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Welcome to the September 2015 issue of the Washington Rural Health Association e-Newsletter. Inside this issue you will find news and information from the new 2015-2016 President and board of directors, members, and community partners from across the state of Washington.
If you would like to submit your own story, please click here.
The WRHA e-newsletter is a publication of Washington Rural Health Association, a not-for-profit association composed of individual and organization members who share a common interest in rural health. This e-newsletter seeks to disseminate news and information of interest to rural health professionals and stakeholders to help establish a state and national network of rural health care advocates.
WRHA Members
WRHA members include administrators, educators, students, researchers, government agencies and workers, physicians, hospitals, clinics, migrant and community clinics, public health departments, insurers, professional associations and educational institutions. If you are interested in joining or renewing your membership with WRHA click here.
***PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE***
It is the end of September and fall has arrived. I want to briefly provide you and update of what the Board and your organization have been up to.
This past summer your WRHA board has been diligently working on initiatives we set forth last spring to reinvigorate the WRHA. One of top priorities is the recruitment of an Executive Director to manage the operations of WRHA and execute the strategies set forth by the Board included in the May newsletter. As a reminder those goals are to:
• Continue to serve as a strong advocate for rural healthcare across the continuum of care. • Work to promote a better understanding of rural health issues in Washington and work toward identifying solutions to improve regulatory and financing policies affecting the delivery of care in rural areas. • Provider opportunities for education and training for those that work in rural healthcare. • Support other organizations in their efforts to improve health care delivery in rural Washington.
We have received several applications and are in the process of selecting and interviewing for the position. Watch for upcoming updates as we complete the process.
In May, WRHA was informed that the Washington State University Area Health Education Center of Eastern Washington (AHECEW) will be ending its operations effective August 31, 2015. This closure was a result of the University of Washington ending its funding partnership with WSU as a result of the proposed creation of the new WSU medical school. AHECEW was the operational arm and business partner for and with WRHA for nearly 25 years including administering the annual critical access hospital and rural health conference, providing business operation support, and financial accounting. On behalf of the Board and the members of WRHA, we thank you for your diligent service and support to rural health in Washington and look forward to future opportunities.
As a result of the impending closure, the Board has spent countless hours in making the transition from AHECEW to a new business partners successful in a limited amount of time. WSU, through their WSU Global Conference Management Services has been selected to manage the annual critical access hospital and rural health conference in March of 2016 at the Spokane Convention Center. Wipfli LLP has been engaged to provide operational and financial services support through September 30, 2016. Upon successful recruitment of an Executive Director, both contracts will be evaluated by the director and the Board going forward.
Due to these changes, another exciting opportunity came to fruition. This year, the Rural Health Clinic Association of Washington (RHCAW) will be partnering with WRHA by holding their annual conference in conjunction with the annual CAH & Northwest Rural Health Conference held in Spokane in March. Although I personally enjoyed heading to Campbell’s Resort in April, bringing together the two organizations should create a tremendous opportunity to collaborate on rural issues important to Washington and our neighboring states.
Over the coming months, with summer vacations behind us, and the school year in full swing, we anticipate that we will be successful in achieving our goals and initiatives. That said, I encourage you to reach out and let us know if you have any interest in helping to make your WRHA a thriving organization for the advocacy of rural healthcare in Washington. Please visit the Committees page of our website at http://www.wrha.com/committees if you are interested in serving in some capacity on a committee or contact me or any of the board members at http://www.wrha.com/board-of-directors.
Finally, it goes without saying that this last year was one of the worst fire seasons in Washington’s history. I realize that there are those reading this newsletter that have either personally suffered or know someone that was affected by the fires. On behalf of the WRHA and its members, we want to personally thank the more than 3,000 firefighters including the National Guard, the 200 or so U.S. Army soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the many volunteers, and even crews from as far as New Zealand and Australia that have or continue to battle the fires. They have made countless sacrifices, not only their own lives, but the sacrifices made by being away from their families and loved ones for the sole purpose to protect Washingtonians. Thank you!
