Memorial Hospital: Facts and Figures
May 27, 2009
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- Founded: 1950.
- Ownership: Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital Association, a private not-for-profit organization governed by a board of directors.
- Board chair: Royal Keith
- Chief Executive Officer: Rick Linneweh
- Location: Based in Yakima with locations throughout Yakima County
- Accreditation: The Joint Commission
- Patient admissions: 14,600
- Hospital inpatient services include: Cancer Care, Heart Care, Critical Care, Orthopaedics, Surgery, The Family Birthplace, Pediatric Care, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Surgery, Psychiatric Care
- Hospital square footage: 600,684
- Campus size: 26.4 square acres
- Fiscal year: Nov. 1 through Oct. 31
- Total employees: approximately 2500
- Total licensed hospital beds: 226
- Net patient revenues: $253,048,000
- Charity care: $11.1 million
- Active volunteers: 420. Total of 55,450 hours last fiscal year
- Physicians on medical staff: 327, representing 35 specialties
- Emergency department visits: 77,289
- Babies born at Family Birth Center: 3,167
- Memorial’s Family of Services includes:
- 16th Avenue Station
- Apple Valley Family Medicine
- Cascade Surgical Partners
- Children’s Village
- Cornerstone Medical Clinic
- Family Medicine of Yakima
- Home Health and Hospice
- Memorial Hospitalist Program
- Memorial’s Valley Imaging
- North Star Lodge
- ‘Ohana, Memorial’s Mammography Center
- Pacific Crest Family Medicine
- Selah Family Medicine
- Sleep Center at Memorial at Memorial
- Surgi-Center at Memorial
- The Springs
- Water’s Edge
- Yakima Gastroenterology Associates
- Yakima Neurosurgery Associates
- Yakima Plastic Surgery Associates
- Yakima Vascular Associates
Committed To Our Community
May 26, 2009
Our Community. Our Commitment.
Memorial Hospital will always be grounded by our community roots. When its founders planted the seed 58 years ago, it was probably hard to imagine that the hospital would grow into the mighty tree it is today, with branches that extend far and wide.
Health Matters
Meeting the health care needs of the communities we serve is the cornerstone of Memorial’s not-for-profit mission. That mission also extends to serving those who cannot afford health care and to supporting programs and services for those in financial need.
Local governance, local decisions for local people. Members of Memorial’s Board of Trustees are local people who make decisions that are carefully considered to provide the best possible health care for our community.
Our Role as Not-for-profit
Unlike health care systems owned by for-profit companies that return profit to stockholders, Memorial is a not-for-profit organization with a charitable purpose. Memorial Hospital was founded in 1950 by a group of local citizens. As a not-for-profit hospital any money remaining after expenses have been paid is reinvested in health care. That money stays in the community to purchase needed medical equipment and support health education and other community health needs.
It’s better for patients
The community-owned, not-for-profit approach to health care best serves our patients and our communities – for multiple reasons. It’s good for patients. For profit hospitals focus mainly on acute care and services that have a “bottom line”. Not-for-profit hospitals have a full continuum of services, with many that do not have a positive bottom line.
Our stockholders are our communities
The local Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees bases all decisions on the needs of the community. Investor-owned, for-profit health systems have a financial incentive to avoid caring for uninsured and underinsured patients. They have a financial incentive to avoid hard-to-serve populations.
Memorial offers many programs that are costly and generally unprofitable, such as the community cancer registry, diabetes education and various programs for children and families, such as the ABC (After the Baby Comes) Clinic, YouthWorks, and Passport To Health®.
It’s our mission to sustain much needed services, regardless of how we are reimbursed.
Providing charity care and special programs to communities
In 2006, Memorial provided a record $26.5 million in programs for the underserved and on services for the broader community.
Memorial fulfills vital community needs through community benefit programs to help to make our community healthier.
Memorial’s Commitment to the Community
The following is a summary of Memorial’s commitment to the communities it serves:
Community Benefit (in millions) 2006
*Services for the poor and underserved $20.9
**Benefits for the broader community $5.6
*Services provided to persons who cannot afford health care because of inadequate resources and/or are uninsured or underinsured. It also includes the unpaid cost of treating Medicaid, Medicare, charity care and public/indigent care beneficiaries.
