November • December 2009

H1N1 Update | page 5

Foundation Report| page 6

Aging & Anxiety| page 7

Northwest Hospital to Affiliate with UW Medicine| page 8

In the Community| page 12

When A Body

Attacks Itself

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For Julie Loofbourow, a 51-year-old Enumclaw resident and local dep-uty sheriff, the only brief escapes from this reality were the few scald-ing hot showers she managed to take each day and burying herself in her work. Julie has an auto-immune disease, one that has no specific clinical name. She refers to it as the “flu that never went away.”

Auto-immune diseases are ill-nesses that occur when the body is attacked by its own immune system. There are hundreds of known auto-immune diseases ranging from common ones such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, to more unfamiliar ones

such as celiac disease – a genetic intolerance to gluten and other substances typically found in wheat. And then there are the unnamed disorders, which, as in Julie’s case, have no specific diagnosis.

Julie’s body had been malfunction-ing for years. She experienced occasional incapacitating flare-ups, sometimes leaving her confined to bed for days. But one fall morn-ing, more than a year ago, Julie woke up and could not move. Her joints and muscles were petri-fied, literally frozen in place.

“After all those days of pain and all those days of work I

missed, I reached a point where I just thought I was dying,” she remembers. “No doctor could tell me what was wrong.”

An allergist told her to eradicate all but potatoes, pork, salmon and a few other foods from her diet. Her primary care doctor recommended daily vitamin supplements. None of it worked. In six months, Julie had lost nearly 40 pounds, missed more than 30 days of work, and was taking more than 15 Tylenol tablets a day. She began to realize that she could no longer go on living as she was. Finally, after five years, countless doctors, multiple MRIs, hundreds of blood tests,

When a Body Attacks Itself:

One Woman’s Medical Mystery

Imagine living with constant, debilitating pain - pain so severe, it

leaves you fatigued and immobile, your joints and limbs inflamed

and swollen. And what if these and numerous other symptoms left

your doctors stumped? What if no one could give your disease a

name, a diagnosis or a treatment plan?

November • December 2009 | Medinfo | �

hours in bed and a medical leave of absence, Julie was referred to The Seattle Arthritis Clinic.

Julie’s condition is generally known as polyarthralgia, or pain in one or more of the joints, says Dr. Jeff Peterson, a founding partner of The Seattle Arthritis Clinic and Julie’s physician.

“When I first saw her, Julie was very fatigued and missing a lot of work,” he recalls. “She was forget-ting a lot of words and could hardly move around the exam room.”

Dr. Peterson’s initial work-up showed no indication of any inflammatory disease, but it did suggest she might have specific food sensitivities that could be causing chronic pain and fatigue. In turn, the pain and fatigue led to anxiety and depression. He immediately referred Julie to the clinic’s staff nutrition-ist, registered dietician Heidi Turner, and stress management counselor Francesca Licciardi.

With Turner’s help, the team quickly discovered that Julie’s immune system was being “turned on” by some of the foods she

was eating. “These food sensi-tivities were causing low levels of local inflammation,” Dr. Peterson says. “Essentially, her body began to attack itself.”

Bite by bite, Turner helped Julie build a proper diet, but it didn’t happen overnight. Identifying appropriate foods took time, patience and hard work, start-ing with a small piece of chicken, carrot or whatever new food Julie chose for the day. If she could safely eat the new food with-out a reaction, then she could move on to larger portions.

“I don’t know where I would be without her,” Julie says of Turner. “I imagine I would have starved to death.”

Turner’s work is not limited to iden-tifying food sensitivities. She also helps patients make dietary adjust-ments that can reduce inflamma-tion and pain. Dr. Peterson’s reli-ance on Turner’s knowledge and expertise reflects the clinic’s proac-tive, multi-disciplinary approach to patient care. The clinic treats a range of auto-immune and muscu-loskeletal illnesses, offering a broad spectrum of services to address the

distinct facets of each disease.

