Northwest Adventists in Action

52 Pages·2011·4.26 MB·English

A D V E N T I S T H E A L T H S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
Northwest Adventists in Action
OCTOBER 2006, Vol. 101, No. 10
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12 A Celebration of Education | 14 Feeding His Lambs | 16 Tell The World Now
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I m a g e s o f C r e a t i o n
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reater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13 (NIV)
“Maple Leaves” photographed by Teryl Monson of La Conner, Washington.
I n t h i s i s s u e
Education Feature
Editorial
4 Dedicated to
Quality and
Compassion
Special Feature
6 Adventist Health
Northwest Pioneers
of Faith
18 Pioneer Black
Adventist Evangelist
and Pastor
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Fresh Start
ASI Feature
19 Love Likewise
News
20 NPUC
21 Alaska
22 Idaho
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30 Upper Columbia
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36 College
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37
Family
ASI Feature
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Announcements
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• ASI CONVENTION •
Let’s Talk
51 Hothouse Parents
Joseph Wren, M.D., a pediatrician
with Blue Mountain Medical
Group in Walla Walla, Washington,
starts each day with prayer.
He asks the Lord to give him
by Jerry D. Thomas
opportunities to minister to his
patients on a spiritual level as well
16
as tend to their physical needs.
Photo by Matthew B. Zimmerman
OCTOBER 2006, Vol. 101, No. 10
GLEANER STAFF
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OCTOBER 2006 • GLEANER 3
E d i t o r i a l
d
edicated

quality
to
and
compassion

B Y J E R E P A T Z E R
resently, I am experiencing a side of Across the system’s four-state service area,
health care that I never have before. As our hospitals are teeming with individuals who
vice chairman of Adventist Health’s Board have dedicated their lives to serving the whole
of Directors, I’ve had the privilege of being on person—body, mind and spirit. And they go above
the administrative end of health care for two and beyond the call of duty to ensure that they are
decades. Now, as a patient, I have an even deeper actively living Adventist Health’s mission. Once
appreciation for the doctors, nurses and other again, this special issue of the GLEANER will give
clinicians who have dedicated their lives to helping you a glimpse into the lives of several inspiring
others. These incredible people are the ones people who go to work every day knowing that
who, day in and day out, keep hospitals running what they do and how they do it will make a
smoothly, calm anxieties and encourage so many of difference in someone’s life.
us in the fight of our lives. Throughout the following pages, you’ll also
I can personally attest to the fact that Adventist discover that Adventist Health and its hospitals are
Health is more than a corporation. It epitomizes, it deeply committed to continually enhancing the
personalizes and it validates its mission statement. quality of care they provide to their communities by
When I was first diagnosed with stage IV mantel participating in numerous state and federal quality
cell lymphoma, Don Ammon, Adventist Health initiatives. All this is in an effort to make the patient
president and CEO, began to network on my behalf. experience better and safer for those who enter the
As a result, I received a wealth of information and doors of any Adventist Health facility.
Jere Patzer, North Pacific
guidance pointing me toward the best care possible As you read through this issue, I know you’ll be
Union Conference
for my disease. reminded—once again—of the incredible mission
president, writes from
Furthermore, Ammon and others from Adventist that our Seventh-day Adventist hospitals deliver to
Vancouver, Washington. Health have contacted me again and again to offer their patients and families every day. •
their support, prayer and concern. This type of
caring and compassion makes Adventist Health K E Y W O R D
Dedicated
distinctive and stand out from the rest.
www.GleanerOnline.org
4 GLEANER • OCTOBER 2006
Y o u r P o werful Hands
• About a quarter of the motor cortex in the
human brain (the part of the brain which
controls all movement in the body) is
devoted to the muscles of the hands.
• There are no muscles inside the fingers.
The muscles that bend the finger joints
The
are located in the palm and in the
forearm, and are connected to the finger
bones by tendons, which pull on and
move the fingers like the strings of a
Power
marionette.
of
• The force generated by the muscles that
Your Hand
bend the fingertips must be at least four
times the pressure which is produced at
the fingertips.