**Providing health screenings, community-based clinical service, community health education, and other health related services, training health professionals, and the cost of performing vital medical research, and health care support services.
Yakima, Washington: Community Information
May 25, 2009
Perhaps it’s the four seasons or the nearly 300 days of sun a year that draw nearly 250,000 residents and more than half a million visitors to the Yakima Valley annually. Perhaps it’s the sweet smell of a valley that’s lush with orchards, vineyards and gardens.
Perhaps it’s the diversity and cultural opportunities that create a heritage rich with multi-generational families and new families sharing community-sponsored events and neighborhood-organized barbecues and holiday parties. Maybe it’s the central location—to Seattle, Spokane or Portland—to the mountains, the ocean, rain forests or the Columbia River. Perhaps it’s that feeling of belonging, even when you’ve just arrived, that inspires thousands of new families to call Yakima home every year.
So it was no surprise to us that when The Early Show’s Dave Price toured the country as part of The Great American Adventure Winnebago Tour, he and the CBS morning show team stopped in Yakima where he gushed to viewers nationwide about the agricultural bounty he discovered. At one point, Price even challenged The Early Show anchor Harry Smith to pick any letter of the alphabet and Price would name a fruit or vegetable grown in the Yakima Valley that started with that letter.
Most people think of apples when they speak of the Yakima Valley. The area is home to more than 50 varieties of apples. But few know that the United States produces 24 percent of the world’s hops, and about three-fourths of the U.S. crop comes from the Yakima Valley. And in the past 20 years, Yakima Valley wineries have continued to receive increasing acclaim. The magnificent vineyards of the sun-drenched valley lie in the same latitudes as the great wine-producing regions of France. As a result, Yakima’s hand-crafted award-winning wines have enjoyed an explosion in popularity.
Located at the confluence of the Naches and Yakima Rivers, Yakima serves as the gateway to the Cascade Mountains to the west and the bountiful Yakima Valley to the east. The city of Yakima is the business and commercial hub of Central Washington, serving a populace of about a quarter of a million people. The Yakima Valley boasts of excellent education, culture and, of course, recreation.
Yakima offers so many attractions that you’ll want to plan to stay a while or make multiple trips to see everything. Depending on when you arrive, the city also plays host to a substantial calendar of events throughout the year.
Physiatry Physician Jobs Available
May 22, 2009
The Physiatry Physician Jobs below are also on Squidoo.
Who we Are
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital is looking for an excellent Physiatrist to join our new Spine Center. The center will be located in the central area of Yakima adjacent to Water’s Edge our recently opened pain clinic. The right candidate will join our stellar group of Neurosurgeon’s and Physiatrists providing care for a service area of over 800,000. Our Neuro Practice is known for innovations in patient care, knowing and respecting that every individual contributes to the well-being of their patients. Practice provides electronic medical records system that is interfaced with the hospital, other clinics, and laboratories. With the support of an efficient, professional staff, the Spine Center will be the optimal place for the dedicated physician to practice medicine.
WHERE WE ARE
Yakima—the gateway to Washington’s wine country. Nearly a quarter of a million people live in our Valley, less than three hours from Seattle, Portland and Spokane.
WHAT YOU BRING
Medical degree from an accredited school. Experience: Graduation from an accredited residency program and fellowship program. Candidates with PMR fellowship trained in Sports Medicine and Spine including NCV/EMG and ultra sound guided peripheral injections will be considered.
HOW WE WORK WITH YOU
We offer the freedom to build your own practice along with an exceptional compensation and benefits package, liberal vacation and CME, paid malpractice and relocation assistance.
MEMORIAL
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital and our growing Family of Services is one of the largest health care organizations in Central Washington with over 2,000 health care professionals and support team members. Memorial is committed to providing the highest standards of medical excellence and is dedicated to our mission…to improve the health of those we serve.
Contact Lori Stephenson
(509) 249-5178 e-mail her at
physicianrecruitment@yvmh.org
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital: Our Beginnings
May 22, 2009
The words, “Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, wherein is enshrined the living heart and spirit of a charitable and generous people,” are as true today as they were 60 years ago.
