This past year was a difficult one for health care across our state and nation. In 2022, hospitals in Washington collectively lost $2.7 billion. While no hospitals closed in our state, some communities lost access to essential programs as those services were shuttered to prevent full hospital closure. Fortunately, despite having navigated industry challenges, Cascade Medical remains financially and operationally strong, and we are well-positioned for the future. We are excited about the two new family physicians who joined our care team; Dr. Lauren Kendall has been part of the CM family since February and Dr. Mark Wefel since June. We will also welcome two physician assistants mid-2023 whose arrivals allow us to complete plans to redesign provider coverage across the organization to better meet growing community demand for services and ensure that we are building access and capacity to meet future needs as well. Speaking of future needs, early in 2022 we initiated an innovative training program to both meet hiring demands and establish a caregiver career pathway. In collaboration with the Washington Association for Community Health, we built a Medical Assistant (MA) Apprenticeship Program; we celebrated our first apprentice achieving MA certification via this program in the first quarter of 2023. We are now working toward adding a Certified Nursing Assistant apprenticeship program, in collaboration with another community partner. Innovative programs such as these allow us to both support the growth and development of our team while positioning us to better weather workforce shortages. These are a few highlights of how we continue to adapt to be successful in a rapidly changing health care environment. Amid the myriad changes, however, some constants remain. Our gratitude for a steadfast, highly skilled, deeply compassionate team. Our dedication to caring for the passionate and thoughtful community that calls this place home. And finally, the support you offer allowing us to walk with you on your health care journey. In short—thank you for allowing us to be partners in your health. Diane Blake, CEO 2 2023 Report to Our Community
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