A New Home for Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment in Central Washington

A New Home for Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment in Central Washington

Mental health services and facilities in Yakima have been evolving over the last 60 years.

• In 1951, Memorial Hospital was the first acute-care hospital in the state of Washington to provide inpatient psychiatric services.
• In 1972, Comprehensive Mental Health was created to address the outpatient needs for mental health services.
• During the decade of the 1990’s, leaders from Comprehensive, Yakima County and Memorial Hospital, working together, created a nationally recognized model for a continuum of care for mental health services. The model focused on creating services and facilities that better matched a client’s/patient’s needs with the most appropriate level of care and associated facility. As a result, Comprehensive became responsible for outpatient services and an array of different facility sites, each offering a uniquely diverse level of care for patients. Memorial remained responsible for one element of the continuum—inpatient care.
• Today we announce the next step in the evolution. Comprehensive’s planned creation of a new Evaluation and Treatment (E&T) Center will add to the services they currently provide,, thus phasing Memorial out of the inpatient services portion of the continuum of care.

“We believe that new models of care delivery create opportunity,” said Rick Linneweh, Memorial Hospital CEO. “This is a natural progression in the provision of mental health care for Yakima. Comprehensive is the expert in providing mental health services—it is their focus. Memorial excels in providing medical care—our focus.”

A New Model of Care Delivery

The planned Comprehensive E&T model of care includes a freestanding 16-bed residential facility licensed by the Department of Health (DOH) and certified by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Behavioral Health and Recovery Division. The E&T facility will be staffed by licensed psychiatrists, nurses, and other mental health professionals who will provide mental health services and help stabilize and return individuals to our community.

“There are several benefits of a new E&T model of care, including greater access of care for our local population, the ability for continuity of inpatient and outpatient care, lower costs and greater collaboration and communication among inpatient and outpatient staff because they are housed in the same facility,” commented Rick Weaver, CEO of Comprehensive Mental Health.

Comprehensive’s new E&T facility will also be modeled after other successful E&T facilities within the state and will establish an “Enhancement Model of Care” which is an evidenced-based practice that helps reduce violence and focuses on safety for the patient and staff.

Over the next 12-18 months, Comprehensive will begin construction of the new inpatient facility. During this transition, Comprehensive will work closely with Memorial, as they have done for the past two decades, to address patient care. Additionally, Memorial will continue to provide care to patients with mental health needs who require immediate medical attention and serve patients coming to Memorial’s Emergency Department until they are medically stabilized. “Moving from a hospital inpatient setting to an E&T setting allows for continuity of inpatient care for our community,” said Weaver.

Approximately 40 employees work in Memorial’s inpatient psychiatric unit. These employees will have the opportunity for positions at the new E&T facility or within Memorial’s Family of Services. “Memorial is fully committed to assisting all employees, as important members of the Memorial Family as the transition occurs,” said Linneweh.

Yakima Hospital swaps 190 beds in three days

Hospital swaps 190 beds in three days

 

If you’ve visited Memorial Hospital this week, you may have noticed a couple of the elevators unavailable for guests and visitors.  That’s because Memorial crews have been buzzing with activity — swapping patient beds on floors 2, 3 and 5.   A total of 190 beds are being replaced in just three days with minimal disruption to patients.

Why new beds and why now? The new beds have mattresses that better distribute a patient’s weight.  This lessens the risk of a patient developing pressure ulcers.  The railings are designed to allow for a safer patient transfer out of the bed.  And the beds are equipped with a scale allowing patients to be weighed while in bed, no longer necessitating them to be moved in the morning.   This feature improves efficiency for the nursing staff, freeing this time to focus on other aspects of a patient’s care.

The new beds should last 20 years.   The old beds, some over 20 years old, are being recycled and the mattresses are being donated to the Union Gospel Mission in Yakima.

The hospital made an investment of $1.3 million to change out the aging beds—part of Memorial’s commitment to reinvest back into infrastructure that benefit patients. This massive undertaking involved several departments of the hospital – materials management, facilities, environmental services, nursing, transport and security.

The response we’re hearing from patients – they love the new beds and they are much more comfortable than the old ones.

YAKIMA DOCTOR NAMED PHYSICIAN OF THE YEAR BY STATE ORGANIZATION

YAKIMA DOCTOR NAMED PHYSICIAN OF THE YEAR BY STATE ORGANIZATION

Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital is proud to announce that Patrick Waber, MD, has been named Physician of the Year by the Home Care Association of Washington (HCAW). Dr. Waber is the Hospice Medical Director for Memorial and a family practice physician with Apple Valley Family Medicine in Yakima. The staff at Memorial Home Care Services nominated Dr. Waber for this prestigious award.

