Preliminary design for additional space in new hospital that has been enabled by WaNIC funding.

The Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Board approved a partnership with Washington Network for Innovative Careers during the May 2 meeting. The network plans to fund construction of additional space in the new hospital to be shared by the hospital and WaNIC.

The State Legislature awarded the money to pay for the project, which will allow area high school students to train in the healthcare field. Details of the curriculum are in development, but the programs are expected to award some form of certification and / or college credit. WaNIC is a coalition of seven public school districts, including the Snoqualmie Valley School District that provides career-oriented educational programs for high school juniors and seniors.

Since the hospital district will own the building, we will be able to utilize the space, whenever it’s not in use, for nurse training, computer training and meetings. This space includes a classroom, computer lab, flex labs for the Medical Imaging, Rehab, and Pharmacy programs and a simulator lab that will recreate the environment of a patient room, including a simulated patient, for training.

SVHD and WaNIC have been partnering with educational programs at the Lake Washington Institute of Technology campus in Kirkland for several years.

“We support their Medical Assistant program and Certified Nursing Assistant program,” Philip Koziol, Registration and Education Manager for SVHD, said. “WaNIC funds the time these District employees spend teaching in the program.”

Locating the center in the Valley offers many benefits to the community. It opens the opportunity to a larger number of local students pursuing health careers by removing the burden of traveling out of the area. Also, because the duration of post-high-school education is reduced, the cost of that education – and any associated debt burden – is also reduced. The hospital and the community in general will benefit because we will have the opportunity to fill vacant positions from a larger pool of qualified candidates, which will provide career options for local residents who want to remain in the area.

Plans are underway for the building design and layout to make the best use of the space while staying within the budget. WaNIC hopes to begin construction of the building in conjunction with the new hospital facility late next year.

For more information about the new hospital facility, go to: Hospital Relocation

Chris Fagan, founder of SparkFire Inc.

Register now for the June Lunch and Learn class to be held at noon Thursday, June 6 at the Snoqualmie Fire Station. This month’s topic, The Creative Connection, explores how exercise, play and mindfulness connect to your health and creativity.

Research shows that there are strong psychological and physiological benefits of exercise, play and mindfulness – going beyond stress reduction to enhancing your ability to problem-solve and create. Learn why creative thinking is one of the most important skills to succeed in the 21st century. Find out how you can increase your mental clarity, focus, and creative output with a few simple strategies.

Chris Fagan, Founder and President of SparkFire, has been immersed in the creativity and innovation field for more than two decades. Through her interactive presentation style and engaging personality, Chris leaves audiences feeling energized — ready to embrace fresh perspectives and innovative ideas in work, and in life. Chris works with well-­known companies – General Mills, Kraft, AT&T, Dial, Hallmark, History Channel, and more – as well as startups and entrepreneurs. Learn more at www.sparkfireinc.com.

Seating is limited, so register now by clicking here: Register for Lunch and Learn

SVH Speech Pathologists Britney Garman and Yvette Artman

Most people associate Speech Pathologists, formerly Speech Therapists, with childhood articulation problems or adult therapy following a stroke.  Speech Pathologists certainly work with these populations, but there is much more in our scope of practice.

Areas we evaluate and treat when appropriate, include language, speech, accent reduction, voice, cognition, swallowing, stuttering and alternative/augmentative communication.

Here are the most common speech disorders we evaluate and treat at Snoqualmie Valley Hospital:

Aphasia – The inability or decreased ability to understand others or express oneself; the decreased ability to interpret and use language for communication. Difficulties may occur with speaking, listening/comprehending, reading or writing. Treatment options can include teaching alternative ways to communicate and treatment to improve the areas of difficulty.

Apraxia -The decreased ability or inability to position the lips, tongue or vocal folds to produce various sounds for speech resulting not from weakness but from the inability of the brain to plan the motor movements of the lips and tongue.  It is as if the speech signal from the brain is interrupted on its way to the mouth.  A person with apraxia may know what he or she wants to say but cannot produce the correct sounds for each word. Treatment includes relearning the sounds that are most difficult for the patient to pronounce, using song or automatic speech to increase speech production and using alternative or “non-speech” methods to communicate.