While Turner reintroduced Julie to healthy foods, Licciardi worked to help her learn cop-ing skills. Chronic pain can be an emotionally charged, drain-ing experience, and the mental hurdles associated with pain and fatigue are challenging. That’s where Licciardi’s stress manage-ment counseling comes into play.

“I help my clients develop a prac-tice of relaxation in their lives,” she explains. “It is important to find the physical place where your body feels healthiest. Then you can tune into the areas of the body that carry the most stress and learn to release it before the tension affects the rest of the body and causes more pain.”

Julie calls it “breathing into the pain.” “The world has a natural rhythm, the same way water has a rhythm, and mine seems to be a bit off,” she says. “By meditating, I am able to locate that rhythm again and begin to function as I normally would, without pain.”

If you have an auto-immune disease, here are a few tools that can help you live a healthier and happier life.

Eat Well: Certain foods can sometimes trigger flare-ups. Pay close attention to the foods that aggravate your system and keep a log of the foods that are okay for you to eat. A food diary is a useful tool in figuring out what works and what doesn’t.

Sleep Well: The body uses sleep to heal itself. If you don’t get enough your body can rebel, sometimes making pain worse.

Play Well: Exercise and an active lifestyle will make you more physically fit and healthier. Exercise creates endorphins, so it’s good for your state of mind too.

Think Well: Pain management techniques such as meditation and relaxation exercises can help patients manage mild to severe pain, muscle spasms and clenching, and the emotional challenges of living with an auto-immune disorder.

continued on page 4 . . .

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Dr. Peterson says practitioners with different specialties like Lic-ciardi, Turner and himself, work-ing together as a team, are part of The Seattle Arthritis Clinic’s integrated care model, an evolv-ing trend in patient treatment. The idea is to create a single “medical home” where patients can receive a variety of treatments,

all of which address complex and often interdependent problems.

“We may not have an exact name for Julie’s condition, but we are treating all aspects of her life, not just one symptom,” Dr. Peterson explains. “We are a one-stop shop, meeting nutritional and dietary needs while also providing mental

health counseling, lab services, and of course, the medical com-ponent. These are all important steps in the healing process.”

After all the treatment and years of soreness, stiffness and downright agony, Julie says the care team at The Seattle Arthritis Clinic helped her regain confidence, and more importantly, her sense of optimism. She says she isn’t afraid anymore.

“I can get through this,” she repeats a few times, like a per-sonal mantra. “I can tackle this disease and I am not alone.”

When A BodyAttacks Itself . . . continued from page 3

For more information on services

offered at The Seattle Arthritis

Clinic, call (206) 368-6123 or visit

www.theseattlearthritisclinic.com.

Julie and her care team at The Seattle Arthritis Clinic. From left to right: Dr. Jeff Peterson, Julie, Heidi Turner, RD, and Francesca Licciardi, RC.

mark berkowitz, mDOrthopedic Surgery

DaviD rabkin, mDCardiothoracic Surgery

new medical staff

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center is proud to welcome the following physicians to the medical staff. To learn more about our medical staff, visit the “Physician Search” section at www.nwhospital.org.

Gloria aranD, mDPediatrics

Medinfo newsletter is published bi-monthly as a community service by the Marketing & Public Relations Department. To contact us about the newsletter, e-mail newsletters@nwhsea.org or call (206) 368-1645.

Managing Editor Lindsay Hamsik

Graphic Designer Erin Dekker

Cover Photography ©Gary Benson Photography

Contact Information

1550 N 115th St | Seattle, WA

(206) 364-0500, or toll-free at (800) NWH-HOSP (697-4677)

For a free physician referral, call (206) 633-4636 or toll-free at (800) 633-4636.

