National Hospice Month. National Hospice Month Events
October 18, 2011
Hospice Chaplain Laurie Oswalt and Pastor David Helseth discuss upcoming Hospice Month events starting on October 25, 2011. Learn more…
March of Dimes
October 17, 2011
Contact: Nicole Donegan
Communications and Marketing
(509) 654-4320
NicoleDonegan@yvmh.org
March of Dimes grant increases outreach to expectant moms
Six months after the March of Dimes awarded Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital a Chapter Community grant of $20,000, the funds are paying off. Over 500 expectant parents have attended Memorial’s Childbirth Education classes. In addition, Memorial has offered 35 prenatal Yoga classes aimed at improving maternal health and fitness during pregnancy. Memorial has also begun offering a program to help improve communication between parents and their pregnant teens. The classes are offered quarterly and include testimony from parents and teens, as well as advice from a certified mental health professional. The grant has also allowed Memorial to implement Comenzando Bien, a Spanish language childbirth education curriculum, which is more sensitive to the cultural needs of Latino moms.
“While Memorial has always offered a wide range of prenatal education and programs, the grant from March of Dimes has helped us increase our programs to reach even more high risk mothers,” says Bertha Lopez, Community Outreach Manager for Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.
The Washington State Department of Health Woman, Infant and Children annual report for 2010, shows that 72% of Yakima County families receiving their services are living in poverty (monthly income for a family of four living in poverty was $1,838 or less). Yakima County also ranks among the highest in the State for teen birth rates, which are associated with poor prenatal care leading to pre-term delivery, low birth weight, and an increased risk of childhood developmental delay, illness and mortality.
In addition to offering more classes and programs, the March of Dimes grant has also offered Memorial an opportunity to increase prenatal health education through a variety of media outlets—particularly in Spanish-language television and radio programming—bringing the message for prenatal health to over 7,000 homes.
Memorial has also made great strides in reducing elective deliveries before the 39th week of gestation. The March of Dimes granted Memorial an additional $5,000 towards reducing elective deliveries (cesarean or vaginal) births before the 39th week without medical cause, because it has been linked to increased complications with the baby’s health. Washington State has set a goal for hospitals to perform fewer than 7% of cesarean sections before the 39th week. Memorial’s rate for these deliveries was 2.7% for the 1st quarter of 2011 and 1.4% for the 2nd quarter of 2011. The success is attributed to more thorough screenings of patients for a medical need to deliver before the 39th week as well as stricter oversight of the deliveries scheduled at Memorial.
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The March of Dimes is a non-profit organization that helps mothers have full-term, healthy pregnancies and researches the problems that threaten the health of babies.
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital has been providing healthcare to the Yakima Valley for over 60 years and continues to provide state-of-the-art, quality-of-life health care services for our community. Memorial welcomes over 3,500 new births within the Yakima Valley each year.
The Memorial Foundation Honored
October 17, 2011
From the Yakima Herald Republic
10/15/11 Letters to the Editor
Great fundraising work
To the editor — Many people of Yakima know there is the Memorial Foundation, a part of the nonprofit Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital family. Many fewer are aware of the incredible small staff of the Foundation.
Headed by Anne Caffery, this staff has led the fundraising of over $11 million in the past three years for the Children’s Village expansion and the hospice house Cottage in the Meadow. In addition, it has raised $1 million each year for the many programs it supports — money all being spent in the community.
On Oct. 4 The Foundation was honored to speak at the annual Blackbaud conference in Washington, D.C.. Anne and three of her teammates presented their program “10 rules to break in a fundraising campaigns.” Blackbaud is the leader in consulting and advising nonprofits in the nation, therefore this recognition is significant.
The Foundation, while small, has coordinated the Children’s Miracle Network efforts in the county, coordinates and funds various school health programs, Children’s Village programs, many of these operating under the radar.
I want to publicly congratulate Anne and her great team for such phenomenal work.
WILLIAM A. WHEELER
Chairman Board of Trustees, Memorial Foundation
Yakima
Yakima Univision Health Shows
October 12, 2011
El Doctor Mario Chenal de North Star Lodge explica Cuidado de Salud para Hombres
Miércoles, Junio 15, 2011
Lily Gonzalez nos explica del riesgo de diabetes. La Clínica Central Washington Family Medicine en Yakima tiene clases informativas sobre el control de diabetes cada cuarto miércoles.
Martes, Julio 26, 2011
Lily Gonzalez nos invita a la Fiesta de Salud, sábado 30 de julio. Hay más informción en nuestra sección de eventos.
Viernes, Julio 22, 2011
El Doctor Mario Chenal de North Star Lodge explica la importancia de exámenes ginecológicos.
Miércoles, Septiembre 14, 2011
La Dra. De Marco García nos explica sobre la cirugia vascular. Para más información se puede llamar a la Yakima Vascular Clinic (509) 453-4614
Martes, Septiembre 27, 2011
Taller para Adolecentes Embarazados
Martes, Septiembre 27, 2011
Meet Washington State’s Children’s Miracle Network Champion
October 10, 2011
Tristan Kuhlmann of Selah is named Children’s Miracle Network Washington State Champion. Later this month he’ll travel to Washington DC with child representatives from the other 49 states.
Ace hardware is raising money to support CMN locally. See video clip
Yakima Golf Tournaments
October 10, 2011
Video from this year’s Children’s Miracle Network Golf Tournament.
Yakima Cardiac Emergencies
September 23, 2011
For more information please visit our Elective Angioplasty information page.
Mammography Center Donation
September 14, 2011
Yakima Valley Quilters donate $10,000 for mammograms
Yakima Herald-Republic
YAKIMA, Wash. — The Yakima Valley Quilters Guild is presenting ‘Ohana Mammography Center with a $10,000 check today in support of its scholarship fund.
The scholarship fund is used to help offset the cost of mammography imaging exams for patients unable to afford the full cost. The center is part of Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.
The guild raised money by selling raffle tickets for handcrafted quilts. Since 2003, the guild has given ‘Ohana more than $36,500.
The check presentation is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the center, 1515 W. Yakima Ave. in Yakima, and coincides with ‘Ohana’s five-year anniversary celebration. Throughout the day, women will be treated to special classes — such as gentle yoga and Pilates — and pampering that includes pink hair extensions and nails, aromatherapy and anniversary cake and beverages.
Yakima Hospice Groundbreaking
September 6, 2011
Tim Melhorn, MD, and Laurie Oswalt, Hospice Chaplain, discuss the Cottage in the Meadow Construction Celebration on Friday, September 9 at 10:30 a.m. The event will be held at the Cottage site on the corner of 48th Avenue and Nob Hill in Yakima (across from Randall Park).
Memorial Hospital street closures
August 23, 2011
Memorial Hospital poised to start street closures
By Mark Morey
Yakima Herald-Republic
YAKIMA, Wash. — Street closures tied to the future expansion of Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital are expected to take effect by late this year, changing the traffic pattern in one of the city’s central neighborhoods.
The closures are part of a 30-year development plan for Memorial that the City Council approved in January, although construction of new buildings isn’t expected to start for another five to 10 years.