Valley Medical Center

Congratulations to Thia Riewe, a Nurse Practitioner in our High Risk Screening & Genetics Clinic and our September 2024 Provider of the Month! See what her colleagues had to say: "Thia, in the short time in High Risk and Genetics clinic, has shown genuine desire to make a positive impact on the patients. She is always helpful, inquisitive and looking for new challenges. She has received high praise from patients who say, 'She is personable and educated me on the gene mutations. Very knowledgeable and empathetic.'" "Thia is a dedicated provider and shining example of Valley values. She is always expanding her knowledge and working towards process improvement. She truly puts patients first." "She is an amazing provider; I appreciate her passion for patient care and her support in our clinic."

Happy Nuclear Medicine Week, Oct. 6 - 12 "Established in 1986, this annual event underscores the remarkable innovations and growing impact of nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics in revolutionizing healthcare." Please help us in celebrating the hard work of our Nuclear Medicine (NM) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Technologists and staff, for providing our patients with the best of care. We appreciate you!

Celebrating Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month This month-long campaign allows us to celebrate and create awareness around the role of the sonographer in the healthcare community, and the many uses and contributions of sonography in modern medicine. Thank you to all our sonographers across multiple Valley facilities! MUAM is your time to shine! Pictured left to right: Sonographers Lyn Saxon, Jamie Scott, Heidi Sutton, and Robin Wiita. 

Congratulations to Keyri Henriquez, a Medical Assistant in our Renton Valley Women's Healthcare Clinic and one of our September 2024 Employees of the Month! See what her colleagues had to say: "Providers Dr. Glynnis Morton and Dr. Lawrence have commented how much they enjoy working with Keyri. She is friendly, helpful and a quick, efficient worker who easily multitasks. In the short time Keyri has worked for Valley Medical, her growth as a MA has been exponential. It shows in her confidence, patient care and supporting her fellow team members. She is flexible, dependable and a valuable asset to our team. Keyri has been helping to provide additional MA coverage, piloting and sustaining a 5S clinic storage and clinic supply ordering project. On top of all of that, she is currently going to school to become an ultra-sonographer."

Congratulations to Semjit Kaur, Our Newest DAISY Awardee! Semjit received 4 nominations this quarter, which stand as a clear testament to her dedication to providing compassionate-connected care to patients and their families. One of Semjit's nominations reads: "I went to the ER at was admitted to a room where Semjit was there with her team to assist me. She and everyone else were very caring and nice. She, herself, is the #1 RN. I have been dealing with my own health issues for 5+ years and have been in and out of hospitals, so I know when I get wonderful, real care; Semjit embodied this. Semjit and her team and all RNs during my stay were all wonderful. Not one problem and everything during my stay has been 100% great care."

Congratulations to Trish Pollara, MD, a physician in our Newcastle Primary Care Clinic and our August 2024 Provider of the Month! See what her colleagues had to say: "This is well deserved for Dr. Pollara. She goes above and beyond for her patients and always puts her patients first. Dr. Pollara is a great mentor for our medical assistants and is always willing to answer any questions they may have. She is a great teacher!" "Dr. Pollara is a fantastic doctor that exemplifies the care and compassion everyone hopes for in a family medicine provider. She has served her Valley community well for over 20 years. Her patients and staff love working with her. Trish routinely goes the extra mile to help her patients and she is always ready to teach – be it staff, patients, students or her fellow providers. When she does have medical students rotating with her, they always sing her praises. Dr Pollara is remarkably self-sacrificing and still manages to juggle the challenges of family life and medical practice. It is an honor and a privilege to work alongside her. "

Congratulations to Tamara Stephens, a Patient Resource Representative in our Clinic Resource Center and one of our August 2024 Employees of the Month! See what her colleagues had to say: "Tamara received a call in Referrals from an unestablished patient who was looking for referrals for their relative who was also not established with Valley an unfamiliar with referrals. Tamara listened to the caller's situation, educated caller on referral processes, and offered to connect them with Scheduling to set up an appointment to become established with a PCP to obtain referrals. When this didn't quite work for the caller's situation, Tamara took the time to further educate them on what steps they could take regarding contacting insurance for in network providers. Even though the caller was not an established Valley patient, Tamara took the time to educate and provide valuable guidance to assist the caller. This demonstrates caring for our community like family, listening carefully, and treating the caller with respect and compassion. This is one of the many times Tamara has provided service excellence to our community. Thank you, Tamara!" "Tamara consistently follows processes and workflows to ensure patients receive the best care possible. She takes the time to educate fellow team members when they have questions on referral processes. Tamara has demonstrated teamwork and collaboration with the Scheduling team when receiving transfer calls to Referrals. Tamara is always willing to take the call to help our patients and does so with a smile throughout the call. She is willing to answer questions and encourages the team to utilize the Referral department for referral related calls. Tamara is a pleasure to work with and has shined even brighter since joining the Referral team. Thank you, Tamara, for your dedication to our patients! We appreciate you!" "Tamara is a model team member and team player. She is always willing to help her coworkers. She ensures she understands her work and that the patients receive the care they need with one call resolve. She is one to be celebrated."

Congratulations to Taj Singh, RN in the CCU, for winning a DAISY award! Taj's nomination reads: My Mom fell into sudden cardiac arrest. The whole floor of nurses did a wonderful job keeping my mom alive for those 24 hours. Unfortunately, after Taj's shift ended, my mother passed away. The pain will never truly go away but my mom and I know deep down and are truly thankful for the work that was done on her. Words cannot even describe how thankful we all are for everyone. Taj was spectacular and very kind and generous – explaining everything to me and my family. He specially made me feel comfortable during this difficult time. I wish I could thank him repeatedly. My mother would be very grateful for him and the entire team. He went above and beyond for our family. Thank you so much. You are an angel!

Recognizing Our First Responders on Patriot Day On this dark day in our country's history, we honor the memory of those we lost on 9/11 and pay tribute to the bravery of the first responders. Let us never forget the resilience, unity, and strength that emerged in the face of tragedy. Pictured below: Valley ED nurses with local first responder partners

We are excited to announce that Yen Nguyen has been promoted to Director, Ambulatory Operations and Education. Yen has been at VMC for the past years working as the Clinic Manager for Newcastle and Renton Highlands Primary Care. In her new role, Yen will be providing oversight and strategic direction for Ambulatory Staffing, Training and Education and Ambulatory Operational Efficiency initiatives. Yen is looking forward to bringing her passion for process improvement, project management and servant leadership, along with her Six Sigma Lean certification, to this new role. When she is not at work, you can find Yen jumping out of airplanes, riding jet skis or hanging at home with a cup of tea, watching Netflix.