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• The thumb is controlled by nine
individual muscles, which are controlled
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by all three major hand nerves.
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• One out of six disabling work injuries
involve the fingers, most often due to the
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finger striking or being struck against a
hard surface.
• Each hand contains:
• Children under 6 years old are at the
greatest risk for crushing or burning
injuries of the hand.
29 major and minor bones.
29 major joints.
• When the hand is kept wet, the skin
At least 123 named ligaments.
on the palm wrinkles. Why? The exact
m
34 muscles that move the fingers and thumb: ht
mechanism is not known, but it is clearly s.
17 in the palm of the hand, ct
a
controlled by nerves. When the nerve w/f
18 in the forearm. h
that supplies feeling to an area of skin m/
48 named nerves: co
on the palm is cut, that area of skin not nd.
3 major nerves, a
h
only becomes numb, it loses its ability to on
24 named sensory branches, at
e
wrinkle when wet and it loses the ability w.
21 named muscular branches. w
w
30 named arteries and nearly as many to sweat. e:
c
ur
smaller named branches. o
S
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P r o v i d i n g (cid:58)
t Adventist Health we know that part of providing the best care possible to our
patients requires employing the best people possible. And we’re proud to say
that our employees are some of the finest, the brightest and the most committed
group of individuals you’ll find anywhere. In the health care business, it’s important not
only to have the latest medical knowledge and equipment but to ensure that the people
running the machines, scrubbing into surgery and working behind the scenes are all
committed to excellence.
As the following pages demonstrate, we have an amazing group of employees, physi-
cians and volunteers who believe in what they do and the mission that guides us “to
share God’s love by providing physical, mental and spiritual healing.”
For instance, you will read about a pediatrician who prays over his roster of patients
each day before work. You’ll meet a nurse executive who does what it takes to make her
departments run smoothly—even if it means leaving her suit in the closet and donning
scrubs when a staff member calls in sick. And you’ll get to know an MRI tech who de-
cided to pursue a second career in health care because he wanted to make a difference.
To ensure that this quality caring continues, Adventist Health not only seeks out the
best and the brightest employees, but our hospitals routinely participate in numerous
state and federal quality measurement and improvement programs. These initiatives
are the right thing to do and give our facilities an excellent opportunity to enhance best
practices and identify areas for further improvement.
In all you read, I hope it will be evident that we take our commitment to quality
health care seriously. And everyday the people who report to work across our system go
the extra mile to make sure that our patients receive exceptional care that ministers to
the mind, body and spirit. •
To share
Donald R. Ammon, Adventist Health president and CEO, writes from Roseville, California.
God’s love
by providing Fast Facts about Adventist Health
• Headquartered in Roseville, California • 122,210 admissions
physical,
• 20 hospitals in California, Hawaii, • 443,565 emergency room visits
Oregon and Washington • 2,118,968 outpatient visits
mental and
• 16 home care agencies offering • 229,805 home care visits
home health, hospice, personal care, • 71,581 hospice days
spiritual
medical equipment and infusion • Provided more than $219 million in
therapy services free and low-cost services to our
healing.
• Three joint-venture retirement centers communities in 2005
• Approximately 19,000 employees
For more about the organization,
• More than 3,100 beds
visit www.adventisthealth.org
B y D o n a l d R. A m m o n
6 GLEANER • OCTOBER 2006
A D V E N T I S T H E A L T H S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
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and
hen Joseph Wren, M.D., was in high school his science
teacher inspired him to pursue a career in education. While
Joe first believed this would mean he, too, would become a
teacher, he later decided that he would fulfill his love of science
by pursuing a degree in medicine. Matthew B. Zimmerman
“I like to tell people I copped out,” laughed Joe, speaking
of his decision to become a physician rather than a teacher.
“Seriously, though, I love my job. I would do it for free!”
