LAKE CHELAN HEALTH HOSPITAL PARTNERS WITH RURAL PHYSICIANS GROUP TO PROVIDE 24/7 HOSPITALIST CARE

Chelan, WA – September 27, 2024 – Lake Chelan Health Hospital is proud to announce a new partnership with Rural Physicians Group to bring full-time, 24/7 hospitalist care to our facility. This partnership will enhance patient care, improve patient flow, and expand the hospital’s capacity to treat more complex cases.

Beginning January 14, 2025, Rural Physicians Group will provide dedicated hospitalist services, ensuring round-the-clock physician support for hospital inpatients. The introduction of a full-time hospitalist will provide substantial improvements to how we care of our inpatients.

“We are thrilled to be working with Rural Physicians Group, whose dedication to rural healthcare aligns with our vision of improving community health and making our region a better place to live by improving resources to our residents,” said Aaron Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of Lake Chelan Health.

Key Benefits of the Hospitalist Program:

  • Continuous physician support for hospital inpatients, 24/7.
  • Faster transitions from the Emergency Room to inpatient beds, enhancing emergency room capacity.
  • Increased comfort and care experience for patients.
  • Greater ability to care for more acutely ill patients, allowing them to remain close to their families.
  • Specialized care provided by physicians who are focused solely on inpatient medicine.
  • More opportunities for surgeons to work with complex cases that require inpatient care.
  • A continued supportive learning environment for University of Washington (UW) residents.

Lake Chelan Health Hospital anticipates no disruption to the UW Residency Program, or the labor and delivery care services currently offered by CVCH providers.

Rural Physicians Group is an expansive physician network passionate about helping rural hospitals meet the needs of the communities they serve. RPG is committed to supporting hospitals to keep residents local in underserved rural communities. Learn more about the Rural Physicians Group at https://ruralphysiciansgroup.com/

For more information about the hospitalist program, please contact Aaron Edwards, Lake Chelan Health CEO at 509-682-3300 or email aedwards@lcch.net.

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LAKE CHELAN HEALTH HOSPITAL WELCOMED TWINS

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In an exciting milestone, Lake Chelan Health Hospital welcomed twins Hanna and Hailey Aguilar Ayala, born to parents Eden Aguilar and Aldo Ayala. Hanna and Hailey are the first set of twins born at the hospital this year. While twin births are rare at Lake Chelan Health, a dedicated team of six doctors and four OB nurses ensured that both babies were safely delivered. The team was divided into two groups to provide focused care for each newborn in case resuscitation was needed.

With the twins’ unexpected early arrival, everyone worked together to create a calm, safe, and beautiful experience for the parents. Eden personalized her birthing experience by selecting a music playlist that reflected her culture and preferences, which helped to create a comforting environment during the delivery. Eden and Aldo’s 3-year-old son is also excited to take on the role of a big brother.

The hospital’s new, spacious operating room provided ample space for the additional staff and equipment, ensuring the highest level of patient safety. The delivery was a success, resulting in the birth of two beautiful and healthy twin girls. Hanna, born with a full head of hair, weighed just over six pounds, while Hailey weighed 5.1 pounds.

Lake Chelan Health is committed to providing personalized care and collaboration, even in the most complex births. If you are expecting and would like more information or a tour of our birthing rooms, please contact OB Manager Juliana England at 509-682-3300.

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LAKE CHELAN HEALTH EMS IS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR HEART ATTACK AND STROKE CARE

LAKE CHELAN HEALTH EMS IS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING QUALITY CARE FOR HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES IN THE LAKE CHELAN VALLEY
The American Heart Association presents the Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold with Target: Heart Attack Honor Roll Achievement Award for proven dedication to best practices and life-saving care. 

Lake Chelan Health (LCH) EMS has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold with Target: Heart Attack Honor Roll Achievement Award for its commitment to offering rapid and research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes, ultimately saving lives.

Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone goes to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to provide resuscitation efforts to someone whose heart has stopped. People who arrive by ambulance may also receive faster treatment at the hospital.

Mission: Lifeline EMS® is the American Heart Association’s national initiative to advance the system of care for patients with high-risk, time-sensitive disease states, such as severe heart attacks and strokes. The program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment — starting from when 911 is called, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. Optimal care for heart attack and stroke patients takes coordination between the individual prehospital providers and healthcare systems.

“”Emergency medical services and prehospital professionals are arguably the most crucial link in the chain of survival for acute stroke and cardiovascular emergencies,” said Ray Eickmeyer, Director of LCH EMS. Quickly identifying conditions, stabilizing patients, providing prehospital care, and starting treatment within regional care systems give patients the best chance for fast, effective therapies, leading to better outcomes and improved quality of life.

