Franciscan Health System - News

St. Joseph Medical Center’s rehabilitation programs earn continued accreditation

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma has earned continued accreditation of its physical, pain and stroke rehabilitation programs from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an independent accrediting organization.

Programs that earned three-year accreditation through October 2012 are:

Inpatient physical rehabilitation programs for adults
Inpatient physical rehabilitation programs for children and adolescents
Inpatient stroke rehabilitation programs for adults
Outpatient interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs for adults

Accreditation is the highest approval rating awarded by CARF. “This achievement is an indication of your organization’s dedication and commitment to improving the quality of the lives of the persons served,” CARF President Brian Boon, Ph.D., stated in a letter to Claudia Lengenfelder, director of Inpatient Rehabilitation Services at St. Joseph. “Your services, personnel and documentation clearly indicate an established pattern of practice excellence.”

The medical center’s rehabilitation services are provided by physicians specializing in physical medicine, specially trained nurses, physical and occupational therapists, neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, case managers, and other health care professionals.

“We are very pleased to have received continued accreditation from CARF,” says Lengenfelder. “The quality of our programs reflects our dedication to providing the best care possible.”

Rehabilitation programs at St. Joseph Medical Center have longed been accredited by CARF. The re-accreditation process occurs every three years. CARF, established in 1966, establishes standards of excellence to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.

St. Francis Golf Tournament raises $32,441 to support hospital’s emergency services

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The 22^nd annual St. Francis Hospital Golf Tournament, held Sept. 10, attracted a full field of 144 golfers and generated $32,441 to benefit Federal Way’s only hospital. Proceeds from the event will help purchase lifesaving cardiac monitoring equipment for use in the busy emergency department.

“We thank everyone who helped to make this year’s fundraiser such a success,” says Tony McLean, president of St. Francis Hospital.

The annual golf tournament was hosted by the Twin Lakes Golf & Country Club. Cascade Regional Blood Services was a major sponsor.

The St. Francis Emergency Department receives nearly 50,000 patient visits annually, making it one of the busiest in the state. St. Francis, which opened in 1987, also offers a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical and health services.

For more information about supporting St. Francis Hospital through tax-deductible donations, please contact the Franciscan Foundation by email at FHSfoundation@FHShealth.org; by phone at 1-888-814-3740 (toll-free) or online at www.foundation.FHShealth.org.

St. Joseph Medical Center wins Consumer Choice Award for 11th straight year

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma has received the prestigious Consumer Choice Award for the 11^th straight year for being identified as a preferred hospital by an independent survey of Tacoma-area residents by National Research Corp.

Winners of the annual Consumer Choice Award from 250 markets across the U.S. were announced Oct. 12 by National Research Corp. (NRC), an independent company that measures health care performance and improvement. The list of winners also was published in the Oct. 12 edition of Modern Healthcare, an industry publication.

Four questions from the survey are rolled up into the results for the Consumer Choice 2009/2010 Award:

Who has the best doctors?
Who has the best nurses?
Who provides the best overall quality?
Who has the best image and reputation?

Founded in 1891 by the Sisters of St. Francis, St. Joseph Medical Center is the South Sound leader in open-heart surgery and other heart procedures. It is also a recognized leader in the use of advanced medical technology, such as the Gamma Knife and Da Vinci Surgical System Robot, for minimally invasive procedures.

National Research Corp., based in Lincoln, Neb., is online at www.nationalresearch.com. Its Consumer Choice Award identifies hospitals, like St. Joseph Medical Center, that health care consumers recognize as having the highest quality and image.

St. Anthony Hospital has short ER wait times

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor has achieved remarkably brief wait times for its emergency room patients. Read the story in the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal.

St. Clare Hospital to remodel emergency department triage area

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood plans to remodel the triage area of its busy emergency department later this year so the staff can better serve patients and their families.

The $1.2 million project will include adding a triage room, giving the hospital two triage rooms in all; enlarging the triage rooms to allow space for in-room testing; and replacing curtains with walls and doors so patients can have more privacy.

One of the goals is to shorten the time that walk-in patients must wait before being seen by a physician or a physician assistant.

To support this project, the Franciscan Foundation has launched a $1.2 million capital campaign and is accepting donations from the public, businesses and other organizations. Gifts to the campaign will help raise the $750,000 required to activate a $500,000 “challenge grant” from a major donor. The capital campaign is co-chaired by brothers Toby Murray and Jamie Murray, who are Lakewood residents and local business leaders.

“Our emergency department receives nearly 50,000 patient visits every year, and we expect that it will become even busier over time,” says St. Clare Hospital President Kathy Bressler. “We need to provide our medical and nursing staff with the space they need to quickly provide the right care at the right time, while also ensuring that our patients are comfortable, safe and given as much privacy as possible within the clinical setting.”

St. Clare Hospital has the second-busiest emergency department among all five Franciscan Health System hospitals; only St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma treats more emergency patients.

For more information or to make a donation in support of St. Clare Hospital, contact the Franciscan Foundation at 253-428-8467 or email janetdeweese@FHShealth.org

Franciscan will begin in-home hospice services in Kitsap County

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Health System has been selected by the Washington State Department of Health to begin providing in-home hospice services in Kitsap County.

“We are very grateful that the state Department of Health has selected Franciscan Hospice as the additional provider of in-home hospice care for Kitsap County patients and their families,” said Mark Rake-Marona, regional director of hospice and palliative care for the Franciscan Health System. “We plan to begin this service as quickly as we can, possibly as early as Oct. 1.

The state decided there was a need for a second in-home hospice provider in Kitsap County based on its own data for population growth and other demographics. The agency then initiated a certificate-of-need process and invited hospice providers to apply. Until now, Hospice of Kitsap has been the only in-home hospice service provider in Kitsap County.

“We are eager to expand our continuum of care for Kitsap County residents,” Rake-Marona said. “Already, we provide inpatient and outpatient medical services for Kitsap residents at our Franciscan Medical Group clinic in Port Orchard and at St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor.”

Franciscan is the largest and most experienced provider of in-home and inpatient hospice and palliative services in Washington state. From July 2008 through June 2009 alone, Franciscan staff served 2,409 home-based hospice patients in both Pierce and King counties; the staff made 116,598 home visits in support of those individuals during that time. Additionally, Franciscan provides inpatient hospice care at the 20-bed Franciscan Hospice House in University Place.

Franciscan’s application to begin providing in-home hospice services throughout Kitsap County was opposed by two other providers – Hospice of Kitsap and Heartland Hospice Services.

“We are hopeful that both of those organizations will accept the state’s selection of Franciscan so that Kitsap County residents can have access to the breadth and selection of hospice services that they need and deserve,” Rake-Marona said.

St. Clare Hospital’s golf tournament raises nearly $33,000

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The sixth-annual St. Clare Hospital Golf Tournament on Aug. 17 raised approximately $33,000 to help pay for a remodel of the Lakewood community hospital’s busy emergency department.

A total of 132 individuals registered to play in the tournament at the Tacoma Golf & Country Club.

“We are very pleased with the enthusiastic support that this fundraiser receives every year,” said Jon Flora, president of the Franciscan Foundation which organizes the annual golf tournament. “We are also extremely grateful to everyone who participated in the tournament this year and to the many other individuals who volunteered their time to make this event a success for St. Clare Hospital.”

The $1.25 million remodel of the emergency department will double the number of triage rooms, enhance patient privacy, and help ensure that those in the community with urgent medical needs are treated more quickly. The St. Clare Emergency Department receives nearly 50,000 patient visits annually, or an average of 137 patients visits every day.

“We are committed to being the best place to heal and the community’s best health resource,” said Kathy Bressler, president of St. Clare Hospital. “The community’s support of our hospital is needed and deeply appreciated.”

The St. Clare Hospital Golf Tournament had three major sponsors: Murray Pacific Corp., Ricoh Business Systems and Frauenshuh Healthcare Real Estate Solutions. TRA Medical Imaging was the award banquet sponsor. Nike Golf provided the player Tee Prizes.

St. Clare Hospital is part of the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System, a non-profit organization whose mission is to work toward the creation of healthier communities.

St. Francis Hospital recertified as Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way announced today that it has been recertified as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). This certification is for three years.

In 2005, St. Francis became the first hospital in Washington State to achieve Center of Excellence status from the ASMBS. It is also the leading hospital-based provider of weight loss surgeries in the state with more than 500 bariatric procedures performed during the 12-month period that ended June 30.

Weight loss surgeries at St. Francis are performed by dedicated bariatric surgeons Ki Oh, MD, Thomas Hirai, MD, and C. Gabriel Alperovich, MD, of the Franciscan Medical Group; and Myur Srikanth, MD, a Federal Way-based community physician.

In addition to this Center of Excellence designation, St. Francis Hospital is accredited by the American College of Surgeons as a Level 1b Bariatric Center. This accreditation acknowledges the hospital as a provider of the highest level of bariatric care.

St. Francis Hospital’s bariatric program is the only one in the state to be concurrently accredited by the American College of Surgeons and to be declared a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.

Bariatric surgery benefits adults who are dangerously obese and who cannot achieve significant, permanent weight loss through diet and exercise alone. Morbid obesity often causes numerous health problems that can shorten life.

Franciscan Hospice receives $271,000 grant to continue outreach program for ethnic minorities

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Health System, the largest provider of in-home and inpatient hospice and palliative services in Washington State, announced today that it has received a $271,000 grant from Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) to continue a successful program that is making ethnic minority populations more aware of options for end-of-life care.

Celebrating the CHI grant are (left) Charles Horne, multicultural coordinator for Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care; Georganne Trandum, RN, manager of Palliative Care Outreach; Mark Rake-Marona, regional director of Hospice and Palliative Care; and Monet Craton, director of grants for the Franciscan Foundation.

The grant from Denver-based CHI, the national organization with which Franciscan is affiliated, extends the community outreach program, called “Closing the Disparity Gap in End of Life Care,” through June 2012.

“The sole purpose of this initiative is to help terminally ill patients and their families from minority ethnic and cultural backgrounds in our community access high quality, culturally sensitive end-of-life services,” said Mark Rake-Marona, regional director of Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care. “We want everyone, including minority-population individuals, to make informed choices about medical and supportive services when they’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness.”

In the 12-month period ending June 30, Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care staff provided care for 2,409 home-based patients. Additionally, 590 patients were admitted for care to Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. Also, Franciscan’s Palliative Care Outreach Program, which serves individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness but who have more than six months of life expectancy, served another 600 men and women.

Still, only about 10 percent of patients and families served by Franciscan’s end-of-life care programs are from minority ethnic and cultural groups even though these groups represent about 25 percent of the local population.

The grant from the CHI Mission and Ministry Fund could help to change this as an increasing number of people become aware of hospice and other end-of-life programs that could benefit them and their loved ones.

Since receiving the planning grant for this new outreach effort a year ago, Franciscan has established partnerships with multiple organizations such as the Korean Women’s Association, Hilltop Christian Center, Community Health Care, American Cancer Society, Puyallup Tribal Health Authority, University of Washington Tacoma, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, and others.

In addition to supporting the outreach to these community partners, the CHI grant helps pay for updates to the Relationship Centered Care training for Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care staff and volunteers. Patients from all ethnic groups are assured that they will be treated with ultimate sensitivity to their cultural values and needs. Also, Franciscan has translated and printed its brochures regarding Hospice and Palliative Care in Korean and Spanish. The brochures will be printed in additional languages over the next three years.

Additionally, Korean and Hispanic community members can access the Franciscan Health System website view all Hospice and Palliative Care information in their respective languages, including culturally relevant use of color, value of family and tradition, and the importance of community. Over the next three years of grant-funded work, more language choices will become available.

“We look forward to continuing to partner with our community in order to help terminally ill individuals from all minority ethnic and cultural backgrounds to access high quality, culturally sensitive palliative, hospice and bereavement services,” said Charles Horne, multicultural coordinator for Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care. “We want to ensure that all dying individuals and their families have the opportunity to receive the holistic care and comfort that end-of-life services provide. This reflects our commitment to being the best community health resource and to ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need.”

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Federal Way Mirror: St. Francis hospital joins national health-care improvement effort

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Read the story online.

Peninsula Gateway: Gig Harbor students suture, scrub at St. Joseph

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Read the story about the Franciscan Health Adventures program.

Franciscan Foundation gives $250,000 during past year to support numerous community services

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The Franciscan Foundation announced today that it distributed approximately $250,000 in community grants during the previous 12 months to a multitude of local organizations and programs that strive to create healthier communities.

“We are proud to support local organizations and their programs that help fulfill the Franciscan mission,” said Foundation President Jon Flora. “By working together and supporting each other, we are able to accomplish more for the benefit of the entire community than any entity could by working alone.”

The Foundation is the philanthropic unit of the not-for-profit Franciscan Health System that includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, Enumclaw Regional Hospital, and Franciscan Hospice House. The Foundation uses unrestricted earnings on investments to support its annual community grants program. Recipients of Franciscan grants are not required to repay the amounts.

Between April and June 2009 alone, the Franciscan Foundation earmarked more than $90,000 for organizations including St. Leo Emergency Services in Tacoma; Special Olympics of Washington; Reach Out (which provides shelter for homeless men in Federal Way); and the Healing Places Counseling Center.

“The need for services that benefit individuals, families and communities has increased as the economy has weakened,” Flora said. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Franciscan Foundation is blessed to be in a financial position that enables us to extend a supportive, helping hand to our neighbors in need.”

Other recipients of Franciscan Foundation grants between July 2008 and June 2009 included Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation; Sisters of St. Francis Foundation; Associated Ministries of Tacoma-Pierce County; Communities in Schools of Tacoma; Tacoma-Area Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities; Emergency Food Network; Toy Rescue Mission; Trinity Neighborhood Health Clinic; Goodwill Industries of Tacoma; Read2Me; Tacoma-Pierce County Chaplaincy; Plateau Outreach Ministries; Honor My Wishes; University of Washington-Tacoma Nurse Scholarships; and Young Life’s Military Family Camp at Malibu.

“The fabric of our community is strengthened when we act with reverence, compassion and purpose,” Flora said. “The Franciscan mission directs us to work toward the creation of healthier communities. This is our compass."

“As an organization, the Franciscan Health System fulfills its special mission through the care we provide in our hospitals and clinics; through our many outreach programs that benefit the underserved; and by financially supporting programs that offer help and inspire hope,” he added. “We believe our community is a better place as a result.”

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Federal Way Mirror: St. Francis Hospital program encourages kids to consider health care careers

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Read the story online.

Campaign for St. Anthony concludes, raises $16 million to benefit new, state-of-the-art hospital in Gig Harbor

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The two-year Campaign for St. Anthony Hospital announced today it exceeded its $10 million goal by raising just over $11 million in pledges and contributions from individuals, companies and foundations to help build and equip Gig Harbor’s new hospital. The state-of-the-art hospital opened in March.

Additionally, the Franciscan Foundation secured $5 million in state-grant funding to help improve traffic access to the new hospital. With that, the total amount raised from all sources to benefit St. Anthony Hospital is $16 million.

The Campaign for St. Anthony Hospital concluded on June 30.

More than 1,300 campaign donors contributed to help fund a variety of St. Anthony Hospital needs. These included a state-of-the-art outpatient cancer center; a 24-hour emergency care center; sophisticated surgical and medical imaging equipment; a community wellness center; physical, occupational and speech therapy equipment; patient-care endowments; and art, gardens and water features to enhance the hospital’s holistic healing environment.

“We’re extremely grateful to St. Anthony’s many supporters for their generous response to this campaign, particularly in this difficult economy,” said Jon Flora, president of the Franciscan Foundation. “Their gifts have helped make St. Anthony much more than a typical 80-bed community hospital.”

The campaign was led by Co-Chairs and Gig Harbor residents Sharon Snuffin and Rick Larson and their campaign steering committee of 11 other Gig Harbor/Peninsula community leaders.

“It’s been gratifying to see the depth and breadth of this community’s support for our new hospital,” observed Snuffin. “That support is visible throughout the hospital in the many familiar Gig Harbor names that appear on rooms, waiting areas and other places in recognition of significant gifts. I’m thrilled with how well St. Anthony turned out and proud of the role our campaign volunteers and donors played in helping to create this beautiful new facility for our community.”

Larson agreed, adding: “Five years ago, Gig Harbor and Peninsula residents packed public hearings and wrote more than 700 letters to convince state officials that we needed a hospital in Gig Harbor. State hospital officials said they’d never seen anything like it. Now, through their support of this campaign during one of the most difficult economic periods in our history, the people of our community have demonstrated again how strongly we feel about the importance of having our own hospital.”

Active fundraising for the Campaign for St. Anthony Hospital was launched two years ago to help Franciscan Health System build St. Anthony and improve health care access for the more than 130,000 residents of Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, South Kitsap County and North Mason County.

Although St. Anthony is the newest and one of the smallest of Franciscan’s five South Sound hospitals, the amount that donors pledged to the Campaign for St. Anthony is more than double the largest amount previously pledged to any other Franciscan hospital campaign.

Gifts and grants to the Campaign for St. Anthony Hospital from private donors ranged from $50 to $2 million, with nearly 80 percent of the campaign’s $11 million from individuals, companies and foundations coming from 25 donors who each contributed $100,000 or more.

Five of these donors pledged gifts of $500,000 or more, in amounts of $2 million, $1.5 million, $1 million, $600,000 and $500,000. Six others pledged gifts of $250,000 to $350,000.

Half the campaign’s nearly 1,300 donors were new donors who had never before contributed to Franciscan. Also, 60 percent of the other half who had previously contributed to Franciscan gave their largest gift to the non-profit organization through the Campaign for St. Anthony.

Key pledges in the campaign from private donors included $1.5 million from the George F. Russell, Jr. Fund at The Russell Family Foundation to launch the campaign; $1 million from Mary Ann Walters to help move the campaign forward; $2 million from the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation to boost the campaign over its halfway point; $500,000 from Jim and Carolyn Milgard to lift the campaign over its $10 million goal, and $600,000 from Jody Erickson and the Brett Erickson Golf Classic recently to cap the campaign’s final total at $11 million from individuals, businesses and foundations.

An unexpected campaign highlight was provided by 17-year-old Kelsey Osborne who raised $250,000 during her recently completed senior year at Gig Harbor High School to help build the Jane Thompson Russell Cancer Care Center, located in the Milgard Medical Pavilion at St. Anthony. She did it in memory of her father, David Osborne, who died of cancer. In appreciation of Kelsey’s impressive work, the Russell Cancer Center’s lobby is now named in honor of her father.

Snuffin and Larson said that the community’s generous response to the Campaign for St. Anthony Hospital is impressive also because it came on the heels of three other major capital campaigns in Gig Harbor. They noted that donors have contributed about $50 million in the last four years to help build St. Anthony Hospital, a new history museum, the YMCA, and a new Boys and Girls Club.

In addition to Snuffin and Larson, the campaign’s other steering committee members were Jan Angel of Port Orchard; Greg Denk, Margaret Lapin, Lori Ann Reeder, Dr. Cliff Robertson, Peachy Smalling, Patti Tebb and Greg Unruh, all of Gig Harbor; Bob Ryan of Gig Harbor/Tacoma; Mary Senecal of University Place/Gig Harbor; and Theresa Girard Walters of Key Peninsula.

City of Gig Harbor and Washington State government officials – led by state Rep. Derek Kilmer – also assisted the campaign in securing $5 million in state job development grant funding in recognition of the 450 new health care jobs that St. Anthony Hospital has created.

The campaign director was Bob Krotz and Mary Burch was the campaign assistant. The Franciscan Foundation provided additional staff and technical support. Campaign counsel was provided by the Collins Group.

In addition to the $16 million contributed by Campaign for St. Anthony donors, Franciscan Health system has invested more than $150 million of its operational and bond funding in building St. Anthony Hospital.

Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the U.S. with hospitals and other care facilities in 22 states.

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Enumclaw Regional Hospital shines in ‘Most Wired’ survey again

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Enumclaw Regional Hospital is included on the list of the “Most Wired” hospitals in the nation for the fourth-consecutive year because of its use of advanced health information technology for operational efficiencies and quality patient care.

The 2009 list is published in the July edition of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, a national publication.

Enumclaw Regional is among 21 hospitals in Washington and Idaho that employ information technology solutions from Inland Northwest Health Services (INHS) and which are identified as being the most technologically-advanced hospitals in the country, according to results of the annual Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study.

“We are honored to be recognized again for our commitment to using advanced health information technology that helps to make our hospital the best place to heal, the best place to work and the best community health resource,” said Dennis Popp, president of Enumclaw Regional Hospital which first appeared on the prestigious “Most Wired” list in 2006. “The sophisticated information technology we use benefits physicians, our nurses, diagnostic imaging and laboratory technologists, and other staff who strive every day to provide their patients with the best care possible.”

INHS connects hospitals, health care facilities and physician offices through an information technology network that allows health-care providers to securely access patient information by utilizing both wired and wireless technologies.

Hospitals and Health Networks magazine surveyed more than 1,300 hospitals to name the “100 Most Wired” hospitals in the annual survey, measuring the hospitals’ use of information technologies for quality, customer service, public health and safety, business functions and workforce issues.

Enumclaw Regional, which is part of the Franciscan Health System, and the other recognized hospitals in the INHS network are grouped under Inland Northwest Health Services-Washington and Idaho Region in the 2009 Most Wired Survey.

“It is an honor to see our region’s hospitals being consistently recognized as select hospitals in the nation for implementing health care information technology solutions that achieve high levels of automated patient care and safety,” said Brian Seppi, MD, chairman of the INHS Board of Directors. “The region’s technology investment through INHS ensures the delivery of accessible and cost-effective health care for the communities we serve.”

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Golf tournament that benefits St. Clare Hospital is set for Aug. 17

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Tickets are available for fundraiser to support the planned remodel of the hospital’s busy emergency department

The sixth-annual St. Clare Hospital Golf Tournament will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17 at the Tacoma Golf & Country Club, with proceeds from the special event supporting a remodel of the hospital’s busy emergency department.

This $1.25 million remodel, which will double the number of triage rooms and improve patient privacy, will help make certain those in the community with urgent medical needs are treated faster and more efficiently. The hospital’s emergency department receives nearly 50,000 patient visits annually, or an average of 137 patients visits every day.

Tickets cost $175 per person or $700 per foursome. Also, hole sponsorship opportunities are available for only $500. Reservations are requested by Monday, Aug. 10 and space is limited. To reserve your space or for more information about the Campaign for the St. Clare Hospital Emergency Department, call 253-552-4168 or email mollyashton@FHShealth.org

The St. Clare Hospital Golf Tournament has three major sponsors this year: Murray Pacific Corp., Ricoh Business Systems and Frauenshuh Healthcare Real Estate Solutions. TRA Medical Imaging is the Award Banquet sponsor. Nike Golf will provide the player Tee Prizes.

St. Clare Hospital is part of the non-profit Franciscan Health System.

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Medical imaging center opens in Federal Way

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

TRA Medical Imaging, Franciscan Health System are partners in new outpatient service

TRA Medical Imaging (TRA) and Franciscan Health System are teaming up to launch a state-of-the-art outpatient medical imaging center in Federal Way.

Called Medical Imaging on 1st, the new center at 33915 1st Way S. opens on Monday, June 29. It will offer the latest in high-field Open MRI and 64-slice CT, providing patients with significant improvements in care and comfort, coupled with advanced imaging technology.

Medical Imaging on 1st will be the only local clinic with a truly open high-field MRI. For the first time, the Hitachi Oasis Open Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides the superior diagnostic benefits of a regular strength MRI with the spaciousness and comfort of an Open MRI. The Oasis Open MRI is ideal for people who suffer from anxiety or claustrophobia in traditional high-field machines. As well as an unobstructed left-to-right view, the imaging system offers a full spectrum of capabilities, including more rapid orthopedic, neurological and vascular studies.

The new medical imaging center will also feature a 64-slice CT scanner for outstanding patient care. The Aquilion® 64 from Toshiba America Medical Systems, an advanced computed tomography (CT) system, can quickly scan any part of the body in seconds. This makes it easier for patients who are unable to hold their breath. This imaging technology is also more effective in diagnosing an injury. The new system delivers clinical images with multislice technology that captures up to 64 anatomical slices in a single rotation. As a result, Toshiba’s 64-slice CT scanner captures more accurate and precise images of internal structures, including the body’s rapidly moving organs like the lungs that appear blurry when scanned by a traditional CT.

“On behalf of everyone in the TRA family, we are proud to team up with Franciscan Health System, a leader in health care in the region,” said Daniel N. D. Heller, MD, a board-certified radiologist for TRA Medical Imaging and medical director for the new imaging center. “This partnership will allow us to provide South King County residents with access to leading technology in medical scans. The improved precision and speed of the CT and more comfortable design of the MRI will make a significant difference in the lives of our patients."

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Breast Cancer Navigator services now available for Latina women in Pierce County

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Regence Foundation grant to Franciscan Foundation supports program

Thanks to a $31,000 grant from The Regence Foundation, Latina women in Pierce County can now receive special assistance from a breast cancer navigator who shares their culture and language. The program helps Latina and Hispanic women overcome barriers to get the breast cancer screening and treatment they need.

This service is offered through the successful Breast Cancer Navigator program co-provided by Franciscan Health System, the Korean Women’s Association and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Recently recognized by the Pierce County Business Examiner as a 2009 Health Care Champion, the Breast Cancer Navigator program helps save lives by increasing opportunities for early detection of breast cancer in medically underserved women.

Breast cancer is easier to cure when it is detected early. Unfortunately, many women within minority populations lack access to mammograms, breast cancer screenings and treatment due to language, cultural and/or socio-economic obstacles. The Breast Cancer Navigator service works to close this gap by offering culturally and language-appropriate education and one-on-one support. Female navigators go into churches, private homes, businesses and other community venues to teach women about breast cancer. Women diagnosed with the illness are also assisted in accessing medical care and receiving practical, emotional support for managing the disease.

Nearly 12,000 medically underserved women have been served by the Breast Cancer Navigator program since it began in 2005.

“Women who are identified as at-risk for breast cancer gain essential help in obtaining a screening mammogram,” said Tricia Sinek, manager of Franciscan’s Community Cancer Programs. “They receive this service at no cost at Franciscan facilities if they lack medical insurance, are unable to pay for a mammogram, and are ineligible for local assistance programs.”

Franciscan Health System provides care for everyone who needs it regardless of their ability to pay. Participating in the Breast Cancer Navigator program helps fulfill Franciscan’s mission to create healthier communities.

Eva Hernandez, the Latina breast cancer navigator in Pierce County, welcomes calls for information and assistance at 253-353-5502. “Our new outreach will improve the health of Latina women in our community and hopefully save lives,” she said. “We look forward to helping women understand the vital steps to beating breast cancer through education and support. We want Latina women to become knowledgeable about and proactive in breast cancer prevention and treatment.”

The $31,000 grant to the Franciscan Foundation was one of six grants that the Regence Foundation has awarded this year to non-profit health care organizations in Washington working to remove hurdles faced by medically underserved individuals who are seeking quality, affordable health care. The Regence Foundation is the corporate foundation of The Regence Group, the largest health insurer in the Northwest/Intermountain Region and a not-for-profit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About the other Breast Cancer Navigator program participants:

The Korean Women's Association offers a variety of services to better the quality of life for minorities in need. Its services are available to multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and/or limited English speaking Asian immigrants, Pacific Islanders, and since 1987, to the general public.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the global leader in the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1 billion since inception in 1982.

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Komen organization salutes Franciscan manager for volunteerism

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Tricia Sinek, manager of Franciscan Health System’s Community Cancer Programs, has been chosen to receive the 2009 Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Puget Sound affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the global leader in the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1 billion since its inception in 1982. The Komen Outstanding Volunteer Awards were established in 1998 to recognize accomplishments by individual volunteers and groups of volunteers within Komen affiliates nationwide. The outstanding individual award is given to those who have served five or more years with their Komen affiliate, who go above and beyond the call of duty, and consistently strive to further the position of the affiliate within the community while keeping the mission at heart.

Sinek’s selection for this prestigious award is based on her long-standing advocacy for cancer patients in the community, her support of the Komen organization and her service as a role model for other volunteers. She is a charter member of Komen’s Lunch for the Cure where her energy and guidance help create opportunities for giving through creative fundraising.

