2012 Winter HealthQuest

WINTER 2012

A publication of SKAGIT REGIONAL HEALTH News, Education and Philanthropy

Excellence awards High ratings illustrate hospital’s focus on quality Essential services: Skagit Valley, Island hospitals partner in urology practice

Physicians as teachers:

Medical students learn from region’s doctors

Collaboration:

Three public hospitals working together to benefit patients

Festival of Trees a success; Sunrise Inn greets guest 20,000

Opening new doors to the future of health care

9th Annual

Save the Date

www.granaio.com

Just eight years ago, we had a vision of a new hospital – a much-needed facility to serve the health care needs of the region. Passage of the $62.1 million bond issue in 2004 showed the community’s confidence and trust in us to build a new hospital and open doors to the future of health care.

A benefit dinner for the Children’s Therapy Program at Skagit Valley Hospital Monday, February 27, 2012, 6 p.m.

Il Granaio Restaurant 100 E. Montgomery Street Mount Vernon $100 per person.

Six-course Italian dinner and wine

For reservations contact Wendy Ragusa at the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation: 360-814-5747

Sponsorsed by:

Il |Granaio & Health Skagit Regional 2

Since the new hospital opened in 2007 and the new comprehensive cancer center in 2006, we have launched the start of a new era of healthcare for our region. Since then, our organization has continued to grow and flourish, advancing medicine and creating a healing environment - while putting our patients first.

As we promised the community, the new facility would be the beginning not the end point. The new hospital facility gives our skilled physicians, nurses and staff the state-of-the-art, healing environment to provide safe, quality care. Our progress is illustrated in the five-star ratings we received from HealthGrades in nine clinical areas, including five that place us in the top 10 percentile in the nation, and three that put us among America’s top 100 hospitals. These honors are truly something for the community to celebrate.

There are few greater compliments than those from a peer and I received the following in a letter from Island Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Vince Oliver: “Skagit Valley Hospital’s dedication to the best quality care possible for each and every patient exemplifies healthcare delivery at its best.”

You will see the word quality continue to come up because that is our focus at Skagit Regional Health –quality care.

As Chairman of the Department of Surgery Jeff Cartwright, MD, an orthopedic surgeon says: “There is an institutional philosophy at the hospital that focuses on leadership, quality and vision.”

As we continue to open doors to the future, we have become an integrated delivery system with the addition of Skagit Regional Clinics, a teaching hospital with medical students and soon residents, and we have recruited more than 100 physicians in the past four years. We have been successful in adding new services such as plastic and reconstructive surgery, spinal surgery and 24/7 pediatric hospitalists in partnership with Seattle Children’s Hospital.

We continue to face challenges, including the estimated $22 million in uncompensated and charity care we are projected to provide in 2011. Still, we are true to our mission of taking care of the people of our community, to be here to meet the needs of our neighbors and to evolve as a health care system.

With the strong support of the communities we serve, the work of the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation and the commitment of our excellent staff, we will continue on our quest to deliver high-quality care, while advancing medicine and opening new doors to the future of health care.

Gregg Davidson, FACHE Chief Executive Officer

WINTER 2012 / Volume 9 / Issue 1

HealthQuest is published three times a year

by Skagit Regional Health in Mount Vernon and the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation.

Excellence awards

W H E R E T O F I ND U S

High ratings illustrate hospital’s focus on quality

In Person: Main entrance located on Hospital Parkway in Mount Vernon.

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

Essential services:

Skagit Valley, Island hospitals partner in urology practice

On the Web: www.skagitvalleyhospital.org Physician Referral Line: 360-848-5555 or 360-629-5850 SKAGIT REGIONAL CLINICS Anacortes: 360-293-0308 Anacortes Urology: 360-293-2173 Arlington: 360-435-2144 Camano Island: 360-387-5398 Cardiology: 360-336-9757 Mount Vernon: 360-428-2500 Mount Vernon Urology: 360-424-7991 Oak Harbor: 360-814-6200 Sedro-Woolley: 360-856-4222 Stanwood: 360-629-1600 SKAGIT VALLEY HOSPITAL REGIONAL CANCER CARE CENTER In Person: 307 South 13th St., Ste. 100 Mount Vernon, WA

By Mail: P.O. Box 1376 Mount Vernon, WA 98273 Phone: 360-814-2146 Fax: 360-814-2445 The Breast Institute 360-814-8148 SKAGIT VALLEY KIDNEY CENTER AND WOUND HEALING CENTER 208 Hospital Parkway Mount Vernon, WA Kidney: 360-814-8260 Wound: 360-814-2600 For additional copies or more information, contact Health Education Coordinator Linda Wright at 360-814-2325 or go to our Web site at www. skagitvalleyhospital.org.

COVER PHOTO Physicians representing the areas of specialty recognized by HealthGrades include (clockwise starting at top left) Orthopedic Surgeon Jeff Cartwright, MD; Urologist Mansel Kevwitch, MD; Orthopedic Surgeon David Hock, DO; Interventional Cardiologist Sanjeev Vaderah, MD; Orthopedic Surgeon Stacia Smith, MD and Gynecologist Robert Pringle, MD. Photo by Linda Wright

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Physicians as teachers:

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Collaboration:

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Medical students learn from region’s doctors

Three public hospitals working together to benefit patients

Festival of Trees a success; Sunrise Inn greets guest 20,000

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HealthQuest Classes 26

Stanwood & Camano Island

HealthQuest Classes 28

Hospital Services 38

HealthQuest Class 39 Registration

Mount Vernon

HealthQuest HealthQuest Winter Fall 2012 2011

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#1 in Washington:

(Above) Interventional Cardiologists Kamol Lohavanichbutr, MD and Sanjeev Vaderah, MD

HealthGrades honors Skagit Valley Hospital Skagit Valley Hospital’s ranking as number one in Washington state for coronary interventions from HealthGrades, the nation’s leading health care ratings company, is a point of pride for interventional cardiologists Sanjeev Vaderah, MD and Kamol Lohavanichbutr, MD of Skagit Regional Clinics Cardiology.

“This is validation of the fact that we do good work here without surgical back up on site,” Dr. Vaderah said.

“This is validation of the fact that we have good staff to help us do this work.”

In addition to the top ranking in the state for the third time in the past four years, this year Skagit Valley Hospital received the HealthGrades Coronary Intervention Excellence Award in recognition of being in the top 10 percent in the nation and a five-star rating for coronary intervention procedures, including angioplasty and stent placements.

HealthGrades honors are based on risk-adjusted mortality and/or inhospital complications, in ratings that include more than 5,000 hospitals and

4 | Skagit Regional Health

750,000 physicians nationwide.

“We promised to create an excellent program and we have done that,” Dr. Vaderah said. “We are committed to providing quality care to our patients.”

An illustration of the quality of care is the “door-to-balloon time,” meaning how long it takes to get a heart attack victim into the cardiac catheterization lab and have a blocked artery open using angioplasty or stents.

The median door to balloon time is less than 55 minutes at Skagit Valley Hospital, compared to the goal of 90 minutes and the state average in 2010 of 62.5 minutes. Skagit Valley Hospital has the only cardiac catheterization labs in Skagit County and also receives heart attack victims from Whidbey Island and surrounding areas.

“It takes the whole team, the medics in the field, the emergency department and the cath lab,” said Dr. Lohavanichbutr. “We work well together to improve the door-toballoon time.”

The honor from HealthGrades is a

chance to illustrate to the community the excellence in heart care available locally, Dr. Lohavanichbutr said.

“We like the community to know we are doing a great job here and there is no reason for them to go anywhere else,” he said. “They should know they are in good hands. We are close. Time is muscle. The sooner we can get their arteries open, the better.”

“My motivation to being an interventional cardiologist is the satisfaction of having the ability to change people’s lives and the immediacy of the results,” Dr. Vaderah said.

Meet our cardiologists: Jeffrey Feld, MD Oscar Briseno, MD Duncan Landreth, MD Vidhu Paliwal, MD Robert Stewart, MD Kamol Lohavanichbutr, MD Sanjeev Vaderah, MD Yelena Rosenberg, MD Rajesh Bhola, MD

February is Heart Month:

Know the signs of heart attack and stroke Know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack: • Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

• Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.

• Other signs: Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

• Women may experience shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, back or jaw pain.

Call 911 immediately when experiencing one or more of these signs.

Know the signs of a stroke: • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Call 911 immediately when experiencing one or more of these signs.

For additional information about HealthGrades, scan the quick response (QR) code below with your smart phone.

Your phone must be equipped with a QR code-reading app. To scan, simply open the code-reading app on your phone and hold your device’s camera up to the QR code as if you were going to take a picture of it. Your phone will scan the code and take you to additional information on the Skagit Valley Hospital Web page.

Honors reflect

‘technical quality’ of care Skagit Valley Hospital ranks in the top 5 percent in the nation for prostatectomy and is the recipient of the Prostatectomy Excellence Award and among America’s 100 Best hospitals for prostatectomy in quality ratings by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading health care ratings firm.

These high honors are a reflection of the expertise and surgical skills of urologists who perform this procedure to remove the prostate gland, often due to cancer. It is also a tribute to the surgical services staff, nurses and other caregivers at Skagit Valley Hospital.

“It’s an honor and, for a hospital this size, says a lot about the technical quality of the urologic care available in this community,” said Mansel Kevwitch, MD, of Pacific Rim Urology in Mount Vernon. “It says a lot for Skagit Valley Hospital and the surgical and perioperative nursing care, which is some of the best I have ever had the pleasure to work with.”

HealthGrades honors are based on risk-adjusted mortality and/or inhospital complications in ratings that include more than 5,000 hospitals and 750,000 physicians nationwide.

The results show the quality of care available from local physicians and Skagit Valley Hospital, said Darrell Cornelius, MD, of Skagit Regional Clinics Urology.

“That’s what we strive to do, provide excellent care,” Dr. Cornelius said.

“We try really hard to make sure everything goes well with prostatectomy,” agreed Winston Jones, MD, of Skagit Regional Clinics Urology.

with each patient, individually, to determine an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan.

“Surgery is a good thing when it is done on the right person, at the right time, for the right reasons,” he said.

Dr. Kevwitch uses minimally invasive or open techniques for prostate removal with outcomes equal to robotic surgical methods, he said. Blood loss, length of stay, post-operative use of pain medications and the transfusion rate are all comparable to robotic surgery, while the operative time using the established method is much shorter, requiring less anesthesia.

“Personally, this honor gives us a bit of vindication.

I am not an opponent of robotics, but a cautious observer of the data and outcomes regionally and nationwide,” he said. “A robot does not make the surgeon – there are so many more components to it. We have a tremendously high level of care here.”

Urologists:

Pacific Rim Urology Mansel Kevwitch, MD Skagit Regional Clinics - Urology Darrel Cornelius, MD Winston Jones, MD Laurence Lee, MD Courtney Schick, PA-C Burlington Family Practice Amy Navarre-Cantrell, PA-C

Dr. Kevwitch notes that the quality of care here is based on working HealthQuest Winter 2012

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“Impressive”

honors for orthopedic, total joint surgery

Skagit Valley Hospital has built an excellent reputation for orthopedic surgery, with a special focus on total joint replacements, thanks to a strong physician community and highly skilled hospital staff.

The reputation is bolstered by the receipt of the Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award and the Joint Replacement Excellence Award from HealthGrades, the nation’s leading health care ratings firm. The awards place Skagit Valley Hospital in the top 10 and 5 percent, respectively, in the United States. In addition, HealthGrades has awarded Skagit Valley Hospital five-star ratings for spine surgery, total knee replacement, total hip replacement and back and neck surgery.

“This is pretty impressive considering the size of the hospital and the geographic location,” said Jeff Cartwright, MD, of Advanced Orthopaedic Institute in Arlington, who also serves as Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Skagit Valley Hospital.

“However, it’s actually not that surprising when you look at the the focus that all of the orthopedic providers have on quality.”

The groups of physicians, including Cartwright’s practice, Northwest Orthopedic Surgeons, Skagit Island Orthopedic Surgeons and Skagit Regional Clinics, bring a broad range of skills, expertise and procedures to the patients of the community.

“One of the unique things we offer as a community hospital is the ability to offer some very sophisticated surgeries due to our highly skilled surgeons and staff. We perform up to twelve total joint surgeries a day in addition to the new spine surgeries

we offer,” said Surgery Service Line Director Marcia Morgenthaler, RN, MSN/Ed. “I think this is impressive but more importantly, it allows our patients the ability to receive highquality, highly technical surgery close to home without making a two-hour drive.”

Local orthopedic surgeons offer a full range of surgery including hand, spine, total joint replacement, arthroscopy and sports medicine procedures, plus care for trauma calls to the Emergency Department.

“We have excellent groups of orthopods with varying expertise and these excellence awards reflect that,” said Lance Ho, MD, orthopedic surgeon with Skagit Regional Clinics. “Here, you are going to get good care in the community, without having to go south.”

Stacia Smith, MD, orthopedic surgeon with Northwest Orthopedic Surgeons, said Skagit Valley Hospital has had a strongly coordinated total joint program for many years and is known for innovation. Surgeons performed nearly 500 total joint procedures in 2010 at Skagit Valley Hospital, with Dr. Smith doing 120 of those surgeries.

“The most important message we can give our local community is that we have excellent total joint procedures in Skagit County with as high, if not higher, quality, than basically anywhere in the nation,” Dr. Smith said.

A joint replacement is the result of degenerative joint disease that is caused by wear or arthritis, which brings pain to an otherwise healthy person.

(Right) Stacia Smith, MD

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“Pain is what makes people go to their doctor and they finally say ‘this is starting to impact my life,’ ” Morgenthaler said. “They are amazed after having the procedure how quickly they are able to return to activity. As an organization, we are committed to providing our patients with a positive outcome, medically, physically and emotionally.”

The surgeon, using images from radiology studies, can customize the procedure and implant choice to best meet the patient’s desires for activity and quality of life.

“We have a lot of repeat customers,” Morgenthaler said. “They like what we do here.”

Dr. Cartwright notes quality is at the forefront at Skagit Valley Hospital.

