Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 1, 2018

Beth Brown Waiting for Summer Kootenai Health 2003 Kootenai Health Way Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814 KH.org (208) 625-4000 Kootenai Hospital District Board of Trustees Liese Razzeto, Chair Terence Neff, M.D., Vice Chair Neil Nemec, M.D., Secretary/Treasurer Mic Armon, Trustee Katie Brodie, Trustee Robert Colvin, Trustee Thomas deTar, M.D., Trustee James Eisses, Trustee Teri Farr, Trustee Administration Jon Ness, Chief Executive Officer Karen Cabell, D.O., Chief Quality Officer Jeremy Evans, Executive Vice President of Operations Walter Fairfax, M.D., Chief Medical Officer Daniel Klocko, Executive Vice President of Human Resources Ron Lahner, General Counsel Joan Simon, Chief Nursing Officer Kim Webb, Chief Financial Officer Executive Regional Editor Kim Anderson Regional Editor Andrea Nagel Cover photo Andrea Nagel Published as a courtesy of Kootenai Health four times a year. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. If you have any concerns or ques- tions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Kootenai Health complies with applicable fed- eral civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Translation assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Please call (877) 746-4674 . Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al (877) 746-4674 . Ako govorite srpsko-hrvatski, usluge jezicke pomoci dostupne su vam besplatno. Nazovite (877) 746-4674 . 2018 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Health Jon Ness, CEO February 2018 Good, Better, Best Working in health care can be extremely rewarding, but as with most professions, it’s not for everyone. The hours can be long, the stakes are high and every detail matters. Here in northern Idaho, we are not only fortunate to have a medical community that meets these challenges, but we are finding ways to improve in this environment. In this issue of Kootenai Health magazine, we’ll share the stories of several departments and individuals working to improve the quality of care here. These aren’t stories of faulty programs being brought up to standards; they are stories of making good better, and better best. On page 14, you’ll read about the designations and accreditations achieved by Kootenai Clinic Cancer Services. Recently, staff members began looking into the Breast Imaging Center of Excellence designation. They realized we were already meeting most of the criteria for designation and that the remaining measures were best practices they wanted to incorporate as well. Our new NAPBC accreditation means women here receive the best care available for breast cancer. Our physical therapists’ journal club, featured on page 18, shows how Weston Vik, DTP, brought an innovative model for keeping up with the latest literature to life. The journal club is helping all staff stay better informed and all patients receive the best care possible. Whether our staff members are improving quality of life for congestive heart failure patients (page 6) or working to make a better cup of coffee (page 8), there is a common drive—individually working to be the best we can be, collectively improving our practices, and ultimately improving the experience and outcome for every patient and guest at Kootenai Health. Wishing you good health, Jon Ness 4