersMoss Adams, LLPStan & Audrey OlsonOptimum Properties, LLCPadgett & Padgett, PLLCPat Rimmer Tire CenterPiper Jaffray & CoPremera Blue CrossResource Corporation

of AmericaRetail Lockbox Inc.Retail Lockbox Merchant

Services LLCRichard & Jaynie RoozenSB & C, Ltd.Seattle Cancer Care AllianceSkagit Transportation, Inc.Skagit Valley Hospital GuildSmiley Insurance

Services CorpState Farm Insurance -

Carol Lawson Agency State Farm Insurance -

Brad Methner AgencyState Farm Insurance -

Keith Sorestad AgencyJeff & Stacy StewartSwinomish Casino & LodgeTesoro Companies, Inc.Clark & Sally ToddTRICO Companies, LLCVoya Financial AdvisorsWashington State

Hospital AssociationDr. Rob Zwick

Par Tee Golf Classic Gifts-In-KindJon & Susan AarstadBlade ChevroletBob’s Burgers & BrewGeoff & Jill ChristensenCostco Wholesale

Crown Distributing Co.Reid & Debra EllsworthEspresso ConnectionFarmhouse RestaurantFortune Mandarin RestaurantHansen’s FurnitureReed & Donna HarlowAlfie Hill-BantaRev. Mark & Linda JohnsonKnutzen FarmsKRONOSLa Conner Brewing CompanyLUXE SalonMartin Commercial

Fueling, Inc.Mister T’s Awards &

EmbroideryPro Golf DiscountPURE Salon & SpaDonald & Jane RootStrauss Jewelers/

The Deming CorporationTrain WreckDick & Rita WellonsCraig & Becky WellsWells NurseryWilson Picture Framing, Inc.

Skagit Regional Clinics FundTyeAnn BerghuisKaren DinkinsBen GunnMichael & Sara HebelDr. Mary RamsbottomDonald & Jane RootJessica SamoraKarl Stansbury

Sunrise Inn FundGreg & Angela AbbottMichele HillBob & Carla ThomasAlton Turner

In Memory of Garrett Chase

Duane & Lynnette Henson

In Memory of Le Ann Rainey

Joyce Mathenia

Surgical Services FundBellingham Anesthesia

Associates, P.S.Thomas & Lesha BoucherKelly Bradford

In Memory of Dr. Maynard Johnson

Dr. Shaun Sullivan

SKAGIT REGIONAL HEALTH’S REGIONAL CANCER CARE CENTER CONTINUED

Teaching Hospital FundAnonymousCraig & Brittany OlsonAndrew Turner

Wound Care FundCharles & Pam EgerDr. Elizabeth GauerDennis & Janiece ReillyThe Allstate Foundation

In Memory of Gail IversonSusan Duffy

In Memory of Mark Iverson

David & Debbie Lenz


Delores BacokaDonna Berg

Gerald & Susan ChristensenJerry & Starleen CorrionJeff & Linda FrizzellFaye GeerdesGreg & Lori HallDr. Morrie & Marcia JohnsonJames & Nancy JohnsonGlen & Nadine LarsonSolveig LeeDavid & Debbie LenzJoyce LinnLarry & Kathy LockenDolores MeischJerry & Mildred RindalVicki SandersMr. & Mrs. William SummersToni WolfgangLen & Clara Wood

The center’s healing gardens give patients the opportunity to enjoy an outdoor setting while receiving oncology treatment. The south healing garden in the center is named after one of the three original public hospital district commissioners Walter Blade by a generous gift

from his family and Blade Chevrolet. The north healing garden was made possible by a grant from the Skagit-Mount Vernon Rotary Club. The Club continues to actively support the Foundation’s many initiatives.


A department of Skagit Valley HospitalStanwood & Camano Island

Camano Island 127 N. East Camano Drive, Suite A Camano Island 360-387-5398

Stanwood9631 269th St. NW, Stanwood360-629-1600

CLASSESHealthQuest DON’T WAIT TOO LONG! Many of our

classes fill quickly so early registration is recommended. You are not confirmed in the class until we receive your payment (for classes requiring payment). Don’t lose your space in class – pay early! See the inside of the back cover of this magazine for registration information. Pre-registration is required for all classes unless otherwise noted.

CHANGEYOUR

STANWOOD/CAMANO NEIGHBORHOOD

Doc TalkIntegrating Ancient and Traditional Medicine into Modern Health Care

David Escobar, DO, of Skagit Regional Clinics, provides a broad overview of evidence-based approaches using complementary and alternative therapies in the 21st century.

