PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center was awarded an ‘A’in the fall 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a distinction recognizing PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s achievements in protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.
The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to all general hospitals across the country and is updated every six months. It is based on a hospital’s performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.
“Providing safe, high-quality care is the cornerstone of our Mission,” said Sudhakar Karlapudi, MD, chief medical officer and chief patient safety officer for PeaceHealth’s Northwest network, which includes PeaceHealth St. Joseph. “I am very proud to work with remarkable people who, even when faced with the challenges of a pandemic, have remained steadfast in our commitment to the community. Our recognition by Leapfrog is an objective validation of the exceptional care being provided every day.”
Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
To see PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.
About PeaceHealth
PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 1,200 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
About The Leapfrog Group and Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other healthcare purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. Please visit www.leapfroggroup.org for more information on The Leapfrog Group. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade rates hospitals on how safe they are for patients. The Hospital Safety Grade represents how well the hospital protects patients from errors, injuries and infections. The Safety Grade was developed by the foremost patient safety experts in the country.
Summit Place Assisted Living, Bellingham’s premiere assisted living community, has just appointed Elizabeth Martin, RN as its new executive director. In this capacity, Elizabeth will oversee Summit Place’s day-to-day operations, including nursing, maintenance, dining services, and personnel with the goal of providing excellence in service and amenities to the residents she serves. Elizabeth assumed her new role as executive director in October 2022.
Elizabeth Martin, RN. Photo courtesy Nightingale Healthcare
“Liz is the perfect person to step into the executive director position,” said Pete Wolkin, Chief Operations Officer for Nightingale Healthcare which owns and operates Summit Place Assisted Living. “Since joining the Nightingale family nearly two years ago, she’s proven invaluable to our Summit Place team as well as all the residents residing under our roof. We look forward to watching her thrive in this new role.”
Elizabeth was most recently the Resident Care Director for Summit Place Assisted Living where she provided compassionate care and oversight of its residents, including assessing, managing health needs, communication with healthcare teams and family members, as well as supervision of the staff members providing resident care.
Elizabeth received her RN from Bellingham Technical College. She is also a certified infection preventionist.
About Summit Place Assisted Living
Located near historic Fairhaven District in Bellingham, Washington, Summit Place Assisted Living is an assisted living community that offers a true continuum of care for its residents. Family-owned and operated by Nightingale Healthcare, the community offers independent and assisted living services, complete with 24-hour skilled nursing assistance, long-term care, out-patient therapy, concierge services, and an abundance of community-oriented activities in a safe and compassionate setting. For more information, visit our website or call us at 360-734-4181.
The first Pocket Box vending machine has been attracting clients at the Grand Avenue Alehouse in downtown Bellingham. Photo courtesy Pocket Box
Just inside the front door of the Grand Avenue Ale House sits
a large, yellow vending machine. If you’re in the mood for a questionable
plastic-wrapped sandwich or a run-of-the-mill candy bar, you’re out of luck.
But if you’re looking for some art and adventure, you’ve found the right place.
This machine has come to you by way of Pocket Box, a new endeavor owned and
operated by Kari Graczyk and Chris Rapp, who intend to deliver a bit of fun and
convenience to your favorite haunts.
The couple moved from Portland, Oregon, to Bellingham in
April of 2021, and enjoy the similarities they’ve found between the two cities.
“We’ve not been here very long, but we have friends that are from here so we’ve
been visiting for a really long time,” says Kari. “We fell in love with this
place a long time ago.”
While they lived in their former home, the discovery of
similar vending machines planted an idea in Kari’s head. “When Kari first moved
to Portland there were just a couple of places that had vending machines with
weird, kitschy stuff in them,” says Chris. “Whether it be zines that some local
artist had drawn up, VHS tapes, He-Man toys — just really random, cool, weird
things.”
It didn’t take long for the unusual business with its
unusual treats to make a lasting impression on Kari. “It kind of became my
obsession,” she says. “They were in taverns and bars, and all sorts of different
venues around town, and then as the years went by they were increasing. When
friends from out of town would come into town, I would specifically take them
to those places so we could check out the machines.”
