Backyard Cherry Tree

 

Massive cherry tree specimen 

A view from my desk to our backyard cherry tree.  You can't see, but it's a grouping of 2 landmark trees and 2 others (cabled) reaching over our fence.  Can you find the bird house we nailed to the trunk years ago without use of a ladder?  Yes, it's grown tremendously in our 36 years here.  All kinds of wildlife live in this tree, including racoon families.  On the downside, it's a garbagy tree.  In the Spring, faint blossoms and copious pollen falls on our windshields for weeks, then in the summer and Fall a multitude of sepals, inedible cherries and leaves must be swept from the patio.  Though this monster is my "therapy tree," I'll be glad to leave it behind when I move out of Redmond this year.       

-- Bob Yoder, 1/25/2025

For personal reasons, I'm taking a break from this blog.  I may be back in several weeks or so. [Most of the "Popular Posts" on the sidebar are dated.] 

Balducci Issues Statement On Harborview Tax Vote

 

Balducci issues statement on tax vote for Harborview Medical Center

 

The King County Council on Tuesday approved the so-called “Sunshine Ordinance” which sets the type and rate of county taxes each year, which funds a broad spectrum of basic government services. To fund Harborview Medical Center operations, maintenance and capital expansion, this year’s ordinance includes a dedicated property tax increase of 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, costing the average King County homeowner about $7.30 per month.

After Tuesday’s vote, King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, a member of the King County leadership group that led to the creation of the Harborview funding proposal, released the following statement:

“I am proud of the action we took today to ensure Harborview Medical Center continues serving the people of King County and our region. The public we serve – and the workers who make this hospital so critical to the health of our region – will benefit from the investments we are making. Harborview offers an essential lifeline by prioritizing those most in need of care and compassion with the fewest resources to access it: care for people without insurance, survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and people with mental illness or substance use issues.

King County Launches 10 Additional Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Teams

This week King County launched new mobile crisis teams to help people experiencing a mental health, drug or alcohol crisis.

Teams travel across the county to de-escalate behavioral health crises and connect people to support services. King County added 10 teams for a total of 27 teams operated by the Downtown Emergency Service Center and Sound Behavioral Health.

“We’re building a robust crisis system where everyone has access to the care they need, when and where they need it — reducing hospital and jail visits,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “By expanding the number of mobile response teams, we're on track to ensure people in crisis can get 24/7 help from a specialized behavioral health team.”

Anyone can text or call 988 for help and support.

Seattle Times article, 12/5/24  (1 minute read) 

Posted by Yoder, 12/5/24

King County property taxes fund this service.

LWSD Data Reveals Alarming Mental Health Challenges Facing Their Seniors

Recent data from the 2023 LWSD Healthy Youth Survey reveals the alarming mental health challenges facing high school seniors: 25% report symptoms of depression, 12% have contemplated suicide, and 26% feel they have no adult to confide in. Additionally, 13% have experienced unwanted sexual contact, and 11% identify as “problem” or “heavy” drinkers. These figures underscore an urgent need for expanded access to mental health care.

“The statistics are alarming, but they also highlight the incredible need for a service like Care Solace,” remarked Katy Philips, LWSF Executive Director. “We are grateful for the opportunity to make mental health care more accessible and to work alongside LWSD and the City of Redmond to support our community’s well-being.”

Care Solace connects individuals with a large network of verified mental health providers, addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, substance use, trauma, and more. The service offers 24/7/365 multilingual support in over 200 languages and is available at no cost to all LWSD students, families, and staff, regardless of insurance status.

By offering a centralized hub for connecting individuals to mental health care providers, Care Solace ensures timely, confidential access to services while relieving school staff of the challenging task of referring students to appropriate care. The platform’s database of over 560,000 providers enables efficient connections and ensures that students, especially those from historically underserved communities, receive the right support.

-- Lake Washington Schools Foundation

Updated: Mental Health Resonates In Kirkland

Kirkland is becoming the focal point for mental health care on the Eastside.  EvergreenHealth announced in their Fall "Monitor" newsletter they have expanded Behavioral Health into their new Canyon Park Urgent Care.

 One of their patients said:

Thank you for listening to me and helping me to get connected to a psychiatrist.  I feel like I have finally found what works for me, and it has changed my life.  

According to EvergreenHealth, "the initiative at Canyon Park is just a first step." They look forward to expanding behavioral health services to the broader community.  "Behavioral health is an essential line of service that levy funds are helping to expand into the community."

The Emergency Departments of EvergreenHealth have treated mentally vulnerable ill patients over the years...many severe.  Their ER physicians are backed up by highly-trained social workers and a remodeled department.  Treating these complex patients has been a challenge for community-owned EvergreenHealth.  Now...some terrific news for our community and outlying cities.  

