Your generosity is improving the health of our community
Gratitude for the care you help provide
Dear Friend,
When someone chooses to give, it often comes from a simple place. Gratitude. Trust. A desire to help someone else get the care they or a loved one once received.
The stories in this report reflect the magic that happens in those moments of generosity. You’ll read about a longtime local doctor who chose to give back as a way of saying thank you for the care he personally experienced. You’ll see the healing power of PAWS teams who bring comfort to patients, caregivers and visitors. You’ll learn how donor-funded scholarships are strengthening our local health care workforce and how your support for women and infant programs is helping families feel cared for from the very beginning.
Each story is different, but all share a common thread. Someone stepped forward and decided to help. Because of that choice, care at Providence gets even stronger, more compassionate and continues to meet the health care needs of our growing community.
Thank you for giving to Providence Southwest Washington Foundation. Every day I see the difference you’re making for our patients, our caregivers and our greater community. I’m honored to be a part of it and grateful for your generosity and the trust you place in Providence. Your support truly matters.
I hope you’ll feel a sense of pride as you read about some of the many things that you made possible in 2025.
With gratitude,
Katya Miltimore Chief Philanthropy Officer
2025 by the numbers
Patients assisted at discharge with transportation, clothing, home visits or other support for a safe transition home
Purchased new medical equipment and technology to offer patients the most advanced local care 2,000 $173K $2.5M
Invested in caregiver and medical staff education, appreciation, training and recognition throughout the year
You’re unleashing the healing power of comfort and connection
After breaking his hip, Larry found himself in the hospital longer than he expected.
There was surgery, rest and the slow, uneven road to recovery. Even with attentive care and visits from loved ones, being confined to a hospital bed for weeks was taking an emotional toll.
“It was lonely to be confined to a bed for several weeks,” Larry recalled.
Then, the exact kind of medicine Larry needed trotted right into his room.
A team from the Providence Paw-Assisted Wellness Services (aka PAWS) program visited. First it was Buster with his little blue scarf and his volunteer, Sue. Later came teams featuring Russell, Elsa and Fauci.
“The visits from the dogs raised my spirits tremendously,” Larry later wrote in thanks. “The fact that you have a PAWS program in your hospital is both a gift and a blessing.”
Because of you, moments like this are part of the healing journey at Providence Swedish South Puget Sound.
A legacy of healing, powered by you
The PAWS program began in 1989 at Providence St. Peter Hospital and expanded to Providence Centralia Hospital in 2018. From the beginning, and still today, it’s 100% donor and volunteer supported.
In 2025 alone, volunteer PAWS teams made 257 hospital visits and shared nearly 10,000 therapy-dog encounters with patients, caregivers and visitors.
PAWS volunteers participate in a minimum of 30 hours of training where they learn how to provide safe, high-quality therapy-dog visits
in a hospital setting while ensuring the dogs’ safety and well-being. The dogs seem to love their role – and the patients definitely do.
Margaret was in the middle of a long stint of rehab during her hospital stay at St. Peter when she received a visit.
“The therapy pup made a huge difference. My attitude changed, I requested less pain meds after the visit, and my anxiety and depression diminished as well.”
-- Margaret, Providence St. Peter patient
There’s science behind the snuggles. Research shows that animal-assisted therapy can benefit patients by reducing stress and anxiety levels, improving blood pressure, increasing mobility and taking focus off of pain.
Caregivers experience puppy love, too Caregivers reap the benefits, too. In fact, caregivers make up most of the therapy-dog encounters.
“When the dogs and their humans enter the unit, you can hear the excitement down the hallway as all the staff start talking to the dogs and getting their stress break via lots of pets and cuddles with the dogs,” says Coral, a registered nurse in Centralia’s emergency department.
These four-legged companions don’t carry stethoscopes or write prescriptions. But they have a healing power all their own. Your generosity brings that special comfort to patients, caregivers and visitors every day.
Therapy-dog teams support healing across our hospitals
Providence PAWS therapy dogs and volunteer handlers share comfort, connection and calm with patients, caregivers and visitors. With 257 hospital visits and nearly 10,000 encounters last year, these moments of healing are made possible through donor support.
You’re helping keep moms and newborns safe and warm
Your generosity is bringing advanced technology and thoughtful comforts to families welcoming new life.
Because of you, the tiniest patients in southwest Washington are entering the world with an extra measure of safety, warmth and comfort.
Your support for the women and infant program in 2025 helped bring advanced technology and thoughtful comforts to the OB emergency department and family birth center. You’re easing the way for families during one of the most memorable times they will experience.
New technology brings clarity and confidence in critical moments
One of the most impactful additions is a new, leading-edge ultrasound for the OB-ED. This technology gives clinicians remarkably clear, detailed images of both mom and baby during urgent situations. From confirming a baby’s position to checking blood flow in the umbilical cord, the ultrasound helps teams make faster, more accurate decisions. Just as important, it offers reassurance to anxious parents.