Kari Graczyk caught the creative vending fever in Portland, and quit her job to follow her dream in Bellingham. Photo courtesy Pocket Box
After settling into life in Bellingham, it became clear
that Kari had the creative vending bug. She soon quit her job and began the
unusual search for a vending machine of her own. “There was a lot of staring at
Facebook and Craigslist marketplaces, and phone calls to every vending company
we could find,” she says. A friend found the first one the couple purchased. “We
scrambled to figure out how to move an 800-pound machine and put it in our tiny
storage unit.”
As COVID restrictions eased and businesses started to open
up again, the couple made the rounds, and decided to focus on the Grand for
their first placement. “Selling the brand is really hard when you can’t see it.
People just hear vending machine and they’ll say, ‘Yeah, we have a snack
machine,’” Kari says. “Then we say, ‘That’s not what we’re thinking; we are an
extraordinary vending machine company.’”
Chances are good that a mystery bag full of goodies from the ’90s will keep you and your friends entertained for an evening. Photo courtesy Pocket Box
The couple describe the stock in the machine at the Grand
as a mix of convenience items, nostalgia, and mystery. “You can find a lighter
in there, gum, Tums, chapstick,” says Kari. But some of the convenience items
might seem a little less obvious. “You can find condoms and pregnancy tests. We
keep selling out of pregnancy tests, but we haven’t sold a single condom. We
thought of it as kind of a joke, and then we walk in and they’re just gone.”
And from there, things just get weirder. “Right now, we
have a lot of books that sell really well, which is great,” Kari says, “and
then there are mystery bags of ’90s nostalgia and mystery socks.”
Chris Rapp shows off the “capsule machine” that has been known to make appearances at public events around town. Photo courtesy Pocket Box
Not only are the bags of 1990s memorabilia a good seller, but
they also helped convince the owner of the Grand to host the first Pocket Box. “The
idea behind the mystery bags is that when you get something out of the machine,
you go back to your table and sit down with your friends and bust it open,”
says Chris. “You put everything out on the table and play around, have some fun.
Everybody has something to talk about and something to do that’s a little more
interactive, instead of falling back into looking down at our phones. If we can
get people to read a book or have a conversation with somebody about a silly
little toy that we put into a bag that’s a win for all of us.”
In addition to useful items and fun distractions, Pocket
Box is also working toward adding artwork to their offerings. “Kari has worked
to get a group of artists into the machines, and their friends and fellow
artists have really helped support us a lot,” Chris says. “That’s another
aspect that business owners are interested in, because we’re doing this for
arts in the community, too.”
Pup Pocket is credited with being the inspiration behind Rapp and Graczyk’s shenanigans, so they named their business after him. Photo courtesy Pocket Box
As Pocket Box offer more goods in more places, Kari and Chris
are mindful of the opportunity to continue surprising clientele with new items
tailored to each location. “We have three refurbished machines sitting in our
workshop and have a location for our next machines: in Black Sheep on
Holly Street, and in Rumors on
Railroad,” says Chris. “Once we get into other locations, then you could see a
completely different variety of artists and fun stuff in the machine. It won’t
be the same in every spot.”
They hope to have all three machines placed before the year
is over, as well as a website allowing them to communicate with artists more
easily, since any art needs to be a certain size and a certain weight, as well
as in a certain kind of packaging. “Right now we’re encouraging people to
message us on Instagram or Facebook, or
by email,”
Kari says, “because soon we’ll have other machines set up.”
Back row, left to right: Krista Jones, Kurt Kvamme, Whitney Tjoelker, Steve Gray, Kelsea Lagerwey, Chad Nickisch, Teresa Flinn. Front row, left to right: Jennifer Spoelstra, Sidney Stonecypher, Gina Walsh, Heidi Kenerson. Photo courtesy Peoples Bank
With more than 100 years in the
community, Peoples Bank has seen its share of market ups and downs. The recent interest
rate hikes have challenged borrowing in a way not seen for many years. Dedicated
to a higher level of service, the Peoples Bank mortgage lending team is
committed to serving Whatcom County today and for years to come.
Peoples Bank’s Jennifer Evans Thompson,
Director of Mortgage Banking, and Gina Walsh, Real Estate Local Production
Manager, discuss how their lenders provide expertise and one-on-one customer
support in each of the communities they serve while reassuring these
communities that they are here to stay.
“We’re not going anywhere,” says Jennifer.
