Faculty and Staff Wellness Program honored at Seattle event

Western Today staff

March 5, 2013

The Western Washington University Faculty & Staff Wellness Program won a silver award in the Outstanding Wellness Program category at the annual Leaders in Health Care Awards from Seattle Business magazine.

The magazine honored 25 of Washington state’s health care innovators, CEOs, hospitals and other organizations at the event Thursday, Feb. 28.

Sponsored by Seattle University’s Albers School of Business & Economics Health Leadership Executive MBA program, Comcast Business Class, Group Health, Philips Healthcare and Salal Credit Union, the event attracted an audience of 300 to the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle.

Keynote speaker and Lifetime Achievement honoree Margaret Stanley, chair of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, shared her top five wishes for the future of health care in Washington state:

  • Successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act and bringing health care coverage to the uninsured.
  • Providing completely transparent information on the cost and quality of health care.
  • Picking up the pace of change, particularly in implementing sensible ways to control costs.
  • Improving attention to seriously ill patients so their goals for quality of life and end of life care are honored.
  • Continuing the spirit of collaboration to improve the health care system in the future.

Leslie Helm, editor of Seattle Business magazine, called the choice of Stanley for a Lifetime Achievement honor a brilliant decision by the independent panel of five judges who determined the recipients of this year’s awards.

“If there is a theme to Margaret Stanley’s career,” he said, “it would be how to make our health care system function more efficiently and more compassionately. She is an outstanding standard bearer for this year’s stellar class of honorees in the Leaders in Health Care Awards.”

The top award winners of the night were:

Lifetime Achievement: Margaret Stanley, Washington Health Benefit Exchange | Seattle

MEDICAL RESEARCH

  • Winner: Dr. Rainer Storb, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance | Seattle
  • Silver Award: Dr. William Catterall, UW Medicine | Seattle
  • Silver Award: Dr. Paul O’Donnell, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance | Seattle

INNOVATION IN MEDICAL DEVICES

  • Winner: Mobisante Inc. | Redmond
  • Silver Award: Advanced Medical Isotope Corporation | Kennewick
  • Silver Award: Impel NeuroPharma | Seattle

INNOVATION IN BIOPHARMACEUTICALS

  • Winner: Alder Biopharmaceuticals | Bothell
  • Silver Award: OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals | Bothell
  • Silver Award: Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation | Seattle

GLOBAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS

  • Winner: Infectious Disease Research Institute | Seattle
  • Silver Award: SIGN Fracture Care International | Richland
  • Silver Award: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington | Seattle

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

  • Winner: Pioneer Square Clinic, a component of Harborview Medical Center | Seattle
  • Silver Award: YMCA of Greater Seattle | Seattle
  • Silver Award: Asian Counseling and Referral Service | Seattle

OUTSTANDING WELLNESS PROGRAM

  • Winner: King County | Seattle
  • Silver Award: Western Washington University Faculty & Staff Wellness Program | Bellingham
  • Silver Award: Swedish Wellness Works | Seattle

OUTSTANDING HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER

  • Winner: Dr. Robert Thompson, Valley Medical Center and Renton RotaCare Clinic | Renton
  • Silver Award: Dr. Jane Dimer, Group Health Cooperative | Seattle
  • Silver Award: Dr. Anthony Back, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | Seattle

OUTSTANDING HEALTH CARE EXECUTIVE

  • Winner: Mark Secord, Neighborcare Health | Seattle
  • Silver Award: Scott Bosch, Harrison Medical Center | Bremerton
  • Silver Award: Norm Hubbard, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance | Seattle