Issue 2 - Summer - Providence Washington - Providence Health ...

heartbeat 

providence 

Quality health care in the Inland Northwest Summer 2012 

Heart Beat’s 50th Year 

Bone Matters 

Osteoporosis facts and 

prevention tips for all ages 

At Work in the 

Community 

Providence is committed 

to ensuring that everyone 

receives quality health care 

Modern-Day 

Heroes 

Chris and Kurt Holbart are 

among several amazing people 

who have given or received a 

lifesaving organ donation

Jeff Philipps, CEO 

Rosauers Supermarkets 

Providence Health Care Foundation 

Board of Directors 

WHY DO I 

GIVE? 

Rosauers has a passion for improving the 

quality of life in our community. Our gifts 

to Providence Health Care Foundation 

help ensure world-class health care right 

here in Spokane, and provide access to 

medical treatment for all – especially our 

poor and most vulnerable. 

phc.org 

509.474.4917 

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center | Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital | Providence Holy Family Hospital

providence 

heartbeat 

Executive Editor 

Joe Robb 

Medical Editor 

Jeff Collins, MD 

Art Director 

Monya Mollohan 

Managing Editor 

Kate Vanskike 

Senior Content Editor 

Kari Redfield 

Photographers 

Gary Matoso 

Steven Navratil 

Copyright 2012 © Providence Health Care. 

Online at phc.org. Published three times a year 

by McMurry. Send comments to heartbeat@ 

providence.org or Public Relations, P.O. Box 

2555, Spokane, WA 99220. 

Michael Wilson, Chief Executive 

Board of Directors 

Mike Reilly, Chair 

Gary Livingston, PhD, Vice Chair 

Marian Durkin, Secretary-Treasurer 

Patricia Butterfield, PhD 

Ramon Canto, MD 

Dan Dionne, MD 

Susanne Hartung, SP 

Elaine Hoskin 

Paul Larsen, MD 

Keith Marton, MD 

Dean Martz, MD 

Rob McCann, PhD 

Sr. Judith Nilles, OP 

Paul Pimentel 

Curt Shoemaker 

Phil Stalp 

Jim Watts, MD 

Ron Wells 

Providence Health Care Eastern Washington 

(PHC) is the parent organization of a number 

of Catholic health care ministries sponsored by 

the Sisters of Providence and the Dominican 

Sisters in Spokane and Stevens counties. These 

ministries include: 

Hospitals 

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center 

Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital 

Providence Holy Family Hospital 

Providence Mount Carmel Hospital (Colville) 

Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital (Chewelah) 

Other Health Services 

Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories 

Providence Adult Day Health 

Providence DominiCare (Chewelah) 

Providence Emilie Court Assisted Living 

Providence Medical Group 

Providence St. Joseph Care Center & 

Transitional Care Unit 

Providence VNA Home Health 

PHC is part of the Providence Health & Services 

health care system, which spans five states 

from Alaska to California and east to Montana. 

For more details, visit phc.org. 

Mission Statement 

As people of Providence, we reveal God’s love 

for all, especially the poor and vulnerable, 

through our compassionate service. 

{FROM THE HEART} 

Welcoming a New 

Medical School 

For decades, Spokane has been 

a major medical hub for the 

Inland Northwest, drawing 

patients from across a four-state region. 

As far back as the 1960s, Providence 

Sacred Heart Medical Center’s kidney 

and heart programs helped put Spokane 

on the map for specialized medical 

care and have continued to offer 

services often found only in university 

hospital settings. Spokane physicians 

have been actively engaged in medical 

research for years, making a name for 

our city as a leader in the field. 

Over the years, many students 

completing their medical education 

through the University of Washington’s 

School of Medicine have come 

through Spokane to do their first-year 

or third-year residency training at 

Sacred Heart and other local hospitals. 

Through the program, they gained 

valuable hands-on experience, working 

beside our experienced physicians. 

But … most move on to other cities 

outside the Inland Northwest to finish 

their residencies and start their careers. 

That’s where Spokane has missed 

out, and that’s why Providence Health 

Care is actively supporting the development 

of a new four-year medical 

school right here in Spokane. Called the 

Academic Health Science Center at Riverpoint, 

the school will allow students to stay 

in Spokane for all four years of their medical 

training and will accommodate additional 

students each year. Centralized on one campus 

in the heart of downtown Spokane, the 

new Health Science Center will include the 

Washington State University (WSU) nursing 

and pharmacy colleges, the University of 

Washington School of Medicine and all the 

allied health programs offered by both WSU 

and Eastern Washington University. 

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center 

is positioned to be the academic hospital for 

the medical school offering comprehensive 

training and mentoring, and we couldn’t 

be more excited about it. Providence is also 

taking a lead in supporting the capital campaign 

for the school because we believe an 

investment in the medical providers of the 

future is paramount to the health and wellbeing 

of our region. 

The Academic Health Science Center 

will not only create jobs and attract people 

to Spokane—it will allow new physicians to 

complete their education and begin their 

health care careers here, too. I believe this 

is one of the most important expansions to 

occur in our region for many years, and I 

am excited about the many positive ways it 

will affect our health care delivery system 

as we all work together to improve access 

to care and enhance the overall health for 

the citizens of the Inland Northwest. 

You can learn more about this new project 

at morethanamedicalschool.com. 

Sincerely, 

Michael D. Wilson 

Chief Executive 

The Providence Vision 

Together, we answer the call of every 

person we serve: Know me, care for 

me, ease my way. 

Core Values 

Respect • Compassion • Justice 

Excellence • Stewardship 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIC CHAMBERLAIN 

Summer 2012 Heart Beat ● 3

{contents} 

SUMMER 2012, Volume 50, No. 2 

On the cover: Chris Holbart received a 

lifesaving kidney from brother Kurt. Read about 

Kurt and other generous heroes involved in organ 

donation on page 18. Photo by Gary Matoso. 

31 

3 From the Heart 

Spokane is getting a four-year medical school, and Providence is proud to 

support the effort. Hear more from Michael Wilson, chief executive. 

5 Mailbag 

A happy reader tells of her new life at Providence Emilie Court. 

6 Insider 

Find out about a special room for parents who are grieving the loss of a baby 

and learn how Providence is expanding with urgent care centers and clinics. 

6 

8 Healthy Living 

Enjoy some delicious chicken pita pockets this summer on a picnic, and 

employ these tips to avoid common summer accidents. 

14 

24 

10 Children’s Health 

Safety first: Take these five steps to keep your children safe all year-round. 

12 Cardiac report 

Use this maintenance guide so you can keep your ticker running smoothly. 

14 These Bones Are Made for Walking 

Osteoporosis is preventable in many cases. Know the signs, and use 

these tips to keep your skeletal system healthy at any age. 

18 Heroes Among Us 

Discover how an organ donation can change families’ lives forever. 

These uplifting stories feature people who have given the ultimate gift 

of life. 

24 Making a Difference and Saving Lives 

Providence Health Care’s commitment to helping those in need 

provides lifesaving care to countless people all across the region. 

27 HISTORY 

Heart Beat celebrates its 50th anniversary. 

5 

18 

28 PEOPLE 

Who are the Board of Directors? Find out how these servants guide health 

care and make decisions that benefit you and your loved ones. 

30 MD spotlight 

R. Kim Hartwig, MD, talks about changes in medical practice. 

31 Community calendar 

Local events, activities, classes and special support groups. 

10 

32 Role Model 

A Lifetime of Healing: Learn how Arch Logan, MD, has spent his life 

caring for the poor in the most compassionate way. 

4 ●Summer 2012 Heart Beat

{mailbag} 

Helping Hands 

Dear Heart Beat: 

I recently made a very difficult decision to give up my home and my two dogs 

Sugar and Lulu to move into Providence Emilie Court. It was a decision that 

I put off way too long. Most people my age have children and grandchildren 

to count on; however, both of my children have met with untimely deaths so 

I had no one to count on. Fortunately, God provides! A dear family who lived 

nearby located the perfect place for me and gently encouraged me for more 

than a year. As my health began to deteriorate, I finally moved. 

When I arrived at Providence Emilie Court, I was so frail and had lost 

so much weight that I had to depend on the nursing staff to help me with all 

of my personal care. The staff went out of their way to make sure my needs 

were met from the first day I moved in. They got me up and dressed me every 

morning and encouraged me to eat three balanced meals daily in the dining 

room where I was able to meet new friends. I started getting out of my apartment 

and enjoying activities regularly, which has helped my social life to 

grow and become more diverse. 

Moving to Providence Emilie Court has been the best decision I ever 

made. I have put on weight for the first time in years and have gained 

enough strength to feel more confident and in control of my life.—V. Gervais 

We’re so happy Ms. Gervais found a home—and friends—at Emilie Court! 

Want to learn more about Providence’s assisted living facility on the Sacred 

Heart campus? Visit phc.org or call 509-474-2550. 

facebook.com/ProvidenceSacredHeart 

facebook.com/ProvidenceHolyFamilyHospital 

youtube.com/ProvidenceSpokane 

twitter.com/Providence_PHC 

TAke OUR Poll 

who gets the 

most attention? 