Mind-body medicine, traditional Chinese

medicine, Ayurveda and botanical medicine all have a role to play in our daily lives. This talk will explore the integrated role these therapies can play with both modern osteopathic manipulative medicine and the Western medical model.

May 18 (Wed)5:30 - 7 p.m.Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood9631 269th Street NWNo charge but pre-registration required

Screening to Detect Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), Elevated Cholesterol and More!

Attend this popular screening to find out your risk factors for developing PAD, cardiovascular disease and stroke and learn how to reduce them. Call 360-629-6481 to schedule an appointment for this screening program that takes just 40 minutes! The cost is only $39 and it is held on Monday mornings in Mount Vernon. Visit page 36 for more information.

Cholesterol/Diabetes, Vitamin D and Bone Density Screenings

Full Lipid Profile plus Glucose: 10-12 hour fast required, water and prescribed medications only, no coffee or tea. No alcohol 24 hours prior. Fee: $15

Vitamin D: Fasting is not required. Fee: $39

Bone Density: This is a non-invasive, painless scan of one hand. Results are available immediately. Fee $10

For information call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481. No appointment or pre-registration is required.

Debit or credit card or personal check – no cash accepted.

May 4; July 20 (Wed)8 – 9 a.m.Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood9631 269th Street NW

May 18 (Wed)8 – 9:30 a.m.Camano Senior Center606 Arrowhead Drive - Camano Island

AARP Driver Safety Program

This two-session program for people older than 50 is designed to enhance the driving skills of the mature adult. Insurance companies are required to give a discount on auto insurance for those over age 55 who complete the course. Course fee is $15 for AARP members; $20 for non-members. Pre-registration is required.

July 12 and 13 (Tue/Wed)12:30 – 4:30 p.m.Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood9631 269th Street NWPay at the class

Blood DrivesJune 15 (Wed) and August 16 (Tues)10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (except 12:30 – 1:15 p.m.)Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood9631 269th Street NW – mobile vanPre-registration required by calling

1-800-398-7888.

Island County Health Department

The Island County Health Department is located at 127 N. East Camano Drive, down the hall from the Skagit Regional Clinics - Camano Island. Visit www.islandcountyhealth.org for more information or call 360-387-0184.

34 All classes require pre-registration unless specified. Call 360-814-2424 or see inside of back cover.

CLASSESHealthQuest DON’T WAIT TOO LONG! Many of our

classes fill quickly so early registration is recommended. You are not confirmed in the class until we receive your payment (for classes requiring payment). Don’t lose your space in class – pay early! See the inside of the back cover of this magazine for registration information. Pre-registration is required for all classes unless otherwise noted.

CHANGEYOUR

All classes require pre-registration unless specified. Call 360-814-2424 or see inside of back cover.

Doc TalksEspecially for Girls: What’s Happening to Me

Skagit Regional Health is offering this popular mother-daughter class on puberty that will help them

address the sensitive topics of physical and emotional development taught in a relaxed environment by Jean Chakraborty, MD, OB/GYN with Skagit Regional Clinics-Mount Vernon.

Designed for girls ages 8-11, the

class includes information about girls’ changing bodies, menstruation, an overview of hygiene products, emotional changes and issues regarding self-esteem, healthy eating, development and body image. It is not a sex education class.

April 27 (Wed)6 – 8 p.m.Skagit Valley HospitalNo charge but pre-registration required

Managing Serious Illness with Palliative Care: A Panel Discussion

Are you or someone you know facing a serious illness, or struggling with managing symptoms of a disease? Palliative Care is a form of comprehensive medical-based support for people who are experiencing a complex medical situation to help them manage their symptoms and the stress of a serious illness. Skagit Regional Health is expanding Palliative Care services, and we invite you to come and learn more about this important type of medical support.

Please join us to learn more about Palliative Care from a panel of experts in the field, including members of our Palliative Care team, physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and patients/family members who have received Palliative Care services including special guest panelist Graham Kerr. See page 16 for more information about Palliative Care.

June 8 (Wed)6 – 7:30 p.m.Skagit Valley HospitalNo charge but pre-registration required

Continuing Health EducationMeditation for Calming and Focusing Your Mind

Let an experienced meditator guide you in simple techniques to become comfortable with this valuable skill in this three-session class. Meditation is now scientifically recognized to help reduce stress and anxiety, blood pressure and help with restful sleep.

