impact advancing health care
through philanthropy
Fall 2015
OUT OF THE DARKNESS
How Swedish and the community are improving access to mental health care
Donations help patients navigate toward better heart health
from the TOP
impact advancing health care
Creating a healthy and vibrant community through convenient mental health care Each year, hundreds of thousands of people entrust us with their health care needs. Patients come to us from all over the Northwest seeking care for everything from a broken arm, to management of their diabetes, to receiving the best, most personalized cancer care available. But what about your mental health care needs? Do you think of Swedish or your health care provider when it comes to your mental health needs? Historically, access to mental-health care in the United States has been confusing, difficult to navigate, and under resourced with a mental-health system that operates mostly outside the health-care system. At Swedish, we believe in treating both your physical health and mental health needs as one. Over the last few years, we have been working to build a comprehensive behavioral health care program that provides patients with the right care, at the right place for the best value. Now, thanks to the generosity of donors like you, patients at Swedish can access counseling services in our network of clinics across the Greater Puget Sound area. And if more robust mental health care is needed, we can help with that, too. As one of our extraordinary caregivers, Philip Capp, M.D., says in our feature story for this issue, “We don’t accept half-treated high blood pressure or half-treated diabetes. We should not accept under-treated or untreated mental illness either.” I could not agree more with Dr. Capp’s passionate statement. With your help, we are improving access to behavioral health care by implementing innovative solutions at every level of care to help our patients be well, both physically and mentally. Thank you for sharing our passion to live in a healthy and vibrant community. Warmest regards,
through philanthropy
Swedish Medical Center Foundation Fall 2015 Volume 7, Issue 2
EDITOR Kristen Grey Sanders ASST. EDITOR Matt Vivion DESIGNER Angela Bogdanovich Turk FEATURE WRITER Susan Allen CONTRIBUTING Jennifer Schaefer WRITER FEATURE Mary Kalhor, PHOTOGRAPHER Bella Life Portraits CONTRIBUTING Gigantic Planet PHOTOGRAPHERS Radford Creative Mark Sanders, LiftDigital Ben VanHouten, VanHouten Photography, Inc. Karin Wilcox, Bella Life Portraits
impact advancing health care
through philanthropy
Fall 2015
OUT OF THE DARKNESS
-How Swedish and the community are improving access to mental health care
Donations help patients navigate toward better heart health
ON THE COVER Anthony A. Armada, FACHE Chief Executive Officer Swedish Health Services
A community of caring individuals has made a commitment to improve access to mental health services. And Swedish has taken the lead and helped patients like Shannon Otto get the care they need. Read the feature story on page 6.
IMPACT magazine provides you with the latest information about Swedish’s services, events, health care, medical topics, and activities of Swedish Medical Center Foundation and its supporters. IMPACT is published as a community service by Swedish. Please address questions or comments to impact magazine@swedish.org, 206-386-2738, or IMPACT editor, Swedish Medical Center Foundation, 747 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122-4307.
I M P A C T FA L L 2 015
CONTENTS
FALL
For additional content and information or ways to give, visit www.swedishfoundation.org
2015
To receive our e-newsletter with information about Foundation news and events, register online at www.swedishfoundation.org/subscribe
3
Capsules 2
Caring for our tiniest patients
A promise to care for all
Swedish and its donors help bring care to those who need it most
14
New hope to those affected by ovarian cancer SummeRun participants and donors help fund promising new research that could lead to better outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer
Donations help bring Level II specialty-care nursery to Swedish Ballard
5
Honoring a life well-lived In 1994, Judy Chermak gave her longtime partner, Frank, one of her kidneys. Two decades later, she donates to Swedish to honor Frank’s memory and to help other transplant patients in need.
Feature 6
Out of the darkness The community’s commitment to eliminating the stigma around mental illness and an innovative approach to providing mental health services give patients new hope
Foundation News 12
Navigating toward better heart health Generous donors, including the John L. Locke Jr. Charitable Trust, are enhancing patient care and experience at Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute
With the right diagnosis and appropriate mental-health therapy, TJ and Nat’s mom, Shannon, is able to experience the joys of life.
Page 6
New moms who have a newborn requiring the services of a Level II nursery can now stay close to their babies after delivery at Swedish Ballard.
Strong beginnings With the help of donors, Swedish Ballard opens Level II Nursery.
T
his spring, Swedish Ballard expanded the services offered to its tiniest patients by opening a new Level II specialty-care nursery, joining the Level II nursery that opened in Issaquah in 2013. The new nursery gives premature babies born as early as 34 weeks the care they need — including feeding support, intravenous therapy and supplemental oxygen — at the hospital where they were born, close to their families. Previously, infants born at Swedish Ballard who needed specialized care were transferred to First Hill. “Our goal is to provide the best care
A legacy of support
for the Ballard community at their local Swedish Ballard hospital,” says R. Guy Hudson, M.D., executive director of Pediatrics for Swedish Health Services. “The new nursery allows newborns with a higher level of complexity to receive their care at Swedish Ballard, and permits new moms who have a newborn requiring the services of a Level II nursery to be able to stay close to their babies after delivery.” Located on the fifth floor near the Labor & Delivery unit, the nursery features eight beds for premature infants, as well as those who are ill or require specialized monitoring, receive support from a multidis-
ciplinary team made up of neonatal registered nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, social workers, care managers, lactation consultants, and child-life specialists. In 2 013, the number of births at Swedish Ballard passed 1,000 for the first time, an indication of the neighborhood’s thriving population. The number of births was expected to continue to grow in the coming years. In addition to the community at-large, the new nursery will benefit a unique local population — participants in the Chemically Using Pregnant Women (CUPW) program, which focuses on healthy pregnancy outcomes by providing inpatient detoxification and rehabilitation services to pregnant women who are using alcohol and drugs. “Having the newborn nursery here in Ballard allows new moms who are working on their own sobriety to remain close to their newborn babies,” says James Walsh, M.D., medical director of Addiction Recovery Services and the CUPW program. Former Swedish Ballard Chief Executive and Nurse Executive Jennifer Graves (now chief executive at Swedish Edmonds) championed the Level II nursery at Ballard. “It’s our hope that the Level II nursery will inspire confidence in each and every expecting mother who comes to Swedish Ballard, especially those more likely to have high-risk pregnancies,” says Graves. i To learn more about supporting Level II care by donating to the Ballard or Issaquah nurseries, contact Jodie Miner, vice president, Swedish Medical Center Foundation, at 206-386-6791 or Jodie. Miner@swedish.org.
