Latest news with #VMFH
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health files notice of layoffs including in Tacoma
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is eliminating more than 100 jobs systemwide, including in Tacoma, tied to virtual-care services. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed Thursday, the layoffs will commence July 28, affecting 116 workers. A VMFH media representative told The News Tribune via email that the layoffs are across the health care system, and 'not limited to Tacoma.' Chad Melton is Interim president, Puget Sound Market, for VMFH. In a statement, Melton said the cuts were part of 'critical but necessary steps to remain financially sustainable so we can continue delivering high-quality care to the communities we serve.' 'This includes transitioning several virtual services and administrative functions, which will impact approximately 200 team members. Affected employees have been notified and are receiving personalized support, including placement assistance and access to open roles within our organization.' Melton noted that VMFH, 'like health care systems across the country,' is facing significant financial pressures 'including rising labor and supply costs, increasing claim denials and chronic underpayment from government programs.' 'These challenges have only intensified in Washington state, where a new budget introduces new taxes that directly affect hospitals and reduces reimbursement, most notably by capping payments for care provided to state and school employees. These changes are expected to cost VMFH an additional $30 million each year.' Melton said that the system as a result was 'realigning resources and improving operational efficiency.' 'These are difficult and necessary decisions to ensure we can continue meeting the needs of our patients — today and into the future,' he added. No further details were available Thursday night.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seattle Kraken's ‘One Roof Foundation' opens new multisport court in Tacoma
A new multisport court at Verlo Playfield in Tacoma opened today as part of an ongoing effort to encourage and support access to youth sports. The court is a joint community project led by the Seattle Kraken and their foundation, One Roof Foundation, and supported by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH), the National Hockey League, and Parks Tacoma. Advertisement A ribbon cutting and opening celebration on Saturday featured the unveiling of youth artwork and a street hockey clinic for 100 youth. Community leaders, Kraken VIPs, and partners gathered for a ceremonial puck drop. According to organizers, the court is the second of five being developed by One Roof Foundation, as part of an ongoing effort to increase access to play by providing equipment, resources, and programs throughout the Puget Sound area. The court will feature ball hockey, also known as floorball or street hockey. 'We know that there are incredible benefits for young people from play and playing sport, from self-esteem to leadership and improving mental health,' said Mari Horita, Executive Director of One Roof Foundation. 'But across our region many children do not have access to low-cost sports or spaces which is why we are so thrilled to see this court come completed, and just in time for the summer vacation.' The project involved resurfacing and upgrading an existing basketball court with approximately 5,000 square feet of fresh concrete, new basketball hoops, and built-in hockey goals, plus back walls and corner barriers to keep balls and pucks in play. Artwork from local students is featured prominently to celebrate the community. With this upgrade, Parks Tacoma expects hundreds of children to be able to utilize the court year-round and will begin offering ball hockey programming at this site starting this summer. To learn more, visit:
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Heath care for mothers, kids expanding in South Sound with enhanced partnership
A local health care system and Seattle hospital have announced plans to bring their two entities closer together and reduce the need to drive to Seattle for South Sound families in need of care. Tacoma-based Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and Seattle Children's on Tuesday announced a strategic affiliation 'to advance clinical excellence and expand pediatric and mother-baby care for patients in the Puget Sound region,' according to a joint news release. The two have worked together for years in specialized neonatal care within VMFH Family Birth Centers, with neonatologists available on site and by phone 'so the most vulnerable newborns can receive advanced, expert care without leaving VMFH facilities,' it noted. The joint news release offered an example of collaboration. At the St. Joseph Medical Center Level III neonatal intensive care unit, Seattle Children's pediatric cardiologists and its infection-prevention team already aare vailable to assess 'complex diseases for mother and baby.' 'The agreement, built on nearly 15 years of collaboration and a shared commitment to exceptional patient care, will strengthen access to expert physicians and care teams and ensure seamless coordination of care for young patients and their families by extending the current longstanding affiliation and expanding it to new areas,' it continued. With this new strategic affiliation, VMFH and Seattle Children's 'will leverage resources and an expansive footprint across both organizations to serve more patients closer to home,' the release added. VMFH, with 10 hospitals and hundreds of care sites in the state, is part of CommonSpirit, one of the nation's largest health systems. Seattle Children's serves as the pediatric and adolescent academic medical center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho, and includes its hospital, research institute and foundation. Along with improving access to specialists, the move is set to expand perinatal, neonatal and related specialty services across VMFH Birth Centers in King, Pierce and Kitsap counties, according to the release. An oversight committee, with representatives from both organizations, will guide the implementation of the strategic affiliation. Tom Kruse is VMFH chief strategy officer and Mark Salierno is Seattle Children's chief strategy and business development officer. The two spoke to The News Tribune Tuesday about the enhanced affiliation. Both emphasized how the move will bring more specialized services south of Seattle. 'Seattle Children's has the region's leading quality specialty program and platform, and VMFH has over 300 sites of care,' said Salierno. 'So our goal is to deploy specialists together in different geographies that allow us to keep moms and babies together and allow kids to stay in their local community wherever possible.' 