It was in 1943 that Yakima accountant, Edwin B. Mueller’s daughter, Carol, was diagnosed with “high polio,” a potentially fatal strain of the disease. She was sent to the local children’s ward (collection of beds) at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Yakima’s only inpatient medical facility.
Sensing somehow that Carol would not survive the polio attack, Ed and his wife Phyllis were determined to remain by the 9-year-old’s bedside. Overcrowding made their desire impossible, and the Mueller’s daughter drew her last breath with her parents in a waiting room just outside the crowded ward.
Shortly after Carol’s death, Ed made a solemn vow, “I never wanted another parent to be denied being with their loved ones during severe crises, only because of hospital space.”
In 1944, Ed Mueller met his friends, attorney George Martin, and funeral director Donald Keith, over a cup of coffee to discuss his plans for a new hospital. They took their idea to James Bronson, director of Boise Cascade, and orchardist Ernest Kershaw. Through the determination of these five men, 16 community leaders banded together to explore the possibility of building a new hospital in Yakima. In May 1944, the Articles of Incorporation as a non-profit, charitable organization were filed, and Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital was formed.
Before a formal fundraising campaign was launched, trustees wanted to see if the public would support the project. A weekend was chosen to take the idea to the community and “test” public opinion. During the first few hours of the pledge drive, $180,000 was collected!
Truly the people of Yakima wanted Memorial to be built. Fundraising began in earnest. A site in the middle of the “lower orchards,” just outside Yakima’s limits (on what is now Tieton Drive) was selected. A Chicago architect specializing in hospitals was chosen and building plans were approved in 1946.
On July 7, 1947, The Honorable William O. Douglas, Justice of the United States Supreme Court, formally dedicated the hospital site. Construction by William Yeaman & Co. began on May 24, 1948. At the formal groundbreaking ceremony, members of the board of trustees each turned a shovel of dirt using a “golden” spade. Just a year later, the cornerstone of the new hospital was laid, engraved with a message for all to ponder: “Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, wherein is enshrined the living heart and spirit of a charitable and generous people.”
By June 3, 1950, the building was complete and ready to receive visitors. Almost 15,000 people toured the hospital during open house festivities. On June 20, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital opened its doors to patients with 146 beds and 155 employees supported by over 200 auxiliary members who worked as unit clerks, dietary aides, office help and wherever else they were needed—including furnishing homemade sandwiches, cookies and coffee for the hospital’s first cafeteria.
Yakima Real Estate
May 20, 2009
Yakima county’s economic vitality, along with relatively inexpensive land, modest living costs, natural beauty and a relaxed lifestyle, have spurred the success of yet another industry: real-estate.
Demand for second homes and an influx of retirees moving to the area has dramatically increased housing prices. Companies seeking inexpensive land are looking for deals on industrial and commercial sites. The wine industry is also helping to propel a boost in the tourism industry.
“[The Yakima area] is becoming an investment hotspot,” maintains Bill Almon Sr., owner of Almon Commercial Real Estate, the region’s largest commercial real estate firm. “We are dealing with clients from all over—from Texas, California and Western Washington—who are looking for large tracts of land for residential projects. What is new is the amount of outside investors.”
An average home goes for about $156,000 in Yakima County, and commercial properties cost from $7.50 to $14.50 per square foot. Industrial properties range from $1.50 to $2.50 a square foot. Almon says all these prices are well below those in most places west of the Cascades.
Potential profit is also helping to turn the area into a hot market for speculators looking to buy land as an investment. “It is booming,” says Russ Roberts, a Heritage Moultray realtor who recently moved to Yakima from San Diego. “[Investors] are buying everything.”
Times have been very good for real-estate agents, and, so far, the county has not been affected by the national housing slump.
Kristy Wilbert of KMW Enterprises, which tracks real estate activity in the county, says that the number of home sales have set records in 2005, only to be surpassed in 2006. “And this year looks better than last year,” Wilbert says.
She warns that the sub-prime rate problem could affect the Yakima market, but it is too early to speculate on what may occur.
