News Releases

Sure, fast food is quick, convienient…and let’s face it, pretty darn tasty! But the next time you think about a quick trip to the drive-thru, think about what you’re doing to your body. A constant diet of high fat, high calories and high sugar can lead to a gradual build-up of cholesterol (or plaque), which can cause arteries to become blocked, and possibly cause a stroke.

When it comes to cholesterol, there are two important numbers to know: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Do you know yours?

The good-natured honking from passing drivers began after the first couple of hundred pinwheels appeared. And it was followed by cheers and waves as staff, volunteers, families and friends of Sacred Heart Medical Center planted 2,722 pinwheels—one for each baby born at the Medical Center in 2007—in the cold lawn along McClellan Street.

“We want to bring some awareness to the entire community that there’s nothing more important for us to do than to raise the next generation safely,” said Sacred Heart President Mike Wilson.

The pinwheel planting is part of April’s Our Kids: Our Business campaign – a collaborative effort among children’s agencies, law enforcement, nonprofit social service groups and media professionals.

Your kidneys may not be the most glamorours organs
in your body, but the work they do is essential to your health.

Simply put, kidney disease—the ninth leading cause of death in the United States—can wreak havoc on the body. Without properly functioning kidneys, toxins are not cleansed from the system, resulting in persistent sickness and extreme fatigue. Patients with kidney disease often experience frequent hospitalizations to deal with the complications.

That’s why early detection and treatment make a difference. And why Sacred Heart’s own Katherine R. Tuttle, MD participates in multiple national initiatives, including the National Kidney Disease Education Program, to help oversee kidney disease surveillance, health outcomes research and public health strategies for promoting kidney health.

The Super Colon will be on display March 21-22 at Sacred Heart’s Providence Auditorium (map).

Standing 8-feet tall and 20-feet long, the Super Colin is an incredible, inflatable, interactive colon that teaches people not only about the risks and symptoms of colorectal cancer, but that it is preventable, treatable and beatable!

Providence Cancer Center is prould to sponsor this educational event in recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. To learn more, call (509) 474-5490.

We take it for granted. Cardiac care offered here rivals that of the largest medical centers in the country. And Spokane is quickly gaining acclaim for its world-class heart and vascular physicians and surgeons.

So it only makes sense that Sacred Heart and its physician partners have come together to develop a new center of excellence for heart and vascular care—the Providence Heart & Vascular Institute of Spokane. The goal? To ensure long-term access to quality, comprehensive heart care for patients throughout the region.

Providence Health Care has announced that Andrew Agwunobi, MD, will serve as the new chief executive officer for the eastern Washington operation. Dr. Agwunobi will join PHC March 3 to lead the 10 organizations that make up our region’s largest health care system.

Dr. Agwunobi comes from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration where, reporting directly to the Governor of Florida, he administered the $16.6 billion Florida Medicaid program (the fourth largest in the nation) and regulated quality and Certificates of Need for 33,000 health care facilities and health maintenance organizations in the state.

“Dr. Agwunobi is a successful physician, hospital administrator and health care executive and through each of these roles, he has proven himself to be a strategic and innovative thinker,” says Mike Wilson, interim chief executive officer and president of Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital. “As someone who enjoys making a difference in the lives of those he serves, I know he will be an exceptional leader for our organizations in eastern Washington and will serve the community’s interests well.”

February 13 · 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Spokane Convention Center (map)

Sponsored by Sacred Heart and the American
Heart Association, the fifth annual Go Red for Women luncheon is an inspirational event that helps empower and educate women about their risk for heart disease and stroke.

Activities will include a silent auction, informative breakout sessions, a dynamic keynote speaker and a heart-healthy lunch.

This event sells out early each year; don‘t wait too long purchase your tickets!   [ Learn More… ]

Join us—and 6,000 area women— April 18-20 for the 4th Annual Spokane Women’s Show.

You’ll find information, entertainment, education … and just pure fun! Net proceeds will benefit the Sacred Heart Women’s Health Center Coach program.

Sacred Heart aligns with leading cardiovascular surgeons to provide world-class heart care

Sacred Heart president Mike Wilson (left) and William S. Coleman, MD describe the new alignment between the Medical Center and Northwest Heart & Lung Surgical Associates.