Regarding health care, whose needs 

are you most concerned about? 

A) Your own. After all, if you’re not well, 

you can’t be sure everyone else is well. 

B) Your kids. They’re most apt to bring 

home the germs and are most accident 

prone. 

C) Your aging parents. You worry about 

their risks for so many different things. 

D) No one. I don’t think about health care 

until there’s a need for it. 

Visit phc.org/ 

heartbeat or capture 

this image on your 

smartphone and tell 

us what you think! 

Readers Respond 

The Spring issue of Heart Beat asked: “When you think of Providence 

hospitals being Catholic, what comes to mind?” Half of the respondents 

said “whether a hospital is Catholic has no bearing on my decision 

about where to receive care.” For the rest, however, being a Catholic 

hospital mattered a great deal, with nearly half of the total respondents 

saying that Catholic hospitals care for the whole person or ensure that 

all people receive care. See page 25 to learn more about what it means 

to be a Catholic health care system. 

Want to receive 

Heart Beat via email? 

It’s easy. Just email heartbeat@ 

providence.org with “e-magazine 

sign-up” as your subject line. 


{insider} 

Where 

Angels 

Gather 

6 ● Summer 2012 Heart Beat 

Thanks to the generous support of 

donors to the Providence Health 

Care Foundation, caregivers overseeing 

the Forget-Me-Not perinatal 

bereavement program at Sacred 

Heart Medical Center received 

$17,000 to convert a storage area 

into a comforting, sacred place. In 

what they’ve dubbed The Angel 

Room, parents can spend some 

uninterrupted time with their baby. 

Sacred Heart’s Forget-Me-Not 

program cares for an average of 

60 families per year who are mourning 

the early passing of an infant. 

Staff members offer to arrange 

photography and to make other 

keepsakes, such as plaster molds 

of baby’s feet, knowing that these 

make a difference to the families. 

“I am grateful we have a 

new Angel Room for our families,” 

says Carolyn Ringo, perinatal 

bereavement coordinator at Sacred 

Heart. “It’s wonderful to offer such a 

beautiful space for parents to be with 

their baby at a very difficult time.” 

Be Part of 

Something 

Beautiful 

You can help. To learn 

more about supporting 

services and programs at 

Providence, visit phc.org 

and select “Giving.”

Expanding Care 

to the Community 

True to its promise to provide 

medical care in the most costeffective 

manner possible, 

Providence Health Care has announced 

the opening of several new outpatient 

facilities in the Spokane region. 

“The hospital is no longer the center 

of the health care delivery system,” 

says Michael Wilson, chief executive of 

Providence ministries in Spokane and 

Stevens counties. “To help patients experience 

quality care in the most affordable 

setting close to where they live and 

work, it’s vital to provide more convenient 

clinics outside the hospital setting, 

and in a variety of locations. This is 

central to our vision to answer the call 

of those we serve to ‘Know Me, Care for 

Me, Ease My Way.’ ” 

Providence Urgent 

Care–Hawthorne 

551 E. Hawthorne at Newport Highway 

Hours: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday-Friday 

and 9 a.m.–6 p.m. weekends. 

Services: Routine urgent care, including 

lab and X-ray imaging. 

Providence Urgent Care– 

5th & Division 

(Coming January 2013!) 

421 S. Division 

Hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Services: Urgent care, X-ray imaging, 

lab, ultrasound and more. 

Providence Valley Outpatient 

Center (Coming in 2014!) 

I-90 at Sullivan 

Much more than an urgent care facility, 

this multispecialty ambulatory care center 

will house “everything except inpatient 

beds,” says Wilson. Patients will 

have access to outpatient surgery, cancer 

treatment, a wide range of imaging services, 

short-stay observation and sameday 

care from a variety of specialists. 

Providence is investing $44 million in 

this new facility to serve Valley residents 

and neighboring communities. 

Partnering with Group 

Health Cooperative 

The outpatient expansion efforts 

mentioned above are enhanced 

through a clinical affiliation between 

Providence Health Care and Group 

Health physicians. “Both of our 

organizations believe we can meet 

patients’ needs and meet the new 

demands of health care by coming 

together and designing care delivery 

processes that improve outcomes and 

costs for all involved,” says Wilson. 

“Our partnership shows patients 

we’re putting their needs first.” 

Clinics Join Providence 

Medical Group 

Providence is proud to welcome the 

following physician groups this summer: 

Spokane Valley Family Medicine 

and Physicians Clinic of 

Spokane. Providence 

Medical Group 

includes more 

than 200 primary 

and 

specialty 

physicians 

dedicated 

to quality 

patient care 

coordinated 

closely with 

the Providence 

family of services. 

Look for a clinic in 

your neighborhood: Hawthorne, 

Indian Trail, Manito, Holy 

Family and Valley, plus Chewelah. 

Find a Physician 

Need help finding a Providence 

physician? Visit phc.org or call 

our Physician Referral Line at 

877-304-1408. 

Award-Winning Care 

Providence Health Care hospitals continue to garner national recognition with numerous 

rankings in U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” for 2011-2012. 

Providence Sacred Heart Medical 

Center & Children’s Hospital 

• Cardiology & Heart Surgery 

• Diabetes & Endocrinology 

• Gastroenterology 

• Gynecology 

• Nephrology 

• Pulmonology 

• Urology 


• Gastroenterology 

• Geriatrics 

• Pulmonology 

• Urology 

Providence Mount Carmel Hospital 

• Gynecologic Surgery 


{HEALTHY LIVING} 

Chicken Pita Pockets 

with Garlic Mayo 

Pack this simple but delicious picnic lunch and 

go on an outdoor adventure this summer 

Cut the calories and fat in 

mayonnaise by mixing it 

with fat-free yogurt, and 

then spice it up with a little garlic. 

You’ll have a gourmet delight that’s 

excellent with tuna or burgers, or 

in this case, inside chicken pita 

pockets. Feel free to expand the veggie 

selection in this recipe to your 

liking. Try adding sprouts, fresh 

cucumber or spinach for even more 

flavor and crunch. Pack in coolers 

for a great summer picnic or enjoy 

for lunch since the kids are home 

from school. 

Ingredients 

2 small garlic cloves, minced 

1 ⁄ 8 tsp. salt 

½ c. low-fat mayonnaise 

3 Tbsp. fat-free plain yogurt 

2 (7- to 8-inch) whole-wheat pitas 

2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken 

breast halves 

2 medium tomatoes, sliced 

4 lettuce leaves, torn into pieces 

Directions 

Mash garlic and salt together with 

a fork in a bowl. Stir in mayonnaise 

and yogurt. Cut each pita into two 

half circles. Spread mayonnaise 

mix in each pita pocket. Thinly 

slice the chicken and distribute it 

equally into the four pita pockets. 

Add tomato slices and lettuce. 

Nutrition information 

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 

310 calories, 6.5 g total fat, 

34 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 

79 mg cholesterol 

400 mg sodium and 2.3 g 

dietary fiber. 

Hike the 

Beautiful 

Outdoors 

Spokane County’s parks department 

includes an active Conservation 

Futures program that acquires 

property for the purpose of benefiting 

wildlife and protecting natural 

resources. These areas open up a 

whole world of opportunities for 

families to explore our region. Fifteen 

designated conservation areas around 

the county include hiking trails of 

varying degrees of difficulty. Find one 

that meets your family’s style and get 

out and enjoy nature! 

Reap the benefits of hiking: 

• Get physical exercise 

• Learn about plants, birds, geology 

and more 

• Enjoy time away from the computer/ 

TV/electronic toys 

Quick tips for a great 

outdoor adventure: 

• Carry water and snacks 

• Pack a simple first-aid kit 

• Wear appropriate shoes 

• Print a trail map to take along 

• Tell someone where you are going 

For maps 

and details 

about our region’s 

conservation areas, 

visit spokane 

county.org. 

8 ● Summer 2012 Heart Beat

Summer 

Safety 

Ah, summer. A time for barbecues and pool parties and trips to 

the lake. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when many people end 

up in hospital emergency departments. 

But planning ahead and using common sense can go a 

long way toward protecting you and your family, says Heather 

Barfield, RN, Providence Sacred Heart’s trauma coordinator. 

In the summertime, the hospital’s emergency department 

commonly sees patients who have suffered from falls, bike accidents, 

lawnmower mishaps, drownings and boating accidents. 

On the WATER 

The No. 1 cause of boating accidents, Barfield says, is alcohol 

consumption. 

“Driving a boat is the same as driving a car,” she explains. 

“The same rules apply. Don’t drink and drive anything.” That 

includes personal watercraft. 

To prevent drownings, be sure that everyone on the boat— 

yes, adults, too—is wearing a life jacket. Even people who 

know how to swim, Barfield notes, should wear a life jacket 

when on the lake. 

In the Yard 

Last year, Barfield says, a high number of lawn-mower injuries, 

from bad cuts and burns to severed fingers and toes, came 

through the emergency department. Regardless of what kind 

of mower you use, be sure to wear appropriate shoes (no flipflops!), 

and don’t let children ride with you. 