Sinek described her association with the Komen Foundation as a natural extension of her work at the not-for-profit Franciscan organization. “I strongly support the Komen Foundation because it does such a great job of serving the local community through fundraising,” she added. “The Komen team has made a real difference right here in Pierce County, helping to make sure medically underserved women get the care they need for a breast cancer diagnosis. I am happy to give my money and time to support such a great cause.”

Among the services that Sinek manages at Franciscan is the successful Breast Cancer Navigator program. This outreach program helps minority-population women to overcome cultural, language and socio-economic obstacles to getting breast cancer screenings and diagnosis they need. Nearly 12,000 women in the South Sound region have benefitted from the Breast Cancer Navigator service since it began in 2005.

Franciscan Health System, which has a mission to create healthier communities, includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and four other acute-care hospitals in Pierce and King counties.

Franciscan hospitals win national award for environmental achievements

Fri, 29 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Health System hospitals in Tacoma, Federal Way and Lakewood have again received the prestigious Partner for Change Award for their success in reducing mercury, pollution, and landfill-destined waste.

The award was presented to St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Francis Hospital and St. Clare Hospital on May 19 by Practice Greenhealth, a national membership organization for health care facilities committed to environmentally responsible operations. It is one of seven Environmental Excellence Awards given each year by Practice Greenhealth to recognize outstanding environmental achievements in health care.

This is the third time in four years that Franciscan hospitals have received the national award for environmental excellence.

Rozi Arends, the value-analysis manager for Franciscan who supervises the organization’s waste-reduction programs, said environmental excellence aligns with the organization’s mission to create healthier communities.

“We always strive to be good stewards of our limited resources,” said Arends, who added that Franciscan’s increased reliance on recyclable containers for used needles has reduced its plastics waste alone by 82,000 pounds a year.

In 2008, St. Joseph, St. Francis and St. Clare also recycled, reused or donated 3,526,420 pounds of materials that otherwise would most likely have ended up in landfills.

“Franciscan Health System is a successful model of how health facilities can develop and implement pollution prevention programs to greatly improve the health of its patients, staff and community,” said Bob Jarboe, executive director of Practice Greenhealth.

The Partner for Change Award recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, and pollution prevention programs. At a minimum, facilities applying for this award must be recycling 10 percent of their total waste, have a mercury elimination program in place with a plan for total elimination, and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs.

“We are so pleased to have our accomplishments recognized again at a national level,” said Mike Liepman, vice president of Guest Services and Facilities for the Franciscan Health System. “We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and we are continually monitoring our progress to improve our performance. Receiving this award is confirmation that we are on the right track.”

The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented May 19 in Chicago in conjunction with CleanMed 2009, a global conference for environmental leaders in health care. Practice Greenhealth will sponsor the planting of 100 trees in Haiti for each award presented. The organization is online at www.practicegreenhealth.org.

Franciscan Health System, which has 7,200 employees in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties, is affiliated with Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, the second-largest Catholic health system in the nation.

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Enumclaw Regional Hospital prepares to mark its 60th anniversary

Fri, 29 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Enumclaw Regional Hospital will mark its 60^th anniversary on June 15, 2009 as construction continues nearby on the state-of-the-art replacement hospital.

Six decades ago, Community Memorial Hospital – the facility’s original name – officially opened. That grand opening on June 15, 1949 followed a highly anticipated Memorial Day ceremony two weeks earlier when the hospital was dedicated in memory of 60 individuals from Enumclaw, Buckley and Black Diamond who lost their lives in World Wars I and II.

“Our hospital has been an important part of the quality of life in Enumclaw and surrounding communities for a long time,” said Dennis Popp, the hospital’s chief operating officer.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital handles more than 12,000 emergency visits annually and admits more than 1,100 patients every year. It is licensed for 38 beds.

“The hospital has a rich history and a reputation for quality care,” Popp added. “Equally important, its future as a state-of-the-art medical facility is set. The opening of our new hospital, which is now under construction, will ensure that local residents have access to advanced medicine and trusted care, close to home, for generations.”

Employees at Enumclaw Regional Hospital will commemorate the hospital’s 60 years of service by doing what they do best every day – providing compassionate, quality care for patients of all ages. The hospital also plans a small ceremony and refreshments for employees to mark the occasion.

Key milestones for Enumclaw Regional Hospital through the years:

· Pre-1944: Local physicians and community leaders begin discussing the need for a local hospital.

· Jan. 13, 1944: The Post-War Planning Committee holds its first meeting and appoints a subcommittee to work on plans for a community hospital.

· 1944-1948: The first bond sale campaign nets $17,000 in local pledges.

· March 1947: The planned hospital is named Community Memorial Hospital to honor local residents killed in World Wars I and II.

· May 30, 1948: Hospital construction site is dedicated.

· October 1948: Hospital construction begins.

· May 30, 1949: Community Memorial Hospital is formally dedicated to “the boys who lost their lives in World Wars I and II,” states a history of the hospital written by Violet V. Cass, who served as secretary of the hospital planning committee for several years. Her account adds: “The Veterans of Foreign Wars unveiled its beautiful plaque bearing the names of the war heroes in whose memory the hospital was dedicated.”

· June 15, 1949: Hospital officially opens with 22 beds. The first patient is a woman who suffered a leg injury.

· June 16, 1949: The first baby, a girl, is born at the hospital at 3:30 p.m.

· June 17, 1949: Construction cost of the new hospital put at $152,995.43; equipping the hospital for patient care cost an additional $42,621.42.

· 1968: The hospital’s first expansion project is completed in which a wing and basement are added.

· 1999: Outpatient chemotherapy and MRI imaging services are added. Hospital also changes its name to Enumclaw Community Hospital.

· 2001: Hospital is selected as one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the U.S. for the first time by Solucient, an independent health care research and information organization.

· 2003: The Emergency Department opens its new triage room and unveils a new electronic medical records system.

· 2004: Hospital is designated as a Level V emergency center and designated as a critical access facility by the U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

· 2005: Hospital opens new heliport.

· January 2006: Hospital changes its name to Enumclaw Regional Hospital. It is also selected as a “Most Wired Hospital” in the small and rural hospital category by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

· May 2007: Hospital joins Franciscan Health System, the Tacoma-based organization that includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma; St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood; and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the nation.

· September 2008: Groundbreaking ceremony celebrates start of construction of $65 million replacement hospital.

· Late 2010: New hospital is scheduled to open near the existing facility. It will provide all the services that are now provided, plus feature the newest medical and diagnostic imaging equipment. Also, the 90,000-square-foot hospital will be large enough to accommodate additional and expanded services to meet the future needs of the community. The current hospital building will eventually be razed to make room for a parking lot to accommodate hospital patients, visitors and employees.

Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma; St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood; Enumclaw Regional Hospital; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor; Franciscan Medical Group; Franciscan Hospice House; and the Franciscan Foundation. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of heart and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound. Franciscan, which has more than 7,200 employees, is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the nation. Franciscan Health System is online at www.FHShealth.org.

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Gig Harbor hospital will open 16 additional beds next week

Thu, 21 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor will open an additional 16 beds on Tuesday, May 26, as more area doctors and their patients turn to the facility to provide care for overnight hospital stays.

“Since we opened St. Anthony in March with 48 of its 80 licensed beds, the hospital’s patient census has been at or near capacity,” said Chief Operating Officer Carole Peet. “Our plan has always been to increase the number of beds to our full licensed limit as our patient volumes increased. The need to phase in our additional beds is here and now.”

With the opening of the additional beds next week, St. Anthony Hospital will have 64 beds available for medical and surgical patients. Concurrently, the hospital will begin designating its 3^rd floor for patients recovering from surgical procedures and its 4^th floor exclusively for the care of medical patients. This alignment of care is designed to benefit the nursing staff, physicians, patients and their loved ones.

In July, St. Anthony Hospital plans to phase in its remaining 16 beds as it reaches its 80-bed licensed maximum. Activation of the additional beds is about a month ahead of schedule because patient volumes have exceeded projections.

During the first two months of service (March 17-May 11), the hospital staff treated 2,429 patients in the Gene and Mary Ann Walters Center for Emergency Services; performed 303 surgeries; and admitted 628 patients for stays that lasted overnight or longer.

St. Anthony Hospital offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, including a state-of-the-art outpatient cancer treatment center in the adjoining Milgard Medical Pavilion. Additionally, the hospital has become a center of learning by serving as the location of free, regular health talks that are open to the public. Learn more online at www.GigHarborhospital.org.

St. Anthony Hospital is part of the Franciscan Health System, the leading health care provider in the South Sound region and a part of Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest health care organizations.

Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

Franciscan Health System will not participate in physician-assisted suicide

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Health System will not participate in, nor facilitate in any way, physician-assisted suicide that will be permitted by Initiative 1000 which takes effect statewide March 4. The voter-approved measure allows hospitals, physicians and other health care providers to choose whether to participate or to opt out.

“Our position on this important issue is rooted in our faith tradition and belief that all life is sacred, from conception to death,” says Dianna Kielian, senior vice president of Mission for the Franciscan organization. “We are also guided by the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which do not condone physician-assisted suicide.

“Individuals from all walks of life entrust their care to the physicians, nurses and other highly skilled caregivers at the Franciscan Health System every day,” she added. “With our deep-seated reverence for life, we embrace our sacred duty to provide each person with the best care possible.”

Physician-assisted suicide will not be permitted at Franciscan Health System hospitals, medical clinics and other care facilities. Adults who wish to receive life-ending medication while a patient at a Franciscan facility will be told that the Franciscan organization does not participate in physician-assisted suicide. They will also be informed of Franciscan’s excellent care programs for the terminally ill. Patients who are determined to receive life-ending medications will be assisted in a transfer to another facility or health care provider of their choosing.

“We will respond to patients’ queries about life-ending medication with openness and compassion,” says Kielian. “Ultimately, our goal is to help our patients make informed decisions about end-of-life care.”

Franciscan Health System, which is the largest provider of in-home and inpatient hospice care in the state, will continue to focus on providing skilled care for terminally ill individuals through its hospice, pain and symptom management, and other end-of-life programs.

“We never strive to hasten death nor would we abandon the dying person,” says Mark Rake-Marona, director of hospice and palliative care for the Franciscan organization. “Our emphasis has been, and continues to be, on providing compassionate care for terminally ill individuals through our inpatient and in-home hospice service and other programs that benefit those nearing the end of their lives. We also offer spiritual care and bereavement support for our patients’ loved ones.”

Between July 2007 and June 2008, Franciscan served 2,259 home-based hospice patients and admitted 692 terminally ill individuals at its 20-bed inpatient hospice facility in University Place. Individuals with six months or less to live are eligible for hospice care.

“We have a passion for helping others,” Rake-Marona says. “The end of life can bring overwhelming changes and difficult decisions. There is no reason a person or a family should go through this time alone. We strive to be there to provide comfort and care when our patients and their loved ones need us the most.”

Franciscan’s end-of-life support for patients and their families also includes:

Advance directives: Franciscan encourages people to complete advance directives to make their values and wishes known to their families and caregivers before they can no longer speak for themselves.
Palliative Care Outreach: Franciscan’s Palliative Care Outreach program begins serving terminally ill individuals who are not yet eligible for hospice care. By integrating palliative care (i.e., pain and symptom management) with education, reliable support, and links to a broad range of community and health care resources, Franciscan reaches out to make sure the needs and desires of patients and their loved ones are heard, supported, and met.
Palliative Care: Franciscan provides palliative care programs at its hospitals in Tacoma, Federal Way, Lakewood, Enumclaw and Gig Harbor to assist and support patients with terminal illness and their families. Also, its Palliative Medicine and Consultation Service is dedicated to providing effective pain and symptom relief in accordance with standards of the medical and nursing professions.
Pastoral care and bereavement support: Franciscan staff recognizes that end-of-life situations can affect more than a patient’s physical condition. The emotional and spiritual health of terminally ill patients, their families and loved ones can also be deeply affected. That’s why the organization emphasizes care of the mind, body and spirit.

“Life has a natural beginning and ending that are determined by God,” says Kielian. “Our role as caregivers is to nurture and comfort those who are sick and dying, and to ensure that our patients have the best possible quality of remaining life. We respond to this sacred calling every day and we will continue to do so.”

Founded in 1891 by the Sisters of St. Francis, the Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center of Tacoma; St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way; St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood; Enumclaw Regional Hospital; St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor; Franciscan Hospice House, University Place; and Franciscan Medical Group clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest Catholic health systems in the U.S.

## Advanced Medicine, Trusted Care

St. Anthony Hospital taking shape as showplace for state-of-the-art technology

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, opening in March, will provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical services as well as boost the local economy through the creation of up to 450 jobs.

In many respects, the new hospital is an example of planning and technology at which other health care organizations will look back at years from now and ask, “How did you do that?”

Surgery suites at St. Anthony Hospital will feature the SkyVision Communications Control System.

Nowhere is this truer than in the areas of information and biomedical technology. Consider just the cabling required to power the Franciscan Health System’s new $160 million facility: It has taken one year to install more than 290 miles of copper cables and fiber optic lines to support all the low-voltage systems throughout the new hospital.

“St. Anthony Hospital will be distinguished by its high-quality patient care and state-of-the-art technology,” says Carole Peet, the hospital’s chief operating officer. “An intricate combination of systems will power sophisticated technology, such as our operating rooms of the future, closed-circuit television and wireless bedside computer workstations.”

The cardiac catheterization and vascular lab, located on the hospital’s second floor next to the operating rooms and interventional radiology lab, will feature the most advanced medical technology for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular conditions.

“St. Anthony is well-positioned to provide life-saving cardiac care to residents of the Gig Harbor-Peninsula area,” says Wendy Lind, a registered nurse who will manage the cardiac cath and interventional radiology units within the Brett Erickson Cardiovascular Suite. “With 24-hour emergency care, a cardiac catheterization and vascular lab, and inpatient care, our staff will be ready to help patients from the moment they arrive all the way through their recovery.”

The St. Anthony program is also affiliated with the St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center in nearby Tacoma, where the region’s most skilled cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons are on the medical staff.

Here’s a sampling of other sophisticated medical technologies that will help physicians, nurses and other health care professionals at St. Anthony Hospital deliver world-class care, close to home:

· A picture archiving computer system (PACS) will provide a digital storage and management system needed to accommodate thousands of digital images from radiology and cardiology, as well as portable ultrasound devices. This package of products provides a secure, one-stop source of patient images that can be accessed electronically by physicians and other members of the care team.

· Nurses will use wireless mobile workstations at patients’ bedsides. This technology provides them with immediate access to patient-care records and treatment plans that will help ensure delivery of the highest-quality care.

· Also, nurses will communicate with each other via their high-tech wireless badges no matter where they are in the hospital. The Vocera system ensures immediate person-to-person contact between caregivers and creates a quieter environment for patients.

· Surgical suites at St. Anthony Hospital will feature audio-visual capabilities through the SkyVision Communications Control System. Internet interfaces and multiuser, long-range video conferencing will make the surgical suites showplaces of advanced communications technology.

· Doctors and nurses will use both wired and wireless technology for real-time, 24-hour monitoring of the health and progress of hospitalized patients, ensuring quality care around the clock.

St. Anthony Hospital is located at 11567 Canterwood Blvd. N.W. in north Gig Harbor. The new hospital, licensed for 80 beds, will serve residents of Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, South Kitsap and North Mason counties. The hospital is currently recruiting registered nurses and other health care professionals as it prepares to begin providing patient care in March. In November, about 120 nurses attended a St. Anthony-sponsored Nurse Career Fair to discuss employment opportunities at the new hospital.

“Positions are being filled quickly, so it’s important that individuals who want to talk with us contact us now,” says Debra Larive, human resources manager at St. Anthony. “The door is open for rewarding, meaningful careers at our organization.”

Check out the career opportunities at St. Anthony and Franciscan Health System here.

Nurses interested in joining the St. Anthony team may also directly contact recruiters Amy Locke at (253) 985-2781 or by email at amylocke@FHShealth.org, or Erin Davis at (253) 857-1433 or via email at erindavis@FHShealth.org.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital nurse wins March of Dimes

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Shelly Pricco is honored for excellence in nursing

Shelly Pricco, director of Patient Care Services at Enumclaw Regional Hospital, has received the 2008 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Award for leadership. The annual award recognizes nursing excellence in Western Washington.

A registered nurse since 1983, she has been employed at the Enumclaw hospital since 1996. “I love being a nurse,” Pricco says. “I think it’s magical to be able to help other people, particularly when they are sick or injured. The reward for caring for someone in need is simply indescribable.”

She is one of two nurses from Franciscan Health System to receive Nurse of the Year awards from the March of Dimes. Tahallia “Holly” Synder, a critical care nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, was named the 2008 Nurse of the Year for Western Washington for excellence in direct patient and clinical care.

Pricco was promoted to director of Patient Care Services at Enumclaw Regional Hospital in May. A resident of Enumclaw, she was also born at the community hospital in 1961. Today, she supervises the hospital’s nursing staff, including those assigned to the small mother-baby unit that was her birthplace.
“I focus on nurturing and caring for the nurses who report to me, ensuring that they have the support they need to provide the best possible care to our patients,” she says. “I love the nursing profession because it’s all about caring for people.”

She received the prestigious March of Dimes Nurse of the Year leadership award during a special ceremony Dec. 4 in Bellevue. More than 120 nurses, health care leaders and educators from throughout Western Washington were nominated in 14 separate award categories.

“I was honored just to be nominated,” Pricco explains. “I could not believe it when I heard my named called to go to the podium. My immediate thought was: ‘Did they just call my name?’” The glass award, which is about eight inches tall and inscribed with her name, now occupies a prominent place in her office at the hospital.

“We are very proud of Shelly and her contributions to nursing excellence,” says Dennis Popp, chief operating officer at Enumclaw Regional Hospital. “She is a role model for compassionate nursing care and skilled nursing leadership.”

Enumclaw Regional Hospital joined Franciscan Health System in May 2007. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the U.S.

St. Francis Hospital nurse receives March of Dimes Nurse of Year award

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Holly Snyder is recognized for excellence in nursing

Tahallia "Holly" Snyder, a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at St. Francis Hospital, has been named Western Washington’s 2008 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year for excellence in direct patient and clinical care.

"I am honored to have been nominated for, and chosen to receive, this special award," Snyder says. "Becoming a nurse was a calling for me. I cannot imagine anything more rewarding or fulfilling than being able to support my patients and their families, physically and emotionally, during such a trying time in their lives."

She was presented with the prestigious March of Dimes Nurse of the Year award during a special ceremony Dec. 4 in Bellevue. More than 120 nurses, health care leaders and educators from throughout Western Washington were nominated in 14 separate award categories.

Moreover, Snyder was one of two nurses from Franciscan Health System to receive Nurse of the Year honors. Shelly Pricco, who is director of Patient Care Services at Enumclaw Regional Hospital, was honored in the leadership category.

"Both Holly and Shelly exemplify the high level of skilled, compassionate nursing care that distinguishes our hospitals," says Laurie Brown, chief nurse officer for the Franciscan organization. "We strive to be the best place to work and to be the best place to heal. Our nurses are helping us to achieve both of these goals."

Snyder became a registered nurse about three years ago. She consistently demonstrates excellence and compassion in the delivery of care to patients in the new Critical Care Unit at St. Francis Hospital. She is also a member of the hospital’s Quality Liaison Team that works to further improve patient care.

"It has been such a pleasure to support Holly in her nursing career path," says Pam Cronrath, director of Acute Care Services and chair of the Quality Team. "She is a true shining star and role model on our nursing team."

"Holly personifies excellence in nursing – from the compassionate way she interacts with her patients to the collaborative manner in which she supports her fellow nurses," says Nancy Nichols, clinical manager for critical care at St. Francis. "We are very proud of her."

In addition to her commitment to providing the best patient care possible, Snyder has a heart for service to others that is evident in the workplace and beyond. For example, she serves as a youth group leader and is a member of her church mentorship program.

"I have spent over 30 years in health care, and can say without reservation that Holly Snyder demonstrates excellence in all aspects of direct patient care delivery and would be one of the first nurses that I would entrust to care for me and any of my loved ones," says Zena Fuhrmann, a nurse educator in the Critical Care Unit at St. Francis. She nominated Snyder for the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year.

St. Francis Hospital, which opened in 1987, is part of the Franciscan Health System. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the U.S..

Patients being recruited for study of new treatment for severe emphysema at St. Joseph Medical Center

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Research Center at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma is participating as a clinical trial site evaluating a minimally invasive device for the treatment of severe emphysema.

Eligible patients are being recruited to participate in this study.

The new device, called the IBV® Valve System, is manufactured by Spiration, Inc. in Redmond, Wash.

The study is open to men and women ages 40 to 74 that have been diagnosed with predominantly upper lobe emphysema and severe dyspnea (shortness of breath). Eligible patients are:

· Able to participate in pulmonary function and standardized exercise tests

· Have not smoked for four months

· Are willing to not smoke during the trial

· Will commit to at least four visits to a medical center for health assessment tests. Additional criteria must also be met for participation in the study.

The IBV® Valve Trial is a randomized, prospective, double-blind clinical trial that will enroll as many as 500 people at up to 40 sites across the nation. Patients enrolled in the control arm of the study will be eligible to receive treatment with the IBV® Valve System after completion of the six-month study.

Safety and effectiveness data from this trial will be submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to market the device in the United States.

For more information or to apply to participate in this trial, contact Christine Biljan at the Franciscan Research Center. The office number is (253) 426-6882; the email address is christinebiljan@FHShealth.org

Perinatologist Arthur Maslow, DO, joins Pacific Northwest Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Medical Group announces the addition of perinatologist Arthur Maslow, DO, to the staff of Pacific Northwest Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Tacoma.

A Fellowship-trained perinatologist, Dr. Maslow provides comprehensive care for the mother and fetus in high-risk pregnancies. Board-certified in osteopathy, obstetrics and gynecology, he has a special medical interest in fetal diagnostic ultrasound techniques, including Doppler and fetal-heart evaluation.

Prior to joining Pacific Northwest Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dr. Maslow served as director of the Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and co-directed the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa.

He earned his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, and completed a residency at Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis, Wash. During his three years in a Fellowship program in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he also completed a Master’s degree in microbiology and immunology.

An expert in his field, Dr. Maslow served on the faculty of both the University of Texas and the University of Washington, and has authored several articles about infectious disease as it relates to expectant mothers.

He brings to Franciscan Medical Group a vast range of experience and a deep empathy for all his patients. He provides education and guidance at every stage of pregnancy, to help ensure success and minimize stress or concern.

Pacific Northwest Maternal-Fetal Medicine, located at 1708 S. Yakima Ave. on the campus of St. Joseph Medical Center, can be reached at (253) 426-6878.

St. Joseph Medical Center pharmacist named Pharmacist of the Year

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Tim Lynch, manager of pharmaceutical services at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, has been named the 2008 Health System Pharmacist of the Year by the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA).

The Pfizer Health System Pharmacist of the Year Award recognizes outstanding pharmacists and their service to the profession and specifically, hospital pharmacy.

“It was very exciting and an honor to be recognized in this way,” says Lynch, who received the award during the professional association’s annual meeting Nov. 7 in Marysville.

Lynch, who is immediate past president of the pharmacy association’s board of directors, has been a member of WSPA for 15 years. He has been employed by Franciscan Health System since June 1997. Additionally, he is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Washington.

Lynch earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington in 1998 and a Master’s degree in health care management and administration from Troy University in 2004.

Campaign for St. Anthony Hospital turns to community as it approaches $10 million fundraising goal

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Gig Harbor hospital set to open in March 2009

The Campaign for St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor is turning to the general public to raise the final $1 million of its $10 million goal that will support enhancements to the new hospital’s healing environment.

Thus far, the campaign has generated nearly $9 million from personal solicitations of prospective major donors.

Special Donor Recognition

Now for each campaign gift of $250 or more received between Nov. 1, 2008 and Feb. 28, 2009, donors will be offered special recognition on the St. Anthony Hospital campus with a granite paver brick inscribed with his or her name. The pavers will surround a birch grove in the hospital’s healing garden and forever be a part of the hospital campus.

This initiative will help the Campaign for St. Anthony raise the $500,000 in new gifts and pledges it needs to secure a one-for-two, $250,000 "challenge grant" from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust of Vancouver, Wash. The Murdock Trust has pledged to contribute $1 for every $2 raised from other donors over the next four months, up to a maximum Murdock contribution of $250,000. Securing the Murdock challenge grant will generate a combined total of $750,000 to help build and equip St. Anthony Hospital.

"This is a critical point in our campaign," says Gig Harbor resident Bob Krotz of the Franciscan Foundation, who is directing of the Campaign for St. Anthony. "We are very close to achieving our original fundraising goal to ensure that our new hospital in Gig Harbor will be a world-class facility for holistic healing of the mind, body and spirit."

In addition to the $250 named paver bricks, other donor-recognition opportunities include permanent listing of the names of contributors of $1,000 or more on St. Anthony’s donor wall in the hospital’s main lobby, and options for donors of $25,000 or more to name hospital rooms, lobbies, gardens and other parts of the hospital.

For more information about the Campaign for St. Anthony, contact the campaign office at (253) 857-1436 or email bobkrotz@FHShealth.org.

Campaign supports hospital’s healing environment

The campaign’s funding objectives include:

$5.1 million for advanced medical equipment such as an interventional radiology imaging system to support sophisticated procedures that will benefit stroke and aneurysm patients; nuclear gamma cameras for diagnostic imaging services; an operating room integration system that will support efficient delivery of care; and special equipment needed for patient rooms in the intensive care unit.
$3.7 million for outpatient care facilities and equipment, including some construction costs for the Jane Thompson Russell Cancer Care Center; purchasing a digital imaging system for the hospital’s mammography unit; building and equipping the Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Center.
$750,000 for enhancements to the overall healing environment at St. Anthony, including gardens and water features for the hospital campus; and original paintings, tapestries, sculpture and other art objects for display at high visibility sites in and around the new hospital.
$500,000 to launch a cancer care endowment that will underwrite the costs of providing complementary cancer therapies and establishing a Cancer Education Center. The center will be an important new resource for cancer patients and their families who are coping with the disease.

The Campaign for St. Anthony began in 2007 with a $1.5 million gift from the George F. Russell Jr. Fund at The Russell Family Foundation in Gig Harbor. The largest single donation received thus far is a $2 million gift from the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation. More than 450 donors have boosted the campaign’s total pledges to nearly $9 million, with 21 contributors pledging $100,000 or more.

World-class care, close to home

Services at St. Anthony Hospital, which opens in March 2009, will include:

24-hour emergency department
Inpatient and outpatient medical care
Inpatient and outpatient surgery
Heart catheterization and vascular laboratory
Outpatient cancer therapy Outpatient physical, speech and occupational therapies

The Milgard Medical Pavilion, the state-of-the-art office building that adjoins St. Anthony and is connected to the hospital by a sky bridge, will be home to physician offices and outpatient services.

St. Anthony Hospital is part of the Franciscan Health System, which is affiliated with Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the nation. More information about St. Anthony Hospital is online at www.GigHarborhospital.org

St. Joseph Medical Center adds Neuro Intensive Care Unit

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

New service benefits stroke, neurosurgery patients

St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma has opened its state-of-the-art intensive care unit for patients who are being treated for stroke and other disorders of the brain, spinal cord and nervous system.
Called the Neuro Intensive Care Unit, the eight-bed unit is located within the hospital’s acclaimed Critical Care Unit.

It features advanced technology, a highly trained staff and specialized, continuous care for patients following neurosurgery, treatment of traumatic brain injury, and interventional radiology. Interventional radiology is a procedure used to treat stroke and aneurysm (an abnormal bulge in the wall of an artery that can burst, causing dangerous, often fatal, bleeding inside the body). Another key service provided within the new unit is neuro-rehabilitation to aid patients on the road to recovery.

“Stroke is one of the leading causes of death among men and women in the nation, and it is the leading cause of adult disabilities,” says Gena Kreiner, a registered nurse and coordinator of the Stroke Program at St. Joseph. “We are committed to providing our patients with the very best care before, during and after surgery.”

St. Joseph Medical Center, which is part of Franciscan Health System and Catholic Health Initiatives, is a regional leader in neuroscience medicine and therapies. It was the first to bring Gamma Knife technology to Pierce County. This sophisticated technology is used to conduct minimally invasive brain surgery for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, tumors and other disorders. During Gamma Knife surgery, as many as 201 beams of radiation are precisely directed to the targeted tumor or lesion. This procedure is often appropriate for deep-seated tumors and for patients who are not candidates for traditional brain surgery due to their age or illness.