Services

Bariatric SurgeryCancer CareCardiac CareCenter for Medical RehabilitationChildbirth CenterDiagnostic ImagingEmergency DepartmentGeropsychiatric CenterInpatient & Outpatient Surgical ServicesNeurosciencesNorthwest Clinical LabNorthwest Gamma Knife CenterPhysical TherapyPlastic & Reconstructive SurgeryPreventative Health & WellnessRheumatology & Arthritis CareSeattle Breast CenterSleep CenterSports MedicineStroke ProgramWound Care & Hyperbaric Center

For a complete list of services, visit us online at www.nwhospital.org.

November • December | Medinfo | �

H1N1 UpdateAs we enter flu season, Northwest Hospital is working closely with King County Public Health to monitor both regular influenza and the H1N1 virus. To keep your-self and your family safe:

Get Vaccinated. Getting both flu and H1N1 vaccinations is one of the most powerful ways to prevent getting ill, especially if you are in a high-risk category. These include:

Pregnant women Children and young adults 6 months to 24 years People ages 25-64 with health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma or a lowered immunityHousehold members and car-egivers of children younger than 6 months Healthcare workers and emer-gency medical service providers

For a vaccination location near you, contact your physician or King County Public Health.

Stay Home. If you are sick or have symptoms, stay home from work or school. Remain home for at least 24 hours after you are free of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.

Wash Your Hands, Cover Your Cough. Cover your coughs and sneezes and wash your hands often with soap and water. If you don’t have access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Restrict Visits. It may be dif-ficult not to visit a hospitalized friend or family member. How-ever, like many other hospitals in Washington State, Northwest Hospital is asking the community

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to restrict visits to the hospital as much as possible to prevent expo-sure of both visitors and patients to illness. Please do not bring babies or children to the hospital to visit patients.

For more information on flu and the H1N1 virus, visit the Centers for Disease Control Website at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu, the King County Public Health Website at www.kingcounty.gov/health/h1n1, or call the Public Health Flu Hotline at 877-903-5464 or TTY Relay: 711.

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The Geropsychiatric Center at Northwest Hospital & Medical Center provides inpatient and out-patient care for older adults who suffer from emotional or behavioral problems caused by aging, mental health issues or dementia. The pro-gram includes group therapy, edu-cation, medication management, therapeutic activities and social sup-port to help patients improve their social, physical and emotional func-tion. Patients come to the center from all areas of Western Wash-ington and from all walks of life.

One of the goals of the Geropsy-chiatric Center staff is to make patients as comfortable as possible during their stay. Patients in the program are encouraged to wear street clothes while up and about on the unit. However, staff has observed that many patients come in with only the clothes they were wearing or lack appropriate cloth-ing for sleeping. Since they are older, patients many also complain of feeling cold. The staff looked at various solutions. While patients can use blankets while they are

seated, they create a possible trip-ping hazard if patients move from place to place. Patients also needed something that was easy to take on and off, provided warmth, and was machine washable. Sweatpants and shirts seemed to be the best alterna-tive, but funding was a challenge.

The Geropsychiatric Center staff contacted Anna Maria Selvidge, special projects coordinator at the Northwest Hospital Founda-tion, and she immediately went into action. She called Richard Crookes, accessories and donations manager at the Wal-Mart store in Everett, and explained the need.

Richard told Anna Maria about Wal-Mart’s Grant Funding Pro-gram. Although Wal-Mart oper-ates globally, its philosophy is to give back locally, providing financial and volunteer support to more than 100,000 charitable and community-focused organi-zations around the country.

Not long after she submitted an application, Anna Maria received

a call from Richard with the news that Wal-Mart had awarded the Geropsychiatric Center a $1,000 grant to purchase sweatpants and sweatshirts for patients.

Stephen Vessels, program director for the Geropsychiatric Center, says generous gifts like the Wal-Mart donation go a long way in helping patients feel more comfortable during their stay at the center.

“Providing warm clothing to our patients might seem like a little thing to do, but it makes a big difference in quality of life for these patients,” Vessels says.

John Kim, Northwest Hos-pital Foundation execu-tive director, agrees.