Barfield also suggests wearing goggles to protect your eyes 

from flying debris. 

On the Road 

Ready to head out on your motorcycle or bicycle? Don’t forget 

your helmet. 

“It’s that simple,” Barfield says. “In Washington, we have a 

fairly strict helmet law. And more than that, wearing a helmet 

can decrease your chance of a brain injury by 88 percent.” 

(You can learn more about bicycle helmet safety on page 10.) 

Make this summer your safest yet. With simple measures— 

like wearing life jackets on the water, being cautious doing 

yard work and wearing a helmet when you’re biking—you can 

reduce your risk for serious harm. 

“People need to be aware that there are ways to minimize 

their risks,” Barfield adds. “Traumas can be life-threatening— 

and many are preventable.” 

Because Injuries Happen 

Scan the QR code for a FREE smartphone app 

with symptom checker, closest emergency 

room locator and to get information about 

research procedures, tests and treatments. 

* 

This article is part of Providence Sacred Heart’s trauma education as required of Level II Trauma Centers. 


{children’s health} 

Safety First 

Protecting your kids is paramount. 

Here are five precautions every 

parent should take By Amy Lynn Smith 

As a parent, you’ll do anything to keep your children 

safe. It’s instinctive. But exactly how you ensure your 

kid’s safety is something every parent has to learn. 

Your pediatrician is a great source of information and can also 

recommend books and other resources. 

Just to be on the safe side, though, put these five safety 

essentials at the top of your list—and don’t put it off. 

“Accidents are a major factor in childhood injuries, and 

most of them happen around the home,” says Susan Stacey, 

RN, executive director of Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. 

“You can never let down your guard for a moment, but there 

are also some great tools out there to help you.” 

1Car Seats 

Parents know they need to use car seats, says Stacey, 

but it’s essential to use them correctly. Rear-facing 

seats should never be installed facing front, and 

infant car seats should always go in the back seat. Kids should 

be in a car seat or booster seat until they are at least 4 feet 

9 inches tall so that the seat belt fits properly. Regular inspections 

are important, too. Through Safe Kids Spokane, Sacred 

Heart Children’s Hospital offers free car seat checks performed 

by certified experts. (See sidebar.) 

2 

BIKE HELMETS 

In a bike accident, kids are at increased risk for 

hitting their heads because they tend to be topheavy, 

says Stacey. “Their heads will go forward 

first and head versus concrete or any hard surface is a bad 

injury,” she explains. “The rule of thumb is that if you’re 

moving faster than you can run, you need a helmet.” This 

rule applies to other sports, as well, such as skating and 

skateboarding, which require a helmet specifically designed 

for those sports. 

A helmet is a necessity for all ages, and a good way to encourage 

kids to wear them is for parents to use helmets themselves. 

Smart Move 

Download free safety 

guides for kids of 

all ages, and check 

out the listings for 

upcoming events 

at the Safe Kids 

Spokane website. Visit 

shmcchildren.org and 

look for the Safe Kids 

Spokane tab. 


3WINDOW SAFETY GUARDS 

A fall from a window can cause serious injuries. 

That’s why approved window guards should be 

installed on any window above the first floor that 

isn’t an emergency exit. 

“Kids are curious, fast and smart, and they can sometimes 

figure out how to open a window latch,” says Stacey. “Screens 

don’t offer any protection because they can just pop out.” 

Experts also recommend keeping furniture away from 

windows on higher floors so children can’t climb up. If you 

must have windows open, keep your child in sight at all times. 

4SMOKE AND CARBON 

MONOXIDE DETECTORS 

Essential safety items in every home, smoke 

and carbon monoxide detectors are especially 

important with kids in the house. They are more quickly 

overwhelmed by smoke or odorless carbon monoxide because 

of their smaller size. 

Be sure to test your smoke detectors and replace the batteries 

twice a year, urges Stacey, and make sure you have them on 

every floor of your home. 

Also have an established emergency evacuation plan, 

including a meeting place outside to make sure all heads are 

counted in the event of a fire. 

5POOL FENCING 

If you have a pool, in-ground or above-ground, you 

need to have a fence that completely encloses it. The 

fence should be at least 4 feet high and made of mesh 

so you can see into the pool area. Also make sure the fence is 

self-closing and self-latching. When the pool isn’t in use, put on a 

safety cover so no one can fall in accidentally. Remove ladders or 

slides from above-ground pools when they’re not being used. 

Perhaps most important of all, don’t let your kids into the 

pool area if an adult isn’t able to watch them the entire time. 

“As a parent, it’s hard to watch everything,” Stacey says. “But 

there’s just no substitute for knowing where your kids are at all 

times, especially near water.” 

Sacred Heart and Safe Kids Spokane 

As part of our commitment to kids’ safety, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital now oversees Safe Kids Spokane. The organization, 

which is affiliated with Safe Kids Worldwide, provides education and other resources. “Safe Kids Worldwide is excited to welcome 

Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital into our network,” says Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “We look forward to 

partnering with them to keep kids safe from injuries in Spokane.” 


{cardiac report} 

The Heart: 

A User’s Manual 

A how-to on operation, care and 

maintenance so you can keep your 

ticker running smoothly for life 

Congratulations! You are the proud owner of a miraculous creation called the heart. This user’s 

manual contains important information about protecting it and helping it maintain peak 

performance for years to come. Please read these instructions carefully for optimal results. 

Before Getting Started 

To keep your heart working 

properly, you need to learn 

everything you can about your 

health history and possible risk 

factors for disease. 

“People should know about 

heart problems in their first-degree 

relatives—that is, their parents and 

siblings,” says Douglas Waggoner, 

MD, a cardiologist with Heart 

Clinics Northwest. “Also, find out 

the time in their lives when they 

had their problems.” 

Having a parent or sibling with 

heart disease increases your risk of 

developing the condition. 

Janice Christensen, MD, a cardiologist 

with Providence Spokane 

Cardiology, notes that a family 

history of diabetes is also a strong 

risk factor. In addition, she asks 

patients about a family history of 

abdominal aortic aneurysms, which 

is of particular note for men’s heart 

disease risk. 

Dr. Waggoner recommends sharing 

your family health history with 

your doctor, because this might 

affect how aggressively your own 

heart condition is treated. 

“I might recommend starting 

medication therapies earlier,” he 


says. “I also counsel patients on 

their risk factors.” 

While you can’t change your 

family history, other risk factors are 

within your control, Dr. Christensen 

adds. Smoking, she says, is the 

top risk factor. In addition, people 

with diabetes have a higher risk of 

heart disease. Controlling diabetes 

involves eating well, exercising and 

maintaining a healthy weight— 

which all affect heart health, too. 

Other risk factors include high cholesterol 

and high blood pressure. 

“I always attack a patient’s biggest 

modifiable risk factor first,” 

she says. 

Recommended 

Maintenance 

At least once a year, or as 

often as your doctor advises, 

get screened for those risk factors 

of heart disease, including 

high cholesterol, high blood pressure 

and diabetes. Your doctor may 

want to begin electrocardiograms 

as well, particularly if you have 

certain risk factors or are experiencing 

symptoms. 

And be sure you know the 

results of your tests, Dr. Christensen 

says. “There’s power in knowing your 

numbers,” she says. “Those numbers 

are predictive and help you understand 

your risk.” 

Care Guidelines 

Much of what’s required to 

keep your heart in good condition 

is up to you. People 

with a round shape and excess 

belly fat are at higher risk of heart 

disease and type 2 diabetes. 

To determine if your belly is bigger 

than it should be, check your 

waist circumference with a tape 

measure. A woman’s waist should 

measure less than 35 inches and a 

man’s should be less than 40 inches. 

If your waist is larger than that, it’s 

time to take action. 

The right menu can make all 

the difference, both in weight 

loss and good heart health. 

Avoid foods that are high in fat, 

salt and cholesterol, Dr. Waggoner 

advises. Focus on fruits and vegetables, 

lean meats, low-fat and 

nonfat dairy, and whole grains, 

and you’ll be well on your way to 

a healthier heart. 

Dr. Christensen recommends 

a Mediterranean diet—a lifestyle 

that emphasizes lean meat and 

fish, vegetables and healthy fats. 

In studies, she notes, this diet not 

only improves heart health even 

if people don’t lose weight, but 

it’s been shown that people more 

commonly stick to it. 

“There are several excellent 

Mediterranean cookbooks on 

the market,” Dr. Christensen 

says. “I tell patients to go buy one 

and to focus on finding things 

they enjoy.” 

Operating 

Instructions 

Then, of course, there’s 

exercise, which is essential 

to good heart health. Studies 

show that people who do 

at least 30 minutes of moderate 

aerobic activity daily lower their 

risk for cardiovascular disease. 

Dr. Waggoner echoes the 

need for 30 minutes of cardiovascular 

exercise—the kind that 

gets your heart pumping fast and 

your breathing heavy—five days 

a week or more. In addition, he 

recommends strength training, 

which decreases your percentage 

of body fat at the same time that it 

increases lean muscle. 