CONNECTIONS

As of August, 2024 Kirkland has an amazing new 26-bed mental health "crisis care" service CONNECTIONS to take the burden off Evergreen and expand out-patient behavioral health care.  The Center is Located in Totem Lake behind the Olive Garden in a business complex. 11410 NE 122 Way.  425-650-4005.  

Highlights include: 

1. A walk-in urgent care facility available 24/7 to serve anyone with a mental health and/or substance use related need. Most folks will be good after being seen in the urgent care clinic and not have additional care needs. 

2. For people who come to a crisis care center and need a higher level of behavioral health care, there is a 23-hour observation unit. This full spectrum psychiatric setting includes comfortable recliners, nature photography that brings the outdoors in, and natural light.    

3. For those who need more than 23 hours, the center has a 14-day crisis stabilization unit with 32 beds in rooms with windows letting in natural light. This is a setting able to meet high needs and includes calming rooms and a common space.  

4. The center also has a meeting space to follow-up with people after they visit a crisis care center and connect them to helpful wellness or social services.  

Share the good news with your friends and family!  The doors are always open to all, with or without insurance.  

Finally, a Health Through Housing (HTH) homeless building is planned for Kirkland.

-- posted by Yoder, 11/18/24  Updated:  12/11/24

COO Mark Wimley, EvergreenHealth Notable Executive

Mark Wimley, COO EvergreehHealth
Medical Group 

"Well Together Blog"

 2/26/2024

At EvergreenHealth, we provide clinically sophisticated diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for heart disease and heart attack – and we're recognized by Healthgrades as a national leader in heart care. I'm proud to work for an organization that provides this level of care. And, in fact, I'm here and healthy today as a result of it. 

I was 42 and fit in 2016 when I had a heart attack at a Totem Lake gym. For several years, I'd been leading an informal workout group with other EvergreenHealth staff members and physicians. While finishing a set of 15 reps of a burpee pull-up combo, I suddenly felt intense pain in my right chest. I thought maybe I'd torn my pectoral muscle or was experiencing gastroesophageal reflux. I wasn't thinking about my heart. 

I approached Dr. Jeff Tomlin and described my symptoms. When I mentioned a squeezing sensation, Dr. Tomlin quickly took me to his truck and drove me to our Kirkland Emergency Department (ED). An EKG confirmed that I was experiencing a heart attack. Two stents later, I was recovering in the ICU and feeling pretty good when I had a second heart attack.

350-Bed Forensic Center Planned For Western State Hospital

Gov. Jay Inslee and leaders from the state Department of Social and Health Services break ground on the new Forensic Center of Excellence on the Western State Hospital campus.

On Thursday morning, state leaders gathered in Lakewood to break ground on a new hospital to be built on the Western State Hospital campus. The hospital will be a secure facility with 350 beds to serve forensic patients (those accused of a crime and ordered by a court to receive treatment before trial).

Construction of the new Forensic Center of Excellence will complete by 2029.

This project turns a page in state history. Washington state is a different place than it used to be. Western State Hospital is a different place than it used to be. And under the direction of Gov. Jay Inslee, the state’s approach to behavioral health care is different than it used to be.

It’s all change for the better.

Read the full story on Gov. Jay Inslee's Medium

Posted 10/18/24

UPDATED 10/13: Council Notes: Funding For "Mini City Hall" and Avondale Water Main Replacement

Redmond City Hall

The City is asking our State legislature to fund significant projects next session, as follows:     

1) $1,024,475 to replace several miles of aging, brittle asbestos water main pipe on Avondale Road NE.  In addition, pavement will be re-surfaced for a total cost of $3.3M. 

The pipes "are brittle," with numerous breaks in the last five years.  Key concerns are: 

• Health and water quality
• Impacts to salmon-bearing streams
• Fire protection 

2)  $618,000 for 1,700 sf city service space ("Mini City Hall") in the Overlake Bellwether building.  With State funding the following services would be provided by 2028:  

• customer service
• police desk
• mobile integrated health
• translation services (42% of residents are foreign born)
• multi-cultural lobby with rotating art
• 333 units for low and moderate income (30-80% AMI) families and individuals. 
• access to light rail - across street from the Overlake Station. 

Source:  Amy Tsai, Redmond's

Chief Policy Advisor

Council Study Session, 10/8/24

"Take Me Home" Police Program

NOTES (Part 2); Silver Cloud Homeless Housing Community Meeting

Two staff members man the remodeled front desk. 

Will the studios be as nice?