“At a time when so many corpo-rations are pulling back their support for the community, we especially appreciate Wal-Mart’s generosity and willingness to make a positive difference in the lives of our patients,” he says.

Wal-Mart Keeps Patients Warm

“At a time when so many corporations are pulling back their support for the

community, we especially appreciate Wal-Mart’s generosity and willingness

to make a positive difference in the lives of our patients.” - John Kim

To learn more about the North-west Hospital Foundation or to make a contribution, please visit us at www.nwhospital.org/foundation or phone (206) 368-1647.

foundation report

November • December 2009 | Medinfo | �

our services

Aging often comes with life-alter-ing changes, and for some seniors, facing these challenges can lead to depression and anxiety. While reced-ing hairlines or wrinkling complex-ions can be treated with medication or cosmetics, anxiety and depression are more complicated to overcome.

By 2020, population specialists estimate more than 18 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 or older, meaning services like the intensive outpatient therapy program at Northwest Hospital’s Geropsychiatric Center will be crucial to combating mental health problems for an aging population.

Though commonly untreated, gen-eralized anxiety disorder is familiar to many seniors. Older adults worry. They’re concerned about finances and physical health, the loss of independence and loved ones, and becoming a burden to their family members. Given today’s economic climate, dwindling savings accounts and stock market losses, senior citizens are even more susceptible to over-worry and anxiety. But while reading glasses and aches and pains may be common to all of us as we age, depression and anxiety are not, says Dan Gross, director of social work at the Geropsychiatric Center.

“It’s not a part of getting old,” Gross says. “Any kind of major change in your ability to function is not a natural manifestation of aging.”

If left untreated, a constant state of worry and anxiousness can seriously affect an individual’s quality of life. It could result in a lack of sleep, rapid decline in appetite, isola-tion and even suicidal thoughts.

Chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease can also exacerbate an older adult’s risk of developing anxiety disorders. Physicians working with Northwest Hospital’s outpatient geropsychiatric program sometimes address symp-toms associated with three or four concurrent medical issues in addi-tion to the patient’s mental health.

“Our staff understands how cer-tain medications affect seniors and how they correspond to other medical conditions,” says Dr. Wil-liam Solan, the Geropsychiatric Center’s medical director. “Under-standing these complexities is essential to ensuring a patient’s mental and physical health.”

Northwest Hospital’s program provides structured support groups where participants can rely on and identify with peers who are experiencing similar life chal-lenges. Group therapy focuses on education, understanding, cop-ing skills, and symptom manage-ment and relaxation techniques.

The idea, Gross says, is to teach participants how to adjust to life’s

transitional changes while learn-ing ways to win back some of the independence they may have lost.

“At the end of it all, we want our patients to know they aren’t losing their minds, but that these symp-toms are real and that we are here to work it out together,” Gross says.

Most important, Gross says the program offers patients hope.

“The older generation is all about pulling yourself up by your boot-straps and getting things done,” he says. “To admit that you are depressed sometimes feels like admitting failure or defeat. Hav-ing a group of people to identify and share with can take some of the isolation and embarrass-ment out of the equation.”

Outpatient Therapy Tackles Aging and Anxiety

For more information on inpatient and outpatient pro-grams at Northwest Hospital’s Geropsychiatric Center call (206) 368-1813.

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Northwest Hospital has always strived to give the community access to the newest medical innovations, the best services and highest levels of patient care available. While we have succeeded as an independent organization, we believe it is an ideal time to join with a larger institution that can help us expand our vision into the future.

For many years, Northwest Hos-pital has successfully partnered with UW to bring cardiac surgery services to our community. The program has achieved such clini-cal excellence and such outstand-ing outcomes for our patients that HealthGrades recently named it the top cardiac surgery program in the Puget Sound region.