Jan Hodgman, MA, has been meditating for more than 40 years and spent eight years in a Japanese Zen monastery.

May 5, 12 and 19 (Thur)Skagit Valley Hospital6 – 8 p.m.$39

Spanish for Health Care Providers Workshop

Learn essential Spanish vocabulary and phrases common in your health care workplace in this six-hour class, in order to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients on a basic level, while addressing several cultural differences.

The instructor is Sarah Rowan, owner of Salud! Spanish Programs. This program is

approved for six contact hours of continuing nursing education.

May 25 and 26 (Wed/Thur)5:30 – 8:30 p.m.Skagit Valley Hospital$125 includes course materialsPre-registration required

AARP Driver Safety Program

This two-session program for people older than 50 is designed to enhance the driving skills of the mature adult. Insurance companies are required to give a discount on auto insurance for those over age 55 who complete the course. Course fee is $15 for AARP members; $20 for non-members. Pre-registration is required.

June 27 and 28 (Mon/Tue)1 – 5 p.m.Skagit Valley HospitalPay at the class

Certified Diabetes Education Program

Skagit Regional Health offers a multi-disciplinary, comprehensive education program for adults with diabetes, either newly diagnosed or for those patients needing extra guidance with diabetes control. The program includes individual and group education.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is also available through the program. A small sensor, worn in the abdominal area, measures and stores data for four to five days.

A physician referral is required so talk to your health care provider. The program and CGM is covered by most insurance companies. Please check with your insurance provider to confirm. For other questions, or more information about the program, contact our Diabetic Education Program Scheduler at 360-814-2184 or visit www.skagitregionalhealth.org, search Diabetes Education.


36

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

This intensive program can help patients with chronic lung disorders including emphysema, chronic bronchitis or asthma, reduce respiratory symptoms, improve functional independence and complications and reduce hospitalizations. The program is provided by a multi-disciplinary team. Participants learn self-management and relaxation techniques to improve emotional well-being, skills to help regain control of their breathing, and pursue activities to the fullest extent of their abilities.

The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. for approximately 10 weeks. For more information call 360-814-2236.

Total Joint Replacement Class

This two-hour class helps to prepare patients for their upcoming joint replacement surgery. We have incorporated classroom instruction with procedure-specific therapy. You will learn what to expect before, during, and after joint replacement surgery.

The class meets the first and third Wednesday of the month from 1 – 3 p.m. at Skagit Valley Hospital. For more information, directions and to register for this class, please call 360-814-2424. There is no charge for this program.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

Have you had a recent heart attack, bypass surgery, angioplasty or stent placement, heart valve surgery or congestive heart failure? We have a program to help you return to your active lifestyle and learn how to reduce your risk factors. A Registered Nurse and Exercise Physiologist supervise the classes and provide a safe, friendly atmosphere to ask questions and learn how to pace yourself as you recover. This is a physician-referred program and Medicare and most insurances cover cardiac rehab. For more information call 360-814-8368.

Heart Healthy Fitness Program

Come join us for exercise in a safe and stress-free environment at Skagit Valley Hospital. The Heart Healthy Fitness Program focuses on individual goals and plenty of one-to-one attention. We work on strength training, balance, and cardiovascular fitness. For questions, cost and class times, call 360-814-8368.

Diabetes Prevention Program

The National Diabetes Prevention Program can help you lower your risk for type 2 diabetes with gradual, modest lifestyle changes. The program includes year-long support and motivation with 16 weekly class meetings followed by eight monthly meetings. The next class is scheduled to begin Tuesday, May 10 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Contact WSU Skagit County Extension for more information: 360-428-4270 ext. 224, Laura DeFreese, Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Coach or [email protected] or visit http://ext100.wsu.edu/skagit/fam/diabetes/.

Health & Wellness ScreeningsHeart and Vascular Screening: Detect Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), Elevated Cholesterol and More!

The Skagit Regional Heart & Vascular Institute offers this popular community screening on Monday mornings for all adults over age 18.

Attend this screening to find out your risk factors for developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), cardiovascular disease and stroke and learn how to reduce them. The screening includes the following tests and results are immediate:

• Ankle brachial pressure index to help detect peripheral artery disease (no caffeine or nicotine for one hour prior).

• Blood pressure.

• Full lipid profile for cholesterol plus glucose requires 12 – 14 hour fast. This is a fingerstick test with immediate results.