From Maine to Washington
Joseph Wren, M.D., has never regretted his choice to become a
A pediatrician with Blue Mountain Medical Group in Walla physician. As a pediatrician in Walla Walla, Washington, he spends
Walla, Washington, Joe and his family found their way to the his days interacting with young patients and their parents.
area and Walla Walla General Hospital (WWGH) via a very
indirect route. Lamaze classes. He discusses a variety of newborn issues with
After accepting a job on the island of Guam, the Wren’s house new moms and dads, orients them to what a pediatrician does and
didn’t sell in time for him to actually take the position. While he emphasizes the importance of well-baby checkups during the first
had practiced in Maine for 10 years, a replacement had already year of an infant’s life.
been hired for his position at Parkview Adventist Medical Center
A Passion for Educating
and when the family’s home did sell, Joe was without a job.
“I’ve always wanted to work within the Adventist health Joe also is passionate about childhood obesity and is anxious
care system,” said Joe. “I believe that you grow where you are to start a program aimed at combating the epidemic.
planted and certainly Adventist physicians can work outside of a “Childhood obesity is the No. 1 health issue facing our kids
religious setting; however, for me it has always been such a good today,” said Joe. “I see so many children who have developed type
experience.” 2 diabetes because they are overweight. I really want to start a pro-
Thanks to Adventist Health’s Web site, Joe found several job gram that educates them and their parents about healthy lifestyle
opportunities throughout the West Coast health system, and he issues and the importance of a proper diet and adequate exercise.”
and his family moved across the country to Washington state. While his days are busy and his ambitions endless, Joe still
manages to make it to the office early to pray over his roster of
All In a Day’s Work
patients. He asks the Lord to give him opportunities to minister
Joe’s typical day is busy—filled with visits from parents and to them on a spiritual level as well as tend to their physical needs.
their children. He loves working with babies and enjoys interact- And while he never became a professor, Joe is a teacher in his
ing with toddlers and young children. own right—sharing tips with expectant moms and dads, showing
“It’s fun to establish relationships with my patients. Some of parents how to care for their developing youngsters and pursu-
the little ones really get attached to me and love coming to the ing the dream of developing an educational program to combat
office,” said Joe. “Most adults dread doctor’s appointments but childhood obesity.
children find adventure in even the most routine parts of life.” “I’ve never regretted my decision to become a physician,” said
In addition to his busy practice, Joe works with WWGH to Joe. “It is truly a blessing to come to work everyday because I
provide valuable information to prospective parents during love what I do.” •
B y H e a t h e r P r e s t o n W h e e l e r
OCTOBER 2006 • GLEANER 7
A D V E N T I S T H E A L T H S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
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A J o u r n e y W o r t h T a k i n g
f you spend a little time with Diane Hoyt, R.N., Adventist Health
director for Quality, you’ll soon discover that Hoyt, who spent a large
portion of her career in a hospital setting, is passionate about Adventist
Health’s quality journey.
“Quality is a major focus throughout our organization,” stated Diane.
“We’re continuously working to improve because we’re committed to deliv-
ering the best possible care to our patients.”
Quality Programs
Toward that end, Adventist Health facilities routinely participate
in numerous state and federal quality measurement and improvement
programs. One example is the CMS/Premier Hospital Quality Incen-
tive Demonstration project, aimed at enhancing quality care practices in
hospitals across the nation. According to the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS), 260 hospitals nationwide—including 10 from
Adventist Health—“significantly improved their quality of care” during
Mark Dastrup the first year of the groundbreaking patient quality improvement project.
“We’re very proud of the hospitals that have chosen to participate in
this project,” said Wynelle Huff, R.N., Ph.D., Adventist Health vice presi-
dent for Delivery of Care. “This has been an excellent opportunity for us to
enhance best practices and identify areas for further improvement.”
Another initiative all system hospitals were recently involved in was the Institute for
Healthcare Improvements 100,000 Lives Campaign. Adventist Health facilities were
“This has been
among more than 3,100 hospitals nationwide to join the campaign in a commitment to
implement changes in care proven to prevent avoidable deaths. The hospitals followed
an excellent
and reported progress on six recommended patient care strategies over an 18-month
period. It is estimated that the campaign, which ended in June 2006, helped save more
opportunity than 122,000 lives nationwide.