“There is an institutional philosophy at the hospital that focuses on leadership, quality and vision,” Dr. Cartwright said. “That’s why I make the drive from Arlington every day. It’s pretty impressive here.”

Orthopedic and Spine Surgeons:

Advanced Orthopaedic Institute Jefferson Cartwright, MD Northwest Orthopedic Surgeons Kaarsten Lang, MD Patrick Lyons, MD David Mourning, MD Kenneth Oates, MD Stacia Smith, MD Skagit Island Orthopedic Surgeons Daniel Hanesworth, MD Curtis Rodin, MD Jonathan Shafer, MD Richard Williamson, MD Skagit Regional Clinics Neurosurgery David Goldman, MD Skagit Regional Clinics Orthopedics Lance Ho, MD David Hock, DO Ryan Koonce, MD Spine Science Institute Farouq Al-Hamdan, MD For more information about Skagit Valley Hospital’s HealthGrades honors, go to www.skagitvalleyhospital.org or www.healthgrades.com.

Skagit Valley Hospital wholeheartedly supports all efforts to make quality outcomes available to our community and we are pleased to announce that Skagit Valley Hospital received the following HealthGrades 2012 Awards: • Recipient of the HealthGrades Coronary Intervention Excellence Award™ in 2012 • Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Coronary Interventional Procedures in 2012 • Ranked #1 in WA for Coronary Interventional Procedures in 2012 • Recipient of the HealthGrades Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award™ in 2012 • Recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award™ for 2 Years in a Row (2011-2012) • Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Joint Replacement in 2012

• Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Overall Orthopedic Services in 2012 • Recipient of the HealthGrades Prostatectomy Excellence Award™ for 2 Years in a Row (2011-2012) • Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Prostatectomy in 2012 • Recipient of the HealthGrades Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award™ for 2011 • Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Gynecologic Surgery for 2011 • Ranked #1 in WA for Gynecologic Surgery in 2011

Skagit Valley Hospital also received a 5-Star rating which means their clinical performance is better than expected in these areas: • Five-Star Rated for Coronary Interventional Procedures in 2012 • Five-Star Rated for Overall Orthopedic Services in 2012 • Five-Star Rated for Joint Replacement for 2 Years in a Row (2011-2012) • Five-Star Rated for Spine Surgery in 2012 • Five-Star Rated for Total Knee Replacement for 2 Years in a Row (2011-2012)

• Five-Star Rated for Total Hip Replacement for 5 Years in a Row (2008-2012) • Five-Star Rated for Back and Neck Surgery (except Spinal Fusion) in 2012 • Five-Star Rated for Prostatectomy for 2 Years in a Row (2011-2012) • Five-Star Rated for Gynecologic Surgery in 2011

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training and offering procedures using laparoscopic techniques, and vaginal incisions, to avoid large abdominal surgeries.

Robert Pringle, MD

Strong OB/GYN community

brings quality surgical outcomes

Gynecologic surgery has advanced quickly in the past decade with the introduction of minimally invasive procedures to assist women with a wide variety of health issues, while affording a quicker recovery, shorter length of stay in the hospital and fewer complications.

Local physicians using the latest techniques performed nearly 600 gynecologic procedures in Skagit Valley Hospital’s operating rooms in 2010. The hospital was recognized with a five-star rating, number one in Washington and in the top 10 percent in the United States as the recipient of the 2011 Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award from HealthGrades, the nation’s leading health care ratings firm.

The honors are an indication of the high level of expertise available among providers in our community and at the hospital, physicians say.

“We can offer many of these types of minimally invasive procedures so our patients are able to get sophisticated care here and not have to go to Seattle,” said Robert Pringle, MD, a gynecologist with North

8 | Skagit Regional Health

Cascade Women’s Clinic in Mount Vernon.

“We have a strong OB/GYN community here,” agreed John Knudsen, MD, OB/GYN with Mount Vernon Women’s Clinic. “This is really exciting.”

Some patients may be drawn to centers offering robotic-assisted procedures, however, published reports show that for the vast majority of gynecologic surgeries the use of a surgical robot increases costs dramatically, increases post-operative discomfort and does not appear to improve overall outcome compared to traditional laparoscopic methods offered at Skagit Valley Hospital. Obstetrics & Gynecology (Vol. 118, No. 5, November 2011) and The Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology (Vol. 17, No 6, November/ December 2010).

While some oncology related procedures may benefit from use of a robot, other procedures that today can be performed laparoscopically, with small incisions, have the same quality outcome and greatly reduced costs, Dr. Knudsen said.

Dr. Pringle and Nadine Foist, MD, shifted their practice to full-time gynecology six years ago to focus on

Approximately 60 percent of hysterectomies in the United States are performed using a large abdominal incision, however, the goal in sophisticated centers is 5 to 10 percent, Dr. Pringle said.

“That is our goal here at Skagit Valley Hospital,” Dr. Pringle said. “It has been a gradual evolution, building over the last 10 years. We are able to provide a wide variety of options with a speedier recovery and shorter hospital stay.”

Dr. Knudsen noted that many hysterectomies can be avoided with use of endometrial ablation, an outpatient procedure to reduce menstrual blood loss.

“This 15-minute, outpatient procedure has replaced some hysterectomies,” Dr. Knudsen said.

“We’re doing less invasive procedures with the same or better results.”

Dr. Knudsen said he refers patients to Drs. Pringle and Foist, who have a high level of expertise in gynecologic surgery, and he refers patients to or teams up with local urologists for issues related to incontinence and other urological concerns.

Dr. Knudsen, who has practiced at Skagit Valley Hospital since 1978, is also quick to praise the operating room staff at the hospital.

“You can’t have good outcomes without a good OR staff and anesthesia staff,” he said. “This speaks highly of the whole team.”

OB/GYNs:

SeaMar

Rasha Allam, MD P. Daniel Logen, MD

Mount Vernon Women’s Clinic Daniel Bynum, MD John Knudsen, MD Sara Rowland, MD

North Cascade Women’s Clinic Nadine Burrington Foist, MD Robert Pringle, MD

Skagit Regional Clinics – Women’s Health Robert Rosenfeld, MD Karen Tapley, MD Stephen Waszak, MD

Two hospitals forge partnership with urology practice

Skagit Valley Hospital and Island Hospital in Anacortes approved a new partnership with the physicians of Northwest Urology effective November 1, 2011.

The practice name switched to Skagit Regional Clinics Urology and the two clinic locations remain the same at 1311 E. Division in Mount Vernon and 1213 24th Street in Anacortes.

Three board certified physicians, Darrell Cornelius, MD, Winston Jones, MD and Laurence Lee, MD, along with Courney Shick, PA-C, provide adult and pediatric urological services using state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment with the latest urological innovations.

All of the experienced providers look forward to continuing to serve patients of the region.

“I like making a diagnosis and being able to treat that patient with complete urologic care,” said Dr. Cornelius, who started practice in Anacortes in 1980 and has a special interest in urologic cancers and vasovasostomy (vasectomy reversal).

Dr. Jones started practice in the area in 1974 and has seen dramatic changes in the field of urology, in particular the use of flexible, minute scopes that allow minimally invasive procedures.

“We have a lot of new tools and are able to do a lot more things with less invasive techniques, which is a benefit to the patient,” Dr. Jones said.

Shick, a certified physician assistant, enjoys the variety that the specialty brings. “I enjoy a practice that I can be both in the operating room and in the clinic. Urology provides that,” she

said. “It is also a field where you can help people with issues that have a large impact on their life but are difficult to address due to their sensitive nature. I work hard to help people feel more comfortable and better able to enjoy their lives without urinary concerns.”

The two hospitals are collaborating on the venture that is designed to retain and strengthen vital health care services in the region.

“We are very happy about this partnership that teams two Skagit County hospitals and the clinic to recruit the best physicians to our region,” said Island Hospital Chief Executive Officer Vince Oliver.

“Our partnership with Island Hospital is built firmly on a mutual goal to enhance care for patients,” said Skagit Valley Hospital Chief Executive Officer Gregg Davidson. “With creativity and mutual respect, we have developed a local solution to retaining and building this essential health care service in our communities.”

The practice, in Skagit County since 1969, offers medical and surgical care in the diagnosis and treatment of male and female urinary conditions including bladder, kidney and prostate cancer, impotence, kidney stones and other disorders, male and female urinary incontinence and urinary tract infection.

Darrell R. Cornelius, MD MD: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Internship: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Residencies include: Surgery: Mount Sinai Medical Center, Cleveland Urology: Stanford University, Palo Alto

Winston G. Jones, MD MD: University of Washington, Seattle Residency in Surgery and Urology: USC Medical Center, Los Angeles

Laurence Lee, MD MD: University of British Columbia Residency: University of British Columbia Internship: Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria Fellowship: UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles

Courtney Shick, PA-C Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Medical Technology, University of Montana, Missoula Master of Science and Physician Assistant Certification, Des Moines University, Des Moines

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OB/GYN joins SeaMar Community Health Center Rasha Allam, MD set goals early on to do well in school and become a physician. She has accomplished both and brought her skills as an obstetrician and gynecologist to SeaMar Community Health Center in Mount Vernon in July.

“Goals help you have a meaningful life. I don’t think you can live life without a goal,” Dr. Allam said. “This is what I have wanted to do all my life and I am so thankful to be able to do this. When I deliver a baby, I am so happy.”

In her native Egypt, only the top .5 percent of students are accepted into medical school, requiring her to excel in school. As a result of her hard work, Dr. Allam is a graduate of the University of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt.

During her internship, her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which had a significant impact on her future as a doctor.

“Until that point, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. It was at that point that I decided to go into women’s health,” Dr. Allam said.

She worked for two years as a family doctor in Egypt while awaiting an opening in an obstetrics and gynecology residency. She accepted residency at State University of New York in Syracuse and an internship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Camden, both with a focus on obstetrics and gynecology.

Dr. Allam provides a full range of obstetrics services, caring for pregnant women and delivering babies, and gynecologic care assisting women of all ages with problems ranging from bleeding, fibroids and prolapse to incontinence and cancers.

“I like the long-term relationships with patients because it brings a better outcome because you know what works better for her,” Dr. Allam said.

She also enjoys the surgical side of gynecology, which allows her to help women regain quality of life.

“I can fix their problem and the patient is cured,” she said. “I have this urge to fix things.”

Dr. Allam said she appreciates the opportunity to practice at SeaMar, a network of 50 clinics and centers across Washington that serves all persons regardless of their ability to pay. Dr. Allam practices at the clinic on LaVenture Road. An additional clinic is located within Skagit Valley Hospital, accessed via the Kincaid Street entrance.

“We serve the low-income, rural population, whether they can afford it or not. That’s what I love here,” she said.

Dr. Allam and her family picked the Northwest as home. Her husband works in Vancouver, B.C. and their two children attend school in Burlington. She enjoys traveling and discovering new places and new foods, likes to swim, go to the gym, fish and play basketball.

New physician to serve Camano clinic Jennifer Mayfield, MD joined Skagit Regional Clinics Camano Community Health Clinic in October and describes the Camano Island community and the clinic as an ideal fit for her.

Growing up in a small rural community in northern California, she values the sense of independence of the residents on the island. She has done temporary work throughout the Northwest and has wanted to settle here permanently. She said she appreciates the island lifestyle without the ferry.

Early in her medical career Dr. Mayfield said she wanted to go into the field of emergency medicine. She was sidelined when she practiced in coastal Oregon and saw all the wonderful things the Family Medicine physicians did.

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“Family medicine gives me the best perspective and relationship with every specialty. I refer to and have contact with all of them,” said Dr. Mayfield. “This experience gave me a better understanding of medicine. As a result, I went back to complete a residency in Family Medicine.”

Dr. Mayfield also completed a Masters of Public Health degree, which she said she feels gives her the tools she needs to work with changes in the health care delivery system.

Dr. Mayfield graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, Calif. and completed a residency in Family Medicine at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She is board certified in both Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine.

Preventive medicine, especially dealing with diabetes and chronic disease, are topics that Dr. Mayfield is passionate about. Living with diabetes and other chronic diseases can be very challenging for patients and management is complex. Dr. Mayfield said she enjoys the opportunity to help people find better ways of living more healthfully.

“I feel like I need to walk the path with my patient through their disease process,” she said. “I want to help them make small changes; I don’t want them to feel abandoned.”

Dr. Mayfield said she wants her patients to feel they are respected for their values and strives to listen and learn about their needs and aspirations for their health and life.

In her free time, she enjoys knitting and weaving, less dangerous hobbies than her previous hobby of whitewater rafting.

Interventional radiologist offers new cancer treatment Dr. Leah Kiviat, MD with Skagit Radiology is now using the latest locoregional cancer treatment to help patients fight cancer at Skagit Valley Hospital.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is used to fight tumors in the liver. Both primary liver tumors and tumors that have metastasized to the liver can benefit from TACE. “Often times, a patient will have the primary tumor resected, and will be disease free with the exception of metastases to the liver. And although surgical resection of liver metastases can potentially cure the patient, less than 20 percent of patients are eligible for surgery at the time of diagnosis,” Dr. Kiviat explained.

“Up to 80 percent of colon cancer patients have been demonstrated to have liver metastases, and 25 to 50 percent of those metastases are present at initial diagnosis. For breast cancer, which is the most common malignancy in women, the liver is the second most common site of metastasis,” Dr. Kiviat said. “We’re talking about therapies that could potentially help a large group of patients with both primary or metastatic liver disease”.

Additionally, both primary liver tumors and liver metastases can become resistant to standard chemotherapy regimens (chemotherapy delivered to the whole body, usually through the veins, or with oral regimens).

Locoregional cancer treatments fight the tumors both by introducing high doses of chemotherapy directly to the cancer, and by cutting off the blood supply to the tumor. Packing this “double-punch” to the tumor can slow or stop tumor growth when systemic chemotherapy regimens no longer work.

“These therapies can offer patients a new way to fight a cancer when other doors to treatment have closed,” said Dr. Kiviat.