Based on that success, and moti-vated by the opportunity to bring more innovative programs and serv-ices to the community, it was clear to both Northwest Hospital and UW leadership that UW Medicine was the ideal choice for a larger partnership. Northwest Hospital and UW share similar missions and a cultural commitment to clinical quality, patient safety and customer service. And as one of the top medical institutions in the country, UW can help Northwest Hospital grow and thrive in ways it would not otherwise be able to on its own.

As the newest entity of UW Medi-cine, Northwest Hospital will join

the health system’s six other cur-rent entities, including University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, UW Medicine Neighborhood Clinics, University of Washington Physi-cians, the UW School of Medicine and Airlift Northwest. UW Medi-cine is also a corporate member of the Seattle Cancer Care Alli-ance and Children’s University Medical Group, and has close affiliations with Seattle Children’s, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the VA Puget Sound Health Care System.

Northwest Hospital will retain all of the core clinical services and medi-cal technologies currently available on our campus. We expect that joining with UW will not only allow us to enhance the services we offer now, but will enable us to develop new services, technologies and facil-ities in the future. After the official completion of the affiliation, which is scheduled for the end of this year, Northwest Hospital will begin a strategic planning process with UW Medicine. We anticipate that the first opportunities for clini-cal collaboration between our two organizations will center around cardiovascular services, cancer serv-ices and maternal and child health.

Moving forward, Northwest Hospi-tal will keep its own board, senior leadership team, staff, financial structure, operations and patient-friendly culture. Our medical staff also will remain the same. Northwest Hospital patients will be able to continue seeing their physicians at the hospital as they have in the past, with the added benefit of increased access to UW specialists and more treatment options. Northwest Hospital will continue to bill patients directly for services and, as an independ-ent care provider, will retain our patients’ medical records.

The affiliation with UW Medicine provides Northwest Hospital with the best of both worlds — the chance to explore new possibili-ties for expanding and enhancing our campus and services, while allowing us to preserve our organization’s unique character and heritage. We are excited and optimistic that this is the right choice for our employees, our patients and our community.

For more information, please visit the Northwest Hospital website at www.nwhospital.org, send an e-mail to neighbor2nwh@nwhsea.org or call (206) 368-1609.

Northwest Hospital to Affiliate with University of WashingtonOn September 17, Northwest Hospital opened a new chapter in its 50-year history with the announce-

ment that it will affiliate with the University of Washington and become an entity of the UW Medicine

health system, effective January 1, 2010.

community classes and wellness programs

November • December 2009 | Medinfo | �

CHILDBIRTH, PARENTING, AND NEW BABY CLASSES

All childbirth, parenting and new baby classes at Northwest Hospital are offered on the Northwest Hospital Campus by the Great Starts program of Parent Trust for Washington Children. Pre-registration is required. Medicaid coupons can be used for the 7-week series and labor & birth only classes. To register online, visit, www.nwhospital.org/classes, or call Great Starts at (206) 789-0883.

Childbirth Prep Classes

Seven-Week Series:Preparing for birth, including stages of labor, emotional and physical challenges during labor, how a support person can comfort the laboring mother, hospital routines, possible interventions and postpartum recoveryReunion after all the babies are born-Breastfeeding

Cost: $170 per pair (mother and a support person), or Medicaid coupon.

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Four-Week SeriesThis series of classes meets on four Saturdays and includes the same material covered in the full seven-week series.

Labor & Birth Only - Saturday SeriesFor parents who need a class to fit their busy sched-ule. The same labor and birth material that is cov-ered in the full series, con-solidated into two Saturday mornings. Does not include newborn care or breastfeed-ing. Cost: $125 per pair.

Newborn Care Class An important class for first-time parents, this class focuses on caring for the baby during the first few months of life. Topics include newborn charac-teristics, daily care, infant cues, health and illness, diapering, cord care, sleep and feeding habits, colic relief and changes that occur in newborn babies.

Breastfeeding BasicsThis class is designed to educate parents on proper feeding techniques and positioning, how often to feed, preventing and coping with com-mon challenges and how partners can support breastfeeding mothers.