It's one thing to provide the "low barrier" HTH Silver Cloud building for housing chronic, disabled homeless, it's another to care for them.  I attended the Salvation Army's first community meeting and took notes addressing the "care and rehabilitation" provided by the Salvation Army, as follows: 

• HTH care facilities are modeled after "Don's Place" in Auburn.
• Ms. Cook, administrator of "King County Regional Homeless Authority" said twice the Silver Cloud building is "low barrier" meaning there will be no discrimination against homeless residents taking street drugs, excessive alcohol, and/or with serious mental illness.  
• Currently, the residents are housed in rooms, with rights of tenancy under emergency conditions.  Once the studios are fully occupied (with 100 residents) they will be permanently supported with:  24/7 wrap-around services including 11 support staff, 4-5 case managers, three meals a day and more. Until full occupancy the HTH building called "Haven" will operate under emergency conditions.   
• It appears nonprofit support services like "4 Tomorrow,"  and "Nourishing Networks," will volunteer.  Currently "life skills" are on the weekly calendar. Yoga was mentioned.  No A.A. 
• Behavioral health was a key topic since ~ 70% of homeless have a mental health condition and often treat their sickness with street drugs. "Harm reduction" service will be minimal until the building is fully staffed. 
• City of Redmond Fire mobile behavioral health is available for crisis response. A psychiatrist was mentioned.  Ms. Cook said funding is not a problem for services, however Matt said money "will have to be carved out" for mental health care owing to poor Medicaid reimbursement. 
• Primary care will be available, but no details. 
• Matt said there would be transparency on "Code of Conduct."  A man dressed in old "Security Officer" clothes was standing in the parking lot.  He could have been a resident-in-training.  

Reported by Bob Yoder, 8/4/2024

Part 1 Notes on Community Meeting

Photo by Yoder

My last report will be a personal opinion focusing on delays and purpose.

The Status Of Mental Health Care At EvergreenHealth

 

"The many colors of  bipolar mood disorder"
Dale Chihuly art (Internet) 

The National Association of Mental Health says 1 in 5 Americans struggle with a mental health condition in a given year and only half are treated.  COVID brought this home.

This Spring, EvergreenHealth's seven commissioners and CEO Palazzo approved  psychiatric and therapy treatment for their two Emergency Departments and three of their Urgent Care clinics. This is a giant leap forward for EvergreenHealth (Evergreen) and the community. The COO of Trauma is putting the program together. She's hiring psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and advanced social workers; it will be remote and in-person. Evergreen is community-owned and a levy lid-lift may be proposed this year or next in support of this program and others.   

Some of the levy-supported Programs today are:  EPIC (MyChart,) "Community Healthcare Access Teams," Grief, Palliative and Hospice care services, Geriatric services, a "Mental Health First Aid Kit" program for LWSD student suicide prevention, and perinatal mood and anxiety maternity care.  

EvergreenHealth Board Appoints Dr. Ettore Palazzo New CEO

 

EvergreenHealth Board of Commissioners Appoints Dr. Ettore Palazzo new CEO

Ettore Palazzo, MD, FACP will assume his new role as CEO of EvergreenHealth on Dec. 10

 

KIRKLAND, WA – The EvergreenHealth Board of Commissioners has appointed Ettore Palazzo, MD, FACP, CEO of EvergreenHealth, the community-owned public hospital district and two-hospital healthcare system effective Dec. 10, 2023. Dr. Palazzo assumes the role following the retirement of CEO Jeff Tomlin, MD.

 

“Over the past 20 years, some of the greatest, as well as most challenging, moments of my personal and professional life have taken place at EvergreenHealth,” said Dr. Palazzo. “It is the honor of a lifetime to work for this organization and serve its community as the next Chief Executive Officer.” 

 

Dr. Palazzo has served EvergreenHealth and its community for 20 years. He joined EvergreenHealth in 2003 as a hospitalist and most recently served as the Chief Medical and Quality Officer.

EvergreenHealth -- "America's COVID Hospital"

EvergreenHealth / Seattle Times

EvergreenHealth's website...

"On February 28, 2020, EvergreenHealth's Kirkland campus became the first hospital in the U.S. to respond to the first known cases of community spread of COVID-19, marking the beginning of the global pandemic in the U.S. Given that we had been actively engaged in disaster readiness planning for many years prior to the pandemic, our hospital system was ready to face the challenge."  