“Our doors aren’t going to shut because the mortgage market is volatile. Our lending
team is stable and can weather changes in the market because it has the backing
of Peoples Bank.”
Locally owned and operated, Peoples
Bank is known for its “people first” commitment. “Our lenders are caring and
professional. They genuinely have the customer’s best interests in mind because
they want them to succeed,” explains Jennifer. “We work together as a team to deliver
a positive experience to our customers.”
It’s not every team that can claim to
have a legacy of experience to rival the Bank’s own history. Together, the nine
lenders on the Whatcom County real estate lending team have a combined 186
years of experience.
This experience also enables People
Bank to maintain its loan servicing in-house. Loans remain at the Bank and will
not be sold unless requested. Borrowers can have their payments taken directly
out of their account, or they can come into any branch to make a payment. If a customer
has a question about their loan, the team is on-site and available to work with
them.
Gina emphasizes that the Bank is
focused on creating relationships for the long term. “Peoples Bank offers a
full-service financial relationship that covers every aspect of life. We might
have your checking account, as well as a checking account for your teen and a credit
card for when they go off to college. If you own a business, we have business
banking and the ability to find a commercial loan. When you’re ready to buy a
home, our mortgage lending team is here to assist.”
The mortgage lending team is also
unique in that several members have been promoted from within the Bank. Those
with retail experience have a much broader snapshot of what’s going on in a
customer’s life. With that perspective, for example, they might put together a
deal in a different way because they have the insight to set up a loan for
success.
The commitment to Whatcom County spreads
beyond the Bank’s doors into the community. Every member of the real estate
lending team volunteers locally, with strong support from the Bank. They
participate in Feed the Hungry events, volunteer with local veterans’ groups,
and assist adults with disabilities and older adults. They serve on the boards
of nonprofits and with local advisory groups. Gina, who volunteers with the
Anacortes Family Center, appreciates that the Bank offers paid time off for
volunteering.
Peoples Bank and its mortgage lending
team remain committed to its customers and communities, regardless of market
conditions. “We’ve been around for more than 100 years,” says Jennifer. “We’ve
been in a down market before. Not only do we know how to survive that kind of
market – or any type of market –but we know how to do it and stay strong.”
Back row, left to right: Krista Jones, Kurt Kvamme, Whitney Tjoelker, Steve Gray, Kelsea Lagerwey, Chad Nickisch, Teresa Flinn. Front row, left to right: Jennifer Spoelstra, Sidney Stonecypher, Gina Walsh, Heidi Kenerson. Photo courtesy Peoples Bank
The WDRC’s Safe Spaces Program was created to provide another access point for community members to make a complaint due to concerns about the City of Bellingham’s services, or their experience interacting with or within the City of Bellingham. In recognition that barriers to direct communication between community members and the City of Bellingham do exist, the program provides an avenue for those who feel unable, unwilling, or previously unsuccessful in bringing their complaint directly to the City of Bellingham. The program is intended to supplement (not replace) the existing complaint programs within City of Bellingham departments.
The safe spaces project provides an accessible, neutral, intake service that receives, honors, and captures community members’ concerns through active listening, documentation, and referral to the City of Bellingham. *translation services available
The program will serve to:
Create a space for community members to be heard;
Support the resolution of concerns by helping community members’ voices and experiences to be acknowledged;
Strengthen communication and feedback between community members and City of Bellingham staff;
Bolster public confidence and trust in the program and the City of Bellingham’s response to complaints;
Provide information that can be used by the City of Bellingham to deliver quality improvements in services.
How do I submit a complaint or concern? Community members can submit their complaints or concerns regarding the City of Bellingham in a variety of ways. Please choose whatever is best for you by:
Email:safespaces@whatcomdrc.org Telephone: 360-676-0122 ext. 123 Online: Scroll down to submit a complaint online U.S. Mail*:
Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center Attn: Safe Spaces 206 Prospect Street Bellingham, WA 98225
When a complaint is filed, a WDRC case manager will follow up with you to fully understand your concern, and to clarify what information you would like to include in the complaint referral form, which will be forwarded to the City of Bellingham.
If we are unable to reach you to check in, we will remove all identifying information and share the remaining information with the City of Bellingham as an anonymous complaint.
Please note that when concerns are forwarded to the City, they become a public record.