“The new nursery was made possible by the combined efforts of our team here at Swedish and the dedicated members of our community,” says Jennifer Graves, former Swedish Ballard chief executive and nurse executive (and current chief executive at Swedish Edmonds), who championed the Level II nursery. Donors include James Walsh, M.D., medical director of Addiction Recovery Services and the CUPW program at Swedish Ballard, who pledged $25,000; and the Swedish Ballard Auxiliary, which contributed $70,000. The Ballard Auxiliary’s donation was the latest in a long history of financial contributions from the group, which was founded to support Ballard Community Hospital, created in 1928 and purchased by Swedish in 1992. “In the earliest days, members were known as knuckleknockers because they went door to door gathering donations,” says Ballard Auxiliary president Rene Brisendine, who joined the group more than 24 years ago. “Today we raise money by having garage sales, bazaars — that sort of thing.” Of donating to the nursery, Brisendine says the Auxiliary appreciated the chance to support such a worthwhile venture as keeping newborns needing specialty care united with their mothers.
2
I M P A C T FA L L 2 015
Community benefits: Swedish and its donors help bring care to those who need it most Swedish is committed to reinvesting in the community and caring for all.
A
nteus Parker was getting used to his new role as the campus, whose goal is to provide the best educational environyoung father of an infant son when the unthinkable ment to maximize residents’ ability to achieve their full potenhappened: While putting his son in the car, he slipped tial as family-medicine physicians; and the Teen Health Center, a partnership between Swedish and Seattle’s Ballard High School and broke his leg. The injury was a spiral fracture — “a common injury, but that provides students with access to physical- and mentalhealth services at school. In 2014, one where it’s extremely hard the community donated nearly to get back to where you used to be,” says Anteus. “It put into $1 million through the annual perspective the question of ‘Can Destination Swedish fundraisI take care of my son?’ It’s hard ing event to support these three to take care of an infant, and programs alone. doing it on one leg seemed alAs a nonprofit health-care most impossible.” provider, from its earliest days Seeking help, Anteus conSwedish has had a commitment tacted the Swedish Commuto care for everyone who comes nity Specialty Clinic (SCSC), through its doors, regardless of whose volunteer staff of more their ability to pay, says Sherry than 300 caregivers provides Elane Williams, MPA, Swedish’s specialty services at no cost to community engagement director. low-income, underinsured and Partnerships with a variety of uninsured patients through a local agencies, including the partnership with King County American Cancer Society, the Project Access. It turned out to American Heart Association be the best decision he could and the National Multiple ScleSingle dad Anteus Parker received essential services at the SCSC have made. rosis Society, help strengthen after breaking his leg. “The clinic did my surgery this commitment. Other partfor me, and did a very good job,” nerships help provide health BY THE NUMBERS says Anteus. What’s more, “They and wellness screenings, jobIn 2014, Swedish and its donors funded the following community benefits: made sure that I was healing training and educational opporproperly, so I could focus on tunities for students and teens, Free and discounted medical care for patients in need being a father.” He adds, “I’m community psychiatric care and $20,560,363 extremely grateful that I’m in services for homebound seniors, Community health, grants and donations a position now — healthy — says Williams. $5,679,739 where I can look back on things “Swedish is committed to givEducation and research programs and say, without their help, I ing back to the community in a $30,187,713 never would have had that opporvariety of different ways,” says tunity to be as good a father as I Williams. “We want community Subsidized services (including clinical and social services) am now.” members to see us as a partner $4,576,548 The SCSC is one of several in their health care. Collaboracommunity-benefit programs funded by Swedish, with the help tions with nonprofit organizations can help improve access to care of generous donors in our community. In 2014, Swedish pro- and the overall health of the community, before people get sick.” i vided more than $133 million in services to people in need, including more than $20 million in free and discounted medical To learn more about supporting Swedish’s community-benefit care, as well as to health-related research and education programs. programs, contact Duncan Robinson, associate director, major In addition to the SCSC, two other programs that receive gifts, Swedish Medical Center Foundation, at 206-386-3527 or support are the Family Medicine Residency at the Cherry Hill Duncan.Robinson@swedish.org. w w w. s w e d i s h f o u n d a t i o n . o r g
3
Swedish Organ Transplant and Liver Center is on the move
Donations helped the Swedish Organ Transplant and Liver Center expand services and grow into a new space in the 1st Hill Medical Pavilion.
Donations help organ program relocate to a roomier space on First Hill.
I
n the time it takes you to read this article, at least one person will be added to the national organ-transplant waiting list. Just as the need for transplants continues to grow, Swedish’s Organ Transplant programs are poised for new growth, and will become able to help even more people in need of an organ transplant, thanks to its July 20 move into a larger space — a move that was made possible by donor support. The program’s new home is the recently renovated 1st Hill Medical Pavilion in Seattle. The roomier space will enable the transplant program to “expand all our services, including hepatology, hepatobiliary and transplant,” says the program’s director, Marquis Hart, M.D., as well as 4
I M P A C T FA L L 2 015
services such as TeleHealth, living-donor outreach, patient education and assistance, and hepatitis C screening. Swedish has a long history of performing kidney transplants and has provided more than 2,000 since its first transplant in 1972. Today Swedish’s kidney transplant program is one of only seven in the Pacific Northwest. In December, the program made the news when it participated in a three-way regional paired exchange between Northwest transplant centers (Swedish and Oregon Health & Science University), which involved the transport of living donor kidneys between Portland, Ore., and Seattle. Exchanges among strangers, such as this one, are win-win situations for all involved, says the program’s director, Lisa Florence,
M.D. “A family member or friend might be willing to donate a kidney to their loved one in need, but cannot because of blood or tissue incompatibility. Sometimes another potential donor has the same problem.” She adds that several Swedish services, such as the Benevolent Community Donor Program and the Kidney Paired Exchange Program, help solve this dilemma. The Swedish Organ Transplant program also performs pancreas and liver transplants, with about 80 percent of the former being done at the same time as an accompanying kidney transplant. The Swedish Liver Center, under the leadership of its director, Anne M. Larson, M.D., has seen a significant increase in outpatient referrals since it opened in 2011 —
from 31 the first year to 1,800 expected referrals in 2015. Swedish also performed its first liver transplant in 2009, becoming one of just four liver transplant programs serving the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Larson, along with Oren Fix, M.D., medical director of liver transplant, and Kris Kowdley, M.D., director of the Swedish Liver Care Network, work together closely to provide comprehensive hepatology care and effectively manage patients with liver disease. In 2012, the liver transplant program became able to benefit even more patients when it received approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for participation in the Medicare program. Following an on-site evaluation the team passed with 100 percent compliance. The program’s reach will only continue to grow, thanks to Dr. Larson’s recent negotiation of the first partnership of the new Swedish Liver Care Network, with our sister hospital, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Under Dr. Kowdley’s leadership the Liver Care Network will grow to span Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Dr. Hart says the new space also features a research lab that will enable the program to expand its current research efforts. This will include both clinical trials and laboratory studies, as well as the development of liver, kidney and pancreas registries to archive pre- and posttreatment tissue samples, enhancing research into diagnosis and treatment. He emphasizes it is the generous donors in our community who provide the transplant program with the financial support that makes its life-saving programs possible. “Philanthropy allows us to ease the way for our patients.” i To learn more about supporting the Swedish Organ Transplant and Liver Center, contact Duncan Robinson, associate director, major gifts, Swedish Medical Center Foundation, at 206-386-3527 or Duncan.Robinson@swedish.org.
A lasting impact
Howard and Judy Chermak honor the life of the man who brought them together with gifts to The Francis T. Miller Organ Transplant Fund at Swedish.
For nearly two decades, Judy Chermak and her husband, Howard, have made gifts to the Swedish Organ Transplant program in honor of the man who brought them together. That man was Frank Miller, and he was Judy’s partner for 12 years before he died of pancreatic cancer in 1995. When Frank’s kidneys began to fail as a result of diabetes around the age of 60, he lost his spark and zest for life, remembers Judy (then Judy Rice). Witnessing the profound change in him prompted her to make the life-changing decision to give one of her own healthy kidneys to Frank. “When the surgery was done in 1994, biologically unrelated kidney donation, such as between spouses, was a relatively rare procedure that had been resourcefully developed around the time of the arrival of William Marks, M.D., in 1993,” says Judy. “Dr. Marks and his entire Swedish transplant team were our heroes, and remain so today.” After Judy nursed both herself and Frank back to health following the transplant, he felt much better and was able to return to his career as a clinical social worker in private practice. Although he died the following year, Judy says she wouldn’t take back her donation. “It was worth it to give him those extra months of life. They were a huge gift to Frank, me and everyone who knew him.” Judy’s story has a happy ending, in which Frank played a part. In 1988, the pair had begun helping Frank’s friend, Howard Chermak, grow his emerging construction business. The three were a tightknit team, with Frank bringing vision and a talent for negotiation, Judy Rice (now Chermak), with Judy contributing organizational and accounting skills, and Howard her longtime partner, the late driving their efforts forward with his business acumen and knowlFrank Miller. edge of construction. “Howard was always happy to give me time off to take care of Frank,” remembers Judy. Several months after Frank passed, “Howard shared with me Frank’s statement to him before he died; Howard should marry me — that we’d be good together,” says Judy. Friendship blossomed into love, and today they’ve been married for 18 years. “Howard and I have been able to have the life that Frank and I wanted to have,” says Judy. “I know Frank would be happy about the way things turned out.” Judy andiHoward have honored Frank and others in need of organ transplants by supporting The Francis T. Miller Organ Transplant Fund, which provides emergency financial assistance to organ transplant patients and their families. “Frank had insurance and all his needs met, but many people don’t have that smooth path,” says Judy. “Our mission is to provide help for transplant families where it is most needed.” w w w. s w e d i s h f o u n d a t i o n . o r g
5
Out of th story by Susan Allen
Depression is stealthy. It can insert itself into a person’s well-being without warning. For some people it may be the result of a single lifealtering event; for others it might be the response to an accumulation of life’s challenges. Philanthropist Anita Braker is a retired lawyer, nurse and current member of Swedish Medical Center Foundation’s Board of Governors who knows what it means to have depression creep in. “More than once in my life, after
the death of my brother and again after the death of my late husband, I became depressed — almost paralyzed,” says Anita. “With the support of my family and friends, I sought counseling early on and was able to move past my depression.” Today Anita is an active community volunteer with many local organizations. Her support of Swedish extends beyond serving on the board for the Foundation. She is also a volunteer nurse at the Swedishsponsored Teen Health Center at
With help from her doctors at Swedish, Shannon Otto has emerged from the darkness of her depression into a world filled with hope — and lots of little-boy hugs and kisses from sons TJ (left) and Nat (right).
Chemotherapy treated Bill’s diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, but it also increased his risk for heart failure and ventricular fibrillation. As Bill’s heart began to deteriorate, a team of Swedish heart specialists swung into action. Today, Bill and his wife, Carol, are enjoying life together with their dog, Zoey.
6
I M P A C T FA L L 2 015
FEATURE Community Health
he darkness Seattle’s Ballard High School, and a member of Swedish’s Institutional Review Board. Most recently she and her husband, Dave Olsen, chaired Destination Swedish, a luncheon that rallied community support and raised more than $400,000 to support Swedish’s new behavioral-health initiative. “I would like everyone to be open to talking about the day-to-day reality of the mental-health continuum. If we can talk about our mental health as easily as we talk about our physical
health, it would go a long way to eliminating the stigma and the barriers to care. I was fortunate — I was able to get the help I needed. Now I am privileged to be able to help fund an initiative that will make those critical services available in the primary-care setting.” A History of Unintended Consequences
For decades, federal and local legislatures have attempted to address the mental-health needs of
Americans, with varying degrees of success. Despite some lofty goals behind the legislation, accessing mental-health care has remained confusing, difficult to navigate, under resourced and often limited by insurance coverage. The unintended consequence of these efforts is a mental-health system that is largely outside the health-care system, even when the services are co-located in a clinical facility. “For too long it has been much too difficult for individuals to (cont.)
A caring community steps forward to help improve access to mental health services
w w w. s w e d i s h f o u n d a t i o n . o r g
7
FEATURE Community Health
Philanthropists Anita Braker and her husband Dave Olsen co-chaired Destination Swedish, which helped raise funds for Swedish’s behavioral health initiative. Talking with the luncheon attendees about her personal experience highlighted the reality of depression and helped them understand the need for improving access to a mental-health continuum of care.
access mental-health services unless they have extraordinary resources,” says Ralph Pascualy, M.D., chief executive of Swedish Medical Group and vice president and chief executive of Care Transformation at Swedish. “And long-term hospitalization is not the answer. At Swedish, we are taking an innovative step to create a network of mental-health services throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. Through the generous financial support of many members of our community, we have begun embedding mental-health providers in our primary-care clinics. Our goal is to make an individual’s connection with mental-health counseling as easy as it is to visit his or her primarycare provider for management of a chronic medical condition.” Creating a Continuum of Physical and Mental Health
There is an obvious connection between an individual’s mental and 8
I M P A C T FA L L 2 015
physical health. When a person is mentally healthy, it is easier to overcome the challenges inherent in chronic or life-threatening medical conditions — or life in general. It is equally true that a person who is dealing with acute or chronic medical issues, has an increased risk for becoming depressed. Frequently the first signs of a behavioral-health issue are discovered during a primary-care or specialty visit. Many of these patients also have complex medical issues, such as diabetes, cancer, obesity or heart disease. “Studies have shown that behavioral health issues that are left unaddressed negatively affect efforts to control an acute or chronic medical condition,” says Arpan Waghray, M.D., medical director of the Swedish Behavioral Health program. “These patients are unable to cope with their medical conditions and are less likely to be compliant with their treatments. We want to (cont.)
Shannon’s Story
Shannon is no longer a family bystander. Instead of hiding in her bedroom, she and her husband, Trayton, are equal partners in their marriage and in the pleasures — and challenges — of raising two little boys.
Shannon Otto is a busy wife, mom and speech therapist. She doesn’t really have time for depression. And yet, that is exactly what she fights every day. “For years, I was on an emotional roller coaster that I had no control over,” says Shannon. “When I was in college and graduate school, various doctors would prescribe different medications, but my depression never really disappeared. It took a crisis and someone asking the right questions to help me get on the right track.” Shannon says her obstetrician at Swedish First Hill, Diana Koala, M.D., is the first person who saved her life. Shannon’s first son was born six weeks premature and with several medical conditions. With a baby who wasn’t sleeping and her past history of depression, Shannon slowly slipped into mild post-partum depression. Dr. Koala, who was very familiar with Shannon’s medical history, prescribed a low-dose anti-depressant, which Shannon took until she became pregnant with her second child. “Although I knew the medication was safe for me and my baby, I just didn’t want to take any chances, so I stopped taking it,” says Shannon. “But after my baby was born, I once again began that gradual slide into post-partum depression. This time it was much more severe. My husband, who had never been exposed to mental illness, was so busy being both mom and dad to our two boys as I became more and more depressed and withdrawn from life that he didn’t know what to do to help me.” Shannon was fortunate. Her aunt and a college friend came to visit and recognized what was going on. They called Shannon’s mom, who flew into town the next day. Together, they convinced Shannon to take her medicine and to call for an appointment with a psychiatrist on staff at The Lytle Center for Pregnancy & Newborns at Swedish. Shannon credits this psychiatrist, Catherine Davies, M.D., for saving her life a second time. “After the most thorough evaluation I had ever had, Dr. Davies diagnosed me with borderline personality disorder,” says Shannon. “Something no one else had mentioned. She also found the right medication that worked well for me and prescribed dialectical behavior therapy to help me recognize and change my emotions, giving me the tools I need to cope with the stresses that would otherwise send me into deep depression. And, she recommended a post-partum doula to help sleep train my children. All of a sudden I had hope.” Every year more babies are born at Swedish than at any other health system in Western Washington. That statement translates into more new moms at risk for post-partum depression. “Women who have given birth are hormonal and exhausted,” says Tanya Sorensen, M.D., executive director for Women’s Health at Swedish. “They may be feeling alone and stressed about motherhood. Post-partum depression is a significant mental-health condition that needs expert care. And yet, many women are afraid to talk about it or seek help for it.” The dedicated psychiatric services available at the Lytle Center, as well as the initiative to embed behavioral-health professionals in Swedish primary-care clinics, which also offer obstetrical care, are focused on answering the needs of these women. In Shannon’s case, she needed the added expertise of Dr. Davies, who was able to zero in on the three things that would provide her the help and support she needed. Dr. Koala was able to refer Shannon to the next level of care because Swedish, with funding help from generous donors, had not only recognized the importance of treating postpartum depression, but also made the resources available within the Lytle Center. “Post-partum depression is a real disease.” says Dr. Koala. “We have assumed the responsibility of screening for depression during pregnancy and after delivery to ensure our patients receive the care they need. We may use talk therapy to discuss their moods, sleep patterns, changes in their bodies and relationships, or we may refer them on to the next level of care for more in-depth therapy.” Wherever a woman chooses to receive obstetrical care, access to mental-health services is critical to her own health and well-being, and to the health and safety of her baby. “Dialectical therapy has given me the tools I need to monitor, analyze, control and change my emotions,” says Shannon. “I now have a roadmap for dealing with my depression and a concrete set of steps that I can follow to keep me on the path to enjoying and participating in life.”
w w w. s w e d i s h f o u n d a t i o n . o r g
9
and a psychiatric diagnosis, and for support primary-care and specialty treated or untreated mental illness providers by providing easier access patients who have more complex either,” says Philip Capp, M.D., mental-health conditions who may to behavioral-health services.” medical director for Ambulatory After considerable planning Behavioral Health at Swedish. and with the generous finan“We need to provide the right cial support of members of the care and the right intensity of community, Swedish has begun care in the right location for implementing a comprehensive the right value. Whereas some plan to improve access and people will get the greatest bendestigmatize mental-health serefit from early diagnosis, counvices. The most significant effort seling and cognitive therapy is the integration of behavioralat their primary-care clinic, health services in Swedish’s others may need the services primary-care clinics, so patients Ralph Pascualy, M.D., talks to guests at Destination Swedish of a care manager to help them find it extremely easy to receive about how their gifts will help improve access to mental health through their mental-health same-day assessments and im- services at Swedish. and medical issues. Still others require intensive, ongoing care. mediate care without a referral to an may require more intense psychiatric “We don’t accept half-treated high care. Our goal is one-door access outside clinic. The plan also includes specialized care for any patient who blood pressure or half-treated dia- for all levels of care.” betes. We should not accept underhas both a chronic medical illness In its 2014 report, the Substance
Children need behavioral health care, too 1 in 5 children ages 13 – 18 have or will have a serious mental illness
Up to 1 o ut of every 5 children living in the United States experiences a mental disorder in any given year
Those are blunt statistics from a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unfortunately, parents of children with behavioral-health problems are all too familiar with the gaps and hurdles they must overcome to get their children the care they need. Because there is a nationwide shortage of pediatric psychiatrists and behavioral-health therapists, as well as a shortage of pediatric beds for acutely psychologically ill children, they often go undiagnosed and under- or untreated. The resulting cost to families and communities can be significant when considering lost productivity for parents and the need for school and community resources to address related social problems. “Every kid can be great,” says R. Guy Hudson, M.D., executive director of Pediatrics for Swedish Health Services. “But when pediatric behavioralhealth resources are not available, these mentally 10
I M P A C T FA L L 2 015
fragile children begin to feel as if they are not normal and parents become desperate and frustrated.” To help give parents the resources and support they need, Swedish Pediatrics is moving forward with a plan to provide behavioral-health services in Swedish primarycare clinics. The plan is modeled on a similar initiative for integrating behavioral-health care services with primary care. Taken together, these two initiatives will allow patients to move seamlessly from pediatric to adult behavioral-health services — often without ever leaving their clinic. “We have seen kids struggling for years without the behavioral-health care they need,” says Arpan Waghray, M.D., medical director of the Swedish Behavioral Health program. “They have unique and specialized needs that cannot be resolved by medication alone or kid-sized adult care. Throughout the state there is a significant shortage of services for these children. At Swedish, our plan is to focus more time and resources to resolving this critical problem.” At Swedish, what is driving these efforts is a fundamental belief that investing in pediatric behavioralhealth services today is an investment in the future of our communities.
FEATURE Community Health
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that Washington State has one of the highest percentages of adult mental illness in the country, with 20.8 percent of the population ages 18 and older experiencing some type of mental-health condition in a 12-month period. This statistic is alarming and should not go unaddressed. Swedish, along with generous members of our community, like Anita Braker and Dave Olsen, are mental-health trailblazers. We are taking a stand. We are looking a long-standing problem in the eye and saying ‘this is not acceptable.’ Together, we are building a foundation for success and removing barriers to the mental-health care services patients so desperately need. i
Not too long ago, Shannon could not imagine life without depression. Today, with the correct diagnosis and the appropriate therapy, Shannon is once again a loving wife and mother, and uses her coping skills to inspire others.
A commitment to provide mental health services The breadth and depth of behavioral health services at Swedish shows a strong commitment to caring for some of Washington’s most vulnerable citizens. In addition to creating an innovative mental health network in our primary-care clinics, Swedish has also assumed a leadership role as a statewide advocate for resolving long-standing issues facing individuals who need access to this type of care. Inpatient Care: Swedish has pioneered a comprehensive proposal to host an inpatient psychiatric unit in collaboration with other hospitals. In the spring of 2016, Swedish will close its Cherry Hill unit, but open a 22-bed unit at Swedish Ballard, increasing bed capacity by 12. In addition to caring for patients who are voluntarily seeking inpatient care, the unit will help address the needs of patients who have been involuntarily committed who also have severe medical problems. Swedish Edmonds has 23 voluntary and involuntary beds, a step-down unit and a partial hospitalization program. Women’s Health: Swedish Women’s Health is seeking financing and space to expand behavioral health services to all four Swedish hospitals that deliver babies. It is also investigating the feasibility of establishing a Day Hospital program. As the only such program in the region, it would offer intensive post-partum behavioral health therapy on an outpatient basis. Supporting Specialty Services: Behavioral health programs that offer social work, counseling, classes and support groups exist at both the Swedish Cancer Institute and the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. The vision for the future includes dedicated behavioral health support for patients in other specialty areas, such as bariatrics, chronic pain, transplant, heart failure and stroke. Addiction Medicine: Addiction medicine specialists and nurses, and state-certified chemical dependency counselors at Swedish Ballard provide comprehensive care for individuals with chemical dependencies, including pregnant and postpartum women. Treatment Resistant Program: Swedish’s specialized program for caring for patients who have not been successfully treated through counseling and medication is the largest of its kind in the state. Supporting Local High Schools: Swedish partners with Skyline and Liberty high schools in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah to offer on-site confidential counseling, and with the Teen Health Center at Seattle’s Ballard High School to provide both medical and mental-health services. Building Community Partnerships: Swedish continues to develop community partnerships with health-care professionals who can provide patients with additional specialty psychiatric services as needed. With the support of members of the community who share its commitment, Swedish is improving access by implementing innovative solutions at every level of behavioral health care. w w w. s w e d i s h f o u n d a t i o n . o r g
11
The Navigation Program for Advanced Cardiovascular Care will create a new model of care at SHVI that is based on evidence and driven by data and surrounds patients with the support and educational tools they need to access the right care at the right time to achieve the best possible outcome.
Navigating toward better heart health SHVI to establish the program for advanced cardiovascular care.
T
he nationally recognized Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute (SHVI) is the region’s leading cardiovascular care center, offering the broadest range of services, subspecialties and expertise, as well as a robust research program, at its dedicated heart facility on Seattle’s Cherry Hill campus and other locations around Western Washington. 12
I M P A C T FA L L 2 015
Yet as successful and well-regarded as SHVI is, it’s always seeking more efficient ways to deliver the best care to an aging population, while taking advantage of the rapid development of new treatments for many cardiovascular diseases. “In today’s world of cardiovascular care, our patient outcomes have become excellent,” says Glenn R. Barnhart, M.D., chief and executive director, Cardiac
Surgical Services; surgical director, Structural Heart Program at SHVI. “This is a result of several factors, including a thorough understanding of the disease process, standardization of evaluations, collaboration among specialists, and sophisticated and targeted imaging. However, all of these factors can result in a complex matrix through which the patient must pass.”
To help ease the way, SHVI is estab- to put the patient and their families in the lishing a new Navigation Program for center of all that we do and to bring our Advanced Cardiovascular Care that will sophisticated and advanced care to them,” focus on a targeted, team approach to says Dr. Casterella. “The resources necespatient care. “We recognize that navi- sary to accomplish this goal include facilgating the health-care system and envi- ities that are thoughtfully constructed with ronment can be challenging,” says Peter patient-centered care in mind, education J. Casterella, M.D., chief of Cardiology materials for patients and families, IT at SHVI. “As we advance in cardiovascu- infrastructure and support, databases to track our outcomes and lar care with increased performance, and infrasubspecialization and structure and personnel technology and treatto support our patients ment advances, we need and caregivers.” Saturday, October 24 to help our patients A significant new access our services in Sheraton Seattle Hotel addition will be a Nurse a timely, efficient manThe Navigation Program for Advanced Navigation Team, with a ner that optimizes their Cardiovascular Care at Swedish Heart & designated patient accare and reduces the Vascular Institute is the focus of this year’s cess line to help manage stress associated with Celebrate Swedish fundraising gala. appointments, schedule dealing with medical Establishing the program will require procedures and bridge issues.” The new program’s an estimated $4 million which will help gaps between subspethree core elements will expand our clinical research program in cialties. “Our vision of developing areas such as imaging tech- the navigation system include: nologies; patient education tools and places the patient in the • An expanded clinical research program, resources; tracking of patient outcomes center of the process to give patients early ac- to help optimize care for each patient; and provides for a nurse cess to innovations in programs to support patient experience navigator to assist them developing areas such as well as physician recruitment and in their journey,” says Dr. Barnhart. “It is our as imaging technolo- retention, and more. To learn more about Celebrate Swedish goal for patient waiting gies, minimally invasive procedures and under- and register, visit www.celebrateswedish.org. times to be decreased, patient education to be standings based on inenhanced and overall patient satisfaction dividual genetic variations. • Patient education, emerging technolto be optimized.” By contributing to the cause, you can ogies and access, to guide and empower patients through the process of diagnosis, help SHVI support these programs and multispecialty treatment and recovery, as improve the care experience for patients well as provide the most advanced tech- by ensuring they receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. i nology available for their care. • Data infrastructure, to support the use of medical records, algorithms, informatics and tracking of outcomes to optiTo learn more about supporting the mize care for each patient. The new pro- Navigation Program for Advanced Cargram will be a national model for the diovascular Care, contact Samantha efficient use of cardiovascular treatment Vanover, senior director of major gifts, resources, including facilitating collabo- Swedish Medical Center Foundation, at rations between specialists. 206-386-3349 or Samantha.Vanover@ “A key guiding principle of SHVI is swedish.org.
John L. Locke, Jr.
Giving with heart Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute (SHVI) has a history of excellence made possible by generous donors in our community, who will also play a key role in funding the next chapter. One of these donors is the John L. Locke Jr. Charitable Trust, which has pledged $1.5 million to the new Navigation Program for Advanced Cardiovascular Care. The Locke Trust’s gift is a continuation of its longstanding support of SHVI; it also helped build the John L. Locke Jr. Heart Health Clinic at Swedish Cherry Hill, headed by nationally recognized expert, John L. Mignone, M.D., Ph.D., the Robert M. and Patricia Arnold Endowed Medical Director for Heart Failure. “The Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute is already providing award-winning care, and the new navigation program will help take Swedish to the next level, putting the patient in the center by empowering them and their families through coordinated, efficient care, coupled with educational tools. Essentially I see this as SHVI giving their patients a wingman,” says Lida Buckner, former chair and current member of the Swedish Medical Center Foundation Board of Governors and Secretary of the John L. Locke Jr. Charitable Trust. Created in 1979 by Irene Fisher Locke, mother of John L. Locke Jr., the Trust has had a major positive impact on heart research and treatment programs at Swedish and beyond. w w w. s w e d i s h f o u n d a t i o n . o r g
13
The gift of research Promising studies give new hope to those affected by ovarian cancer.
Making an impact At the 21st annual SummeRun & Walk for Ovarian Cancer on July 19, more than 2,500 participants raised $535,000 to date for the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research at Swedish. Funds raised at events such as the SummeRun help make grants to scientists such as Dr. Cunliffe possible. This year marked the 10th year of participation for a team that’s been one of the top fundraisers during the past decade: Team Mary Anne, formed by Mary Anne Kobylka, who has since died of ovarian cancer. The team is carried on today by members including Mary Anne’s husband, Richard Kobylka, and team captain Stacey Dickinson.
With funding from the Rivkin Center, Heather Cunliffe, Ph.D., discovered the gene responsible for the majority of small-cell ovarian cancer.
O
varian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers, as well as one of the biggest challenges for cancer researchers. Its incidence and mortality rates — including, tragically, that seven in 10 women diagnosed die within five years — have improved only incrementally over the past five decades. The search for ways to impact the detection, treatment, and understanding of the disease inspires the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research at Swedish each year to fund promising studies by scientists from around the globe. Candidates can apply for several types of funding, including the Scientific Scholar Award, geared toward new investigators of ovarian cancer research, and the Pilot Study Award, which focuses on new avenues of ovarian cancer research conducted by both emerging and experienced scientists. There are many success stories as a result of the Rivkin Center’s research funding, one being the work of Heather Cunliffe, Ph.D., a senior lecturer at the Dunedin School of Medicine at New Zealand’s University of Otago, and the recipient of a 2012 Pilot Study Award. The Rivkin Center funded Dr. Cunliffe’s landmark discovery of SMARCA4 as the gene responsible for the majority of small-cell ovarian cancer — a rare, aggressive cancer that affects mainly young women, with the median age being 24. The award helped Dr. Cunliffe to publish her team’s work in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Genetics. After receiving an additional $50,000 in grants to extend her work, Dr. Cunliffe is currently performing preclinical pharmacology studies in preparation for clinical trials to test drugs against SMARCA4 — which, in turn, could lead to a better outcome for patients. i To learn more about supporting ovarian cancer research, contact Carly Ralston, Annual Giving and Gift Clubs Manager, Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research, 206-215-6044 or Carly.Ralston@swedish.org.
14
I M P A C T FA L L 2 015
Members of Team Mary Anne with Swedish Cancer Institute Executive Director Thomas D. Brown, M.D., MBA (left) and Rivkin Center founder, Saul E. Rivkin, M.D. (far right).
“Mary Anne started with the SummeRun because it gave her the ability to take control of her disease by not just being reactive, but by raising money,” says Richard. “She was a great fundraiser. She’d ask, and then ask again, and then ask again, and it really paid off.” Team Mary Anne has raised nearly $300,000 to date, and in 2014, Richard was also the top individual fundraiser. “I’m proud to be a part of the SummeRun and look forward to it every year,” he says.
N
early 700,000 Cobbs, M.D., medical Americans are director of The Ivy Cencurrently living ter, that CMV infection with a brain tumor — was strongly associated but there’s hope for a with GBM, via a planned cure, and ever-improvcollaboration with Cecilia ing treatment options Söderberg-Nauclér, M.D., are a reality, thanks to Ph.D., of the Karolinska The Ben & Catherine Institute in Stockholm. A Ivy Center for Advanced related study is the develBrain Tumor Treatment opment of a GBM immuat the Swedish Neuroscinotherapy vaccine, in colence Institute. The first laboration with researchmultidisciplinary treaters at Duke University and ment and research center the University of Florida. in the Pacific Northwest Several new clinical dedicated entirely to trials are also in the works, brain tumors, The Ivy Charles Cobbs. M.D., was one of more than 3,000 participants who laced up for this year’s including a study on new Center often treats pa- Seattle Brain Cancer Walk fundraiser to raise critical funds for clinical trials, research, and device that treats GBM patient care at The Ivy Center. tients through promising using electromagnetic clinical trials. fields. Priorities of the cen“I am humbled by the ter’s research lab include: opportunity Swedish af• Advancing the scifords me to carry out my entific understanding of research and approach brain tumors through to patient care that will tools such as the Allen prolong the survival of Institute Brain Map. patients with brain cancer Through a collaboration in our community, and with Allen Institute for Brain Sciences, Systems Biology Biomarker Study, which beyond,” says Dr. Cobbs. “I’m hopeful The Ivy Center analyzed glioblastoma could lead to a more accurate test for GBM. that someday we’ll uncover a cure, and • Rapid delivery of new treatments (GBM) specimens and put their anatomical philanthropy is critical to our cause.” i gene expression data into a database, with through studies such as the Phase I High To learn more about supporting The Ivy the goal of creating a resource for the Throughput Cancer Stem Cell Drug Screenworldwide brain-tumor research com- ing clinical trial, the first to use a person- Center research, contact Samantha Vanover, munity. alized drug cocktail to treat GBM, and senior director of major gifts, Swedish Med• Improving the efficacy of diagnostic a large-scale cytomegalovirus (CMV) study, ical Center Foundation, at 206-386-3349 or tools through trials such as an Institute for based on the 2002 discovery by Charles Samantha.Vanover@swedish.org.
Searching for a cure The Ivy Center fights brain cancer through vanguard research.
Walking toward a cure Advances in brain-cancer treatment are made possible in part thanks to donors in our community, such as Mercer Island, Wash., residents Dick and Deb Ferse, whose lives were impacted by the disease when doctors discovered that Deb, a former nurse, had a glioblastoma tumor. The Ferse’s $100,000 gift to The Ivy Center helps patients like Deb with access to financial guidance, at-home care and social work. Others (including the Ferses) contribute to the cause through the annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk fundraiser. The May 3 event drew more than 3,000 participants and raised more than $430,000 to date, with longtime event sponsor Northwestern Mutual coming in as the top fundraiser at $57,276. The team’s fundraising included a $15,000 grant awarded in honor of Mercer Smith, recipient of Northwest Mutual’s Community Service Award. The largest team was Lara’s Team, named Participants at the 2015 Seattle Brain Cancer Walk helped raise more than $430,000 to date for The Ivy Center. for a young woman who died from the disease, with 25 members. Founded in 2008, the Walk has raised more than $3.5 million for brain cancer research, clinical trials, and comprehensive care at Swedish. You can donate through Dec. 31 at www.braincancerwalk.org. w w w. s w e d i s h f o u n d a t i o n . o r g
15
LEGACY
Swedish Legacy Partners spotlight: Bill and Michelle Krippaehne Giving back for a healthier community.
T
he son of two doctors — his dad a surgeon and his mom a professor of internal medicine at Portland’s Oregon Health & Science University — Bill Krippaehne has an ingrained appreciation for quality healthcare. “I learned from my dad that everyone should have access to great health care, and he always made sure his patients received great care, regardless of their ability to pay,” says Bill. That appreciation has only deepened during his long involvement with Swedish, along with his wife, Michelle. Married for 37 years, the Krippaehnes first encountered Swedish through a family physician after moving to Seattle in 1982, where Bill took a job with Fisher Communications, later becoming its first non-family-member CEO. They got to know Swedish even better over the next several years, when all four of their children were born there. In the mid-1990s, Don Graham, then chairman of Fisher Communications, asked Bill to take over his seat on Swedish’s Board. Bill’s involvement continues today through his work on Swedish Medical Center Foundation’s Board of Governors and as the chair of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Swedish Health System Board of Trustees. A highlight of his involvement has been working to develop the First Hill campus
into a referral center for specialized care. “It’s really fulfilling to hear from patients how the care at Swedish has touched their lives,” says Bill. He adds, “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know all the people at Swedish — from the physicians to the valets to the CEO. Everyone has a sense of pride in what they’re doing.” Bill and Michelle’s commitment to Swedish will continue for many years to come, thanks to a planned gift they established through a life insurance policy purchased when they were in their 40s, on which Swedish Medical Center Foundation is named as both owner and beneficiary. “It was a great way to leverage a much larger gift to Swedish by paying fairly low premiums while we were young and healthy,” says Bill. “Eventually Swedish will get a sizable gift and more than we could have given outright at that time. Great communities need great healthcare, so supporting Swedish through our estate plan was an easy decision,” says Bill — not to mention a generous and impactful one. i To learn more or to become a Swedish Legacy Partner, contact Andrea King, senior director of planned giving, Swedish Medical Center Foundation, at 206-386-3379 or Andrea.King@swedish.org.
Bill and Michelle Krippaehne have been volunteers and donors to Swedish for more than 30 years.
16
I M P A C T FA L L 2 015
Five advantages to giving real property as a charitable gift to Swedish. Gina and Marc Weigum made a generous gift to Swedish through the sale of commercial properties they owned to honor Gina’s mom who was treated at The Ivy Center at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute.
Giving real property such as real estate, land, and commercial property, is one way to help Swedish continue to deliver safe, high-quality health care to our community and can provide some great benefits to you and your family. Here are five advantages to giving real property: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
No more real estate taxes. No more cost of ownership such as maintenance, insurance, and upkeep or the hassle of selling. Unproductive land can be put to a higher use and even provide income back to you. Property can be used for a purpose you believe in at Swedish — immediately. Property can be transferred to a trust that pays you income for life and makes a future gift to Swedish.
Contact us today to learn how to turn your real property such as your house or condominium, farmland and undeveloped land, commercial property, timberland, or vacation home into a charitable gift to Swedish. Andrea King Senior Director of Planned Giving Andrea.King@swedish.org 206-386-3379
www.swedishplannedgiving.org
NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA PERMIT NO. 1564
Swedish Health Services 747 Broadway Seattle, WA 98122-4307
Save the Date
October 24, 2015 Join us for our annual black tie gala featuring a unique live auction, an elegant dinner and dancing. Proceeds from the Celebrate Swedish Fund-A-Need will benefit the Navigation Program for Advanced Cardiovascular Care at Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute. www.celebrateswedish.org
Don’t miss a single inspiring story.
Swedish Health System Board of Trustees
Foundation Board of Governors
Michael Hart, M.D. Chair
J. Scott Harrison Chair
Teresa Bigelow Vice Chair
Anthony A. Armada, FACHE Nancy Auer, M.D. Anita Braker Barbara Buchman Lida Buckner Sarah Everitt Tom Gores Cheryl Gossman Jessica Jensen Hughes Annika Karr Bill Krippaehne, Jr. Todd Lee Rae Lembersky Chuck Lytle Kirby McDonald Michael Melancon Tracy Morris Annette Parks Molly Otter Michael Peters, M.D. John L. Petersen, M.D. Brad Root Diane Sabey Nancy Smith Janet True Jean Baur Viereck
Janet True Secretary Nancy Auer, M.D. Cheryl Gossman J. Scott Harrison John Hotta Bill Krippaehne, Jr. Chuck Lytle Omar Riojas Stan Savage Martin Siegel, M.D. Margaret Stanley Kristen Swanson, RN, Ph.D, FAAN
Ex Officio Anthony A. Armada, FACHE Chief Executive Officer
Officers Lorna Kneeland Interim Chief Development Officer and President, Swedish Medical Center Foundation Dan Harris Treasurer Betsy Vo Secretary
Sign up now to receive email communications and we’ll keep you updated with remarkable stories of transformation. Subscribe today at www.swedishfoundation.org/subscribe.
John Vassall II, M.D. Chief Medical Officer Sherry Williams Community Engagement Director