Read more about EvergreenHealth's response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

• The New York Times: A Rare Look Inside the Hospital Where 15 Coronavirus Patients Have Died
• The Seattle Times: Kirkland's EvergreenHealth, where coronavirus outbreak was first identified in February, gets first vaccinations
• American Medical Association: How EvergreenHealth, in early U.S. hot spot, responded to COVID-19
• NPR: U.S. Hospitals Prepare For A COVID-19 Wave
• The Hospitalist: At U.S. Ground Zero for coronavirus, a hospital is transformed

The East Lake Sammamish Trail is ready to walk, roll, and bike

King County Parks completed construction of the East Lake Sammamish Trail, its latest contribution to the 44-mile Locks to Lake Corridor that connects Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood to Eastside cities and the Cascade foothills with an uninterrupted paved path.

Posted by Bob Yoder, 10/25/2023 

CONNECTIONS of Kirkland, Behavioral Health Crisis Center Forum

"Connections Health Solutions" is King County's first of five immediate access multi-service behavioral health crisis response centers.  It will be located in the 405 Kirkland Corporate Center behind Olive Garden Restaurant, two blocks from the Kirkland police.  It's scheduled to open June/July of 2024. 

Heather Genovese, V.P. Clinical Operations of Connections Health Solutions held this ZOOM forum on 9/26, to inform viewers of the facility. Donna Lurie, Board President of NAMI Eastside led Q&A.  Notable items from their Tucson facility:    

• 24/7 Urgent Care Mental Health Clinic open to all. Treats adults over 17 years of age. 
• 15+ chairs for observation by psychiatric providers. No triage. Individuals are seen within 90 minutes.
• 65% stabilized within 24 hours.  65% have comorbid substance abuse. 
• 16-bed unit for crisis stabilization; stabilization is usually within 24-hours. 
• 16-bed unit for sub-acute crisis stabilization usually within 4 days. 
• 60-70% of involuntarily committed individuals convert to voluntary commitment. 
• accepts 100% of those coming through the door, regardless of insurance.
• 50-55% are brought in through the back door by police. No one turned away. Peer support specialists remove remove hand cuffs with care compassion and dignity.    
• 90% receive outpatient care by a mental health provider within 7 days off discharge.  
• 45-Day Transition Program:  "warm hand-off to community care" - recovery, support, and coaching.
• For profit. 
• EvergreenHealth isn't funding the Center. 

"King County invested $11.5 million of state and local dollars toward this crisis center located in Kirkland.  It will service five North King County cities.  It's the start of what we can achieve together when it comes to community behavioral health." -- King County Executive Dow Constantine.

 Posted by Bob Yoder, 10/4/2023 / I participated.

NAMI Eastside Annual Fundraiser

 

NAMI Eastside is holding their Annual Fundraiser Luncheon on October 5th at the Marriot, Redmond.

SUPPORT NAMI Eastside AND Register for the Luncheon HERE! 

Redmond Rainbow Crosswalk

Beautiful art!  But don't stare down at it when you're in the crosswalk.  
Drivers may get distracted and not recognize it's a crosswalk. 

The Public Works Director was there.  He said they bought a thermo-applicator machine to paint this crosswalk and will use it for painting other asphalt art.  NAMI Eastside mental health art near the Together Center would be another good candidate!  Don't you think? 

Eastside LBGTQIA artists"

- photo and comment by Yoder, 9/2/2023

UPDATED: 9/17: EvergreenHealth Commissioners Considering $789,500,000 Bond, 8-story Tower

EvergreenHealth Public Hospital

 

The proposed North Tower will have 12 floors:  2 underground parking, 1 underground mixed-use, 2 above ground facility and ancillary, 7 inpatient care floors (3 will be left vacant.) 

At the EvergreenHealth Commission's May retreat, the V.P. of Operations reviewed the proposed Master Facility Plan projects, including a 12-story North Tower expansion with 255,000 square feet and adding another level of parking to the Central Parking Garage.  He also reviewed the bed capacity status and current shortage.

The proposed North Tower would have: 

• two underground parking floors
• 1 mixed-use underground floor 
• 2 above ground support and ancillary care floors 
• 7 floors of inpatient care
•  expanding capacity and modernizing surgical services, 
• address community health needs for behavioral health services  (how?)
• increasing seismic resilience 
• improving Emergency Department capacity,
• and improving energy efficiency and environmental stewardship 

The V.P. of Operations noted that they are in one of the better places in the greater Seattle area to serve the public in the event of a large seismic event and we may be one of few facilities operational. 

He stated, " the anticipated UTGO Bond amount is approx. $798,500,000, and would include a new North Tower. We would plan to buildout 6 of the 9 floors in the new North Tower to start and keep the remaining 3 floors for future expansion as needs arise or change.  The levers used to achieve break-even Net Income over the 10-year proforma period were labor and overhead." 

