Left to right: Mike Glenn, CEO; Tina Toner, Chief Nursing Officer; Dr. Deb Peterson, Director of MedOnc and Infusion Services; and Dr. Farnoush Abar, Medical Oncologist. On March 7th, Jefferson Healthcare CEO Mike Glenn spoke to Foundation donors about the hospital's new radiation oncology service line and introduced members of the oncology team.
The team spoke passionately about how this new service line isn't just making radiation treatment accessible: it's making it possible. For roughly 70 people per year, radiation is a nonstarter due to the distances people have to travel at a vulnerable time. The team estimates that, all told, about 300 people per year will be served by radiation oncology at Jefferson Healthcare. The oncology team has nine oncology-certified nurses. This is an astounding number for a small, rural healthcare system. Dr. Abar says that their collective matches or surpasses other large, well-known institutions. The oncology team is more than ready to incorporate radiation oncology, and it's particularly meaningful to the team that Jefferson Healthcare will now be able to provide comprehensive, coordinated cancer care to patients. Jefferson Healthcare will be partnering with the Tumor Institute Radiation Oncology Group (TIROG), a group that provides radiation services to Swedish Hospital. The oncology assigned to Jefferson Healthcare will be based in Port Townsend and have all the backup and support that being part of a larger network offers. We're always grateful for the time that hospital staff take from their busy schedules to share their knowledge and expertise with us! On behalf of the Foundation Board of Directors and staff, we are thrilled to announce the receipt of a $400,000 strategic project equipment grant from the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust to procure a linear accelerator (LINAC) cancer radiation treatment machine.
This substantial funding elevates the Foundation's capital campaign progress to 75% of our $2.5 million objective! "This grant will be pivotal in acquiring the state-of-the-art linear accelerator cancer treatment machine, amplifying our critical-care hospital's ability to deliver cutting-edge treatment to cancer patients in our community," expressed Carla Caldwell, Executive Director of Jefferson Healthcare Foundation. Mike Glenn, Jefferson Healthcare CEO, said, "We are deeply appreciative of the Murdock Trust’s belief and continued investment in our community and our team. The Jefferson Healthcare Foundation worked with Jefferson Healthcare staff to pull together an application that clearly spoke to the need in our community for high quality, comprehensive cancer care. Jefferson Healthcare is excited to be able to offer expanded cancer services to the communities we serve as we embark on the Campus Modernization and Expansion project.” At the Foundation, we receive many patient stories sharing personal battles, some won and some lost--but all show the strength of the human spirit. We wanted to share this story with you because it touched us deeply, and we know it will touch you as well. The author asked to remain anonymous.
Our donor says, "Why this odd amount? This donation of $3,652.00 to the Jefferson Healthcare Foundation Fund may seem like an odd amount, but it is an amount very special and meaningful to me. This January 24, 2024, I am celebrating my 10-year cancer anniversary. I am currently doing fine. I was diagnosed with breast cancer. On January 2, 2017, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. Both times it felt like being thrown overboard into raging waters in a storm. The loving, expert, caring oncology team at Jefferson Hospital threw me a life ring and gave me refuge and hope. They shared their vast knowledge, expert experience, and care with me every step of the way--they were like my comrades in the trenches. Because of the oncology team's care over the past ten years, I have seen 3,652 sunrises and 3,652 sunsets on this beautiful blue planet. I have had 3,652 days to do small kindnesses each day. I have had 3,652 days to laugh and have special times with friends and family. I have had precious time to spend with and care for my late husband and sister. I have had 3,652 days to walk on the beach. I have had 3,652 days to try in my small way to make the world a better place. Therefore, I am donating $1.00 for each day the oncology team at Jefferson Hospital gave me. It seems so small for the immeasurably huge gift of 3,652 days I have been given. I thank Jefferson Healthcare for the wisdom and foresight to create the world-class oncology clinic we have here in Jefferson County." "A dollar a day..." or an amount meaningful to you. What a tribute this could be for a loved one, or a way for you to express gratitude AND bring radiation oncology to Jefferson County. Let's all join in to make this vision happen. Your gift will advance our campaign to raise funds for the linear accelerator, the key equipment needed for radiation treatment. If you would like to make a donation to the Jefferson Healthcare Foundation, please visit our website. Come out and see your favorite Jefferson Healthcare Foundation representatives, too! No RSVP needed.
3/5/24: Port Townsend, Benefits of cold water swimming with Dr. Meyerson, 2:00-3:00pm, the Cotton Building, 607 Water St, Port Townsend, WA 98368. 4/24/24: Port Ludlow, Supplements and prescription interactions, 1:00-2:00pm, Port Ludlow Bay Club, Auditorium, 120 Spinnaker Place, Port Ludlow, WA 98365. 6/18/24: Port Ludlow, Osteoporosis, 1:00-2:00pm, Port Ludlow Bay Club, Auditorium, 120 Spinnaker Place, Port Ludlow, WA 98365. For more info, visit www.jeffersonheatlhcare.org/calendar/. Want a birds-eye view of Jefferson Healthcare's new building project? Check out the site's Construction Cam! Throughout the demolition and building process, the Abbott Construction Oxblue cameras will take a photo every 10 minutes to capture the progress. Click HERE to view. Notably Quotable - featuring Karen Swanson-Woolf, VP of the Foundation's Board of Director "Being on the board and raising funds for the Linear Accelerator has filled my heart in a way I haven't experienced since I left nursing. We sat down recently with Karen and asked her a few questions about her motivation for her recent donation, working with the Foundation, and her ongoing support. JHF: Karen, what prompted you to donate to the Jefferson Healthcare Foundation? KSW: The trigger was the pandemic and the stress it was causing the healthcare community, especially the nursing staff. My husband Bill Woolf and I knew we wanted to help somehow. Hospitals nationwide faced numerous difficulties, including long hours, childcare problems, isolation, and financial burdens. The same things were happening here, and the Foundation was a way we could do something for our community’s nurses and doctors, who were stretched to the limit by the medical crisis. JHF: Have you worked in the medical profession? KSW: Yes, I worked as a nurse in Saigon, Vietnam, during the war, and also at Bartlett Memorial Hospital in Juneau, AK. Both were eye-opening experiences, and I saw first-hand how committed healthcare professionals are, even under challenging circumstances, and how important it is to have community support. And my father, Carl Swanson, was also a good example. He served on the hospital board of commissioners in Jefferson County for twenty-two years (1979-2001). That took real commitment! JHF: What would you like to share with your community about Jefferson Healthcare and how they can help support the Foundation? KSW: A lot of people don’t know, but our hospital is pretty unique in serving what’s considered a rural area but being able to provide us with really advanced care. That means patients and families don’t always have to travel back and forth to hospitals in the city. Often, when we have procedures done, we take the facility and machines for granted. Only sometimes are we able to be part of bringing in new equipment that will have such a lasting impact. I want to encourage, even challenge, people to join us in donating to the LINAC campaign. |
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March 2024
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