BabysafeThree-hour weeknight course is taught by a certi-fied CPR instructor. Topics include infant development, SIDS risk reduction, injury prevention and care of com-mon injuries. Infant choking rescue and infant CPR are demonstrated and prac-ticed. This class does not include a certification card.

Conscious FatheringFor expectant or new fathers. It provides informa-tion to help fathers feel more involved and confident in birth and child-rearing. Topics include how to con-nect from day one, keeping

the baby as comfortable as possible and how to cope when “everything goes wrong,” how to meet baby’s basic needs, plus develop-ing your own definition of the kind of father you want to be and how you want to interact with your child.

PRENATAL SERVICES

Baby Your BackBack pain is a frequent problem for pregnant women with many causes. Baby Your Back is a two-hour class for expect-ant mothers taught by a licensed physical therapist. Second Wednesday of every month. Cost: $10. Call (206) 368-6032 to register. Healthcare pro-vider referral required.

continued on page 10 . . .

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center offers a variety of classes, support groups and other programs for members of our com-munity. Whether you are planning a pregnancy, working to maintain good health, learning to live with a chronic disease or are newly diagnosed with cancer or another serious condition, our trained experts have the most up-to-date information to share.

For more information about our programs, or to register for a class, please see the contact information and phone number under each program, or e-mail us at nwhclasses@nwhsea.org. For more classes and events, visit us at www.nwhospital.org.

10 | Medinfo | www.nwhospital.org

community classes and wellness programs

EMERGENCY SERVICES EDUCATION

CPR TrainingLearn life-saving skills from Medic II personnel. Third Tuesday of each month, 7-9pm. Registration required. To register, visit www.nwhospital.org or call (206) 368-1564 for more information. Cost: Dona-tions are greatly appreci-ated. Checks should be made out to Medic II CPR.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Better Breathers ClubJoin the club to learn tips and techniques to bet-ter manage lung disease. Second Monday of each month at 10:30am. Rehab Patient Dining Room. Call (206) 368-1853.

Breast Cancer - A Healing PlaceThis support group is an opportunity for sharing and receiving support while cop-ing with advanced breast disease. Offered second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, 9:30–11am. Call the facilitator at (206) 920-5462 for a brief interview prior to joining.

Diabetes Support GroupLearn about and discuss top-ics such as: meal planning, blood glucose monitoring

devices, weight loss, treat-ment for high and low blood sugars, medication manage-ment, dietary supplements, diabetes myth busters, monitoring for complications and what’s new in diabetes research and technology. Second Tuesday of each month, 1-2:30pm; To reg-ister visit www.nwhospital.org or call (206) 368-1564.

Grief Support GroupOffered as a 6-week series on Tuesdays, Jan 20 and 27, and Feb 3, 10, 17 and 24. Pre-registration is required, call (206) 368-1891.

Mended HeartsFor cardiac patients, fam-ily members and health professionals. This group provides help in coping with the emotional aspects of recovering from heart disease and an opportunity to offer personal insights to help others in the coping process. Third Thursday of each month, 7–9pm. Call (206) 368-1564.

Weight Loss Surgery Support GroupsOur monthly support groups provide an opportu-nity to interact with other post-operative weight loss surgery patients and discuss the physical and emotional changes following bariat-ric surgery. Our support groups are open to patients from other practices and individuals researching

bariatric surgery. Call (206) 368-1350 for more informa-tion. For dates, visit: www.nwhospital.org/bariatric. Groups are held in the TCU auditorium from 6:30-8pm.

Young Adult Stroke Support GroupThis group is for adults, their families and caregivers and meets on the third Saturday of the month in the North-west Hospital Easy Street section of the Rehabilitation Center, from 12:30 - 2:30 pm. For more informa-tion, call (206) 361-2696.