“Thanks to wonderful donors, we’ve gained a tool that significantly enhances the safety of our patients. It helps us quickly diagnose when a mom or baby needs emergency care.”
-- Becky Means, MBA, BSN, RN, clinical manager of the family birth center
You’re equipping clinicians with advanced OB ultrasound technology for clear, real-time imaging.
A donor-funded Panda Warmer keeps newborns warm while caregivers assess and stabilize them right after birth.
New, comfortable recliners give parents a place to rest, recover and bond during long days and nights.
Donors also funded a Panda Warmer system for those first, fragile minutes of life.
When a baby is born, it can be immediately placed on the heated bed while still giving caregivers full access for assessment and resuscitation if needed. A built-in scale and monitoring tools allow teams to get information quickly without moving a vulnerable newborn away from a vital heat source.
Making a family’s first cuddles extra special
Your generosity didn’t stop there. Four new recliners and two blanket warmers now give families additional comfort to rest and bond in the family birth center.
“We extend our sincerest and most heartfelt gratitude for the donation of blanket warmers and new recliners,” says Amber Quade, senior manager of clinic operations. “Your compassion and unwavering support bring comfort, dignity and warmth to our patients during some of the most meaningful moments of their lives.”
Each of these touches – high-tech and heartfelt – reflects your commitment to keeping moms and babies safe, supported and surrounded by compassion from their very first moments.
Bottom: New recliners in the family birth center give families comfortable places to rest.
Blanket warmers deliver an extra layer of comfort to moms and babies during recovery and those first tender hours.
Donors funded a specialized “baby bubble” that keeps fragile newborns warm, monitored and stable during care.
You helped fund a cryosurgical freezer that can treat cervical abnormalities safely and efficiently.
Top: OB-GYN Laurie Morris, M.D., poses with the new ultrasound in the OB emergency department.
Beloved Providence St. Peter’s OB-GYN gives back in honor of his care
For more than three decades, James Krug, M.D., helped welcome new life into the world at Providence St. Peter Hospital. As an OB-GYN, he delivered generations of babies, earning the trust and gratitude of countless families across southwest Washington.
Dr. Krug was a devoted doctor. His family shares how he would take calls from the hospital day and night, rarely signing out unless he was out of town. Before cell phones, his family remembers weekends when his wife would answer the phone and track him down in the yard – or even on the roof – so he could answer a question or concern of a colleague or patient. That’s the kind of care Dr. Krug delivered for decades as he worked side by side with other physicians and caregivers at Providence St. Peter.
The best place to give and receive care
It should be no surprise that when Dr. Krug needed care later in life, he sought it from those who shared his same dedication.
“It never occurred to him to leave his community for medical care,” his son, Rich Krug, M.D., said. “He trusted the people and place completely.”
Dr. Krug received treatment at St. Peter both when he needed to be hospitalized and for infusions at the infusion center. His family said he was treated with every bit of compassion and expertise that he displayed over his long career.
”Each nurse who cared for him saw him as a complete person, not a diagnosis,” says Rich. ”They treated him with love and respect. It touched him deeply.”
A gift in honor of exceptional, compassionate care
Grateful for the compassionate care he received, Dr. Krug chose to make a gift to give back to the very health system where he’d devoted his career.
“To know that our work left such a positive impression on him and that he chose to honor our department in this way is incredibly meaningful,” says Elizabeth Maxwell, a registered nurse who cared for Dr. Krug during his time at the infusion center.
James Krug, M.D., was an OB-GYN at St. Peter for nearly 30 years.
His gift to Providence Southwest Washington Foundation was deeply personal, honoring the caregivers who treated him and ensuring future patients receive that same level of care.
Dr. Krug’s family says his years of practicing medicine at St. Peter were among the great blessings of his life. When his time grew short, his priority was to spend time with loved ones and to show appreciation for those blessings. His career –and the care he personally received – were at the heart of his gratitude.
In retirement, Dr. Krug took up painting. In another act of giving, he donated one of his paintings to the infusion center and another to the family birthing unit where he spent his career.
“It is a fitting and poignant memorial to have his art in the family birth center. Having some of his work there is like a part of him is present in the place where he performed his life’s work.”
-- Dr. Rich Krug, son of Dr. James Krug
Dr. Krug’s legacy lives on
Not long after donating his paintings and his philanthropic gift, Dr. Krug passed away. Today his legacy lives on through the families he cared for, the art he shared and the generosity that completed a full circle of care.
“His generosity serves as a lasting affirmation of the importance of compassionate, patient-centered care and will continue to support and inspire the work we do every day,” says Elizabeth.
Dr. Krug’s career changed lives here. Through his art and heartfelt donation, his impact will continue for caregivers, patients and the hospital he called home.
