Better care together 2025 Report to Our Community
Diane Blake, CEO Dear Community, It is a pleasure to share this year’s annual report with you. Inside you’ll find a snapshot of our care by the numbers for 2024, read about what’s new at your community medical center, and enjoy some team and service highlights. As you peruse, I hope you’ll find a strong sense of community connecting these pages together. Our partnership with you is central to our work and strongly infuses everything we do. In 2024, we continued to grow services, giving you more options to receive trusted care close to home by launching a cardiac rehabilitation program and offering new services such as outpatient ultrasounds, echocardiograms and wound care. We also improved existing services, such as ensuring regular access to same and next-day clinic appointments while also ensuring new patients could establish care with our family medicine team in record time. Another enhancement to an existing service was achieving stroke program certification, a seal of approval on this emergency medicine care to make sure high quality, timely care is available for you and your loved ones when minutes matter most. We also continue to listen to you, seek your input and learn more about your needs so that as we continue to grow, we do so in a way that best supports you. As this report lands in your mailbox, we’ll just be finalizing feedback we received from you through survey responses and focus group meetings. This is something we do every three years as part of our Community Health Needs Assessment process. What we learn from you informs our strategic plan, ensuring your needs shape our plan for future growth and improvements. We also offer other ways to stay connected, such as attending our public board meetings, visiting with us at engagement nights, and emailing us your feedback or questions at contactus@ cascademedical.org. And, finally, we’ll be asking you to let us know what you think by voting on an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy this April 22. The EMS levy provides funding to help sustain Ambulance and Emergency Department services. You can read more about it on our website at cascademedical.org/emergency-medical -services-levy or email your questions to emsinfo@cascademedical.org. Thank you for staying connected with us and entrusting us with your care. It is a privilege to be partners in your health. 2 2025 Report to Our Community
Who we are: Cascade Medical is a nonprofit critical-access hospital dedicated to the well-being of our Upper Valley community. Our hospital district covers 1,200 square miles and includes the towns of Leavenworth, Plain/Lake Wenatchee, Peshastin and Dryden. Cascade Medical is an exceptional rural health care facility. We are a team of compassionate and dedicated professionals who provide quality primary care, services and resources to our patients and their families. Board of Commissioners Thomas Baranouskas Shari Day-Campbell Jessica Kendall Gustavo Montoya Executive Team Diane Blake, Chief Executive Officer Pat Songer, Chief Operating Officer Marianne Vincent, Chief Financial Officer Melissa Grimm, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Chief Human Resources Officer & Privacy Officer Whitney Lak, Family Medicine Clinic Director Natasha Piestrup, RN, Director of Nursing Our mission inspires the work we do here. CascadeMedical.org 3
When gauging our effectiveness, numbers make up an essential part of the story. Numbers illustrate how many patients we help over the course of a year and how many seek what kind of services we offer, and they paint a big-picture view of the impact we make on the communities we serve. At Cascade Medical, we always keep in mind that behind every single number is an individual with their own story, needs and reasons why they choose us to partner with them in their health journey. While every story is unique, each patient’s expectation is universal—to receive the highest quality care, from individuals they know and trust. Each of these numbers is built on one-on-one partnerships in care, and we are grateful for each and every one of them. If you need help paying your medical bill, whether or not you have insurance, call our financial counselor at 509-548-3436, or visit cascademedical.org/financial-assistance. You may qualify for a discount or free care under Cascade Medical’s community financial support program. 4 2025 Report to Our Community By the numbers
1,301 Behavioral health visits 2024 statistics 14,497 Clinic visits with a primary care provider 425 Mammography exams 2,614 Immunizations given 270 Endoscopies (including colonoscopies and upper endoscopies) 4,379 Emergency Department visits 6,264 Radiology exams, including 1,862 CT scans 97,286 Lab tests 8,922 Physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy visits (inpatient and outpatient) 1,280 Total ambulance calls—67% resulting in patient transport 238 people received financial assistance to cover medical costs: $524,241 in discounts granted CascadeMedical.org 5
EMERGENCY CARE Ready to respond when minutes matter For decades, Cascade Medical’s Emergency Medical Services team (Emergency Department and Ambulance) has provided lifesaving care to our Upper Valley community. Cascade Medical Chief Operating Officer Pat Songer says: “It’s uncommon for both Ambulance and Emergency Departments to be owned by one entity, as it is at Cascade Medical. This structure promotes teamwork and allows us to save precious time providing essential care when our patients need it most.” Patients like Tim Jackson. Jackson, visiting Leavenworth from Texas with his wife, Jennifer Ronzello, fell unconscious at a local restaurant after suffering a life-threatening cardiac event. Upon calling 911, our Ambulance team was there in moments and transported Jackson to Cascade Medical’s Emergency Department within minutes. Shortly after, our expert team had Jackson stabilized and ready to receive emergency heart surgery. Jackson’s partner, Ronzello, saw the care Cascade Medical provides close-up: “You get the personal care from a smallish hospital, but everyone is so capable, and the hospital is so well equipped…I’m really glad this is where we ended up.” They literally saved my life. We are so grateful.” —Tim Jackson “ 6 2025 Report to Our Community