It’s also important—for plenty 

of reasons—to get enough sleep. 

People who sleep less than seven 

hours a night have a higher level 

of stress hormones, which can 

increase your blood pressure and 

heart rate. 

Warning! 

Misuse can damage your 

heart and lead to costly 

repairs, and there’s no manufacturer’s 

warranty. Protect 

your heart from these hazards: 

Smoking. 

Quitting smoking is the most 

important step you can take to a 

healthier heart, says Janice Christensen, 

MD, a cardiologist with 

Spokane Cardiology. 

High-calorie liquids. 

Sports drinks and soda are loaded 

with sugar, so avoiding them is an 

easy way to cut calories. Alcohol has 

many calories, too. Women should 

limit themselves to one drink per 

day, and men to two per day. 

Stress. 

Too much stress can lead to 

increased rates of high blood 

pressure. To reduce your stress level, 

set aside time for rejuvenating pursuits 

such as meditation. 

FREE Personal 

Medication Record 

Whether you are taking medicine 

for a heart condition or not, it’s 

important to keep a list of your 

meds. Carry it in your purse or 

wallet, and be sure to fill in each 

medicine’s name, dose instructions 

and condition treated. This 

will help prevent drug interactions. 

Get yours free by emailing 

heartbeat@providence.org or 

calling 509-474-3081. 


These 

b 

nes 

ARE MADE FOR 

WALKING 

Osteoporosis 

is preventable 

in many 

cases. Know 

the signs and 

treatment 

options, and 

take these 

steps at all 

ages to keep 

your bones 

healthy and 

strong for life 

At a rest stop along I-84, 

Genevieve Crandall stepped out of the 

car. It was summer 2011, and the Florida 

resident was enjoying her vacation— 

which included celebrating her grandson’s 

graduation in Spokane and taking 

a trip with her daughter to Portland to 

watch a tennis tournament. 

In an instant, the independent lifestyle 

she had enjoyed for 86 years was 

swept away. “A gust of wind picked my 

mother up and threw her 10 feet backward, 

breaking her left hip, pelvis and 

wrist,” recalls Stephanie Pappas Butler. 

At a nearby hospital, surgeons did a 

partial hip replacement and set her 

wrist. She returned to Spokane with her 

daughter and began physical therapy. 

But her pain increased. Butler took 

her mother to see Carla Smith, MD, a 

surgeon with Providence Orthopedic 

Specialties and the principle investigator 

on two bone studies at Providence 

Medical Research Center. Dr. Smith 

discovered that when Crandall fell, she 

had also broken her right hip and had 

multiple fractures to her pelvis. With 

adjustments in her daily therapy program, 

however, she began to recover. 

Indication of Osteoporosis 

Before Crandall was strong enough to 

return to Florida, she fell again, this 

time from a standing position. She was 

rushed to Sacred Heart Medical Center 

& Children’s Hospital, where Dr. Smith 

performed surgery to repair her broken 

right hip. 

“Healthy bones are strong,” says Dr. 

Smith. “So when Genevieve fell from 

a standing position and broke her hip, 

there was strong indication of osteoporosis, 

a disease that makes bones fragile 

and likely to break.” 

Crandall is not alone. According to 

the American Academy of Orthopaedic 

Surgeons (AAOS), osteoporosis and its 

precursor—low bone density (referred 

to as osteopenia)—occur in more than 

44 million people in the U.S. The AAOS 

says that fragility fractures have become 

nearly epidemic among older Americans 

with more than 2 million fractures 

occurring each year—“more than heart 

attacks, strokes and newly diagnosed 

breast cancer combined.” 

Like so many who have experienced 

hip fractures, Crandall’s broken bones 

resulted in a dramatic change in lifestyle. 

Always adventuresome and independent, 

the avid golfer and onetime 

cast member of the 1944 Betty Grable 

film Pin Up Girl found herself in need 

of assisted living and daily help from 

her daughter. 

Osteoporosis is not curable, but if 

properly diagnosed it is treatable. And 

that’s the catch. “Osteoporosis is silent, 


Story by Liz DeRuyter • Photos by Gary Matoso 

Stephanie Pappas Butler and her 

mother, Genevieve Crandall, are learning 

about osteoporosis together and how 

to improve bone health at any age. 

Take Steps to Prevent Falls 

In addition to exercise, Carla Smith, MD, a surgeon with Providence Orthopedic Specialties, 

says that it’s also important to understand what can be done to prevent falls: 

• Make certain your home is well lit. 

• Remove obstacles that may cause you to trip, such as rugs. 

• Keep eyeglasses handy, and use them whenever moving about. 

• Use assisted walking devices. 

• Make a plan to ensure you take your daily supplements and medications. 


These 

b 

nes 

ARE MADE FOR 

WALKING 

often going undiagnosed or undertreated,” 

says Dr. Smith. “People 

need to advocate for diagnosis and 

treatment, especially those who 

have experienced a fragility fracture, 

since they are 86 percent more likely 

to suffer a second fracture.” 

Not a Women’s Disease 

Father Severyn Westbrook had 

long suspected that he might have 

osteoporosis. “I’d always had lousy 

posture, but it wasn’t until I was 

receiving postoperative care following 

a second arm fracture that I 

requested a bone density scan. My 

suspicion turned out to be true.” 

His first fracture rendered his arm 

virtually unusable, compromising his 

quality of life and leaving him vulnerable 

to a second break. The 78-yearold—accustomed 

to an active life and 

daily work ministering to others— 

had given up hope of having use of 

his arm again. “When I broke my arm 

the second time and met Dr. Smith, 

the first thing she said was that she 

cared about my quality of life and 

wanted to improve it,” he recalls. 

“Father Westbrook debunks the 

myth that men don’t get this disease,” 

says Dr. Smith. In fact, the 

National Osteoporosis Foundation 

(NOF) says men over the age of 50 

are more likely to break a bone due 

to osteoporosis than they are to 

get prostate cancer. And each year, 

more than 80,000 men break a hip. 

“Father Westbrook is a great 

example of someone who advocated 

for himself. He benefited from an 

innovative surgery that restored the 

use of his arm, and follows a program 

outlined by his primary care 

physician,” says Dr. Smith. 

Determine your risk 

Another misconception is that 

there is nothing anyone can do. 

Wrong again. Regardless of age (it 

“Osteoporosis is 

silent, often going 

undiagnosed or 

undertreated. People 

need to advocate 

for diagnosis and 

treatment, especially 

those who have 

experienced a 

fragility fracture, 

since they are 

86 percent more 

likely to suffer a 

second fracture.” 

is true—your bones weaken as you 

grow older), gender (women are 

more likely to develop osteoporosis 

than men) and body size (small, 

thin-boned women are at greatest 

risk), a lot is controllable. These risk 

factors include: physical inactivity, 

low levels of calcium and vitamin D, 

anorexia, use of some medication 

such as steroids, low levels of testosterone 

and estrogen, cigarette smoking 

and excessive alcohol use. 

Dr. Smith’s advice is to work 

with your primary care physician 

in understanding your risk and 

determining if further evaluation 

is needed. This may include one 

or more of the following: medical 

history review, physical examination, 

bone density test, FRAX score 

(fracture risk assessment), laboratory 

test, X-rays, vertebral fracture 

assessments and bone scans. 

“The bone density test, also 

known as a DXA [dual energy X-ray 

absorptiometry] is most valuable for 

patients who have risk indicators, 

but who have never had a fracture,” 

says Dr. Smith. “Physicians are moving 

away from DXA for anyone who 

Father Severyn 

Westbrook has 

worked with 

his doctors to 

strengthen his 

skeletal system 

and recover the 

use of his arm, 

which has been 

broken twice. 

has already experienced a fragility 

fracture—since the event itself is 

very predictive and signals a need 

to educate the patient about bone 

health and engage the primary care 

physician in the treatment plan.” 

Bone health at every age 

Butler never thought much about 

osteoporosis until her mother fell. 

“I was subliminally aware of the disease 

in my 20s, but even in my 30s 

I didn’t think much about it,” she 

says. As she knows now, it is never 

too soon to take defensive action to 

protect your bones. 

Childhood through our 20s: 

This is a critical time in development 

of healthy bones as bone tissue 

formation outweighs bone loss. 


Free Bone 

Density 

Screening 

Call today to schedule 

your FREE bone density 

screening at the Sacred 

Heart Women’s Health 

Center: 509-474-2400. 

For more tips on preventing 

falls and supporting 

bone health, 

visit phc.org. 

According to the NOF, 85 percent 

of adult bone mass is acquired by 

age 18 in girls and age 20 in boys. To 

build bone and joint strength, kids 

need to be active and get plenty of 

calcium (1,300 mg per day between 

the ages of 9 and 18) and vitamin D. 

By your late 20s, your bones are as 

strong and thick as they will ever be. 

30s and 40s: At this age, both 

men and women begin losing small 

amounts of bone mass each year. Calcium 

(at least 1,000 mg daily), vitamin 

D (essential for the absorption 

of calcium) and vitamin K (increases 

bone mineral density), along with 

high-impact physical activity, are 

essential to preserving bone mass. 