• Body composition testing to detect elevated body fat.

• Review results with a health care provider.

Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 from Stanwood/Camano Island to schedule an appointment for this screening program. It takes just 40 minutes! The cost is only $39 and screenings are held on Monday mornings in Mount Vernon. Also see Stroke and Aneurysm Screenings on page 37 for a screening of the aorta and carotid arteries.

FREE Vein ScreeningSteven Lee, MD, surgeon with

Skagit Regional Clinics, will be administering screenings to evaluate visible varicose veins that may be causing heavy, achy, tired legs and help raise awareness of venous disease and the available treatment options. Treatment options are covered by most insurances.

Screenings take less than 10 minutes and are open to men and women. Participants are examined individually in a private environment and should wear loose-fitting clothes (no pantyhose). Shorts or skirts are best.

May 4; June 29; August 17 (Wed)1:30 – 4:30 p.m.Skagit Valley HospitalPre-registration required

FREE Skin Cancer Screening

Corinne Sayler, PA-C with Skagit Regional Clinics – Dermatology will conduct visual inspections of skin abnormalities you are concerned about. Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 to schedule an appointment.

April 20; June 22 (Wed)1 - 4 p.m.Skagit Regional Clinics-RiverbendDermatology Department2320 Freeway Drive, Mount Vernon

37Spring/Summer 2016All classes require pre-registration unless specified. Call 360-814-2424 or see inside of back cover.

Cholesterol/Diabetes, Vitamin D and Bone Density Screenings

Full Lipid Profile plus Glucose: 10-12 hour fast required, water and prescribed medications only, no coffee or tea. No alcohol 24 hours prior. Fee: $15

Vitamin D: Fasting is not required. Fee: $39

Bone Density: This is a non-invasive, painless scan of one hand. Results are available immediately. Fee $10.

For information call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481. No appointment or pre-registration is required. Debit or credit card or personal check only – no cash accepted.

June 16 (Thur) 7:30 – 9 a.m.Skagit Valley HospitalSan Juan Room - Kincaid

Street entrance

FREE Vision ScreeningA certified ophthalmic technician

with Cascadia Eye will conduct vision and glaucoma screenings. This is not an evaluation of cataracts or macular degeneration. It is an acuity (vision) and eye pressure test only. Bring a contact lens case for storage during the screening. Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 to schedule an appointment.

June 10 (Fri)1 - 3 p.m.Skagit Valley Hospital

Stroke and Aneurysm Screening

This ultrasound screening test provided by Skagit Digital Imaging is non-invasive, quick and painless, and will help you identify whether you are at increased risk for stroke and vascular disease.

The cost is only $59 for the combined carotid and aorta screening. To register for an appointment, call 360-428-8208 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Screenings are held at Skagit Radiology located at 1320 E. Division, Mount Vernon.

Blood DrivesMay 9 (Mon)10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Mobile van at Skagit Regional Clinics

Riverbend2320 Freeway Drive, Mount Vernon

July 6 and 7 (Wed/Thur)8 a.m. – 2 p.m.Skagit Valley Hospital Cascade Room

Pre-registration required by calling 1-800-398-7888.

FREE Blood Pressure Screenings

Automated blood pressure machines are available at the following locations:

• Skagit Regional Clinics – Mount Vernon• Skagit Valley Hospital –

Kincaid Street entrance and main lobby• Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood

Is it Time for Your Mammogram?The Breast Care Center1320 East Division StreetMount Vernon360-428-7270

A service provided cooperatively by Skagit Valley Hospital and Skagit Radiology.

Childbirth & Infant CarePregnancy and Childbirth

This six-week course for expectant parents includes information about emotional changes during pregnancy, the labor process, breathing techniques, the role of the support person, breastfeeding, and a local pediatric care provider to discuss your baby’s first three months. The fee is $110. Medical coupons are accepted. Full payment or a copy of your medical coupon is required two weeks before the class begins. Classes are offered at Skagit Valley Hospital. Pre-registration is required. Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 to register.

Childbirth Preparation: Weekend Course

Skagit Valley Hospital offers a two-day childbirth preparation class on weekends. Plan to begin the course in your seventh or eighth month of pregnancy. The class includes the same topics as the six-week course. A tour of the Family Birth Center is included. The fee is $95. Medical coupons are accepted. Pre-registration is required. Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 to register.

37Photo by Gary Brown, MD

38

Family Birth Center ToursFree tours of the Skagit Valley

Hospital Family Birth Center are offered twice a month. Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 to schedule a tour.