Dysarthria -The decreased ability to produce clear, understandable speech; frequently called slurred speech.  Dysarthria is the result of weakness or incoordination of one or more of the following speech systems: articulation, phonation (the ability to voice), respiration, resonance (the ability to direct air for speech out mouth or nose) and prosody (the rhythm and inflection of speech).

Cognition -The thinking skills; the mental functions of the brain, the skills that allow us to function independently in our daily lives.  These include attention/concentration, memory, problem solving, reasoning, judgment, and visual spatial construction (problems with depth perception, difficulty drawing or copying, math deficits and visual neglect).

Dysphagia or swallowing problems – A decreased ability to chew and /or swallow food, liquid or saliva; structures include the lips, tongue, teeth, mouth, throat, and esophagus. This can be the result of stroke, brain injury, surgery neurological diseases or injury to the throat.  Evaluation is done at the bedside or with a Modified Barium Swallow Study when indicated.

Our Speech Pathologists work to improve the quality of life for patients in order to facilitate the safest discharge possible.

For more information about rehabilitation at Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, go to: Rehab Services.

Sue Mocker

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District’s Lunch and Learn, noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 2, presents The Cycle of Hope with speaker Sue Mocker. Sue is an Inspirational Speaker and Hope Consultant.

She has been teaching, speaking and conducting workshops and seminars for more than 25 years. She is the author of the book The Hope Factor: Developing Leadership, Resilience and Strength to Overcome Your Life Adversities, which will publish in the fall of 2013.

The cycle of hope explores how identifying your feelings builds trust and understanding in relationships. Sue will discuss how hope factors into our relationships.

Building relationships develops trust and loyalty, which leads to hope. Join us to hear how we can build trust and grow a community of hope.

The class is open to the public and held at Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway. Admission and lunch is free. Space is limited, so register early.

To sign up, go to May Lunch and Learn registration.

Kasey George, age 5, and Sophia Robison, age 6, plant pinwheels at the Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic to show the hospital district’s commitment to healthy child development in our community.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness of child maltreatment and how to prevent it in our community.

The Washington State Department of Early Learning uses pinwheels to represent its campaign to urge people to learn more about prevention and supporting children and their families.

“The health and well-being of our children is all of our concern,” Dr. Ronald Spiegel, Pediatrician at Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic, said. “Medical providers rely on community members to report any treatment of a child they see that is concerning or inappropriate.”

Child maltreatment is any type of abuse or neglect of a child under the age of 18 that results in harm or injury. There are four common types of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional and neglect or abandonment.

Maltreatment causes stress in children that can affect school, family life, physical and mental health.

“The goal is to stop child maltreatment before it starts,” Spiegel said. “The best way to prevent it is to seek help if you’re feeling overwhelmed by circumstances in your life, including financial worries, marital problems and substance abuse. Counseling and community programs can help prevent things from escalating to the level of maltreatment.”

Local programs to prevent child abuse and neglect also improve parent-child relationships and provide parents with social support. A few local support organizations include LifeWire, Encompass and Friends of Youth.

“We live in a great area with lots of family activities, good schools and excellent support systems to help in stressful times,” Spiegel said. “Our Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic providers are available through our call service 24 hours a day to help steer people towards the support they may need.”

Each type of child abuse comes with its own unique symptoms. It’s up to adults who are in a position to notice recurring symptoms of abuse, to act before the situation escalates.

If you suspect a child may be mistreated, call your medical provider, Child Protective Services or the police.

Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic is located at 35020 S.E. Kinsey St., Snoqualmie. Go to Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic or call 425-396-7682 for more information.

Elizabeth Lilly, OT, Lauren Sheehan, OT, and Susan Lord, OT Assistant, at SVH. (not pictured: Janna Stombaugh, Nan Krueger, and Jana Garcia)

To celebrate the importance of occupational therapists and assistants and the services they provide, April is designated as Occupational Therapy Month.

Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants are healthcare practitioners who use evidence-based practice and a holistic perspective to help patients regain the skills they need to live as independently as possible.  You will find us everywhere from neonatal units to acute rehab and mental health facilities.

At SVH, we help our patients get beyond problems to the solutions that assure living life to its fullest.

In a typical day, we may teach a patient with a new hip replacement how to use equipment to dress, assess their ability to return to driving and complete a home safety assessment. We might also use neuromuscular re-education techniques to help a stroke patient re-learn how to dress themselves or cut vegetables with only one functioning arm. We may teach energy conservation and self-pacing skills to enable a patient to complete their self-care tasks despite reduced capacity.

We work to help our patients regain functional use of their upper body and arms using a wide variety of strengthening and range of motion exercise techniques.

Home Safety Assessments are offered to all Swing Bed patients, which the majority of our patients eagerly accept.  As Occupational Therapy Practitioners, our work with the patients gives us the knowledge and perspective needed to make recommendations for a safe and successful return home or to transition to a new living situation.

This involves visiting the home with the patient and making recommendations, such as adding lighting, placement for new grab bars, removing throw rugs, widening doorways, adding a handrail or providing the specifications needed for building an entry ramp. This assessment allows the patient and family the peace of mind to return home knowing that their environment supports their recovery.

Besides the Swing Bed Program, Occupational Therapy is also available in our outpatient clinic to provide continued home and community training after they have transitioned home. An individual who has had a stroke may encounter additional challenges with their daily activities upon returning home. We problem-solve these activities and provide structure for continued practice of challenging activities.

This might include cooking, household activities and higher level tasks such as planning and organizing a client’s day. The goal of all aspects of occupational therapy is to assist individuals with returning to independent and productive lives and ultimately, meeting their personal goals.

For more information about rehabilitation services at Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, go to: Rehabilitation Services.

Genada Lynn walks on a treadmill during rehab therapy at Snoqualmie Valley Hospital.

I was asked to call the hospital to see if they would provide a speaker for my senior fellowship group at Mt. Si Lutheran Church. Sue Mocker, the Hospital Programs Coordinator, came out multiple times to teach us about the services the hospital provides, including the Swing Bed Program. She also askedKaren LaJambe, one of their medical providers, to come talk to us about strokes.

Little did I know, I would need hip surgery a few months later. After my surgery, I requested to be transferred to Snoqualmie Valley Hospital’s Swing Bed Program for my rehabilitation.

It was the happiest place. Everyone talked to me. When anyone walked into my room they would ask me how I’m doing. They really treated me like family. I was blessed with a wonderful roommate. Someone checked on us every hour or so and the doctor came every day to see me.

Volunteers would come play the piano and I was invited to go watch and listen. It was fun to go to the Day Room where we ate community meals together. I enjoyed talking with everyone and hearing their stories. The hospital’s soups and salads were wonderful.

One thing that really stuck out to me was each time I had to use the bathroom there was a button to press when I was finished. They cleaned my bathroom after each use. I thought—this hospital cares not only for me, but everyone else too.

I had to go to what I called the ‘evil den’ where they would have me do exercises like climbing the stairs. They were with me the entire time encouraging me, but it was hard work.

When I was strong enough to go home, I transitioned out of the hospital into the hospital’s outpatient rehab. The hospital has complimentary transportation. The van came right on time and picked me up and brought me to my outpatient rehab appointments and dropped me off right at my front door. I had two therapists that oversaw my medical needs. They each had good communication and problem-solving skills. It made me feel good because I knew they were paying attention, and I liked how they explained to me in detail the reasons why I was doing a particular exercise.

I have full strength now and can go up and down the stairs in my two-story home and can drive my car. I do my stretches every day so I can stay pain free and mobile.

The hospital is close to my house so it is easy to have my doctors refer me there for tests such as blood work or medical imaging. That is the blessing of having a community hospital.

The hospital communicated results and status updates to my other doctors. I told my specialist I received perfect care. My specialist was amazed with my strength and recovery and highly approved of my therapy. My primary care doctor knew everything that had happened to me every day and she was prepared and knowledgeable when I had follow-up appointments with her.

I have never experienced such care. It’s nice to live in a small town and have super healthcare available. When you get old, all you need is someone to care like they do. We are very lucky.

SVH volunteer Jessica Graves volunteers a few hours per week.

Congratulations to Snoqualmie Valley Hospital volunteer, Jessica Graves, for winning this year’s Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship. She is a senior at Mt. Si High School and has volunteered with Snoqualmie Valley Hospital since July 2010.

“Jessica is a real go-getter,” Shawn Boynton, Volunteer Services Director with Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District, said. “She will be successful in whatever she chooses. She’s done more in her life already than most adults do in their lifetime.”

Graves plans is to attend the University of Washington and pursue a career as a nurse anesthetist.

Last year, she was selected by the Western Washington Area Health Education Center as a Project H.O.P.E. (Health Occupations Preparatory Experience) intern for Snoqualmie Valley Hospital.

The Project H.O.P.E. program provides opportunities for high school students to explore healthcare careers through summer internships in their local community.

Through Project H.O.P.E., she worked with Rachel Weber, Director of Nursing for the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, to update the Emergency Department patient lobby with new and current educational materials and posters.  She collected and displayed information from various state departments, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention King County Public Health for patients.

Her other projects have included creating an Oxygen Delivery Services visual training tool for the nurses and working on a project for SVH occupational therapists. For this project, she gathered community resources for on mobility equipment and adaptive devices like grab bars and wheelchair ramps for seniors.

Graves also acted as secretary for the Community Action Group meetings last year where she greeted guests and wrote and typed the meeting minutes.  She also volunteered at several Lunch and Learn classes, where she helped with set-up and greeted guests.

“We are honored to have Jessica on our team and wish her the very best with her academic endeavors,” Boynton said.

Learn more about the volunteer program by emailing Shawn Boynton, Volunteer Coordinator, at shawnb@snoqualmiehospital.org, calling 425-831-3422, or going to Volunteer Page.

Eric Kaltenbacher

The Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Foundation hired Eric Kaltenbacher as the new Executive Director. Kaltenbacher brings 4 years of volunteer program management, fundraising and local government experience to the position.

He has a Master of Public Administration from Seattle University, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Oregon and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington. In addition, he completed two management internships with the City of Snoqualmie in City Management and Finance.

“I had the advantage of seeing Eric’s work first-hand during his internships,” Jim Schaffer, Board President of the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Foundation, said. “He has excellent attention to detail, is hard-working and has the job experience and education to make him a good fit for the Foundation Director.”

As the Executive Director, Kaltenbacher will plan fundraising programs and special events, manage a grant-writing program and develop ways to increase the number of financial donors. Over the years, the Foundation has raised money for an Affordable Access voucher program, which provides scholarships for people who don’t have money for health care. They have also funded Lunch and Learn classes and awarded scholarships for students pursuing a medical career.

“I’m excited about this opportunity to work with the Foundation Board, community members and local leaders to increase awareness about the Foundation and the Hospital District,” Kaltenbacher said.

Kaltenbacher replaces Kim Arellano who was the Director for the past two years. Arellano resigned to focus on her business, Workforce Evolution, earn a PhD in Organizational Systems Transformation and spend more time with her family.

“There are so many exciting things happening with the Foundation and the Hospital District right now,” Arellano said. “I knew I didn’t have the time needed to accomplish the Foundation goals. Even though I am pursuing other avenues, I will help out in any way I can.”

For more information about the Foundation, go to Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Foundation or email  erick@snoqualmiehospital.org.

PSE truck brings utilities to the new Snoqualmie Valley Hospital site.

You may have noticed construction work just west of Snoqualmie Parkway, near I-90 and Highway 18. This is the site for the new Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, scheduled to open in early 2014. Once completed, the 70,000 square feet facility will be more than twice the size of the existing hospital.

So what is the reason for the move?

“In the last 30 years, the highways have shifted away from the current location, making it more hidden and difficult to access,” Jim Grafton, Capital Projects Manager for Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District, said. “In addition, the site itself has multiple environmentally sensitive zones that constrain expansion to the existing structure.”

The new two-story plus basement building will expand from the current 14 inpatient rooms to 25, in a location that is more visible and convenient to access. The project will also permit the enlargement of departments, including emergency department, lab, medical imaging and outpatient rehabilitation services.

Work began in early 2011 with clearing and grading of the land. Wet utility work, including water, sewer and storm water work, began in October 2012 and is complete.

Dry utility work, such as electrical, data and natural gas, is now underway. For the past two weeks, Comcast and PSE have been bringing utilities to the site so they can be connected. The next step will be surface improvements, including the curbing, sidewalks and the first layer of asphalt to make the site ready for the building.

The existing hospital will remain open at 9575 Ethan Wade Way (just off Meadowbrook Way between downtown Snoqualmie and the casino) throughout the construction project, which means there will be no disruption of service or patient care.

For more information about the hospital relocation, go to Hospital Relocation