St. Francis of Bellingham News and Events

St. Francis of Bellingham Receives Qualis Health Recognition

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 PST

St. Francis of Bellingham, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation community in Bellingham Washington, recently received recognition for their participation in the Care Transitions Project of Whatcom County.

Stepping Stones: Bridging Healthcare Gaps (The Care Transitions Project of Whatcom County) aimed to engage the community and activate patients and healthcare providers to eliminate unnecessary readmissions to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center.

Studies across the country have demonstrated that there are potential gaps in communication and coordination when patients move from one setting or aspect of care to another resulting in patient risk and increased costs. The aim of this project was to bridge those gaps and enable safer and more effective transitions.

Click here to view the award

Heather Lewis Receives Recognition from Qualis Health

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 PST

Heather Lewis, the Director of Nursing Services for St. Francis of Bellingham - a rehabilitation community in Bellingham Washington, and part of the Avamere Family of Companies - recently received recognition for her participation in the Care Transitions Project of Whatcom County.

Click to view the award

Volunteers rake, build, paint around Whatcom County for Make a Difference Day

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 PST

Lee Langdon and her husband, Danny, met at the funeral of a friend who died of AIDS more than 20 years ago. Since then, they've lost other family and friends to the disease. So Saturday, Oct. 22, on a day that dozens around the county were volunteering as part of Make A Difference Day, they felt compelled to sign up to do yardwork at the Sean Humphrey House.

The center, at 1630 H St., currently houses six HIV/AIDS patients. Some have lived there for about a decade.

"I can't go to Africa and take care of AIDS victims," Lee said. "But I can cut some flowers and make this look a little bit better." Make A Difference Day, a nationwide volunteering event, is coordinated locally by the Whatcom Volunteer Center.

After a free breakfast at Bellingham High School, bunches of four or more volunteers fanned out to about 30 projects around the county, from Bellingham to Lynden to Acme.

Once there, they built greenhouses and play pens, raked lawns and painted houses.

At the St. Francis Center, a long-term care facility for recovering surgery patients, about a dozen volunteers put together a small greenhouse and built two raised garden beds.

What might seem like minor volunteer work means a lot at St. Francis, said Heidi Bugbee, who coordinates the children's center.
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New Piano Graciously Donated!

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 PST

The residents, staff, families, and children express our heartfelt thanks to volunteer Steve Reimer. Steve has been our wonderful piano player at lunch time in the dining room on Mondays for many years. Recently his mother Edna Reimer passed away and Steve has purchased a beautiful new cherrywood Yamaha piano for our dining room in loving memory of her. Edna loved music and touched the hearts of so many people in Bellingham, Whatcom County, and St. Francis. We are so grateful and honored to receive this gift in her name. Steve will play our new piano on Monday, July 11th at noon in the dining room…all are invited to come and hear him play it here for the first time.

Tonja Myers Receives ACHCA Facility Leadership Award

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 PST

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tonja Myers Receives ACHCA Facility Leadership Award

Alexandria, VA -- May 3, 2011 – The American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) honored Tonja Myers, , Administrator of St. Francis of Bellingham in Bellingham, WA with the 2011 American College of Health Care Administrator’s Facility Leadership Award. The leadership award was celebrated during the awards banquet at ACHCA’s Annual Convocation and Exposition in New Orleans, LA, May 2, 2011. Three hundred ninety-two were awarded leadership awards nationally, 37 of which were at the awards banquet.

Myers was one of 355 recipients who received the Facility Leadership Award with virtual recognition. This annual award recognizes administrators of nursing homes who have met superior health care standards. Selection of those receiving the award was based on reported skilled nursing facility resident data from the MDS that reflects the care and services provided. In addition to meeting stringent patient care and life safety code standards, recipient’s organizations must have an average occupancy above 90 percent, and the same administrator must have filled the role throughout the award year.

Founded in 1962, the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) is the only professional association devoted solely to meeting the professional needs of today's long-term care administrator and executive. ACHCA’s mission focuses on advancing leadership excellence in long term care through the provision of leadership education, promotion of professional advancement programs such as Fellowship and professional Certification, and facilitation of leadership development. ACHCA’s diverse membership includes administrators across the continuum of long-term care.

For more information about ACHCA, call the National Office at (202) 536-5120 or visit www.achca.org

For more information contact:

Becky Reisinger
Marketing and Business Relations Manager
American College of Health Care Administrators
breisinger@achca.org
Phone: (202) 536-5120, ext 6446