2024 Gratitude Report
The Foundations at Kadlec
Dear supporters,
Reflecting on 2024, I owe immense gratitude for your incredible support. Generous contributions ignited positive, lasting change in our community – and beyond. Getting to know our passionate board, volunteers and donors fills me with enthusiasm, and I’m honored to serve in a leadership role in an inspiring, dedicated community.
This gratitude report showcases just a few highlights of the remarkable impact your generosity made possible.
Heartwarming stories of changed lives, fortified communities and healthier futures are a testament to your unwavering belief in our mission to provide safe, compassionate care. Thank you.
Because of your support:
• No one fights cancer alone
• The tiniest patients can be treated and cared for locally
• Exceptional care will continue for decades to come
Every donation is deeply personal, and we are profoundly grateful you chose to support and invest in the health of our community. Your contributions are advancing exceptional care to ease every health journey, driving meaningful impact today and paving the way for a better tomorrow.
With heartfelt thanks,
Lacey Perry, CFRE Chief Philanthropy Officer Kadlec Foundation and Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation
2024 by the numbers
Scholarships granted to local nursing students at Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities
People from minority communities who accessed education on cancer prevention or screenings for early detection
Refrigerators bought for the Kadlec NICU to safely store breast milk for the 500 infants admitted annually 45 522
28 Total amount donated
KADLEC FOUNDATION
Board Officers
Molly Stutesman
Chair
Josh Chittenden
Vice Chair
Sean Haselrig
Treasurer
Bill Walther
Secretary
Board Trustees
Molly Calhoun
April Connors
RoseAnne Droesch
Alma Feil
Barbara French
Rick Gant
Randy Johnson
Chris Porter
Brandon Potts
Ted Samsell, M.D.
Brian Staley, M.D.
Karthik Subramanian
Roy Wu
Emeritus Trustees
Larry Christensen
Pat Lacey
Gary Louie
Dot Stewart
Blaze Titus
Mary Volpentest
Kadlec Community Mission Board
Susan Campbell
Aren Giske, M.D.
Saundra Hill
Diana Izaguirre
Carla Lobos
Abraham Mendoza
Ruben Peralta
Jeff Petersen
Marilyn Quadrel, Ph.D.
Lynn Scovazzo, M.D.
Susan Sparks
TRI-CITIES CANCER CENTER FOUNDATION
Board Officers
Monte Drake
President
Matthew Petersen
Vice President
Amanda Treml
Treasurer
Misty Ovens
Secretary
Directors
Glenda Ackerman
John Bookwalter
Levi Broeske
Gregg Crockett
Zach Fisher
Eric Fitzgerald
Basir Haque, M.D.
Destry Henderson
Kathy Indall
Barbara Johnson
Michael McGuire
Jennifer Ollero
Rosalyn Page
Shannon Sackett
Clayton Simundson
Sherry Zhao, M.D.
Foundations at Kadlec, Staff
Lacey Perry
Chief philanthropy officer
Carrie Almquist
Philanthropy officer
Lori Lott
Senior philanthropy officer
Anneliese Martinez
Volunteer coordinator
Yeidi Ramos Mendoza
Philanthropy assistant
Sarah Read Philanthropy officer
Robin Wojtanik
Donor engagement program manager
Cover photo: Kadlec peri-anesthesia caregivers Jannellie Serrano, CNA (left) and Arely Estrada, CNA
Sharing comfort with new cancer patients
A longtime Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center caregiver is now experiencing the same treatment and support she’s helped other patients navigate for the last 10 years.
As a full-time caregiver at the Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center and active mother of two, Angie Gehlen, RN, OCN, was surprised to receive a colon cancer diagnosis following routine bloodwork. After a decade of caring for other cancer patients, the 42-year-old was suddenly thrust into the world of cancer management for herself. “I’m a nurse navigator, and I know the costs that can happen when a patient is unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer,” she said.
Not knowing she was so sick, Angie was working her regular cancer center shift when she learned she needed emergency surgery to remove a tumor followed by months of chemotherapy. Angie recalled feeling the warmth of the community and its donors immediately.