“Hospice is a team approach and this award recognizes the efforts of the entire team at Memorial,” says Dr. Waber. “It encompasses the physical, spiritual and psychosocial aspect of care which is why I am dedicated to being a part of this in our community. “

“Dr. Waber has been a wonderful asset to Memorial’s hospice program”, says Carolyn Neiswender, Director of Memorial Home Care Services. “Our patients find him incredibly easy to talk with. He supports our staff in our patient care decisions, recognizing each team member as valuable & knowledgeable in our respective roles.”

For Dr. Waber, hospice care is significantly personal. During his fourth year of medical school, his sister was diagnosed with leukemia and subsequently passed away from complications of treatment. Hospice wasn’t an option for her.

“When I look back on that, having appropriate conversations and allowing our family to have guidance and choice would have been extremely helpful during that difficult time. Hospice would have been very beneficial for us,” says Dr. Waber.

Dr. Waber believes hospice is not the end. “It is hope. Hope for care, hope for comfort and hope for good quality of life when we have a life limiting illness. There is so much more that can be done when ‘There is nothing more we can do’”.

Dr. Waber will be honored at the HCAW’s annual conference in Renton on April 26th.

Yakima Health Champion!

Bertha “Lily” Gonzalez, Latino Health Education and Outreach Coordinator for Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, is being recognized by the Washington State Public Health Association as a Health Champion for Exemplary Work Pertinent to American Public Health Association (APHA) Theme for her extensive work to bring attention to Latino health issues and to raise awareness of the need for culturally competent care.

After studying medicine at the University of Guadalajara, Lily relocated to the Yakima Valley with her family. Over the last 16 years, Lily has diligently worked to educate health professionals and medical students on migrant health issues and also provided much needed bilingual health education services to Latino residents. Since 2003, she has had a weekly radio show “Salud en sus Manos” covering topics from obesity and cultural food issues to smoking cessation. Lily has also authored multiple public service announcements, educational materials and articles for El Sol de Yakima, organized quarterly health fairs that reach over 3,000 residents each year and recently initiated a collaborative campaign between Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Centers for Disease Control and Hispanic Access focused on prevention, detection and treatment of breast and colon cancers. Through her work and advocacy, she has become an invaluable community resource.

Congratulations Lily on being named a 2012 Health Champion.
Bertha “Lily” Gonzalez

Safeway employees raise money to support the breast cancer prevention and treatment

Contact: Lori Aoki, Memorial Communications
Cell: 509.654.4320

On Thursday, January 12 at 9:30 am, employees at the Toppenish Safeway, 711 W. First Ave, in Toppenish, will present a check to The Memorial Foundation to support prevention and early detection of breast cancer at ‘Ohana, Memorial’s Mammography Center. The donations come primarily from payroll deductions and contributions made by Safeway employees throughout the Yakima Valley, who specifically chose The Memorial Foundation as their beneficiary of the donations. These combined contributions added up to $79,000 this year.

“We are so appreciative to Safeway for this generous gift and for ensuring that the money they raise stays right here to benefit our local community,” says Diane Patterson, Vice President and Administrator of Imaging Services at Memorial.

WHO: Safeway employees
WHAT: Presenting Check for $79,000 to ‘Ohana, Memorial’s Mammography Center
WHEN: 9:30 a.m., Thursday, January 12, 2012
WHERE: Toppenish Safeway, 711 W. First Ave, in Toppenish

Safeway has been a significant supporter of Breast Cancer awareness, prevention and treatment both at ‘Ohana and Memorial’s North Star Lodge Cancer Center. Support includes funding for equipment, Lymphedema garments, biopsies and follow-up treatment. In addition, Safeway has been a community partner and supporter of programs and services at Hospice, Cottage in the Meadow (the new hospice care facility currently under construction), Children’s Village and Children’s Miracle Network®. Since 2003, Safeway and its employees and customers, have contributed almost $588,000 to health programs and services in our community–$280,615 of which were designated specifically for breast cancer support.

The Memorial Foundation receives over $200,000 to support Children with Special Needs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

Contact: Nicole Donegan, Memorial Communications:

Cell: 509.654.4320

 

The Memorial Foundation receives over $200,000 to support Children with Special Needs

 

YAKIMA- The Memorial Foundation was recently awarded a $204,000 grant from The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to fund planning and development of evidenced based services for children with autism spectrum disorders at Children’s Village.  The grant will also allow further exploration of medical, behavioral  and educational models at Children’s Village and through our community partners such as area school districts.

 

“We are so grateful to The Murdock Charitable Trust for supporting our mission here at Children’s Village,” said Jackie McPhee, Director of Children’s Village.  “This grant will allow us to continue to work with our community partners and build a collaborative network of support for children with special healthcare needs in our community.”