Top: Caregivers in the infusion center say Dr. Krug’s painting inspires their work.
Bottom: This painting will hang in the family birth center, where Dr. Krug worked for decades.
INVESTING IN TOMORROW’S CAREGIVERS
These are members of the 2025 nursing cohort at South Puget Sound Community College. Many students receive scholarship support thanks to the generosity of Providence Southwest Washington Foundation donors.
You’re building the future of health care in our community
One day you or someone you love will be cared for by a nurse. You’ll want them to be compassionate and well trained. Today donors are investing in that future nurse.
In 2025 your generosity through Providence Southwest Washington Foundation provided $30,000 in scholarship support to students at South Puget Sound Community College and $48,000 to students at Saint Martin’s University. These scholarships are shaping the next generation of nurses and medical assistants.
A prescription for a nursing shortage
Providence’s scholarship program began humbly in 1990 as a single award created in response to a nursing shortage. Over the decades, thanks to donors like you, it has grown into a lasting investment in workforce development. The need is just as urgent today. Health care demand continues to rise, and a steady stream of wellprepared nurses is essential to keeping our region healthy and safe.
Students appreciate these scholarships.
“Attending SPSCC has been an incredible opportunity to pursue my passion for nursing. Your support is a meaningful investment in my future, and I am deeply grateful.”
-- Aiden, nursing student and scholarship recipient
Angelica is already looking ahead to serving close to home. “After graduation, I will be trying to earn my BSN and get a job at Providence in the ICU,” she said. “I am deeply grateful for this scholarship as it has eased my financial burden and allowed me to focus on my education.”
Students who benefit from scholarship support often express a commitment to honoring your investment. “I recognize that not everyone has access to the same opportunities, so I feel truly fortunate that this one has been made available to me,” says Ashlee. “I promise to make the most of this support and turn it into something meaningful.”
An investment with big returns
By funding these scholarships, you’re ensuring compassionate, skilled caregivers will be there when our community needs them. Thank you for making an investment with lasting returns - for patients, for families and for all of us.
Summer events of recognition and appreciation
Providence Southwest Washington Foundation hosted two donor celebration events this past summer to honor some of our most dedicated supporters and volunteers: Providence Society members and foundation board and emeritus members. We’re deeply grateful for those who devote their time, talents and generosity to advancing Providence’s Mission.
2025 Providence Southwest Washington Foundation Board of Directors
Officers
Alex Bunn
Board Chair
Gareth Waugh
Board Vice Chair
Craig Landes
Treasurer
Katya Miltimore
Foundation Chief
Philanthropy Officer
Members
Geoffrey Ankeney, M.D.
Heidi Bray, D.N.P.
Angie Fields
Jennifer Foley
Mary Gibbons, M.D.
Darin Goss
Amy Harding
Katie Hurley
Erin Kershisnik, M.D.
James Kruidenier, M.D.
Dale Merten
Kammy Minor
Quint Newell
Brenda Polite-Nishiyama, M.D.
Rob Rice
John Waggoner, M.D.
Jennifer Ziegler
Foundation Staff
Katya Miltimore Chief Philanthropy Officer
Babette Beckham Philanthropy Officer
Cecily Clemons Philanthropy Officer
Stacey Genzlinger Events Manager
Jennifer “JJ” Jackson Foundation Operations Manager
Frankie Thomas Senior Philanthropy Assistant
Why I believe so deeply in philanthropy
When I think about why philanthropy at Providence Swedish South Puget Sound matters so much to me, it’s because this work is personal.
All three of my children were born at Providence St. Peter Hospital. With nearly five decades living in Olympia, my experiences with Providence have spanned life’s full rangefrom joyful beginnings to moments of uncertainty, loss and healing. Providence has been there through emergencies, cancer treatment and the compassionate presence our caregivers bring when it matters most.
My wife, Tammy Bunn, M.D., trained at Providence St. Peter through the Family Practice Residency Program and has spent years caring for patients in our community.
These experiences reinforce how deeply Providence is woven into the lives of families across southwest Washington and why your support is so critical. As you’ve read in this report, philanthropy helps recruit and retain great caregivers, meet the needs of the vulnerable and ensure Providence remains a place everyone in our community can rely on for exceptional care.
Thank you for your generosity, your partnership and your belief in what’s possible when we come together in service of others.
Alex Bunn Board Chair, Providence Southwest Washington Foundation
“Your generosity is at the very heart of our Mission. It empowers us to provide exceptional care, even as we navigate the complexities and challenges of today’s health care environment.”
— Melissa A. Grant, M.D., FACOG, chief medical officer, South Puget Sound
As
Front cover: Lori Lemire, RN, (left) and Tamara Antill, RN, (right) care for a newborn with a new donor-funded Panda Warmer.