Also at St. Joseph, neurologists and neurosurgeons use a procedure called deep brain stimulation in which electrical impulses are sent to specific brain structures in order to suppress the symptoms of Essential Tremor, Parkinson’s disease and other disorders.

“Our new Neuro ICU Unit is an important addition to our breadth of quality care, close to home,” says Kreiner.

St. Joseph Medical Center is the flagship hospital of the Franciscan Health System. Franciscan is affiliated with Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the nation.

St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood now home to Chronic Pain Management Program

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Franciscan Chronic Pain Management Program has relocated from Tacoma to the Resource Center on the campus of St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood.

The program, which started 30 years ago at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, has helped more than 1,000 men and women learn skills they need to manage chronic pain and to lead more active, productive lives.

Chronic pain is generally the result of a disease or an injury, and can take on a life of its own long after the initial condition has healed.

At the Chronic Pain Management Program, the staff’s approach to rehabilitation emphasizes comprehensive patient education, graduated physical conditioning and reactivation, and intensive training in coping skills and mind-body approaches to managing pain. The staff also helps individuals:

· Get back to work

· Reduce their reliance on pain medications

· Increase daily activities

· Avoid debilitating pain flare-ups

Upon completion of the program, more than two-thirds of patients have shown significant gains in daily functioning and individuals have reported, on average, a doubling of their amount of physical activity. For more information about the Chronic Pain Management Program at St. Clare Hospital, call (253) 985-6560.

St. Clare Hospital, 11315 Bridgeport Way SW in Lakewood, is part of the Franciscan Health System.

‘Win the Diabetes Challenge’ with Joe Piscatella

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Featured speakers also include physicians, dieticians

Best selling author and health expert Joe Piscatella will be the keynote speaker at a free diabetes symposium, “Win the Diabetes Challenge,” on Saturday, Nov. 1, 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Stadium High School Theatre in Tacoma. The address is 111 North E Street.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and Mr. Piscatella will be joined by local medical experts who will provide information about medications, treatment options and the prevention of heart disease.

Other speakers include K. David McCowen, MD, who is chief of diabetes services for the Franciscan Health System in Tacoma; Ronald Graf, MD, chief of diabetes services for MultiCare Health System in Tacoma; and registered dietitian Becky Clow will host a patient panel discussion.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone that converts sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles, according to the American Diabetes Association.

This event is jointly sponsored by Franciscan Health System and MultiCare Health System. Call 1-800-342-9919 by Oct. 30 to reserve a seat. Admission is free.

St. Anthony Hospital office building will be called Milgard Medical Pavilion

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Facility named for Gary and Carol Milgard’s family

Thanks to the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation’s generous support of St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, the office building that adjoins Franciscan Health System’s new hospital will be named the Milgard Medical Pavilion.

Within the past year the Milgard foundation has made two grants totaling $4.5 million to the Franciscan Foundation, with nearly half the amount earmarked for the capital campaign for St. Anthony Hospital. Launched last year, the Campaign for St. Anthony welcomes community support to help pay for an array of enhancements to the new hospital’s healing environment.

“These gifts are the Milgard family’s way of giving back to the community that helped them become so successful,” says Chris Zemanek, executive director of the Milgard Family Foundation. “Gary and Carol are no longer with us but their three children – Cari Milgard-DeGoede, Lori Milgard-Rivera and Mark Milgard – are continuing the family’s legacy, educating the next generation about the value of philanthropy.”

The Milgard Medical Pavilion at St. Anthony Hospital is an 85,000-square-foot facility connected to the hospital by a sky bridge. It will be home to doctors’ offices; the state-of-the-art Jane Thompson Russell Cancer Care Center; physical, speech and occupational rehabilitation therapies; and other outpatient programs. The Jane Thompson Russell Cancer Care Center will provide a comprehensive array of outpatient cancer treatments – from chemotherapy and complementary therapies to sophisticated radiation therapy which will be available for the first time on the Peninsula.

St. Anthony Hospital opens in early 2009. It will feature 80 patient beds; a 24-hour emergency department; medical, surgical and critical care units; a heart catheterization and vascular laboratory; and diagnostic imaging services such as MRI, CT scans and ultrasound. Located on Canterwood Boulevard in Gig Harbor North, St. Anthony Hospital is conveniently located to serve residents of Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, South Kitsap County and North Mason County.

Of the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation’s two grants to Franciscan this year, one was a $2.5 million gift to help create the Carol Milgard Breast Center in Tacoma in early 2009. The other, a $2 million gift, supports St. Anthony Hospital and is the largest pledge that the Campaign for St. Anthony has received. The Milgard gift boosted to $8.8 million the total amount pledged so far toward the campaign’s $10 million goal.

“The generosity of the Gary E. Milgard Foundation continues to be a remarkable example of leadership in philanthropy for the South Sound,” said Jon Flora, president of the Franciscan Foundation. “We are deeply grateful to the Milgard family and the Milgard foundation for stepping forward with this generous support of St. Anthony Hospital and of quality patient care in our community.”

St. Anthony Hospital will be the fifth hospital in the Franciscan Health System, joining St. Joseph Medical Center of Tacoma; St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood; St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; and Enumclaw Regional Hospital. The Franciscan organization also includes Franciscan Medical Group, a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians located in Gig Harbor and throughout Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties.

St. Joseph Medical Center Ball will benefit expanded mental health services

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Tickets now on sale for Nov. 15 event in Tacoma

Proceeds from the Franciscan Foundation’s 33rd annual St. Joseph Medical Center Ball on Saturday, Nov. 15, in Tacoma will help pay for expansion of the hospital’s voluntary inpatient mental health unit.

Upgrades to patient rooms, clinical spaces and equipment are necessary as the Franciscan Health System prepares to consolidate the voluntary inpatient mental health program at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way into a single, larger program at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. The consolidation is scheduled to take place in the spring of 2009.

The St. Joseph Medical Center Ball, with the 1960s theme of “It’s A Mod World,” will be held at the Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma. Under the volunteer leadership of Co-Chairs Mark and Angela Strecker, the event will be underway from 6 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. with dining, dancing, silent and live auctions, and special entertainment. Tickets cost $200 per person and may be reserved by calling the Franciscan Foundation at (253) 428-8411.

“For three decades, this has been one of the premier charity events in Tacoma,” said Jon Flora, president of the Franciscan Foundation. “Over these many years, the generous support of Ball donors and sponsors has helped fund new equipment, facility improvements and a variety of patient services -- all of which have made St. Joseph Medical Center the Best Place to Heal.”

Major sponsors of the Ball include Bank of America, the Puget Sound Institute of Pathology, Sellen Construction Co., and physicians who provide inpatient psychiatry services at both St. Joseph Medical Center and St. Francis Hospital.

Effective in the spring of 2009, the 10-bed inpatient mental health unit at St. Francis will be closed and the inpatient unit at St. Joseph Medical Center expanded to create a larger, regional mental health service based at St. Joseph.

“Consolidation offers us the opportunity to take the best features of two smaller units and create more specialized care and programs that will serve residents of the South Puget Sound,” says Syd Bersante, chief operating officer at St. Joseph Medical Center. “During the transition, mental health services will continue uninterrupted at St. Francis. We have provided voluntary inpatient mental health care at St. Joseph since the 1950s, and we look forward to continuing this important service for the community.”

To prepare for the consolidation, the existing 16-bed mental health unit at St. Joseph is being expanded and updated to accommodate a total of 23 patient beds at a cost of about $1.5 million. An important funding source will be proceeds generated by the St. Joseph Medical Center Ball.

Franciscan Health System is the only hospital-based provider of voluntary inpatient mental health services in Pierce and South King counties. Mental health patients who seek treatment at Franciscan choose treatment, with the aid of a family member or a physician’s referral. “Voluntary” means they are able to ask for and consent to treatment. This differs from “involuntary” patients, which include individuals who need mental health treatment but decline services. They are often committed for care in a civil hearing. Franciscan does not treat involuntary patients.

St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Francis Hospital and the Franciscan Foundation are part of Franciscan Health System.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital COO Dennis Popp receives hospital award

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Dennis Popp (right) receives the leadership award from Bud Barnes, chair of the Washington State Hospital Association Board of Directors.

Washington State Hospital Association recognizes outstanding leadership

Dennis Popp, the chief operating officer at Enumclaw Regional Hospital since 1985, was awarded the prestigious Joe Hopkins Memorial Award for outstanding leadership by the Washington State Hospital Association in Seattle on Oct. 8.

During his 40-year career, Popp has worked with true compassion and a passion for the challenges of rural health care.

The Joe Hopkins Award is named after the former hospital association chair and hospital administrator who lost his battle with cancer in 1987. The award was created in honor of Hopkins’s outstanding leadership and special qualities of warmth, persistence, insight, hardworking attitude and humor. It recognizes individuals who exhibit similar qualities in service to hospitals in Washington State.

Popp represented Enumclaw Regional Hospital during merger negotiations with the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System in 2007. Through his leadership, the long-term future of high-quality health care in his community was secured through the hospital’s historic affiliation with Franciscan in May 2007. Construction of a 90,000-square-foot-replacement Enumclaw hospital is already underway. The new facility, scheduled to open in 2010, will feature all the services the community hospital now provides and be supported by the newest imaging and medical technology.

“At this time, in this industry, in this state, we need people like Dennis. He is a model of compassion, hard work and real solutions,” said Leo Greenawalt, president of the Washington State Hospital Association. “We are thrilled to recognize Dennis’s devotion to strengthening rural health care and to building a stronger community, both inside and outside the hospital.”

At the award ceremony on Wednesday, Popp was also recognized for his involvement in hospital association committees, the Northwest Washington Hospital Council, and as board member of the Washington Hospital Worker Compensation Trust. He has served on the hospital association’s Rural Hospital Committee and on the board of the Rural Healthcare Quality Network. In addition, he has always encouraged his hospital’s board members to participate in hospital association activities and to be engaged in creating a high-quality health care system statewide.

“I am deeply honored to have received this very special award,” said Popp, who was unaware that he was the award recipient until his name was announced at the ceremony. “This is another opportunity to emphasize the vital need to provide accessible health care services conveniently in rural communities.”

Before joining Enumclaw Regional Hospital in 1985, Popp held administrative positions at Valley Medical Center in Renton and Ballard Community Hospital in Seattle. His education includes a Master’s in Healthcare Administration degree from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Il.

His community involvements include serving as chairman of the Northwest Kidney Centers; as president of the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce; and as chair of the Health Services Consortium Steering Committee.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital, which opened in 1949, is one of five hospitals in Franciscan Health System. The others are St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in early 2009).

The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) represents all of Washington’s 98 community hospitals. The association takes a major leadership role in issues that affect delivery, quality, accessibility, affordability and continuity of health care. It works to improve the health status of the residents of Washington State. WSHA is online at www.wsha.org.

St. Joseph Medical Center will host Blessing of the Animals ceremony

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Public event for pet owners begins at 10 a.m. Oct. 11 in Tacoma

St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma will host a Blessing of the Animals ceremony from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11 for the public and Franciscan Health System employees.

This special ceremony will promote compassion for all animals and offer pet owners the opportunity to reflect upon the positive impact that their cats, dogs and other critters have on their emotional and physical well-being. Blessing of the Animals is an annual autumn ceremony conducted by Catholic communities in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi and his love for all creatures.

This ceremony will take place in the parking lot of Northwest Medical Plaza, 1812 South J St., directly across from the ambulance entrance to St. Joseph Medical Center. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held on the bottom floor of the parking garage at the nearby St. Joseph Outpatient Center.

Also, representatives of the Pierce County Humane Society and Franciscan’s Pet Partner program will attend the ceremony to talk about local opportunities to help animals. At the event:

· Companion animals of all shapes and sizes are welcome.

· Dogs must be leashed.

· Cats and other small animals should be brought inside a cage or pet carrier.

· To protect and respect the hospital’s campus and all creatures, animals must be secured at all times and pet owners must use pooper scoopers to clean up after their critters.

· Animals will not be allowed inside the hospital.

Additionally, the Volunteer Services Department at St. Joseph Medical Center will collect donations of money, dog and cat food, as well as pet toys, Oct. 11-24 to benefit the Humane Society.

St. Joseph Medical Center, founded in 1891 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, is the flagship hospital of the Franciscan Health System.

Digital mammography now offered at Enumclaw Regional Hospital

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

New service made possible thanks to $496,000 gift from Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation

Enumclaw Regional Hospital has added state-of-the-art digital mammography to its array of outpatient services, broadening the community’s access to advanced medicine and trusted care.

Digital mammography converts X-rays directly into sharp images for the radiologist to review, completely eliminating the degrading effects of light diffusion and producing images of unparalleled clarity and detail.

“With full-field digital mammography, images are captured digitally on a screen instead of film, which particularly benefits examination of dense breast tissue,” said radiologist David Rice, MD, the hospital’s medical director of imaging. “Breast cancer is detected earlier and more often through its use.”

Enumclaw Regional Hospital staff will provide only digital mammograms starting Oct. 10 as film mammograms are discontinued.

Digital mammography is possible at the hospital thanks to the Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation, which contributed $496,000 needed to purchase the sophisticated technology. “We are extremely grateful to the Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation for their generous support of our hospital through the years,” said Dennis Popp, the hospital’s chief operating officer. “The Foundation’s purchase of this digital technology is a wonderful testament of its ongoing commitment to ensuring quality health care for our community.”

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society recommends all women 40 and older undergo a screening mammogram every year. Mammograms can detect cancer early and save lives. The risk for breast cancer increases as women age, but the good news is that breast tissue in senior women is thinner, improving the odds of early detection and successful treatment.

Benefits of digital mammography for patients include greater convenience, increased comfort during the exam, and potentially less exposure to radiation. “The time required for a screening mammogram is reduced using digital imaging,” Dr. Rice said. “Typically with screen film mammography, patients undergo four views, film processing and then technologist review. If additional images are needed, the process has to be repeated. With full-field digital mammography, image processing is immediate, allowing the technologist to reposition the patient and redo an image if necessary.”

Because technologists can view the images within seconds and confirm proper positioning, this reduces the likelihood that patients will be called back for additional images to be made. Over- and underexposed images need not be redone because they can be electronically enhanced to improve clarity and allow acceptable tissue visualization; this results in fewer repeat images and less patient exposure to radiation.

Also, digital-image data archiving and retrieval are improved with digital technology because no studies are lost and there’s no need to store films. “If necessary, we are able to send images electronically to a breast specialist in another location for a second opinion,” Dr. Rice said.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital, which has served the community since 1946, affiliated with the Franciscan Health System in 2007. Enumclaw Regional Hospital joins St. Francis Hospital, the Franciscan acute-care facility in Federal Way, as the only Franciscan Health System hospitals offering digital mammography.

To schedule a digital mammogram at Enumclaw Regional Hospital, call (360) 802-3223. To schedule a digital mammogram at the Women’s Health & Breast Center at St. Francis, call (253) 944-4025. In addition to breast-imaging, the Women’s Health & Breast Center at St. Francis offers a wide range of services for women of all ages such as ultrasound; non-invasive physical therapy and biofeedback treatments for incontinence and pelvic pain; bone density tests; alternative medicine and therapies; and educational resources.

St. Francis Hospital welcomes its new chief operating officer

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Tony McLean steps into new role today as Federal Way Hospital’s top administrator

Tony McLean is the new chief operating officer at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, and today is his first day on the job as the top administrator at the 110-bed, acute-care facility.

“Franciscan Health System is renowned for its quality care and commitment to putting the patient first,” says McLean. “I’m thrilled to become a part of this organization, and to be able to further its mission to create healthier communities, particularly here at St. Francis Hospital.”

McLean has extensive experience in health care leadership, and most recently served as vice president of operations for Virginia Mason Health System in Seattle. At St. Francis, he succeeds Sister Anne McNamara who had served as interim chief operating officer since January. Sister Anne is a long-time member of the Franciscan Health System’s leadership team. St. Francis Hospital is part of the Franciscan Health System.

As vice president of operations at Virginia Mason, McLean was responsible for the strategic growth and operational leadership of various inpatient and outpatient services, including cancer, surgery, orthopedics, neurosciences and outpatient therapies.

McLean earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and a Master of Health Administration degree from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Virginia Mason, he worked in the administration departments at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, and at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

As chief operating officer at St. Francis, McLean is the top executive at the full-service community hospital that has served South King County since 1987. The campus includes the hospital and the St. Francis Outpatient Center, which is home to radiation oncology; diagnostic imaging; day surgery; and physical, speech and occupational rehabilitation. He reports to Joe Wilczek, president and chief executive officer of the Franciscan Health System.

St. Francis Hospital is the leading provider of weight loss surgery in the state and is designated as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. Its Emergency Department is also one of the busiest in the state, with more than 48,300 patient visits between July 2007 and July 2008.

In September, St. Francis opened a new Critical Care Unit and completed expansion of its Emergency Department. “I am very excited about the opportunity to support St. Francis Hospital during this pivotal time,” says McLean. “The recent addition of the Critical Care Unit and expansion of the Emergency Department are part of St. Francis’ continuing commitment to serving the needs of Federal Way residents.”

The hospital is planning to add a new wing that will house 36 additional beds for medical and surgical patients that were approved earlier this year by the Washington State Department of Health.

St. Clare Hospital is a sponsor of Autumn Leaf Health & Safety Festival

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Annual event will be held Oct. 11 in Lakewood; admission is free

Free immunizations for children, as well as clinical screenings for prostate and skin cancer, and glucose and cholesterol levels are some of the services that will be provided by St. Clare Hospital staff at the Autumn Leaf Health & Safety Festival on Saturday, Oct. 11 in Lakewood.

The seventh-annual event will be underway from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Clover Park High School, 11023 Gravelly Lake Drive. Admission is free of charge. Nearly 50 vendors will be on hand to provide a variety of health and safety services, such as asthma screenings and blood pressure tests, and to answer questions.

The Autumn Leaf Health & Safety Festival is sponsored by St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, Clover Park School District and the Lakewood Fire District.

St. Clare Hospital is part of the Franciscan Health System, which is renowned for advanced medicine and trusted care. Additionally, the organization is committed to working toward the creation of healthier community through community outreach initiatives such as the Autumn Leaf Health & Safety Festival.

St. Joseph Medical Center wins Consumer Choice Award for 10th year

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

St. Joseph Medical Center has received the prestigious Consumer Choice Award for the 10th straight year for being identified as a preferred hospital in Tacoma by an independent survey of area residents by National Research Corp.

Winners of the Consumer Choice Award from 190 markets across the U.S. were announced Sept. 29 by National Research Corp. (NRC), an independent company that measures health care performance and improvement. The list of winners also was published in the Sept. 29 edition of Modern Healthcare, an industry publication.

“The Consumer Choice Award is another testament to our hospital’s success at meeting the needs of patients and families,” said Joe Wilczek, president and chief executive officer of the 6,500-employee Franciscan Health System, which includes St. Joseph Medical Center. “It acknowledges the special dedication, commitment to excellence and the superior skill that our physicians, nurses and other staff members demonstrate every day.”

Four questions from the NRC survey are rolled up into the results for the Consumer Choice Award:

· Who has the best doctors?

· Who has the best nurses?

· Who provides the best overall quality?

· Who has the best image and reputation?

St. Joseph Medical Center and other winners of the Consumer Choice Award across America were selected by the community residents they serve. St. Joseph has received award every year for the past decade.

National Research Corp., based in Lincoln, Neb., is online at www.nationalresearch.com. The company’s performance assessments offer the tangible measurement of health service quality demanded by consumers, employers, industry accreditation organizations and lawmakers.

St. Francis Medical Clinic welcomes Cardiologist Patrick Reagan, MD, JD

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Medical Group is pleased to announce that esteemed cardiologist Patrick Reagan, MD, has joined the staff of St. Francis Medical Clinic in Federal Way.

A Fellowship-trained cardiologist, Dr. Reagan is board-certified in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology and internal medicine. He provides comprehensive heart care with special interests in adult cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure.

With more than 30 years experience, Dr. Reagan believes strongly in the importance of treating his patients as he would want to be treated. He takes the time to educate his patients on the risks associated with heart disease and the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Reagan earned his medical degree from Creighton University Affiliated Hospitals in Omaha, Neb., where he also completed his residency and Fellowship programs.

With the addition of Dr. Reagan, Franciscan Medical Group (FMG) further extends its breadth of primary care and specialty patient care services. In addition to cardiology, FMG patient services include internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, bariatric weight loss, orthopedics, vascular surgery, internal medicine, podiatry, prompt care, general surgery, otolaryngology and much more.

Dr. Reagan is accepting new patients at St. Francis Medical Clinic. To schedule an appointment, please contact the clinic at (253) 853-8040.

Franciscan Medical Group, which is affiliated with Franciscan Health System, is a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics at 51 locations throughout Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties.

Orthopedic surgeon Joshua Johnston, MD joins Federal Way Orthopedic Associates

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Medical Group welcomes Joshua Johnston, MD, to Federal Way Orthopedic Associates. A Fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Johnston has a special expertise in arthroscopic surgery and the treatment of sports-related injuries.

As a Fellow at the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group (recently designated a FIFA Centre of Medical Excellence), he provided care for members of the L.A. Galaxy and Chivas USA Major League Soccer teams, the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National teams and the Pepperdine University and Santa Monica Community College athletic departments. He strives to provide advanced, efficient and compassionate care for patients with orthopedic injuries.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Johnston earned a degree in medicine from the University of Washington in Seattle, and completed his residency at Michigan State University in Kalamazoo. He has extensive experience in treating active individuals of all ages. Also, he is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Federal Way Orthopedic Associates is part of the Franciscan Medical Group network of clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties. Franciscan Medical Group is also affiliated with Franciscan Health System, the preeminent provider of inpatient and outpatient medical services in the South Puget Sound region. Federal Way Orthopedic Associates can be reached at (253) 838-8552.

Neurologist Marlene Bednar, MD joins Northwest Neurology

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Medical Group welcomes Marlene Bednar, MD to Northwest Neurology. Board-certified in both neurology and neurophysiology, Dr. Bednar provides comprehensive general neurology care and she has special interests in stroke, epilepsy, headache, peripheral neurology, memory disorders, neurorehabilitation and Parkinson’s disease.

Before joining Northwest Neurology, she directed the neurology and clinical neurophysiology programs of the Olympic Medical Physicians, a division of Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles and Sequim, Wash. Dedicated to establishing productive, cooperative relationships with her patients, she strives to provide compassionate, quality care through education and advocacy.

Dr. Bednar earned her medical degrees from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara in Mexico, and New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y. She completed residencies in neurology at the Case Medical Center of the University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio, and in internal medicine and neurology at MetroHealth Medical Center, also in Cleveland.

Additionally, she completed Fellowships in electromyography and pain management at the Case Medical Center of the University Hospitals of Cleveland and in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at The Cleveland Clinic. An expert in her field, Dr. Bednar is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Association of Electrodiagnostic and Neuromuscular Medicine, American Pain Society, the Washington State Neurological Society and the Washington State Medical Association.

Northwest Neurology, which has offices in Lakewood and Gig Harbor, is part of the Franciscan Medical Group network of clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties. Franciscan Medical Group is affiliated with Franciscan Health System.

Northwest Neurology can be reached at (253) 985-2744.

Urogynecologist and Pelvic Surgeon Cindy Mosbrucker, MD, joins Franciscan Medical Group

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Medical Group announces the addition of urogynecologist and pelvic surgeon Cindy Mosbrucker, MD to the staff at St. Joseph Medical Clinic in Tacoma and Gig Harbor Medical Clinic.

A board-certified gynecologist, her medical interests include women’s health, urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic prolapse, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, pelvic and abdominal pain, uterine fibroids, irregular bleeding, advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery.

Dr. Mosbrucker recently completed advanced training under David Redwine, MD, a world-renowned expert in the treatment of endometriosis, to further her expertise in laparoscopic excision of endometriosis and advanced laparoscopic surgery.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Mosbrucker received a degree in medicine from Northwestern University in Chicago, and completed her residency at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. A Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, she has extensive experience in performing vaginal and pelvic reconstruction, and advanced laparoscopic surgeries.

Dr. Mosbrucker’s philosophy of care is to treat patients as if they were members of her own family while actively involving them in the decision-making process. “I believe approaching complex medical problems as a team, with mutual respect and trust, leads to better treatment outcomes and greater patient satisfaction,” she says. Dr. Mosbrucker welcomes new patients at both the Tacoma and Gig Harbor clinics.

St. Joseph Medical Clinic and Gig Harbor Medical Clinic are part of the Franciscan Medical Group network of primary and specialty-care clinics and physicians in Pierce, South King and Kitsap counties.

Franciscan Medical Group is affiliated with Franciscan Health System, the preeminent health care provider serving the South Puget Sound region.

St. Joseph Medical Clinic can be reached at (253) 627-9151. The phone number for Gig Harbor Medical Clinic is (253) 858-9192.

Tacoma community volunteers chosen for Humanitarian of the Year Award

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Herman and Dorothy Diers known for tireless service to others

Herman Diers and his wife, Dorothy, have been chosen to receive the 2008 St. Francis Humanitarian of the Year Award for their tireless volunteerism in Tacoma that has helped individuals and families in need.

This prestigious award will be presented to them during a special ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 2, starting at 11:30 a.m., in the Lagerquist Center at St. Joseph Medical Center, 1717 South J St. in Tacoma.

“Those who have had the opportunity to work alongside Herman and Dorothy know that this couple truly embodies the spirit of St. Francis,” said Jon Flora, Franciscan Foundation president. “We are proud to acknowledge and honor such dedicated community volunteers.”

The St. Francis Humanitarian of the Year Award recognizes individuals who exemplify the values of St. Francis of Assisi by serving the poor, promoting peace and embracing diversity. This is the 27th year that the award has been presented. It is sponsored by the Order of the Sisters of St. Francis and the Franciscan Foundation, the philanthropic arm of St. Joseph Medical Center and the non-profit Franciscan Health System.

“Dorothy and I are stunned and humbled to receive this award in the wonderful tradition of such a great man,” Herman Diers said. “We dare to accept it only with the understanding that it also acknowledges the devotion of the hundreds of people who have worked with us so courageously over the years to rebuild the Hilltop community.”

Diers, an ordained Lutheran minister, and his wife relocated to Tacoma after he retired from a distinguished career as a professor of religion and director of multicultural and global studies at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. There, he encouraged students to do something significant with their lives and assisted them in their preparation to do just that.

Upon retiring, he and Dorothy made their own commitment to work for the betterment of humanity. She decided to do volunteer work through Associated Ministries, FISH Food Banks and the First Lutheran Church in Tacoma. He concentrated his time and energy in support of Tacoma’s Hilltop Action Coalition, a grassroots citizens group. For more than 13 years, he worked for neighborhood improvements by participating in hundreds of meetings, phone calls and negotiations with landlords, gang members, churches, businesses and others.

“He always tried to see both sides of every situation,” said Christie Comeau, a staff member in St. Joseph Medical Center’s department of volunteer services and community outreach. “He is a champion for the underserved but at the same time expects people to rise to their capabilities -- and will do everything he can to help them do just that.”

Rev. David T. Alger, executive director of Associated Ministries in Tacoma and recipient of the St. Francis Humanitarian of the Year Award in 1989, said that Herman and Dorothy Diers “are cut from the same cloth.”

“The two have the same energy, the same twinkle in their eyes, the same gentle spirit, the same faith foundation, and the same commitment to serving others in hopes of building a gentler, kinder and more justice-filled world,” Alger added. “We are thrilled to see them get the recognition they deserve.”

Recipients of the Humanitarian of the Year award select a charity to receive a $1,000 donation from the Franciscan Foundation: Herman and Dorothy Diers have chosen the Hilltop Action Coalition for the donation. In addition, the 6,500-employee Franciscan Health System is conducting a canned food drive in their honor to benefit FISH and other food banks in the Franciscan service area of Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties.

St. Francis Hospital fundraiser will support breast services for women

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Bunco for Breast Care scheduled for Oct. 9 in Federal Way

Missing your annual mammogram can be dicey, so help fund breast services for women in need with a fun evening of Bunco on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Twin Lakes Golf & Country Club in Federal Way.