New Mom’s GroupThis group is led by a nurse/

lactation consultant and a WIC peer counselor. Bring your baby, join us for beverages and talk about your experiences as a new mom. Meet other moms, weigh your baby, and get answers to your questions about breastfeeding, development, and much more. Pregnant women, moms with babies, and any woman with breastfeeding questions are welcome to attend. Held on Thursdays from 11 a.m. – Noon in the Skagit Valley Hospital Family Birth Center Waiting Room. Call 360-428-2229 with questions.

Breastfeeding and Newborn Care

Skagit Valley Hospital’s Family Birth Center’s nurse Lactation Consultants will aid parents in gaining the knowledge necessary to make feeding decisions regarding their new baby. In addition, a local pediatric care provider will be available to provide information on newborn care – time for questions will be allowed. Pre-registration required. The fee is $25 for this two and one-half hour program. The cost is only $20 when registering for the weekend childbirth preparation class at the same time. Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 for class dates and times.

Prenatal FitnessPrenatal Fitness is an eight-week

program designed to strengthen the body for all the changes it will experience during pregnancy. The class includes cardio, strength, flexibility and balance training. Prenatal Fitness is designed to accommodate all stages of pregnancy and various fitness levels. This class is taught by a certified pre- and post-natal fitness instructor.

April 26 – June 14 (Tue)6:30 - 7:30 p.m.Skagit Valley HospitalFamily Birth Center Waiting Room$79

Lactation Services at Skagit Valley Hospital

There are four Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant Registered Nurses available to visit you during your hospital stay and help you experience a successful start to breastfeeding your baby.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding and would like to know more about Lactation Services at Skagit Valley Hospital, please call 360-814-BABY and one of our consultants would be happy to talk with you.

Gestational Diabetes Program

Skagit Valley Hospital offers a referral-based education program to improve gestational diabetes self-management skills. Our highly trained and dedicated diabetes education team provides participants with the skills to manage their blood sugar through healthy eating, stress management, increased activity, and blood glucose monitoring. The program offers individual nutrition therapy appointments. For more information please contact our Diabetes Education Program at 360-814-2184.

Child Safety Seat ChecksCertified child safety seat

technicians will assess your seat for age- and size-appropriateness, proper installation and use, recalls, and visible damage. This screening is highly recommended for parents-to-be, prior to the birth of your new baby, to learn how to safely install and use your car seat. Co-sponsored by Safe Kids Northwest. Pre-registration is not required.

April 21; May 19; June 16; July 21 (Thur)1 - 3 p.m.Skagit Valley Hospital at main

entrance covered area

Kidney Dialysis EducationKidney Failure Treatment Options

This Skagit Valley Kidney Center program is for people with reduced kidney function who would like to explore treatment options for

renal replacement therapy. Patients, families, and caregivers will receive information about treatment options (such as dialysis and transplant), diet, health maintenance, financial, and social concerns. For more information and registration, call 360-416-5717.

Cancer Support Services

All programs are provided for cancer patients and survivors and are free of charge. For additional information on any of these services or events please call 360-814-8255.

Cancer Support GroupThe Skagit Valley Hospital Regional

Cancer Care Center offers a monthly support group for individuals and their caregivers dealing with the emotional life changing challenges of a cancer diagnosis. The group is open and available on a drop-in basis (pre-registration welcomed.) The group meets at 4 p.m. the second Thursday of each month. To register, or for further information, please contact Peter Wold, MSW, Oncology Social Worker at 360-814-8255 or via email at [email protected]. The meetings are held in the Safeway Conference Room at Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center, third floor.

Look Good, Feel BetterThe Look Good, Feel Better

sessions are led by trained, volunteer cosmetologists who teach women either in active cancer treatment or about to start treatment how to cope with skin changes and hair loss using cosmetics and skin care products donated by the cosmetic industry. Women also learn ways to disguise hair loss with wigs, scarves, and other accessories. Pre-registration is required; register by calling American Cancer Society Everett office at 425-404-2193.

April 25, June 27 and August 225 – 7 p.m.

May 23 and July 251 – 3 p.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center

Safeway Conference Room (third Floor)307 South 13th StreetMount Vernon


Art and Healing Group First and third Mondays of each

month, 2 – 4 p.m. in the Safeway Conference Room (third floor) at the Regional Cancer Care Center. Instructor Margaret Carpenter Arnett, BSN, ATR, has been doing art therapy with cancer patients for more than 20 years. Creating art can promote healing by reducing anxiety and stress and improving emotional well-being. Please note that artistic “skills” are not required! Come and join this fun and welcoming group. For more information call 360-814-8255.