“On my first day of treatment, I received a gift bag from the Warrior Sisterhood program that had blankets, coloring books, water bottles, coloring pencils and moisturizers,” she said. “It was a really nice thing to receive and comforting on your first day.”
Thanks to donor support, the Warrior Sisterhood hands out hundreds of these bags each year to women newly diagnosed with cancer.
Ongoing support comes from a wide range of local donors
Even though she’ll never meet every donor, Angie said she often thinks about all those across our community who actively support her and others. “It means a lot knowing that if I walk down the street, or see somebody driving by, maybe they donated and helped me out.”
“As an employee, I know what patients face, and now I experienced first-hand the world-class treatment we get in the Tri-Cities.”
— Angie Gehlen, RN, OCN, Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center
She also took comfort in the idea that more support was available to her. “I knew if I needed it, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation would be there. You’re not alone; you’re able to get help,” she said.
Fortunately Angie’s cancer is treatable, and she’s focusing on the future after wrapping up chemotherapy. “One of the things I’m looking forward to experiencing is the Survivorship Program. We’re only able to have that because of donations from the community,” Angie said. “I know the Survivorship team will be following my journey, keeping me going to my appointments, follow-ups, making sure I get my scans done and that I stay on top of this life-changing diagnosis. We’re able to get world-class treatment right here in the Tri-Cities.”
Nurse navigator Angie Gehlen, RN, OCN, has worked at the Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center for a decade and became a clinic patient when diagnosed with colon cancer. She recently completed all treatment.
Evelynn spent 99 days in the NICU after she was born at 26 weeks. She graced our gratitude report cover when she was 19 months old and is now a healthy 6-year-old.
Fragile start to flourishing first grader
Donor gifts to Kadlec’s NICU helped ensure “micro preemie” Evelynn received the specialized care she needed close to her family and in her community.
Evelynn benefited from your generosity from the moment she arrived at Kadlec – at 26 weeks and one day –weighing about 1.3 pounds, not much more than a bottle of soda.
Moms Rita and Ana were getting ready for their gender reveal. “During the ultrasound they immediately knew something was wrong,” said Rita. “Ana’s cervix was opening, and she needed emergency surgery, so we went from one of the happiest moments to extremely worried.”
Caring for their early arrival
Ana spent weeks on bedrest and gave birth in January, well before her May due date. Tiny Evelynn needed CPR and was intubated at Kadlec’s level III NICU, a department supported in numerous ways by donors. Rita said, “I remember Tiffany Bautista, NP, being there, and as she was doing her job, she also kept making eye contact to say, ‘I’ve got you, I’ve got her, and we’re OK.’”
A donor-supported transcutaneous monitoring system frequently read Evelynn’s blood composition without a needle prick, avoiding a painful process for our smallest patients with little blood to spare.
Surrounded by support
When her moms needed rest, Evelynn was held by nurses or slept in a swing that mimics rocking – another item bought with donor support, along with updated carestations (incubators), that help maintain body temperature and allow physicians to safely perform surgery with an infant inside. “We were in the best place,” said Rita. “She never needed anything in addition to what Kadlec could provide, and we had the support of our family right here.”
Rita recalls one of the overnight nurses would remind their family of each success, “She celebrated all of Evelynn’s milestones – her first week, her first month; I needed that.”
“I was able to come home in the evening and go back in the morning, and I always felt comfortable with the care team.”
— Rita, Evelynn’s mom
A NICU graduate at last
When Evelynn reached 5 pounds, she could finally go home – supplied with a wearable blanket to help lower the risk of sudden unexpected infant death, another donor-funded item. Evelynn is now a thriving first grader hitting all the expected milestones.
Donor funding has long supported our NICU, where more than 500 babies are admitted out of the 2,600 born at Kadlec in a typical year. From carestations to preemie positioners to milk warmers, you have a hand in caring for our most high-risk infants.