Can I submit an anonymous complaint? Individuals may choose to have their complaints documented anonymously. Basic information within anonymous complaints will still be relayed to the City of Bellingham; including details surrounding the complaint, date, time, and relevant City of Bellingham departments and/or personnel.
You may use the form found near the bottom of this page to file a complaint anonymously. However, that may limit the City of Bellingham’s ability to respond to your complaint. We encourage you to provide as much information as you feel comfortable. A case manager will try to reach you to better understand what information you want shared with the City. If we are unable to reach you to check in, we will remove all identifying information and share the remaining information with the City of Bellingham as an anonymous complaint.
Local artisans K&K Creations soap bars offer a variety of relaxing fragrances. Photo courtesy 7 Elements
This year marks the first holiday season for Birch Bay’s 7
Elements Wellness Spa. In celebration of this festive time of year, the spa has
rolled out two months’ worth of goodies and gifts for their clients. Operations
Manager Emma Winningham sat down with WhatcomTalk to talk about fabulous
holiday shopping deals and what guests can look forward to as 7 Elements closes
in on its one-year anniversary.
November Specials
“In November, we’re doing a special where you can buy a
gift card and earn a gift basket worth 20% of your gift card’s value, totally
for free,” says Winningham. “It’s a good time to come in and get a gift card
and also get a little physical gift to go along with it if you want to do
that.”
7 Elements has a wide variety of quality skincare and wellness products, including their white labeled Handmade La Conner line. Photo courtesy 7 Elements
Gifting has become increasingly difficult, with an
overabundance of choices and uncertainty. 7 Elements helps provide the perfect
solutions, while promoting vibrant health and wellness.
“In the gift baskets, we have a wide range of different
skincare and relaxation products as well as a whole skincare line that we got
white labeled by Handmade La Conner,” Winningham says. “We have face wash,
serum, a toner, a couple of different moisturizers and, of course, we carry our
Image skincare line — the professional line we use in all of our facials. We
have different mixes of face washes and masks, serums, and moisturizers, all
targeted at different skin concerns.”
Local artisans K&K Creations soap bars offer a variety of relaxing fragrances. Photo courtesy 7 Elements
The assorted array of lush skincare products is available
to mix and match for gift baskets, including some hyperlocal products and
non-skincare goodies. “We have some other small items, like soaps and bath
salts, as well as body scrubs, that are made by a pair of sisters in Birch
Bay,” says Winningham. “We were able to stay really local with those and we
also carry some candles, too.”
December Promotions and Customer Appreciation
Event
“In December, we’re doing a different promo,” Winningham
continues. “If you spend $200 on retail, you get any 60-minute service for
free.” The idea is to help customers with last-minute gift ideas while
encouraging them to enjoy a 7 Elements service for themselves.
Grey Cat Gardens candles and local artisanal bath salts are some of the choices when building a gift basket for November’s promotion. Photo courtesy 7 Elements
7 Elements also wishes to thank its regulars and members
for helping them have a successful first year and the holidays are a perfect
time for such an occasion.
“In December, we’re going to have a thank you event for
some of our regulars and our members,” says Winningham. “It’s going to be our
first try at a members-only event. We might do more of those in the future.
We’re really trying to say thank you to the people who have been with us from
the beginning.”
Favorite Services
While visiting the gorgeous spa, don’t forget to check out
some of their most requested services.
“Our pedicures are really popular, both the basic pedicure
and the hydrating pedicure,” Winningham says. “The hydrating pedicure has hot
towels, a scrub, and finishing oil. Pedicures have always been really popular.
Our massage styles will battle each other for what is currently the most
popular, but it’s been the Swedish massage in the past month. Our signature
facial is also really great.”
Buy a gift card to 7 Elements Wellness Spa and give your loved ones a choice of many incredible services. Photo courtesy 7 Elements
Amid a comprehensive collection of wonderful services, 7
Elements also offers the expertise of an esthetician, providing trendy wellness
procedures like microdermabrasion, an exfoliating skincare experience that
leaves your face glowing.
“This is definitely not set in stone yet and we’re kind of
talking with our esthetician about different services she could add on like
brow or maybe lashes,” says Winningham. “We haven’t really settled on anything
yet, but that would probably be the next area to look at. We would love to know
what people are interested in.”