Proceeds from this fundraiser featuring the popular dice game will help fund breast care—from mammograms to surgery—for women in the Federal Way community who lack medical insurance or the ability to pay for the care they need.

Admission cost is $22 per person and includes light appetizers and prizes. Specialty drinks such as Mammo Martinis and Cosmos for Cancer will be available for purchase. Reservations are required. Prepay by credit card by calling toll-free (888) 825-3227. Seating is limited and this popular event fills quickly.

Why mammograms are important

A mammogram, such as those provided at the Women’s Health & Breast Center at St. Francis, is a special kind of X-ray of the breasts that can help find breast cancer early, when it can still be cured.

Annual mammograms are recommended for women older than 40, even if they have no signs of breast cancer. Mammograms are also recommended for younger women who have symptoms of breast cancer or who have a high risk of breast cancer based on family history.

Early detection can save the woman’s breast—and her life. Mammograms can show tumors that may be cancer long before they can be felt. Treating tumors when they are still small makes treating and curing cancer easier.

Each year, about 185,000 women in the United States get breast cancer and about 40,000 die from it. Also, the older the woman, the more likely she is to get breast cancer, studies show.

Digital mammography at St. Francis

The Women’s Health & Breast Center at St. Francis uses state-of-the-art technology to provide digital mammograms. This direct-capture technology offers improved visibility of the breast, particularly near the skin line, the chest wall and in women with dense breast tissue. Digital images can be viewed in seconds, allowing the mammographer to confirm proper positioning. This reduces the likelihood of having to come back for additional images.

Digital mammography takes an electronic image of the breast and stores it directly in a computer. This method uses less radiation than traditional film mammography. Digital mammography improves image storage and transmission because images can be stored and sent electronically. Radiologists also use software to help interpret digital mammograms more quickly and precisely than is possible with film mammograms.

St. Francis Hospital, which has served the Federal Way area since 1987, provides a broad array of inpatient and outpatient medical services.

St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way opens its new Critical Care Unit

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Emergency Department has also been renovated, expanded

The new Critical Care Unit at St. Francis Hospital opened on Thursday, Sept. 4, marking a milestone expansion of the community hospital in Federal Way.

This state-of-the-art addition, which has 30 beds, houses the intensive care and progressive care units where the most seriously ill and injured patients will be treated by a team of expert physicians, nurses and other health care professionals.

The Critical Care Unit has been constructed on top of the busy Emergency Department. As part of this $32 million project, the Emergency Department was also renovated and expanded, creating additional treatment space and a larger, more comfortable public lobby.

“Our hospital is growing so that we can better serve the community,” says Sister Anne McNamara, interim chief operating officer at St. Francis.

Critical Care Unit

The Critical Care Unit, which features all-private patient rooms, is the largest addition to the hospital since the St. Francis Outpatient Center opened in 2003. The new facility houses skilled staff and advanced technology dedicated to treating critical care patients who, until now, have received care on the hospital’s general medical and surgical floors.

The addition of the Critical Care Unit means fewer patients will have to be transferred to other hospitals for care. In previous years, for example, more than 600 patients annually have been sent to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and other hospitals because St. Francis Hospital lacked available beds.

While the beds in the Critical Care Unit are not additional beds, the all-private rooms allow for more efficient use of all the hospital’s 110 licensed beds. The new Critical Care Unit also will permit semi-private rooms on the hospital’s medical and surgical floors that have previously had two patient beds each to now become single-patient, fully private suites.

The Critical Care Unit includes 14 intensive care rooms for critically ill patients who need intensive monitoring by specially trained caregivers, and 16 progressive care rooms for patients who do not need intensive care but do require more nursing care than is usually provided on the general medical and surgical floors.

Each of the patient rooms is private and spacious, and features innovative design that provides caregivers immediate access to the equipment and supplies needed for the care of the critically ill. The patient rooms also feature:

· Full, private bathrooms that enhance patient privacy and provide ultimate flexibility for patient and staff

· Lifts for safe patient handling

· Large windows, allowing in natural light and providing grand views of Mount Rainier, surrounding trees and the Healing Garden

· Plenty of comfortable space for visitors, including large fold-out window seats that enable family members to stay the night with their loved ones

· Large, movable booms mounted to the ceilings in intensive care rooms and which hold all the necessary high-tech monitoring and patient-care equipment

· Centralized monitoring system allowing for 24/7 monitoring of all rooms

· Observation alcoves each equipped with a computer and phone from which nurses visually monitor patients from outside the patient rooms

· A “nurse server” feature that permits all necessary supplies to be stocked from outside the patient rooms, decreasing staff exposure to infection and increasing privacy for the patients.

Expanded Emergency Department

The Emergency Department at St. Francis Hospital has been expanded and remodeled to better handle the growing number of patients. Designed to handle 25,000 patients per year when the hospital opened 21 years ago, the Emergency Department now accommodates nearly 48,000 patient visits annually.

Changes include the addition of four exam rooms and an expanded waiting area to better serve patients. The check-in and triage areas have also been remodeled, creating better patient flow and privacy. A new elevator allows faster transfer of patients to the second-floor operating rooms and the new Critical Care Unit on the third floor.

The Critical Care Unit was designed by Mahlum Architects; Skanska served as the general contractor. The cost of the project is being paid by St. Francis Hospital, Franciscan Health System and Catholic Health Initiatives, the national organization with which Franciscan and St. Francis are affiliated.

St. Francis Hospital has served residents of Federal Way and South King County since 1987.

Community invited to celebrate groundbreaking for Enumclaw hospital

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Free public events scheduled Saturday, Sept. 20

A new hospital in Enumclaw moves a step closer to becoming reality on Thursday, Sept. 18 with a groundbreaking ceremony followed by a series of free community events Saturday, Sept. 20 to celebrate this milestone occasion.

The newly constructed Enumclaw Regional Hospital, set to open in early 2010, will give the community an acute-care facility that is twice as large as the existing hospital.

“Our state-of-the-art replacement hospital will feature the newest technology and innovative design, ensuring that our community has access to advanced medicine and trusted care for generations,” said David Rice, MD, radiologist and president of the medical staff at Enumclaw Regional Hospital.

Following the invitation-only groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 18, the hospital is sponsoring several free public events on Saturday, Sept. 20 to celebrate the start of the new facility. These will include:

Senior Health and Wellness Expo, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Field House (Old Pete’s Pool), Enumclaw Expo Center, 28511 Highway 410 E. This event is organized by the Enumclaw Senior Activity Center.
A health talk on how to raise “fit” children by best-selling author and renowned speaker Joe Piscatella, 10:30 a.m., Enumclaw Public Library, 1700 1st St. Call 1-888-825-3227 to reserve your seat.
Free family swim, 12-6 p.m., Enumclaw Aquatic Center, 420 Semanski St. (No reservations needed)
Free movie – “Kung Fu Panda” – 7 p.m., Chalet Theater, 1721 Wells St. Call 1-888-825-3227 for free tickets.
Free concert by Bobby Medina and the Red Hot Band, 7:30 p.m., Field House (Old Pete’s Pool), Enumclaw Expo Center, 28511 Highway 410 E. Call 1-888-825-3227 for free tickets.

The newly constructed hospital, which will have 90,000 square feet of space, will be directly across Battersby Avenue from the existing facility. The estimated cost of the project is $65 million, which will be paid by Franciscan Health System and Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives. Enumclaw Regional Hospital, which opened in 1949, joined the Tacoma-based Franciscan organization in May 2007.

The new hospital will offer all the services that the hospital now provides and include the newest medical and diagnostic imaging equipment. It will also feature:

All private patient rooms designed for the comfort of patients and their visitors
Eastside rooms with views of the foothills; westside rooms with views of the healing garden
Newest medical technology
Rooftop helipad for emergency transports
Chapel for prayer and meditation
Nearly triple the number of parking spaces
Plenty of space for additional and expanded services to meet the future needs of the community.

The new hospital will also incorporate a number of environment-friendly “green” features, among them the use of sustainable building materials, non-toxic paint, energy-efficient mechanical and lighting systems, 100 percent outside air, low-flush toilets, and landscaping bioswales to capture and filter rainwater. As a result, the new Enumclaw Regional Hospital will be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified hospital in Washington State.

In addition to providing primary and acute medical care, the new hospital could serve as a community gathering place in times of windstorms, power outages and other emergencies. Once the new structure is completed, the old hospital will be torn down and a parking lot built on the site.

Mahlum Architects, one of the most respected design firms in the Pacific Northwest, designed the replacement hospital. Sellen Co. is the general contractor for the construction project.

In addition to Enumclaw Regional Hospital, the Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma; St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opening early 2009); and Franciscan Medical Group clinics in King, Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Enumclaw Medical Center is part of the Franciscan Medical Group

Franciscan initiative seeks to raise awareness about end-of-life care

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

New outreach effort focuses on ethnic and racial minority populations
in South Sound region

Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care Director Mark Rake-Marona, Franciscan Palliative Care Outreach Director Georganne Trandum and Franciscan Foundation President Jon Flora celebrate a $76,500 grant from the Catholic Health Initiatives Health and Ministry Fund. The grant supports Franciscan’s initiative to raise minority population awareness about end-of-life care options.

Franciscan Health System announced today that it has received a $76,500 grant to help support its new initiative to make minority populations in the South Puget Sound region more aware of the care options that are available for terminally ill individuals.

The grant is from Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, the national organization with which Franciscan Health System is affiliated. Also, the Franciscan Foundation has contributed $5,600 for the initiative which is called “Closing the Disparity Gap in End-of-Life Care.”

Totaling $82,100, the funds will be used in part to support a staff position that will inform ethnic and racial minorities about care options for the terminally ill and explain how they can access those services. To make certain that services are culturally respectful, the grant will also support staff training and refinement of care procedures where necessary.

“We want to ensure that minority individuals can overcome cultural barriers and make fully informed choices about the type of care they receive when they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness,” says Mark Rake-Marona, director of Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care.
Studies indicate that members of ethnic and racial minorities are less likely than Caucasians to seek hospice or other end-of-life care. For example, while African-Americans and Latinos comprise 25 percent of the U.S. population, African-Americans account for only 8 percent and Latinos only 2 percent of hospice patients in the nation. Locally, less than 10 percent of patients and families served by Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care are from minority populations.

Franciscan is the largest provider of in-home and inpatient hospice services in the state. It also operates the only dedicated inpatient hospice facility – Franciscan Hospice House – in the South Sound. During the last 12 months, Franciscan Health System provided inpatient and in-home hospice care to nearly 3,000 individuals.

Last year, Franciscan partnered with the Korean Women’s Association to launch a program that helps Asian and Pacific Islander populations navigate through cultural and language barriers to end-of-life services. The new initiative announced today will supplement that and other outreach efforts.

“Language barriers and cultural differences create gaps in the ability to access care,” says Georganne Trandum, director of Franciscan Palliative Care Outreach, an award-winning program that serves individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness but who are not yet eligible for hospice. “It is our responsibility to hear the patient’s story and learn his or her remaining life goals, no matter their race or cultural differences.”

Next year, Franciscan will apply for an additional grant of up to $300,000 from Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) to support its new outreach effort through 2011.

Now in its 12th year, the CHI Mission and Ministry Fund has awarded 207 grants exceeding $26 million to support programs and services across the U.S. “One of the key missions of CHI is to serve communities outside the four walls of our hospitals and clinics,” says Kevin Lofton, president and chief executive officer of Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives. “These grants are a vital part of that outreach.”

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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award in recognition of its high quality and performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: http://www.fhshealth.org/

Walk from Obesity in Tacoma designed to raise awareness about health epidemic

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Event set for Sept. 27 at Ruston Way Waterfront Park

A two-mile walking event for people of all ages begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 on Ruston Way in Tacoma to help raise public awareness about the health dangers of being overweight or obese.

The Walk from Obesity is sponsored by the St. Francis Center for Weight Management in Federal Way and the Obesity Action Coalition, a Florida organization that sponsors similar walks in cities across the nation to raise awareness about obesity, morbid obesity and childhood obesity. Other local sponsors of the Tacoma walk are Drs. Ki Oh and Thomas Hirai, bariatric surgeons at the St. Francis Weight Loss Surgery Clinic in Federal Way.

The $25 per-person registration fee includes a commemorative T-shirt. Children age 12 and younger can take part in the event free of charge. Participants must register online at www.walkfromobesity.com. Pledge sheets are also available; all proceeds are to be designated for support of education, research and prevention of obesity.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33 percent of adult men are obese; 35 percent of adult women are obese; and 16 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 19 are extremely overweight or obese.

"Being obese increases the person’s risk for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, sleep apnea and some types of cancer," says Dr. Oh, one of the leading weight loss surgeons in the Pacific Northwest who performs bariatric procedures at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way.

Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems.

This marks the first time the Walk from Obesity has been held in Tacoma and the event has gained support from throughout the region. City councils in Federal Way, Lakewood, Tacoma and Gig Harbor have proclaimed Sept. 27 as National Walk from Obesity Day as a way to encourage people to participate in the walking event.

Participants in the Walk from Obesity will follow a 2-mile flat route that begins and ends at Dickman Mill Park along historic Ruston Way.

"Obesity impacts the quality of life of men, women and children," says Dr. Hirai, a bariatric surgeon who also performs weight loss procedures at St. Francis Hospital. "By participating in this walk, individuals will show their commitment to taking action and to working toward a solution for what has become a health crisis in our country."

For more information, call the St. Francis Center for Weight Management at 800-823-6525.

St. Francis Hospital, the St. Francis Center for Weight Management, and the St. Francis Weight Loss Surgery Clinic are part of the Franciscan Health System, the South Sound’s premier health care provider renowned for advanced medicine and trusted care.

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Franciscan Medical Group Announces Free Open House/Health Fair

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Gig Harbor Medical Clinic to offer free screenings, health information and clinic tours

Franciscan Medical Group today announced that the Gig Harbor Medical Clinic will host a free open house/health fair on Saturday, Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon, to celebrate the completion of a major remodel. The event, which is open to the community, will feature free health screenings, information booths, clinic tours, giveaways, family activities and refreshments. In addition, the clinic will hold a food drive to help support the Gig Harbor/Peninsula FISH Food Bank.

"Exceptional patient care and community service are at the heart of Franciscan’s mission to serve," said Jeffrey Harrison, DO, regional medical director for the Franciscan Medical Group. "This health fair not only gives us the opportunity to showcase the clinic, our services and our clinicians – it also allows us the opportunity to give back to the community by building awareness through health education and screenings. Our goal is to provide everyone the tools and resources they need to lead healthier lives."

The clinic has been redesigned to provide patients a warm, inviting place to heal – with a soothing decor and new specialty suites to better accommodate patient needs. In addition to primary care services, specialties now offered at the clinic include women’s health, urology, eye care and podiatry.

The free health screenings will include agility and balance evaluations, blood pressure checks, cholesterol/lipid profiles, glaucoma checks and risk assessments for heart disease. In addition, physicians and providers will brief attendees on Human Papillomavirus (HPV), bladder health, prostate cancer, diabetes and more.

Representatives of St. Anthony Hospital will also be on hand to provide the latest updates about the Franciscan Health System’s new community hospital in Gig Harbor that opens in early 2009.

Fair activities at the Gig Harbor Medical Clinic will include free face painting for children. Also, free child fingerprint identification kits will be given away (while supplies last). A few of the doctors have agreed to sit in a "Dunk a Doc" dunk tank for charity. All proceeds will be donated to the Gig Harbor/Key Peninsula food bank, which serves our local community. The clinic will also be accepting canned goods and non-perishable items to benefit the same cause.

The open house/health fair will be held at the Gig Harbor Medical Clinic, located at 6401 Kimball Drive, N.W. in Gig Harbor. There will be tents and information booths in the main parking lot and free parking is available. The event is free and admission is open to everyone.

Franciscan Medical Group is part of the Franciscan Health System.

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Franciscan Health System names Meta Dooley its senior vice president for strategic planning and business development

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Meta Dooley is the new senior vice president for strategic planning and business development for Franciscan Health System, one of the largest private employers in the South Puget Sound region that includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and hospitals in Federal Way, Lakewood, Enumclaw and Gig Harbor.

Her appointment was announced July 15 by Franciscan President and CEO Joe Wilczek.

She will direct system-wide strategic planning, business plan development for service lines and facilities, and advocacy for the 6,300-employee organization that is based in Tacoma and has hospitals, medical clinics and other care facilities in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to join the Franciscan Health System and to play an integral role in this great organization and the communities it serves currently and in the future,” Dooley said. “Franciscan’s reputation for excellence has established it as one of the best places to work and to receive medical care in the region.”

Dooley has had a distinguished career, including 15 years with MultiCare Health System where she served in several key strategic roles, including vice president of strategy, business development and legislative affairs from 2000 to 2005. Prior to that, she was a consultant with a strategic planning and facilities consulting firm. Since 2005, she has provided strategic and facility development counsel to clients across the country as a consultant.

An Auburn resident, Dooley received a bachelor’s degree from Western State College and has completed graduate studies at the University of Denver and the Harvard University Executive Education Program. She succeeds Laure Nichols, who left the Franciscan Health System earlier this year.

In addition to St. Joseph Medical Center, the Franciscan organization includes St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood; Enumclaw Regional Hospital; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opening early 2009); an expanding network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics; and the only inpatient hospice facility in the South Sound.

Franciscan Health System is a recent recipient of the Washington State Quality Award for performance.

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Franciscan Health System gives back to the communities it serves

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

In helping to fulfill the Franciscan Health System’s mission to create healthier communities, the Franciscan Foundation distributed nearly $300,000 in community grants during the 2008 fiscal year that ended June 30.

These grants were awarded to South Sound agencies and Franciscan facilities that are working to improve the health and well being of residents in communities that the Franciscan organization serves. The grants are funded by unrestricted gifts from Franciscan donors in support of the healing ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis and the faith-based Franciscan organization.

“As one of the largest organizations in the South Puget Sound region, we take our commitment to the communities and people we serve very seriously,” said Jon Flora, Franciscan Foundation president. “These grants are just one of the many ways Franciscan goes above and beyond the community benefit requirements for a tax-exempt, not-for-profit health care organization.”

Major recipients of the Foundation’s 2008 grants included the University of Washington-Tacoma for nursing scholarships; the ARK Institute for Learning to pay for additional trained therapists and increase scholarships available to clients struggling with learning disorders; and the PenMet Foundation to build a Boundless™ playground in Gig Harbor for children both with and without disabilities or critical illnesses.

Other organizations receiving Franciscan Foundation support this year include Kids At Hope NW Training & Resource Center; St. Clare Hospital Certified Music Practitioner Program; Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care; St. Anthony Hospital; Goodwill Industries; Reach Ministries; Special Olympics Washington; The Fund for Women & Girls; The Mustard Seed Project of Key Peninsula; and Young Life’s Malibu Club.

For more information or to make a donation to the Franciscan Foundation, please go online to http://www.foundation.fhshealth.org/or call 253-428-8411.

The Franciscan Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Franciscan Health System, which includes 6,300 employees, four hospitals and more than 50 clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties. Franciscan Health System is affiliated with Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the U.S.

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Franciscan Health Systemincludes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award in recognition of its high quality and performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: http://www.fhshealth.org/

Franciscan Health System expands care in Kitsap County with addition of physical therapy

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

New service will begin July 14 in Port Orchard

Franciscan Health System will launch a new service in South Kitsap County on Monday, July 14, with the opening of Franciscan Physical Therapy at Port Orchard.

Conveniently located on the second floor of the Franciscan Medical Pavilion at 451 S.W. Sedgwick Road, the new program will provide outpatient orthopedic physical therapy services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Patients will receive expert care for low back and neck pain; arthritis; work-related injuries; post-surgical rehabilitation; treatment of sprains, strains and contusions; as well as sports medicine for people of all ages. Services are scheduled by referral from a physician.

Practitioner Marc Nordby, MPT, brings 13 years of experience in outpatient orthopedics and specializes in manual therapy, work rehabilitation, spine treatment and sports rehabilitation. He holds a master’s degree in physical therapy from Loma Linda University School of Allied Health in Loma Linda, Calif. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 360-874-5930.

Franciscan Physical Therapy will be located in the same building that houses Franciscan’s Port Orchard Medical Clinic.

Franciscan Health System, which is opening St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor in early 2009, is a leading provider of inpatient and outpatient medical services in South Kitsap, Pierce and South King counties.

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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award in recognition of its high quality and performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: http://www.fhshealth.org/

Laurie Brown, RN, is named vice president, chief nursing officer for Franciscan Health System

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Laurie Brown, a longtime manager and director at the Franciscan Health System, has been promoted to vice president and chief nursing officer for the 6,300-employee organization.

“I am honored to have been chosen for this leadership position,” she said. “I look forward to the opportunities ahead for helping Franciscan achieve its strategic goals of being the best place to heal and the best place to work.”

The position of vice president and chief nursing officer is a new executive position that is dedicated to the advancement of nursing practice throughout the Franciscan Health System. The organization includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St Francis Hospital in Federal Way, Enumclaw Regional Hospital and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in early 2009).

Brown is a Northwest native who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the Intercollegiate Center of Nursing at Washington State University and a Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Washington-Tacoma.

She has had a distinguished career with Franciscan for the past 23 years. Since 1995 she served as system director for care management services, providing oversight to help optimize quality of care while containing costs. During this time, she created the regional care management service across Franciscan entities to support strategic and operational plans. She also provided leadership on several initiatives designed to improve access to and efficiency within the organization. In her new role with Franciscan, Brown is based at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma.

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Carole Peet named chief operating officer for St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Carole Peet, who has extensive experience in healthcare leadership, has been named the chief operating officer for St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, the new Franciscan Health System hospital that opens in February 2009.

She comes to Franciscan from Sutter Coast Hospital, a 59-bed community hospital in Crescent City, Calif. where she served as chief operating officer and assistant administrator for patient care services.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to help open a brand-new hospital and to do so in a community like Gig Harbor that has never had its own hospital,” said Peet, a registered nurse who also holds master’s degrees in nursing and business administration.

Previous to her position at Sutter Coast Hospital, she served as director of cardiac and intensive care services; director of medical/surgical services; director of surgical/cardiac short stay and preadmission testing; and director of gastroenterology and endoscopy center at hospitals in Phoenix, Ariz. and Albuquerque, NM. She began her career as a staff nurse.,

“I value being part of an organization that is committed to excellence, that links its mission to daily operations and decision-making, and which places the patient at the center of all its decisions,” Peet said.

As chief operating officer, she will be the top executive at St. Anthony Hospital, an 80-bed, state-of-the-art facility that will employ as many as 450 people. Patient-focused services and amenities at St. Anthony will include:
  • 24-hour emergency care
  • Intensive care
  • Private patient rooms large enough for a family member to stay overnight with their loved one
  • Advanced technology
  • Inpatient and outpatient surgery
  • Diagnostic imaging, such as MRI, CT scans and ultrasound
  • Heart catheterization and vascular laboratory
  • Outpatient cancer care
  • Physical, speech and occupational therapies
  • Laboratory
  • Medical office building for physician offices and other services

Peet holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J.; a Master of Science degree in Nursing Administration from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque; and a Master of Business Administration degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix. She and her family will live in Gig Harbor.

St. Anthony will be the fifth hospital in the Franciscan Health System, a 6,300-employee organization with hospitals and medical clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

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Key Peninsula woman is namesake for Franciscan program's volunteer award

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Palliative Care Outreach, which serves patients diagnosed with a terminal or end-stage chronic illness, has named its volunteer of the year award in memory of a Key Peninsula resident who served the program as both a volunteer and as a paid staff member. It is called the Mary Hill Volunteer of the Year Award.

Mary Hill became a volunteer with Palliative Care Outreach in 1999 after learning about the service from its director, Georganne Trandum. Mary, who died in 2006, joined the program at Northwest Medical Specialties oncology clinic in Tacoma as a volunteer. Later, she accepted a paid position working with the registered nurse and a chaplain, and leading a group of volunteers that supported cancer patients.

“With Mary, you would laugh, cry and listen,” says Sharon Anderson, the nurse with whom she worked.

Mary was a gentle, calm and compassionate person who reached out to patients and their families in very special ways. She was soft and radiant, and had a special talent for bringing people together.

“She truly was Mary full of grace,” recalls Trandum.

Mary was diagnosed with Lewy Protein disease, a fast-acting type of Alzheimer’s, and died on Aug. 22, 2006. She worked as long as she could and then she received the type of care she had championed for others through the support of her husband, son and daughters, her friends, church community, and hospice.

Franciscan Palliative Outreach is an important resource for patients who may have a year or longer to live. The program’s services help individuals and their loved ones to begin planning for the end of life. By integrating palliative care (pain and symptom management) with education, reliable support, and links to a broad range of community and health resources, the staff at Palliative Care Outreach make sure the needs and desires of patients and their loved ones are heard, supported and met.

Vicki Haberman of Enumclaw received the 2008 Mary Hill Volunteer of the Year Award in April during a ceremony in Tacoma.

Palliative Care Outreach is an integral part of the Franciscan organization’s comprehensive Hospice and Palliative Care program, which serves patients in homes, in Franciscan hospitals and at Franciscan Hospice House, a 20-bed inpatient care facility in University Place. For more information about Franciscan Palliative Care Outreach, call (253) 858-4380.

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Franciscan Health System vice president earns Fellow status in professional society for healthcare leaders

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Frances M. Blackwell, vice president for outpatient services for the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System, has become a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.

Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. Candidates must pass a comprehensive examination, meet academic and experiential requirements, earn continuing education credits and demonstrate community involvement.

“I am proud to have achieved Fellow status in the premier professional organization in my field,” said Blackwell, who joined the Franciscan organization in 2005.

ACHE has only 7,500 Fellows nationwide. They are committed to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years.

“By becoming an ACHE Fellow and simultaneously earning board certification from ACHE, healthcare leaders can show that they are committed to providing high quality service to their patients and community,” said Thomas C. Dolan, president and chief executive officer of ACHE.

Blackwell oversees Franciscan’s broad range of hospital-based outpatient services provided at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, Enumclaw Regional Hospital, and soon at St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opening early 2009).

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Franciscan Health System’s associate corporate responsibility officer selected to be an examiner for Baldrige Quality Award

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Christine Dwight, associate corporate responsibility offier for the Franciscan Health System in Tacoma, has been appointed to the board of examiners for the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive. As an examiner, Dwight is responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the award.

The board of examiners is composed of approximately 500 leading experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations, education and health care organizations, and government.

“I am very honored to have been chosen to serve on the board of examiners for this very competitive and prestigious award program,” Dwight said.

Those selected to be examiners meet the highest standards of qualification and peer recognition. All members of the board must also take part in a preparation course based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, and the scoring and evaluation processes for the award.

Baldrige awards may be given annually in each of six categories: manufacturing, service, small business, education, healthcare and non-profit. Awards have been presented to 74 organizations across the nation.

Dwight’s appointment to the board of examiners was announced on May 28 by Dr. James M. Turner, acting director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The Baldrige National Quality Program is managed by NIST, a division of the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration, in close cooperation with the private sector. The American Society for Quality (ASQ) in Milwaukee, Wis. administers the program. More information about the Baldrige National Quality Program is online: http://www.baldrige.nist.gov.

In 2007, Franciscan Health System received the Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence from Gov. Christine Gregoire. The non-profit health system, one of only four organizations to receive the state’s quality award, employs nearly 6,300 people at its hospitals, clinics and other care facilities in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

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St. Joseph Medical Center is first in Western Washington to offer minimally invasive robot-assisted heart surgery

Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma has become the first hospital in Western Washington to provide robot-assisted minimally invasive heart surgery, which has many benefits for patients.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Thomas Molloy, MD, performed the region’s first robotically-assisted heart surgery in March at St. Joseph. He has since performed five more of these complex procedures.

Dr. Molloy, who is medical director for cardiac surgery at St. Joseph Medical Center, has used the four-armed Da Vinci Surgical System robot to perform delicate repairs of the heart’s mitral valve, to remove tumors in the heart, to close septal defects (holes) in the heart, to treat atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm) and to facilitate coronary bypass operations.

“The surgical robot enables us to perform procedures with more precision, which will lead to better clinical outcomes for our patients,” he said. “Minimally invasive robotic valve surgery improves our ability to repair the mitral valve versus replacing the valve, resulting in less pain and blood loss, and faster recovery, compared with standard sternotomy approaches.”

