As southwest Washington residents make final preparations for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to spike in our community. PeaceHealth Columbia Network Chief Executive Sean Gregory shares the following letter discussing important thoughts to carry us safely throught the holidays into the New Year:
Dear friends and neighbors,
On behalf of my colleagues that serve in the largest and longest standing provider of healthcare in our region, I want to share a few thoughts as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Please be safe. There is nothing political about COVID-19 in our community. People have been harmed, and more people will be harmed. Please take measures to not harm yourself or others. Wearing a mask is an inconvenience, but the consequences of spreading the virus are worthy of being inconvenienced.
Everyone has a role. If there was ever an illustration of interdependence, it is what we are experiencing in this pandemic. Your important role may be to help your family make a hard decision about where to have Thanksgiving dinner. You may need to listen to a loved one frustrated by the consequences of the pandemic. Whatever your role in helping our community navigate the pandemic, it matters, and your friends working in healthcare appreciate your efforts.
Please know your encouragement is noticed. Our PeaceHealth teams have received over 20,000 donated meals, thousands of letters of encouragement, and thousands more prayers. Your encouragement matters to us and is something WE are very thankful for. It is a blessing to work in a community that has been so incredibly encouraging. Thank you. We are part of an incredible community.
Happy Thanksgiving Eve,
Sean Gregory
Chief Executive, PeaceHealth Columbia Network
The PeaceHealth Columbia Network includes both PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, WA and PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview, WA.
Growing numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths are troubling; facemasks can slow the trend
PeaceHealth has joined 100 of the nation’s top health care systems, representing thousands of hospitals in communities across the U.S., for an urgent plea for all Americans to mask up, because wearing a facemask is our best chance at slowing the surging COVID-19 pandemic now.
More than 11.5 million Americans have tested positive for the virus – including an additional one million in just the past week – leading to nearly 250,000 deaths.
The current trends are daunting and frightening. If the nation stays on its current course, hospital leaders are increasingly concerned that more healthcare facilities will be overwhelmed as shortages of healthy caregivers make it difficult to handle a rapidly increasing number of patients. Unfortunately, this is already happening in parts of our country.
The next several months will be critical. Though there has been positive news about vaccine development, no one knows when those vaccines will be ready for widespread use. In the meantime, everyone must remain vigilant, take precautions and follow public health orders.
The country has reached a tipping point. The power to do what is right is now in the hands of everyone everywhere.
Beginning today, a public service message will run in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times. Additionally, hospitals and health systems across the country will continue to unite to share these messages regionally.
The message reads:
“As the top nationally-ranked hospitals, we know it’s tough that we all need to do our part and keep wearing masks. But, here’s what we also know: The science has not changed. Masks slow the spread of COVID-19. So, please join us as we all embrace this simple ask: Wear. Care. Share with #MaskUp. Together, wearing is caring. And together, we are saving lives.”
In an effort to reach a broader audience, the public service effort will also include messages on digital platforms, social media, online information, links to vital health resources and more. Combining resources demonstrates that these health organizations are working together, will accomplish this today and will get through this together.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points to recent studies that have shown facemasks successfully limit spread of the COVID-19 virus. Wearing facemasks protect in key ways: by protecting the wearer against inhalation of harmful pathogens and particulates and by preventing exposure of those around the wearer.
In addition to masking, the CDC suggests that everyone minimize the number of non-household contacts, maintain a physical distance of at least six feet, and limit the amount of time around others, especially while indoors and in poorly ventilated areas. For more masking information, visit peacehealth.org/wear-mask.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission.
About the Mask Up coalition: everymaskup.com is a collaboration of 100 leading health systems representing thousands of hospitals across the U.S. joining together to create messages for the betterment of communities they serve. The impetus for this, and other public service campaigns to follow, came from a group of health care marketing and communications executives meeting for a decade and reengaged weekly since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The goal is to share knowledge and experience, best practices, strategies and resources- knowing they can accomplish more together.
The following hospitals and health systems are helping to spread this message across the country.
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AdventHealth Adventist Health Allegheny Health Network Atrium Health Avera Health Banner Health Baptist Health Northeast Florida Baylor Scott & White Health Baystate Health BJC HealthCare Bon Secours Mercy Health Boston Children's Hospital Cedars-Sinai Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Children's Hospital of Orange County Children's National Hospital ChristianaCare Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center City of Hope Cleveland Clinic CommonSpirit Health Community Health Systems Cooper University Health Care Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health Duke Health Emory Healthcare Geisinger Hackensack Meridian Health HCA Healthcare Inspira Health Intermountain Healthcare Jefferson Health Johns Hopkins Medicine Kaiser Permanente Keck Medicine of USC LifePoint Health Mass General Brigham Mayo Clinic MedStar Health Memorial Hermann Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center MemorialCare (Southern California) Mercy Michigan Medicine Mount Sinai Health System National Jewish Health Nationwide Children's Hospital Nebraska Medicine |
Nemours Children's Health System NewYork-Presbyterian Northwell Health Northwestern Medicine Norton Healthcare Ochsner Health OhioHealth Oregon Health & Science University OSF HealthCare OU Health PeaceHealth Penn Medicine Penn State Health Providence Renown Health Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Rush University System for Health RWJ Barnabas Health Saint Luke's Health System (Kansas City, MO) SCL Health Scripps Health Sharp HealthCare Southwestern Health Resources SSM Health St. Elizabeth Healthcare St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital St. Luke's Hospital (St. Louis) Stanford Health Care Sutter Health Temple Health Texas Health Resources The Christ Hospital Health Network The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ThedaCare TriHealth (Cincinnati) Trinity Health UC Davis Health UCHealth UC Health CINCINNATI UC San Diego Health UChicago Medicine UCI Health UCLA Health UCSF Health UNC Health University of California Health University Hospitals (Cleveland) University of Iowa Health Care Virtua Health |
PeaceHealth has been ranked No. 2 for the second year in a row in the Portland Business Journal’s list of Healthiest Employers of Oregon for organizations with 5,000 or more employees. This is the fourth consecutive year PeaceHealth has been honored for encouraging the health and wellness of its employees.