Donor support bolstered Kadlec patients and programs throughout 2024
The Foundations at Kadlec sincerely thank all the companies and institutions that hosted events resulting in significant contributions, gave grants or were major sponsors at events in support of our patients, programs and services. Together, you contributed more than $750,000 in 2024!
Left: Speck Family Dealerships held its sixth annual Drive for a Cure to benefit breast cancer prevention, contributing over $30,000 in 2024. Right: The inaugural Kadlec Foundation Breakfast raised $46,000 while sharing stories of Kadlec’s impact, including its NICU, where tiny patients like Jameson spent 50 days after arriving at 24 weeks gestation.
Madison Rosenbaum Evangelista (right) regularly supports Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center patients. Her 2024 Madison & Friends Charity Art Fundraiser resulted in a donation of over $7,000. Right: Your 2024 gifts to the Kadlec Foundation supported 45 scholarships for local students pursuing nursing degrees.
Photo Photo
Left:
Left: A team from Garrett Electric took part in the 2024 Kadlec Foundation Golf Classic, where donors collectively raised $100,000 for local nursing scholarships. Right: Those who ran, walk or strode in the 2024 Cancer Crushing Challenge raised $60,000 for programs and services that benefit local cancer patients.
Left: Kiwanis of Tri-Cities Industry is a frequent donor to the Kadlec pediatrics department, providing coloring books for patients. Right: Central Plateau Cleanup Company employees plant, maintain and clear the Cancer Crushing Garden throughout the growing season, resulting in fresh produce available to patients at no cost.
Left: Your generosity totaled a record $400,000 at the 24th annual Autumn Affair benefiting the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation. Right: NICU patients and their families welcomed the Riesenwebers on their annual Christmas Day visit. The Riesenweber children, who were once treated by Kadlec’s NICU, experience a tradition of giving back.
The Foundations at Kadlec sincerely thank all the companies and institutions that hosted events resulting in significant contributions, gave grants or were major sponsors at events in support of our patients, programs and services. Together, you contributed more than $750,000 in 2024!
Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation:
50 Calibers Benefit Ride Poker Run
AgriNorthwest
Amentum @ WTP
American Breast Cancer Foundation
Apollo Mechanical Contractors
AtkinsRéalis
Benton County Sheriff’s Office
Benton Franklin Fair Association
Bill Wedberg Memorial Golf Tournament
BN Covered Exteriors
Bouten Construction
Brad Fisher Memorial Scramble
Charitable Adult Rides & Services
CBRC Health & Fitness
Central Plateau Cleanup Company
Chiawana High School Pink Week
City of Kennewick Wellness Committee
CoffeeNow
Daiichi Sankyo
Dance Images West
Dutch Bros Coffee
Eastern Washington Expo
Genentech
Habit Burger & Grill
Hanford Home Health
Hanford Mission Integration Solutions
HAPO Community Credit Union
Heath Family Foundation
Incyte Diagnostics
Indian Eyes, LLC
Kadlec Inland Cardiology
Kadlec Senior Clinic
511 Kadlec patients were helped with travel needs not covered by insurance, removing barriers to care while receiving treatment.
61 high school students attended a week-long introduction to medical fields to help fill the health care jobs of tomorrow.
Kamiakin High School
Kaylor Ace Wellness
Kennewick High School Pink Week
Kiemle Hagood
Lamb Weston
Lithia Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT of Tri-Cities
Madison & Friends Charity Art Fundraiser
Maria Luna Realtor
McCurley Mazda and McCurley Subaru
The Medusa
Mid-Columbia Gymnastics Academy
Pink Week
Murley’s Floor Covering
NeoGenomics
Orangetheory Fitness Pink Class
Pacific Steel and Recycling
1,143 people attended free community wellness programs focused on health care needs and safety, targeted to those over age 50.