The movement of people with disposable incomes into the area is logical, given historical trends and economics, say some realtors.
“We have seen places like the Bay Area, where people had appreciation in their homes and could sell,” says Ted Marquis Jr., manager of Creekside Reality. “Then they would buy much better homes in surrounding areas of California, while putting money in the bank. That trend is now occurring in Yakima.”
Realtor Russ Roberts is a prime example. The former San Diego resident was ready to cash out of Southern California’s skyrocketing real-estate market and get away from all the congestion. He settled on Yakima, where he could buy a nice home and still have plenty of money to put in the bank. He expects a lot more people to follow suit.
“The average home in San Diego was $535,000; here, it was about $150,000 or so,” Roberts says. “Developers are constructing homes for over $300,000, and people here are saying, ‘Who in Yakima can buy these houses?’ What they don’t realize is that it is people from California and Seattle.”
Yakima Real Estate Links
Attractions in Yakima, Washington
May 15, 2009
Mt. Rainier National Park is approximately an hour’s drive northwest of Yakima and is most accessible in the summer months. Some areas, however, may be visited year round. There are activities for the whole family including camping, hiking, wildlife observation, boating and skiing.
The historic Capitol Theatre was built in 1919 and is on the National Register of Historic Sites. It is home to the productions of local organizations such as the Yakima Symphony Orchestra and Community Concerts.
Central Washington State Fair
The Central Washington State Fair runs for 10 days each year in late September/early October. The fairgrounds are spacious and scenic, making it one of the most enjoyable fairs in the state.
Mt. Rainier National Park is approximately an hour’s drive northwest of Yakima and is most accessible in the summer months. Some areas, however, may be visited year round. There are activities for the whole family including camping, hiking, wildlife observation, boating and skiing.
Nile Valley Days is a charming community fair held every July in the mountain community of Cliffdell. Approximately a 45-minute drive from Yakima towards Chinook Pass, this three-day fair features local crafters and artists, and is great fun for the whole family. Related information: visit the Nile Civic Betterment Association Web site.
Recreational rivers
The Naches and Yakima rivers offer excellent opportunities for fishing, rafting and other outdoor sports. The Yakima River is one of the nation’s most popular destinations for fly fishermen.
The Yakima Valley Sundome, located on the fairgrounds, hosts many concerts and trade shows year round. Built in 1990, the Sundome is the largest dome of its kind in the world.
Toppenish Murals
The city of Toppenish, a half-hour drive southeast of Yakima, houses one of the Northwest’s leading attractions with more than 34 large outdoor murals depicting the area’s history and culture.
Wineries abound in the Yakima Valley, as do fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruit stands dot the local highways, and for those who are interested, there are plenty of opportunities to self-pick produce at local farms. The Yakima Valley’s outstanding agriculture draws people from all over the Northwest.
Yakama Nation Cultural Center
Also near Toppenish is the Yakama Indian Nation Cultural Center. The museum contains wonderful dioramas and exhibits that tell the story of the Yakama people. There is also a restaurant and gift shop, a library, a theatre and an RV resort. The Yakama Nation Legends Casino is open Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Yakima Area Arboretum is open every day from dawn until dusk, and the Jewett Visitor Center is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The arboretum harbors more than 2,000 specimens of native and exotic species of woody plants on 46 acres of land adjoining the Yakima River.
Yakima County Stadium
Yakima Stadium, adjacent to the Sundome, is home to the Yakima Bears, a Class ‘A’ Arizona Diamondbacks affiliated baseball team. In addition to baseball games, the stadium hosts concerts and other activities.
Yakima is also home to a thriving farmer’s market, which is open every Sunday from May to October. Local produce and hand crafted items are available at the market.
The Greenway, which runs through the arboretum, is another facet of Yakima’s outdoor activities. The Greenway stretches from Selah Gap to Union Gap, and west along the Naches River. It has more than 10 miles of paved pathways which connect parks, river access landings, nature trails, fishing lakes and protected natural areas.
The Yakima Valley Museum, located in downtown Yakima, offers historical exhibits on the Yakima Valley’s natural history, American Indian culture, pioneer life, early city life and the development of the Valley’s fruit industry.