Cascade Medical’s Emergency Department treats nearly 4,500 patients annually. Cascade Medical’s ambulances respond wherever they are needed in our hospital district—a region spanning over 1,200 square miles. Partnerships with Chelan County Fire District 3 and Lake Wenatchee Fire & Rescue allow for additional ambulance support and reduce response times when every minute counts. Timing is everything: Cascade Medical’s ambulance response time is just 3 to 5 minutes in Leavenworth, compared to up to 40 minutes if services come from Wenatchee. As a Level III Stroke Center, we provide lifesaving “clot-busting” medication and other medical services, ensuring timely, lifesaving treatment is ready for you and your loved ones. The Emergency Medical Services levy helps ensure essential resources are available 24/7/365, making lifesaving care possible for everyone in our community. Did you know? CascadeMedical.org 7
Everything we do here at Cascade Medical is done with the goal of continuously improving care for you. Here we highlight some of the changes we’ve made in the past year to improve how we take care of you and our community. Increased access to our Family Medicine Clinic We know illnesses can occur without warning and at the most inconvenient of times. That’s why we worked to implement new workflows at our Family Medicine Clinic. What does that mean for you? Our improved internal scheduling system allows you to usually be seen by a provider the day you call and certainly by the next day. Not only that, but our increased availability means if you are looking for a primary care provider, we can see you for your introductory appointment within just a couple weeks of contacting us, compared to months-long waits at other health care organizations. Improving care in our 8 2025 Report to Our Community
Radiology In 2024, Cascade Medical started offering our patients another option for those needing diagnostic imaging: ultrasounds. “The ability to give ultrasounds is such a win for our patients,” says Director of Radiology Deseree Bybee. “Ultrasounds are quick, cost-effective, portable and noninvasive. Offering ultrasounds here can save hours on the road, getting it done right here in town.” This is in addition to our CT scanner, an essential diagnostic tool for our patients. Bybee adds that “having CT at our fingertips means we can quickly figure out if you’re suffering from a stroke, internal bleeding and more—right here in Leavenworth.” For our patients, less time to diagnose and more imaging options means better outcomes. Mobile Clinic access We are pleased to welcome and introduce our newest provider, Kalie Thompson! Thompson is a fully bilingual, board-certified Physician Assistant and Cascade Medical’s primary Mobile Clinic provider, which serves our Peshastin and Plain/ Lake Wenatchee patients weekly. Her education and experiences have fueled her passion about improving access to quality health care for vulnerable populations, particularly for patients who don’t speak English and those living in outlying rural communities. All of this makes finding and accessing care more convenient for you. It’s all a part of offering trusted care that puts you first. community CascadeMedical.org 9
Making a difference What does ‘partnership’ mean to us? We have been proud to show our community how we partner in your health for years. But what does this mean for the people who show up every day and make Cascade Medical the place of healing and care it is for those we serve? We asked a few of our employees what “partnership”—with co-workers, with those we care for and with our community—means to them. Here are their responses. In bigger hospitals in the lab world, most techs don’t actually get to see or know the patient the way that we do here. We truly get to be “partners in your health” and get to know each patient. Megan Sawyer, Director of Laboratory At Cascade Medical, partnership embodies my dedication to serving our community as an ever-ready resource. To me, being a partner here means addressing dynamic situations with compassion, competence and efficiency, ensuring that our actions benefit both Cascade Medical and those we serve. I am proud to be part of an organization that prioritizes continuous improvement over stagnation, consistently adding and adapting services to meet the evolving needs of our community. This collaborative spirit not only enhances the well-being of our patients but also allows us to thrive together and create a healthier, more resilient community. Micheal Edwards, Clinical Resource Nurse 10 2025 Report to Our Community
To me, partnership at Cascade Medical means working together to make a better environment for everyone. (Para mí, la asociación en Cascade Medical significa trabajar juntos para crear un mejor ambiente para todos.) Alma Mata, Housekeeper/ Environmental Services At Cascade Medical, partnership transcends mere collaboration. We’re more than a team; we’re a tightly knit family. Together, we share a commitment to compassionate care, mutual support, and the well-being of our patients first and foremost. I am more than proud to be a part of the Cascade family. Deseree Bybee, Director of Radiology Partnership at Cascade Medical means collaborating as a cohesive team across all departments— from the Clinic to Radiology, Lab, Emergency, Acute Care and Billing. Together, we uphold our shared values and commitment to providing quality care to our community. Selma Diaz Del Angel, Clinic Medical Assistant/Informatics CascadeMedical.org 11
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Coffey Communications Cascade Medical 817 Commercial St. Leavenworth, WA 98826-1316 Cascade Medical 817 Commercial St. Leavenworth, WA 98826 cascademedical.org Here for you 24/7/365 for emergencies and hospital care. Contact information Emergency Department Phone: 509-548-5815 Hours: Open 24 hours, every day Family Practice Clinic Phone: 509-548-3420 Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday Physical, speech and occupational therapy Phone: 509-548-3421 Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday Diagnostic Imaging and Laboratory Phone: 509-548-2512 Hours: Outpatient testing, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday Emergency Imaging and Laboratory Service Here for you 24/7/365
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