Transarterial chemoembolization is performed by placing a small catheter in a blood vessel in the groin. From

there, the catheter is placed into the artery that supplies blood to the liver (the hepatic artery). This part of the procedure is similar to a cardiac angiogram. Once the catheter is in position, the physician releases a combination of medications including an agent that blocks the flow of blood to the tumor, cutting off its supply of oxygen and nutrients, and a chemotherapy drug (or drugs) that target the tumor. Because these agents are applied only at the tumor site, and because non-cancerous liver tissue does not rely on the hepatic artery as its main source of oxygenated blood, healthy tissue remains unaffected by this treatment.

“Since the tumors are targeted directly, we can administer a high concentration of chemotherapy directly to the tumor without subjecting the patients to the systemic toxicity of the chemotherapy agents,” Dr. Kiviat said.

The chemoembolization procedure takes about 45 to 60 minutes in the angiography suite and requires only mild sedation. The patient stays in the hospital overnight for observation.

Most patients are well enough to go back to work three days to one week after the procedure is performed.

“The Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center oncologists are very up to date on current cancer fighting therapies,” Dr. Kiviat said. “Many of them trained in university settings where these therapies were developed, and they are eager to have another tool to help their patients fight cancer. They have already referred several patients for chemoembolization.”

So what’s next for interventional oncology here at Skagit Valley Hospital?

“Radiofrequency ablation is another tumor fighting technique we hope to introduce soon. We kill the tumor using heat by placing probes directly into the tumor,” she said. “It can be used alone, or as a complement to chemoembolization. And data suggest that using both treatments on the same tumor has an even stronger tumorfighting effect.”

New frontier:

Promising cancer treatment available Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center was recently selected as an infusion site for a novel treatment for advanced, castrationresistant prostate cancer.

The treatment involves use of sipuleucel-T (Provenge®) as a treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer by enhancing the body’s immune system to fight the disease.

The process, according to the American Cancer Society, involves removal of white blood cells from the patient’s blood stream. The cells are treated with a prostate cancer antigen and other substances to become dendritic cells, which when given back to the patient help introduce the antigen to immune system cells to mount an attack on the cancer cells.

“This is one of the new frontiers,” said Kiarash Kojouri, MD, medical oncologist and hematologist at the Regional Cancer Care Center in Mount Vernon.

“We are very excited about bringing this new therapy here. It is very promising and shown to extend survival of patients with advanced prostate cancer.”

The field of immunotherapy, such as this treatment, and development of other cancer vaccines is moving forward rapidly, with new therapies nearing FDA approval.

“The immune system is the first defense against cancer and a major part of cancer formation is when the immune system fails,” Dr. Kojouri said. “This is a natural way of fighting cancer because you are boosting and helping the body’s immune system.

It’s really changing the way people and physicians look at treating cancer.”

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Neurosurgeon adds office hours in Mount Vernon Neurosurgeon David Goldman, MD now sees patients at Skagit Regional Clinics in Mount Vernon as well as performing surgery at Skagit Valley Hospital.

The spine program at Skagit Valley Hospital provides the opportunity for patients to get high-level services without the inconvenience of leaving the area.

Dr. Goldman, of Bellingham, has performed a range of spine surgery on the neck and back at Skagit Valley Hospital since 2010. He specializes in spinal surgery, fixing disk herniations, pinched nerves and spinal trauma.

Dr. Goldman graduated from New College in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts in Experimental Psychology. He graduated from the University of Missouri Medical School in 1981, and completed a residency in neurosurgery at the University of Missouri in 1988. He served on the neurosurgery faculty at Oregon Health Science University until 1990, and completed a fellowship in neuro-oncology. He is Board Certified in Neurosurgery.

“As a neurosurgeon, specializing in spinal surgery, I often provide treatment for people with incapacitating pain,” Dr. Goldman said. “My job is to find a safe and effective treatment that will alleviate pain, allow people to recover quickly, resume their normal activities and get their lives back.”

New X-ray equipment at Skagit Regional Clinics Skagit Regional Clinics in Mount Vernon has a second digital X-ray unit to serve outpatients in the community.

Patients previously sent to Skagit Valley Hospital for outpatient X-rays will enjoy the quick turnaround, convenience and comfort of the clinic environment, plus the expertise of the same group of highly skilled radiologists. The Skagit Regional Clinics’ imaging department is located on the third floor of the Maynard Johnson Building at 1400 E. Kincaid in Mount Vernon. To schedule an appointment, call 360-814-8208.

New OB/GYN joins Skagit Regional Clinics Skagit Regional Clinics’ new OB/ GYN, Karyn Tapley, MD is a self described “car chick.” She was the first girl in her high school to take auto mechanics where she found that she was very good with her hands. Later in life, she found that those same skills she developed fixing cars translated to skills in the operating room.

“I enjoy working with women to help them get through any problems they are having. Sometimes it has nothing to do with gynecology.

It can be personal such as weight loss or even marital issues – it’s not all about pap smears,” she said.

During medical school at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida she developed an interest in women’s health.

“Being a woman, I know what it’s like to go through an annual exam. I can anticipate questions and understand my patients’ fears. I’m able to address issues well for most women,” she said.

“I found that I was good at surgery, but had an interest in women’s health. Specializing in obstetrics and gynecology allows me to perform surgical cases while focusing my practice on women,” said Dr. Tapley.

Though obstetrician/gynecologists typically provide medical and surgical care to women during pregnancy, childbirth and with disorders of the reproductive system, Dr. Tapley finds that her patients seek care for a wide variety of issues.

12 | Skagit Regional Health

Dr. Tapley said she finds it easy to relate to her patients.

Dr. Tapley has a special interest in new contraceptive procedures which she describes as safer and more effective than traditional treatments.

She also enjoys helping women with urinary incontinence and pelvic floor disorders.

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Dr. Tapley and her husband fell in love with the Pacific Northwest when they took a trip here in 2009. Her husband, who is career U.S. Navy, chose to be stationed in Everett so they could move to western Washington following completion of Dr. Tapley’s residency training at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, DE. She said she is excited to live and work in the Pacific Northwest, and plans to stay here after her husband’s retirement from the military in two years.

“I’m a southern girl, but I love it here,” she said, admitting “I even like the rain.”

In her free time, Dr. Tapley looks forward to spending time outdoors hiking, skiing and boating. She also plans to rekindle her passion for drag racing her super-charged Mustang Cobra.

Check out our facebook page at www.facebook.com/skagit.regional.health

Mental Health Center project under way U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen and Skagit Regional Health Chief Executive Officer Gregg Davidson took a tour of the construction site of the new Mental Health Center at Skagit Valley Hospital in November. The project will relocate and expand the current Mental Health Center, which is the only inpatient facility in Skagit County. The remodeled center will accommodate private rooms, two seclusion rooms and increased security in a healing environment.

The remodel will also allow the unit to operate at its 15-bed capacity, improving access to mental health care in the community. Hanson Brothers Construction, Inc. of Mount Vernon is the contractor and low bidder on the project, designed by Mahlum Architects of Seattle, which is due for completion in June 2012.

Funds for the project are provided by a $1 million capital campaign by the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation; an $800,000 appropriation from the federal government; a $750,000 capital budget allocation from the State of Washington and the balance from the hospital capital budget.

From Stigma to Hope: A personal story Randy Revelle, former King County Executive and current Senior Vice President of the Washington State Hospital Association, shared his personal story of living with a serious mental illness with more than 200 people at Skagit Regional Health’s Mental Health Summit: From Stigma to Hope on Sept. 19 at McIntyre Hall. Revelle, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1977 told the crowd: “No one should be ashamed of having a mental illness. We need to be open about it, discuss it, and support those living with mental illness.” Community partners in providing mental health services offered information booths and resources to those in attendance.

Skagit Regional Health CEO elected to regional board Gregg A. Davidson, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of Skagit Regional Health, headquartered in Mount Vernon, was elected to the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Region Nine Regional Policy Board at the Washington State Hospital Association’s (WSHA) annual meeting in October.

Davidson will serve as a Washington state delegate on the AHA panel, having

served for more than two years as an alternate on the Regional Policy Board which provides input on public policy issues. Region Nine includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

As a delegate, Davidson is also a member of the WSHA board.

In addition, Davidson is the state representative on the American College of Healthcare Executives Council of Regents.

“This trio of elected offices affords me the opportunity to have a voice and to help set the tone for political, legislative and program development issues to benefit not only our patients and Skagit Regional Health, but also people and organizations across the state and nation,” Davidson said. “It is an honor to have these positions and the chance to be on the leading edge of the evolution of health care.”

SeaMar Community Health Centers: Open for all SeaMar Community Health Centers offers a wide variety of services in Skagit County, which are open to all patients in need of care.

Programs include two medical clinics, one within Skagit Valley

Hospital and a second on LaVenture Road in Mount Vernon; a behavioral health clinic on College Way; dental care clinics in Mount Vernon and Burlington; preventive care and health care for homeless and migrant populations.

The clinic at Skagit Valley Hospital is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday.

For information, call 360-588-5550.

For more information about SeaMar, go to www.seamar.org.

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Care for our youngest patients: Seattle Children’s leads pediatric program

The new pediatric hospitalist program with Seattle Children’s Hospital is in full swing at Skagit Valley Hospital providing around-theclock care to the youngest patients.

A team of nine physicians work shifts as hospitalists, focusing on the care of hospitalized children and newborns. Many of the doctors are familiar faces in the community, having moved to hospital-based service from the two local pediatric practices. The 24/7 program started at Skagit Valley Hospital in July 2011.

“This program really means better care for the children in our community,” said Barbara Geraghty, MD, a pediatric hospitalist. “Who better to turn to than the experts at Seattle Children’s to oversee this program and provide invaluable support.”

Seattle Children’s helped to set up the program, offers educational opportunities, adapts protocols

(Right) Lyall Bishop, MD, pediatric hospitalist, chats with a young patient.

14 | Skagit Regional Health

specific to the hospital and makes specialists available as needed.

Having pediatric hospitalists allows clinic-based providers, including physicians trained in family medicine and pediatrics, to remain in the clinic seeing patients and provides a higher level of care for those children who are hospitalized.

“A critical element of being a hospitalist is maintaining that continuity of care at the transition point when the patients come in or leave the hospital,” said Carlos Villavicencio, MD, Medical Director of the Regional Hospitalist Program for Seattle Children’s.

“Our goal is to make the transition back to the primary care physician as seamless as possible,” Dr. Geraghty said. “Meanwhile, there is a comforting peace of mind in having a pediatrician at the hospital around the clock.”

Pediatric hospitalists: Mark Barr, MD Brad Berg, MD Lyall Bishop, MD Erin Charles, MD Barbara Geraghty, MD Rick Levine, MD Rowena Pusateri, MD Donna Schoonover, MD Jenny Taylor, MD

Four-legged friend Luis Gonzalez delights in meeting ‘Titan,’ a Golden Retriever who recently paid a visit to Skagit Valley Hospital’s Children’s Therapy Program. ‘Titan’ and his owner Sarah Broderick are participants in Dogs On Call (DOC), an all-volunteer organization of certified therapy dog teams serving Skagit County. ‘Titan’ and other four-legged friends have become regulars at Children’s Therapy, one of 14 Pediatric Neurodevelopment Centers in the state, which combines physical, occupational and speech therapy in a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment. Canineassisted therapy can be helpful with children in developing motor skills or vocalizing commands. For more information about Dogs on Call, go to www.wix.com/dogsoncall/dogsoncall.

For information about the Children’s Therapy Program, go to www. skagitvalleyhospital.org.

Hospital aims to improve breastfeeding support Skagit Valley Hospital’s Family Birth Center receives high marks for support of breastfeeding and maternity care practices compared to other hospitals across the nation.

The hospital, where an average of 120 babies are born each month, is one of seven hospitals in the state participating in quality improvement projects through the Maternity Care Practices Initiative (MCPI). The goal is to enhance and standardize evidencebased perinatal care, breastfeeding support and infant nutrition in hospitals.

The effort was recently endorsed by the Washington Healthcare Forum. MCPI is a partnership of the Washington State Department of Health, the Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington, and select hospital birthing facilities.

In addition, Skagit Valley Hospital received scores much higher than the state average in a Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Skagit Valley Hospital’s compositive quality practice score of 74 was well higher than the average

score of 41 for Washington hospitals and better than the U.S. average by two points.

Breastfeeding for nine months reduces a baby’s chance of becoming overweight by more than 30 percent, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. Low breastfeeding rates add an estimated $2.2 billion a year to medical costs related to obesity, diabetes and respiratory infections, according to the study.

For women who choose to breastfeed, the Family Birth Center offers complete lactation services, which include: breastfeeding classes, breastfeeding consultations with our lactation specialists during a patient’s hospital stay and after, weight checks and breast pump rentals. For more information about Lactation Services call 360-814-2229.

(Right) Tina Abshier, RN is one of several lactation specialists at Skagit Valley Hospital.

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Physicians as teach Medical students learn from region’s

Physicians across the community are giving today what was once given to them in medical school by serving as teachers to the students of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences.

A total of 12 fourth-year and 11 third-year students from the Yakimabased osteopathic medical school are currently in student rotations at Skagit Regional Health.

In July, the medical education program will grow to the next level by adding six residency positions including four in Family Medicine and two in Internal Medicine.

The key to the program are the physicians who have offered to be involved with the program as teachers, taking students under their wing for one-month rotations to provide them with the experiences they need to learn and choose their own path as doctors.

Since the start of the medical education program in July 2010, more than 125 physicians and other providers in our region have served as teachers, preceptors and role models to the students.

“This is a very impressive number. I am personally very grateful to everyone who has participated, and who are helping build up the program for the future,” said Jeanne Crump, DO, Director of Medical Education at Skagit Regional Health.

It’s a task the physicians say they embrace and find highly rewarding.

“This is a chance to connect with a person who is going to be a colleague and a personal way to use the skill set that I have to help them learn what it’s like to be a doctor,” said Jonathan

16 | Skagit Regional Health

Ploudre, MD, a Family Practice physician with North Cascade Family Physicians in Mount Vernon.

Dr. Ploudre was a teacher in the Peace Corps and has welcomed students from the University of Washington School of Medicine for the past six years.

“It’s exciting. I love teaching. The students are great and they bring so much to the community,” Dr. Ploudre said. “Our patients are teachers too and I think our patients enjoy the chance to be a part of helping to teach future doctors.”