“I work with an incredible team of surgeons who have enormous talent,” says Bill Coleman, MD, a cardiovascular surgeon and president of Northwest Heart & Lung Surgical Associates.

“Affiliating with a prestigious major medical center such as Sacred Heart is a natural next step that will allow us to practice high quality, advanced medicine in an environment that is totally focused on the patient.”

Come support your favorite team, and team up with Sacred Heart in the fight against heart disease – the leading cause of death among women in the United States.

For tickets, call 1-800-GO COUGS or click here to purchase securely online. The first 1,000 fans will receive an exclusive "Cougs Have Heart" t-shirt, free!

MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is a serious infection that can become life-threatening if left untreated. It is a form of Staph, a common bacteria that is easily spread through normal skin-to-skin contact.

Infection Prevention tips
Take our Infection Prevention Quiz
Booklet: Living with MRSA 

Useful links:

• PreventInfection.org
• SkinIsTheSource.org
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Washington State Department of Health

Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital has once again achieved status as a Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospital in the nation. The annual study, performed by Thomson Healthcare (formerly Solucient), identifies the nation’s top providers of cardiovascular services using data from public sources.

Judged against peer organizations, Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospitals have lower costs, better clinical outcomes, shorter lengths of stay, and are technologically and clinically advanced.

Just five hospitals in Northwest received the award, which is based on quality standards, patient outcomes and surgical techniques; Sacred Heart is the only hospital in Spokane to receive this honor.

Today, people facing cancer have more options than ever before. And at Providence Cancer Center, they can expect their care to be well coordinated and enhanced by research, education and support, all in one location.

Still, some cancers are particularly resistant, requiring something beyond the normal regimens of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. For patients who seem to have run out of options, there is another dose of hope: a little-known service called compassionate care protocols that is helping people live longer and with better quality of life.

“It’s a win-win situation,” says Arvind Chaudhry, MD, PhD, medical director of Providence Cancer Center. “The patient gets to try a therapy at no cost and we get to contribute to research.”

You may only have begun checking the names off of shopping lists and planning for visits by your relatives,
but the holidays are approaching, ready or not.

And with enticing television ads, clever store displays and countless festivities, some of us will end up with financial, physical and emotional challenges … or even the classic “holiday blues.”

"Some simple prioritizing and organization can prevent unnecessary stress and depression for many people," says Alan Unis, MD, director of Psychiatry Services at Sacred Heart. And Kerry Scott, manager of Clinical Nutrition, adds “Adopt the motto, ‘I won’t deprive, I will just decide!’”

Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital recently presented the 2007 Sister Peter Claver Award to Sam Selinger, MD, a retired cardiac surgeon who has shown unwavering commitment to Spokane’s working poor by creating “Project Access.”

“I’m terribly honored to receive this award,” said Dr. Selinger. “Sister Peter Claver was a wonderful person and it’s really something to receive an award in her name and to be in the company of such fine people who received it in the past.”

The American Cancer Society recommends the following guidelines—the “ABCs” of breast health—for finding breast cancer early in women without symptoms:

• A screening mammogram
  
     - baseline by age 40, then yearly thereafter.
  
  
• Breast self-exam (BSE)
  
     - every month for women age 20 and over.
  
  
• Clinical breast exam
  
     - every 3 years, ages 20-39, yearly after age 40.

The Sacred Heart Women's Health Center Coach makes mammography screenings convenient by bringing them right to your neighborhood or work place. And, our specially-trained staff can help you learn how to do your BSE properly.

Anders Merg, MD, director of Surgical Oncology at Providence Cancer Center, a partnership of Holy Family Hospital and Sacred Heart Medical Center, recently received a three-year appointment by the American College of Surgeons as a Cancer Liaison Physician.

Neurosurgeons at Sacred Heart Medical Center now offer more patients a new treatment for cervical degenerative disc disease, thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA’s) approval of the Prestige Cervical Disc. Made by Medtronic, Prestige is the first artificial disc to treat this condition, one of the most common causes of neck and arm pain.

“Although fusion is a time-honored procedure, people with artificial disc replacement tend to return to their regular activities more rapidly,” says Dean Martz, MD. Martz and other neurosurgeons with Inland Neurosurgery and Spine Associates participated in national clinical trials, researching the effectiveness of the new technology.