 

McPhee says one in every 110 children suffers from Autism Spectrum Disorder, and an astonishing 30-40% of young children have behavioral, mental health or learning problems.  These disorders cause a wide range of social, emotional, behavioral and communicative disruptions.  Early intervention services provided by Children’s Village are at the forefront of innovation to have a significant impact on children’s early learning experiences.

 

“What is unique about Children’s Village is that we are able to bring in resources and specialists from not only our community, but throughout the northwest to evaluate children right here in Yakima,” said McPhee.  “This funding will now help us expand our reach from beyond the walls of our facility, further into the community– into family homes across our valley–and support the transition of children into local school classrooms.”

 

This is the fourth time since Children’s Village opened in 1997 that The Murdock Trust has provided funding for vital programs and expansion at the Village.  Just two years ago in 2009, they granted $230,000 to the Children’s Village Capital Campaign.

Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital Wins Consumer Choice Award

News Release
12/02/11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Nicole Donegan, Memorial Communications: 509.574.5922
Cell: 509.654.4320

Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital Wins Consumer Choice Award

YAKIMA –National Research Corporation (NRC) has named Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital a winner of their 2011/2012 Consumer Choice Award for the third year in a row. Chosen by consumers, the award identifies hospitals having the highest quality and image in over 300 markets throughout the Country. The winners were featured in the October issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.

“We are honored that our community has selected Memorial as their hospital of Choice,” says Rick Linneweh, President and CEO of Memorial. “With this recognition, we again re-dedicate ourselves to the mission of quality care in a safe environment with state-of-the-art medicine. Our community deserves nothing less.”

For over 16 years, NRC has awarded hospitals whose consumers have recognized them for providing the highest quality healthcare. Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company’s Ticker survey. This study surveys over 250,000 households representing over 450,000 consumers in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia. From the households surveyed, 3,200 consumer named hospitals are analyzed and ranked based on their Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, with the winning facilities being ranked the highest.

Susan L. Henricks, President and Chief Operating Officer at NRC, said “The Consumer Choice Award provides a benchmark for consumers to show how important quality healthcare is to them and to their families.”

“Consumers are taking a more proactive role in their healthcare decisions and demanding higher quality. In a constantly changing healthcare industry, consumer perception is becoming more and more vital to the success of all hospitals,” Henricks said. “At NRC, we know it is imperative to learn from the patient’s experience in order to improve the quality of care. The Consumer Choice Award recognizes those facilities that are meeting or exceeding the needs of consumers – their patients.”

NRC’s Ticker Survey is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study measures hospital performance and preferences and contains more consumer responses than NRC’s study. ###

News Release…. November 15 is the Big Give Day

News Release…. November 15 is the Big Give Day–The one day that will make a difference every day! Just $20 can make a difference in the life of someone with special health care needs. GFollow the link below or call 965-2515 to make a donation.
View our press release

Shoulder Dystocia training comes to Yakima

Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital partnered with Swedish Medical Center’s Gossman Center and Physician’s Insurance to bring specialized training for Shoulder Dystocia to maternal medical teams in Yakima.
Contact:  Nicole Donegan
Communications and Marketing
(509) 654-4320

NicoleDonegan@yvmh.org

 

 

Yakima—Shoulder dystocia is one of the most anxiety-provoking emergencies encountered by physicians practicing maternity care. That’s why Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital partnered with Swedish Medical Center’s Gossman Center and Physician’s Insurance to bring specialized training for shoulder dystocia to maternal medical teams in Yakima.  Shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby gets lodged behind the mother’s pelvic bone in the birth canal.  Without resolution within two-to-three minutes, the baby could face long term disability or even death.  The training for obstetric physicians and nurses was held at Memorial on November 1, 2 and 3.  The training offered hands-on experience with a lifelike birthing mannequin–known as Noelle.  The teams role-played various scenarios and learned how calm and effective management of shoulder dystocia could reduce injuries to both the baby and the mother.

“Most people don’t realize how serious shoulder dystocia is, because it isn’t terribly common,” said Carl Olden, MD, board-certified family medicine physician and Medical Director at Memorial.  “The problem is that it is nearly impossible to predict when it will occur—which means physicians need to be prepared to react quickly in each and every birth.”

More than just practicing technique, the key component of the simulation drills was the opportunity for physicians and nurses to work on their communication skills—alerting the team, without upsetting the mother.

“Communication is always important when responding to an emergency birth complication,” said Olden.  “Not only with each other, but also the mother, who is in pain and scared for her baby.  This training allowed the physicians and nurses to train together and learn to show a united team front, so the mother can focus on the safe delivery of her baby.”