Robotically assisted surgery eliminates traditional incisions. Instead, four small “ports” are used through which medical instruments are inserted into the patient’s chest. The robot has three surgical arms, plus an imaging arm that provides the surgeon with a magnified, high-definition 3-D image of the surgery site. The robot is run by the surgeon who sits at the master console just a few feet from the patient. The surgeon’s hand movements at the console are transferred to precise robotic instrument movements inside the patient’s chest.

Additionally, “St. Joseph’s excellent sub-specialized anesthesia, physician assistant, perfusion, nurse and technical support team is critical to the success of the minimally invasive program,” says Dr. Molloy. He has performed more than 200 minimally invasive procedures, 1,000 cardiac valve surgeries, and 3,000 total cardiac surgeries in his career.

“Surgical robotics is the future of surgery and the future is already at St. Joseph Medical Center,” said Karen Qvale, director of the St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center, the leading cardiac surgery provider in the South Sound.

Designated as a Cardiac Care Center of Excellence by Blue Cross and Blue Shield, St. Joseph Medical Center also serves as a national show site for demonstrations of new technology and innovative medical practices.

The medical center, which is part of the Franciscan Health System, was the first to bring the newest generation of the Da Vinci surgical robot to the South Sound earlier this year. In addition to heart surgery, this sophisticated technology is used in many prostate and gynecological procedures performed at St. Joseph.

Other medical technology firsts for St. Joseph Medical Center include being the only hospital in the South Sound using the Gamma Knife in minimally invasive brain surgery.

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Franciscan Health System wins national awards for excellence in marketing

Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Direct mail campaigns for Gig Harbor hospital, urgent-care clinic recognized as among the best in nation.

Franciscan Health System has received a pair of national advertising awards for direct mail campaigns promoting its urgent-care clinic and its new hospital in Gig Harbor.

The St. Anthony Prompt Care initiative was recognized for excellence with a gold award from Healthcare Advertising Awards. Concurrently, Franciscan’s update to the community about the opening of St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor in early 2009 earned a silver award from the prestigious Aster Awards.

The direct-mail campaigns took place in 2007. Award winners were announced earlier this month.

“We are thrilled to have this work recognized as among the best in the country by two very competitive award programs,” said Budd Wagner, vice president for marketing and communications at Franciscan. “We strive for excellence in everything we do at the Franciscan organization – from providing the very best care possible to effectively communicating about the advanced medicine and compassionate care we provide close to home.”

Franciscan was assisted in creating the award-winning campaigns by GA Creative of Bellevue, a full-service marketing communications and graphic design firm.

The 25th annual Healthcare Advertising Awards are sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report, the national newspaper for health care marketing professionals. The Aster Awards, one of the largest competitions of its kind, is hosted by Marketing Healthcare Today, a national health care marketing magazine. Both award competitions recognize excellence in marketing, advertising and public relations.

The competitions receive several thousand entries every year from hospitals, health systems and others from across the nation, which are judged by marketing experts. More than 4,400 entries were submitted for the 2008 Healthcare Advertising Awards competition alone – this included more than 200 in the direct-mail category for which Franciscan received the prestigious gold award.

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Enumclaw Regional Hospital marks first anniversary of Franciscan affiliation

Wed, 21 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Planning for new hospital among notable achievements

The month of May marks the one-year anniversary of the affiliation between Enumclaw Regional Hospital and Franciscan Health System and several important milestones have already been reached, including plans for building a new hospital.

“Over the years, both Enumclaw hospital and Franciscan have established high standards of performance and quality care in the communities we serve,” said Dennis Popp, chief operating officer at Enumclaw Regional Hospital.

“By combining resources, we are living up to our slogan Better Together. Throughout the past year, leaders from both organizations have worked to integrate our systems, technologies and staff,” he added. “And, of course, we have made great strides toward building the new hospital.”

The following represents just a few of the notable achievements within the past 12 months:
• Franciscan’s self-pay discount and charity care policies have been extended to Enumclaw Regional Hospital (ERH) patients.
• Tina Gupta, MD, has joined ERH as a hospitalist and member of the Franciscan Inpatient Team (FIT) to provide care for hospitalized patients.
• ERH is a participant in the Franciscan quality program, whose components include improving patient care and patient satisfaction.
• ERH medical staff members have been added to Franciscan’s robust online and toll-free physician referral service.
• The architect and general contractor for the replacement hospital have been chosen; construction will begin this fall.

“Looking ahead, we are excited about the prospect of breaking ground on the new hospital by September 2008 and opening the state-of-the-art facility in 2010,” said Joe Wilczek, president and chief executive officer of the Franciscan organization. “None of these efforts would have been possible without the support of community physicians, hospital staff, hospital and health system boards, community leaders, and the ongoing support of both the Enumclaw Regional Healthcare and Franciscan Foundations.”

The new Enumclaw Regional Hospital, which at 90,000 square feet will be about twice the size of the existing hospital, will be built on Battersby Avenue near the current facility. Mahlum Architects of Seattle is designing the replacement hospital; Sellen Construction of Seattle is the general contractor.

As a member of the Tacoma-based Franciscan organization, Enumclaw Regional Hospital is part of the South Sound’s premier health system that includes hospitals in Tacoma, Federal Way and Lakewood, and primary-care and specialty-care medical clinics at nearly 50 sites in King, Pierce and Kitsap counties. Enumclaw Medical Center is part of this Franciscan Medical Group network of clinics. Additionally, Franciscan Health System will open St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor in early 2009.

Franciscan is ranked sixth on the Top 100 list of the most efficient health systems in the U.S. by Verispan, an independent health care information company. Last year, Franciscan received the Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence and was one of just four organizations to receive this prestigious award.

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St. Clare Hospital nurse is named 2008 Pierce County Nurse of the Year

Wed, 21 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Robert Salas is model of professionalism, compassion

Robert Salas, a registered nurse at St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, has been named the 2008 Pierce County Nurse of the Year by the Pierce County Nurses Association.

“I am humbled and honored to have been named Nurse of the Year,” said Salas, a member of the St. Clare nursing staff for seven years. “My greatest reward as a nurse comes from the lives that I touch every day.”

Lynda Jackson, director of acute care services at St. Clare, describes Salas as highly skilled and deeply compassionate. “He loves his work, and he is a role model of professionalism and kindness,” she said. “Rob provides a balanced blend of strong leadership and personal compassion for the art of nursing. He demonstrates excellence in delivering patient care in any clinical setting.”

As a SWAT nurse Salas helps to ensure continuity of patient care by working, or making assistance available to nurses and providers, in all areas of the hospital including the intensive care unit, emergency department and outpatient services. He is a member of the Rapid Response Team at St. Clare; this team of medical and clinical experts responds immediately to the bedside of hospitalized patients whose physical conditions begin to deteriorate suddenly.

In an article he authored for the Washington Nursing Commission News in 2007, titled “Nursing from a Man’s Perspective,” Salas explained that “to be a good nurse, regardless of gender, you must first want to be a nurse. You can then truly enjoy the primary purpose of becoming a nurse – that is to care!”

This is the eighth time in the past 10 years that the Pierce County Nurse of the Year has been a member of the staff at St. Clare Hospital. The award winner is chosen by the Pierce County Nurses Association, which is affiliated with the Washington State Nurses Association.

“Rob always has a smile on his face and a can-do attitude that promotes a harmonious working environment in which high quality patient care is provided,” Jackson said.

St. Clare Hospital, licensed for 106 beds, is part of Franciscan Health System, the South Sound’s premier health care provider which is recognized nationally and locally for quality and excellence.

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Surgeon C. Stevens Hammer, MD, FACS, joins Northwest Surgical Associates

Fri, 16 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Medical Group clinic has offices in Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Puyallup, Lakewood

C. Stevens Hammer, MD, FACS has joined the medical staff of Northwest Surgical Associates which has offices in Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Puyallup and Lakewood.

Dr. Hammer has experience in a wide variety of surgical procedures, and specializes in hernia, breast, gallbladder, thyroid, colorectal and minimally invasive surgery.

A veteran general surgeon dedicated to the health and well-being of his patients, Dr. Hammer is uses the newest technological advancements in both traditional and laparoscopic surgery.

He earned a degree in medicine from McGill University Medical School in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle. He also has advanced training in minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Hammer joins Mark Nyreen, MD and Tom Yih-Chao Lin, MD, who practice from Northwest Surgical Associates' Lakewood and Puyallup locations. Dr. Hammer will practice from the Franciscan Medical Group clinic’s new Tacoma and Gig Harbor locations.

Franciscan Medical Group, affiliated with Franciscan Health System, is a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics and physicians in Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Nyreen in either Puyallup or Lakewood, please call (253) 985-6309.

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Enumclaw’s Sue Reiter honored for exceptional leadership in health care

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Award sponsored by the American Hospital Association
and Washington State Hospital Association

Sue Reiter, a member of the Enumclaw Regional Hospital board of directors since 1993, has received a 2008 Partnership for Action Grassroots Champion Award for her leadership in generating grassroots and community activity in support of the hospital’s mission.

The award, sponsored by the American Hospital Association in partnership with the Washington State Hospital Association, was presented during a special ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 7.

Reiter, a registered nurse, considers advocacy an essential element of her work in hospital governance. She knows and works with all the elected officials representing Enumclaw Regional Hospital and the surrounding area. She is always an active and interested participant in policy debates within the Washington State Hospital Association, and currently serves on the association’s board of trustees.

In addition to her passion for Enumclaw’s community hospital, she brings a wealth of information to the state hospital association’s work from her career as a public health nurse. She has championed a number of important causes, including helping to prevent unreasonable nursing legislation and to ensure that children in Washington State have health insurance.

“Your leadership and dedication to advancing the mission of America’s hospitals have made a difference for the patients and communities we serve,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. “This special recognition acknowledges the compassion and hard work you have demonstrated as an advocate for better health and better health care in America.”

This year, every state and the District of Columbia has a Grassroots Champion, putting Reiter in the elite company of 50 other individuals who are recognized for exceptional leadership in broadening community support for their hospitals and advocating for patients.
Reiter is past chair of the Enumclaw Regional Hospital board of directors. She also served on the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center’s board of directors from 1992 through 1997, and has chaired the agency’s Enumclaw Breakfast Committee since 1993.

“Our hospital is very fortunate to have Sue as a member of our board of directors,” said Dennis Popp, chief operating officer at Enumclaw Regional Hospital. “She cares deeply about our community, our hospital and our patients.”

Founded in 1949, Enumclaw Regional Hospital joined the Franciscan Health System in May 2007.

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Franciscan Health System spiritual care director chosen for national award

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Rose Shandrow recognized for leadership in pastoral services

Rose Shandrow, director of Spiritual Care Services for the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System, has been chosen to receive the Catholic Health Association’s prestigious Mid-Career Award for outstanding leadership in pastoral and spiritual care.

She is one of only three individuals in the nation selected for the 2008 award. The award will be presented during a special ceremony at the Catholic Health Assembly titled “The Future of Compassion” in San Diego on June 22-24.

“I am deeply honored to have been chosen for this very special recognition for doing work that, in itself, is so rewarding,” Shandrow said, who has been director of Franciscan Spiritual Care Services since May 2002. “I feel blessed to be a part of our organization’s healing ministry that touches hearts and changes lives.”

At Franciscan, she provides spiritual-care leadership within a diverse 6,400-employee regional health system that includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, Enumclaw Regional Hospital; nearly 50 medical clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties; and the state’s largest hospice program.

“Rose has provided the leadership to integrate spiritual care throughout the Franciscan organization, which includes addressing the spiritual needs of our employees, our patients and their loved ones,” said Dianna Kielian, senior vice president of Mission for Franciscan. “She exemplifies the values of reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence that are at the heart of Franciscan.”

Shandrow’s leadership extends beyond the Franciscan Health System into the community. She serves on the board of directors of Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of Western Washington, the board of directors for the Spiritual Exercises in Every Day Life of Puget Sound, and she is president of the Catholic Community Services Advisory Council which provides social services for the poor in the local community.

“Throughout her work at Franciscan and in the greater community, Rose has integrated her leadership skills with the very soulful work of living her call to empower those who partner with her to share the healing presence of Christ,” Kielian added. “We admire her commitment to serving others and we’re very proud of her accomplishments.”

The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) began as the Catholic Hospital Association of the United States and Canada in 1915 in Milwaukee. CHA relocated its office to St. Louis in 1929, where it remains, and also continues to operate an office in Washington, D.C., which it opened in 1976. CHA is dedicated to serving the nation’s Catholic health care organizations and supporting the strategic directions of mission, ethics and advocacy. CHA is online at http://www.chausa.org/

Health Adventures gives students opportunity to see careers in health care

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

April 30 is application deadline for free
Franciscan Health System program for ninth-graders

Students who’ve completed the eighth grade are invited to participate in Health Adventures, a free and fun-filled summer program sponsored by the Franciscan Health System that introduces youths to a variety of career opportunities in health care.

For four days in July, as many as 150 youngsters will participate in guided visits to different departments at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood and St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. They will meet nurses, pharmacists and other staff members, and get involved in hands-on activities that show them what it’s like to work in a health care setting.

The Health Adventures program will be underway July 7 through July 10, from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each day.

This popular program is designed for students entering the ninth grade. It’s a great way for boys and girls to begin focusing on a career and to learn whether health care might be a good fit for them.

Participants in Health Adventures learn about hospital jobs that encompass all areas of expertise and interests. The program also illustrates a direct connection between classroom learning and the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace.

For more information or to apply for Health Adventures, please contact the Volunteer Services Department at St. Joseph Medical Center (426-6785); St. Clare Hospital (581-6415); or St. Francis Hospital (944-4176). April 30 is the application deadline.

Franciscan Health System is a faith-based organization with a mission to work for the creation of healthier communities.

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Surgeon Richard Gould, MD, FACS, joins Auburn/Federal Way Surgeons

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Medical Group welcomes surgeon Richard Gould, MD, FACS, to Auburn/Federal Way Surgeons. He has experience in thyroid, breast, thoracic, laparoscopic, colon, rectal and trauma surgery.

He specializes in providing the safest and best medical care possible through a team approach that includes himself and his patients, as well as fellow physicians and health care providers.
A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Gould received a degree in medicine from the University of Washington in Seattle and completed a medical residency at the University of California, San Francisco-Fresno.

Among his other accomplishments, Dr. Gould initiated and managed the laparoscopic surgery program at the Fresno Veterans Administration Medical Center, training fellow surgeons and staff in state-of-the-art procedures.

Franciscan Medical Group, which is affiliated with Franciscan Health System, is a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics throughout Pierce, South King and Kitsap counties.

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Family physician Hong N. Nguyen, MD joins staff at Federal Way Medical Center

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Federal Way Medical Center, a part of the Franciscan Medical Group network of clinics, welcomes Hong N. Nguyen, MD to its staff.

Dr. Nguyen specializes in family medicine, and places an emphasis on continuous and preventive care. She has medical interests and training in internal and bariatric medicine, gynecology and women’s health care, and pediatrics.
Dr. Nguyen received a degree in medicine from Saba University School of Medicine, in Saba, Netherland Antilles, and completed her residency at the University of Missouri’s Research Medical Center in Kansas City. She is fluent in English and Vietnamese.

Dr. Nguyen is welcoming new patients at the Federal Way Medical Center, 30809 First Ave. S. in Federal Way. Call (253) 839-2030 to make an appointment.

Franciscan Medical Group, which is affiliated with Franciscan Health System, is a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics throughout Pierce, South King and Kitsap counties.

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Franciscan Health System, JayRay receive public relations award

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Totem Award honors groundbreaking events for St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor

Celebrating the groundbreaking for a new hospital can be fun, inviting and community focused. It can also be award-winning.

The Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has recognized the Franciscan Health System and its communications consultant JayRay with a prestigious Totem Award for their “weekend of free groundbreaking events” that commemorated the start of construction for St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor.

Franciscan and JayRay, both located in Tacoma, earned top honors for special events among associations and non-profit organizations. The award was presented at the PRSA gala on Feb. 20.

“After a series of delays in building St. Anthony Hospital, it was important for us to announce to the Gig Harbor community that their new hospital was on its way,” said Budd Wagner, vice president of marketing and communications for Franciscan. “JayRay worked closely with us to put together a trio of free community events – events that invited our community to Run! Roar! and Soar! with the new hospital.”

Nearly 4,000 Peninsula residents attended at least one of the groundbreaking events held in April 2007. The events included a 5K run and walk, two packed performances of “Late Nite Catechism,” and an afternoon of soulful music.
Prior to the public events, more than 200 people attended the VIP groundbreaking ceremony for the new hospital that was conducted indoors – safe from the muddy construction site – and highlighted with a blessing by Archbishop Alex J. Brunett of the Archdiocese of Seattle.

JayRay served as the event coordinator for the community celebrations and also oversaw advertising, direct mail and other promotional efforts for the series of special events.

As part of the groundbreaking events, Franciscan announced a $1.5 million gift from the George F. Russell Jr. Fund at The Russell Family Foundation to help create the Jane Thompson Russell Cancer Care Center at St. Anthony. The center will offer complete cancer care, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, complimentary therapies and an on-site reflection garden.

St. Anthony Hospital, which is being built in Gig Harbor North, will begin providing life-saving emergency, medical and surgical services in early 2009.

As the first and only full-service hospital on the Peninsula, St. Anthony will bring much-needed medical services to the rapidly growing region. It will feature 24-hour emergency care; medical, surgical and critical care units; a heart catheterization and vascular lab; diagnostic imaging services; inpatient and outpatient surgery; physical, occupational and speech therapies; and a state-of-the-art medical office building for doctors’ offices and outpatient services.

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About Franciscan: Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound. In 2007, the Franciscan Foundation raised $5.3 million to support the Franciscan mission. Franciscan Health System is a recipient of the Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Web site: www.FHShealth.org

About JayRay: JayRay is a communications consultancy working with national and regional clients on advertising and public relations from its office in Tacoma. JayRay was founded in 1970.

Anja Crider, MD now serving patients at the St. Clare Women’s Health Center

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

She specializes in gynecological care at Lakewood office

Obstetrician and gynecologist Anja Crider, MD has begun treating patients in her new office at the St. Clare Women’s Health Center in Lakewood.

Until recently, she practiced medicine at the St. Joseph Women’s Clinic in Tacoma. Both the St. Clare Women’s Health Center and the St. Joseph Women’s Clinic are part of the Franciscan Medical Group, a network of nearly 50 primary-care and specialty-care clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

Dr. Crider now focuses on providing gynecological care for her patients.

A Fellow in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, she specializes in general and adolescent gynecology, perimenopausal and postmenopausal issues, incontinence, vaginal disorders, premenstrual syndrome and other health issues.

Call (253) 985-2733 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Crider.

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Surgeon Mark Nyreen, MD expands his practice into Puyallup

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Franciscan physician available for patient consults

Surgeon Mark R. Nyreen, MD of Northwest Surgical Associates in Lakewood has expanded his practice into Puyallup where he is now available to consult with patients on Tuesday mornings.

He meets with patients at All Family Medicine, 11025 Canyon Road. That clinic and Northwest Surgical Associates are part of the Franciscan Medical Group, a network of nearly 50 primary-care and specialty-care clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

Dr. Nyreen also continues to see patients at the Lakewood office of Northwest Surgical Associates on Tuesday afternoons, and during regular business hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays. He performs a wide range of surgical procedures at St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Nyreen in either Puyallup or Lakewood, please call (253) 985-6309.

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Internist Deepshikha Bhasin, MD joins staff of The Lakewood Clinic

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Deepshikha Bhasin, MD, an internist who specializes in geriatrics and women’s health, has joined the staff at The Lakewood Clinic, a part of the Franciscan Medical Group of clinics.

Dr. Bhasin, who speaks fluent Panjabi and Hindi, received her medical degree from Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Punjab, India. She completed her residency at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., and a Fellowship in geriatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

She is accepting new patients at The Lakewood Clinic, 11311 Bridgeport Way SW, Suite 100, in Lakewood. Call (253) 581-6688 to make an appointment.

Franciscan Medical Group, which is affiliated with the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System, is a network of 50 primary-care and specialty-care clinics and 160 physicians and other providers throughout Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties.

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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

Family practice physician Robert Warwick joins Federal Way Medical Center

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Robert B. Warwick, MD, a family practice physician, has joined the staff at Federal Way Medical Center, a part of the Franciscan Medical Group of clinics.

Specializing in family medicine, his particular medical interests include providing health care for adults and older patients.

Dr. Warwick earned his medical degree from the University of Washington and completed his residency at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle. He was in private practice in Burien for more than 20 years before joining the Franciscan Medical Group.

At the Federal Way Medical Center, he joins a veteran staff of physicians and providers who are committed to excellence and are passionate about patient care. The Federal Way Medical Center offers a full range of family practice and endocrinology services. The clinic features a convenient on-site laboratory and X-ray facility.

Franciscan Medical Group, which is affiliated with Franciscan Health System, is a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics throughout Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties that receives more than 503,500 patient visits annually.

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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

St. Joseph Medical Center sets surgical standard with new da Vinci robot

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:00:00 GMT

St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma is the first hospital in the South Puget Sound region to use the newest generation of the da Vinci Surgical System robotic technology to assist surgeons and benefit their patients undergoing gynecological and prostate surgeries.

The robot integrates 3-dimensional, high-definition images and other state-of-the-art features to virtually extend the surgeon’s eyes and hands. Surgery is still performed by the highly skilled surgeon. However, the surgeon’s vision and dexterity are enhanced by the four-armed robot which the surgeon guides while seated at a console near the patient inside the operating room.

“This technology provides surgeons with greater than twice the viewing resolution and 20 percent more viewing area than has been available before,” said Tacoma gynecologist John Lenihan, MD, a member of the medical staff at St. Joseph. “This means improved clarity of tissue and anatomy, which is critical when performing delicate procedures. Better visualization leads to more efficient and more precise surgery.”

On Dec. 11, surgeons at St. Joseph Medical Center began performing minimally invasive procedures with the assistance of the sophisticated da Vinci robot.

Use of robotic technology is the nation’s gold standard for minimally invasive surgery to treat prostate cancer, the most common form of cancer among men in the United States. Called robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, the technique incorporates the assistance of the robot to perform the procedure in a less invasive, but equally effective, manner as the traditional, radical surgery.

“This new alternative for open surgery is one that every patient with the diagnosis of prostate cancer should discuss with their doctor,” said urologist Anthony Caruso, MD, a member of the medical staff at St. Joseph Medical Center.

For most patients, the potential benefits of robotic-assisted surgery include:

§ Shorter hospital stays

§ Less pain and scarring

§ Less risk of wound infections

§ Less blood loss and fewer transfusions

§ Faster recovery from surgery

§ Quicker return to their normal activities

§ Improved quality of life

The da Vinci Surgical System, a product of Intuitive Surgical Inc., consists of an ergonomically designed surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, the high-performance InSite^® Vision System and EndoWrist^® Instruments. Powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology, the surgeon’s hand movements are scaled, filtered and seamlessly translated into precise movements of the EndoWrist Instruments. The net result is an intuitive interface with breakthrough surgical capabilities beyond the limitations of the human hand.

St. Joseph Medical Center, which is on the forefront of advanced medical technology, is a leading provider of broad range of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures in the South Sound.

Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

St. Francis Hospital, a leader in weight loss surgery, is added to Aetna Bariatric Network

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:00:00 GMT

St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, a leading provider of weight loss surgery in Washington, has been added to the Aetna Bariatric Network based on the number of patients served, clinical quality and other criteria.

This citation for excellence by one of the nation’s leading health insurance companies assures Aetna clients that St. Francis is among the best weight loss surgery providers.

“We strive every day to make sure that our patients receive the best care and experience the best outcomes,” said Janelle Morissette, a registered nurse and manager of the St. Francis Center for Weight Management. More than 2,400 weight loss surgeries have been performed at the hospital in the last seven years.

Weight loss surgery provides the only effective, lasting relief from severe obesity.

An estimated 15 million people in the U.S. are severely obese, meaning they are 100 or more pounds over their ideal body weight. Obesity increases the risks for Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and other life-threatening health problems.

Being added to the Aetna Bariatric Network is the latest in a series of recent honors for St. Francis Hospital. The others are:

Designation as a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery in 2005
Accreditation by the American College of Surgeons in 2007
Recognitions for excellence by insurance providers United Resource Networks and Cigna in 2006
Designation as a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery by Premera Blue Cross and Regence Blue Shield in 2007

The Aetna Bariatric Network lists only those facilities in the U.S. that have been specifically reviewed for the quality of their services and have been selected based on patient volumes, efficiency, and clinical outcomes. Aetna customers who are considering weight loss surgery can be assured that the organizations in its bariatric network are the best available. Services must be preauthorized with Aetna for coverage to be effective.

Aetna, based in Hartford, Conn., is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.4 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. The company’s web site is: www.aetna.com

St. Francis Hospital, which is licensed for 110 beds, is a part of the Franciscan Health System, the pre-eminent health care provider in the South Puget Sound region.

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Franciscan Medical Group welcomes Lakes Family Medicine

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Clinic offer convenience of three locations, two family practitioners

Franciscan Medical Group welcomes Lakes Family Medicine and its family practitioners Linh Vu, MD and Linh (Lena) Huynh, MD to its network of specialty care and primary care clinics.

Lakes Family Medicine has clinics in Bonney Lake, Puyallup and Lakewood.

Dr. Linh Vu is board certified in family medicine. He earned a medical degree from Spartan Health Sciences University in St. Lucia, and completed family practice Residency at the University of Buffalo in Niagara Falls, NY. His medical interests include internal medicine and minor surgery.

Dr. Lena Huynh is also board certified in family medicine. She earned her medical degree from Spartan Health Sciences University in St. Lucia, and completed her medical residency with the University of Buffalo in Niagara Falls, NY. While there, she received intensive training in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and minor surgery. Her medical interests include women’s health and pediatrics.

Married to each other for 10 years, Dr. Vu and Dr. Huynh opened Lakes Family Medicine in 2001.

To schedule an appointment, call Lakes Family Medicine in Puyallup (South Hill) at (253) 864-0224; in Lakewood at (253) 588-3670; or in Bonney Lake at (253) 863-2587. The clinic’s addresses are: 10116 116^th St. E., Suite 101, Puyallup; 5202 100^th St. S.W., Lakewood; and 8412 Myers Rd. E., Suite 203, Bonney Lake.

Franciscan Medical Group, which is affiliated with Franciscan Health System, is a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics at 50 locations throughout Pierce, South King and Kitsap counties.

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Franciscan Medical Group physicians step into new leadership roles

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Robertson, Field will help guide organization’s continued growth

Two leading physicians with the Franciscan Medical Group have accepted new leadership roles to help guide the continued growth of the network of clinics and the entire Franciscan Health System.

Cliff Robertson, MD, who has been president and chief medical officer since 1999, has been promoted to the new position of senior vice president for physician development for the Franciscan Health System. He also remains president of the clinic group and divides his time between the two senior positions.
Dean Field, MD, a board-certified family medicine physician who joined the Franciscan Medical Group staff in 2000, has been promoted to chief medical officer of the clinic group. He also continues to treat patients at St. Anthony Prompt Care in Gig Harbor on a part-time basis.

With Robertson’s guidance, the Franciscan Medical Group (FMG) has grown to more than 160 physicians and other providers at 50 clinic sites in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties. By comparison, there were only six clinics in 2002.

FMG clinics now receive more than 503,000 patient visits annually and help fulfill the Franciscan mission to create healthier communities by improving access to outpatient services for everyone.|

As senior vice president for physician development for the Franciscan Health System, Robertson will lead physician-recruitment initiatives and strategies designed to help members of the Franciscan medical staff develop their practices locally.

“The communities we serve are growing and need additional physicians, especially surgeons and other specialists, to ensure that residents have access to the care they need,” Robertson said. “At the Franciscan organization, we are committed to attracting the highest quality physicians to this area.

”Field, a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Medicine, served as medical director of Franciscan’s Gig Harbor Medical Clinic from October 2002 until October 2005. He was then promoted to regional medical director for the St. Anthony and St. Clare regional clinics. He also led the effort to establish St. Anthony Prompt Care, the Franciscan urgent-care clinic in Gig Harbor that opened in 2006.

