EvergreenHealth Launches "EverHealthy" Initiative

"EverHealthy" provides a blueprint for advancing the community's health through critical upgrades to the health system’s Kirkland medical center campus

Kirkland, Wash. – EvergreenHealth recently launched an initiative that, with community support, will strengthen and expand the health system’s Kirkland medical center to help meet the growing health care needs of the community. The initiative, “EverHealthy,” is part of the health system’s 10-year Master Facilities Plan, which seeks to ensure that the growing number of families within the public hospital district can continue to count on safe, quality care within their community well into the future.

The enhancements provided by EverHealthy – including upgrades to facility safety and disaster readiness; a new and relocated Critical Care Unit; a modernized Family Maternity Center; and infrastructure and technology and upgrades – will be funded by a $345 million 30-year bond that the community will have an opportunity to vote on in April.

“EverHealthy provides the blueprint for keeping pace with our area’s population growth by fulfilling our promise to our community: to evolve to remain your best health partner now, and for years to come. By strengthening and enhancing our health system, EverHealthy will help us continue our legacy of delivering the highest quality outcomes and exceptional service in an environment of absolute safety,” said EvergreenHealth CEO Amy Beiter, MD.

One of the most critical components of the initiative will provide extensive seismic upgrades to the oldest areas of the original hospital built in 1972. While all facilities meet the building codes that were in place at the time of their construction, retrofitting those areas to today’s most advanced seismic standards will enable EvergreenHealth to remain a viable resource in the event of a catastrophic earthquake. Given the medical center campus’ geographical location, EvergreenHealth is slated by experts to be the most viable and accessible option for medical care after a catastrophic earthquake in the region.

EverHealthy will also fund the construction of a new Critical Care Unit (CCU) and relocate it to EvergreenHealth’s Silver Tower. Relocating the CCU to the third floor of the Silver tower will position it near other specialties that often coordinate with critical care providers, while also enhancing patients’ and families’ experience during their stay. The unit’s modern design will mirror other newly constructed floors in the tower and will promote family-inclusive care, with intentional spaces within patient rooms and across the unit where families can convene and consult with clinical teams.

Another key feature of EverHealthy is a modernized Family Maternity Center (FMC), which will enable the health system to continue its legacy as the nation’s first Baby-Friendly Hospital, and the area’s most preferred hospital for childbirth. Planned renovations include redesigned rooms to better accommodate families and provide space for advanced equipment and technology, an optimized layout that increases efficiency for provider teams, and an updated entrance and OB emergency department to offer a more comfortable environment for patients in early labor. Expanding the FMC will also accommodate more families and laboring mothers.

EverHealthy also provides for campus-wide infrastructure improvements to renew aging systems that are critical to delivering safe, high-quality care, while enhancing the health system’s ability to adopt innovative technology as it emerges. Upgrading the hospital’s infrastructure systems will ensure that the physical plant is able to adapt to population growth and remain at the forefront of health care innovation in the years to come.

EverHealthy is part of EvergreenHealth’s 10-year Master Facilities Plan, which provides a blueprint for advancing the health of the community by ensuring the health system can continue to provide the best possible care in an environment of absolute safety. The first phase of the plan, completed on time and on budget in 2017, included the opening of the EvergreenHealth Neuroscience, Spine & Orthopedic Institute in the DeYoung Pavilion; new inpatient units on the fourth and fifth floors of the Silver Tower; and a new primary care and urgent care practice in Kenmore.

Community members will have the opportunity to vote on the bond measure to support EverHealthy in a vote-by-mail election scheduled for April 23. The proposed ballot measure will provide $345 million over 20 years, which translates to an average of $0.18 per $1,000 of assessed home value per year over the life of the bonds. That means a homeowner of a $700,000 home in EvergreenHealth’s district would pay an average of $10.50 per month, for a total of $126 per year over the life of the bonds.

For more information about EvergreenHealth’s commitment to meeting the health care needs of its expanding community for generations to come, please visit www.evergreenhealth.com/everhealthy.

To register to vote or ensure your voting registration information is up to date, visit www.sos.wa.gov/elections by March 25, 2019.

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About EvergreenHealth

EvergreenHealth is an integrated health care system serving nearly one million residents in King and Snohomish counties with a breadth of services and programs that are among the most comprehensive in the region. Formed as a public hospital district in 1972, EvergreenHealth includes a 318-bed acute care medical center in Kirkland and a 72-bed hospital, EvergreenHealth Monroe, which is an accredited, full-service public hospital district established in 1960 in Monroe, Washington. The system also includes a network of 13 primary care practices, five urgent care centers, more than two dozen specialty care practices, and 24/7 emergency care from its Kirkland, Monroe, and Redmond locations.