WELLNESS CLASSES

AARP Driver Safety ProgramAARP offers the popular Driver Safety Program for drivers 50 years old and older. Graduates may be eligible for multi-year discounts on their auto insurance. The class is offered on two consecu-tive Saturdays, December 12 and 19 and January 23 and 30, from 9am - 1pm. The classes will be held on the hospital campus. A $14 fee is payable to AARP on the first day of class. Par-ticipants must attend both days of class to complete the course. To register, call (206) 368-1564 or call AARP at (888) 227-7669.

Brain Health: Simple Tools for Clear ThinkingThis 90-minute workshop led by Dr. Jane Tornatore, a nationally known speaker on brain health and memory problems, will explain why everyone experiences “sen-ior moments,” and what to do about them. Learn easy ways to improve the memory and keep the mind active - to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. Much of the workshop will involve par-ticipation in brain-strength-ening activities. Cost is $20 for 90-minute session and $25 for 120-minute session. Call (206) 368-1564 for more information on dates and to reserve your seat.

Let the Games Begin!A conversational support group that provides people with acquired brain injury the opportunity to par-ticipate in group card and board games in a support-ive, encouraging environ-ment. This group is facili-tated by a licensed speech language pathologist who provides suggestions and encouragement, helping people build confidence while having fun. Thursdays, 11 - 12pm. Call (206) 368-1848 for more information.

Living Well with DiabetesThis program has been for-mally recognized for excel-lence by the ADA. In this monthly, four-session series,

November • December 2009 | Medinfo | 11

For more classes and events, visit us online at www.nwhospital.org.

participants will gain infor-mation and skills to man-age their diabetes in this four session series offered monthly. Physician referral is required for class. For more information contact your physician, or call (206) 368-1564 to receive a brochure.

Nutrition ClinicFood & Nutrition Services offers outpatient nutrition education to help you plan healthy, nutritious meals to suit your dietary needs. Reg-istered dietitians help you design a meal plan to meet your individualized needs. Many insurance carriers cover nutrition consulta-tions if ordered by a physi-cian. Call (206) 368-1919 for more information or visit www.nwhospital.org.

Pathways to Stress-Free Living Demanding and busy lives will always have some stress caused by work, family and play, and that’s okay. The right amount of stress can fuel a happy, healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. What we need to learn are the tools to protect ourselves from overstress and excessive anxiety. We have two pow-erful pathways to reduce those life stressers – our body and our mind. Take advantage of this one-time free community work-shop featuring nationally-renowned brain health and memory expert Dr. Jane Tor-natore. She will cover tech-

niques to utilize both your body and your mind to help reduce stress and increase calm. Thursday December 10, 7-8 p.m. in the Lindsay Gould Auditorium at North-west Hospital. This is a free event. To reserve your seat, call (206) 368-1564 or visit www.nwhospital.org/classes for more information.

Weight Loss Surgery Education Join us for a free informa-tional seminar to learn more about: weight loss surgery options and risks; patient selection criteria; nutritional requirements; and insur-ance coverage. Question and answer session fol-lows each talk. Visit www.nwhospital.org/bariatric for dates. Call (206) 368-1350 to reserve space. Seminars are held in the TCU audi-torium from 6:30-8pm.

Yoga For People With Parkinson’s Call (206) 368-5935 for more information to register.

CLASSES & SUPPORT GROUPS

Cancer Lifeline at North-west Hospital & Medical Center classes and groups are free and open to the

public. Call (800) 255-5505 or (206) 297-2500 for more information or to register. You can also register online at www.cancerlifeline.org. To confirm specific sup-port group meeting dates, call (206) 832-1297.

Brain Cancer Support GroupFor people with a diagnosis of brain cancer or brain metastases and their family and friends. No registration necessary. Second Tues-days, 6-7:30pm. Profes-sional Building, Suite 3.

Breast Cancer Support GroupFor breast cancer patients and survivors. No regis-tration necessary. First and third Wednesdays, 4:30-6pm. Professional Building, Suite 3.