50s and beyond: Talk with your 

doctor to assess your risk. Determine 

if additional tests are warranted. 

“Many who suffer from osteoporosis 

also have secondary diagnoses 

that contribute to poor bone health, 

increase the risk of falling, or slow 

recovery. Your health providers need 

to consider all factors and then tailor 

care to your specific needs,” advises 

Dr. Smith. 

Ask if you would benefit from 

calcium (at this age, you need 

1,200 mg per day) and vitamin D 

supplements or medication that 

helps strengthen bones. Eat plenty 

of nutritious food, avoid processed 

foods high in sugar and fat, and 

increase consumption of antioxidants 

such as blueberries and green 

tea. Finally, renew your commitment 

to exercise. 

Exercise—Use 

It or Lose It! 

No matter what your age, Carla Smith, 

MD, a surgeon with Providence Orthopedic 

Specialties, recommends at least 

30 minutes of physical activity per day. 

“Activity does not have to be strenuous 

to be beneficial, but it is important that 

it puts stress on your bones,” she says. 

Here are some options: 

• High- and low-impact aerobics classes. 

• Walking and stair climbing. 

• Elliptical training, stair stepping and 

treadmill machines. 

• Running, jumping rope, tennis. 

• Dancing. 

• As you get older, add strength training 

to your workout at least two to three 

times a week along with balance training 

at least once a week. 

• According to a study published in 

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 

progressive resistance training— 

resistance in the form of weights or 

bands—has a direct, positive effect on 

bone density. 


Heroes 

among us 

Discover just how amazing organ donation is 

and how much of a difference it can make 


y kate vanskike 

At Providence Sacred Heart and Providence 

Holy Family hospitals, when visitors stop to 

read a TV screen in the main lobby, they’re 

not watching the news or hospital infomercials. 

They’re reading about people who have 

received the gift of life and families whose 

loved ones have made that possible. Stunning 

photos on LCD displays, thanks to the 

Providence Health Care Foundation, provide 

a glimpse of men, women, children and babies 

who have saved or improved the lives of others 

through organ donation. 

Here, Heart Beat shares the stories of many 

families forever changed by organ donation. 

We meet a local boy who received a heart, 

a family of brothers fighting kidney disease 

and the parents of a teen whose death is still 

changing lives. We also present an important 

request of our readers: to register as an organ 

and tissue donor. Will you say yes? 

Tell Us How 

You're Helping 

We’d love to hear from you if you registered 

as an organ donor after reading 

about Masin, Chris, Kurt and Drew. Visit 

Sacred Heart on Facebook or email 

heartbeat@providence.org. 

>> 

Masin Hawkins’ doctors 

describe his heart 

transplant as coming 

just in the nick of time. 

Visit facebook.com/ 

ProvidenceSacredHeart 

or capture this image on 

your smartphone to share. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY GARY MATOSO 


Today, after receiving his new 

heart from a generous family, 

Masin is healthy and happy. 

CLEARING THE FOG 

Masin Hawkins was 

an active 14-year-old who loved 

basketball and riding bikes. One 

day, he’d been playing football with 

friends at Post Falls Middle School, 

and when he went inside, he told a 

teacher that he felt dizzy. It’s the last 

thing he remembers before a school 

nurse performed CPR to restart his 

heart and an ambulance whisked 

him away. 

Later at Sacred Heart Medical 

Center & Children’s Hospital, 

pediatric cardiologist Carl Garabedian, 

MD, diagnosed him with 

cardiomyopathy—a condition that 

causes the heart to enlarge and 

prevents it from pumping well. 

Masin also started having ventricular 

tachycardia—a super-fast 

heartbeat—and had to have an 

implantable cardiac defibrillator 

to regulate the heartbeat. 

In September 2011, Masin’s 

mom, Cindy, became concerned 

with his decreasing energy and 

scheduled another appointment 

at Sacred Heart. 

“We were told what we knew we 

may hear but didn’t want to—that 

Masin needed a heart transplant,” 

Cindy recalls. 

Masin’s heart function had 

decreased to just 15 percent of its 

normal capacity. He was placed onto 

the national transplant list and for 

three long months, he remained at 

Sacred Heart. 

“I was very concerned and 

afraid,” Cindy says, “but I didn’t 

want to ever walk into his room and 

have him see me upset. Our whole 

family helped us get through this 

unbearable time, and [also] hospital 

staff members who were always 

positive and helped to keep him 

occupied. I could at least leave the 

hospital and get a break from the 


PHOTOGRAPH BY GARY MATOSO

“I wish I could put into words what it’s 

like to have my son. I am sad when I 

think of the loss another family had and 

hope it helps them to know that they 

saved my son’s life.” 

situation, but Masin had no choice 

and was there every single day and 

night, just waiting. He is an amazing 

child.” 

Ask Masin how he coped and 

he’ll say that in addition to having 

staff members take him outside or 

up on the roof to meet a MedStar 

helicopter pilot, he played video 

games—a lot. “It helped me escape,” 

he says. 

Barely Holding On 

As often happens with patients 

awaiting transplant, Masin experienced 

a false alarm, a call to 

prepare for surgery, only to hear 

that the donor’s heart was not a 

great fit. That was “providential” as 

people of Providence say when lifechanging 

coincidences occur. 

“His condition was so tenuous, 

it wouldn’t have been a good time 

to proceed with surgery,” says Beth 

Dullanty, RN, coordinator of congenital 

heart services. 

A few weeks later, the Hawkins 

family prepared again for the lifesaving 

transplant Masin so desperately 

needed. It was a Friday 

morning in mid-December and 

Sacred Heart transplant surgeon 

Timothy Icenogle, MD, was ready 

to fly to the location where a heart 

for Masin could be retrieved from a 

donor who was on life support. 

“Spokane was completely fogged 

in,” remembers Dullanty. “There 

were no flights going in or out.” 

The days prior had been sunny, 

without a cloud in the sky. “I 

couldn’t understand why this was 

happening,” Cindy says. 

The surgery was called off again 

and staff encouraged Masin to 

go to the cafeteria for his favorite 

menu item, orange chicken. He was 

about to take their advice when 

he experienced his longest run of 

“V-tach” (the super-fast heartbeat) 

and was sent straight to bed. Perhaps 

there was fog for a reason. 

At home on Saturday, Dullanty 

put on her “Heart for Hawkins” 

T-shirt and prayed for a miracle. 

That evening, Dr. Icenogle drove 

to Coeur d’Alene’s small municipal 

airport where the fog had lifted 

and planes were cleared for takeoff. 

At 9 p.m., Masin’s new heart was in 

place and working fine. 

“It was an act of God,” Dullanty 

says of the event. 

Thank You to the Family 

That Saved Him 

Days after his transplant, Cindy 

learned of her acceptance into North 

Idaho College’s nursing program. She 

was fearful of committing to it with 

Masin at home recuperating, but he 

reminded her she’d wanted to be a 

nurse for a long time. “Go to school, 

Mom,” he said. “I will be OK.” 

And he is. He’s been enjoying his 

favorite activities again—dirt bike 

riding, snowboarding and shooting 

hoops with friends. He’s also taking 

driver’s ed classes to prepare for his 

next exciting journey. 

“I wish I could put into words 

what it’s like to have my son,” Cindy 

says. “I am sad when I think of the 

loss another family had and hope it 

helps them to know that they saved 

my son’s life.” 

Sensitive 

work 

“Making organ and tissue donation 

possible takes an incredible 

amount of teamwork among multiple 

health care providers and other partners— 

and it requires great sensitivity toward all 

the people involved,” says Timothy Stevens, 

RN, director of Transplant Services 

at Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s 

Hospital. 

The team includes caregivers, chaplains, 

patients and families. Each member 

of the team has emotional and spiritual 

needs that must be respected. 

“Caregivers working in intensive care 

units put up a good fight for their patients’ 

lives and when those efforts don’t have 

the intended outcome, it’s hard,” he says. 

“Then they switch gears and begin the 

difficult conversation about whether this 

patient could be a donor.” 

“These are seasoned nurses, physicians 

and chaplains who face death regularly, but 

losses take their toll,” Stevens says. 

Providence takes seriously the task 

of caring for the caregiver. Debriefing 

sessions help the staff express their 

feelings and celebrate their role in being 

there for families. 

In addition, Sacred Heart has a Donation 

Champions Committee that includes 

hospital staff as well as representatives 

from LifeCenter Northwest and SightLife 

(organ and tissue procurement agencies) 

to address the complex world of donation, 

which includes special counseling 

and care for families of patients who 

decide to donate during those last few 

hours of life, and live donors who require 

a special kind of care. 

“We know Sacred Heart takes excellent 

care of the patients receiving organ transplants,” 

Stevens says. “This committee is 

about taking care of the people who do 

the donating.” 

It’s sensitive and challenging work. But 

every person who becomes a donor has 

the potential to save or change lives. And 

that makes it all worthwhile. 


the bond 

between 

brothers 

>> 

Giving up one of his two kidneys was a 

gift that Kurt Holbart (left) was happy 

to provide to his brother Chris. 