Diabetes Support This group meets the third

Tuesday of each month from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Skagit Valley Hospital. Call 360-814-8274 for more information.

Grief Support Services

Hospice of the Northwest provides support to anyone in our communities coping with grief and loss after the death of a loved one. We provide the Grief Recovery Method Support Group throughout the year. The Grief Recovery Method Program provides action choices

that help people move beyond the pain caused by loss. It is an eight-week program that creates a safe environment in which to look at old beliefs about dealing with loss; to look at what losses have affected your life; and to take new actions which lead to completion of the pain attached to one of those losses. For more information, referrals and to receive a current Grief Group schedule, please call 360-814-5570 or 360-814-5550.

Hospice of the Northwest Resource Center: A free lending library open to the community

Books and other materials are available for adults, teens, and children. Topics include caregiving, coping with disease, end of life concerns, grief and loss, and spirituality. You can also visit our website at: www.hospicenw.org, selecting Helpful Resources, then click on Hospice Resource Library Catalog.

The Resource Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Hospice office at 227 Freeway Drive, Suite A in Mount Vernon and after hours by appointment. For information call Hospice of the Northwest at 360-814-5550.

In-Service Education For grief and loss presentations

for your organization or employees, contact the Hospice of the Northwest Bereavement Department at 360-814-5570. For clinical education or presentations for your organization or employees, contact Hospice of the Northwest at 360-814-5550.

Hospice Program Seeks Volunteers

A unique and meaningful volunteer opportunity is available through Hospice of the Northwest, serving Skagit, Island, San Juan and Snohomish counties.

Volunteers offer support and companionship to individuals with life expectancies of six months or less. Volunteer trainings are held in the fall and spring of each year. To learn more, please contact Julie Pryor Barr, Volunteer Supervisor at 360-814-5588 or [email protected].

Community EducationWant to learn more about hospice

services and what they might mean for you and your family? Hospice of the Northwest staff is available to give educational presentations to community groups. For more information, please call 360-814-5550.

All classes require pre-registration unless specified. Call 360-814-2424 or see inside of back cover. 39Photo by Gary Brown, MD

40

Mental HealthJourney of Dementia Educational Seminars

These workshop classes educate, encourage and empower the family and friends of people living with memory loss due to dementia. The instructor, Leta Benfield, RN, has been a registered nurse for 35 years and worked in memory care for over 15 years.

There is no cost but pre-registration is required. All classes are held from 6 – 8 p.m. with plenty of time allowed for questions.

To register call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481.

APRIL 26 Dementia – what is it?MAY 17 Communicating with People with

DementiaJUNE 28 Understanding and Managing

Difficult BehaviorsJULY 19 Self Care for Families

Mental Health Support Group

NAMI Skagit Open Support Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7 – 9 p.m. in the Shuksan Room at Skagit Valley Hospital. Family members and those living with mental illness are welcome. For more information contact Marti at 360-770-5666 or Al at 360-424-5802.

Family-to-Family Evidence-Based Education Program

Free 12-session (six-week) course for families of adults with mental illness or a brain disorder. The course focuses on helping family members understand the major mental illnesses and maintain their own well-being while providing needed support to their ill family members. This program is provided by NAMI Skagit, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The next class will begin Fall 2016. Call Marti at 360-770-5666 or Judy at 360-424-5802 for more information. Space is limited so reservations are required.

Peer-to-Peer Education Program

Free ten-session (five week) course for adults with mental illness or brain disorders to help them better understand their illness and maintain and improve their recovery. NAMI Skagit provides this program at no charge. The next course will begin April 2016. Call Polly Lowman at 360-630-9881 for more information and to register. Space is limited.

Skagit Valley REACH Center

People come to Skagit Valley REACH Center to build confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth, being proactive in their mental health recovery and personal wellness. We are a peer-run center that provides volunteer opportunities, community resources, housing education, employment education, public computer access, computer classes, community voicemail, and self-supporting recovery classes. We work with individuals age 16 and older. SVRC is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 1413 E. College Way in Mount Vernon WA.

For information call 360-873-8635, or email Center Director Jeff Reynolds [email protected] or visit www.cvabonline.com.