Colorectal Cancer Support GroupFor people with a diag-nosis of colorectal can-cer and their family and friends. No registration necessary. First Wednes-days, 7-8:30pm. Profes-sional Building, Suite 3.

Gynecologic Cancer Support GroupFor patients diagnosed with ovarian, uterine, cervical or any other type of gyne-cologic cancer, their family and friends. Fourth Wednes-

days, 6-7:30pm. Profes-sional Building, Suite 3.

Lung Cancer Support Group For people with a diagnosis of lung cancer, their family and friends. No registra-tion necessary. Second and fourth Thursdays, 7-8:30pm. Professional Building, Suite 3. Nov 12, Dec 3 & 17. No group Nov 26. To accommodate the holidays, customary meeting dates have been changed.

Gentle Yoga Easy stretches, postures, and guided meditation. Fine to start any time during the series. Cardiac Fitness Center, 2nd floor, McMurray Bldg. Mondays, Sept 14-Oct 26, and Nov 2-Dec 14; 6:30-7:45pm. (No class Nov 27).

Energize & Exercise with the Lebed MethodThis gentle exercise program combines easy stretches, strengthening and aero-bic movement with great music! Appropriate during or after cancer treatment and for anyone with, or at risk for, lymphedema. Please register. Profes-sional Building, Suite 3. Nov 2 - Dec 14, 5:30-6:30pm (No class Nov 23).

1550 N 115th StreetSeattle, WA 98133

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDSeattle, WA

Permit No. 1549

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center has earned the �00� HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety.

Go GreenerIf you would like to receive your next copy of Medinfo by email, please fill out the online form at www.nwhospital.org/newsletters.

Need a physician?Call our free physician referral line at (206) 633-4636 or toll free at (800) 633-4636, 24-hours a day.

YOUR PRIVACY: We’re concerned about your privacy. Please remember that Medinfo and Northwest Hospital & Medical Center will not contact you by e-mail to ask you for personal information, such as your bank account number. If you are scheduled for admission to the hospital, you can expect a phone call from our pre-admitting staff, who will ask for your birth date, as a means of confirming your identity. On occasion, our staff may also call to verify insurance information you have provided. Otherwise, our callers will not ask for financial information. If you have any concerns about whether a call is legitimate, please contact us at (206) 368-6538.

Life Links The Northwest Hospital Foundation recently provided three defibrillators to the Everett Golf & Country Club through its Life Links Program. The portable machines deliver electric shocks to rees-tablish a heart rhythm in someone who has suffered a heart attack or life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia.

The machines, their upkeep and maintenance, and on-site training for clubhouse personnel are funded through the Jack and Irene Curran Trust, which is administered by the Northwest Hospital Foundation. The foundation currently provides 24 defibrillators to eight golf courses in the Seattle area.

“Golf courses are places where these cardiac problems could likely occur,” says Norman Brown, Foundation development coordinator. “By having defibrillators available and trained personnel in the clubhouse, players can get the earliest response possible in case anything happens.”

Maria Dormann, the Everett Golf & Country Club’s general manager, said the hospital team has trained 16 core staff including employees in the pro shop, golf course maintenance and clubhouse.

Thankfully, we haven’t had an incident here,” Dorman said. “But it is nice to know that we have the defibril-lators available. It provides a sense of security and the club really appreciates being a part of this program.”

Walk From Obesity Northwest Hospital staff and patients enjoyed a last day of summer while taking part in the September 27th Walk from Obesity in Bellevue. The event brought together people affected by obesity, their families and friends, and area healthcare professionals to raise awareness of the disease. Misty Baskett, who had weight loss surgery at Northwest Hospital, raised almost $2,000 to support the cause.

in the community

From Left: Bariatric surgery patient Jill Russell, program coordinator Carmela Pontillo, dietician Tricia Clement, and bariatric surgeon Dr. Nicole White.