THE HOLBART FAMILY 

Polycystic kidney disease runs deep 

in the Holbart family. Brothers Chris, 

Kurt and Mike never knew their 

grandfather because he had died 

from the condition, and they lost 

their dad the same way when they 

were teens. They knew they had a 

50-50 chance of suffering from kidney 

disease themselves. 

The oldest of the three, Chris, 

was diagnosed at age 29. At first, 

the decrease in kidney function was 

gradual. But at age 44, he was constantly 

fatigued and had to begin 

dialysis—the process of removing 

waste from the body via machines 

when the kidneys can’t do the job. 

During his eight weeks of dialysis, 

he learned he needed a transplant 

if he wanted to return to his normal 

active life, which included skiing 

and dirt bike riding, as well as working 

in construction, a job he shared 

with both brothers. 

When Kurt, just 14 months 

younger, learned his big brother 

needed a kidney, he was immediately 

willing to go through the 

lengthy process of determining 

whether he was a good match. 

He wasn’t the only one, however. 

Chris had a number of friends willing 

to join Kurt in the effort. 

“I was so blessed, humbled 

and grateful for everyone 

who volunteered to be tested,” 

Chris says. 

Ultimately, Kurt turned out to 

be a perfect match, and Chris knew 

that his chances of a successful longterm 

transplant would be much 

greater with his brother’s match. 

“I was happy to do it. There was 

no hesitation,” Kurt says, although 

he admits to a fear of needles and 

wasn’t thrilled that the downtime 

following surgery resulted in an 

extra inch on his waistline. 

The Gift of a Lifetime 

There were bigger changes for 

Chris. With his new kidney, his color 

returned, and he could eat more 


PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN NAVRATIL

freely and enjoy more energy. In 

general, he just felt better. But those 

were only the physical benefits. 

“My priorities definitely changed,” 

Chris says. “I’m fully aware of how 

blessed I am to have my family, wife, 

children and friends. To live where I 

do, in a country where a transplant 

is even possible! To enjoy life and be 

able to see my kids become adults.” 

Chris and Kurt’s little brother, 

Mike, now has those same 

opportunities, too. After Chris’ 

TRIUMPH 

FROM 

TRAGEDY 

Drew Swank 

drew swank was a goodhearted 

teenager. He was the kind of 

kid who on Valentine’s Day bought 

red roses for every girl in his class 

so none of them would be left out. 

He was a football player who would 

tackle an opponent and then pat 

him on the back. Today, he’s still 

making a difference—through his 

life-changing gift. 

Sadly, Drew suffered a fatal football 

injury. His mother, Patti, found 

herself standing over her son in an 

intensive care room at Sacred Heart. 

“The worst day of our life became the 

best day of someone else’s,” Patti says. 

transplant, Mike needed one also. 

They joke that they couldn’t in 

good conscience take Kurt’s other 

kidney, so Mike received his lifechanging 

gift from a woman he 

hardly knew. “She’s a real hero, 

too,” they agree. 

Kurt says people who find 

themselves with the opportunity 

to donate a kidney to a loved one 

should know, for many, it’s easy: 

“You don’t even notice you’re missing 

anything.” 

Life for Many 

Drew’s young heart is living strong 

inside a father named Lee who 

proudly remarks that his heart is 

younger than those of his kids. His 

liver went to another teenage boy in 

Washington state who shared the 

same jersey number—15. A man in 

Seattle received Drew’s lungs, an Alaskan 

received a kidney and a woman in 

Ohio received the other kidney, plus 

Drew’s pancreas. His corneas provided 

the gift of sight to two others. 

The Swank family has met the 

recipient of Drew’s lungs, and even 

listened to the breath in those lungs 

with a stethoscope. 

“That was a tearful moment for 

our entire family,” says Drew’s big 

sister Tara. 

“God is doing a great and 

mighty work through our son,” 

says Drew’s dad. 

It’s a sentiment shared by many 

who choose for their loved ones to 

become donors. Giving life to another 

individual helps to add purpose to a 

tragedy that otherwise is senseless. 

BY THE 

NUMBERS 

100+ 

Highly trained nurses who care for 

children and adults needing transplant 

care at Sacred Heart 

34 

Members of the Transplant Services 

department who coordinate the process 

9 

Transplant physicians 

5 

States served by the Sacred Heart 

transplant program (Washington, 

Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Alaska) 

3 

Sacred Heart’s transplant follow-up 

clinics outside Spokane (Great Falls, 

Mont.; Missoula, Mont.; Tri-Cities, Wash.) 

3 

U.S. heart transplant centers (out of 

110) to receive the Heart Transplant 

Excellence Award from HealthGrades. 

Sacred Heart was one of them. 

Make the Choice 

There’s another number you should 

know: 113,600. That’s how many people 

in the U.S. are on the waiting list for an 

organ transplant. Become a potential 

donor by signing up and talking with 

your family to make your wishes known. 

Registering takes only a few minutes at 

donatelife.net. 


When Irina Lapin became pregnant 

at 19, she visited the Maternity Clinic 

at Sacred Heart Medical Center & 

Children’s Hospital, which offers 

prenatal care to both insured and 

uninsured women. Lapin calls her 

doctors “amazing,” and as she and her 

husband add to their family, she says 

the Maternity Clinic, subsidized by 

PHC, is the only place she’ll go for care. 

Providence 

Health Care is 

committed to 

helping everyone 

attain quality 

health care, as 

demonstrated in 

2011’s community 

benefit report 

Improving 

& 

Health 


Story by Liz DeRuyter & Kate Vanskike 

Photograph by Gary Matoso

You know that Providence Health Care 

(Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center 

& Children’s Hospital, Holy Family 

Hospital, Mount Carmel Hospital, St. 

Joseph’s Hospital, VNA Home Health 

Services, DominiCare, St. Joseph Care 

Center, Emilie Court Assisted Living 

and Adult Day Health) are nonprofit 

and Catholic, but what does that mean? 

It means that Providence Health Care’s (PHC) mission 

and vision is to care for the entire person. It means that PHC 

is committed to helping everyone in need of medical attention, 

regardless of ability to pay. In 2011, PHC ministries 

provided more than $100 million to address unmet health 

needs in Eastern Washington. These dollars provided free 

and discounted care to 47,929 individuals who were unable 

to pay their medical expenses. In addition, by funding 

essential programs that do not generate enough income to 

support themselves, the PHC network was able to provide 

access to quality health services such as trauma, psychiatric 

triage and prenatal care (at the Maternity Clinic at Sacred 

Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital). 

Equally important is access to basic health care so that 

members of our community, especially the poor and vulnerable, 

receive quality medical attention before health problems 

escalate. 

PHC also invested in the future by providing training 

opportunities for new physicians and by funding important 

clinical research. 

“It is our belief that continuation and enhancement of 

graduate medical education and research in Spokane helps 

ensure access to quality health care for generations to come,” 

says Mike Wilson, chief executive of Providence Health Care 

in Eastern Washington. 

What It Means To Be a 

Catholic Health System 

The Sisters of Providence began their 

health care ministry in the West 155 

years ago and built Spokane’s first 

Catholic hospital more than 125 years 

ago. But as attitudes and perceptions 

about religious affiliation among 

schools, hospitals and other social 

structures change, many people are 

left to wonder what it means for a 

health system to be Catholic. 

In an online poll, Heart Beat 

asked readers whether a hospital’s 

Catholic identity makes a difference. 

Half of respondents said “it has no 

bearing on my decision about where 

to receive care.” The other half, however, 

said they are more likely to go to 

a Catholic hospital. 

Ann Hurst, vice president of Mission 

and Values for Providence Health 

Care, explains what makes a Catholic 

hospital special. 

Catholic hospitals help care for the 

whole person—mind, body and spirit. 

A person has many dimensions, 

including physical, emotional, psychological, 

spiritual and social. “All of 

those come into focus when you’re 

providing health care because one 

influences another,” says Hurst. 

“That’s what we call holistic care. 

“We recognize that people live 

in complex situations: poverty and 

unemployment and all types of abusive 

situations. We believe health care 

is more than fixing broken body parts; 

people are broken in many ways. We 

seek to address those needs as well 

as to alleviate suffering and promote 

health for everyone who comes to 

Providence for care.” 

Non-Catholic patients receive the 

same care as those who are Catholic. 

Some people think you have to be 

Catholic to come to a Catholic hospital. 

“We’re here to serve the needs of 

all people,” Hurst clarifies. “We welcome 

and embrace people of all faith 

traditions and those who have none 

at all. We seek to provide care in a way 

that respects the dignity of all people 

and honors each person’s values and 

spiritual beliefs.” 

Catholic hospitals make sure all 

people receive care, and support 

many community services. 

Providence Health Care supports the 

community through charity care 

and donations to other important 

services—to the tune of millions of 

dollars every year. 

“There are no shareholders who 

split a profit made by Catholic hospitals,” 

Hurst says. “Our revenue is 

injected back into this community to 

improve access to care for all people 

and by working with partner agencies 

to help build a healthier community.” 

