EARLY SUMMER 2025 Heads up! See what changes to expect on the CMH campus this summer DEVOTED TO HEALTHFUL LIVING COMPASS
2 HEALTH COMPASS Early Summer 2025 Congratulations, Spirit of Care Award winners! Watch for changes to the CMH campus Erik Thorsen, CEO We officially broke ground on the BuildCMH Expansion Project in October 2024. Since then, we have made significant progress preparing the site in Astoria for building construction. While you can’t yet see a foundation or building, work has been occurring underground, including moving and improving water mains and sewer lines and burying power lines for an improved view from our campus. We have also completed a new parking lot for employees and reworked the Cancer Center parking lot. We’re excited that even more visible changes will be coming to the Columbia Memorial Hospital campus soon. Work on the foundation and building will begin later this summer. From there, you can expect two years of construction until phase 1, including the new hospital expansion, is complete. During this period of major construction, we’ll be moving the main entrance of the hospital from the West Lobby to the south (back) side of the hospital. Visitors will enter through the Gift Shop Atrium, between Professional Office Buildings 1 and 2. A map on pages 4 and 5 of the Health Compass shows how to get to our campus and where to enter the hospital. We thank you for your patience as we build a center for health and wellness that will serve our community for generations to come. Read through the rest of this issue for more information on the changes coming soon to CMH! CMH Emergency Department earns Trauma Level 3 certification Certification elevates lifesaving care available in the community The CMH Emergency Department has earned Trauma Level 3 certification from the Oregon Trauma Program. An extensive trauma survey was conducted in May, resulting in advancement from Trauma Level 4 to Trauma Level 3. The Trauma Level 3 certification recognizes CMH’s depth and expertise in trauma and specialty care for the region. Trauma Level 3 programs must also track and maintain quality improvement indicators and provide community education, outreach and injury prevention programs. “Becoming a Level 3 Trauma program was an organizational goal set by the Board of Trustees almost three years ago,” says CEO Erik Thorsen. “We’re very proud of the work done by our Emergency Department and surgical Each year, CMH caregivers are asked to nominate their colleagues who exemplify person- centered care for Spirit of Care Awards.
COLUMBIAMEMORIAL.ORG Early Summer 2025 3 teams to provide an even higher level of care for the community.” Advancing local emergency care CMH and the OHSU Department of Emergency Medicine have been strong collaborators for the past 10 years, with a shared goal of providing excellent emergency care within the community. “One of the most important aspects of continually advancing high-quality emergency care in Astoria is that many of our patients can receive their entire episode of care at CMH, in their community, and close to their home and family,” says Mary Tanski, MD, chair of the OHSU Department of Emergency Medicine. “Now that CMH has earned Level 3 Trauma certification, patients also have the incredible resource of access to a multidisciplinary team of experts who can care for them in Astoria as they recover and heal. “The entire team at CMH has worked incredibly hard to make Level 3 certification a reality. It is a great achievement that is a testament to their effort and dedication and is absolutely incredible for our patients and the community.” The survey team was impressed by the CMH-OHSU team’s capabilities, coordination with EMS providers and overall care provided to patients. This year, there was a record number of award nominees: nearly 60! “It is a joy to attend this ceremony each year and read the nominations from fellow caregivers,” says Erik Thorsen, CEO. “The Spirit of Care nominees and winners demonstrate the high-quality care we aim to offer our community every day.” This year’s winners are OB-GYN Sarah Humphrey, MD, in the CMH-OHSU Health Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinic, and Tommy Hammonds, Urgent Care medical assistant. Sarah Humphrey, MD Dr. Humphrey is a board-certified OB-GYN and has been a provider at CMH since August 2018. In her nomination, a caregiver wrote: “Dr. Humphrey is one of the hardest-working providers at CMH. She is constantly adding appointments to her schedule and is always asked for by patients. She is a great listener and has provided excellent care in all of my appointments.” Tommy Hammonds, MA Tommy Hammonds is a medical assistant in the CMH Urgent Care clinics. Before becoming an MA, he worked in the Emergency Medical Services field. In his nomination, a fellow caregiver wrote: “Tommy consistently displays his commitment to patient-centered care and the Promise of Excellence. Here are some of the things patients have to say about Tommy: ‘Tommy is the most exceptional MA I’ve encountered and really appreciate his attentiveness!’ ‘Tommy is easily the best MA I’ve ever seen with a pediatric patient.’” Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners! Thank you for your excellent care. Explore our emergency services Visit columbiamemorial.org/er to learn more about the level of care you can expect at the CMH Emergency Room.