To learn more about everything the Yakima Valley has to offer, visit www.everythingyakima.com.
Yakima Wines and Wine Country
May 14, 2009
As Yakima Valley’s viticulture has matured over the last two decades and its winemaking prospered, many newer wineries have cropped up to quick acclaim. As the industry continues to grow, it is a must to come back and see which new wineries have joined this charming wine country. Today, the Yakima Valley boasts of more than 40 wineries and hundreds of vineyards within a 50-mile radius.
The best strategy to wine tasting is to meander down Interstate 82 with your Yakima Valley Visitors Guide in hand, or sign up for an unforgettable wine country tour. Pick half a dozen places or more to explore. You’ll often encounter winery family members in the tasting room delighted to recommend the best wine to enjoy with regional cuisine, talk about the winemaking process, or the traditional wisdom of barrel- or bottle-aging.
Yakima Sports and Recreation
May 12, 2009
People in Yakima are passionate about the outdoors! From the many lakes less than an hour away, to river rafting or fishing in the Naches and Yakima Rivers, mountain climbing or hiking the Cascade Loop, water skiing or playing golf in the summer and snow skiing and snowboarding in winter, the people of Central Washington love our recreation. There are 13 public parks within the Yakima city limits and four additional parks in Yakima County. Yakima boasts of several golf courses, including the prestigious Yakima Country Club Golf Course and the beautiful and challenging Apple Tree Resort that welcomed the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush.
The Yakima Greenway is a continuous 10-mile walking and biking path that overflows with the sounds of walkers chatting, children laughing, playing and exercising, runners preparing for marathons and residents of all ages and levels of fitness out enjoying the fresh air nine to 10 months each year.
Yakima’s residents and visitors enjoy recreation year around, and the great variety of adventures and activities make Yakima hard to resist. When not participating, Yakima residents love to watch! There’s a great pride in our professional sport teams.
Yakima is home to two professional sporting teams: the Yakima Bears, a minor league baseball team; The Sun Kings; and the Yakima Reds, members of the United Soccer League. Year around, indoors or outdoors, it seems there’s always something to see or do in Yakima, where sports and activities abound.
Whether you prefer hands-on activity or just to sit back and watch, there’s so much to do, see and enjoy in the valley. It’s a full-time activity just trying to fit everything in.
Links of interest
Cascadians – The Cascadians is an outdoor recreation and conservation club located in Yakima, Washington. Activities include hiking, backpacking, climbing, skiing, bicycling, kayaking, and rafting. Cascadians have been enjoying the trails and peaks of the Pacific Northwest since 1920.
Yakima Schools and Education
May 5, 2009
From grammar school through trade schools and universities, the Yakima Valley is rich with excellent educational opportunities. Area public schools have received Presidential awards of excellence while private schools and public schools boast statewide sportsmanship excellence in basketball, soccer, tennis, football, track and field, as well as excellence in the musical arts.
The great diversity of our Valley is certainly represented in our schools. We have a robust mix of public and private educational institutions serving the needs of our community. The Yakima Valley is a great place to further your education and career with a number of excellent local colleges including Yakima Valley Community College, Heritage University, City University, Perry Technical Institute and extension classes from Washington State University and Central Washington University.
Coming in 2008, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, a private osteopathic medical school, is scheduled to open. Currently there are only 25 osteopathic medical schools in the entire U.S.
The Yakima community provides a rich learning environment for family physicians. Central Washington Family Medicine’s graduate Family Practice Residency Program is affiliated with the University of Washington’s School of Medicine’s top-ranked department of family medicine and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The internship year is also approved by the American Osteopathic Association.
Yakima’s medical community is continuing to grow. In addition to Memorial’s growing Family of Services and the talent that has relocated to Yakima as a result of these innovative research- and technology-driven care centers, the educational opportunities in the Valley have more than quadrupled in the past decade. Area students have many options for degrees in nursing, advanced health care, physical therapy assistants, x-ray, medical records, dental hygiene and the Family Practice Residency Program. Through any one of the area’s campus or satellite locations, education is available for certification and continuing credits.