Quality Awards
for us to
Adventist Health’s commitment to quality improvement is paying off. Adventist
enhance best Medical Center (AMC) in Portland, Oregon, and Walla Walla General Hospital in Walla
Walla, Washington, recently won Premier Quality Awards in the area of Heart Failure.
practices and The highly distinguished, nationally recognized award honors excellence in quality
care and operational efficiency, and is an important benchmark for recognizing clinical
identify areas excellence in the health care industry.
Three system hospitals also were recognized for workplace excellence and received
for further 2005 California Awards for Performance Excellence (CAPE) from the California Coun-
cil for Excellence. White Memorial Medical Center in East Los Angeles earned a 2005
CAPE silver award, and both Feather River Hospital in Paradise, California, and Ukiah
improvement.”
Valley Medical Center in Ukiah, California, were recognized with bronze level awards.
The prestigious awards are given to companies and organizations that demonstrate
B y H e a t h e r P r e s t o n W h e e l e r
8 GLEANER • OCTOBER 2006
A D V E N T I S T H E A L T H S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
Physician Symposium
continuous improvement and superior performance in several key
business areas, including leadership, customer focus, strategic This month Adventist Health is talking quality with physicians
planning, human resources and business results. via its first ever Physician Symposium. Dubbed “Charting Our
AMC also won a bronze-level CAPE Award in 2004. While Quality Course,” the event is geared toward hospital Chiefs of
the awards are usually granted only to California companies, the Medical Staff, Adventist Health Medical Executive Committee
Portland hospital applied and was granted consideration because members, other key physicians and hospital executives.
it is part of Adventist Health. “The goal of this symposium is to bring together physicians
Also making headlines is St. Helena Hospital’s (SHH) Center from across our system and give them an opportunity to network
for Behavioral Health, which recently placed in the Top 10 and learn more about our quality journey,” stated Donald R. Am-
Hospitals of a national quality measure for post-discharge results. mon, Adventist Health president and CEO. “Providing the best,
According to Managed Health Network, a behavioral health up-to-date care to our patients is a top priority and educating our
HMO, the hospital’s Center for Behavioral Health exceeds the physicians about the latest quality trends in an important aspect
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) standards. of our commitment to our patients and our mission.”
The criteria for meeting the standard states that 59 percent of The two-day event will kick off with a half-day session for
patients must be seen by licensed clinicians within seven days of Chiefs of Staff and Chiefs of Staff-Elect followed by the clinical
discharge from an acute unit. SHH’s average is 76.5 percent. quality symposium, which will feature several renowned physi-
And each year, numerous Adventist Health facilities—including cian speakers lecturing on a variety of quality topics. •
Tillamook County General Hospital in Tillamook, Oregon,—are
named best practice performers by Professional Research Con-
sultants (PRC), which conducts physician, patient and employee Heather Preston Wheeler, Adventist Health GLEANER
satisfaction surveys for health care facilities across the nation. correspondent, writes from Roseville, California.
P a t i e n t S a f e t y G o e s H i g h – T e c h
It’s an exciting time to be delivering health care at Adventist etry nurse at San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield,
Health, where a state-of-the-art clinical information system is California.
changing and improving the lives of both patients and staff. In the past year, the system has been expanded to include
The new technology, dubbed Project IntelliCare, allows care- an ER tracking system, automated lab processes and online
givers access to medical records, lab results, pharmacy support documentation for behavioral health, rehab, nutritional services,
and more—all online. And while Adventist Health always has obstetrics and pastoral care. And many physicians can now
made patient safety a top priority, Project IntelliCare makes this download patient data onto Pocket PCs or palm devices for easy
goal easier to achieve. transport and access.
Initially launched at Adventist Medical Center in July 2003, “The real value of Project IntelliCare is the ability it gives us to
the system is expected to be live at all 20 Adventist Health hospi- better serve our patients,” said Huff. “It is a natural extension of our
tals by late 2006. mission. From the smallest facility to the largest, all of our hospitals
“Fully realized, Project IntelliCare will be a significant will benefit in terms of patient satisfaction and quality care.” •
resource for our caregivers, which will help them provide better,
safer care to those we serve,” said Wynelle Huff, R.N., Ph.D.,
Adventist Health vice president for Delivery of Care, who helped
head up the project.