4 HEALTH COMPASS Early Summer 2025 New main entrance Many of you are familiar with our West Lobby, considered our main entrance to the hospital, which is typically reached off of Exchange and 20th streets. Later this summer, 20th Street, between Exchange and Franklin, and the West Lobby parking lot will be closed — that’s where some of the expansion’s foundation will be poured! Instead of entering the front doors off of the West Lobby, patients will park in the lot south of the hospital and enter through a back door leading to our Gift Shop Atrium. That’s the door between Professional Office Building 1 and Professional Office Building 2, marked on the map. We’ll have signs directing you where to park and how to enter the building. This will be the new “main entrance” to CMH for the majority of the construction period, so please help us spread the word. Aquatic Center Closed o for Construction Emergency Department entrance remains open Main Entrance Emergency Room access Patients and ambulances going to the Emergency Room will continue to use the driveway off of Exchange Street to reach the Emergency Room entrance. Major changes coming soon! Later this summer, you’ll see exciting changes on the CMH campus in Astoria as our general contractor team begins working on the foundation of the BuildCMH Expansion Project. After officially breaking ground on the project in October 2024, it will be great to see the building’s footprint as we look toward its opening in just a couple of years. Before that can happen, we want to make you aware of how the changes on campus will affect you, our patients and our community. CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION
COLUMBIAMEMORIAL.ORG Early Summer 2025 5 Cancer Center 18th STREET DUANE STREET New Main Entrance Employee Entrance Main Entrance Watch the project’s progress View live webcams, read project updates and hear more about what the expansion is bringing to Astoria at columbiamemorial.org/buildcmh. Road closure Remember: 20th Street between Exchange and Franklin will be closed later this summer. To drive to CMH for in-hospital appointments, you can turn onto 18th Street from Exchange Street. From there, you’ll drive along Franklin Avenue, which goes through our employee parking lot, to the new patient parking lot south of the hospital. See the map for the route. Services off-site Want to avoid the construction? Depending on your needs, you may be able to visit other CMH locations for services, rather than visiting our campus in Astoria. In addition to our locations in Astoria, we have: ● Urgent Cares in Seaside and Warrenton ● A pharmacy in Seaside ● Walk-in labs in Seaside and Warrenton ● Walk-in imaging in Seaside and Warrenton ● Specialty appointments in Seaside (Cardiology, Foot and Ankle, and Pediatrics) ● Bill pay online (columbiamemorial.org/ billpay) or over the phone (503-338-7530) Questions If you have questions, comments or suggestions about these changes, please visit columbiamemorial.org/buildcmh and fill out the form. We respond to most submissions within 24 hours and would welcome your feedback.
6 HEALTH COMPASS Early Summer 2025 Justin Holt, MD, board-certified otolaryngologist, is accepting new patients at the CMH-OHSU Health Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic that recently opened in Astoria. For more than a decade, the North Coast community has not had access to ear, nose and throat specialty services in the region. The clinic, which opened July 8, offers treatment for: ● Nasal obstruction ● Hearing loss ● Thyroid nodules ● Recurrent ear, sinus and tonsil infections ● Trouble swallowing ● Voicing issues ● Sleep apnea ● Tumors of the ears, nose, throat and neck Dr. Holt, who has been practicing in the Portland metro area and The Dalles for the past 10 years, moved to Astoria this summer to start the new clinic. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and completed a head and neck surgery residency with Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. He is excited to bring the ENT specialty back to the coast. “My spouse and I have been eager to come out to join the Astoria community for a number of years now,” Dr. Holt says. “For us, it’s the sense of community that we find on the North Coast, and we find that to be mirrored here at CMH. I think that it makes a lot of sense that the folks who comprise our institution are those same individuals who live in the community. I’ve just been so impressed by the spirit of collaboration and the sincere concern that folks here at CMH have for not only the patients that come through the doors but also for each other.” The ENT Clinic is located in the CMH Professional Office Building 1 at 2055 Exchange St., Ste. 210, in Astoria. The office currently can be accessed through the main entrance of the hospital. It is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Pulmonology Clinic moves across Exchange Street With the ENT Clinic in the Pulmonology Clinic’s old space, the CMH-OHSU Health Pulmonology & Sleep Medicine Clinic has moved to the east side of the Park Medical Building. Its new address is 2158 Exchange St., Ste. 302, Astoria. CMH-OHSU Health Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic adds a much-needed service NEW ENT SERVICES now available Need an ENT appointment? Call 503-338-4517 to schedule an appointment at the ENT Clinic. You don’t need a referral, but referrals from external providers can be faxed to 503-338-4521.