Providence recently partnered with 

the Spokane Regional Health District 

and Empire Health Foundation to 

conduct a community health needs 

assessment with input from many 

organizations that address physical, 

social and health needs. Mental health 

and substance abuse rose to the top 

of the list of concerns because of continual 

cutbacks in federal and state 

funding for these services. 

“Together, we’re talking about how 

to address those concerns in light of 

shrinking resources,” Hurst says. “Providence 

is an active partner in that fight.” 

Making tough decisions 

There’s another characteristic of 

continued on next page 


continued from previous page 

Catholic organizations that Hurst is 

proud to see reflected in the work of 

PHC: decision making based on an 

ethical discernment process. 

In times of changing landscapes in 

health care, all medical providers have 

to think differently and evaluate what 

services might operate better under a 

partnership to provide lower-cost care 

to more people. 

For PHC, Hurst explains, “The conversation 

never centers on profitability. 

We have a detailed process of addressing 

a wide range of questions so that 

our decisions are consistent with our 

values and mission.” 

As an example, PHC continues to 

subsidize psychiatry services that 

don’t make money but that serve the 

mission by providing dignity to people 

who suffer from mental illness. 

Over a 155-year history, the Sisters 

of Providence have opened and closed 

many services in response to changing 

community needs. “Leaders of their 

ministries today are charged with the 

task of strengthening the organizations 

to ensure we are here another 150 years 

and beyond,” says Hurst. “And we’ll 

do that by following the same guiding 

principles the Sisters themselves have 

shared with us.” 

Providence Health Care’s 2011 Community Benefit Report 

Sacred Heart 

Medical Center 

Holy Family 

Hospital 

Mount Carmel 

Hospital 

(Colville) 

St. Joseph’s 

Hospital 

(Chewelah) 

Non-Hospital 

Ministries * 


Health Care 

Total 

Cost of 

Charity Care 

Unpaid Cost of 

Medicaid & Other 

Government 

Programs 

Subsidized 

Services 

Medical Education 

& Research 

Community 

Programs & 

Services 

$11,031,744 $5,073,172 $916,856 $517,531 $278,069 $17,817,372 

$34,351,888 $12,330,618 $501,837 $2,154,048 $2,697,801 $52,036,192 

$11,747,249 $0 $1,102,726 $1,683,752 $0 $14,533,727 

$13,556,499 $18,352 $210,169 $148 $7,382 $13,792,550 

$1,473,936 $262,981 $132,398 $39,910 $27,743 $1,936,968 

Total $72,161,316 $17,685,123 $2,863,986 $4,395,389 $3,010,995 $100,116,809 

As a not-for-profit organization, Providence Health 

Care received $25.4 million in federal, state and 

local tax exemptions in 2011. However, it provided 

$100.1 million back to the community, or $74.7 

million in excess of exemptions. In addition, there 

are taxes for which Providence is not exempt and 

pays in the normal course of operations, just 

as any business in the community. These totaled 

$73 million. 

For more information on the ways Providence 

Health Care supports the community, go to 

phc.org and “Community Benefit Report” to see 

our 2011 report and an article on how we assess 

the community’s health needs. 

110 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

PHC’s 2011 Tax Status Benefit 

$100.1 

$73 

Total Tax 

Exemptions 

Total Taxes 

Paid 

Community 

Benefit Provided 

* 

Non-Hospital Ministries include: Providence Adult 

Day Health, Providence DominiCare, Providence 

Emilie Court, Providence St. Joseph Care Center, 

and Providence Visiting Nurses Association. 

20 

10 

0 

$25.4 

* 

In millions of dollars 


{HISTORY} 

The Beat Goes On 

Celebrating five decades of heartfelt storytelling 

By Amy Lynn Smith 

1982 

2007 

1962 

1992 

Be Part of 

the Story 

To subscribe or share your 

own Heart Beat story, visit 

phc.org/heartbeat. 

You could say that Heart 

Beat has always had heart. 

Because in its more than 

50 years of publication, people have 

mattered most, both in the stories 

told and the writers and editors who 

have told them. 

Heart Beat was born in the 1960s 

as a monthly newspaper, mostly 

for internal distribution. By the 

1970s, its distribution and content 

expanded to include physicians, 

supporters and 

other friends of the 

hospital. Now a 

communitywide 

publication, it 

has kept up with 

the times in content 

and design. 

As much as 

the magazine has 

evolved, though, it 

has never lost sight of 

what matters most: people. 

“The publication has always been 

very much about the relationships,” 

says Kate Vanskike, the current 

managing editor and one of the 

magazine’s primary writers. “It’s 

focused on connecting people with 

caregivers and with our Mission.” 

Like all the magazine’s editors 

and writers, Vanskike gets her 

greatest satisfaction from sharing 

the stories of patients and staff who 

have experienced amazing things. 

About the People 

The late Al Huber, the magazine’s 

first editor, was a pure-blooded 

newspaperman who liked to call 

himself “Ye Olde Editor.” Others 

have followed—Maureen Goins, 

Marilyn Thordarson and Vanskike— 

each of them bringing his or her 

own personality to the role of editor. 

Around 1978, Thordarson developed 

a friendship with a family 

whose child was in the neonatal 

intensive care unit and created a 

narrative about their experience. 

“I wrote about these premature 

babies being like fragile flowers, 

and one of our leading obstetricians 

read my story to his students, to help 

teach them the human aspect as well 

as the science,” says Thordarson. 

One of the stories that left the 

most powerful impression on 

Vanskike involved a well-known 

area woman who was struggling 

with mental illness and was able 

to regain her life because of the 

psychiatric care she received at 

Sacred Heart. 

“Not only did the story help people 

understand what the treatment actually 

involves, it gave them insights 

into mental illness, which still has an 

incredible stigma,” she explains. “For 

months after that issue of Heart Beat 

came out, this woman was hearing 

from people who had been greatly 

impacted by her testimony.” 

Stories like these leave a lasting 

impression on both the readers and 

the creators. Vanskike and Thordarson 

have stayed in touch with 

many of the people they’ve written 

about. What’s more, people remember 

what they’ve read. 

“Just the other day a doctor 

asked for an issue from 30 years 

ago,” says Vanskike, “so it’s something 

people really identify as part 

of our organization.” 


{people} 

Front row L to R: Gary Livingston, Patricia Butterfield, Marian Durkin, Sr. Judith Nilles, Dan Dionne. Back row L to R: Phil Stalp, Ray Canto, 

Jim Watts, Rob McCann, Mike Reilly, Ron Wells, Elaine Hoskin, Paul Pimentel, Dean Martz. Not pictured: Keith Marton, Sr. Susanne Hartung, 

Paul Larsen and Curt Shoemaker. 

Leading With Compassion 

Who makes up the Board of Directors? Find out how these 

servants guide health care in the community 

At Providence Health Care 

(PHC), the Board of Directors 

is a diverse group of 

professionals who use their expertise 

and insights to help govern and 

oversee Providence’s ministries. 

Members are doctors, executives 

of major corporations and civic 

leaders, experienced in making 

decisions that affect many and in 

navigating complex regulations. 

In this exclusive interview, 

you’ll learn how their vision has 

positively affected the direction 

of health care in our community. 

You’ll also hear how they share 

a common belief that quality 

health care should be available 

to all people. 

One recent and major initiative 

led by the PHC Board is the 

development and oversight of a 

new kind of health care delivery 

to Providence, such as urgent care 

center and multispecialty outpatient 

centers. (See page 7.) 

“We look at the changing landscape 

of health care today and help 

ensure that the strategies Providence 

leaders employ will sustain 

the ministries well into the future,” 

says Mike Reilly, chair. “This means 

providing oversight of the broader 

community’s needs, finances and, of 

course, the Mission of Providence, 

which is to care for all people, 

regardless of their ability to pay. 

In today’s climate, that’s a challenge. 

So part of our responsibility 


PHOTOGRAPH BY GREEN GABLES PHOTOGRAPHY

is to be another set of eyes on the 

plans the senior leaders envision, 

and a sounding board when they 

face tough decisions.” 

Looking Out for 

Area Residents 

While these individuals speak for 

Providence, they also represent the 

people of this region. Member Marian 

Durkin says, “We provide feedback 

from the community to make 

sure that Providence is connected 

and continues to play a vital role for 

all our citizens.” 

This includes both urban and 

rural concerns. 

“Through Board participation, 

I’m able to help address rural 

health issues important to my 

hometown and help Providence 

continue to excel in its mission of 

serving all, especially the poor and 

vulnerable,” says Phil Stalp, a resident 

of Colville. 

It also means looking for ways 

to improve processes that benefit 

patient care. 

Neurosurgeon Dean Martz, who 

performs many of his surgeries at 

Sacred Heart, says being on the 

Board allows him to have input in 

hospital functions, which ultimately 

impacts his patients. 

The members agree that Providence 

Health Care is absolutely 

essential to the overall betterment 

of health in the Inland Northwest. 