“The American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline EMS awards are an important way to recognize the crucial roles and performances of EMS personnel in stroke and cardiac patients’ care.”

The Mission: Lifeline EMS achievement award focuses on agencies’ on-scene care, bringing to the forefront the collaboration and contributions to patient care for prehospital providers.

 

“Lake Chelan Health EMS is honored to be one of the three EMS agencies in Washington recognized by the American Heart Association for their dedication to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Agustin Benegas, Communications Manager. “The Mission: Lifeline program puts proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis so patients have the best possible chance of survival.”

Lake Chelan Health EMS is also recognized on the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline System of Care Target Heart Attack award, focused on the system of care for patients. This award highlights the collaboration and contributions of both prehospital and hospital providers. This time-critical award level is limited to those agencies that provide patient transport to STEMI-receiving and STEMI-referring centers.

Mission: Lifeline EMS® recognition is the American Heart Association’s program that recognizes prehospital emergency agencies for their quality of care for heart attack and stroke patients. The recognition program focuses on transforming care quality by connecting all heart attack and stroke care components into a seamlessly integrated care system. Key tenets of these systems of care reinforce evidence-based guidelines and measure performance, identify gaps, and engage in quality improvement. For more information, visit heart.org.

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LAKE CHELAN HEALTH & WELLNESS FOUNDATION’S CHELAN CHIP ‘N SIP GOLF TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER FRIDAY SEPT. 13, 2024

SAVE THE DATE: Lake Chelan Health and Wellness Foundation CHELAN CHIP ‘N SIP Golf Tournament Fundraiser Friday September 13, 2024

The Lake Chelan Health and Wellness Foundation (LCHWF) is thrilled to announce their first Chelan Chip ‘n Sip golf tournament fundraiser. This exciting event will take place at the picturesque Chelan Municipal Golf Course, offering breathtaking views and lush green fields for golfers to enjoy.

Mark your calendars for Friday, September 13, 2024, and let this day be your lucky one with a chance to win $10,000 for a hole in one. The LCHWF, along with Lake Chelan Health staff and dedicated volunteers, has organized an array of games, raffles, prizes, awards, and goodie bags for 150 participating golfers.

The funds raised from golf ticket purchases, sponsorships, donations, and various games and raffles will go towards acquiring a new SHARP FM X-Ray machine, estimated at $90,000. This vital piece of equipment is for the expanding Lake Chelan Health Specialty Care Clinic, which offers orthopedic, general surgery, pain management, podiatry and plastic surgery consult services to the Lake Chelan Valley. X-rays play a crucial role in helping physicians identify abnormalities such as broken bones, tumors, or foreign objects in the body, thus aiding in determining appropriate treatment for patients.

To learn more about LCHWF, register, donate, or volunteer, please visit https://www.lchealthwellness.com or Chelan Chip ‘n Sip.

Event Details:

Event: Chelan Chip ‘n Sip Golf Tournament

  • Date: Friday, September 13, 2024
  • Location: Chelan Municipal Golf Course, 1501 Golf Course Drive, Chelan, WA 98816
  • Check-in: Opens at 8:00 AM
  • Tee Time: Starts at 9:00 AM

For further inquiries, please contact Vita Monteleone, Director of Communications, Lake Chelan Health and Wellness Foundation, at 509-682-6125 or via email at foundation@LCHealthWellness.com

Operating since 1981, the Lake Chelan Health & Wellness Foundation (LCHWF) has a strong track record of sound fiduciary responsibility. We are dedicated to generating and managing donated assets to enhance community youth and senior programs, healthcare services of Lake Chelan Health Hospital and meet the health and wellness needs of our community.

LCHWF oversees donor contributions, bequests, memorials, donor-advised funds, and endowments. Recently, we donated $2 million to support the new hospital, which opened in 2022, and we continue to assist the hospital in purchasing essential new equipment. Annually, we award $20,000 or more in scholarships to local high school students and healthcare workers seeking continuing education or career advancement in healthcare, thereby improving patient care and experiences.

The Foundation is incorporated and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. Contributions are tax deductible under IRS regulations.

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LAKE CHELAN HEALTH HOSPITAL PRESENTED WITH TISSUE DONATION STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

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Lake Chelan Health (LCH) Hospital Board of Commissioners and Administration staff have been honored with the Tissue Donation Standards of Excellence Award from LifeNet Health. This respected award recognizes the hospital’s unwavering commitment and efforts to achieve and sustain high standards in initiating the donation process.

Over the past year, LCH has achieved a remarkable 100% timely referral rate, with 92.3% of all deaths being referred. “That’s actually very, very exceptional,” said Meigan Kemp, LCH’s Donor Relations Account Manager from LifeNet Health®. This outstanding partnership and the hospital’s accomplishments with LifeNet Health play a crucial role in saving and enhancing patients’ lives in the region.

Such high standards would not have been possible without the dedication of the LCH administration, management, and especially the nursing staff and bedside care. “The nursing staff is primarily responsible for this effort,” said Rhianna Montgomery, LCH Chief Nursing Officer.

Lake Chelan Health is honored by this recognition and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with LifeNet Health. Together, they will continue to provide a safe, reliable, and comprehensive approach to supporting the tissue donation program.

LifeNet Health is a global leader in regenerative medicine and life sciences, dedicated to saving lives, restoring health, and giving hope to thousands of patients each year through organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

Brant Truman, LCH CFO; Shawn Ottley, LCH COO; Meigan Kemp, LifeNet Health Account Representative; Rhianna Montgomery, CNO; Aaron Edwards, LCH CEO; Commissioners Jordana LaPorte, Laurie Withrow, Doug Gibson, Len England. Mary Murphy not pictured.

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SAFE SITTER COURSE OFFERED BY LAKE CHELAN HEALTH EMS

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SAFE SITTER 2-DAY COURSE OFFERED BY LAKE CHELAN HEALTH EMS JULY 8TH AND 9TH, 2024

Lake Chelan Health (LCH) EMS is offering the annual Safe Sitter class, scheduled for July 8 and 9, 2024. The 2-day course will be held at the LCH EMS Building, located at 503 E. Highland Avenue, from 9 AM to 2:30 PM each day.

The Safe Sitter course is specifically designed to prepare students in grades 6-8 (ages 11-14) to be safe when they are home alone, caring for younger siblings, or babysitting. The curriculum offers hands-on practice in lifesaving techniques and comprehensive instruction that includes:

· Understanding how a child’s age affects care

· Techniques to prevent problem behavior

· Strategies to run a babysitting business

· Basic first aid, including infant and child choking rescue and CPR

SafeSitter® is a medically accurate, up-to-date babysitting course that provides youth with essential life and safety skills. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain the knowledge and confidence needed to start and grow their babysitting businesses.

The cost of the course is $50.00, and it includes lunch and snacks for both days. Space is limited. To register, please visit https://lakechelanhealth.org/wellness/safe-sitter/ or email cpr@lcch.net for space availability.

Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity to ensure your child is equipped with the skills they need to be a responsible and capable babysitter.

For all courses including First Aid, CPR & AED Click Here

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FROM YOUR BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Dear Community Members,

As we close out 2023 and look forward to 2024, we, the Board of Commissioners, would like to take a moment to reflect on the operations of our hospital and to express our deep appreciation for the community’s support of Lake Chelan Health and its staff. We would like to share with you a summary of our achievements, our future outlook, and our commitment to serving our community.

  • Last December marked the one-year anniversary of the new Hospital at Apple Blossom Center. It has been a fantastic addition to our community and our ability to provide quality healthcare. We were recently awarded another $11 million from the State of Washington to continue our expansion and have a permanent home for our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team. This additional development will go a long way to our goal of having all services housed in one location. We were also excited to receive the delivery of one of the three new ambulances, in accordance with the approved levy, and to acquire a Transit Van.
  • Throughout the year, our dedicated healthcare professionals continued to provide exceptional care to all our patients. We are proud to report that our hospital achieved high patient satisfaction scores. As we continually strive for improvement, we have asked our departments to compare themselves against industry standards. We are happy to report that our net promoter score (which ranges from -100 to +100) continues to improve and ranges in the mid 70’s, demonstrating our commitment and ability to deliver quality healthcare services to our community.

  • Once again, we are delighted to announce the significant national and international certifications that underscore our commitment to excellence. This past December, our hospital successfully achieved DNV recertification,
    reaffirming our dedication to the high standards of patient care, safety, and quality. Additionally, we obtained the ISO 9001 certification, highlighting our commitment to robust quality management systems and processes.
  • Recognizing the dedication and hard work of our staff, we have taken steps to bring our employees’ compensation to market rates. We believe that fair and competitive compensation is essential in attracting and retaining the best healthcare professionals, ensuring the continued high-quality care our community expects.
  • We are pleased to report that our hospital finances continue to improve year over year. Consistent improvement in processes and available services has allowed us to increase revenues. Building reserves will allow us to reinvest in our facilities, technology, and staff, ensuring our ability to provide top-notch healthcare services for the years to come.
  • While we have achieved significant milestones, we acknowledge the challenges ahead. Our commitment to address healthcare disparities, improve accessibility, and ensure the well-being of our staff and patients remains unwavering. We are actively planning for the future, including potential expansion of new services, the implementation of technology upgrades and the buildout of the EMS facility. These improvements will allow us to enhance the patient experience, streamline operations and continue to meet the evolving healthcare needs of our community.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our community for entrusting us with your healthcare needs. Your support, feedback, and collaboration are invaluable to us as we strive to improve and grow. Together, we are a resilient and compassionate community.

The Board of Commissioners would like to express our pride and gratitude for the hard work and dedication of our district staff, the support of our community, and the shared commitment to health and well-being. As we look forward to the coming year, we remain committed to serving you with excellence and compassion.

Wishing you a healthy and prosperous year ahead.

Sincerely,

Lake Chelan Health Board of Commissioners,

Jordana LaPorte, Chair

Lori Withrow, Vice Chair

Mary Murphy, Secretary

Doug Gibson, Member

Len England, Member

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FIRST BABY OF THE NEW YEAR

In 2024, the New Year’s baby, Mateo Eduardo Roa, made a prompt entrance on Wednesday, January 3rd, at Lake Chelan Health Hospital (LCHH). Born in one of the four Labor and Delivery Suites, Mateo, adorned in a custom blanket and hat with his name, joined the Roa and Gomez family at 2:41 pm, measuring 21 inches and weighing 8 pounds 3 oz.

Edith Gomez and Eduardo Roa, parents to three children, eagerly anticipated Mateo’s arrival at the new hospital, particularly noteworthy as their two other children were born in the former Lake Chelan Hospital. Mateo’s siblings were excited to meet their new brother and curious about “how the baby was born,” remarked Edith.

Although residing in Omak, Washington, the couple maintained their connection with their Chelan-based doctor and chose the new hospital for Mateo’s birth. Notably, Lake Chelan Health Hospital witnesses the arrival of almost 100 newborns each year.

The family received warm congratulations and were presented with the New Year’s Baby Basket by Lisa Marshall, a dedicated Registered Nurse with seven years of service at LCH, and OB Manager Julianna England. The New Year Baby Basket was generously donated by Hospital Guild B.

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A MESSAGE TO OUR VALUED DONORS

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your contributions to Lake Chelan Hospital. Your support over the last 50 years has been instrumental in our mission to provide quality healthcare to our community.

While we have transitioned to the new facility, we want you to know that your past contributions remain an integral part of our history.  Some items from the old hospital may no longer be suitable in our new facility, and so we are diligently working on a plan to ensure we can memorialize their positive impact on our patients and staff.

We will be in touch with donors or their families once we have determined the best path forward.  Again, thank you for your unwavering support.  Rest assured we are committed to finding the best way to commemorate and honor your generosity.

We thank you for your continued support.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@lcch.net with any questions you may have.

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AFTER 11.5 YEARS LAKE CHELAN HEALTH BOARD MEMBER MARY SIGNORELLI STEPS DOWN

Chelan, WA, June 7, 2023– Lake Chelan Health Commissioner Mary Signorelli has announced her resignation from her position effective June 2, 2023.  The Commissioners and Lake Chelan Health are deeply appreciative of her longtime support and dedication for the hospital and serving 11.5 years as a hospital commissioner.

Lake Chelan Health Board of Commissioners is accepting letters of interest from candidates interested in serving on the Board.  The selected candidate will fill the board seat vacated by Mary Signorelli for the remainder of its term that expires at the end of 2023.

Letters of interest should include candidate’s credentials and experience, as well as reasons why they want to serve as a Lake Chelan Health board member. Serving on the Board will require the candidate to attend meetings, review and study material and serve as an advocate for projects supporting Lake Chelan Health. Commissioners are offered medical, dental and vision insurance for self and eligible dependents; must pay premiums for dependents. Entitled to compensation as set and adjusted by statute. See RCW 70.44.050 for more information.

Interested candidates should submit letters to P.O. Box 908, Chelan, WA 98816. Attention: Executive Assistant, or email admin@lcch.net, or drop off at 110 S. Apple Blossom Drive, Chelan WA 98816.   Interested persons are encouraged to submit letters of interest by Friday June 30, 2023.

Founded in 1948, Lake Chelan Health Hospital is a DNV-Accredited Critical Access Hospital with supporting Express Care, Specialty Care and Primary Care clinics in Chelan, Washington.  The health system provides a 24-hour emergency room, surgical center, inpatient and skilled recovery care, labor and delivery services, pain management, orthopedics, wound and lymphedema care as well as physical, occupational and pelvic health rehabilitative therapy.

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