FALL 2015
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Big-city doctors with Islandcentered care By Erin Jennings Caring for medical conditions from A to practically Z — allergy testing to X-rays to be exact — Virginia Mason Bainbridge Island Medical Center (VMBIMC) has stood watch over Winslow Way and the Bainbridge Island community for years. “Some of our patients were born in our building, back when it was The Winslow Clinic,” said Catherine Edwards, MD and section head for VMBIMC. “Many of our staff members have worked here for several decades. The longest has been part of the team for over 35 years.” With its sprawling building in the center of town, VMBIMC is a reliable fixture for the community. Many of you probably have its phone number memorized and know the check-in attendants by name. The staff at VMBIMC is integrated into the community as well, further strengthening the doctorpatient relationship. Your doctor might coach your daughter’s soccer team. The nurse who took your blood pres-
Photo by Joel Sackett
Hands-on exams at the Virginia Mason Clinic. sure might work the first-aid booth at the Fourth of July street fair. You see familiar VMBIMC faces in the grocery aisles and in the library stacks. “Our patients are our friends and neighbors, and we are strongly committed to ensuring all aspects of the health of our community,” Edwards said. “We are relentless in our efforts to find ways to better serve our patients.” These better ways include adding urgent care (opened in January 2015) and expanding office hours to better accommodate commuters and busy schedules. The list of specialists at VMBIMC has grown as well, making medical trips to Seattle unnecessary for Islanders. Instead, services like mammography and bone density screening can be done right in Win-
CARDEN COUNTRY SCHOOL Providing students with the tools they need to find Joy in life
An interdenominational
Christian School, Carden offers a proven, incremental curriculum for grades K-8. Carden’s individualized approach meets the needs of every student so they might find joy in every lesson. Our specialists in art, music, PE and French contribute to a rich learning experience for the highly capable student.
slow. Money donated to VMBIMC through OCFA goes directly to improving patient care. Past funds have been used to purchase a spirometer, which is a device used to measure the volume of air inspired and expired from the lungs. Thanks to OCFA, another recent purchase was a phlebotomy chair used to make blood draws more comfortable. “Our goal is to help improve health and wellness at every opportunity for each patient, their families and our community,” Edwards said. With the Island’s population hovering around 24,000 and with 38,000 patient visits in 2014, VMBIMC is making a great impact on the Island’s health and wellness.
Photo by Joel Sackett
Doctors and staff work closely together.
Thank you for helping us collect and preserve the unique and colorful history of Bainbridge Island! • “An Island Story” Award-winning exhibit in our original 1908 one-room schoolhouse. • “Port Blakely” Portraits of a Mill Town. • “Ansel Adams: A Portrait of Manzanar” Images from “War Relocation Center: Manzanar, CA - 1943.
6974 Island Center Road Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 (206) 842-6510 www.cardencountryschool.org
Located a short walk from the ferry terminal Open every day 10am - 4pm 215 Ericksen Avenue NE
Phone: 842-2773