Park Middle School Pink Month
Republic Services, Dept. of Ecology
Reynolds Middle School Pink Out
Richland High School Girls Basketball Pink Game
Roscoe’s Coffee Jingle Bell Bash
Ruth Livingston Elementary Penny Drive
Southridge High School Pink Week
Speck Family Dealerships
State of Oregon Department of Corrections, Paradigm Shift Group
STCU
Texas Roadhouse
Three Rivers Community Foundation
Tippett Company
Tri-City Police vs Fire Hockey Game
Tumbleweeds
Vibe Dance Academy
Washington River Protection Solutions
Wild Wickzology
Yakama Tribal Gaming Corporation
Kadlec Foundation:
Apollo Mechanical Contractors
Baker Boyer
Barnes & Noble
Beverly J. Jewell Foundation
BMW/Audi of Tri-Cities
Bouten Construction
CO-Energy
Columbia Basin College Foundation
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Garrett Electric Company
Greater Health Now
HAPO Community Credit Union
Healogics
Home Instead Senior Care
Incyte Diagnostics
Inland Imaging
Kadlec Auxiliary
Kiemle Hagood
518 unhoused individuals were assisted by monthly outreach, connecting them with hot meals, medical resources and case navigation.
43 gift cards for groceries were provided from a fund dedicated to patient needs, helping those who could use extra assistance.
McKinstry
Moon Security Services
NonStop Local
Numerica Credit Union
Petersen Hastings Wealth Advisors
PorterKinney, PC
Premera Blue Cross Health and Wellness Fund at Innovia Foundation
Premier Anesthesia
Pro Made Homes
Providence Health Plan
Rx Pharmacy
TeamHealth Northwest
Testcomm
The Matheson Group with Windermere Group One
Visiting Angels
Washington River Protection Solutions
Washington State University Tri-Cities
Yakama Tribal Gaming Corporation
2,952 volunteer hours were contributed by 202 people in service to the cancer center and Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation events.
Decades of local, lifesaving care
Gifts totaling tens of millions since the 1940s demonstrate how community investment and involvement help advance exceptional care for every health journey.
Events honoring the decades-long legacy of Kadlec and the Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center welcomed friends, neighbors and past patients to reflect on the impact of exceptional health care.
A celebration at the Richland Airport marked the 80-year anniversary of Kadlec, noting its deep history.
Community support dates back to the hospital’s start, including a million-dollar fundraising drive in 1969 by Nell B. Kadlec, widow of the Army officer for whom the hospital was named. Hanford workers also once donated a day’s pay to help with the cost of a four-story building that’s still part of the hospital and its 80 years of safe, compassionate care.
Grassroots effort for cancer care
It’s often said the Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center started with a phone call from Billie Jane Lampson to fellow influential philanthropists. Lampson asked for the community’s help funding a facility dedicated to treating cancer locally.
In 1994, donors like you came together to build the cancer center. In the 30 years since then, it has remained a world-class facility with national accreditations, providing comprehensive treatment, screenings and support all in one location.
Because of your generosity, the Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center offers leading-edge technology, translating to earlier cancer detection that saves lives and keeps our community healthy.
“It is our continued privilege to serve this community, offering patients the highest standard of comprehensive care, right in their hometown.”
— Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center Medical Director Basir Haque, M.D.
Along with numerous patient resources provided by our community through the foundation, a team of nurse navigators, social workers, a medical assistant and dietitian assist patients through their cancer journey. Gifts cover support groups, a survivorship clinic, social work and a resource center at no cost to patients and their families, ensuring no one fights cancer alone.
Left: Donors celebrated 80 years of Kadlec with a 1940s-themed event. Above: To mark its 30th anniversary, the City of Kennewick proclaimed it “Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center Day.”
Advancing exceptional local care
Your gifts provided a second robotic surgical system at Kadlec Regional Medical Center, allowing more patients to receive a diagnosis and complex surgery close to home.
Madison Moe battled health struggles for years before Kadlec physicians provided a long-awaited diagnosis and laparoscopic abdominal surgery, right here, close to home, with the new da Vinci system. Larry Smith, M.D., used the surgical robot to remove endometrial tissue that had grown throughout Madison’s abdomen, fusing her uterus, bladder and appendix.
The surgery not only resolved some of her medical issues, but it also provided Madison with the validation that she actually was sick, after years of appointments had left her without a diagnosis. “When surgery was over, Dr. Smith called my mom and said, ‘Your daughter was very sick.’ It was music to my ears,” Madison said.