“I look forward to playing a larger role in the continued growth of the Franciscan Medical Group,” Field said. “This is an exciting opportunity for me personally and professionally.”

Both Robertson and Field are residents of Gig Harbor.

FMG is part of the Franciscan Health System, which includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, and Enumclaw Regional Hospital.

St. Anthony Hospital, which is under construction in north Gig Harbor, is scheduled to open in early 2009. It will be the fifth hospital in the Franciscan organization.
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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

Gig Harbor-Key Peninsula Community Health Collaborative Summit scheduled for Nov. 2-3

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:00:00 GMT

The public is invited to join physicians, elected officials, educators, business leaders, parents, students and other citizens concerned about fitness and nutrition at the Gig Harbor-Key Peninsula Community Health Collaborative Summit on Nov. 2 and 3 at Miracle Ranch, 15999 Sidney Road SW, in Port Orchard.

The goal of this special event is to shape a shared, clearly articulated vision for what a healthy, vibrant Gig Harbor-Peninsula area looks like, and a commitment to making the community a model of health. Participants will explore the history of the community’s health-related challenges; examine issues and efforts affecting fitness and nutrition; and develop an action plan.
The first day of the summit, titled “Finding Common Ground: History, Challenges, Values and Vision,” starts at 7:15 a.m. with registration and breakfast, and will end at 5 p.m. The second day of the event, titled “Creating a Healthy Future: Vision and Action Plans,” will start at 8 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m.

For more information, please contact Jane Moore, director, Healthy Communities of Pierce County, at (253) 307-9873 or via email at drjanemoore@comcast.net.

Founding sponsors of the Community Health Collaborative Summit include the Pierce County Medical Society, Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, Franciscan Health System, MultiCare Health System, Powell Human Resources, City of Gig Harbor, and the YMCA of Gig Harbor.

Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

Sellen selected to be general contractor for new Enumclaw Regional Hospital Construction planned to start in summer 2008

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Sellen Construction, one of the leading construction companies in the Pacific Northwest, has been chosen to serve as general contractor for the new Enumclaw Regional Hospital.

The selection of Sellen was announced today by the Franciscan Health System, which Enumclaw Regional Hospital joined in May 2007.

Construction of the 90,000 square-foot replacement hospital could begin as early as the summer of 2008 following completion of the city’s permit-approval process. It will take about 15 months to build the new facility on Battersby Avenue near the existing hospital.

The replacement hospital will be nearly twice the size of the present facility. It will provide all the services that the community hospital now offers and be large enough for expanded and new services in the future.

With Sellen on board, the planning and construction team is now complete. Mahlum Architects of Seattle was hired earlier this year to design the new hospital. Joe Kunkel, one of the leading health care project managers in the Northwest, is serving as project manager through the design and permit phase; Christopher Kirk, also a highly respected project manager, will serve as construction manager and guide the Enumclaw project to completion. Facility planning and initial design are already underway.

“The new hospital will be a facility that the community will be proud to call its own,” said Joe Wilczek, president and chief executive officer of the Franciscan Health System. “With Sellen on our team, the new hospital will be all that we, and the community that it will serve, want it to be.”

The project will cost approximately $65 million and be paid by Franciscan and Catholic Health Initiatives, the national organization with which Franciscan is affiliated.

“We look forward to being a part of the Franciscan Health System’s commitment to bringing a state-of-the-art hospital to Enumclaw,” said Robert McCleskey, president of Sellen Construction. “We’ve built our reputation for construction excellence on innovation and by becoming strategic partners with our clients’ development teams.”

Sellen Construction Co. was founded in 1944. The company has assembled some of the best and brightest experts in the construction industry who are shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest.

The firm’s prestigious client list includes Swedish Medical Center in Seattle; Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle; Providence/St. Peter Hospital in Olympia; Harrison Memorial Hospital in Bremerton; and Northwest Hospital in Seattle.

Additionally, Sellen has supervised many construction projects for the Franciscan Health System over the past 20 years. The company was the general contractor for Franciscan’s St. Joseph Outpatient Center, a 152,000 square-foot facility in Tacoma that has been recognized by Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the best-designed health care facilities in the nation. Sellen also was general contractor for the 62,500 square-foot St. Francis Hospital Outpatient Center in Federal Way. Currently, Sellen is the general contractor overseeing construction of Franciscan’s St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, an 80-bed facility that will open in early 2009.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital serves Enumclaw, Buckley, Black Diamond, Carbonado, South Prairie, Orting and other nearby communities in Southeast King and Northeast Pierce counties. It opened in 1949, is licensed for 38 beds and has about 220 employees.

In May, the stand-alone hospital joined the Franciscan Health System to ensure that state-of-the-art health care will be available close to home for current and future residents of Enumclaw and neighboring communities.

Franciscan Health System is the pre-eminent provider of medical and health care services in the South Puget Sound. It is No. 8 on Verispan’s Top 100 list of the best health care organizations in the nation. Earlier this year, Franciscan received the Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. The Franciscan Health System has about 6,200 employees.

Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

Byron Hutchinson, DPM, FACFAS, leads Podiatry Residency Program at St. Francis Hospital

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Podiatrist Byron Hutchinson, DPM, FACFAS, has been named head of the Podiatry Residency Program at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. In this role, he oversees the specialized medical training of the hospital’s two to three podiatry residents.

He is a member of the board of trustees for the Northwest Podiatric Foundation and the Waldo Medical Foundation; an editorial advisor to Ankle Surgery, Foot & Ankle Quarterly; a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Washington State Podiatric Medical Association; and director of surgical missions for the Waldo Medical Foundation in Seattle.

He has previously served as president of the American Board of Podiatric Surgery; as director of residency training at Green River Surgery Center; as residency director for Providence Hospital’s Northwest Podiatric Residency Program; and as a member of clinical workshops for the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons. Hutchinson has also served as podiatric consultant to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

A Washington State University graduate, Hutchinson received a degree in podiatric medicine from the California College of Podiatric Medicine and completed the Waldo Podiatric Residency Program in Seattle. Hutchinson is board certified in podiatric surgery; his specialty is foot and ankle reconstruction.

He treats patients at the Highline Foot & Ankle Clinic in Burien, a part of the Franciscan Medical Group’s network of clinics in King, Pierce and Kitsap counties. Patients may schedule appointments by calling (206) 242-6553.

In addition to its renowned podiatric surgery, St. Francis Hospital is a leading provider of weight loss surgery and is designated as a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. The hospital’s bariatric service is also accredited by the American College of Surgeons.

Established in 1987, St. Francis Hospital has 110 beds and is part of the Franciscan Health System.

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Ophthalmologist Matthew Bushley, MD joins staff of Franciscan Eye Care

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Eye Care – the new name of the Franciscan Medical Group’s eye-care clinics in Tacoma and Gig Harbor – welcomes Matthew Bushley, MD, a board-certified, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist. He specializes in diseases of the cornea and cataracts, and specializes in refractive eye surgery, including LASIK and PRK.

He graduated with honors from Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., and George Washington University Medical School in Washington, D.C. He completed an ophthalmology residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma and subspecialty fellowship training at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

Bushley has performed more than 5,000 surgical laser vision-correction procedures while becoming a leader in his field.

At Franciscan Eye Care, he joins optometrists Joanne L. Bachman, OD; Paul Williams, OD; and Sharon Williams, OD in providing complete eye services. The physicians and providers at Franciscan Eye Care are committed to excellence and are determined to become the region’s first choice for routine, medical and surgical eye care.

Franciscan Eye Care clinics are located at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and at the Gig Harbor Medical Pavilion. The expanded array of services includes eye exams, contact lens prescriptions, glaucoma management and sight-restoring surgical procedures, such as cataract surgery and corneal transplantation.

Franciscan Medical Group, which is affiliated with the Franciscan Health System, is a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics throughout Pierce, South King and Kitsap counties.

Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

St. Anthony Hospital taking shape with steel deliveries, staff recruitment

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT

St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor continues to take shape with the erecting of steel that started Monday and recruiting for several key positions at the hospital that opens in early 2009.

Truckloads of steel began arriving at the construction site in north Gig Harbor on Monday, Oct. 15. As many as five truckloads will arrive daily, Monday through Friday, for the next six weeks.

“The trucks are off-loaded onto the slab at the site, then safety lines are attached,” says Project Superintendent Tim Larson of Sellen Construction Co. “All pieces of the steel will be numbered so that they are erected in order, with columns first, followed by the floor beams.”

Erecting steel for the state-of-the-art hospital is scheduled for completion in mid-December, a construction milestone that will be commemorated with an official “Topping Out” ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Franciscan Health System has begun accepting applications online for the positions of chief operating officer, director of perioperative services, director of acute care services and director of emergency services at St. Anthony Hospital. The jobs are posted on the employment section of the Franciscan web site at www.FHShealth.org. Other staff positions at St. Anthony will be posted online, starting in January 2008.

St. Anthony Hospital, which will have 80 patient beds, will create about 450 family-wage jobs for nurses, doctors and other health care professionals.

The new hospital also will provide a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency department with 16 treatment rooms; medical, surgical and critical care units; inpatient and outpatient surgery and other procedures; a heart catheterization and vascular laboratory; diagnostic imaging; and physical, speech and occupational therapies.

The landscaped hospital campus will include an 85,000-square-foot medical office building connected to St. Anthony by a sky bridge. The medical office building will house physicians’ offices, an outpatient cancer treatment center and other health services.

St. Anthony Hospital is part of the Franciscan Health System, which already provides a range of health services on the Peninsula. These include urgent care for minor injuries and illnesses at St. Anthony Prompt Care; family medicine at St. Anthony Family Medicine; treatment of sleep apnea and other sleep-related problems at the St. Anthony Sleep Disorders Center; and outpatient kidney dialysis at the St. Joseph Dialysis Center of Gig Harbor – all located in the St. Anthony Medical Building at 4700 Point Fosdick Drive in Gig Harbor.

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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

Podiatrist Paul Scott, DPM joins Auburn/Federal Way Surgeons & Podiatry

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Podiatrist Paul Scott, DPM has joined the medical staff at Auburn/Federal Way Surgeons & Podiatry, a part of the Franciscan Medical Group.

He received a degree in medicine from the California College of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco and completed his residency at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. He is a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association and the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. He is accepting new patients.

Formerly called Auburn/Federal Way Surgeons, Auburn/Federal Way Surgeons & Podiatry is at 200 Auburn Ave. SE in Auburn and in Federal Way at 34509 9^th Ave. S., Suite 204. The phone number in Auburn is (253) 833-1986; the number for the Federal Way office is (253) 927-1800.

Franciscan Medical Group, affiliated with the Franciscan Health System, is a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics throughout Pierce, South King and Kitsap counties.

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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

Rheumatologist Dina Titova, MD joins Franciscan’s ROAD Clinic

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Rheumatologist Dina C. Titova, MD, Ph.D. has joined the medical staff of the Franciscan Medical Group clinic that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatology, osteoporosis and arthritis diseases.

The ROAD Clinic has offices in Lakewood and Gig Harbor.

Titova received a degree in medicine from Bashkirskij Gosudarstvennij Medicinskij Universitet in Ufa, Russia, and completed a second residency in internal medicine at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is a fellow at the prestigious Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Titova joins Richard Rynes, MD and Gurjit Kaeley, MD at the ROAD Clinic in the St. Clare Medical Pavilion, 11311 Bridgeport Way SW, Suite 214 in Lakewood, and at the St. Anthony Medical Building, 4700 Point Fosdick Drive NW, Suite 111 in Gig Harbor.

She is accepting new patients by referral at (253) 581-1091.

The ROAD Clinic is part of the Franciscan Medical Group, a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties. Franciscan Medical Group is affiliated with the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System.

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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: http://www.fhshealth.org/

Federal Way AmeriCorps program, director will receive Humanitarian of the Year Award Special ceremony set for Oct. 22 at St. Francis Hospital

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Monda Holsinger and the Federal Way Public Schools AmeriCorps program have been chosen to receive the 2007 St. Francis Humanitarian of the Year Award by the Franciscan Foundation.

This prestigious award will be presented during a special ceremony starting at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22 at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. The ceremony will take place in the St. Francis Medical Office Building, located next to the community hospital.

The Humanitarian of the Year Award honors individuals and organizations that exemplify the values of St. Francis by serving the poor, promoting peace and embracing diversity. It is sponsored by the Order of the Sisters of St. Francis and the Franciscan Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Franciscan Health System. This is the 26^th year that the Humanitarian of the Year Award has been presented.

“I am deeply honored to have been chosen to receive the Humanitarian of the Year Award, along with the AmeriCorps program in Federal Way,” Ms. Holsinger said. “I consider myself very fortunate to be associated with this awesome program whose members strive to help individuals in need and improve communities.”

In nominating Ms. Holsinger, several people praised her honesty, civility, compassion, dedication and meaningful action. “Monda’s focus is laser-sharp,” one nominator wrote. “She is the embodiment of the school district’s unofficial motto – All Means All.”

She is a relentless advocate for those who do not know advantages.

As examples of this dedication, Ms. Holsinger has led AmeriCorps members on forays to pick up and haul away garbage in the Westway neighborhood of Federal Way; to raise funds for a homeless drop-in center; and to raise money to benefit students unable to afford the extra-curricular activity fees in Federal Way’s public schools.

“The work that these members provide in the schools on a daily basis is well-known,” wrote another person in nominating Ms. Holsinger and the AmeriCorps program for the Humanitarian of the Year Award. “But they do so much more than people realize.”

AmeriCorps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that connects Americans ages 17 and older, and from all backgrounds, with opportunities to give back to their communities through service to others. It has been described as the domestic Peace Corps. Washington Service Corps is the sponsor of the program in the Federal Way School District.

Ms. Holsinger supervises and mentors more than 50 AmeriCorps members at a time. Each person commits to 10 ½ months of service that is dedicated to helping disadvantaged individuals and to improving the quality of life in Federal Way.

Jon Flora, president of the Franciscan Foundation, described the work of Ms. Holsinger and the Federal Way Public Schools’ AmeriCorps program as “an example of humanitarianism that inspires hope, changes lives, and makes the world a better place.”

The Franciscan Health System is a faith-based, non-profit organization with a mission to create healthier communities.

Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

St. Joseph Medical Center is only Tacoma hospital to receive Consumer Choice Award this year

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 04:00:00 GMT

St. Joseph recognized for having best image,
highest quality for ninth-consecutive year

St. Joseph Medical Center is the only hospital in Tacoma that will receive the prestigious 2007-2008 Consumer Choice Award, which goes to facilities identified by the general public as providing the highest quality care and having the best image in their markets.

Winners of the Consumer Choice Award were announced today by the National Research Corp. (NRC), an independent company that measures health care performance and improvement.

St. Joseph Medical Center has been a co-recipient of the Consumer Choice Award for eight straight years, but it stands alone this year as the favorite hospital for the Greater Tacoma area.

“The Consumer Choice Award is another testament to our hospital’s success at meeting the needs of patients and families,” said Joe Wilczek, president and chief executive officer of Franciscan Health System, which includes St. Joseph Medical Center. “It acknowledges the special dedication, commitment to excellence and the superior skill that our physicians, nurses and other staff members demonstrate every day.”

Four questions from the NRC survey are rolled up into the results for the Consumer Choice Award:

Who has the best doctors?
Who has the best nurses?
Who provides the best overall quality?
Who has the best image and reputation?

Researchers at NRC surveyed more than 200,000 households, representing 400,000 consumers in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia, in determining the elite list of Consumer Choice Award winners.

“Consumers play an increasing role in selecting their health care facilities and services,” said Michael D. Hays, chief executive officer of National Research Corp. “As more health care quality information is made publicly available, we expect this trend to continue.”

St. Joseph Medical Center and other winners of the Consumer Choice Award across America are selected by the community residents they serve, he added. The complete list of winners in more than 190 markets was published in today’s edition of Modern Healthcare, a national magazine.

“We are pleased to honor these facilities for the dedication to quality health care in the eyes of their patients,” Hays said.

Founded in 1891 by the Sisters of St. Francis, St. Joseph Medical Center has 320 beds and is the regional leader in open-heart surgery and other cardiac services.

National Research Corp., based in Lincoln, Neb., is online at www.nationalresearch.com

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Enumclaw Regional Hospital now using newest diagnostic imaging technology

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Enumclaw Regional Hospital is one of five sites nationally -- and one of only two in the Pacific Northwest -- to receive the newest generation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology from Toshiba America Medical Systems, a leading global provider of diagnostic imaging systems.

“The addition of this MRI unit to our hospital reflects our commitment to providing the best care possible to our patients,” said Dennis Popp, hospital administrator and chief operating officer.

The Vantage Atlas 1.5 Tesla MRI is designed with exceptional patient care and comfort in mind. Imaging time is decreased while the quality of images produced is second to none.

“This model features the strongest and fastest radiofrequency gradients in the industry, which will be particularly useful in exams involving the heart,” said radiologist David Rice, MD, director of medical imaging at Enumclaw Regional Hospital (ERH). “In addition, the magnet itself is significantly more homogeneous than most, further improving image quality.”

The unit is classified as a high-field MRI system that performs a wide variety of exams.

“For example, with advanced magnetic resonance angiography, physicians can simultaneously view images of vascular structures in the chest and abdomen without the use of contrast agents, which increases patient comfort and reduce cost,” said Richard Rosser, the hospital’s radiology manager.
“Most of the current MRI scanners used today have eight channels,” he added. “Toshiba’s Vantage 1.5T powered by Atlas has 16 channels with the capability of expanding to 32 channels when the coil technology becomes available.”

This new MRI technology at Enumclaw Regional Hospital ensures that patients have access to world-class diagnostic imaging services close to home.

“We are excited about being able to offer our patients and referring physicians the latest in MRI technology,” Rosser said. “There are a number of features that make this unit more patient-friendly. It is unique because, unlike current models where patients are moved into the unit head first, an uncomfortable placement for individuals who may have claustrophobic tendencies, the short-bore design allows people to be placed in the unit feet first for most exams.

“So, unless the scan is directed specifically at the head, neck or shoulder area, the patient’s head remains outside the chamber,” he added. “Also, this is a wide-bore magnet – more like a CT scanner than older magnets that felt like being in a tunnel. In addition, the unit is about 90 percent quieter than previous models. The more comfortable a patient is, the greater our ability is to capture better images, which will help the radiologist make a diagnosis.”

Because the new MRI technology allows for better and faster scans, the time required for a typical scan is shortened, another patient benefit. By reducing the amount of time required for most scans, it is anticipated that additional patients can be scheduled each day.

The new MRI unit is in service Monday through Friday at Enumclaw Regional Hospital, which is affiliated with the Franciscan Health System, the pre-eminent provide of medical services in the South Puget Sound region.

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Neurosurgeon Alex Mohit, MD, Ph.D. joins Neurosurgery Northwest

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Alex Mohit, MD, Ph.D. has joined the medical staff at Neurosurgery Northwest, a Franciscan Medical Group clinic with offices throughout Pierce County that provides expertise in brain surgery and in the treatment of disorders of the spine.

A native of Los Angeles, Mohit earned a degree in medicine from the University of Southern California and completed a residency in neurological surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle. During his residency, he spent a year in London as part of an international neurosurgery fellowship. He recently completed a fellowship in complex spine surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Mohit is a member of multiple professional societies in neurosurgery and spine surgery, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the North American Spine Society. He has extensive research experience in spinal biomechanics and molecular biology of brain tumors.

“Listening to patients and really hearing their complaints is of the utmost importance,” Mohit said. “I believe we must combine medical knowledge and compassion for the greatest therapeutic effect.”

At Neurosurgery Northwest, he joins surgeon Daniel Nehls, MD. Neurosurgery Northwest pioneered the use of Gliadel wafers in the South Sound to precisely deliver chemotherapy directly into a remaining tumor bed following removal of the tumor. The clinic is now participating in a national trial of this advanced medical technique.

Neurosurgery Northwest has offices in Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Federal Way and Puyallup. It is among nearly 40 primary care and specialty care clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties that comprise the Franciscan Medical Group, which is part of the Franciscan Health System.

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Rachelle J. Guinto, MD joins new St. Anthony Family Medicine Clinic in Gig Harbor

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Rachelle J. Guinto, MD, who specializes in family medicine, has joined the new St. Anthony Family Medicine clinic in Gig Harbor.

She provides complete family medical care for people of all ages, and has a special interest in women’s health, including gynecologic procedures, and caring for seniors. Fluent in both English and Tagalog, she is currently studying Spanish.

A member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Guinto received a medical degree from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay in Quezon City, The Philippines, and completed a residency at JFK Medical Center in Edison, NJ. She is board qualified in family medicine and has advanced skills in gynecologic procedures.

St. Anthony Family Medicine, which is part of the Franciscan Medical Group of clinics, is in the St. Anthony Medical Building at 4700 Point Fosdick Drive NW in Gig Harbor.

Guinto joins a group of four highly experienced primary-care providers who moved from Gig Harbor Medical Clinic to open the new clinic, which offers a full complement of family practice, internal medicine and pediatric care providers, with other specialists conveniently located in the same building.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Guinto as part of our community of care at St. Anthony Family Medicine,” said Jeffrey Harrison, DO, a family practice physician also at the new clinic. “She brings both expertise and a compassionate nature, qualities our patients have come to expect, and deserve, from a Franciscan Medical Group provider.”

St. Anthony Family Medicine is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For after-hours urgent care, patients can use St. Anthony Prompt Care in the same building for fast, convenient service. Both clinics are part of the Franciscan Medical Group, which has nearly 40 primary care and specialty care clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

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Tom Yih-Chao Lin, MD joins Northwest Surgical Associates in Lakewood

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT

General surgeon Tom Yih-Chao Lin, MD has joined the medical staff at Northwest Surgical Associates in Lakewood, which is part of the Franciscan Medical Group of clinics.

A board-qualified general surgeon who performs a wide range of surgical procedures, he has a special interest in soft tissue, thyroid and parathyroid surgery.

Lin received his medical degree from Taipei Medical College in Taipei, Taiwan, and completed his residency in general surgery at Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons.

He joins surgeon Mark R. Nyreen, MD at Northwest Surgical Associates. The clinic is in the St. Clare Medical Pavilion on the campus of St. Clare Hospital, 11311 Bridgeport Way SW in Lakewood.

In addition to Northwest Surgical Associates, the Franciscan Medical Group includes nearly 40 primary and specialty care clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

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Mahlum Architects selected to design new Enumclaw Regional Hospital

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Mahlum Architects, an award-winning architectural firm that is based in the Pacific Northwest, has been chosen to design the new Enumclaw Regional Hospital.

The selection of Mahlum was announced by the Franciscan Health System, which includes Enumclaw Regional Hospital and three other major hospitals in the South Puget Sound region.

Construction of the new Enumclaw hospital is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2008. At 90,000 square feet, it will be nearly twice as large as the existing hospital.

“We have chosen an architectural firm that is renowned for the quality of its work in designing hospitals and other health care facilities,” said Ted Lewis, a member of the Enumclaw Regional Hospital’s Board of Directors who chairs the Building and Property Committee. “We want to provide our community with a modern hospital that will meet the needs of the growing population and which the community will be proud to call its own.”

Mahlum’s extensive client list includes Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland, Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, St. Mary’s Hospital in Walla Walla, Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon, and Providence Newberg Hospital – a 39-bed community hospital in Newberg, Ore.

“We have enjoyed working with the Franciscan System over the past 20 years on various projects, including designing the Critical Care Tower addition that is under construction at the Franciscan organization’s St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way,” said Robert Lober, AIA, Mahlum principal-in-charge.

Founded in 1938, Mahlum has offices in Seattle and Portland, has received more than 100 awards for design excellence, and is committed to creating architecture that sustains and enriches our everyday life. Additional information about the architectural firm is online at www.mahlum.com.

Over the next several months, Mahlum representatives will work closely with Franciscan officials, community members and others to design the replacement Enumclaw hospital. Franciscan will also begin the process of selecting a general contractor in September.

“Our organization is committed to excellence and this commitment will be reflected in every step we take toward building the new hospital,” said Laure Nichols, the Franciscan organization’s senior vice president for strategic planning and business development.

Earlier this year, Enumclaw Regional Hospital (ERH) joined the Franciscan Health System following the hospital leadership’s comprehensive review of the community’s needs and the hospital’s growth potential. ERH, a critical access facility that is licensed for 38 beds, has served Enumclaw, Buckley, Black Diamond, Carbonado, South Prairie, Orting and other communities in Southeast King and Northeast Pierce counties since 1949.

The new hospital, which is projected to cost approximately $65 million, will be located next to the existing facility on the Enumclaw campus. It will provide all the services that ERH now provides, and will feature the newest medical and diagnostic imaging equipment. Also, the new hospital will be large enough to accommodate additional and expanded services to meet the future needs of the community.

Mahlum Architects was chosen by a committee that, in addition to Lewis and Nichols, includes ERH Board member Roy Brooks; cardiologist Gene Trobaugh, MD, of the ERH medical staff; ERH Chief Operating Officer Dennis Popp; ERH Chief Nurse Officer Jeannie Matthews; and Mike Liepman, Franciscan’s vice president for guest services and facilities.

Along with Enumclaw Regional Hospital, the non-profit Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, which opens in 2009.

Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the nation with 72 hospitals and other care facilities in 19 states.

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Gamma Knife surgery is treatment option for disorder that causes facial pain

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Treatment will be discussed by Tacoma neurologist at trigeminal neuralgia support group on Sept. 20 .

Neurosurgeon Seth Joseffer, MD, will be the featured speaker during the Thursday, Sept. 20 meeting of the South Sound support group of the National Trigeminal Neuralgia Association at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma.

He will talk about minimally invasive Gamma Knife surgery as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia (TN), a neurological disorder that causes agonizing, lightning-like attacks of pain usually on one side of the face. These episodes of excruciating pain last from a few seconds to as long as two minutes.

“You feel so desperate,” says retired ophthalmologist Byron Dodge, MD, the support group’s leader and a former TN sufferer who was treated with the Gamma Knife. “No one can stand that kind of pain. It destroys all quality of life.”

The trigeminal neuralgia support group will meet from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Lagerquist Conference Room at St. Joseph, 1717 S. J St.
The presumed cause of TN is a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve in the head as it exits the brainstem. The condition may be part of the normal aging process, but in some cases it is associated with another disorder, such as multiple sclerosis, characterized by damage to the myelin sheath that covers certain nerves.

An estimated one in 15,000 people suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, although the number may be significantly higher due to frequent misdiagnosis of the condition. More information is available online at www.tna-support.org

Gamma Knife directs 201 intersecting beams of precise, high-intensity radiation to deep targets within the head, neck and brain to provide minimally invasive treatment for several conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and brain tumors. Often called “surgery without a scalpel,” Gamma Knife represents one of the most advanced forms of minimally invasive surgeries in medicine.

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Surgeon Wendy Weeks, MD joins Franciscan Medical Group

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Her office is at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma
Surgeon Wendy A. Weeks, MD has joined the medical staff of the Franciscan Medical Group and sees patients in her office on the campus of St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma.

She is a board-certified general surgeon who recently completed a one-year graduate medical education program through the Franciscan Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery Fellowship at St. Joseph.

Weeks earned a medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and completed a medical residency at the University of Maryland Medical System in Baltimore. She is an associate member of the American College of Surgeons.

As a new member of the Franciscan Medical Group, she joins a growing network that includes more than 160 practitioners who provide primary and specialty medical services at nearly 40 clinic sites in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

Franciscan Medical Group is part of the Franciscan Health System, which includes St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, Enumclaw Regional Hospital, and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor that opens in 2009.

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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award in recognition of its high quality and performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

Enumclaw Regional Hospital designated as one of ‘Most Wired’ in the nation.

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Enumclaw Regional Hospital has been named one of the most technologically advanced small, rural hospitals in the nation by Hospital and Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association.

The publication surveyed more than 1,200 hospitals in the U.S. to identify the “Most Wired” facilities for its 2007 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study.

“We are very honored to by this recognition,” said Dennis Popp, the chief operating officer at Enumclaw Regional Hospital. “This acknowledges our commitment to providing our physicians and their patients with the best possible environment for care.”

Enumclaw Regional Hospital and nine other facilities in Washington and Idaho were recognized for their efforts to connect physicians and patients through wired and wireless networks. The hospitals are connected by Inland Northwest Health Services (INHS) as part of a 39-hospital health information technology network that allows physicians streamlined access to patient information by utilizing wired and wireless technology.