A Calling 

Many members, like Paul Pimentel, 

say being on the Board is an 

opportunity not only to use their 

leadership and business skills, but 

their faith as well, in service of the 

community. “I want to support the 

mission of the Sisters of Providence,” 

Pimental adds. 

“Providence has always tried to 

do what was best for the community, 

and I think God blesses that,” shares 

Dan Dionne, MD. 

Honoring the caregivers 

Their work is not all business, 

however. The Board members feel 

a kinship to the nurses and support 

staff members who carry out 

the work on a day-to-day basis and 

are eager to recognize employees 

who go above and beyond the call 

of duty. They developed the PHC 

Exemplary Award, which they 

present to individuals who have 

gone to great lengths to answer 

the call of every patient to “know 

me, care for me, ease my way.” In 

the past six years, Board members 

have joined ministry leaders in 

bestowing the award on more than 

180 employees. 

Board Member Jim Watts 

says the team is passionate about 

recognizing the people who live 

the legacy of the Sisters of Providence. 

Along with hospital staff, 

he recently surprised employees 

on an intensive care unit with the 

Exemplary Award. A retired Ob- 

Gyn who practiced at Sacred Heart 

for 34 years, he has seen his share 

of emotional situations, but the 

story of these staff members really 

moved him. 

“Here was this woman with 

Down syndrome, dying and alone 

because a snowstorm prevented 

her family from making it to the 

hospital, and these employees sat at 

her side, singing songs to offer her 

some compassion and peace. I can 

only imagine how that helped the 

woman’s family members, too, to 

know their loved one had not been 

left to die alone. 

“All of our employees touch people’s 

lives in a very special way,” he 

adds. “The Exemplary Award is one 

way to let staff members know their 

work does not go unnoticed.” 

phc board 

of directors 

Mike Reilly 

Board Chair 

Retired insurance 

broker 

Patricia 

Butterfield, PhD 

Dean, Washington 

State University 

College of Nursing 

Ramon Canto, MD 

Internist, Northeast 

Washington Medical 

Group (Colville) 

Daniel Dionne, MD 

Internist, Physicians 

Clinic of Spokane 

Marian Durkin 

Senior Vice 

President, General 

Counsel and Chief 

Compliance Officer, 

Avista Corporation 

Susanne 

Hartung, SP 

Chief Mission 

Integration Officer, 

Providence Health & 

Services 

Elaine Hoskin 

Vice President, 

Sterling Savings 

Bank 

Paul Larsen, MD 

Physician, 


Family Medicine 

(Chewelah) 

Gary A 

Livingston, PhD 

Former Chancellor 

of the Community 

Colleges of Spokane 

Keith Marton, MD 

Retired Chief 

Medical Officer, 

Providence Health & 

Services 

Dean Martz, MD 

Neurosurgeon, 

Inland Neurosurgery 

& Spine Associates 

Rob McCann, PhD 

Executive Director, 

Catholic Charities 

Spokane 

Sr. Judith 

Nilles, OP 

Dominican Sister 

Paul Pimentel 

Former CFO 

of Itronix 

Curt Shoemaker 

Attorney 

Phil Stalp 

Senior Accountant, 

Kinross Gold 

Corporation 

James H. Watts, MD 

Retired physician, 

Spokane Obstetrics 

and Gynecology 

Ron Wells 

Developer 


{md spotlight} 

Family Medicine in Focus 

A physician at one of Providence’s newest clinics talks 

about changes in medical practice and how she wishes 

more patients valued their health 

R. Kim Hartwig, MD 

R. Kim Hartwig, MD, grew up on the Nez Perce 

Reservation in Idaho. Today, she and her husband 

are raising their six children (ages 3 to 14) in Spokane. 

She practices at Providence Family Medicine–Manito on the 

South Hill. 

Why were you interested in 

working with Providence? 

Because of Providence’s involvement in Catholic health care and 

its great work in developing a quality ambulatory care model. 

The Manito clinic where you practice 

is one of Providence’s newest locations. 

What are you hearing from patients? 

Providence’s expansion throughout the city is exciting! I have 

met several patients who have experienced quality care from 

our hospitals and have a desire to continue to receive that same 

quality in the outpatient setting. 

Jamil Abou-Harb, 

MD, member 

of Providence 

Medical Group 

What’s the biggest challenge 

in family medicine right now? 

The changing expectations of primary care delivery are very 

challenging. Providence has a commitment to providing quality, 

efficient care with a team-based approach, which is different 

than the hierarchical approach previously used. This new delivery 

model is a patient-centered care experience with clinical 

outcomes supported by a team effort. It’s exciting, but change— 

especially surrounding health care—is difficult. 

Your clinical interests include 

sports medicine and diabetes. 

Why are these important to you? 

I was a college athlete and I believe that sports helps people 

incorporate a positive, healthy lifestyle into their care plan 

which is preventive for many diseases. Treating and preventing 

diabetes is a passion, as it affects so many of my patients 

and family. Most cases are preventable with early identification 

and lifestyle modification, so identifying 

these patients and helping them change their risk 

brings me a sense of accomplishment. The new 

health care model of team-based care delivery 

will really help to improve diabetes prevention 

and management. 

What do you wish more patients 

did about their health? 

I would like patients to be more aware of the value 

of their health and take seriously their responsibility 

in caring for themselves. I am certainly privileged 

to be able to be a part of their care and providing 

education so they understand the goings-on of their 

health. This helps them to embrace the importance 

of their role in their health. 

Find a Physician 

Looking for a new primary care physician? 

Providence has opened new clinics 

throughout Spokane. For a listing, visit 

phc.org. Or, call our Physician Referral 

experts at 877-304-1408. 


{community calendar} 

Summer 2012 Classes, 

Activities & Events 

CLASSES & 

SEMINARS 

MOTHER-BABY TIME 

Wednesdays • 10 a.m. 

Sacred Heart Women’s Health Center 

Come with your new baby to meet 

new friends, support one another 

and receive answers to your questions. 

A lactation consultant 

will be there to address 

infant health care issues 

and to weigh your baby. 

Call 509-474-2400. 

Stress 

Reduction 

and more 

Providence Center for 

Faith and Healing 

Call 509-474-3008 to 

learn about a variety of 

classes and seminars related to 

spirituality and stress reduction. 

Mindfulness Meditation 

Wednesdays • 4:45-5:15 p.m. 

For more information, call 

509-474-3008. 

Mindfulness-based 

Stress Reduction 

Wednesdays, July 18-Aug. 15, 

6-8:30 p.m. 

Call 767-277-9119 to inquire or 

register or awarecare.net. 

Healing Foods Kitchen 

Interested in contributing to your 

good health while potentially reducing 

your cancer risk? These classes 

are for you! Call 509-482-2271. 

Support 

Groups 

GENERAL CANCER SUPPORT 

First, third and fifth Tuesday 

of every month • 5:30-7 p.m. 



509-474-5490. 

Breast Cancer Support 

Second and fourth Wednesday 

of every month • 6-8 p.m. 



509-474-5490. 

Cancer Survival CLASS 

Providence Sacred Heart 


A 10-week class to help cancer 

patients, their families and caregivers. 

For more information, 

call 509-474-5490. 

Cancer Support GroupS 



Call 509-474-5490 to learn more 

about other cancer support groups. 

OSTOMY Support 

First Tuesday of every month, 

6:30-8 p.m. 

Providence Sacred Heart Medical 

Center, Leahy Room 

FREE. For more information, call 

509-474-4950. 

Online Calendar 

Go to phc.org for full class 

descriptions and locations. 

Summer Concert Series 

Thursdays through Aug. 16 • Noon–1 p.m. 

Providence Healing Garden 

Sacred Heart Medical Center campus 

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and come enjoy the talents 

of local Spokane musicians. The Summer Concert Series, 

sponsored by the Providence Center for Faith and Healing, 

features everything from gospel and folk to jazz. FREE! 

For details, call 509-474-3008. 



Medical Center & Children’s Hospital 

101 W 8th Ave 

Spokane, WA 99204 

NON-PROFIT 

ORG 

us postage 

paid 

heart beat 

{role model} 

A Lifetime 

of Healing 

The name Arch Logan, M.D., is synonymous 

with “care of the poor.” He served 

Spokane as a physician for 40 years. Upon 

his retirement and for the next 22 years, he served 

at the House of Charity’s medical clinic staffed by 

Providence volunteer medical professionals. 

Most of his patients had never enjoyed a patientdoctor 

relationship or had anyone listen long enough 

to discover their nonphysical needs. That has changed, 

thanks to Dr. Logan and the nurses and other volunteers 

who dedicate themselves to this work. 

Providence thanks Dr. Logan, now retiring from his 

post, for his legacy of healing and ministry of grace. 

If you’d like to volunteer at the House of Charity 

medical clinic, call Providence Sacred Heart 

Volunteer Services at 509-474-3166. 

Our Mission is to reveal God’s love for all, especially the poor and vulnerable, through our compassionate service. Our values are respect, compassion, 

justice, excellence and stewardship. If you have a story of an employee demonstrating these, please email heartbeat@providence.org. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN NAVRATIL

Issue 2 - Summer - Providence Washington - Providence Health ...

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