The Innovations Bridging Health & Housing Forum brought in over 50 community members and leaders to share in the discussion and listen to original approaches to Housing First practices. Our key note speaker, Andy Bond of the Portland Hotel Society in Vancouver BC, shared the many challenges and success of the now 24-year project, which has achieved international acclaim for its avant-garde programs including Insite, North America’s first legal supervised-injection site.
On a regional level, our panel of local experts expressed the need of integrating the health issues of the homeless with the immediate need of getting them housed. Being a public health issue as well as a housing issue, this question is one for business, government, social services and individuals alike.

Read more from the Thurston Asset Building Coalition>>>

Elma, Wash. – The Board of Commissioners for Grays Harbor Public Hospital District No. 1 have announced that the Hospital District’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Renee K. Jensen has submitted notice and will be leaving Summit Pacific effective May 5, 2017. Jensen’s leaving comes from her having accepted a position within EvergreenHealth as Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for EvergreenHealth Monroe.

Board Chair, Drew Hooper shared, “Renee was a gift to the District. It’s been a privilege to watch her lead this organization from the brink of closure into the nationally recognized medical center it is today. We have been extremely fortunate to have retained her talents for as long as we have and look forward to following her career. Under her leadership we have expanded services for the community and have improved access to high quality care. This work will have a positive impact on the community for generations to come,” Hooper continued, “The board has worked closely with Renee over the last few years to develop a strong succession plan.  The leadership team Renee has helped developed here at Summit Pacific has a wide depth of knowledge and skill and we have complete faith in their abilities to continue to lead and grow this organization.”

As CEO and Superintendent of the District, Jensen oversaw operations for Summit Pacific Medical Center and its affiliated healthcare clinics. Jensen has served as the District’s CEO for ten years, having started in her position in 2007, when the organization was known as Mark Reed Hospital.

Read more here: https://summitpacificmedicalcenter.org/wordpress/executive-leadership-change-within-summit-pacific-medical-center/

The Cambia Health Foundation has awarded CHOICE Regional Health Network a one-year grant of $87,500 to support a pilot program that is designed to help children with unmet behavioral health needs get the services and support they need. Additional efforts will focus on ensuring that these mostly rural communities learn more about trauma-informed practices and the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). A teacher training program will be developed that can easily be shared across school districts all over the region in the most cost-effective way.

The impact of ACEs cannot be understated as studies indicate that the relationship between ACEs and multiple risk factors for disease, disability and early mortality is very high. According to a study by the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, 28 percent of study participants reported physical abuse and 21 percent reported sexual abuse. In addition, almost 40 percent of those in the study reported two or more ACEs and 12.5 percent experienced four or more. Because ACEs cluster, many subsequent studies now look at the cumulative effects of ACEs rather than the individual effects of each.

Read more here: http://www.cambiahealthfoundation.org/news-releases/cambia-health-foundation-partners-with-choice-regional-health-network-to-improve-mental-health-outco

The Olympian Editorial Board

Some research has showed that treatment of gum disease in patients with diabetes can reduce the costs of their overall medical care. Similarly, treating a pregnant mother’s dental decay may reduce both a mother’s and a baby’s risk of developing complications and cavities later in life.

A bipartisan group of legislators, backed by the privately funded Washington Dental Service Foundation, wants to replicate for our state’s Medicaid patients what a United Concordia Dental study found for diabetes and pregnant women.

Senate Bill 5540, sponsored by Republican Sen. Maureen Walsh of Walla Walla, would invest $1.5 million of state dollars into a four-year partnership between the foundation and community groups to run the pilot dental program catering to low-income pregnant women and adults with diabetes.

The three-county pilot would be patterned after the successful Access to Baby and Child Dentistry program, or ABCD, which is a partnership between the state Health Care Authority, the University of Washington’s School of Dentistry, local dental societies, the foundation and community groups.

Thurston County is one of three sites identified for the pilot. State funds would be matched by $750,000 from the foundation, which in turn is financed by the Delta Dental insurer, says Diane Lowry Oakes, foundation president and CEO.

The Thurston County piece would be managed by CHOICE Regional Network, which already administers an ABCD program that enlists local dentists trained to handle the youngest patients. Two other potential sites are being identified.