It’s no secret that clinicians make better decisions when they
have better information. So at the heart of the system is a patient
database, which is populated each time a patient enters the
hospital. Because information is typed rather than written and is
kept in a single location that is accessible to all the right people,
there are fewer opportunities for mistakes, misplaced files and
misinterpretation. In addition, once patients are in the system,
they aren’t asked repeatedly for the same information at different
locations throughout the hospital.
“With the Project IntelliCare charting system, medical
orders can be entered and relayed to the necessary caregivers
both faster and more accurately. And now that patient charts
are password-protected rather than sitting on a shelf, patient
privacy is improved as well,” said Sherry Nuqui, R.N., a telem- Mark Dastrup
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Br
While Cindy’s career has been varied, she always has been
interested in management. When she heard about an opportu-
nity at Adventist Medical Center (AMC) in Portland, Oregon,
to become a patient care executive resident, Cindy—who has a
master’s degree in Nursing Administration—saw an opportunity
to gain valuable management experience.
Adventist Health’s nurse executive resident program is aimed
Cindy Nelson, R.N., M.S.N., Adventist Medical Center’s administra- at mentoring Seventh-day Adventist nurses and placing them in
tive director for ICU and Family Birth Place, loves the challenges leadership positions throughout the system’s hospitals. When
and variety of her job. She also values the fact that the mission of Cindy applied for the position at AMC, her past clinical experi-
the hospital closely mirrors her personal mission in life.
ence, advanced degree and strong sense of mission made her a
perfect fit for the job.
hen Cindy Nelson, R.N., M.S.N., started college she was a
Growing a Leader
music major. She loved playing the piano and enjoyed
her studies. However, one day while practicing alone in the “The nurse executive program was a great experience,”
music department at Walla Walla College, the thought hit her that recalled Cindy. “I was able to participate actively in
she wanted to have a career where she interacted with people. administrative duties under the outstanding mentorship of
That night she decided to pursue her love of science and become Carol Kunau, AMC’s patient care executive, and the rest of the
a nurse. It is a decision she has never regretted. executive team.”
“When I decided to go into nursing I had absolutely no idea During her residency stint, Cindy had significant involvement
what a full and rewarding career was ahead of me,” said Cindy. in procuring an online system for policies and procedures,
“But looking back on my life I can say that nursing has offered developing and opening the hospital’s new Wound Care and
more options and possibilities than I could have ever imagined.” Hyperbaric Medicine Center and exploring the expansion of
On the personal side, Cindy tells of how she was able to adjust the facility’s cardiac services. Now she is the administrative
her career to meet the needs of her family. After having children, director for the hospital’s ICU and Family Birth Place.
she took three years off and then began working weekend night “I am energized by working to develop and support systems
shifts to keep up her skills, earn a little extra money and have that empower staff to give excellent care,” said Cindy of her
contact with the “adult world.” job. “There is no end to the variety of challenges that this job
“Basically at whatever stage my children were—from babies provides—from meeting with physicians and architects, to
to teenagers—I was able to pick the hours and type of work that ensuring compliance with budgets and laws, to encounters with
fit into my schedule,” recalled Cindy. “There are very few careers patients, families and staff.”
that allow this type of flexibility.” But the thing that Cindy finds to be foundational to
flourishing as a leader is her personal congruence with the
A Varied Career
mission and values of Adventist Health.
Professionally, Cindy has worked in quite a wide variety of “I believe the fact that we are a Seventh-day Adventist
fields. She started her career as a staff nurse in the ICU, spent Christian organization must make a difference in the way
time as a school nurse, worked in a cardiac unit, in the burn/trau- we treat patients and staff. The mission of this hospital—the
ma/neuro ICU, served as a traveling nurse, managed a clinic and mission of Adventist Health—is closely aligned with my
even taught nursing! personal mission in life.” •
B y H e a t h e r P r e s t o n W h e e l e r
10 GLEANER • OCTOBER 2006