Endometriosis is challenging to diagnose because it isn’t typically found by an exam, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI or lab work. Madison’s condition was even more complex because she didn’t have typical endometriosis symptoms, which first started when she was a teen frequently battling a painful, swollen abdomen. “I couldn’t wear pants starting when I was 15. I looked pregnant even though I wasn’t at a healthy weight because my body wasn’t absorbing nutrients.”
This sent her searching for a diagnosis throughout the Pacific Northwest. “I was told by all these friends that I needed to travel to specialty clinics, but I should have started at home because it was Kadlec that ended up diagnosing it,” she said.
“I think you inevitably feel guilty asking for help until you find someone who listens. Dr. Smith listened to me and could see I wasn’t well.”
— Madison Moe, Kadlec patient
On the road to recovery after years of health struggles
Madison credits Dr. Smith along with Kadlec internist, Wei-Hsung Lin, M.D., and Andrea Doyle, PAC, from Associated Physicians for Women with finally setting her on the road to recovery. Most endometriosis cases are diagnosed with laparoscopic surgery, and Dr. Smith needed hours to remove all the excess tissue that was constricting her kidney, pancreas and colon. With the da Vinci system, Madison’s recovery was faster than with typical open surgery. “It was a hard time in my life, but I wouldn’t be the person I am without going through those things,” she said. “My motto now is, ‘If you never stop asking for help, you’ll find it eventually.’”
She’s returned to the things she loves, including singing in a band. “I started getting better when I was listened to. It was the last piece of the puzzle.”
This second, donor-funded surgical robot is allowing more patients, like Madison, to be treated close to home.
Following years of health issues and surgery at Kadlec using equipment funded by donors, Madison Moe is back to pursuing her passions as the lead vocalist in a local big band swing ensemble.
1,268 books were purchased for infants admitted to the NICU to support family bonding and increase speech and language interactions.
11 people took part in the inaugural Cancer Fit program, helping patients get back mobility and strength after treatment.
108 hairpieces were supplied at no cost to Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center patients losing their hair due to treatment effects.
Support services ease the cancer journey
Generous donor contributions make every patient at the Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center eligible for support services, like a nurse navigator and the Survivorship Program.
Tony Quinn learned he was cancer free eight months after Kadlec physicians first found the disease in his neck and tonsils. Your gifts help with support services for cancer patients, like Tony, navigating their new normal.
“They said, ‘With your cancer, there’s three choices: surgery, radiation and chemo, and you can pick two.’ So, I chose surgery and radiation,” Tony said.
He had two operations followed by six weeks of radiation at the Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center, “I went back to work like nothing happened. I had the mindset, ‘I’m not going to let cancer win.’”
Upon his diagnosis, the cancer center paired Tony with a nurse navigator to walk him through treatment expectations. It’s one of the support services funded with your gifts.
“The care team I had was 100% behind anything I needed; I just had to make the phone call or text, and they would take care of it to get me through radiation and cancer,” he said.
Weekly support helps with path to remission
During his health journey, Tony met with a licensed social worker weekly through the survivorship clinic, a program supported by donors. “We’d work on my health and mental well-being, and I’d talk to him about how I was dealing with the radiation and how I could take care of the rest of my body, including my intake of food,” said Tony.
Diagnosed with cancer on his 61st birthday, Tony now has the rest of his life ahead of him.
“Without the community support of the Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center, the caregivers wouldn’t be able to provide personal assistance to each patient. They don’t just take care of this person or that person, they take care of everybody who walks through their doors.”
Cancer survivor Tony Quinn shared a photo after ringing the bell signaling the end of treatment. “It’s important that donors support these programs to help patients like me,” he said.
60 copays for cancer medication were covered so that cancer patients facing barriers to care could begin treatment immediately.
312 people received 1:1 assistance enrolling in Medicare to ensure they have appropriate medical coverage to meet their needs.
504 support packages were provided to cancer patients and their families by the Warrior Sisterhood and other foundation programs.