Youth and Adult WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)

The Wellness Recovery Action Plan, or WRAP, is an evidence-based system that is used world-wide by people who are dealing with mental health and other kinds of health challenges, and by people who want to attain the highest possible level of wellness. This program is provided by Skagit Valley REACH Center.

For more information call 360-873-8635, or email Center Director Jeff Reynolds [email protected].

The Recovery and Wellness Program

This program is available to any Skagit County resident between the ages of 16 and 24 who needs assistance with linking to community services while in substance abuse treatment, or just recently discharged from treatment. The program is housed with Catholic Community Services Recovery Center in Burlington through a grant from Skagit County. Interested candidates can contact 360-757-0131 for more information or to make an appointment with one of the Recovery and Wellness Coordinators.

Support GroupsOstomy Support Group

A friendly support group for people with ostomies, their friends and families. Meets the second Tuesday of each month in the Shuksan Conference room at Skagit Valley Hospital (use Kincaid Street entrance) from 6 to 7 p.m. For more information contact Cathy Schaeffer at 360-202-3410.

Community News & ResourcesSpeakers Bureau

Skagit Regional Health’s Speakers Bureau provides speakers on a number of health care related topics, many at no cost. For more information on speaker topics or to schedule a presentation, call Val at 360-814-2424.

Volunteer Services at Skagit Regional Health

Volunteer opportunities at Skagit Regional Health include information desks, pianists, clerical and many others. Call Steve Schultz at 360-814-2142 for more information.

Junior Medical Volunteers The Junior Medical Volunteer

program is for students age 16-18.


Trail Guides, Bike Maps and More at BeActiveSkagit.org

Visit BeActiveSkagit.org Web site to learn more about opportunities to be physically active in Skagit County including trail guides, an activity tracker and much more.

Watch HealthQuest TV on Cable-Access Television Station 10 and on YouTube.com.

If you are a Comcast cable subscriber in Skagit County, be sure to tune in to channel 10 to watch HealthQuest TV. The show airs at 11:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. every day.

This half-hour show features a new guest each week showcasing our local providers and health care professionals on a variety of topics ranging from latest treatment options for heart disease and cancer care to prevention topics highlighting local walking trails and cooking shows. You can also view our HealthQuest shows online at www.youtube.com/skagitvalleyhospital.

Need a Doctor?Call our free Find a Doctor

Phone Line at 360-848-5555 or 360-629-5850 from Stanwood or Camano Island. The referral line is open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and from Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Turning 65? Medicare selection help is here

Are you turning 65 and do you need help comparing or choosing a Medicare plan? Call the Skagit Regional Health Medicare Insurance Helpline serviced by MedicareCompareUSA. Highly trained agents will provide unbiased plan comparisons of accepted Medicare plans, including Traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements and Medicare Prescription plans. Call toll-free 866-389-0445 or go online to www. MedicareCompareUSA.com/Skagit for more information or to schedule a no-obligation Medicare insurance consultation.

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Thursday, July 28Noon – 3 p.m.

Washington Park in AnacortesFree

Fun activities include bouncy house, safety and health

education, and prizes. Sponsored by Safe Kids Northwest.

Spring/Summer 2016

For Students and Job SeekersThe number of positions

are limited so prospective volunteers should apply at least a year in advance of any school deadlines that may be applicable. High school students seeking course or club credit should apply and begin volunteering before their senior year.

Guilds and Auxiliaries Many volunteers choose to serve

through membership in one of our volunteer service and fund-raising groups including the Grace Cochrum Guild, J.E.M. Guild, SVH Auxiliary and SVH Guild.

Other Volunteer Department Services:Hospital and Clinic Tours

Tours of our facility for groups and individuals are available. Reservations are required. Call 360-814-2142 to schedule a tour.

Gift Shop The gift shop is open Monday

through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the main lobby. All proceeds from the Gift Shop are returned back to help Skagit Regional Health in areas of need.

Farmers’ MarketHeld each Wednesday in June

through September from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on the lawn near the Kincaid Street entrance to Skagit Valley Hospital featuring local produce, flowers and crafts.

42

the movement in the direction of population health,” Browning said.

Browning has served as past chair of the Washington State Association of Public Health Officials, has been on the YMCA, United Way and Arthritis Foundation boards and is a member of the Skagit Mount Vernon Rotary Club. Browning serves on the Skagit Regional Health Community Outreach and Strategic Planning committees.

“Beyond the hospital and clinics, the hospital

district is our responsibility and I want to make sure we work with all of the entities to create a healthier environment and healthy communities,” Browning said.