It was noted the UTGO BOND would equate to a tax rate of $.13 per $1,000 of assessed value (or $156.24 incremental tax increase per year for a $1.2M home in Kirkland, which is the 2023 median assessed home value).  (However, 2024 King County appraisals for homes are reduced by ~ 20% from 2023. Thus, the hospital commissioners will probably launch the bond measure in 2024.)

Additionally, it was noted that the public hospital district taxes are 2.1% of the entire King County levy.

PUBLIC COMMENT:  Paul Hess, Kenmore resident, asked if EvergreenHealth has implemented lean organizational strategies, noting that it will help close the gap. Additionally, he spoke about the Foundation, how their staff report to EvergreenHealth, and hopes that no Foundation funding will be used for a UTGO Bond.  He also spoke critically about how he and other District residents pay taxes to fund the hospital but don’t use the services, while others who don’t pay taxes to fund the hospital use the services.

SOURCES:

-- Minutes: May 16th, 2023, Regular Board Meeting - 2 comments

-- Minutes: May 11th 2023, Special Session Commission Retreat

-- Minutes: May 2 2023, Special Session Leadership Educational Session  1 comment

-- May 10  Special Session Leadership Educational Session  - 8 comments

posted by Bob Yoder, 9/2/2023

UPDATED: Watch Out For Exorbitant Emergency Department Expenses / Mental Health Awareness Month

EvergreenHealth Medical Center - supported by District taxpayers

A month ago I was transferred from Fairfax Behavioral Health Hospital to EvergreenHealth Emergency Department (ED) for a concussion evaluation and incidental mental health care.  For ED services I was charged. 

$2,024 for a Level 4 Visit, $515.00 for intravenous hydration, $1,687 for a CT scan, $270 for an acetaminophen blood level, $270 for a urine toxicology screen, $379.00 for an ECG, $270.00 for an alcohol blood level, $309 for a lactic acid blood level, among other charges, totaling $7,079.  (Not counting the radiologist fee.)  

My insurance company had a contract with EvergreenHealth which helped.  I read somewhere on Evergreen's website tax-payer funds (via the levy) sometimes kick-in when insurance companies can't.  Our Emergency Department charges at Overlake were high, as well.  It seems ED physicians always need to take a CT; at least for us. We've had four CT's at four visits.  Stay out of ED's at all costs (no pun intended.)  Go first to Urgent Care or your Primary Care physician, if possible.  

As we all know, the cost of healthcare has sky-rocketed everywhere.  It's come to the point that people have had to resort  "medical credit cards."  Yahoo Business has an excellent article on these cards.

-- Bob Yoder, 5/16/2023

May is "Mental Health Awareness Month."  Under "comment" (below in blue,) I wrote in detail my recent experience of treatment and recovery at Fairfax Behavioral Health Hospital.  I hope you read it. Bob

UPDATED 3/3/2023: The Story Of EvergreenHealth's Attitude Toward Mental Health

 EvergreenHealth - King County Public Hospital District #2

This "Silver Tower" and a 2nd Emergency Department were funded by the district
taxpayers of Redmond, Sammamish, Kirkland, Woodinville, Bothell, Mill Creek,
Kenmore, Shoreline, Duval, Carnation, and Snohomish County.

EvergreenHealth serves it's community well.  An exception is their almost complete non- performance in treating mental illness.  COVID removed stigma, raised awareness; uncovering the high incidence of those struggling. They should do better and they're not.

Overall though, we are blessed to have EvergreenHealth in our community and region.  They led the Nation through the pandemic onslaught and are deserving of every award earned,  For a hospital with their pandemic experience, they should have no problem finding bandwidth for Mental Health hybrid programming.  

 

Below, is decade's long news and my accounting of EvergreenHealth's lack of progress towards the implementation of mental health treatment and care:

EvergreenHealth history - then & now.

Executive & Medical Leadership Team

Mission, Vision, Values

The Monitor newsletter 

The Status Of Mental Health Care At EvergreenHealth (2022)

King County Asks EvergreenHealth For Behavioral Health Urgent Care Clinic 

 EvergreenHealth:  Serve your community with "Behavioral Health Urgent Care!"

King County Councilmember Actively Engaged In Behavioral Health

EvergreenHealth Aledgedly Misused C.A.R.E Money

The History of EvergreenHealth CEOs

EvergreenHealth CEO Jeff Tomlin - The pandemic CEO.

EvergreenHealth Hospital Governance is not "Open" and Lacks Transparency

 --News and Opinion, Bob Yoder, 3/1/2023

Public Board meeting information is here. Only thing missing are times of the meetings! The public comment period starts at 6:30 p.m.

Brain disorders are generalational in my family.  It's been quite a tortuous ride. BY