Jimmy Grierson, MD, a Family Practice physician with Skagit Regional Clinics in Stanwood, said teaching is a natural extension of providing health care.

“Teaching is so much fun for me and has always been a high priority. It sharpens you as a clinician, you really have to know what you are doing to teach it to someone,” Dr. Grierson said. “Teaching is not only a duty, but I really believe in this mentorship process that continues in medicine.

To be a role model and a leader, you can still make a difference in people’s lives.”

Dr. Grierson is involved with Safe Harbor Free Clinic, which operates from 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays at Skagit Regional Clinics in Stanwood. Medical students will soon begin rotations at Safe Harbor, where they average 38

patients each Friday night and rely on a staff of 165 volunteers.

“The free clinic gives students an opportunity to witness the challenges and struggles of those who have no health insurance or who are underinsured, and to use their skills to give back to the community,” Dr. Grierson said. “With their physician preceptors, students must make diagnosis and treatment plans with limited resources and logistical challenges.”

Teaching can refresh the excitement of medicine for the teacher as well as the student.

“I enjoy the students. They make you rethink things and see the medical world through their eyes and some of the wonders of medicine,” said Radiologist John Burke, MD with Skagit Radiology in Mount Vernon, where all 17 providers play a role in teaching students. “Our goal is to teach them what the radiologist can do for them, what tests are available and how to order tests, not necessarily to turn them into radiologists,” said Dr. Burke.

Student rotations are designed to expose future doctors to a wide variety of areas of medicine as they narrow down their future plans for residency and practice.

“When our students go to other facilities for elective rotations, the quality of their preparation is always praised,” Dr. Crump said.

“This is great feedback on what an excellent job the teaching physicians are doing.”

Training physicians locally is also an excellent recruitment technique and a benefit to the community, the physicians agree.

hers: doctors

“The likelihood for having graduates in Internal Medicine and Family Medicine staying here in the valley is really high,” Dr. Ploudre said. “Most doctors practice where they did their residency. Being a teaching hospital is a very effective recruitment tool.”

“This improves access to community health care,” said Dr. Burke. “It’s good for the hospital and it’s good for the entire community.”

PNWU Facts

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Dispose of unused prescription drugs Is your medicine cabinet filled with expired drugs or medications you no longer use? Now you can take advantage of a new program to get rid of unused prescription drugs and keep them out of our waterways.

Pill collection boxes are located in the Sheriff’s office in Mount Vernon, at the Burlington and Sedro-Woolley police departments, and the Washington State Patrol office in Burlington.

Items accepted at the drug drop boxes: Medications including:

• Narcotics like oxycodone and Vicodin • Medication samples

Total number of students enrolled in Pacific Northwest University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

90

Dr. Coffey, who retired in 2007 after 25 years with Skagit Valley Medical Center (now known as Skagit Regional Clinics), is a longtime volunteer with a variety of organizations.

2,400

The average number of qualified applicants vying for one of PNWU’s 75 annual seats; a ratio of 34:1

Items NOT accepted:

• Needles and syringes • Thermometers • IV bags or bloody infectious waste • Personal care products • Hydrogen peroxide or other chemicals • Aerosol cans • Used EpiPens

Honors for Robert Coffey, MD Robert Coffey, MD of Mount Vernon was honored by the American College of Physicians Washington Chapter with the organization’s 2011 Community Service Award in ceremonies held on Nov. 3 in Seattle

Percentage of PNWU students who come from the Pacific Northwest.

• Medications for pets • Medicated ointments and lotions • Over-the-counter medications • Vitamins • Inhalers • Unopened EpiPens

He teaches inpatient Internal Medicine to third-year medical students from Pacific Northwest University who are part of Skagit Regional Health’s Graduate Medical Education Program. He is also helping plan the Internal Medicine residency, which starts in 2012.

Dr. Coffey has served on the Mount Vernon School Board for five years and was just elected to another fouryear term. He has also completed the Washington State School Board Association year-long leadership course.

(Below) Paul Smith, MD, chairman of the American College of Physicians Washington Chapter’s Awards Committee, presents Robert Coffey, MD with the organization’s 2011 Community Service Award.

In addition, he has volunteered for eight years helping to teach advanced math and science students at Mount Vernon High School and working with students taking Advanced Placement courses in calculus, statistics, physics, chemistry and biology as well the math and science courses leading up to those classes.

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Three public hospitals sign agreement to collaborate In a move to enhance patient care, improve market stability and seek other ways to work together, officials of Cascade Valley, Island and Skagit Valley hospitals have signed an interlocal agreement to work collaboratively while preserving each hospital’s independence, local identity and autonomy.

The agreements were ratified at the respective public hospital districts’ November board meetings. A merger, which would combine the three organizations operationally, is not being pursued.

Health-care organizations are facing challenging times with distressed national and state economies, lower reimbursement for services, and large systems eyeing market areas served by the three hospitals.

This agreement is seen as a way to gain strength in the four counties served by the districts – Skagit, Snohomish, Island and San Juan. Furthermore, pending healthcare reform legislation, state budget cuts, uncompensated care and an aging population are exerting pressure on already challenging hospital revenues.

“We believe that this agreement allows us to solidify and even grow our market presence while maintaining each of our unique identities,” said Island Hospital

Chief Executive Officer Vince Oliver. “This is truly a win-win for our hospitals and the communities served by these excellent hospitals. This collaboration presents great opportunities for enhanced services, quality initiatives and more.”

“We’re very excited to be able to collaborate on projects beneficial to patients in all three organizations while maintaining our independence. This collaboration will also help our financial stability in trying times.”

The agreement is an extension of work the three hospitals are already doing together. Island and Skagit Valley hospitals recently partnered on the acquisition of Northwest Urology, and Cascade Valley and Skagit Valley hospitals are working together on the construction of Cascade Skagit Health Alliance, a new primary and specialty care clinic in Smokey Point.

Cascade Valley Hospital, Snohomish County Public Hospital District No. 3, is a 48-bed facility, which has served Arlington and the surrounding communities for more than 100 years.

Cascade Valley also operates seven associated clinics and a free-standing surgery center. (www.cascadevalley.org)

“This is the logical next step for our three public district hospitals to expand the work we are doing together to retain and grow the outstanding high-quality health care we offer in the communities we serve,” said Skagit Valley Hospital Chief Executive Officer Gregg Davidson. “I believe that this collaboration will help all three organizations build a stronger future and continue to deliver quality health care where the patient comes first.”

“Working together will help strengthen our market position in a very challenging environment,” said Cascade Valley Hospital Chief Executive Officer Clark Jones.

Island Hospital, Skagit County PHD No. 2, is a 43-bed acute-care facility that has served west Skagit County, north Whidbey Island and the San Juan Islands for 50 years. Island also operates eight physician clinics and a freestanding sleep wellness center. (www.islandhospital.org) Skagit Regional Health includes the 137-bed Skagit Valley Hospital and 10 Skagit Regional Clinics locations.

Skagit County PHD No. 1 has served residents of Skagit, Island, San Juan and north Snohomish counties since 1958. (www.skagitvalleyhospital.org)

New Smokey Point facility to open March 2012 Convenience. Comprehensive care. Collaboration. These words describe the new Cascade Skagit Health Alliance set to open in Smokey Point in March 2012.

Comprehensive health care services will include primary and specialty care, occupational medicine, pharmacy, lab, diagnostic imaging and urgent care.

Join us for a public open house on Saturday, March 31.

The project is a collaboration between Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon and Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics in Arlington. The two organizations are working together to meet the health care needs of the people of north Snohomish and south Skagit counties.

The 42,000-square foot multi-specialty health care facility is conveniently located on 172nd Street NE in Smokey Point and will offer extended hours and urgent care, seven days a week.

18 | Skagit Regional Health

Physicians already providing services in the Smokey Point area include Cardiologist Yelena Rosenberg, MD, with an office at 16410 Smokey Point Blvd., Suite 200, who can be reached by calling 360-336-9757.

Pediatrician Krista Galitsis, MD sees patients at 16404 Smokey Point Blvd., Suite 301 and can be reached by calling 360-6518365.

Menopause As we age, our bodies change. For women, one unavoidable change that occurs is menopause.

“Menopause is the cessation of menses - when women stop their menstrual cycle,” said Deborah North, MD, internist with Skagit Regional Clinics.

Women are born with a limited number of eggs in their ovaries. As a woman gets older, her ovaries produce less of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which regulate menstruation and ovulation. Menopause occurs when the ovaries no longer produce an egg each month and menstruation stops.

Most women experience menopause in their early or mid-50s. It is considered natural and is a normal part of aging. Menopause that occurs before the age of 40 is considered premature.

The process leading up to menopause occurs over the course of several years and can cause a variety of symptoms including sleep cycle disturbances, night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness and emotional changes, such as depression or anxiety.

Bone density can also be affected by menopause when the loss of hormones leads to a decrease in bone density.

Many women seek relief from menopausal symptoms. One available option is hormone therapy. “If women have significant symptoms, hormone replacement therapy will help alleviate menopause symptoms,” said Dr. North. “My recommendation is for patients to take hormones for two years, though women may experience hot flashes longer and need hormones for longer.”

Women often wonder if hormone replacement therapy is safe. This concern was raised because of a Women’s Health Initiative in the 1990s that found a slight increase in heart disease, breast cancer, stroke and blood clots among those women taking both estrogen and progestin.

“Taking hormones is a balance of how miserable you are versus the risk of treatment,” said Dr. North.

Hormone therapy isn’t recommended for women with breast cancer, heart disease or a history of blood clots.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests the following alternatives to hormone therapy: • Adopt a healthy lifestyle to feel your best. This includes eating a variety of foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Do not smoke.

Maintain a healthy weight and be active for 30 minutes most days of the week.

• Hot flashes can be eased by lifestyle changes such as dressing in a way to avoid becoming too warm, sleeping in a cool room and avoiding spicy or caffeinated foods and beverages. Dr. North noted that black cohosh is an herbal remedy often used to combat hot flashes, though in controlled studies, it hasn’t proven to be effective.

• Vaginal dryness can be alleviated by using over-the-counter lubricants or moisturizers.

• Mood swings can be positively impacted by being physically active and getting enough sleep. Practicing relaxation exercises can also be helpful.

• People who suffer from insomnia may find relief through over-the-counter sleep aids, consuming milk products at bed time, participating in physical activity early in the day and taking a hot shower or bath immediately before bed.

Women are encouraged to discuss individual symptoms and treatment options with their doctor. For more information about menopause, Dr. North recommends visiting www. uptodate.com.

At risk for osteoporosis?

Simple screening measures bone density The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and an additional 34 million have low bone mass placing them at risk for developing osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease with no outward symptoms until a bone fracture occurs; however, patients can determine their bone mineral density by having a DEXA scan. These scans are simple, painless procedures that will tell your health care provider if you have low bone mass.

Dr. Jhoanna Santos, internist at Skagit Regional Clinics, recommends DEXA scans for many of her patients.

“In my practice, I recommend screening with a bone density scan for all women over age 65,” Dr. Santos said. “Screening in men is recommended if they have significant risk factors including low body weight, weight loss, medications like corticosteroid use, physical inactivity, cardiac conditions and previous fragility fracture.”

The test takes just 20 minutes to complete. The patient lies on a padded table while the DEXA machine passes over him or her, measuring the density of the hip and spine. If low bone mass is detected through a DEXA scan, a treatment plan can be developed by your doctor to improve or maintain your bone density.

If you have questions about your bone health, speak with your health care provider. For more information about DEXA scans or to schedule and appointment, call:

Skagit Regional Clinics 1400 E. Kincaid Street Mount Vernon 360-428-2541

Skagit Osteoporosis Detection Center 1320 E. Division Mount Vernon 360-428-7270

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Assuring the availability of quality health care Community Support

Our Mission The mission of the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation is to raise, manage and distribute funds to assure the continued availability of quality health care services and programs at Skagit Valley Hospital.

The Foundation will foster awareness of and community support for Skagit Valley Hospital through the involvement of the people it serves.

Board of Trustees Volunteers are the key to the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation’s efforts in securing philanthropy. We are pleased to acknowledge the efforts of our trustees, who unselfishly give their time and resources as an example to all, and who provide leadership in the Foundation’s prudent stewardship of gifts.

Dr. Richard Abbott Dee Berglin Susan Brown Carmen Anderson- Bruner Chris Cammock Jill Christensen Debbie Connolly Gregg Davidson Gary Fiedler Marcia Johnson Virginia Learned Corey Mendoza Kevin Mendoza Jean Miller Stan Olson Christie Peterson Jaynie Roozen Richard Roozen

Deanna Scott Brett Simbe Bob Taylor Shirley Watkinson Polly Wilhonen Dr. Rob Zwick

Staff Linda Frizzell Executive Director Wendy Ragusa Development Coordinator Becky Wells Development Associate

Tough Enough to Wear Pink The Sedro-Woolley Riding Club recently presented the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation with a check in the amount of $1,796.78.

“Passing pink boots” by club members during Burlington’s Berry Dairy Days Parade, Sedro-Woolley’s Loggerodeo Parade, and the Loggerodeo opening ceremonies raised the funds.

The Foundation is grateful to the Sedro-Woolley Riding Club and the “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” program for five years of support. During that time, they have given a total of $6,188.40 to support The Breast Institute at the Skagit

Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center.

Entrepreneur and breast cancer survivor Terry Wheatley created “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” (TETWP) to bring the sport of professional rodeo and the western community together to rally against breast cancer.

Since its inception in 2004, TETWP has empowered rodeos and western events in the United States and Canada to focus attention on the need for a cure. To date, the national campaign has raised more than $7.5 million dollars for breast cancer charities, much of which stays right in the community in which it was raised.

Woodstock Event Raises Funds for Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center The Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation is grateful to the Wes Anderson Memorial Bowling League for their efforts to raise funds for the Regional Cancer Care Center at Skagit Valley Hospital.

On Aug. 13, 2011, on the banks of the Skagit River, nearly 500 people attended Woodstock 2011 – an

outdoor concert featuring 10 live bands. The event raised more than $8,000 to support the cancer care patient assistance program.