Visit 7 Elements Wellness Spa and make holiday shopping easy and fulfilling for everyone on your list with their spectacular seasonal deals, going on now through December. For specific gift ideas, please check out their holiday shopping guide.
Dr. Christine Monroe saw a huge backlog in services and decided to focus on helping. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
If you’re a longtime pet owner or became one recently, you’ve probably found that it’s not easy to see a veterinarian. Some clinics have wait times of a few months, and some have stopped taking new clients altogether. With this in mind, Dr. Christine Monroe has opened Spay Neuter Northwest (SNNW) in Ferndale to offer spay neuter services for dogs and cats, along with vaccinations, flea and deworming treatments, and microchip placement available on the day of surgery.
Originally from a small town in Michigan, Monroe graduated
from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. She
moved to Ferndale in 1998 and has been busy improving the lives of our four-legged
friends ever since. During her six years as the shelter veterinarian, Dr.
Monroe started the Whatcom Humane Society veterinary program, which still
exists today. She also worked for years as a co-owner and veterinarian at
Maplewood Animal Hospital in Bellingham.
In 2018, Monroe left private practice and developed an
innovative way to care for area animals. Rescue Pet Vet (RPV) is a mobile
veterinary trailer that services nonprofit shelters and dog and cat rescues.
Dr. Christine Monroe (left) and Veterinary Assistant Adrian Hoare examine a recent patient. Pet owners can get many of their questions answered by visiting SNNW’s Facebook page, which is viewable even without an account. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
“Then the pandemic occurred, which meant that all of the
sudden people were willing to come to me, so the mobile part kind of shut
down,” says Monroe. “RPV is still providing services, and we have become more
stationary, but we’ll always have the capability of being mobile.”
Pet owners have also seen the pandemic’s effect on the
world of veterinary medicine in a variety of other ways. Most clinics shut down
elective spay neuter surgeries. “Animal ownership increased because people were
home [and ] thought, ‘we can get a puppy, we can get a kitten, we can spend
time with them,’” Monroe says.
At the same time, things were also changing inside the
veterinary clinics. Many employees, including ancillary staff and
veterinarians, stopped working during the pandemic, leaving many clinics with
staff shortages. That led to clients having difficulty getting veterinary care
in even the most basic forms, leaving a national backlog of around three
million spays and neuters.
Shelley Croy is who usually greets four-legged clients when they arrive, and then sends them home with medicine, medical care information, and a treat. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
In 2022, Monroe decided she could help ease that burden by
creating Spay Neuter Northwest, a clinic that would focus on one aspect of
care: spaying and neutering. “Not necessarily a huge volume, but high enough
and with consistency,” she says. “That’s all we do. And because my overhead
costs are less, I can bring down the price point. Our goal is to provide
quality care for an affordable price.”
As part of SNNW’s service, Monroe wants to be able to offer
services to those that need financial support; but as a veterinarian, she
doesn’t want to be screening applicants and producing fundraisers. “So I’ve partnered
with select local rescue groups who provide financial assistance in the form of
vouchers for those who qualify,” she says. “Our voucher
program is proving to be very successful.”
When clients arrive at the clinic, the first person they
usually see is Office Manager Shelby Croy, who has been working with pets — and
with Monroe — for years. “We met on a football field when our kids were playing
together over 10 years ago,” Croy says. The two worked at Maplewood Animal
Hospital together, and after ten-and-a-half years, Croy left to start a business
with her husband. The two stayed in touch and it wasn’t long before Croy
learned about SNNW and signed on to the team.
Adrian Hoare got his first experience in shelters, and now concentrates on helping young animals get a healthy start. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
Because the clinic is small, Croy usually greets clients
outside of the building. “In the mornings I set up our sandwich board and cones
outside, so people know where to park. Clients text that they have arrived, I
go out to greet them, verify the services that they need, and then bring their
pets into the clinic,” she says. “Throughout the day I prep the patient’s
goodie bags with a toy, aftercare instructions, a summary treatment sheet and
post op medications, and contact them with a pickup time. When they return, I
go out with their goodie bag and go over everything with them, take their pets
to them, and then send them on their way.”
The staff also includes Veterinary Assistant Adrian Hoare,
who worked at the Skagit Humane Society when RPV began weekly visits. He assisted
Monroe once a week for a year before she brought him on first at RPV, and then
at SNNW, as well. Hoare values being surrounded by new pet owners who are
taking positive steps to insure a healthy future for their animals.