“It’s about creating the safest hospitals in the nation,” said Tom Fritz, chief executive officer of INHS. “The innovative solutions, combined with clinical knowledge, improve patient outcomes, reduce length of stay and help prevent medication errors, allowing hospitals to better serve their communities.”

The complete list of the Most Wired small, rural hospitals in the U.S. is online at Hospital & Health Networks.

Earlier this year, Enumclaw Regional Hospital joined the Franciscan Health System, which includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood.

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Mustard Seed Project on Key Peninsula awarded a grant totaling $83,340

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Catholic Health Initiatives, Franciscan Health System support project's ‘elder-friendly’ focus

The Mustard Seed Project, a grassroots program that strives to create “elder-friendly” services and programs on the Key Peninsula, has been awarded a grant totaling $83,340 by Catholic Health Initiatives and the Franciscan Health System to support its work.

The grant is provided by the Mission and Ministry Fund of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), the national health care system with which the Tacoma-based Franciscan organization is affiliated. Franciscan is building St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor; the 80-bed hospital is scheduled to open in 2009.

The Mustard Seed Project has the qualities that CHI seeks when awarding Mission and Ministry Fund grants: It meets an identified community need, is innovative, is able to be replicated, and promotes collaboration with other organizations in the community.

Started in 2006, the Mustard Seed Project is a community initiative focused on building services and programs that will allow Key Peninsula senior citizens to continue living there as they grow older and still have access to local resources they need.

Now in its 11th year, the CHI Mission and Ministry Fund has awarded 188 grants nationwide amounting to approximately $24 million. The fund was established through contributions from CHI facilities in 19 states, including the Franciscan Health System.

CHI and the Franciscan organization share a mission to create healthier communities. Supporting the Mustard Seed Project and other community-based programs helps to advance the CHI and Franciscan mission of service and healing.

In addition to St. Anthony Hospital, the Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Anthony Prompt Care in Gig Harbor, Gig Harbor Medical Clinic, Port Orchard Medical Clinic, and more than 35 other medical clinics in Pierce, Kitsap and King Counties.

Catholic Health Initiatives, based in Denver, is a non-profit corporation that includes 72 hospitals, 42 long-term care facilities, assisted-living facilities and residential units; and other care facilities in 19 states. CHI is the second -largest Catholic health system in the United States.

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Enumclaw Regional Hospital prepares to use newest diagnostic-imaging technology

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT

State-of-the-art MRI unit begins service week of July 23

Enumclaw Regional Hospital (ERH) is one of five sites nationally -- and one of only two in the Pacific Northwest -- to receive the newest generation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology available from Toshiba America Medical Systems, a leading global provider of diagnostic imaging systems.

The Vantage Atlas 1.5 Tesla MRI at Enumclaw Regional Hospital will feature most modern technology, and is designed with exceptional patient care and comfort in mind. The unit is scheduled to begin service during the week of July 23.

“This model means that ERH will be prepared with state-of-the-art imaging equipment that can stay current with the latest technology,” said Dennis Popp, hospital administrator and chief operating officer. “The addition of this MRI unit to our hospital also reflects our commitment to providing the best care possible to our patients.”

With the new MRI unit, imaging time is decreased while the quality of its images is second to none.

“This model features the strongest and fastest radiofrequency gradients in the industry, which will be particularly useful in exams involving the heart,” said David Rice, MD, a radiologist and director of medical imaging at ERH. “In addition, the magnet itself is significantly more homogeneous than most, further improving image quality.”

The unit is classified as a high-field MRI system that performs a wide variety of exams.

“For example, with advanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), physicians can simultaneously view images of vascular structures in the chest and abdomen without the use of contrast agents, which increases patient comfort and reduce cost,” said Richard Rosser, the hospital’s radiology manager.

“Most of the current MRI scanners used today have eight channels,” he added. “Toshiba’s Vantage 1.5T powered by Atlas has 16 channels with the capability of expanding to 32 channels when the coil technology becomes available.”

Additional channels will increase imaging speed and resolution, and support faster image processing, thus allowing expansion capabilities for the future.

This new MRI technology will replace the existing MRI unit at Enumclaw Regional Hospital, ensuring that patients have access to world-class diagnostic imaging services close to home.

“We are excited about being able to offer our patients and referring physicians the latest in MRI technology,” Rosser said. “There are a number of features that make this unit more patient-friendly. It is unique because, unlike current models where patients are moved into the unit head first, an uncomfortable placement for individuals who may have claustrophobic tendencies, the short-bore design allows people to be placed in the unit feet first for most exams.

“So, unless the scan is directed specifically at the head, neck or shoulder area, the patient’s head remains outside the chamber,” he added. “Also, this is a wide-bore magnet – more like a CT scanner than older magnets that felt like being in a tunnel. In addition, the unit is about 90 percent quieter than previous models. The more comfortable a patient is, the greater our ability is to capture better images, which will help the radiologist make a diagnosis.”

Because the new MRI technology allows for better and faster scans, the time required for a typical scan will be shortened, another patient benefit. By reducing the amount of time required for most scans, it is anticipated that additional patients can be scheduled each day.

The new MRI unit will be in service Monday through Friday at Enumclaw Regional Hospital, which is affiliated with the Franciscan Health System.

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Federal Way Neurology and Headache Clinic joins Franciscan Medical Group

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT

FEDERAL WAY -- Neurologist John Wendt, MD and the Federal Way Neurology and Headache Clinic have joined the Franciscan Medical Group, the ever-expanding network of clinics and specialists affiliated with the Franciscan Health System.

Wendt, who specializes in treating headaches and reducing stress, has practiced medicine at the Federal Way Neurology and Headache Clinic for 19 years. He received a degree in medicine from the University of Michigan and completed a residency in neurology at the University of Colorado.

The Federal Way Neurology and Headache Clinic is at 34503 9th Ave. S., Suite 320. The phone number is (253) 838-3103.

The Franciscan Medical Group, which includes nearly 40 clinics in King, Pierce and South Kitsap counties, had only six facilities in 2002. It is affiliated with the Franciscan Health System, which includes St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way.

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St. Francis Hospital launches website to help people with obesity better understand weight loss surgery

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT

St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, a leading provider of weight loss surgery in the state, has launched a special website to help people with obesity in deciding whether weight loss surgery is right for them.

The website address is www.StFrancisWeightforLife.org.

“Obesity and the health problems associated with obesity are a critical health challenge in the Puget Sound area and across Washington State,” says Janelle Morissette, a registered nurse and director of the St. Francis Center for Weight Loss Surgery. “Our new website is an important information resource for men and women who are considering life-changing weight loss surgery.”

Information on the website include weight loss solutions, successful patient stories, an explanation of the range of weight loss surgeries offered at St. Francis Hospital and the schedule for weight loss seminars that are offered free of charge throughout the region.

The information also includes:
• An overview of surgery and how it can impact morbid obesity
• Description of all available weight loss surgeries
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about weight loss surgery
• Profiles of St. Francis Hospital surgeons who perform the procedures
• Dates, time and locations of free information sessions – both live and online
• Costs of weight loss surgeries with suggestions on best payment methods
• Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator to help gauge severity of weight issue

The surgeons at St. Francis Hospital perform more weight loss procedures than any other hospital in Washington. St. Francis is designated as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery in recognition of its experience and favorable outcomes in weight loss surgery.

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Franciscan Health System receives American Heart Association’s Start! Fit Friendly Certification

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Program celebrates wellness opportunities in workplace

Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System is the first organization in Pierce County to be certified as a Start! Fit Friendly organization by the American Heart Association.

The Heart Association’s national Start! Fit Friendly program recognizes companies that develop a culture of physical activity in the workplace. The designation is awarded to organizations for progressive leadership in promoting and implementing a culture of physical activity, fitness and health within the workplace, said Amy Wigstrom, executive director of the Pierce County American Heart Association. In all, just 152 companies nationwide, including Bank of America and General Mills, have received the award.

To receive certification, companies must achieve specific goals in implementation of an employee wellness program. A panel of experts established by the American Heart Association then reviews the application.

Franciscan, which has about 6,000 employees, started its employee wellness program in 2005, called Franciscan Healthy You. It includes annual health and wellness fairs, on-site exercise classes, various wellness workshops, access to an on-site wellness coordinator, incentive programs, indoor and outdoor walking paths, and an online activity-tracking log that rewards employees for fitness activities.

“Employee health and wellness are very important to this organization,” said June Bowman, Chief Operating Officer for St. Joseph Medical Center, the flagship hospital of the Franciscan Health System. “As a health care organization, we are committed to health education for our staff.”

Franciscan also encourages the community to adopt healthy lifestyles by sponsoring different exercise programs, such as the American Heart Association’s Start! walking program and Trek Tracking at Northwest Trek in Eatonville. To get more information about all other Franciscan-sponsored community-walking programs and its free online walking tracker, go to www.FHShealth.org/walk.

For more information about the Start! Fit Friendly program and the American Heart Association, go to www.americanheart.org.

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Northwest Trek offers free admission with new St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center walking program

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Program provides free access to wildlife park’s core area

St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center in Tacoma and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville have teamed up to encourage better heart health with the Trek Trackin’ walking program.

Trek Trackin’ enables participants to receive “passports to better health” at the park’s admissions window, giving them free access to Northwest Trek’s core area and nature trails. In the 1 ¼-mile core area, members are able to visit the snowy owl, bear, canine, cat, and forest/wetland exhibits. The nature trails are five miles in length and include paved trails located near the Cheney Discovery Center.

To encourage a regular walking routine, members may fill out the passports and drop them off at the gift shop. The individual who walks the most often and the most miles by the end of the year earns a free, behind-the-scenes Trek Tour for themselves and a guest.

“Walking is one of the best things you can do for your heart health,” said Karen Qvale, director of the St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center. “A regular walking routine can help reduce the risk of heart disease and help prevent and manage high cholesterol and adult-onset diabetes.”

The Trek Trackin’ program is one of several walking experiences Franciscan Health System provides to improve community health. For more information about the walking programs and a free online walking tracker, visit www.FHShealth.org/walk.

Northwest Trek is a 723-acre park, owned and operated by Metro Parks Tacoma. The park opened in 1975 as a showcase for North American native species and exhibits about 200 animals in natural settings. For more information about Northwest Trek, go to www.nwtrek.org.

St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center treats more heart patients than any other hospital in the South Sound. The center provides comprehensive cardiovascular care, which includes open heart and vascular surgery, advanced imaging and diagnostics, interventional catheterization, management of heart failure, cardiac rehabilitation, as well as a variety of heart health programs offered throughout the year. To get more information about the St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center, go to www.FHShealth.org/heart.

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Franciscan hospital patients can now get online messages from anyone, anywhere

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT

EmailGrams allow patients’ friends, relatives to express encouragement no matter where they are in the world

Franciscan Health System hospitals in Tacoma, Lakewood and Federal Way are using technology that allows their patients to receive online messages from relatives and friends anywhere in the world.
Called EmailGram, the new, Internet-based service is available for patients at St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Clare Hospital and St. Francis Hospital.

“The support of friends and family can lift the spirits of our patients and help them to recover more quickly,” says Kathy Schmidt, manager of community services at St. Francis. “Each of our hospitals has regular daily visiting hours but not everyone can get to the hospital. Enabling those in our care to also receive online messages from their loved ones is an important part of our approach to treating the mind, body and spirit.”

Here’s how EmailGrams work: Log on to the Franciscan website at www.FHShealth.org, and click the “Email a Patient” icon on the right side of the homepage. Select the hospital where the patient is, type in the patient’s name and your message, then press the Submit button. EmailGrams received by St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Clare Hospital and St. Francis Hospital are hand delivered to patients by hospital staff or volunteers.

“This technology bridges distance between patients and those they hold dear,” Schmidt says. “Miles are no longer a barrier to expressing words of hope and love.”

Committed to being the best place to heal and the best community health resource, the Franciscan Health System is one of only four organizations in the state to be recognized for performance excellence with the 2006 Washington State Quality Award.

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New program will help Asian, Pacific Islanders ‘navigate’ language, cultural barriers to connect with end-of-life care

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Franciscan Health System, Korean Women’s Association are partners in launching service
resource this summer

The Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System and the Korean Women’s Association will launch a unique program July 1 designed to help the region’s Asian and Pacific Islander populations navigate through cultural and language barriers to end-of-life services.

Called the Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care Navigator Program, it will serve as an important resource to help individuals overcome cultural and language hurdles so they may more easily connect with comfort and hospice services for the terminally ill.

First-year funding for the startup program will be supported by a $27,760 grant from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound and by a $20,000 contribution by the Franciscan Foundation.

“Diagnosis of a life-threatening illness can bring overwhelming challenges for patients and their families,” says Mark Rake-Marona, director of Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care. “Our navigator program will serve as a bridge over the walls of language and culture that discourage some individuals from connecting with the services they want or need.’’

The “navigator” will be Dr. Soon J. Han, a Korean-trained physician who speaks Korean and English, and who shares the culture of the Korean community. Specific functions of the navigator include guiding patients who are at risk of dying, and their families, through the various systems for insurance and financial assistance, medication needs, home health care, community resources and transportation options. Dr. Han, who is employed by the Korean Women’s Association, also will assist in communicating patients’ and their families’ stories to caregivers, and in coordinating end-of-life services.

“Language barriers and cultural differences create gaps in the ability to access care,” says Georganne Trandum, director of Franciscan’s Improving Care through the End of Life program. “Unaware of hospice and other end-of-life services that are available, many individuals and their families struggle needlessly during periods of illness and as the end of life approaches.”

As part of the new navigator program, cross-training will occur between the Franciscan Health System and the Korean Women’s Association (KWA) staffs. Franciscan nurses, chaplains and social workers who provide end-of-life care will be trained to ensure that the needs of patients and families are met in alignment with their religious and cultural expectations. The KWA staff will learn about local and regional medical care and other resources for people at risk of dying, and how to help their clients to access those services.

“This is a partnership that will benefit many, many people during the most emotional and vulnerable times of their lives,” says Lua Prichard, executive director of the Korean Women’s Association.

Founded in 1972, KWA serves multi-cultural and multi-lingual populations of people from 31 countries. Its staff and volunteers can communicate in a total of 24 languages. The organization offers more than 20 social service programs to 8,000 clients per month, and the number continues to grow.

At 7 percent of the population, Washington has the third-highest percentage of Asian Americans, behind Hawaii and California, according to U.S. Census data. Also, Washington ranks fifth in the nation for the highest percentage of Pacific Islanders. Within Washington, King, Pierce and Snohomish counties have the highest percentages of Asian and Pacific Islander residents. They account for 8 percent of the population in both Pierce and Snohomish counties, and 15 percent of the King County population.

The Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care Navigator Program is an extension of the organization’s award-winning Improving Care through the End of Life service. The program has received the American Hospital Association’s Circle of Life Award for innovative practices and it has been recognized by the American Medical Group Association as a Model of Excellence in High Risk Patient Management.

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State endorses St. Francis Hospital’s plan to add beds, expand nursery care

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT

St. Francis Hospital’s plan to add 36 beds and expand its capability to care for prematurely born babies has been endorsed by the Washington State Department of Health.

The state agency concluded June 12 that the Federal Way hospital had proven that there is a community need for more beds in southeast King County to serve medical and surgical patients, as well as a need for enhanced nursery care.

"We are very pleased that the state’s analysis confirmed what we’ve known for some time, and we appreciate the very strong support that we have received from the community," Syd Bersante, the chief operating officer at St. Francis Hospital, said today.

"The Federal Way community has grown by leaps and bounds since our hospital opened in 1987," she added. "We need to add patient beds and expand our nursery’s care capacity in order to meet the health care needs of the increasing number of people who live and work here."

Specifically, the state Department of Health has:

Agreed to allow St. Francis to add 36 beds, which will raise the hospital’s total number of licensed beds to 146. This is the first time the bed total has increased since the hospital opened 20 years ago.
Agreed to allow the Level 1 nursery to become a Level 2 facility, a designation that will permit the nursery to provide care for infants born four to six weeks prematurely and which have only minor health complications. Currently, the nursery provides care for healthy babies born at full term and those which are born two to three weeks prematurely without health complications.

A $27 million patient-care wing will be built at St. Francis Hospital to house the additional beds for medical and surgical patients. Construction is scheduled to start in 2008 and be completed in 2009.

"Our commitment to the residents of Federal Way and our neighboring communities is to provide the best care possible, close to home," Ms. Bersante said. "Adding patient beds and elevating the care capability of our nursery will help us to better serve our patients and their families."

Since opening in 1987, St. Francis Hospital has served an increasing number of patients. While the hospital has added services and programs over the years, its original license for 110 beds has remained unchanged even though the city’s population has grown to more than 86,000. By comparison, the population was about 58,000 when Federal Way incorporated into a city in 1990 (three years after the hospital opened).

St. Francis is the only hospital in Federal Way and has about 900 employees.

The hospital submitted a 64-page application to the state Department of Health last September requesting permission to add beds and broaden its nursery care. As part of their comprehensive analysis of need, Department of Health officials conducted a public hearing at the Federal Way Public Library in March that nearly 150 people attended. In addition to the public testimony, the agency received more than 200 letters supporting the hospital’s need to expand.

Auburn Regional Medical Center and the MultiCare Health System officially opposed St. Francis’ plans from the beginning. St. Francis officials encouraged both organizations to accept the state’s June 12 approval of the additional beds and expanded care for prematurely born babies.

"The state Department of Health has conducted a comprehensive analysis and concluded that there is a community need for additional beds and expanded nursery care at St. Francis," Bersante said. "We are eager to put these expansions into place and provide the level of care that our community needs. We hope to proceed free of challenges from organizations that are not based in the Federal Way community."

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Enumclaw Country Garden Tour benefits hospital’s Care Van service

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT

June 30 event features garden tours, plant sale, expert speakers

The fifth Enumclaw Country Garden Tour will be underway Saturday, June 30, at Enumclaw High School, featuring expert speakers, self-guided tours of beautiful gardens, and the always-popular plant sale.

Proceeds from the event, which is hosted by Enumclaw Regional Hospital, support the hospital’s Care Van that provides free transportation to individuals who need rides to and from their doctors’ offices. The van serves people of all ages and is equipped with a wheelchair lift to ensure safe and convenient access for handicapped individuals.

The Country Garden Tour begins at 8:30 a.m. at Enumclaw High School. The plant sale will be underway from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Also, expert gardener Marianne Binetti and garden designer Susan Goetz will speak and answer questions at 9 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., respectively. Additionally, six privately owned gardens in Enumclaw will be open for self-guided tours from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Tickets cost $15 each and can now be purchased at many local businesses, or purchased until 11:30 a.m. on the day of the event at the high school. Tickets may also be ordered by calling the Garden Tour Hotline at (360) 802-3270.

The Garden Country Tour is sponsored Cutters Supply, Enumclaw Courier-Herald, Expression at Enumclaw, Grammas Garden Nursery and Gifts, High Point Village, Living Court Assisted Living, White River Credit Union and Wilkeson Sandstone Quarry.

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Gala raises $145,000 to support St. Francis Hospital’s new Critical Care Unit

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Nearly $140,000 was raised at the recent St. Francis Gala to support the new Critical Care Unit being built at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way.

The total exceeded the original fundraising goal by about $26,000, said Jon Flora, president of the Franciscan Foundation. Also, 475 people attended the 21st annual St. Francis Gala held at the hospital on May 12, the highest attendance in the history of the annual event.

“We are very grateful for this community’s support of St. Francis Hospital,” Flora said. “The gala was a special and fun evening. We thank everyone who attended for being part of the festivities and especially for their generosity.”

Proceeds from the St. Francis Gala will support construction of the Critical Care Unit, which will include 30 beds and private rooms for the hospital’s intensive-care and progressive-care patients.

The expansion project, scheduled for completion in 2008, will cost an estimated $32 million. The majority of the cost will be paid by the non-profit Franciscan Health System, which includes St. Francis Hospital, and Catholic Health Initiatives, the Denver-based organization with which Franciscan is affiliated.

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St. Anthony Hospital community meeting scheduled June 7 in Gig Harbor

Thu, 31 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Construction updates, impacts will be discussed

The public is invited to a community meeting on Thursday, June 7 in Gig Harbor to hear informational updates about the St. Anthony Hospital construction project. The meeting will be underway from 7 to 8 p.m. at Fire District No. 5, 10222 Bujacich Road NW.

Franciscan Health System and Sellen Construction Co. representatives will on hand to:
• Provide a project overview
• Discuss the project’s timeline and key milestones
• Discuss traffic impacts during construction
• Discuss landscaping plans

Construction of St. Anthony Hospital and its medical office building is underway in Gig Harbor North. The 80-bed hospital, which will be a part of the Franciscan Health System, is scheduled to open in early 2009.

St. Anthony Hospital will offer the full range of medical care, including 24-hour emergency services; medical, surgical and critical-care units; inpatient and outpatient surgery; a heart catheterization laboratory; diagnostic imaging; and outpatient cancer treatment. More information about the state-of-the-art hospital is online at www.GigHarborhospital.org.

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Franciscan hospitals honored for their achievements to protect the environment

Tue, 22 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT

St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Clare Hospital, St. Francis Hospital recognized for leadership

St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood and St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way have received the 2007 Partners for Change Award for their waste-reduction, mercury-elimination and recycling programs that protect the environment.

The awards were presented earlier this month by Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E). The three Franciscan Health System hospitals were among 128 hospitals, health systems and health care organizations in the United States honored by H2E.

“These organizations are at the forefront of the trend toward a health care system that recognizes the fundamental link between healthy people and a healthy environment,” said H2E Executive Director Laura Brannen.

In 2006 alone, St. Joseph, St. Clare and St. Francis recycled, reused or donated 138,000 pounds of materials that otherwise would likely have ended up in landfills.

Rozi Arends, the manager of value analysis for Franciscan who supervises the organization’s waste-reduction programs, explained that environmental excellence aligns with the organization’s mission to create healthier communities.

“We always strive to be good stewards of our limited resources,” said Arends, who noted that Franciscan’s reliance on recyclable containers for used needles has reduced its plastics waste by 82,000 pounds a year. “Our organization is honored to receive the Partners for Change Award as recognition for success in these efforts.”

H2E is a voluntary program of the American Hospital Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Health Care without Harm, and the American Nurses Association. Its goals include eliminating the use of mercury in health care, cutting health care waste by half, and reducing the use and production of toxic and hazardous substances.

St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Clare Hospital and St. Francis Hospital are a part of the Franciscan Health System, which recently received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence.

Nominations are being accepted for St. Francis Humanitarian of the Year Award

Tue, 22 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT

A Federal Way resident or organization will be selected

The Franciscan Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2007 St. Francis Humanitarian of the Year Award that will be presented to an individual or organization in the Federal Way area that shows extraordinary commitment to serving the poor, promoting peace and embracing diversity.

Previous winners from Federal Way have included Peggy LaPorte, founder of FUSION (Friends United to Shelter the Indigent, Oppressed and Needy); Jean Vaughn, an educator and advocate for immigrant families in Federal Way; and John Metcalf, an educator and community leader whose courage, integrity, generosity, humility and lifelong commitment to serving others reflect the values of St. Francis of Assisi.

To nominate a person or organization for the St. Francis Humanitarian of the Year Award, please send an email to fhsfoundation@FHShealth.org, or mail a letter to: Humanitarian of the Year, c/o Franciscan Foundation, PO Box 1502, Tacoma, WA 98401-1502. You may also call (253) 428-8411 or toll-free 1-888-814-3740. Your emails and letters should include the name of the person or organization that you are nominating and a brief explanation of how your nominee reflects the values of St. Francis of Assisi.

Nominations are due by Friday, June 22.

The St. Francis Humanitarian of the Year Award has been presented annually since 1982 by the Franciscan Foundation and the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.

The Franciscan Foundation is part of the Franciscan Health System, a recipient of the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence.

Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org

St. Clare Hospital nurse is named 2007 Pierce County Nurse of the Year

Wed, 16 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Pat Ewell, a registered nurse at St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, has been named the 2007 Pierce County Nurse of the Year by the Pierce County Nurses Association.

The prestigious award recognizes excellence in nursing and is sponsored annually by the Pierce County chapter of the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA).

Ewell, 65, currently works with patients in the surgery pre-admission clinic at St. Clare Hospital. She recalls that she always wanted to be a nurse and, upon achieving that goal, only hoped that she would do well in the profession.

“It’s said that if you love what you do, then you will never have to work another day in your life,” Ewell said. “I love being a nurse and taking care of people at the hospital as well as caring for my friends and family. Being a nurse is who I am and it’s what I do. There is nothing that could fulfill me more.”

Ewell joined the nursing staff at St. Clare Hospital – then called Lakewood General – in 1964. Franciscan Health System acquired Lakewood General in 1990 and changed its name to St. Clare Hospital. During her career, she has been a nurse in the emergency department, obstetrics and day surgery.

She received the 2007 Pierce County Nurse of the Year Award during a May 11 ceremony at the Landmark Convention Center in Tacoma. “I am overwhelmed by this recognition,” said Ewell, who was nominated by her colleagues at St. Clare Hospital.

Ewell and her husband of 46 years, Ken, live in Tacoma. They have two adult children and five grandchildren – which she describes as “simply wonderful” – who range in age from 10 to 17 years old. Her motto is, “Every day is a gift – that’s why it is called the present.”

At St. Clare Hospital, Ewell is respected for her commitment to excellent patient care and beloved for her sense of humor. “Humor has a healing power,” she said. “I use it as often as possible.”

Ewell, who turns 66 years old this summer, explained that she recently received her first Social Security check but quickly added she has no plans to retire. “You’re only as good as the people that you have working on your team,” she said. “From top to bottom, we are the best. Our team, hospital-wide, is awesome.”

WSNA, which is the largest nursing association in Washington, represents more than 13,000 registered nurses (RNs), including staff nurses, nurse educators, nurse practitioners, school nurses and public health nurses. The WNSA website is www.wsna.org.

In addition to St. Clare Hospital, the 6,000-employee Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center of Tacoma, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, Enumclaw Regional Hospital, and a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital’s affiliation with Franciscan Health System is now official

Mon, 14 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Affiliation will result in a new hospital in Enumclaw

Enumclaw Regional Hospital is now officially a part of the Franciscan Health System, making it the fourth hospital in the Tacoma-based organization that provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical services in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

The hospital’s affiliation with Franciscan creates a partnership that will ensure state-of-the-art medical care in a new, larger hospital for the growing populations of Enumclaw, Southeast King County and Northeast Pierce County.

Terms and conditions of the affiliation were unanimously approved by the Enumclaw Regional Hospital Board of Directors in February and endorsed by the Enumclaw Regional Hospital Association in March. The Washington State Office of the Attorney General completed its review of the agreement in late April, clearing the way for the affiliation to take effect.

“This is a great day for our community and for our hospital,” said Sue Reiter, chair of the Enumclaw Regional Hospital (ERH) Board of Directors. “We have joined a very successful and forward-thinking health care organization.”

ERH has served Enumclaw, Buckley, Black Diamond, Carbonado, South Prairie, Orting and other nearby communities in Southeast King and Northeast Pierce counties since 1949. Licensed for 38 beds, it is designated as a Critical Access Hospital in a special federal program for small hospitals in rural areas. Enumclaw Regional Hospital, which is a non-profit organization, will retain its name as a member of the Franciscan Health System.

As part of the affiliation, Franciscan will build a 90,000-square-foot replacement hospital in Enumclaw that will be nearly twice the size of the existing hospital. The new facility will be constructed within three to four years and cost an estimated $65 million. It will be located next to the existing hospital and provide all the services that ERH now provides, and include the newest medical and diagnostic imaging equipment. The new hospital also will be large enough to accommodate additional and expanded services to meet the future needs of the community. A design-planning team for the new Enumclaw hospital has already been assembled.

“We welcome Enumclaw Regional Hospital to our organization,” said Franciscan President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Wilczek. “We look forward to working with our new partners in Enumclaw to provide the facilities and services that are needed to meet the health care demands of the community’s growing population. Franciscan Health System and Enumclaw Regional Hospital are better together.”

In addition to getting a new, much-needed hospital, the Enumclaw community will benefit from the affiliation because of the additional doctors who will be recruited to the area and the expansion of medical, surgical and community services over time.