A special thanks to sponsors Les Schwab, Alfie Hill, the North Cascade Street Rod Association, Hugo Helmer and Axthelm Construction.

www.skagitvalleyhospitalfoundation.org 20 | Skagit Regional Health

20,000 A home away from home. A soft place to fall. A haven in havoc.

The Sunrise Inn at Skagit Valley Hospital has been described in these ways by the many guests who have stayed there.

Soon the 20,000th person will utilize the Sunrise Inn. Since opening the program in 1987, patients and their families have stayed at the guesthouse before a procedure at Skagit Valley Hospital, or to be close to a loved one in the hospital.

One guest wrote “Thank you for building such a home for patients so we can be close to our child and it is so affordable.

Bless you!”

Another writes “My sister and I spent four nights here while our mother was

receiving comfort care during her last days. Periods of grief were overwhelming at times, and it was so wonderful to have such a lovely place to go to, and yet be so near our mother. Thank you.”

Individuals from Camano Island who needed a reasonably priced place to stay while their loved ones were in the hospital first established the Inn. The original location soon outgrew its capacity and in 2004 a brand new Sunrise Inn was built thanks to the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Today, the charming house on the corner of 13th and Kincaid boasts seven bedrooms with private bathrooms (including two family suites), a shared fully equipped kitchen and common TV room. The Inn also provides private parking and offers provisions for RV hookup.

Thanks to generous gifts from the community to the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation, the rate for staying at the Inn can be as low as $15 a night.

Please join us in celebrating an incredible community service – the Sunrise Inn.

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Hospital commissioner Jim Hobbs and wife Glenda enjoy stage-side seats during the gala auction.

High-bid items included the “Run, Run Rudolph” tree designed by Melissa King and Laury Volwiler and sponsored by Skagit Endodontics, LLC which sold for $5,000 and the Sitka, Alaska fishing trip for four which sold for $6,500 and was sponsored by Reel Class Charters, Hughes Farms, Maple Wood Farms, Skagit Valley’s Best Produce, Sterling Hill Farms and Wallace Farms.

23rd Annual Festival of Trees a Huge Success!

The 23rd Annual Festival of Trees, presented by the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation and title sponsor Associated Petroleum Products raised $235,000 in gross proceeds to benefit the Mental Health Center project and Family Birth Center at Skagit Valley Hospital.

The “joy-filled” Thanksgiving weekend event, featuring the display of 30 elaborately decorated Christmas trees, drew a festive crowd for the November 25 Gala Evening & Auction at the St. Joseph Center in Mount Vernon sponsored by Mountain Glen Retirement Community.

Auction Sponsor, Williams & Nulle – Designer Wreaths Sponsor, Bennett Bigelow and Leedom, P.S. – Holiday Bar Sponsor, North Sound Brewing Co. – Santa’s Mug Club Sponsor and more than 100 tree, tablescape and auction item sponsors.

“It was an incredible weekend,” said Foundation Board Trustee and 2011 Festival of Trees chair Jill Christensen.

“We thank the hundreds of volunteers, businesses and individuals for their generous support.”

The 24th annual Festival of Trees

This signature fund-raising event is supported by the exceptional sponsorship from the community.

Festival event sponsors also included Whidbey Island Bank – Fund-A-Dream Sponsor, Group Health – “Visit with Santa” Sponsor, Skagit State Bank and Thomas Cuisine Management – Family Festival Days Sponsors, Alfie Hill – Raffle Tree Sponsor, Key Bank – Silent

22 | Skagit Regional Health

Thousands of people enjoyed viewing the enchanting Christmas trees during Saturday and Sunday’s Family Festival Days sponsored by Skagit State Bank and Thomas Cuisine Management. The weekend event also featured live local entertainment and kids’ activities. Saturday’s guests were treated to a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, their visit sponsored by Group Health. Guests enjoyed photos and peppermint hot cocoa with the merry couple. Young festival guests also participated in many activities including a scavenger hunt, Santa’s Bakery, face painting and craft projects.

Adam Englund, Angela Speer, Jeannie Englund and Sandi Paciotti at gala auction.

Did you know? Festival of Trees planning begins every January.

If you are interested in designing a tree, wreath or serving as a sponsor, contact the Foundation office at 360-814-5747.

AWARD

winners Volunteer of the Year Brenda Litaker with husband Tom.

Festival Volunteers of the Year Since 2008, the Festival of Trees committee has honored individuals who have given above and beyond to the Festival of Trees event. This year’s recipient was long-time tree designer and Design chair Brenda Litaker.

President’s and Public’s Choice Tree “Run, Run Rudolph” earned the President’s Choice Award from Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation President Jaynie Roozen at Designer Appreciation Night. It also garnered the most votes from guests attending Saturday and Sunday’s Family Festival days. The Skagit Endodontics, LLC sponsored tree was designed by Laury Volwiler and Melissa King.

Designer’s Choice “Rescue My Christmas” designed

by Norma Smith, April Hustead and Kirsten Gieseker and sponsored

by The Unity Group and Group Health Cooperative was selected as the Designer’s Choice in voting by all designers in attendance at the Designer Appreciation Night.

Past honorees include: Maree Hudson (three-time festival chair), Deanna and Randy Koster, Helga Schink, Nancy Scott, Eileen Carpenter, Sharon and Jerry Hayes and Dick Shafer. Volunteers are the key to the Foundation’s success in securing fundraising.

Raffle Tree Dr. James and Katherine Biesecker were the winners of the raffle tree designed by the JoAnn Lazaron’s tree team and sponsored by Alfie Hill.

Physician partnerships work together to make our communities healthier!

The Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation is pleased to celebrate the Festival’s success with some of our physician partners – Skagit Radiology providers and our general surgeons Dr. Mike Erie, Dr. Mark Johnson, Dr. Morrie Johnson and Dr. Bruce Skinner. Both groups have been long-time Festival of Trees sponsors.

The Foundation is truly grateful for their financial support and event attendance.

“The Foundation’s Festival of Trees ushers in the holiday season. Skagit Radiology has enjoyed participating in this wonderful event where the proceeds support various key projects to promote health and wellness in our community,” says Dr. Karen Dec, Skagit Radiology.

Left to right: Scott Harrison MD, Herman Wu MD, Jeff Choffel RPA, Kelley Cline MD, Karen Dec MD, Matt DesRosiers, Practice Administrator, John Burke MD, Leah Kiviat MD, Morrie Johnson MD, Daniel Pham MD, Mike Erie MD, Bruce Skinner MD, Mark Johnson MD

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Partnerships

Life-long

partners, long-time volunteers

Sitting at their kitchen table, Mount Vernon residents Sharon and Jerry Hayes reminisce about their lives together. One quickly discovers why this couple is a successful partnership in love and work. In early September 2011, the Hayes, along with many family members and friends, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a Polynesian-themed party. Sharon, the former retail owner of Valborg’s Gifts and Jerry, a retired Contel warehouseman and volunteer fireman, find that keeping busy is the magic to their marriage. Their passion for gardening, volunteering and caring for the children of their friends keep them both involved together and individually.

Sharon’s loyalty to Skagit Valley Hospital is demonstrated in her nearly 50-year volunteer career with the hospital. She joined the Skagit Valley Hospital Auxiliary in the early 1960s working in the gift shop, workroom, and was involved in the holiday stockings project. “At the time, every item in the gift shop was hand-crafted,” explains Sharon. “We also made special holiday favors for each food tray that was delivered to patients.” It was truly a Hayes family affair as Jerry made floral arrangements to sell in the gift shop and Sharon worked the information desk with her small boys in tow. “I

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would just bring the kids along with me while I greeted guests,” recalled Sharon.

The Hayes have been the valuable eyes and ears for the Sunrise Inn, the hospital’s hospitality guesthouse (see page 21). Both Jerry and Sharon have been instrumental in making the Sunrise Inn what it is today – a comfortable, attractive place of respite for out-of-town guests of Skagit Valley Hospital. When it opened in 1987, Sharon asked how she could help. She saw the opportunity to attend to the flowerbeds and hasn’t stopped tending to them since. From the tangible benefits seen in the Hayes’ care for the charming house amenities and garden landscape to the intangible efforts of making sure the place is safe and provides comfort to families during challenging times. The Hayes plant more than 50 geraniums each year that have been lovingly tended to in their own greenhouse. Sharon decorates the house for the holidays and supplies both the bottled water and candy for the houseguests.

“I can’t think of a better place to volunteer than to do so at your community hospital,” says Sharon. “I could do much more if I only had nine days in a week!”

Sharon joined the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation board in 1995

Sharon and Jerry Hayes perpare to deliver wreaths in anticipation of the Festival of Trees in November. and served until 2007. Sharon and former Foundation board member Maree Hudson are team leaders of one of the Festival of Trees’ team trees, which resides in the hospital’s main lobby for the month of December.

Sharon’s Festival leadership began in 1994 when she shared the event chair with friend Alfie Hill. She has served as the wreath committee chair and for nearly two decades she, Jerry and friend Dick Shafer deliver wreaths to festival designers. Jerry figures that he and Dick travel close to 100 miles to deliver wreaths. The couple also supports the Children’s Therapy Program at Skagit Valley Hospital by attending the “Have a Heart” benefit dinner at Il Granaio each February.

Wherever she finds a need, Sharon fills it. She teases Jerry that he is her third love behind Skagit Valley Hospital and her beloved University of Washington Huskies (she doesn’t miss a home game!).

Both are extremely proud of their part in the success of Skagit Valley Hospital. They are most impressed with the design and technology implemented in the hospital’s inpatient units and agree that this, along with private patient rooms, make for the comfortable, comprehensive patient care experience the hospital strives to offer each person.

Their philanthropic works for the Foundation and Skagit Valley Hospital have helped define the special people that Sharon and Jerry Hayes are always having the desire to improve the well being of their community.

Medicare helpline, guidebook now available Medicare can be complex and confusing with the many different types of Medicare insurance and the differences in what forms of Medicare insurance are accepted by health care providers. To help people negotiate the information, Skagit Valley Hospital and Skagit Regional Clinics recommend the services of the Medicare Insurance Helpline serviced by MedicareCompare USA. The toll-free phone number is 1-866-389-0445.

(www.medicarecompareusa.com).

MedicareCompareUSA represents each of the Medicare plans accepted by our organization, and their Insurance Specialists are extensively trained to assist patients in the process of matching up Medicare plans to the specific needs, preferences and budget of the patient.

The Medicare Insurance Helpline is a free service to the patients of Skagit Valley Hospital and Skagit Regional Clinics, and is serviced by MedicareCompareUSA, an independent Medicare-Specialty insurance agency

When calling the Medicare Insurance Helpline, patients can expect to receive personalized service, unbiased

guidance and information, easy to understand answers to Medicarerelated questions, and no pressure or obligation to purchase insurance. Enrollees may also wish to obtain information by going direct to Medicare (1-800-MEDICARE / www.medicare.gov).

To receive a copy of a free guidebook titled “Understanding Medicare Insurance” please call 360-814-2424.

‘I feel much better’: Screening leads to lifestyle change Don Fleming of Mount Vernon had repeated warnings from his cardiologist, Robert Stewart, MD and his family doctor, Sandeep Bal, MD both with Skagit Regional Clinics, about losing weight to improve his health. However, it wasn’t until he attended the Heart and Vascular Screening at Skagit Valley Hospital that he was motivated to make some changes.

“The numbers I got at the screening slapped me in the face,” said Fleming.

“Reality set in and I knew I had to make some permanent lifestyle changes.”

Don learned about the screening program, which screens for cholesterol, glucose, body composition, blood pressure and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), in HealthQuest magazine. He and his wife, Annemarie, participated in the screening in June 2011. Michelle Frey, who conducted the screening, “gave me the wake up call with my

results,” he said. Michelle strongly suggested how Don could improve his diet as well as beginning an exercise program. She recommended he join the Heart Healthy Fitness program at the hospital.

“I was determined to lose weight and get into better shape,” said Don, age 72. Since he had a pacemaker installed in 1995 to help control atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm), he felt the Heart Healthy Fitness program would provide the best place for him to exercise in a safe and controlled environment. He started the program in July 2011 and joined others in the program who were there for a variety of reasons including knee and hip surgeries, heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. “The Heart Healthy Fitness program staff, Liz Browning and Jeff Rhodes, are

wonderful; compassionate, carefully detailed, professional and fun. I love their program and their care,” he said.

Don has remained committed to improving his lifestyle and has lost nearly 30 pounds since the screening.

Annemarie has lost more than 20 pounds and they continue to support each other in their efforts to be healthier.

“I feel much better; I have more energy and strength and the circulation in my legs is improving.

Maybe I can add a few more years to my life,” said Don with a hearty laugh. The last time Don visited his cardiologist Dr. Stewart walked in with a big smile and a thumbs up to acknowledge his weight loss.

“I’ve referred several other friends to both the screening and fitness programs where they now support each other in their lifestyle changes.

The heart and vascular screening is a little gem and it’s so inexpensive,” he said.

For more information about the Heart and Vascular Screening programs at Skagit Valley Hospital, see page 30 or visit www.shagitheart.org. For information about the Heart Healthy Fitness Program see page 30 or call 360-814-8368.

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Skagit Valley Hospital offers the following health screenings and education programs at the Skagit Regional Clinics Stanwood, 9631 269th Street NW, Stanwood or the Camano Community Health Clinic, 127 N. East Camano Drive. To register, complete the registration form on the inside of the back page or call 360-629-6481 or 360-814-2424. Pre-registration is required for all classes unless otherwise noted.

Stanwood/Camano neighborhood Skin Cancer Screening Corinne Sayler, PA-C, with Skagit Regional Clinics – Dermatology will conduct visual inspections of skin abnormalities you are concerned about.

No charge. Call 360814-2424 or 360-6296481 to schedule an appointment.

January 26 (Thur)

1 - 4 p.m.

Skagit Regional Clinics Stanwood 9631 269th Street NW Conference Room A/B

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

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

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a common condition that affects approximately 8 million adults in the U.S. About 5 percent of people over the age of 50 are believed to suffer from PAD. PAD is more common is men and most often occurs in older persons (over the age of 50). The same risk factors associated with heart disease are also linked with PAD.