'It really is going to bring new services to the community — much needed services,' said Kruse, acknowledging the move is going head to head with Tacoma-based MultiCare's Mary Bridge Children's Hospital to bring more competition to MultiCare's home turf. Mary Bridge Children's is in the midst of construction of a new medical campus and hospital in Tacoma, which will bring a new inpatient hospital tower, ambulatory building with specialty clinics and urgent-care services. It is set to open early next year. 'Franciscan, years and years ago, decided not to create a duplicative service to Mary Bridge,' Kruse said. 'It's not that there's anything wrong with Mary Bridge. It's just not sufficient for what we find ourselves needing with the high acuity births that we deliver and unfortunately, the very sick kids that we see.' To that end, Kruse said, it's 'likely' to see expansions at sites such as St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale. 'There's very specific specialties that we're trying to deploy together on the pediatric side,' said Salierno. 'So, if there's a prenatal anomaly diagnosed at week 20, it would allow a fellowship trained specialist who's part of a top 10 US News-ranked hospital to come down or use telemedicine, like we're doing now, to meet with the obstetrician and help build a care plan within 24 to 48 hours of that prenatal diagnosis. 'And as Tom alluded to, we are exploring over the next several months, ways to expand at St. Joe's and St Michael's and other sites of care models such as that,' Salierno added. Kim Deynaka is director of NICU and NICU operations at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. In an interview Tuesday, she told The News Tribune that St. Joseph had benefited from years of working with Seattle Children's neonatal team. 'They're mission driven like us, and they're family centered and collaborative,' she said. 'We have an annual reunion that the families come back to see the doctors and the nurses that help care for their babies and help them graduate from the NICU, and it's grown so big that now we're over 300 invites per year.' She offered another example of the benefit of virtual care collaboration. 'If a newborn baby has a rash that the pediatrician can't identify or understand, just getting that consultation virtually, and being able to see the baby and the family and talk to them and examine the baby with the local pediatric has been just amazing,' she said. 'In the past, without that virtual support, that baby would have either had to been transported to a higher level of care, or the families would have had to drive them to a specialty appointment and things like that. But now it can be done here at the hospital right in their own community.' she said. 'What really is impressive is that they come to us. We're not having to leave our communities and our families to go to them,' she added. So, now would be the time for patients to add their two cents, Kruse noted. 'What we have to look at, is where our families are at, what do they need, and where do they need it, and then figure out where we can put that service that makes the most sense,' Kruse said. 'Our commitment to the long term to the South Sound, which Seattle Children's has made over the years, is now doubled down,' Salierno added. 'We're committed for the long term to reduce that drive time by using technology to do that, and to deploy brick and mortar capabilities to do that.' Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and Seattle Children's are soliciting input from the South Sound on what services residents would like to see. Send comments via email to vmfh-sch@
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and Seattle Children's expand pediatric, neonatal partnership
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) and Seattle Children's announced Tuesday they have expanded their longstanding partnership to enhance pediatric and mother-baby health care services across the Puget Sound region. The new strategic affiliation builds on nearly 15 years of collaboration between the two organizations and aims to improve access to expert physicians, specialized care teams, and seamless coordination for families, according to a joint statement. Access to high-quality health care remains a significant challenge in the Puget Sound region, VMFH and Seattle Children's noted. By joining resources and leveraging their combined network of care sites, both groups say they hope to bring advanced medical services closer to home for more patients. 'This affiliation marks a significant step forward in our mission to improve health care access for mothers, babies and children,' said Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and President of CommonSpirit Health's Northwest Region. 'Seattle Children's is a globally recognized leader in pediatric medicine, and we're honored to work alongside them to further elevate the standard of care in our communities.' Seattle Children's consistently ranks among the top ten children's hospitals in the United States, while VMFH hospitals are also nationally recognized for quality care. Their partnership has already brought neonatologists to VMFH Family Birth Centers, offering 24/7 onsite and remote support to care for the region's most vulnerable newborns without the need to transfer them to different facilities. The collaboration has also connected patients at VMFH's St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma to Seattle Children's pediatric cardiologists and infection prevention teams, allowing for on-site assessments of complex maternal and newborn conditions. Jeff Sperring, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Children's, said the expanded affiliation aligns with the hospital's broader mission. 'We are proud of our long-standing reputation for excellence in pediatric and neonatal care,' Sperring said. 'Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is a recognized leader in quality care and clinical excellence, and we're excited to work together to continue fulfilling our vision of helping every child live their healthiest and most fulfilling life possible.' As part of the expanded affiliation, perinatal, neonatal, and specialty services will grow across VMFH Birth Centers located in King, Pierce, and Kitsap counties. The goal is to support thousands of families while minimizing the separation of mothers and their newborns after delivery. The partnership will also focus on improving access to pediatric specialists across VMFH's nearly 300 care sites, strengthening connections between primary, specialty, ambulatory, and urgent care services. Officials said this effort will ensure children can get the right care at the right time, with seamless referrals to Seattle Children's specialists when needed.
