New Chief Nurse Executive puts focus on positive outcomes Roxanne Olason, RN, BSN, MHSA, NEA-BC, FACHE joined Skagit Regional Health as Chief Nurse Executive in November. An experienced health care administrator and educator, she most recently was a member of the faculty at Lake Washington Institute of Technology School of Nursing in Kirkland and is a resident of Lake Stevens. Additional previous experience includes service as Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient and
Clinical Services with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Healthcare in Billings, Montana. She also held administrative positions at Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire; Cassia Regional Medical Center in Idaho with Intermountain Health Care Inc.; The Everett Clinic; and Valley General Hospital in Monroe. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Washington and a Master in Health Services Administration from St. Joseph’s College in Windham, Maine. She
is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and is ANCC Board Certified in Advanced Nursing Administration. “I am excited to be joining Skagit Regional Health and looking forward to working with the employees, physicians and the dedicated members of the senior management team,” Olason said. “My goal professionally is to ensure all of us can be proud of where we work and what we do. Seeing positive outcomes for the patients, employees, providers and the organization bring both professional and personal reward to us all.”
helps manage health, improve communication The implementation of Skagit Regional Clinics’ secure, online portal, called MyEChart, allows patients to better manage their health and easily communicate with their provider. MyEChart offers 24/7 access to the patient’s personal health information. Patients who use MyEChart have the ability to request appointments and medication refills, receive appointment reminders, review their patient plan after each appointment, receive test results and securely e-mail their health care provider. Dr. Mary Ramsbottom, internist at Skagit Regional Clinics, has heard positive feedback from patients about many aspects of MyEChart and witnessed the benefits of more streamlined communication.
“When patients are enrolled in the portal, I can send them test results and they can send me non-urgent questions and referrals, saving time for both the patient and staff in the office,” she said. Neurologist Patti Brettell, MD has found that MyEChart provides a more efficient way to adjust her patients’ medications and can reduce the number of follow-up appointments needed. What previously required multiple phone calls between the patient and clinic to discuss medication adjustments can now be resolved more quickly by sending secure messages to Dr. Brettell through MyEChart.
www.srclinics.org/MyEChart
“The portal allows my patients to easily ask follow-up questions. It reinforces recommendations made in the office and can help improve outcomes,” she said. Skagit Regional Clinics’ patients can enroll in MyEChart at their provider’s office or by visiting www. srclinics.org/MyEChart and clicking the Enroll Now button.
Winter 2015
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