• Attend this screening to find out your risk of PAD, cardiovascular disease and stroke and learn how to reduce it.

The screening includes the following tests and results are immediate:

26 | Skagit Regional Health

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

• Blood pressure.

• Full lipid profile for cholesterol plus glucose requires 12 – 14 hour fast, water and medications only (no alcohol 24 hours prior.)

This is a fingerstick test with immediate results.

• Body composition testing to detect elevated body fat.

• Review results with a health care provider.

Call 360-629-6481 to schedule an appointment for this screening program that takes just 40 minutes! The cost is only $35 and it is held on Tuesdays at Skagit Valley Hospital. A physician referral is not necessary, although we ask that you provide the name of a primary care provider, if you have one, so results can be forwarded.

AARP Driver Safety Program This two-session program for people older than 50 is designed to enhance the driving skills of the mature adult.

Insurance companies are required to give a discount on auto insurance for those over age 55 who complete the course. Course fee is $12 for AARP members; $14 for non-members. Please bring check payable to AARP, your AARP card or number (if you are a member), and your driver’s license number to the first class – do not mail check. Pre-registration is required.

February 7 and 8 (Tue/Wed)

9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood 9631 269th Street NW Conference Room A/B Pay at the class

Cholesterol, Diabetes and Blood Pressure Screenings Cholesterol screenings are provided at the following locations by Skagit Valley Hospital in cooperation with Dynacare Skagit Laboratories.

Cholesterol tests are recommended at least once every five years beginning at age 20. Individuals with a strong family history of heart disease or risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or who smoke, may need to be tested more often.

Full Lipid Profile: 12-14 hour fast required, water and prescribed medications only, no coffee or tea.

No alcohol 24 hours prior. Results include total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and glucose (blood sugar) levels and are mailed to your home.

Fee: $15 (cash or check payable to SVH only).

Blood pressure checks are provided at no cost. For information call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481. No appointment or pre-registration is required.

February 16 (Thur)

7:30 - 9 a.m.

Skagit Regional Clinics Camano Community Health Clinic 127 N. East Camano Drive

March 15 (Thur)

8 – 9:30 a.m.

Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood 9631 269th Street NW Conference Room A/B

Bone Density Screening

Vitamin D Level Screening

Osteoporosis, or low bone density, affects 10 million Americans, mostly women, and 34 million more have low bone mass. More than 1.5 million fractures are caused each year in the U.S. as a result of osteoporosis.

Why should you have your Vitamin D levels tested? Studies have shown a strong link between an individual’s Vitamin D levels and the risk of developing cancer. New research shows a direct link between Vitamin D deficiency and the risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis in people with a genetic predisposition for the disease.

Vitamin D also plays an integral role in bone health. Other studies have linked low levels of Vitamin D to diabetes and high blood pressure.

Find out if you are at risk for osteoporosis by having a bone density scan. This is a non-invasive, painless scan of one hand. Results are available immediately. Fee $10 (cash or check payable to SVH). No appointment is required.

February 16 (Thur)

7:30 - 9 a.m.

Skagit Regional Clinics Camano Community Health Clinic 127 N. East Camano Drive

March 15 (Thur)

8 – 9:30 a.m.

Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood 9631 269th Street NW Conference Room A/B

This screening can help you identify the level of Vitamin D in your blood. Results are mailed to your home. This screening is not recommended for patients on anticonvulsant medication. Fasting is not required. The cost is $35 (cash or check payable to SVH). No appointment required.

February 16 (Thur)

7:30 - 9 a.m.

Skagit Regional Clinics Camano Community Health Clinic 127 N. East Camano Drive

CPR and First Aid Classes are held at various locations in Stanwood.

Call the North County Regional Fire Authority at 360-652-1246 for more information.

Heart Saver Adult/Child CPR Classes are held at the Camano Island

Fire and Rescue. For more information call 360-387-1512.

First Aid Classes are held at the Camano Island Fire and Rescue. For more information call 360-387-1512.

The Island County Health Department is located at 127 N. East

Camano Drive, down the hall from the Camano Community Health Clinic. They offer services ranging from TB testing, WIC/Maternity Support Services, HIV/Aids Testing, Immunizations, Healthy Baby Visits and more. For more information call 360-387-0184.

March 15 (Thur)

8 – 9:30 a.m.

Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood 9631 269th Street NW Conference Room A/B

(Below) New provider team at Skagit Regional Clinics Camano Community Health Clinic Anne Herbert, PA-C and Jennifer Mayfield, MD.

Skagit Regional Clinics A department of Skagit Valley Hospital

Camano Community Health Clinic 127 N. East Camano Drive Suite A Camano Island 360-387-5398

Stanwood

9631 269th Street NW Stanwood 360-629-1600

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

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

Women’s Health Luncheon

Doc Talk Series

The following presentations are provided by local physicians on a variety of health topics. There is no charge but pre-registration is required. All Doc Talk presentations are held at Skagit Valley Hospital.

A Second Chance

Kayla Burt suffered cardiac arrest in December 2002 at the age of 20 as a basketball player at the University of Washington. She credits her teammates, the 911 dispatcher, Seattle Fire Department, Medic One paramedics, and her cardiologist at UW Medical Center for ultimately saving her and giving her a second chance at life.

Burt will share her dramatic story at our Valentine’s Day Women’s Health Luncheon, plus provide information about the signs and symptoms of heart disease, provide lifestyle tips for a healthy heart, and a demonstration of the latest CPR technique and how to use an automated external defibrillator. Burt’s passion for heart disease awareness and prevention of cardiac arrest, especially in athletes, has led her to her present position as Outreach Coordinator for the Hope Heart Institute in Seattle.

This is event is sponsored by Skagit Regional Heart and Vascular Institute and co-sponsored by Mira Vista Care Center, Creekside Retirement Community, Ashley Gardens of Mount Vernon, Life Care Center of Skagit Valley, Home Attendant Care, Walgreens and Life Care Center of Mount Vernon.

February 14 (Tue)

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

McIntyre Hall, Mount Vernon $10 includes lunch Pre-registration required by February 10

28 | Skagit Regional Health

DOC TALK Arthritis Update

from Head to Toe A Women’s Health Expo Join us for this fun and informative health symposium for women! Learn more about topics such as options for cosmetic surgery and body contouring; menopause, hormone replacement and hysterectomy; osteoporosis; osteo and rheumatoid arthritis and joint replacement; nutritional health; common foot complaints; cancer prevention; women’s heart health; and breast augmentation, reduction and reconstruction These topics will be presented by area physicians with time for questions and answers after each presentation. Topics are subject to change.

Invite a friend and treat yourself to this fun-filled afternoon.

March 24 (Sat) 10:30 a.m. - Check in and visit vendor booths 11:30 a.m.- Luncheon, fashion show, and image consultant 1 – 4:30 p.m. - Break-out speakers Eaglemont Conference Center 4800 Eaglemont Drive, Mount Vernon $20 includes lunch, speakers and fashion show View entire event schedule at www. skagitvalleyhospital.org/events.

Arthritis affects approximately 50 million adults in the United States, making it one of the most prevalent health conditions among U.S. adults and the most common cause of disability.

Kevin Welk, MD, rheumatologist with Skagit Regional Clinics in Mount Vernon, will present an overview of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, provide information about new treatment options, and discuss the benefits of nutrition and physical activity.

February 9 (Thur) 6- 7:30 p.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital Cascade Room This event is FREE, but RSVP is required

DOC TALK What’s Shaking?

It could be Essential Tremor (ET).

ET is the most common movement disorder affecting approximately 10 million Americans. ET is a progressive neurological condition that causes the hands, head, voice, legs or trunk to shake and can cause significant disability. It is often

confused with Parkinson’s disease and dystonia.

Because of stereotypes and lack of awareness, many people with ET never seek medical care though most would benefit from treatment.

Come learn about the causes, diagnosis and treatment options available. The guest speakers are Jennifer Witt, MD, Movement Disorder Neurologist, Swedish Neuroscience Institute and Patti Brettell, MD, Neurologist with Skagit Regional Clinics – Neurology.

February 16 (Thur) 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital Cascade Room This event is FREE, but RSVP is required

-------------------------------------------------------

Take Charge of Your Health! Maintain an Active and Fulfilling Life with a Chronic Health Problem Living Well Workshop is a six-week self-management workshop designed to help people gain self-confidence in their ability to manage any type of ongoing health problem. These health problems may include heart disease, lung disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, high blood pressure, being overweight, fibromyalgia, and others.

Designed at Stanford University, research studies have shown that the workshop is extremely effective in helping people manage their health.

People with different ongoing health problems, or caregivers to someone with chronic conditions, attend together in this highly interactive program, focusing on building skills, sharing experiences, and support.

Classes are facilitated by two certified leaders, one or both of whom are nonhealth professionals with a chronic disease themselves.

Subjects covered include: • Ways to deal with problems such as frustration, fatigue, pain, and isolation • Appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance • Appropriate use of medications • Communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals • How to evaluate new treatments Each participant receives a copy of the companion book, “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions” and an audio relaxation CD, “Time for Healing.” Participants will also receive a free six-week membership at the Skagit YMCA for new members.

Feb. 7 – March 13 (Tue) 1 – 3:30 p.m.

Skagit YMCA 215 E. Fulton, Mount Vernon $29 includes course book and CD; $48 for couples who share book and CD Limited to 15 participants Pre-registration is required

Meditation for Calming and Focusing Your Mind Have you thought about trying meditation but find it too difficult to do on your own? Let an experienced meditator guide you in simple techniques to become comfortable with this valuable skill. Comments from previous class participants include: “Jan could not have been better!! I loved the class.” “This class was exactly what I hoped for. Jan was just wonderful in all aspects.”

Meditation is now scientifically recognized to help alleviate stress, mild depression, and anxiety.

De-cluttering your mind can help you become more focused and productive. Become a happier, calmer you!

Jan Hodgman, MA, has been meditating for more than 30 years and has more than10 years of monastic practice as an ordained Zen priest. She is also a Certified Focusing Trainer, writer, and musician and loves introducing people to meditation.

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

February 22, 29 and March 7 (Wed) 6 – 8 p.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital Cascade Room Enter through Kincaid Street entrance $39

Spanish for Health Care Providers Workshop Learn essential Spanish vocabulary and phrases common in your health care workplace, in order to communicate with Spanishspeaking patients on a basic level, while addressing several cultural differences. Topics include greeting patients and family, discussing pain/ part of the body, medical conditions, simple commands/instructions, dates and times.

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

This program is approved for six contact hours of continuing nursing education.

January 18 and 20 (Wed/Fri) 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital Shuksan Room Enter through Kincaid Street entrance March 6 and 8 (Tues/Thurs) 6 – 9 p.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital San Juan B $125 includes course materials Pre-registration is required

Continuing Health Education AARP Driver Safety Program This two-session program for people older than 50 is designed to enhance the driving skills of the mature adult. Insurance companies are required to give a discount on auto insurance for those over age 55 who complete the course. Course fee is $12 for AARP members; $14 for non-members. Please bring check payable to AARP, your AARP card or number (if you are a member), and your driver’s license number to the first class – do not mail check. Preregistration is required.

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February 22 and 23 (Wed/Thur) 1 - 5 p.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital San Juan A/B Pay at class Please see page 26 for information about classes in Stanwood/Camano Island.

Certified Diabetes Education Program Skagit Valley Hospital offers a comprehensive education program for adults with diabetes, either newly diagnosed or for those patients needing extra guidance with diabetes control. The program includes an introductory one-onone appointment, six hours of group sessions (two three-hour classes) covering the basics of diabetes management, and at least two hours of one-on-one education in nutrition.

Individual appointments to review medication issues related to diabetes self- management, including maximizing the use of insulin, are also available.

Program instructors include Amy Navarre Cantrell, PA-C, Certified Diabetic Educator, Exercise Specialist Michelle Frey and Registered Dietitians Christina Sackman and Kara Siedman. Dr. Geoffrey Spielmann with Skagit Regional Clinics – Mount Vernon serves as Medical Director for the program.

The program requires a physician referral so talk to your health care provider. The program is covered by most insurance companies. Please check with your insurance provider to confirm. For other questions, or more information about the program, contact our Diabetic Program Scheduler at 360-814-2184.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program Do you suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and want to improve the quality of your life? This intensive program can help patients with chronic lung disorders including emphysema, chronic bronchitis or asthma, reduce respiratory

30 | Skagit Regional Health

symptoms, improve functional independence and complications and reduce hospitalizations. The program is provided by a multiprofessional team. Participants learn self-management and relaxation techniques to improve emotional well-being, skills to help regain control of their breathing, and pursue activities to the fullest extent of their abilities.

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

Total Joint Replacement Class This two-hour class helps to prepare patients for their upcoming joint replacement surgery. We have incorporated classroom instruction with procedure-specific therapy. You will learn what to expect before, during, and after joint replacement surgery. Our experienced nurses and therapists will address your concerns and will be available to answer your questions.

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

Heart Healthy Fitness Program Are you having trouble starting an exercise program or staying motivated? Do you need direction and professional guidance? Come join us for exercise in a safe and stress-free environment. The Heart Healthy Fitness Program focuses on individual goals and plenty of one-to-one attention. We work on strength training, balance, and cardiovascular fitness. For questions and class times, call 360-814-8368.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Have you had a recent heart attack, bypass surgery, angioplasty, heart valve surgery, or stent placement?

We have a program to help you

return to your active lifestyle and learn how to reduce your risk factors.

A Registered Nurse and Exercise Specialist supervise the classes and provide a safe, friendly atmosphere to ask questions and learn how to pace yourself as you recover. This is a physician-referred program and Medicare and most insurances cover cardiac rehab. For more information call 360-814-8368.

First Aid and CPR Skagit County Medic One offers CPR and First Aid classes for $20 per person, payable in advance. This fee covers the cost of certification cards and materials. For more information call 360-428-3236 or email billc@ skagitems.com.

