(l-r) sister Joanne Dearth from No. Carolina, Bob Yoder, Pam Yoder |
News and Opinion on Neighborhoods, Schools and Local Governments of Redmond, WA.
(l-r) sister Joanne Dearth from No. Carolina, Bob Yoder, Pam Yoder |
EvergreenHealth, Our Independent Community-Owned Hospital |
Proposition 1 will address these challenges and renew support for EvergreenHealth - our independent, community-owned public hospital - to meet the needs of the Eastside on the Eastside.
Vote yes to reduce wait times and expand access. Prop 1 means more physicians and clinical staff and expanded access to primary, emergency, and specialty care including maternity services and behavioral healthcare.
Vote yes to maintain high quality. EvergreenHealth is nationally recognized for its quality of care receiving five stars from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service and ranked a top-50 hospital nationally by Healthgrades. Prop. 1 allows investments to maintain this high quality.
Vote yes to keep quality care close to home and protect local decision-making. Prop 1 ensures EvergreenHealth stays independent, avoiding the need to merge with a larger organization where services and staff will be consolidated and local residents will likely have to travel to Seattle or other urban centers for many services.
When our families need medical help – in an emergency, for regular check-ups or specialized care – we want to access high-quality healthcare close to home. Join physicians, nurses and emergency responders in voting yes on EvergreenHealth’s Prop. 1 to expand access here on the Eastside and protect our independent, locally-controlled community healthcare.
-- Submitted by: Barb Jensen, Josh Pratt, Kevin Hanson, www.yesevergreenhealth.com
EvergreenHealth, Kirkland Your Community - Owned Hospital |
LEVY FUNDED PROGRAMS:
The Community Healthcare Access Team (CHAT) is probably EvergreenHealth's flagship levy-funded community service:
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.]
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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 |
Highlights include:
Mark Wimley, COO EvergreehHealth Medical Group |
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
Redmond City Hall |
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:
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:
"The many colors of bipolar mood disorder" Dale Chihuly art (Internet) |
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.