This type of training is especially important at Memorial.  As one of only four perinatal centers in the State, and the only one located in south Central Washington, Memorial’s Family Birth Place delivers an average of 3,100 babies per year. While shoulder dystocia is rather infrequent (occurring in less than 1% of all births), preparation for any possible birthing complication is paramount.

It’s also comforting to know that if birth complications arise, Memorial is a Perinatal center-of-excellence, offering specialty care for a number of at-risk infants.  Nurses estimate that more than a third of the babies treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Memorial were born to parents who expected a healthy delivery, and did not anticipate that they might need extra care and skilled nursing.

Memorial frequently takes an active role in bringing educational opportunities to Obstetric and Family Medicine practitioners in Yakima. For instance, every month Memorial hosts Perinatal physicians from the University of Washington to offer special “Grand Rounds” education on the latest in Obstetric care.

Partnering with other groups that want to improve maternal and infant health, like Physician’s Insurance and Swedish Medical Center’s Gossman Center, is just another way Memorial is ensuring the best care for our most vulnerable residents in Yakima.

Yakima—Shoulder dystocia is one of the most anxiety-provoking emergencies encountered by physicians practicing maternity care. That’s why Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital partnered with Swedish Medical Center’s Gossman Center and Physician’s Insurance to bring specialized training for shoulder dystocia to maternal medical teams in Yakima. Shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby gets lodged behind the mother’s pelvic bone in the birth canal. Without resolution within two-to-three minutes, the baby could face long term disability or even death. The training for obstetric physicians and nurses was held at Memorial on November 1, 2 and 3. The training offered hands-on experience with a lifelike birthing mannequin–known as Noelle. The teams role-played various scenarios and learned how calm and effective management of shoulder dystocia could reduce injuries to both the baby and the mother.
“Most people don’t realize how serious shoulder dystocia is, because it isn’t terribly common,” said Carl Olden, MD, board-certified family medicine physician and Medical Director at Memorial. “The problem is that it is nearly impossible to predict when it will occur—which means physicians need to be prepared to react quickly in each and every birth.”
More than just practicing technique, the key component of the simulation drills was the opportunity for physicians and nurses to work on their communication skills—alerting the team, without upsetting the mother.
“Communication is always important when responding to an emergency birth complication,” said Olden. “Not only with each other, but also the mother, who is in pain and scared for her baby. This training allowed the physicians and nurses to train together and learn to show a united team front, so the mother can focus on the safe delivery of her baby.”
This type of training is especially important at Memorial. As one of only four perinatal centers in the State, and the only one located in south Central Washington, Memorial’s Family Birth Place delivers an average of 3,100 babies per year. While shoulder dystocia is rather infrequent (occurring in less than 1% of all births), preparation for any possible birthing complication is paramount.
It’s also comforting to know that if birth complications arise, Memorial is a Perinatal center-of-excellence, offering specialty care for a number of at-risk infants. Nurses estimate that more than a third of the babies treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Memorial were born to parents who expected a healthy delivery, and did not anticipate that they might need extra care and skilled nursing.
Memorial frequently takes an active role in bringing educational opportunities to Obstetric and Family Medicine practitioners in Yakima. For instance, every month Memorial hosts Perinatal physicians from the University of Washington to offer special “Grand Rounds” education on the latest in Obstetric care.
Partnering with other groups that want to improve maternal and infant health, like Physician’s Insurance and Swedish Medical Center’s Gossman Center, is just another way Memorial is ensuring the best care for our most vulnerable residents in Yakima.

March of Dimes Helps Fund Memorial’s Childbirth and You Program

Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital is implementing new childbirth education classes and expanding existing programs with help from funding through the March of Dimes. The Memorial Foundation was awarded a Chapter Community grant of $20,000 for the childbirth education program. Only three Chapter Community grants are given in Washington State each year by the March of Dimes.
The Childbirth education classes will emphasize education, health and fitness, and preparing mothers for birth. Other childbirth education classes that Memorial will be hosting are Comenzado Bien, a prenatal curriculum for Spanish speaking women, Young & Pregnant, Supporting Your Teen and Prenatal Yoga. Memorial will also be working in collaboration with Stanton Academy, an alternative high school with a high percentage of teen mothers.
“These new programs are targeted for low-income and minority women who are at risk of experiencing disparities in health,” says Bertha Lopez, Outreach Manager of the Memorial Community Education Program. “We are so grateful to the March of Dimes for helping us offer these programs—in both English and Spanish—so these new families have a better chance in life.”
Memorial also received one of six, $5,000 March of Dimes Hospital Based Perinatal Quality Improvement grants for their efforts to eliminate elective births before the 39th week of pregnancy. Research has shown that births before the 39th week without a medical or obstetrical reason can lead to increased complications with the baby’s health.
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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.

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