Health & Wellness Screenings Heart and Vascular Screening: Detect Peripheral Arterial Disease, Elevated Cholesterol and More!

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

• Attend this screening to find out your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke and learn how to reduce it.

The screening includes the following tests and results are immediatAnkle brachial pressure index to help detect peripheral artery disease (no caffeine or nicotine for one hour prior).

• Blood pressure.

• Full lipid profile for cholesterol plus glucose requires 12 – 14 hour fast, water and medications only (no alcohol 24 hours prior.) This is a fingerstick test with immediate results.

• Body composition testing to detect elevated body fat.

• Review results with a health care provider.

Why should you attend this screening? Here are the facts: • Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) caused by plaque buildup in the limbs affects about 8 million American adults in the US. The same risk factors associated with heart disease are also linked with PAD. The Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABI) is a measure of the reduction in arterial blood pressure of the legs and is used to detect evidence of blockages from plaque buildup (PAD.) Abnormal ABI’s are associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease.

• More than 100 million Americans have high blood cholesterol levels, also associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease.

• High blood pressure affects one in three adult Americans. Untreated high blood pressure may result in a stroke.

• Elevated levels of body fat may lead to problems such as hypertension, elevated blood lipids (fats and cholesterol), diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease, all related to obesity.

Call 360-814-2424 or 360-6296481 from Stanwood/Camano Island to schedule an appointment for this screening program. It takes just 40 minutes! The cost is only $35 and screenings are held on Tuesday mornings at Skagit Valley Hospital.

A physician referral is not necessary, although we ask that you provide the name of a primary care provider, if you have one, so results can be forwarded.

Cholesterol, Diabetes and Blood Pressure Screenings Cholesterol screenings are provided by Skagit Valley Hospital in cooperation with Dynacare Skagit Laboratories. Cholesterol tests are recommended at least once every five years beginning at age 20.

Individuals with a strong family history of heart disease or risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or who smoke, may need to be tested more often.

Full Lipid Profile: 12-14 hour fast required, water and prescribed medications only, no coffee or tea.

No alcohol 24 hours prior. Results include total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and glucose (blood sugar) levels and are mailed to your home. Fee: $15 (cash or check payable to SVH only).

Blood pressure checks are provided at no cost. For information call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481. No appointment or pre-registration is required.

January 25 (Wed) 7:30 – 9 a.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital Screening held in the Skagit Regional Heart & Vascular Institute Enter through the Diagnostic Services entrance on 13th Street

Bone Density Screening Osteoporosis, or low bone density, affects 10 million Americans, mostly women, and 34 million more have low bone mass. More than 1.5 million fractures are caused each year in the U.S. as a result of osteoporosis.

Find out if you are at risk for osteoporosis by having a bone density scan. This is a non-invasive, painless scan of one hand. Results are available immediately. Fee $10 (cash or check payable to SVH). No appointment is required.

This screening is supported by Soroptimist International of Burlington Also see Stroke and Aneurysm Screenings on page 32 for a screening of the aorta and carotid arteries.

Vitamin D Level Screening Why should you have your Vitamin D levels tests? Studies have shown a strong link between an individual’s Vitamin D levels and the risk of developing cancer. New research shows a direct link between Vitamin D deficiency and the risk of developing multiple sclerosis in people with a genetic predisposition for the disease. Vitamin D also plays an integral role in bone health.

Other studies have linked low levels of Vitamin D to diabetes and high blood pressure.

This screening can help you identify the level of Vitamin D in your blood. Results are mailed to your home. This screening not recommended for patients on anticonvulsant medication. Fasting is not required. The cost is $35 (cash or check payable to SVH). No appointment required.

January 25 (Wed) 7:30 – 9 a.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital Screening held in the Skagit Regional Heart & Vascular Institute Enter through the Diagnostic Services entrance on 13th Street

Skin Cancer Screening J. Semmes Mickelwait, MD with Advanced Dermatology will conduct visual inspections of skin abnormalities you are concerned about. No charge. Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 to schedule an appointment.

February 29 (Wed) 1 - 4 p.m.

Skagit Regional Heart & Vascular Institute Skagit Valley Hospital Enter through Diagnostic Services entrance on 13th Street

January 25 (Wed) 7:30 – 9 a.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital Screening held in the Skagit Regional Heart & Vascular Inst.

Enter through the Diagnostic Services entrance on 13th Street

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

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Vision Screening A certified ophthalmic technician with North Cascade Eye Associates will conduct vision and glaucoma screenings. Bring a contact lens case for storage during the screening.

No charge. Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 to schedule an appointment.

March 9 (Fri) 1-3 p.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital San Juan A | B Enter through Kincaid Street entrance

Stroke and Aneurysm Screening No need to wait for a special promotion to come to town or stand in line at a crowded community center. You can schedule your screening exams year around and have the exams performed using state-of-the-art equipment, conducted by board certified diagnostic technologists and reviewed by a board certified radiologist.

Skagit Valley Ultrasound Associates provides vascular health screenings that include evaluation of the carotid arteries to screen for disease or narrowing and of the abdominal aorta to screen for aneurysms. This ultrasound screening test is non-invasive, quick and painless, and will help you identify whether you are at increased risk for stroke and vascular disease and provide information so your physician may begin preventive treatment if necessary.

A physician referral is not necessary, although we ask that you provide the name of a primary care provider, so results can be forwarded.

The cost is only $59 for the combined carotid and aorta screening and is payable by cash or check only. This

Find us on

exam is not billable to insurance.

Individuals whose screening results suggest the need for further evaluation will be referred to followup care with their physician.

To register for an appointment, call 360-428-8208, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Screenings are held at Skagit Valley Ultrasound Associates located at 1320 E. Division, Mount Vernon.

Free Blood Pressure Screenings Automated blood pressure machines donated by the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation are available at the following locations:

Childbirth & Infant Care

• Skagit Regional Clinics – Mount Vernon

Pregnancy and Childbirth

• Skagit Valley Hospital – Kincaid Street Entrance • Skagit Regional Clinics - Stanwood

Is it Time for Your Mammogram?

Remember the steps to breast health 1. Do a monthly breast self-exam.

2. If you are 40 or older, have a mammogram every one or two years.

3. Have a yearly check-up, including a clinical breast exam.

For a screening mammogram appointment, call 360-428-7270.

The Breast Care Center 1320 East Division Street Mount Vernon 360-428-7270 Open Monday – Thursday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fridays, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

A service provided cooperatively

by Skagit Valley Hospital and Skagit Radiology.

Check out our facebook page at www.facebook.com/skagit.regional.health

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

Pre-registration required.

Family Birth Center Tours Free tours of the Skagit Valley Hospital Family Birth Center are offered twice a month. Call 360-8142424 or 360-629-6481 to schedule a tour.

Childbirth Express: One-day Saturday One-day Saturday intensive childbirth preparation classes are available. The fee is $95. Full payment or a copy of your medical coupon is required two weeks before class begins. Pre-registration is required. A $5 discount is available on the Breastfeeding and Newborn Care class when registering for it at the same time as the Childbirth Express class, making it only $20.

Breastfeeding and Newborn Care In this two and one-half hour program, one of Skagit Valley Hospital’s Family Birth Center’s nurse Lactation Consultants will aid parents in gaining the knowledge necessary to make feeding decisions regarding their new baby. In addition, a local pediatrician will be available to provide information on newborn care – time for questions will be allowed.

Pre-registration required. The class fee is $25. Call 360-814-2424 or 360-6296481 for class dates and times.

Lactation Services at Skagit Valley Hospital Here at the Family Birth Center, we are dedicated to you and your baby’s health. That is why we provide one of the most inclusive lactation services programs in the region.

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

The Lactation Services’ office serves also as an Ameda rental station, where breast pumps and accessories are available to rent or purchase. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or know someone who is and would like to know more about Lactation Services at Skagit Valley Hospital, please call 360814-BABY and one of our consultants would be happy to talk with you.

Gestational Diabetes Program Gestational diabetes affects 7-14% of all pregnant women. Skagit Valley Hospital now offers a referral-based program to improve gestational diabetes self-management skills. Our highly trained and dedicated diabetes education team will teach participants the skills to manage their blood sugars through healthy eating, managing stress, being active, blood glucose monitoring. Participants attend a one-hour group class plus individual nutrition therapy appointments. For more information please contact our Outpatient Diabetes Program at 360814-2184.

choices. We have a recurring education class from 1:30-3:30 p.m., the third Thursday of every other month (except December), in the Mount Baker conference room. Class is provided by physician referral. For more information, call 360-416-5717.

Child Safety Seat Checks Certified child safety seat technicians will assess your seat for age- and size-appropriateness, proper installation and use, recalls, and visible damage.

This screening is highly recommended for parents-to-be, prior to the birth of your new baby, to learn how to safely install and use your car seat.

Jan. 19; Feb. 16; Mar. 15 (Thur) 1 - 3 p.m.

Skagit Valley Hospital at main entrance covered area Mount Vernon Co-sponsored by Skagit Safe Kids.

Pre-registration is not required. Call Bill Craig at 360-428-3236 for more information regarding additional dates and times.

If you are interested in learning how to install car seats and help parents install their car seats properly, call Bill Craig, Skagit County Medic One at 360-428-3236 or via e-mail at billc@skagitems.com.

Kidney Dialysis Education Treatment Options for Kidney Patients This Skagit Valley Kidney Center program is for people with reduced kidney function who would like to explore treatment options for renal replacement therapy. Patients, families, and caregivers will receive information about treatment options, diet, health maintenance, financial, and social concerns.

This introductory session helps reduce many anxieties a person may have related to the “unknown.” The session provides an opportunity for patients to make more informed

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

Cancer Support Services

All programs are free of charge.

For additional information on any of these services or events please contact Cancer Care Community Outreach at 360-814-8287.

Cancer Transitions Cancer Transitions™ is a free twohour, six-week workshop designed to help cancer survivors make the transition from active treatment to post-treatment care. Expert panelists will discuss exercise tailored to each participant’s abilities, training in relaxation and stress management and tips for nutritious eating. Cancer Transitions will answer many of your questions about cancer survivorship post-cancer treatment. The course covers the following topics:

Session 1: Get Back to Wellness: Take Control of Your Survivorship Session 2: Exercise for Wellness: Customized Exercise Session 3: Emotional Health and WellBeing: From Patient to Survivor Session 4 Nutrition Beyond Cancer Session 5: Medical Management Beyond Cancer: What You Need to Know Session 6: Life Beyond Cancer This class is free and open to men and women who have experienced any type of cancer. Participants must be at least 21 years of age and pre-registration is required. Class will meet Tuesdays from April 17 – May 22 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Safeway Conference Room (third floor) at the Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center. Light meal and refreshments are provided during each session. This class will also be offered in Fall 2012. Preregistration is required. Please call Amber Ford, LICSW, at 360-814-8255 to sign up or for more information.

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Tai Chi/Qigong Class Tai Chi and Qigong are traditional Chinese exercises that have been a daily prescription for health and longevity for hundreds of years. This class focuses on balance, posture, relaxation, breathing, and visual and mental concentration. The elements of Tai Chi and Qigong help the immune system, central nervous system, blood supply, and circulation, as well as strengthen bones, joints, and tendons. The movements are slow in tempo, very low impact on the body, and can be done standing or seated. Class meets once a week for six weeks; winter classes offered January 17 through February 21 from 2 – 3:15 p.m. Preregistration is required. Please call 360-814-8287 to sign up. The class is held in the Safeway Conference Room (third floor) at Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center. Instructor: Bob Shapiro.

Women’s Cancer Support Group Second Wednesday of each month from 5 – 6:30 p.m. in the Safeway Conference Room (third floor) at the Regional Cancer Care Center.

This group is for women who are undergoing treatment for, or have experienced breast, ovarian, uterine, or cervical cancer. Facilitated by Amber Ford, MSW, LICSW, Oncology Social Worker, with guest speakers arranged. Call 360-814-8255 for additional information.

The Look Good, Feel Better sessions are led by trained, volunteer cosmetologists who teach women how to cope with skin changes and hair loss using cosmetics and skin care products donated by the cosmetic industry. Women also learn ways to disguise hair loss with wigs, scarves, and other accessories. Preregistration is required; please call 360-814-8287.

Fourth Monday of each month 1 - 3 p.m.

(Meets 5 – 7 p.m. in March, June and September) Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center Safeway Conference Room (third Floor)

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The CLIMB program offers twohour group meetings every week for a period of six weeks and dinner is provided for participants. Each child is provided with their own workbook to capture their progress, which they can share with their family at home.

Additional resources are provided to the parent or guardian for education and support.

This program is being offered free of charge and is funded by the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation. As an organization, we recognize that cancer affects the entire family, and desire to provide support at multiple levels. Receiving treatment at Skagit Valley Hospital is not a requirement to participate.

Look Good, Feel Better Cancer can rob a woman of her energy, appetite and strength. But it doesn’t have to take away her selfconfidence. This program teaches beauty techniques to women in active treatment or those who are about to start treatment. It helps them combat the appearance-related side effects of treatment.

undergoing cancer treatment. The CLIMB program was developed by the Children’s Treehouse Foundation, a non-profit foundation dedicated to the emotional support of children who have parents with cancer.

Our facilitator has received special training and resources to provide this program.

Art and Healing Group First and third Mondays of each month, 2 – 4 p.m. in the Safeway Conference Room (third floor) at the Regional Cancer Care Center. Our knowledgeable instructor has been doing art therapy with cancer patients for over twenty years.

Creating art can promote healing by reducing anxiety and stress and improving emotional well-being. It is a great opportunity to process and integrate the challenges of serious illness and treatment. Please note that artistic “skills” are not required! Come and join this fun and welcoming group. Instructor: Margaret Carpenter Arnett, BSN, ATR.

CLIMB®: Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery CLIMB is a special support program for children ages 6-12 who have a parent or guardian

For more information about the CLIMB program or to register your child, please contact Amber Ford, Certified Oncology Social Worker, at 360-814-8255. Pre-registration is required. CLIMB group meets Tuesday evenings from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Safeway Conference Room (third floor) at Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center. No classes are scheduled this winter or spring. Please call for the summer 2012 schedule.