The Franciscan organization, which has nearly 6,000 employees, includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics in Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties. Those clinics include Enumclaw Medical Center, which has served the greater Enumclaw community for 50 years. Franciscan will open St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor in early 2009.

As part of the Franciscan organization, Enumclaw Regional Hospital will maintain its own board to help guide development of medical services and community outreach initiatives. The Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the community hospital, also will continue to support the hospital. Additionally, joining the Franciscan organization will open doors to valuable training and rewarding career opportunities for the Enumclaw hospital’s 217 employees.

“Enumclaw is still a rural community, but it is growing and changing,” said Enumclaw Regional Hospital Administrator Dennis Popp. “As a member of the Franciscan Health System, our hospital will be much-better prepared to respond to the health care needs of the increasing and aging populations of the communities we serve than we could as a stand-alone, independent hospital.”

Franciscan Health System receives 2007 Washington State Quality Award

Thu, 10 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Tacoma organization is honored for performance excellence

The Franciscan Health System of Tacoma has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award for performance excellence, an achievement that recognizes it as a high achiever and a role model for other businesses seeking to elevate their quality and performance.

Gov. Christine Gregoire presented the quality award on Wednesday, May 9, during a special ceremony at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. Other recipients were the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle; Qualis Health of Seattle; and the Richland School District.

“This award acknowledges the dedication and commitment to excellence that are shown every day by the nearly 6,000 employees at the Franciscan Health System,” said Franciscan Chief Financial Officer Mike Fitzgerald.

Using the rigorous criteria for performance excellence that is employed by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program, the Washington State Quality Award (WSQA) program honors organizations in the Evergreen State with proven and sustainable accomplishments in business performance and overall excellence.

To be selected for the Washington State Quality Award, the Franciscan Health System underwent a thorough application process, in-depth site visits by examiners, and a comprehensive analysis of how the organization’s policies support its needs and align with its mission and strategic goals.

“The process has been a very interesting and rewarding experience for us, from completing our application to hosting site visits by the professional and inquisitive analysts,” said Laure Nichols, senior vice president for Strategic Planning and Business Development for Franciscan. “We discovered new ways to improve upon nearly every aspect of our healing work.”

Franciscan Health System and the University of Washington Medical Center were recognized at the Leadership Level for performance excellence; Qualis Health (a health care quality improvement organization) and the Richland School District were honored at the Achievement Level.

WSQA is a non-profit organization, authorized by the Washington State Legislature, to promote the success of Washington public and private sector organizations through the application of the Malcolm Baldrige Award Criteria for Performance Excellence. WSQA has been recognizing high performing organizations for 13 years. For more information, go online to www.wsqa.net.

In addition to receiving the 2007 Washington State Quality Award, the Franciscan organization is ranked No. 8 on Verispan’s Top 100 list of the most efficient and best-performing health care networks in the United States. Verispan is an independent health care research and information company.

The Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center of Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, Franciscan Hospice House in University Place, and a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics and physicians. Franciscan will open St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor in early 2009.

George F. Russell Fund pledges $1.5 million to create cancer center at Gig Harbor hospital

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:00:00 GMT

New center will be named for philanthropist Jane Russell

The George F. Russell Jr. Fund at The Russell Family Foundation has expanded the community’s overwhelming support of St. Anthony Hospital by pledging $1.5 million to help create a state-of-the-art outpatient cancer center on the campus of the new hospital in Gig Harbor.

The cancer center will be named for Jane Russell, a beloved philanthropist, community activist and the late wife of business leader George Russell. Mrs. Russell, a Key Peninsula resident who chaired the St. Joseph Medical Center board of trustees, died on May 10, 2002.

“To be named in honor of Jane and her indelible spirit, the center will be a place of healing and hope,” said Laure Nichols, the senior vice president for Strategic Planning and Business Development for the Franciscan Health System and Jane Russell’s niece. “The center will feature radiation oncology, medical oncology and a host of integrative therapies and complimentary support services so people with cancer in our community can stay close to home and receive the finest care available.”

The donation by the George F. Russell Jr. Fund serves as the founding gift for the outpatient cancer treatment center. Later this year, the Franciscan Foundation will formally launch a communitywide campaign to support construction of the cancer center and other important care amenities at St. Anthony Hospital.

“Jane was a kind and gracious individual who gave so much of her heart and soul to her family, and to the employees, families and clients at the Frank Russell Co., to St. Joseph Medical Center, and to the community at large,” Nichols said.

St. Anthony Hospital will open in early 2009 and provide a full range of medical and surgical care, including 24-hour emergency services; medical, surgical and critical care units; inpatient and outpatient surgery; a heart catheterization laboratory; and diagnostic imaging. The outpatient cancer center is planned to open at the same time as the new hospital and will be located in the medical office building on the St. Anthony campus.

St. Anthony Hospital, located in Gig Harbor North, is part of the Franciscan Health System, the leading provider of inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services in the South Sound region. The organization includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, and a network of 35 medical clinics in Pierce, South Kitsap and South King counties.

George and Jane Russell bought the small brokerage and mutual fund business of George’s grandfather in 1958 and developed it into one of the world’s leading investment management and advisory firms, Frank Russell Co. in Tacoma. George pioneered the business of pension fund consulting and Jane was the company’s architect of corporate culture. Together they earned Frank Russell Co. national recognition as an outstanding workplace -- achieving the ranking of No. 11 on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in America.

In 1999, George and Jane Russell sold Frank Russell Co. to Northwestern Mutual Life. The company was renamed the Russell Investment Group. Jane and George Russell created The Russell Family Foundation with part of the sale proceeds, providing a way for their extended family to make a quiet, positive impact in the community. The Russell Family Foundation is based in Gig Harbor.

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Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House. In addition to surgical, critical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org.

Jon Flora becomes new president of Franciscan Foundation

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Philanthropic agency supports Franciscan Health System

Jon Flora, who has a distinguished career in fundraising and senior management, is the new president of the Franciscan Foundation, the philanthropic unit of the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System. He joined the organization on April 16.

Flora succeeds Bob Krotz, who led the Franciscan Foundation since 1987 and is transitioning into a new position as the lead executive for fundraising and capital campaigns to support St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor. The new, 80-bed Franciscan hospital is under construction and scheduled to open in 2009.

“Jon’s knowledge and experience position the Franciscan Foundation to enter the next exciting chapter in its work of supporting the Franciscan mission to create healthier communities,” said Joe Wilczek, president and chief executive officer of the Franciscan Health System.

“I am pleased to be joining the Franciscan Foundation to support the outstanding mission of the Franciscan Health System,” Flora said. “I have long admired the quality of service provided by Franciscan and I look forward to being part of an organization so deeply committed to meeting the needs of its service area. It is also exciting for me to return to my hometown in a capacity that helps our growing South Sound communities."

With Krotz at its helm, the Franciscan Foundation raised more than $50 million from nearly 300,000 contributors.

Flora served as chief executive officer of Childhaven from 2003 through 2006, a critical period during which the Seattle non-profit agency completed a $15 million capital campaign and exceeded the goal by more than $600,000.

Previously, he was president and chief executive officer of Independent Colleges of Washington for 10 years when the organization raised approximately $30 million in support of the state’s 10 private, liberal arts institutions. During 11 years as director of development at Whitworth College in Spokane, Flora led a $15 million capital campaign that was the first successful major gift effort in the college’s 100-year history.

He is a graduate of Whitworth College with a double major in Business Management and in Communications and Marketing. He also graduated from Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma. His professional affiliations have included the Executive Alliance, United Way, and the Foundation for Independent Higher Education.

Franciscan Health System, which includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood and St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, provides state-of-the-art medical care to everyone who needs it, regardless of their ability to pay.

In 2006, the organization provided $12 million in medical care for individuals without health insurance or the means to pay. Donors to the Franciscan Foundation support the organization’s financial ability to upgrade its facilities and medical technology, and to provide uncompensated care for those in need.

St. Francis Hospital honored for quality of its surgical weight loss programs

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Hospital earns designation as a Blue Distinction Center

St. Francis Hospital of Federal Way, one of the leading providers of weight loss surgery in Washington, has been designated as a 2007 Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery by Premera Blue Cross and Regence BlueShield.

Blue Distinction recognizes programs that offer the best practices and highest standards of care. Premera Blue Cross and Regence Blue Shield are among the largest health insurance companies in the Pacific Northwest.

Created by the BlueCross BlueShield Association in 1991, the Blue Distinction Center program recognizes hospitals and specialty centers across the United States for excellence in providing patients with important information about their care and for collaborating with providers to improve quality, health outcomes and affordability. This benefits patients by helping them make better-informed decisions about their health care choices.

By meeting these requirements, Blue Distinction Center facilities like St. Francis Hospital demonstrate better outcomes and consistency of care for their patients. Bariatric surgeries have been provided since 2001 at St. Francis Hospital. Last year alone, 426 surgeries were performed at the hospital.

The 110-bed hospital is part of the Franciscan Health System, which is ranked No. 8 on the Top 100 list of the nation’s best performing, most efficient health organizations as determined by the independent research firm Verispan.

In March, St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma – also part of the Franciscan organization – was named a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care by Premera Blue Cross and Regence BlueShield.

Federal Way physician will be featured speaker at free seminar at St. Francis Hospital

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Dr. Barbara Levy, the medical director at the Women’s Health and Breast Center at St. Francis Hospital, will be the featured speaker at a free seminar titled “Mental Pause” starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 15 in Federal Way.

She will provide information about anxiety, hot flashes, memory and sleep problems, hormone-replacement options and other topics.

This seminar will be held in the St. Francis Medical Office Building next to St. Francis Hospital. To register for this free event, call toll-free 1-888-825-3227.

Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House. In addition to surgical, critical and emergency care, the Franciscan organization is the leading provider of cardiac services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org.

Public invited to harvest ferns, other native plants at St. Anthony Hospital construction site in Gig Harbor

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Free event scheduled 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 7

GIG HARBOR -- As the start of construction for St. Anthony Hospital draws near, the public is invited to the building site between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 7 to harvest ferns and other underbrush-type native plants for replanting in their private yards and gardens.

This is a free opportunity for Peninsula residents to choose plants for their personal use and years of enjoyment before the hospital site is cleared in preparation for construction work.

Representatives of ZGF Architects, The Hammes Co., which is the St. Anthony Hospital construction project manager, and Sellen Construction Co. will be on hand to answer questions and provide a list of plants that are available for harvesting.

The area from which plants can be removed will be marked. Importantly, participants should wear gloves and boots, and bring their own shovels, plant clippers, buckets and other containers.

Vehicle parking will be available in the parking lot of the new office building at Canterwood Boulevard and Baker Way in Gig Harbor North. Directional signs will be posted, too. From there, participants will walk about a half mile along a well-marked route to reach the plant-harvesting site.

For more information, please call David Dike at (206) 464-4200 during regular business hours.

Meanwhile, the official groundbreaking ceremony for St. Anthony Hospital will be held April 26, followed by free community events April 28-29 to celebrate the groundbreaking for Gig Harbor’s only hospital.

In addition to the state-of-the-art hospital facility and its medical office building, the St. Anthony campus will be professionally designed and feature trees, attractive shrubs and other vegetation that together will create a peaceful, lush environment.

St. Anthony Hospital will be part of the Franciscan Health System, which already offers numerous programs in Gig Harbor, including the Gig Harbor Medical Clinic, St. Anthony Sleep Disorders Center and St. Anthony Prompt Care.

Franciscan Health System is a private, non-profit organization that includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org.

Franciscan’s Fran Blackwell achieves Fellow status in American College

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Fran Blackwell, vice president of Outpatient Services for the Franciscan Health System, has achieved Fellow status in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Based at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, she has been a member of the Franciscan leadership team since 2005.Blackwell is in charge of outpatient services and programs at St. Francis, St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood.

ACHE is the nation’s leading professional society for health care leaders. It has 5,400 members. The status of Fellow represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. To obtain this, health care executives must fulfill multiple requirements that include passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experience criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional and/or community involvement.

Franciscan’s Dianna Kielian achieves Fellow status in American College of Healthcare Executives

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Dianna Kielian, the senior vice president of Mission for the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System, has become a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

ACHE is the nation’s leading professional society for health care leaders. It has 5,400 members.

The status of Fellow represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. To obtain this status, health care executives must fulfill multiple requirements that include passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experience criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional and/or community involvement.

Kielian has been a member of the Franciscan Health System’s leadership team since 1998. Before becoming senior vice president of Mission in 2005, she served as vice president of Mission and Community Health.

She guides Franciscan’s participation in numerous initiatives designed to help the organization fulfill its mission to create healthier communities and ensure access to services for everyone, including uninsured and under-insured individuals. Kielian is based at St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood.

The Franciscan Health System, which is a non-profit, faith-based organization, also includes St. Joseph Medical Center of Tacoma, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and a network of medical clinics in Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties.

DuPont Medical Clinic opens April 2 to provide family medicine, podiatry services

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:00:00 GMT

DuPont Medical Clinic, a part of the Franciscan Medical Group, opens on Monday, April 2, and will provide family medicine, vaccinations, well-child exams, minor injury care and procedures, and podiatry services.

The new primary-care clinic is located in the McNeil Station Retail Center, near America’s Credit Union, at 1175 Center Drive, Suite 130, in DuPont. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 964-5260 to schedule an appointment.

DuPont Medical Clinic features the services of family-medicine providers Kathleen Morgan, DO and Shelley Lockwood, ARNP, and podiatrist Chad Farley, DPM, an Associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

In addition to expert medical care close to home, visitors to the clinic will find a relaxing Northwest décor in the six exam rooms and one procedure room.

The medical clinic is a part of the Franciscan Medical Group that has 36 primary-care and specialty-care clinics and physicians in Pierce, South Kitsap and South King counties.

Franciscan Medical Group is affiliated with the Franciscan Health System, which is ranked eighth on the Top 100 list of the nation’s best performing, most efficient health networks by Verispan, an independent research and information company.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital will join Franciscan Health System

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Enumclaw Regional Hospital will join Franciscan Health System

St. Anthony Hospital project now free to receive permits, start construction

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Design Review Board, Hearing Examiner decisions stand

Construction of St. Anthony Hospital is moving toward a June beginning now that the way has been cleared for site-clearing, grading, conditional-use and building permits, which are under review by the City of Gig Harbor.

Concurrently, communitywide public events to celebrate the groundbreaking for the hospital are being planned for Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 in Gig Harbor.

No appeals were filed by the March 2 deadline to challenge the Hearing Examiner’s endorsement of the Gig Harbor Design Review Board’s earlier approval of architectural plans for the hospital and its medical office building. Without the additional hurdles an appeal would have created, the hospital project can obtain the necessary permits and advance unencumbered toward construction.

St. Anthony Hospital, scheduled to open in 2009, will be built near Canterwood Boulevard and Burnham Drive at Highway 16 in Gig Harbor North. Licensed for 80 beds, it will provide 24-hour lifesaving emergency care and a range of inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services for Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula and South Kitsap County residents. A medical office building for physician offices and outpatient services will be part of the well-planned St. Anthony campus, and be connected to the hospital by a sky bridge.

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca (ZGF) Architects are the designers of the hospital, medical office building and the campus. Sellen Construction Co. is the general contractor. Hammes Co. is the project manager. The companies are among the most respected in their specialties because of their experience, expertise and commitment to quality.

Development of St. Anthony Hospital and hospital services on the campus will cost an estimated $150 million, which will be paid by Franciscan Health System and its parent, Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, a private, non-profit organization that is one of the largest health care systems in the U.S. The medical office building will be developed by Frauenshuh Healthcare Real Estate Solutions.

St. Anthony is only the second hospital in 20 years to be approved for construction by the Washington State Department of Health.

In addition to St. Anthony Hospital, the Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, and 35 Franciscan Medical Group (FMG) clinics. St. Anthony Prompt Care in Gig Harbor and the Gig Harbor Medical Clinic are part of the FMG network.

Joint-replacement advancements will be topic of free seminar April 24 in Tacoma

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Dr. Peter Krumins, orthopedic surgeon, will be the featured speaker at a free, public seminar regarding advancements in joint replacement at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma.

He will discuss developments in surgical techniques and medical equipment that are helping patients to heal faster and for implants to last longer. A question and answer session will follow.

Admission is free to this one-hour presentation but space is limited. Reserve your seat by calling 1-888-825-3227 toll-free.

Franciscan Healthy Lifestyle Series on March 27 points way to better living

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Author explains how to create the body your soul desires

“Create the Body Your Soul Desires” will be the topic of the Franciscan Healthy Lifestyle Series, featuring author and health expert Deborah Kern, Ph.D., at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.

Through her life experiences, writings and lectures, Kern – nicknamed “Dr. Deb” – seeks to forever change the way women view the path to better health.

In addition, the public event will feature informational exhibits about numerous health resources offered by the Franciscan Health System and other local providers.

Tickets cost $15 and can be reserved by calling, toll-free, 1-888-825-3227.

The Healthy Lifestyle Series is sponsored by the Franciscan Health System, which is committed to providing quality health care and to the creation of healthier communities through educational programs such as the Healthy Lifestyle Series.

St. Joseph Medical Center is recognized for quality of its cardiac care services

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

‘Blue Distinction’ acknowledges best practices, high standards

St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma has been designated as a 2007 Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care by Premera Blue Cross and Regence BlueShield, which are among the largest health insurance companies serving the Pacific Northwest.

Blue Distinction identifies specialty centers that offer the best practices and highest standards of cardiac care for their patients.

Created by the BlueCross BlueShield Association in 1991, the Blue Distinction Center program recognizes hospitals and specialty centers across the United States for excellence in providing consumers with important information about their care and for collaborating with providers to improve quality, health outcomes and affordability.

By meeting these requirements, Blue Distinction facilities like St. Joseph Medical Center demonstrate better outcomes and consistency of care for their patients.

St. Joseph Medical Center is the leading provider of heart care services in the South Puget Sound region, providing more open heart, diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterizations than any other hospital in the area. Its services include open heart surgery, inpatient cardiac care, cardiac catheterization, and cardiac rehabilitation for patients who’ve undergone medical and surgical heart procedures.

St. Joseph is part of the Franciscan Health System, which is ranked No. 8 on the Top 100 list of the nation’s best performing, most efficient health organizations as determined by the independent research firm, Verispan.

State sets public hearing on St. Francis Hospital’s request to add beds, elevate nursery’s care level

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Hearing will be held March 30 at Federal Way Library

FEDERAL WAY – The plan by St. Francis Hospital to add much-needed patient beds and expand its nursery’s capability to provide care for more premature babies will be the subject of a public hearing at 1 p.m. Friday, March 30, at the Federal Way Library.

The library’s address is 848 South 320th St. in Federal Way.

The hearing will be conducted by the Washington State Department of Health, which must approve the hospital’s request for 36 more beds and the higher service designation for its nursery.

Based on a thorough evaluation of facts provided by St. Francis Hospital and information from the upcoming public hearing, Department of Health regulators will determine whether there is a need for more hospital beds and for more local care of premature newborns.

Receiving written and verbal comments from the public is an important milestone in the state’s comprehensive review of the hospital’s 64-page application for the required Certificate of Need. In addition to attending and/or speaking at the hearing, individuals may express support for the hospital by mailing typed or handwritten letters, postmarked no later than March 27, to:

Karen Nidermayer
Certificate of Need Program
Washington State Department of Health
P.O. Box 47852
Olympia, WA 98504-7852

In order to meet the growing need for inpatient care, St. Francis Hospital needs to add 36 beds for medical and surgical patients, giving it 146 beds in all, and designate its Level 1 nursery as a Level 2 unit to allow more premature newborns to receive care there.

“Our community has grown and we need to grow, too,” said Syd Bersante, the hospital’s chief operating officer.

Due to a shortage of beds, the community hospital was unable to admit approximately 600 patients in 2005. Instead, those patients were sent to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and other facilities for in-hospital care.

Also, more than 50 babies born to local families were seen at hospitals outside Federal Way because the hospital lacked the Level 2 certification to care for them even though the staff is highly skilled in the special care of premature infants.

If the state approves the additional patient beds, St. Francis Hospital plans to begin construction in 2008 of a three-story, 30,000-square-foot wing to house them. This addition to the hospital would cost an estimated $27 million and open in 2009. It would be paid for by the Franciscan Health System, the private, non-profit organization with which St. Francis Hospital is affiliated.

Although the Federal Way hospital has added services and programs since opening in 1987, its original license for 110 beds has remained the same despite the steady growth of the community’s population and the need for inpatient care. Federal Way has approximately 86,000 residents today, an increase of about 28,000 since 1990. St. Francis is the only hospital in Federal Way, the sixth-largest city in Washington.

In addition to St. Francis Hospital, the Franciscan Health System includes St. Joseph Medical Center of Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, and 35 primary-care and specialty-care medical clinics throughout South King, Pierce and South Kitsap counties.

Franciscan Health System jumps to No. 8 on list of 100 best-performing health care organizations in U.S.

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System has jumped 28 spots to land at No. 8 on the prestigious annual list of the most highly integrated, most efficient and best-performing health care networks in the nation, the independent research and information company Verispan announced today.

This marks the fourth straight year that Franciscan has been included on the Top 100 list of best performers -- and it has risen steadily toward the top during that time. Franciscan was ranked at No. 74 in 2004, No. 55 in 2005 and No. 36 in 2006.

As in previous years, Franciscan is one of only two Washington businesses to make the list. Also, Franciscan is again the highest-rated Washington organization.

“This is another great honor for our organization,” said Joe Wilczek, president and chief executive officer of the Franciscan Health System. “This achievement reflects the commitment to excellence shown every day by our physicians, nurses and other staff members throughout our diverse and comprehensive organization.”

Franciscan includes St. Joseph Medical Center of Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, and a network of 35 primary-care and specialty-care clinics and physicians in Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties. With approximately 6,000 employees, the Franciscan organization is one of the largest private employers in the region.

In compiling its elite list for the 10th year, Verispan employed a sophisticated, objective system to evaluate 570 non-specialty, local and regional health networks on their operations, clinical quality, efficiency, performance and degree of integration. Each network was graded on its ability to operate as a unified organization in eight categories: integration, integrated technology, contractural capabilities, outpatient utilization, financial stability, hospital utilization, services and access, and physicians.

Franciscan Health System received an overall score of 90.48, out of a possible score of 100. St. Johns Health System, based in Springfield, Mo., is ranked No. 1 with a total score of 93.98.

Verispan’s annual report of most the 100 most highly integrated health networks is regarded by many health care professionals as the nation’s premier rating system. The company is headquartered in Yardley, Penn. Its website is www.Verispan.com

The Top 100 list for 2007 is also published in the Feb. 5 edition of Modern Healthcare, a national news weekly magazine that covers health care and related topics.

Franciscan Health System names regional director for rehabilitation services

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Trish Niehl, who joined Franciscan in 1989, is promoted to position

Trish Niehl has been promoted to regional director of Franciscan Health System’s rehabilitation therapy services which are provided at St. Joseph Medical Center of Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and several of Franciscan’s medical clinics.

Rehabilitation therapy services include physical therapy, speech/language therapy and occupational therapy.

Niehl, who joined the Franciscan organization in 1989 as a speech-language pathologist, has served as regional director of speech-language services since 1994. She holds a master’s degree in communication disorders from Washington State University and is president of the Washington Speech Hearing Association, the professional and scholarly organization for speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

Niehl has directed Franciscan’s physical and occupational therapy services on an interim basis since November 2006.

“I’m excited to have been given this new opportunity,” she says of her promotion to regional director of rehabilitation therapy services. “I am proud to be part of a dedicated team of professionals who are committed to excellence every day.”

Trish Niehl

Dr. James Byrne joins staff at St. Anthony Prompt Care in Gig Harbor

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

James Byrne, MD, who is board-certified in family medicine, has joined the medical staff at St. Anthony Prompt Care in Gig Harbor, a new urgent-care clinic that is open every day to provide treatment of minor illness and injuries.

Byrne received a degree in medicine from St. George’s University in Grenada and completed residencies in family medicine at Lafayette Family Practice in Lafayette, N.Y., and at Pinnacle Health Family Medicine in Harrisburg, PA.

St. Anthony Prompt Care is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The urgent-care clinic is located in the St. Anthony Medical Building, 4700 Point Fosdick Drive NW. No appointments are necessary.

St. Anthony Prompt Care is part of the Franciscan Medical Group, a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics and physicians in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

St. Clare Heart Festival features free health screenings, best-selling author Joe Piscatella

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Free public event set for Tuesday, Jan. 30 in Lakewood

Nationally known author Joe Piscatella will speak about heart health, and free health screenings will be provided, at the St. Clare Heart Festival, set for 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30 at First Baptist Church, 5400 112th St. SW in Lakewood.

The event is free and open to the public.

A dynamic speaker, best-selling author and leading heart health expert, Piscatella will share tools and tips to help you find your way to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. He is the author of several best-selling books on heart health, including Don’t Eat Your Heart Out and The Road to a Healthy Heart Runs Through The Kitchen. In an entertaining fashion, he’ll cover how to live healthier through diet, exercise, stress management and a better attitude.

To reserve your seat for Piscatella’s free lecture, please call toll-free 1-888-825-3227.

The Heart Festival also will feature numerous exhibits by local health resources, including St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center in Tacoma, the St. Francis Center for Weight Management in Federal Way, and more.

Also, the 2007 edition of the “St. Joseph Heart Diet” booklet will be available free of charge. The popular publication is packed with heart-healthy recipes and medical experts’ answers to frequently asked questions.

The St. Clare Heart Festival is hosted by St. Clare Hospital and the St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center, the region’s leading provider of cardiac-care services. St. Clare and St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center are part of the Franciscan Health System.

The St. Clare Heart Festival kicks off a month of local activities around national Heart Health Month in February. Events like the festival are planned to help increase public awareness about steps and lifestyle changes that individuals can make in order to reduce their risk for heart disease, the No. 1 killer of men and women in the United States.

Franciscan Health System names Lengenfelder orthopedic services director

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Claudia Lengenfelder

Claudia Lengenfelder, a longtime manager of multiple programs at the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System, has been named director of the organization’s orthopedic services.

Lengenfelder, a registered nurse who also has a Master’s degree in nursing, will continue in her current role as director of inpatient rehabilitation at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma; director of the Tacoma Chronic Pain Management Program at St. Joseph; and regional director of Franciscan Diabetes Education Services.

An employee of the Franciscan organization for nearly 30 years, Lengenfelder is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle.

As director of orthopedic services, she will supervise the Franciscan organization’s extensive line of orthopedic services, which include surgical programs and the innovative Joint Camp that provides pre-surgery and post-surgery education and support for patients and their loved ones.

“I am really excited that this new opportunity to serve the Franciscan organization has come my way,” Lengenfelder says. “I know that my background in physical medicine and rehabilitation will be useful in my new role. I look forward to the new challenges ahead.”

In addition to St. Joseph Medical Center, the Franciscan Health System includes St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, Franciscan Hospice House in University Place, and a network of 35 primary-care and specialty-care clinics Pierce, South King and South Kitsap counties.

Two medical specialists join the Franciscan Medical Group of clinics

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Urologist, orthopedic surgeon are the newest additions
Urologist John B. Bak, MD, and orthopedic surgeon Charles Roberson, MD, have joined the medical staff of the Franciscan Medical Group, a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics and physicians in Pierce, King and Kitsap counties.

Bak, who specializes in the treatment of adult and pediatric urologic conditions, sees patients at Rainier Urology in Lakewood. He is experienced in treating urologic cancers, incontinence and impotence, and in performing vasectomy procedures and laparoscopic surgery for a range of conditions.

A graduate of Georgetown University Medical School in Washington, D.C., Bak is a member of the American Urologic Association, the American Foundation of Urologic Disease, the Washington State Medical Association, and the Pierce County Medical Society.

Roberson, a former team physician at both the high school and college levels, sees patients at The Orthopaedic Center in Tacoma, which provides orthopedic surgery, hip and knee replacements, arthroscopy, and general sports medicine services. Roberson provides care for athletes and non-athletes.

He received a degree in medicine from State University of New York at Syracuse and completed clinical fellowships in sports medicine at several locations in the U.S., including the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Rainier Urology and The Orthopaedic Center are among 35 clinics that comprise the Franciscan Medical Group, which is affiliated with the Franciscan Health System.