The award, which is given annually to organizations that are committed to creating a healthy workplace, acknowledges the success of PeaceHealth’s employee wellness program spanning all PeaceHealth’s facilities in Alaska, Oregon and Washington. The designation uses an online assessment to measure employee participation, health outcomes and leadership commitment, among other measures.
PeaceHealth’s wellness program takes a holistic approach by focusing on the financial health, nutrition, stress management and physical fitness of its employees. PeaceHealth also added several programs this year to support the needs of caregivers and families during COVID-19 and the wildfires, including mental health support, medical benefit enhancements and emergency funds for those impacted.
“This recognition is only made possible by our incredible caregivers and their unwavering commitment to wellness,” said Joline Treanor, PeaceHealth’s executive vice president of people and culture. “As the largest employer in many of our areas, they make a direct and significant impact in the overall health and well-being of our communities by truly living our Mission and embodying our culture of wellness.”
PeaceHealth’s program is not tied to medical plan enrollment, but instead fosters a culture of wellness by offering an interactive, personalized wellness platform with fun, health-related resources and rewards. For example, all employees receive a free Fitbit device for enrolling and completing a voluntary biometric screening. Employees can also earn monetary incentives throughout the year by tracking individually chosen healthy habits and engaging in friendly competition with fellow coworkers, family and friends.
In addition, PeaceHealth’s Healthy You platform is available to anyone and everyone and offers classes, webinars, recipes and much more to support people on their wellness journey.
Read more about PeaceHealth’s wellness program in The Portland Business Journal’s spotlight article. Visit PeaceHealth’s careers website to view open positions and learn more about joining PeaceHealth.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 1,100 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
Cases of COVID-19 are rising again in southwest Washington,and PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, WA - the region's largest provider of healthcare services - is focused on maintaining a safe environment this fall and winter for our patients, caregivers and community.
Dr. Lawrence Neville, Chief Medical Officer for PeaceHealth's Columbia Network overseeing both PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, WA and PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview, WA, will share important information for our community to help our region make the best choices for remaining safe and healthy during the pandemic. Dr. Neville will be available to answer questions from representatives of news media via a Zoom videoconference on Thursday, October 29 from 11:30am-12pm.
Dr. Neville will address the following:
- local COVID-19 hospitalization rate and trends
- local hospital capacity and surge planning
- current COVID-19 treatments and efficacy
- PPE availability
- COVID-19 vaccines
- masking, social distancing, hand hygiene
- holiday celebrations
- COVID-19 and influenza
To speak via Zoom with Dr. Neville, please log in using the following Zoom link and passcode:
https://zoom.us/j/93505914881?pwd=TUpBT1JkcHRpOXJhOW5OU0h2K3lDZz09
Meeting ID: 935 0591 4881
Passcode: Neville
About Dr. Neville:
Lawrence Neville, M.D. earned an undergraduate degree in political science at Reed College in Portland; an MA and a masters in philosophy at Yale University; and a medical degree, Magna Cum Laude, at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). He completed his Residency in Neurology at OHSU and a Fellowship in Neuromuscular/ EMG at OHSU. He serves as the Chief Medical & Chief Safety Officer for PeaceHealth's Columbia Network.
About PeaceHealth
PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, in part because it shows no symptoms early on and by the time it is diagnosed it has spread to other parts of the body. More than 90 percent of patients diagnosed with lung cancer do not survive the disease.
To improve the outlook for our lung cancer patients, PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend is embracing innovative technology.
“RiverBend is proud to be the first medical center in the Pacific Northwest to use the Monarch™ Platform to enable earlier and less invasive diagnosis of lung cancer,” said Todd Salnas, chief operating officer for PeaceHealth’s Oregon network. “This latest addition to RiverBend’s suite of robotic tools underscores PeaceHealth’s commitment to finding new ways to diagnose and treat illness to better serve our patients and communities. Our commitment to innovation has remained steadfast even through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Monarch at RiverBend is the first in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, and one of 60 in use throughout the United States, according to the manufacturer Auris Health, which is based in Redwood City, Calif.
“Detecting and diagnosing lung cancer early is critical to improving survival,” said Dr. Karthik Mahadevan, with Oregon Lung Specialists LLC, who will start using the Monarch system on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in RiverBend’s endoscopy suite.
“Traditionally, lung cancer has been diagnosed using standard bronchoscopes, needle aspiration or surgery, but those methods have limits due to accuracy, safety or invasiveness,” he said. “The Monarch system enables an earlier, less-invasive diagnosis and a more hopeful future for our patients.”
Cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2018, the Monarch Platform blends the latest advancements in robotics, software, data science and endoscopy (the use of small cameras and tools to enter the body through its natural openings.)
Medical images of the patient’s lungs are loaded into the Monarch’s planning software to chart a path to a potentially malignant nodule. The physician then uses a controller-like device to navigate a flexible robotic endoscope through the patient’s throat and into the lungs to obtain a tissue sample for biopsy. This technology can locate even hard-to-reach nodules in the outermost branches of the lungs. During the entire procedure, images captured by a tiny camera on the tip of the endoscope are displayed on a screen to help guide the physician. Watch this video to better visualize the technology.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.