Grief Support Services

Hospice of the Northwest provides support to anyone in our communities coping with grief and loss after the death of a loved one.

Call our Bereavement Program for information and referrals, attend a free grief support group, or borrow materials from our Resource Center.

For more information and to receive a current grief group schedule, please phone 360-814-5589 or 360-8145550.

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

Mental Health

Books and other materials are available for adults, teens, and children. Topics include caregiving, coping with disease, end of life concerns, grief and loss, and inspiration for challenging times.

Visitors will find a comfortable place to sit and read, browse, or find materials to check out.

Free 12-week course for families of adults with mental illness or a brain disorder. The course focuses on helping family members understand the major mental illnesses and maintain their own well-being while providing needed support to their ill family members. This program is provided by NAMI Skagit, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Starts February 2012. Call 360-424-5802 for more information or to register. Space is limited.

The Resource Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Hospice office at 819 South 13th Street in Mount Vernon and after hours by appointment. A member of the hospice team can answer questions or help you find what you need. For information call Hospice of the Northwest’s Bereavement Program at 360-8145589.

In-Service Education For grief and loss presentations for your organization or employees, contact the Hospice of the Northwest Bereavement Coordinator at 360814-5589.

Interested in helping Hospice of the Northwest Foundation?

The Hospice of the Northwest Foundation is currently accepting applications to become a volunteer.

This group works to raise funds to support hospice programs and to educate the community about available services. The goal of the Foundation is to ensure that everyone who wants or needs hospice care receives services regardless of ability to pay. For information, call the Foundation office at 360-8145702.

Family-to-Family Education Program

Peer-to-Peer Education Program Free nine-week class for adults with mental illness or brain disorders to help them better understand their illness and maintain and improve their recovery. NAMI Skagit provides this program. Starts Spring 2012.

Call Brandon Nevi at 360-421-5784 for more information and to register.

Space is limited.

Mental Health Support Group

Skagit Peer Connections Center For more support, adults living with a mental illness may dropin at the Skagit Peer Connections Center anytime, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 1115 Riverside Drive, Mount Vernon. There are support groups, classes, hobby time, free lunch, and always someone to talk to and keep company with. For more information call 360-848-8615.

Support Groups Call 360-814-2424 or 360-6296481 for current Skagit County Support Group information.

Ostomy Support Group Second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the Sauk Room at Skagit Valley Hospital. Call Cathy Schaeffer at 360-814-2600 for more information.

Community News & Resources

NAMI Skagit Open Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7 – 9 p.m. in the Shuksan Room at Skagit Valley Hospital. For more information contact Trish Rodriguez at 360-540-0795 or Marti Wall at 360-770-5666.

NAMI Basics Education Program Free six-week class for parents or primary caregivers of a child or teen with mental illness or a brain disorder such as ADHD, bipolar and others. The course helps families with communication, coping, schools and education needs, rehabilitation, recovery, and advocacy. NAMI Skagit provides this program. Starts Spring 2012. Call Marti Wall at 360-770-5666 for more information and to register. Space is limited.

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

Gift Shop The Skagit Valley Hospital Gift Shop has many wonderful hand-

made and retail gift items for sale. Please keep the Skagit Valley Hospital Gift Shop in mind for your gift shopping needs. The gift shop is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All proceeds from the Gift Shop are returned back to help Skagit Valley Hospital in areas of need.

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Speakers Bureau

Information Desk

Need an interesting presentation for your club or organization? Skagit Valley Hospital’s Speakers Bureau provides speakers on a number of health care related topics, many at no cost. For more information on speaker topics or to schedule a presentation, call Val at 360-8142424.

Volunteer Services at Skagit Regional Health The Department of Volunteer Services at Skagit Regional Health coordinates the activities of more than 500 volunteers in support of the hospital’s/clinics’ operations.

Learn about some of our volunteer opportunities below. For more information or to become a member please call Steve Schultz at 814-2142.

Some of the volunteer opportunities at Skagit Regional Health include: Plant Enthusiasts

Volunteers at Skagit Regional Health have the responsibility of taking care of all the indoor plants.

Pianists

We are always looking for new piano players to join the group of volunteers and staff who play our grand piano on a regular basis. If you are an accomplished pianist who would like to share your talent for others to enjoy, call 360-814-2142.

The information desks serve as the hub for customer service activities in our organization. Our information desk volunteers provide information on a wide variety of topics and provide a courteous escort to any location in the hospital

Surgical Services

When a patient checks in for surgery at Skagit Regional Health, our surgical services volunteers check in the patient’s family. Throughout the day, our volunteers keep families apprised of their loved one’s progress and provide a caring ear (and a cup of coffee).

Mail Delivery

Volunteers make a twice-daily circuit to pick up and deliver mail throughout the hospital.

Junior Medical Volunteers

The Junior Medical Volunteer program is for 14–18-year-olds who want to volunteer in a health care setting. The program allows young people an excellent opportunity to explore the culture of a health care organization while giving service to their community. Junior Medical Volunteers work in many areas of Skagit Regional Health.

Each year, Skagit Regional Health awards scholarships to outstanding Junior Medical Volunteers. For more information or to become a member please call 360-814-2142.

Guilds and Auxiliaries

• Gail Iverson Circle of Friends • Grace Cochrum Guild • J.E.M. Guild • Skagit Valley Hospital Auxiliary • Skagit Valley Hospital Guild

Other Volunteer Department Services: Hospital and Clinic Tours

Tours of our facility for groups and individuals are available. Also, to help you feel more comfortable prior to a surgery, a one-hour pre-operative tour of the hospital is available for children and adults by appointment only. Reservations are required. Call 360-814-2142 to schedule a tour.

Gift Shop

The Skagit Valley Hospital Gift Shop has many wonderful handmade and retail gift items for sale.

The gift shop is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All proceeds from the Gift Shop are returned back to help Skagit Regional Health in areas of need.

Contact Us

To inquire about volunteering or request services, please contact Steve Schultz at 360-814-2142 or contact our main information desk at 360814-5059.

Pumpkin Soup This delicious winter soup recipe was created by Peter Roberge, Executive Chef with Skagit Valley Hospital and featured on HealthQuest TV. Enjoy!

Ingredient Amount Pumpkin, roasted and 2 lbs. pureed or 1 – 15 oz. can Shallots, minced 1 T Garlic, minced ½ T Olive oil, extra virgin 1 T Thyme 1 tsp.

Maple syrup 3 oz.

White wine 3 oz.

Vegetable stock 20 oz.

Fat free milk 4 oz.

White vinegar 1 tsp.

Crème Fraiche 1 tsp.

Cracked pepper To taste Kosher or sea salt To taste

36 | Skagit Regional Health

Method: 1. Peel, cut and roast the pumpkin seasoned lightly with salt and pepper for 60-75 minutes at 325°.

2. Puree the pumpkin and pass through a mesh strainer 3. Saute the shallots and garlic in oil in a medium pan over low heat until translucent and fragrant.

4. Add the thyme and white wine to deglaze, slowly whisk in the puree.

5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vegetable stock, maple syrup and vinegar.

6. Return to heat and reduce until desired consistency is reached.

7. Serve garnished with crème fraiche, a sprinkle of pepper and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Yield: 4 Portions (about 32 oz.)

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

This half-hour show features a new guest each week showcasing our local physicians and health care professionals on a variety of topics ranging from latest treatment options for health disease and cancer care to prevention topics highlighting local walking trails and cooking shows.

Visit us at YouTube.com You can watch HealthQuest shows to learn about a variety of health topics from local physicians, find out about hospital services and more on our YouTube.com channel. Visit us at www.youtube.com/skagitvalleyhospital

Health Insurance Questions?

Call the SHIBA HELPLINE at 360814-2345. We have a wonderful group of volunteers to help people of all ages with their health insurance needs as well as assistance with understanding insurance options. SHIBA = Statewide Health Insurance Benefit Advisors.

Need a Physician?

Call our free Physician Referral Line at 360-848-5555 or 360-629-5850 from Stanwood or Camano Island.

The Physician Referral Line is open weekdays between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For easy access to community services dial 2-1-1 2-1-1 is a free, easy-to-remember phone number that connects people to what they need, whether that means receiving help, or offering it through volunteer time or donations.

By dialing 2-1-1, people will reach a trained information specialist who can help determine the service they need, and refer them to the most appropriate resource among the full range of public and private programs available.

Important! The 2-1-1 call line will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2-1-1 is not a crisis line.

If the need can’t wait until the next business day, please call the CARE Crisis Line at 800-584-3578. In the event of a life-threatening emergency or a crime in progress, always call 911.

If you have difficulty reaching 2-1-1, call 800-223-8145 instead.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month Colorectal cancer is the third most common diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women combined in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates about 141,210 people will be diagnosed in 2012 and roughly 49,000 will die from colorectal cancer in the United States. The average lifetime risk for developing colon cancer is one in 20, depending on individual’s risk factors.

If spread to distant sites, the fiveyear survival rate drops to 11%.

Colon Cancer and Age Approximately 90 % of new cases are in the over-50 population, and 95% of deaths related to colon cancer occur in people 50 and older in both men and women. However, the rate of people over 50 with colorectal cancer is declining while the rate of adults younger than 50 is on the rise.

Risk Factors for Colon Cancer

Early Detection With regular screening colorectal cancer can be detected early when the treatment is most effective. In many cases screening can prevent cancer by finding polyps and removing them prior to becoming cancer. The earlier the detection the increased chance of a longer life.

Quick Colon Facts Over 90% of people diagnosed with cancer that is confined to the colon have more than a five-year survival rate.

Once colon cancer has spread to surrounding tissue the survival rate drops to 69%.

• Diet high in fat and low in fruit and vegetables • Smoking • Lack of exercise • Over 50

Prevention • Healthy Diet • Regular screening colonoscopies as directed by physician • Exercise Skagit Valley Hospital now offers a self-referral hotline to schedule your screening colonoscopy. Contact us at 360-814-5739.

Preventable Beatable!

Treatable

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List of services at Skagit Valley Hospital Skagit Valley Hospital provides a full continuum of care to our community, ranging from outpatient diagnostics and rehabilitation services to surgery and acute care. Learn more about the following services by going to www.skagitvalleyhospital.org.

Hospital Wound Healing Center The Skagit Valley Hospital Wound Healing Center in Mount Vernon features two state-of-the-art hyperbaric oxygen chambers to deliver 100 percent oxygen under pressure to help promote the growth of new blood vessels and the healing of chronic wounds. Patient comforts include an intercom system for conversation between patient and technologist and a personalized television screen mounted on the outside of the chamber. For more information, go to www.skagitvalleyhospital. org or call 360-814-2600.

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• Acute Care • Administration • Breast Care Center • Cancer Care • Cardiac Rehabilitation • Cardiac Catheterization Lab • Case Management • Chemotherapy • Children’s Therapy Program • Clinical Education • Clinical Services/Infection Control • Computed Tomography Imaging (CT Scan) • Critical Care • DEXA Scan • Diagnostic Imaging • Echocardiography • Electrophysiology • Emergency Trauma Center • Endoscopy • Family Birth Center • Food Services • Gift Shop • Health Information Management • HealthQuest • Heart & Vascular Institute • Hospice Care • Hospice of the Northwest Foundation • Hospitalists on site 24/7 • Hyperbaric Oxygen Program • Interpreting - Translating • IV Therapy • Kidney Dialysis - outpatient and inpatient • Laboratory • Library • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) • Materials Management • Medical Staff Services • Mental Health Center • Nuclear Medicine

• Nursing Administration • Nutrition Counseling • Occupational Therapy • Oncology • Orthopedics • Outreach and Development • Pastoral Care/Chaplains • Patient Advocate • PET/CT • Pharmacy • Physical Therapy • Physician Referral Services • Positron Emission Tomography • Psychiatric Care/Counseling Inpatient • Pulmonary Rehabilitation • Quality Management • Radiation Therapy • Rehabilitation Services • Respiratory Therapy • Skagit Regional Clinics: - Anacortes - Arlington - Camano Community Health Clinic - Cardiology - Mount Vernon - Oak Harbor - Sedro-Woolley - Stanwood - Urology • Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation • Sleep Center • Speech Therapy • Spine Program • Statewide Health Insurance Advisors • Sunrise Inn • Surgical Services • The Breast Institute • Ultrasound • Volunteer Services • Wound Healing Center • X-ray

4 Easy Ways Mail HealthQuest

Skagit Valley Hospital P.O. Box 1376 Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Class Registration Refund Policy A full refund will be granted if the class is cancelled or if your cancellation is received at least three working days in advance of the class date.

Cancellations received within two working days of the class date will be charged a $10 processing fee.

No refund will be given after the class has begun.

To request a refund, call 360-8142424 or in Stanwood/Camano Island call 360-629-6481 or TTY 360-8142218, then submit a written request to the adjacent mailing address.

Fill out this form and include your check or charge card number.

Phone 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week Call 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 Call us anytime day or night and leave your detailed course information with your name, address and phone number in our voice mail, or with the scheduler.

You will receive a confirmation in the mail.

Internet 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week Go to: www.skagitvalleyhospital.org/ events

Fax 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week 360-814-8222 Complete this form and fax it to the number above.

Registration Form

Questions on Registration?

Please complete the following information (use one copy for each participant - feel free to duplicate this form or register on our Web site, www. skagitvalleyhospital.org/events.)

Call Skagit Valley Hospital at 360-814-2424, from Stanwood and Camano Island call 360-629-6481 or for hearing impaired, please call TTY 360-814-2219

Class or Screening

Type of Payment (Please do not send cash)

Date

Fee

Check (make checks payable to SVH-HealthQuest) Mastercard

VISA

Credit Card Number: ____________________________________ Expiration Date:________________________ Signature: Total amount enclosed: Name:________________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip Code:_ ___________________________________________________________ Day Phone:___________________________ Home Phone:_______________________________ E-mail address:________________________________________________________________

____________________________________

To be linked directly with our online HealthQuest registration, scan the quick response (QR) code adjacent with your smart phone.

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAM INC

P.O. Box 1376 Mount Vernon, WA 98273-1376 Sponsored by Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation

ECRWSS RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER