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Congratulations to our Winter Volunteer of the Quarter: Caroline Coleman, a volunteer who works at the Main Information desk and was our previous treasurer on the VIA Board. Caroline is always eager to assist wherever needed. She comes 30 minutes before her shift to ensure we have wheelchairs readily available for patients and visitors. Caroline is humble and always goes the extra mile to ensure she helps everyone to the best of her abilities. We've not only witnessed this while Caroline worked at the desk, but also while being on the board.
Congratulations to our Winter Volunteer of the Quarter: Caroline Coleman, a volunteer who works at the Main Information desk and was our previous treasurer on the VIA Board. Caroline is always eager to assist wherever needed. She comes 30 minutes before her shift to ensure we have wheelchairs readily available for patients and visitors. Caroline is humble and always goes the extra mile to ensure she helps everyone to the best of her abilities. We've not only witnessed this while Caroline worked at the desk, but also while being on the board.
Congratulations to Sarah Davis, MA-MCHS, Valley Patient Relations Manager and recipient of UW Medicine's 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award. The award honors individuals or groups who exemplify Martin Luther King Jr.'s principles through: Commitment to addressing community needs, particularly communities of color and low income, Development and implementation of significant programs to improve the human condition, and Outstanding efforts to protect and empower all individuals. Sarah's nominators wrote: "Sarah Davis is an exceptional equity leader. She exemplifies the growth mindset that is crucial to moving equity work forward, and consistently strives to amplify diverse voices and perspectives. Sarah started her journey as a doula and as a patient service representative before quickly working her way up to a community health facilitator. In that role, she exceled at connecting patients to community services and breaking down barriers that would have otherwise prevented patients from receiving needed care. Her ability to advocate for others was further recognized, earning her a supervisor role. She then decided to go back to school to follow her passion for caring for birthing patients, rooted in her early experiences as a doula, and achieved a master’s degree in Maternal Health Systems. Sarah is now a Patient Relations manager at Valley, and a champion for our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work.
We wanted to take a moment to share some holiday cheer and festivities from around Valley.
We wanted to take a moment to share some holiday cheer and festivities from around Valley.
Skybreaking Celebration Kicks Off Phase 1A of New Cancer Center! Stories of hope, inspiration, and love were the highlight of a very special celebration at Valley on Dec. 14. Since we’ve already broken ground on the building, this was a SKYBREAKING celebration, as the sky is the limit for what we can do to help cancer patients and their families in South King County. We are thrilled to share that construction is scheduled to begin NEXT MONTH on Phase 1A of our new Cancer Center! We are expecting to be able to serve patients in our new Infusion Center, with 40% greater capacity, as soon as early 2025. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our Board of Trustees; senior leadership; oncology leaders, providers, and caregivers; our lead donor and longtime supporter, Valley Girls & Guys!; and 519 individual and corporate donors who have made this a reality. Thank you also to Renton mayor Armondo Pavone and Kent mayor Dana Ralph for joining us last night and for your ongoing support. We also heard some amazing stories from our cancer services team, patients, and donors. We invite you to watch them all on our YouTube page--have some tissues handy! You can also watch the recap video of the skybreaking celebration, and some of the great photos from the event, on our Facebook page.
Skybreaking Celebration Kicks Off Phase 1A of New Cancer Center! Stories of hope, inspiration, and love were the highlight of a very special celebration at Valley on Dec. 14. Since we’ve already broken ground on the building, this was a SKYBREAKING celebration, as the sky is the limit for what we can do to help cancer patients and their families in South King County. We are thrilled to share that construction is scheduled to begin NEXT MONTH on Phase 1A of our new Cancer Center! We are expecting to be able to serve patients in our new Infusion Center, with 40% greater capacity, as soon as early 2025. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our Board of Trustees; senior leadership; oncology leaders, providers, and caregivers; our lead donor and longtime supporter, Valley Girls & Guys!; and 519 individual and corporate donors who have made this a reality. Thank you also to Renton mayor Armondo Pavone and Kent mayor Dana Ralph for joining us last night and for your ongoing support. We also heard some amazing stories from our cancer services team, patients, and donors. We invite you to watch them all on our YouTube page--have some tissues handy! You can also watch the recap video of the skybreaking celebration, and some of the great photos from the event, on our Facebook page.
William Barrett, MD, Medical Director for Orthopedic Surgery, is retiring after 36 years of service to our community. In recognition of his retirement, OR 1 has been dedicated in his honor. During the dedication, Kalen Privatsky, Senior Vice President, Clinic Network, said, "Through the years, Valley's joint replacement program earned many coveted awards, repeatedly ranking #1 in Washington because of exceptional patient outcomes. That doesn't just happen, that takes remarkable leadership, and a committed team of physicians and clinical professionals. Often referred to as the godfather of joint replacement, Bill is known nationally and internationally for his surgical skill, innovative thinking, and desire to share his knowledge." In a farewell letter to colleagues, Dr. Barrett wrote, "Over the last four decades, we have grown the joint replacement volume at Valley from a trickle in 1986 to close to 2,000 in 2023. We opened the Joint Center at Valley in 1999 with the help of administration and dedicated staff. I appreciate the support and dedication of the medical staff, referring physicians, and allied health professionals who made this all possible." Thank you, Dr. Barrett, for caring for our community like family. Enjoy your retirement!
William Barrett, MD, Medical Director for Orthopedic Surgery, is retiring after 36 years of service to our community. In recognition of his retirement, OR 1 has been dedicated in his honor. During the dedication, Kalen Privatsky, Senior Vice President, Clinic Network, said, "Through the years, Valley's joint replacement program earned many coveted awards, repeatedly ranking #1 in Washington because of exceptional patient outcomes. That doesn't just happen, that takes remarkable leadership, and a committed team of physicians and clinical professionals. Often referred to as the godfather of joint replacement, Bill is known nationally and internationally for his surgical skill, innovative thinking, and desire to share his knowledge." In a farewell letter to colleagues, Dr. Barrett wrote, "Over the last four decades, we have grown the joint replacement volume at Valley from a trickle in 1986 to close to 2,000 in 2023. We opened the Joint Center at Valley in 1999 with the help of administration and dedicated staff. I appreciate the support and dedication of the medical staff, referring physicians, and allied health professionals who made this all possible." Thank you, Dr. Barrett, for caring for our community like family. Enjoy your retirement!
Congratulations to Brenden Poe, a Procurement Coordinator in our Materials Management department and one of our December 2023 Employees of the Month! See what his colleagues had to say: "Brenden is someone who we can always count on to do what is best for the team and UW/Valley Medical Center. He is an extremely hard worker and very proficient at what he does. He is helpful in all aspects of his position and goes above and beyond what is expected of him. He anticipates our needs even before we know we need something! When we have supply chain issues - we can always count on him to find an alternative - and quickly I might add! I think he must have a sixth sense about issues because he is always ahead of the game and already working on finding a solution. He is kind and funny and endoscopy is extremely lucky that he is on our team. " "Brenden has not only done excellent work for the departments he has been assigned but his hard work and dedication has truly helped the entire Supply Chain. He has developed reports that he sends daily to the Distribution area to keep up with the Case Cart and inventory areas. He has had to cover additional duties and has worked tirelessly to support this department. He not only completes excellent quality work, but I have seen him help other coworkers as well. He always pitches in and get things done, all with a fantastic attitude and willing disposition.
Congratulations to Brenden Poe, a Procurement Coordinator in our Materials Management department and one of our December 2023 Employees of the Month! See what his colleagues had to say: "Brenden is someone who we can always count on to do what is best for the team and UW/Valley Medical Center. He is an extremely hard worker and very proficient at what he does. He is helpful in all aspects of his position and goes above and beyond what is expected of him. He anticipates our needs even before we know we need something! When we have supply chain issues - we can always count on him to find an alternative - and quickly I might add! I think he must have a sixth sense about issues because he is always ahead of the game and already working on finding a solution. He is kind and funny and endoscopy is extremely lucky that he is on our team. " "Brenden has not only done excellent work for the departments he has been assigned but his hard work and dedication has truly helped the entire Supply Chain. He has developed reports that he sends daily to the Distribution area to keep up with the Case Cart and inventory areas. He has had to cover additional duties and has worked tirelessly to support this department. He not only completes excellent quality work, but I have seen him help other coworkers as well. He always pitches in and get things done, all with a fantastic attitude and willing disposition.
The Perioperative Services team helped give back to the community by participating in a Langar Seva Luncheon at the Gurudwara Temple. What is Langar? The Langar (food) is prepared in the Gurudwara community kitchen, which serves meals to all free of charge, regardless of religion, caste, gender, economic status, or ethnicity. The physical embodiment of Langar can be seen in Gurudwara, when everyone – regardless of their status - sit on the floor as equals (rich or poor, women or men, any) in front of the Almighty. History of Langar. Pillars of Sikh Faith. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith, started the practice in the late 1400s, with the mindset of sharing with the others. Which is one of the main pillars of the Sikh faith, known as "Vand Chakna". "Vand Chakna" – loosely translated, to share with others, what we are blessed with. The second pillar of the Sikh faith is called "Kirat Karni" – meaning to work honestly, live honestly, and practice honesty; this is one of the primary pillars of the Sikh faith. To perform Kirat means that you are appreciating the gift of life by attempting to make use of your time and energy for the betterment of your family and community. The last pillar of the Sikh faith is called "Naam Japna" - which is meditating on God's name. Sikhs believe that it is important to keep Waheguru (Almighty) in their mind at all times. Sikhs encourage and support all followers to connect and follow their own faiths and beliefs to connect to Waheguru.
The Perioperative Services team helped give back to the community by participating in a Langar Seva Luncheon at the Gurudwara Temple. What is Langar? The Langar (food) is prepared in the Gurudwara community kitchen, which serves meals to all free of charge, regardless of religion, caste, gender, economic status, or ethnicity. The physical embodiment of Langar can be seen in Gurudwara, when everyone – regardless of their status - sit on the floor as equals (rich or poor, women or men, any) in front of the Almighty. History of Langar. Pillars of Sikh Faith. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith, started the practice in the late 1400s, with the mindset of sharing with the others. Which is one of the main pillars of the Sikh faith, known as "Vand Chakna". "Vand Chakna" – loosely translated, to share with others, what we are blessed with. The second pillar of the Sikh faith is called "Kirat Karni" – meaning to work honestly, live honestly, and practice honesty; this is one of the primary pillars of the Sikh faith. To perform Kirat means that you are appreciating the gift of life by attempting to make use of your time and energy for the betterment of your family and community. The last pillar of the Sikh faith is called "Naam Japna" - which is meditating on God's name. Sikhs believe that it is important to keep Waheguru (Almighty) in their mind at all times. Sikhs encourage and support all followers to connect and follow their own faiths and beliefs to connect to Waheguru.
Congratulations to Julie Sutcliffe, a Patient Service Rep at our Lake Sawyer Clinic and one of our November 2023 Employees of the Month! See what her colleagues had to say: "On a daily basis she makes our patients feel warm, welcome and important. She takes the extra time to give the personal touch and goes the extra mile for all that stand before her. She is the first one to welcome patients into the clinic, even though they cannot see her when they first walk in. She always has a smile on her face and joy in her soul. SHE IS WHAT MAKES VALLEY SPECIAL. She is what every single one of us hope to be when we grow up. She was recently given kudos by a known difficult patient as being kind and informative. She makes my day brighter every time she walks in the door." "Julie has often been called out by name on the PG survey for her fantastic customer service. She genuinely cares about people, whether she is complimenting someone on their hair or outfit, she's always trying to brighten someone's day. She is a kind and genuine person who makes patients laugh and feel at ease. Great person to have as the first and last person you see when you come to the clinic. We are grateful to have her in our Lake Sawyer family."
Congratulations to Julie Sutcliffe, a Patient Service Rep at our Lake Sawyer Clinic and one of our November 2023 Employees of the Month! See what her colleagues had to say: "On a daily basis she makes our patients feel warm, welcome and important. She takes the extra time to give the personal touch and goes the extra mile for all that stand before her. She is the first one to welcome patients into the clinic, even though they cannot see her when they first walk in. She always has a smile on her face and joy in her soul. SHE IS WHAT MAKES VALLEY SPECIAL. She is what every single one of us hope to be when we grow up. She was recently given kudos by a known difficult patient as being kind and informative. She makes my day brighter every time she walks in the door." "Julie has often been called out by name on the PG survey for her fantastic customer service. She genuinely cares about people, whether she is complimenting someone on their hair or outfit, she's always trying to brighten someone's day. She is a kind and genuine person who makes patients laugh and feel at ease. Great person to have as the first and last person you see when you come to the clinic. We are grateful to have her in our Lake Sawyer family."
Lake Wilderness Primary Care Open House! Oh, what a night! We are still buzzing with excitement after our celebration last night for the opening of Valley’s new Lake Wilderness Primary Care Clinic in Maple Valley! Thank you to the City of Maple Valley, WA - Government and the Maple Valley - Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce for the warm welcome in our new location, and we want to share a huge shout out to Valley's project team of staff and providers from all across our organization who brought our Lake Wilderness Clinic to life. The Lake Wilderness Clinic officially opened for appointments on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
Lake Wilderness Primary Care Open House! Oh, what a night! We are still buzzing with excitement after our celebration last night for the opening of Valley’s new Lake Wilderness Primary Care Clinic in Maple Valley! Thank you to the City of Maple Valley, WA - Government and the Maple Valley - Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce for the warm welcome in our new location, and we want to share a huge shout out to Valley's project team of staff and providers from all across our organization who brought our Lake Wilderness Clinic to life. The Lake Wilderness Clinic officially opened for appointments on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
Congratulations to David Feldman, MD, a provider at our Kent Primary Care Clinic and our November 2023 Provider of the Month! See what his colleagues had to say: He makes his patients feel like family. The Russian and Ukrainian population appreciate his attempts to learn some words to greet them with, such as, 'thank you' and 'goodbye'. Medical Assistants say he is an awesome provider to work with. He is always positive and receptive to staff questions and concerns. His priority and focus are on giving the patient the best care. He makes decisions by considering all the details, and carefully reviews paperwork before signing. He is an attentive listener and expresses himself with calmness and understanding. We are very lucky to have him as part of our team at Kent PC.
Congratulations to David Feldman, MD, a provider at our Kent Primary Care Clinic and our November 2023 Provider of the Month! See what his colleagues had to say: He makes his patients feel like family. The Russian and Ukrainian population appreciate his attempts to learn some words to greet them with, such as, 'thank you' and 'goodbye'. Medical Assistants say he is an awesome provider to work with. He is always positive and receptive to staff questions and concerns. His priority and focus are on giving the patient the best care. He makes decisions by considering all the details, and carefully reviews paperwork before signing. He is an attentive listener and expresses himself with calmness and understanding. We are very lucky to have him as part of our team at Kent PC.