SPMC Employees Responsible for $5,400 in Awarded Scholarships
Thanks to the generous nature of several employees at Summit Pacific Medical Center, local area high school seniors received a total of $5,400 in scholarships from Summit Pacific to use for college tuition this fall. The Employees' Scholarship Fund is a long standing tradition of the hospital district. The fund assists local students in obtaining further education in healthcare fields. This fund is strictly supported by donations from district employees. Over the life of this scholarship program, more than $45,000 dollars have been awarded out to local high school seniors. This year, Employees' Scholarship Committee granted three $1,000 scholarships. The Mitch Cohen Memorial Scholarship Fund is supported from money raised by Dr. Shawn Andrews and volunteer staff who perform low cost sports physicals to local high school and junior high school students. Each year, Dr. Andrews gathers a new group of volunteer staff to go to different area schools to do the physicals. 100% of the small fee collected goes into the Mitch Cohen Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is awarded in honor of Dr. Cohen's generosity and love for this community. A new scholarship was awarded this year, the Jennifer Macke Memorial Scholarship, was given in honor of Dr. Edward Macke's late wife. Dr. Macke retired in April from Dr. Macke came to McCleary in 1977 through the National Health Service Corps with a commitment to stay two years. He retired in April after serving the community and caring for patients for thirty-eight years in McCleary. For more information or to download the scholarship applications, visit our website at www.summitpacificmedicalcenter.org donate and volunteer page.
Ellensburg, WA, population 19,000 is large by the standards of many other Washington towns, but still small enough to be considered rural. Central Washington University is the town’s largest employer, and it’s also home of the Ellensburg Rodeo, one of America’s Top 25 rodeos. Probably because of Central Washington University, there is a surprising amount of main stream culture for its size with three sushi restaurants, a few coffee houses, and lots of free Wi-Fi.
It’s also a great place to learn rural medicine. Many of the physicians in Ellensburg are preceptors for medical students and for physician assistant students. In fact three of my fellow classmates were in Ellensburg at the same time as me, each with a different preceptor. We lived in the same house while doing a summer experience there, and swapped stories about what we saw in clinic during the day, learning from and teaching each other.
And in June, one more attraction was introduced to Ellensburg, Dr. John’s Radio Show. Hosted on Ellensburg Community Radio at noon on the first Friday of every month, Dr. John Merrill-Steskall hosts a live radio show covering a new hot topic in medicine. The show is grounded in evidence-based medicine and recruits guest speakers from all over the region. June’s opening show was about medical education, and Dr. John interviewed three of us medical students about our experiences at the UW and with rural medical education.
One of the great things about learning medicine in a rural town is the atmosphere. After the inaugural airing of the first radio show, Dr. John and we students went to one of the wine bars in Ellensburg to celebrate. In a small town it seems that everyone knows everyone else. People who had tuned into Dr. Johns’ radio show stopped by our table to chat. They tried to guess which of us three students had said what based on the sound of our voice, and wanted to know more about each of our stories. Because of these experiences, I feel like you can see change more quickly in a small town.
Don’t be fooled, it’s a rural town radio show but Dr. John isn’t pulling any punches. July’s topic was on marijuana. Not just medical marijuana, but the increase in recreational marijuana and its health effects. You can listen to the live stream and also to old shows at http://eburgradio.org/programs/dr-johns-radio-show/.
Thirteen hospitals using health information technology solutions from Engage, a division of Inland Northwest Health Services (INHS), were named among the most technologically-advanced hospitals in the country in the Hospitals & Health Network's (H&HN) 17th annual "Most Wired" awards.
Engage provides health information technology solutions to hospitals, health care facilities and physician offices throughout the nation.
"The 'Most Wired' list recognizes our hospital customers commitment to their patients and our team's expertise in providing MEDITECH solutions," said Fred Galusha, Engage chief executive. "This award reflects our goal of continually achieving the highest standards of health care information technology solutions for the betterment of patient care."
The survey of more than 741 participants, representing more than 2,213 hospitals, examined how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based healthcare in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management, quality and safety, and clinical integration.
The following Engage customers were awarded 'Most Wired' hospitals for 2015:
Coulee Community Hospital - Grand Coulee, Wash.
Lincoln Hospital & North Basin Medical Clinics - Davenport, Wash.
Mid-Valley Hospital - Omak, Wash.
Newport Hospital & Health Services - Newport, Wash.
Odessa Memorial Health Care Center - Odessa, Wash.
Othello Community Hospital - Othello, Wash.
Pullman Regional Hospital - Pullman, Wash.
Samaritan Healthcare - Moses Lake, Wash.
St. Elizabeth Hospital - Enumclaw, Wash.
St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute - Spokane. Wash.
Sunnyside Community Hospital - Sunnyside, Wash.
Tri-State Memorial Hospital - Clarkston, Wash.
Whitman Hospital & Medical Center - Colfax, Wash.
For more information on Engage, visit thinkEngage.com.
About Engage: Health care information technology (IT) is due for an upgrade. Engage represents a progression in health care IT that originated from within the environments of ten competitive hospitals. The company provides a complete solution to IT consulting, implementation and management, and is driven by a passion for embracing the toughest challenges. Leveraging over 15 years of extensive MEDITECH experience and partnerships with multiple hardware and software providers, Engage delivers fully tested and certified MEDITECH solutions designed to support the complexities of the hospital environment. With expertise ranging from technical to finance, clinical, operations and system management, Engage understands that better IT ultimately translates to better patient care. For more information on Engage, visit us on: web: www.thinkEngage.com facebook: www.facebook.com/thinkEngage twitter: www.twitter.com/thinkEngage return to the top
Northwest MedStar Marks First Year of Base Operations in North Central Washington
BREWSTER, Wash.: Thanks to hospital and EMS partners and community members, Northwest MedStar celebrated its 1-year anniversary of being based in Brewster. Located at Anderson Field Airport, the base operates 24/7 and is home to 14 critical care crew members providing faster care and transport to patients throughout north central Washington.
"Our local medical crews, helicopter pilots and mechanics are honored to be part of this community," said Suzy Beck, RN, EMT, and Northwest MedStar base coordinator. "The support from health care partners, MedStar patients and members, business and community members has been overwhelming this past year. We look forward to serving the region for years to come."
Since opening May 21, 2014, Northwest MedStar:
Provided critical care transport for hundreds of patients
Invested more than $4.5 million in a new base and helicopter (rotor wing) aircraft
Became home to 14 flight crew members and Metro Aviation pilots and a mechanic
Partnered with Douglas/Okanogan Fire District #15 during winter weather to ensure critical care ground transport
Conducted more than 10 outreach missions with hospitals and EMS agencies for landing zone training
Northwest MedStar is no stranger to the north central Washington region, providing critical care transport to community members for more than 20 years from its bases in Spokane, Moses Lake and Richland, Wash.
To learn more about NW MedStar and its membership program, please visit: nwmedstar.org.
The story of Alison and Gavin Bonuccelli "We're a young, healthy, active and completely normal family without medical issues and one day everything changed," says Alison Bonuccelli, a human resource generalist at Gritman Medical Center, located 80 miles from Spokane in Moscow, Idaho. Recently, Gritman decided to provide Northwest MedStar memberships for its employees to cover costs associated with critical care transport. "We live in a rural area, and everyone talks about needing it here," Alison says. "Our medical plan doesn't cover the cost, so our CEO felt it was important to purchase our employees' MedStar coverage instead of even one person having to pay thousands in out-of-pocket expenses." Alison and her family know the value of the membership firsthand after their 13-month-old son, Gavin, was flown from Moscow to Spokane's Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children's Hospital. "He had been sick for about two weeks with [respiratory syncytial virus] RSV and bronchiolitis," Alison explains about what led to Gavin's critical care transport. "He was really tired and constantly thirsty. I knew something wasn't right." Alison recognized it was time to take Gavin to the Gritman emergency department, where the results from his blood sugar test provided the medical staff the clue they needed to proceed with his care. "His blood sugar was 733; he had type 1 diabetes," Alison says. The doctor recommended that Gavin be flown to Spokane where specialized care for children could be provided. NW MedStar was called in, safely buckling the barely one year old to a stretcher and easing the concerns of a worried mother. "It was only a 30-minute flight but my mind was going absolutely crazy," Alison says. "We're thankful for the nurses because they were actual people with hearts -not just a form of transportation for him. They cared about Gavin, wished him well and gave him a hug." "Life can change in an instant," Alison says about the importance of having a NW MedStar membership. "One day you're trucking along and the next minute you're flown to a hospital. We have no family history of diabetes and now my baby has it. I don't want to imagine what would've happened if we hadn't had the flight to Spokane." Gavin and his family are adjusting to life with a toddler with type 1 diabetes. A tubeless pump delivers insulin and still allows him to move around freely. "It's getting easier, and we're learning," Alison says. "Our family wants people to know that this membership is for anyone, not just people with previous medical concerns," Alison says. "We're thankful that Gritman covers the cost of membership and that NW MedStar was there when our family needed it."
It is well-known around the Northwest communities that Shriners Hospitals for Children in Spokane is the place to send children who need excellent orthopaedic care regardless of ability to pay. Where, though, should children go when money is not an object; where they can get the best possible care available? The answer remains the same: Shriners Hospitals for Children - Spokane. The four board certified, fellowship trained pediatric orthopaedic surgeons on staff full time at the Spokane Shriners Hospital not only have the most training in their specialty, but combine for over 70 years of experience. The Chief of Staff, Dr. Paul Caskey joined the Spokane Shriners Hospital in 1992. His interests include limb lengthening and limb deformity and he is one of the area's leading experts in spinal deformity. Dr. Caskey has been the hospital's Chief of Staff since 2006. Assistant Chief of Staff, Dr. Glen Baird joined the Spokane Shriners Hospital in 1999. Dr. Baird is also the Medical Director of the hospital's Motion Analysis Lab, the only fully accredited gate lab in the region and one of only 11 in the nation. In addition to general orthopaedic surgery, Dr. Baird's interests include pediatric sports medicine and foot deformity. Dr. Baird is one of a handful of foot deformity experts who studied the Ponseti method of club foot treatment under Dr. Ignacio Ponseti himself. Dr. Bryan Tompkins joined the Spokane Shriners Hospital in 2007. Dr. Tompkins is a regional expert in spinal deformity and also has interests in adolescent hip preservation and in pediatric sports medicine. Dr. Tompkins will be joining a select group of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons on the 2015 SLAOTI POSNA Biomet Traveling Fellowship, a two week trip abroad to collaborate with international peers, comparing methods and studying best practices. Dr. William Bronson has been a consulting surgeon at the hospital since 1992 and joined the staff full time in 2012. His specialties include spinal deformity and general orthopaedic surgery. Dr. Bronson has been included in the Spokane Coeur d' Alene Living Magazine's annual List of Top Doctors for orthopaedic surgeons multiple years in a row. If you know a child that could benefit from seeing leading experts with over 70 years of experience in pediatric orthopaedics in a caring family centered environment, the referral process is simple! Anyone, whether it be a provider, a Shriner, or a parent, can set up an appointment to be seen. Simply call the referral coordinator at (509) 623-0431 to request an appointment.
Beginning September 1, 2015 the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) for eastern Washington will be based at Eastern Washington University. Krista Loney has just been named as the Program Operations Manager of the Center. The EWU-based Center replaces the previous Center based at WSU. The primary goals of EWU's Eastern Washington AHEC will be to 1) facilitate the Rural Underserved Opportunity Placement program for students, 2) promote health careers pipeline programs for rural youth, and offer needs-based continuing education opportunities for rural health professionals. Mary Ann Keogh Hoss, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at EWU says "EWU is excited to have the opportunity to provide services to the rural areas focusing on developing interest in the health professions. Our numerous health programs are ready to help spread the word about the great opportunities."