AL DENNIS has 24 years’ experience as a Registered Nurse working in critical

care, dialysis, and as STAT nurse at Skagit Valley Hospital. He also owned a construction business for 16 years. Dennis is a U.S. Army veteran

Board of Commissioners Public Hospital District No. 1 ABOVE: (left to right) Stan Olson, Clark D. Todd, Peter Browning, Alan Dennis, RN,

Jeffrey Miller, PhD, JD, Bruce Lisser, James L. Hobbs

Peter Browning and Alan Dennis, RN joined the Skagit Regional Health Board of Commissioners in January.

Seven publicly elected commissioners serve on the board of Public Hospital District No. 1, Skagit Valley Hospital. It’s a big responsibility and one they have each taken on willingly and respectfully, as they make decisions and plans to make sure that Skagit Regional Health is meeting the health care needs of the community.

PETER BROWNING has been involved in health care and public health for much of his career, serving as the Skagit County Director of Public Health for 18 years. He operates a consulting firm, Browning Solutions, working with hospitals and the health care industry. Browning holds a Masters in Cultural Anthropology and works for Snelson Co. Inc. in aboriginal and community relations.

“Initially, my reason for getting involved was around all of the change going on in healthcare and

and earned a Bronze Star. He served as chairman of the Remodeler’s Council of the Skagit-Island Builders’ Association and is past co-chair of the local WSNA unit. He serves on the Skagit Regional Health Finance Committee.

“For the past 24 years I’ve worked as an RN in critical care, dialysis, education, and as a rapid response nurse. I’ve helped patients overcome breathing emergencies, calmed extreme anxiety, provided education about a new diagnosis, consoled loved ones, staunched bleeding, managed pain, done CPR, shocked hearts

out of lethal dysrhythmia, written protocols, mentored nurses, told jokes, cheered spirits, and a lot more,” Dennis said. “I cannot get this close to patients and staff without feeling the importance of it viscerally. It’s inside my soul. Caring deeply about the imperative of delivering high quality, care, I look forward to working with the Board to further our institutional culture of clinical excellence.”

Browning, Dennis join Board of Commissioners


EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2016 Skagit Regional Health no longer accepts cash as a method of payment*. Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and Discover), debit cards, including pre-paid debit cards, and personal checks will continue to be accepted.

Many of Skagit Regional Clinics’ satellite offices have operated under a “cashless” policy for more than a year. These successful pilot programs have reduced security risks and helped with loss prevention. The change has also improved efficiency during appointment check-in.

*Skagit Regional Clinics’ pharmacies will continue to accept cash.

Total amount enclosed:

Name: _______________________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________

Day Phone: __________________________ Home Phone: ______________________________

E-mail address:________________________________________________________________

Check (make checks payable to SRH-HealthQuest)

Mastercard VISA

Credit Card Number: ____________________________________

Type of Payment (Please do not send cash)

Please fill out this form and include your check or charge card number along with the requested information (use one copy for each participant - feel free to duplicate this form or register on our Web site.

Class or Screening Date Fee

MailHealthQuest Skagit Regional Health P.O. Box 1376 Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Phone360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481

Internetwww.skagitregionalhealth.org, click on Events

Fax360-814-8222Complete this form and fax it to the number above.

Questions?Call Skagit Regional Health at 360-814-2424, from Stanwood and Camano Island call 360-629-6481 or for hearing impaired, please call TTY 360-814-2219

Expiration Date: _______________________

Signature:____________________________________

43

Class RegistrationHealthQuest

Spring/Summer 2016

Skagit Regional Health goes cashless

Patients with questions about this policy may contact the appropriate Skagit Regional Health Financial Services office:

Skagit Regional Clinics Financial Services360-428-2521

Skagit Valley Hospital Financial Services (by last name)

A – C 360-814-2627D – H 360-428-2287I – Q 360-445-8576R – Z 360-445-8575

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

LITHTEX NWP.O. Box 1376Mount Vernon, WA 98273-1376

Sponsored by Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation

*********ECRWSS**** POSTAL CUSTOMER

skagitregionalhealth.org1400 E Kincaid Street, Mount Vernon • Learn more about our services at 360-428-2586

To ensure you receive expert, personalized treatment, the Skagit Regional Clinics general surgery team works directly with your primary care provider. Count on us for Surgical Precision!

Surgical Precision

2016 spring / summer healthquest

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