COLUMBIAMEMORIAL.ORG Early Summer 2025 7 COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION Diamond Derby raises $527K for expansion CMH’s 2025 Diamond Derby raised more than half a million dollars for the BuildCMH Expansion Project in early May. The fourth annual Kentucky Derby watch party and fundraiser was held at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds. “With $527,000 in donations given at this year’s Derby, and after receiving a recent M.J. Murdock grant of $400,000, the BuildCMH Capital Campaign has raised $7.3 million of its $10 million goal,” says Mark Kujala, executive director of the CMH Foundation. “The generosity of this community is incredible. We are so grateful for the support of the expansion.” Cheers to our sponsors Premium sponsors for the day included Umpqua Bank, ZGF Architects, Betsy Johnson, Jody Stahancyk and John Crawford. The Bridgewater Bistro served plated southern cuisine, and Bar Pilots Liquid Catering mixed up mint juleps and cocktails with donations from Pacifick Distillery, Clatsop Distributing, Van Dusen Beverages and Fort George Brewery. Raffle and live auction Held each year during the fundraiser, the champagneglass raffle offered attendees the chance to win a signature jewelry piece handcrafted by Holly McHone Jewelers. This year, McHone created a striking diamond pendant in the shape of CMH’s new logo. McHone has generously donated the custom pieces each year, totaling over $34,000 in donations to the expansion campaign. Emcee Adam Bjaranson from Portland’s KOIN-TV and auctioneer John Curley led a live auction featuring unique experiences, such as a yacht cruise, an immersive art experience with ceramicist Richard Rowland, and private events at the Ilwaco Cider Company and Pacifick Distillery. Two one-of-akind Supple Rockers were also auctioned, to the delight of Ducks and Beavers baseball fans. Grateful for gifts Several recently received lead gifts were announced before the paddle raise, including $150,000 from the Nygaard family, $60,000 from the Lum family, and $50,000 from Sheriff Matt and Bree Phillips. Big River Construction and Steve Forrester and Brenda Penner both pledged $25,000 to the campaign. “We’d like to give a special thank you to our event coordinator, Briana Smith from Events Northwest,” Kujala says. “She has assisted the CMH Foundation in all of our events over the past four years and has done an amazing job.” Next year, a new fundraising event is on the schedule for the same weekend, with an exciting big band era theme. Contribute to the cause Visit our Foundation page at columbiamemorial.org/giving to see how you can help us continue to provide excellent health care for our community.
COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 2111 Exchange St. Astoria, OR 97103 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Salem, OR Permit No. 86 Cover photo by Austin Miller, CMH graphic designer and videographer. CMH HEALTH COMPASS is published as a community service by COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, a Planetree Gold-Certified Person-Centered Care Facility. 2111 Exchange St., Astoria, OR 97103, telephone 503-325-4321, website: columbiamemorial.org For information about CMH HEALTH COMPASS: Sarah Bello, MBA, Director of Communications CAPT. Doug Kaup President, Board of Trustees Erik Thorsen, MBA, CPA, FACHE Chief Executive Officer Nicole Williams, MPA, FACHE Chief Operating Officer/ Assistant CEO Jimmy Heilman, MD, MBA Chief Medical Officer Information in CMH HEALTH COMPASS comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. 2025 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Jennifer Peach-Guzman, RN, BSN, MBA Vice President, Patient Care Services Jarrod Karnofski, DPT, ATC, MSHCA Vice President, Ancillary and Support Services Christopher Laman, PharmD, MBA Vice President, Strategy Brandon Parker, MBA, CPA Vice President, Finance Nicole Perez, BSHA, MSITM Vice President, Health Information Services Call 503-338-4517 to make an appointment. Referrals can be faxed to 503-338-4521. Justin Holt, MD Otolaryngologist Dr. Holt is an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) in the CMH-OHSU Health Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic, which just opened this July! Q. Why did you choose your medical specialty? A. “I chose to become an ear, nose and throat doctor because I believe that our interaction with the world as humans is centered at the head and neck, which houses our ability to hear, smell, taste, swallow, speak and breathe (and to see and think, but those are more the expertise of other specialist providers). I’m eager to help my patients preserve these faculties and to restore them when they become threatened or lost.” Q. What do you enjoy most about your job? A. “I love that there are virtually no limitations on the types of patients that I can serve (since essentially everybody has an ear, nose and throat). I enjoy the challenge that comes with managing the broad scope of ENT-related problems and being prepared to offer multiple treatment options (medical and/or surgical) for each issue.” Q. What does person-centered care mean to you? A. “First and foremost, I seek to empower my patients and their caregivers by educating them about what is and isn’t ailing them and about the options to treat it. I feel fortunate to practice at CMH, because I know that my colleagues here share a similar philosophy.” Meet a CMH provider CMH Auxiliary Gift Shop Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday END OF SUMMER SALE Aug. 18–22 Bring in your copy of the Health Compass for surprise savings!
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