Finally, Clinic Assistant Rhonda Shaffer acts as RPV’s
feral cat coordinator, and assists with tasks from cleaning instruments to
monitoring recovering cats and dogs.
Monroe recommends that people visit the Spay Neuter
Northwest Facebook page,
where the pinned post at the top of the page shows information including
policies, prices, financial assistance, and the link to schedule an
appointment. Clients will be able to visit the SNNW website as soon as it is
completed.
Several weeks of holiday activities begins this week with the first of our Winterfest Events On Friday, November 18. The Fairhaven Association will host both the Winter Art Walk and the Winterfest Kick off and Silent Auction. Make the “HUB” located at 1106 Harris Street your first stop; pick up an Art Walk map, bid on 20+ silent auction items provided by local merchants, and make sure to bring your camera — a whimsical holiday backdrop will be set up for all to enjoy.
The silent auction begins at 4 p.m. and closes at 7 p.m., the Art Walk with 18 “stops” will take place from 4:30–7:30 p.m.
Week 2 brings us the traditional events we all love.
November 26th will be a full day on the Fairhaven Village Green. The Winter Market will host 19 vendors + a few of our neighbors starting at noon. Entertainment will take place throughout the day culminating with the lighting of the Village Tree at 5 p.m. Father Christmas makes his first of four Saturday appearances from noon–3 p.m. and FREE carriage rides will be offered, too.
Make sure the kiddos drop off their letters to Santa — the mailbox will be on the Green from November 26–December 17.
Do you love to sing? A fan favorite, the FA LA LA CAROLING CONTEST will take place on December 17.
Gather your friends, family members, students, community choirs, glee clubs and any group who loves to sing and perform on the festive streets of Fairhaven Village.
Since 1997, Care Medical
Group has provided Whatcom County with high-quality urgent and primary care.
Now a multi-specialty clinic, CMG has expanded into physical therapy and occupational
medicine through current owner and medical director Dr. Richard Wei’s expertise
in the area.
“In medical school, Dr. Richard Wei developed an interest
in occupational medicine,” says Occupational Lead MA Katie Petterson. He pursued
a fellowship in the specialty at the University of Illinois and was then able
to establish two occupational medicine clinics in New Orleans. “Unfortunately,
in 2005 these two clinics were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, which led Dr.
Wei to Bellingham, an area where he felt his expertise could be utilized.” CMG now
serves and meets the needs of over 200 employers in our region.
Katie Petterson is the Occupational Lead Medical Assistant in charge of Care Medical Group’s Occupational Medicine department. Photo credit: Care Medical Group
“The Occupational
Medicine department provides services that help to ensure workers are
healthy and properly equipped to perform their job safely,” says Petterson. “This
includes pre-employment, annual and asbestos physical exams, drug and alcohol
testing, and a variety of X-rays and blood tests. We provide onsite services
for many of these things.”
Serving Whatcom’s Employers
Staying in compliance with workplace health and safety
codes not only protects employees, but also employers. CMG’s Occupational
Medicine department serves a diverse range of industries that employ manual
labor.
Care Medical Group expanded its service hours at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing onsite testing. Photo credit: Care Medical Group
“We work with many different clients throughout the
community,” says Petterson. “This includes fire and police departments, refineries,
construction and manufacturing companies, and CDL holders throughout the
county.”
The Occupational Medicine department works with employers
on a regular basis and provides ongoing services to employees to address health
and working conditions as they arise.
“Making a connection and building a good relationship with
these clients is something we strive to execute,” Petterson says. “This is
especially important so we can better understand all their needs and help make
sure we’re providing the services they need for their employees to stay safe on
the job.”
Care Medical Group’s clinic is located at 4043 Northwest Avenue. Photo credit: Care Medical Group
Employers can sign up with the Occupational Medicine
department by calling 360.734.4300 extension 4, visiting the clinic, or emailing
Patterson at kepetterson@hinet.org. “I’d
love to answer any questions that you have about getting an account set up with
us,” says Petterson.
Serving Whatcom’s Employees
Workplace health and safety for the employee is the Occupational
Medicine department’s top priority. Employees who need medical attention can
trust the department’s Medical Assistants to provide high-quality and
comprehensive care.
To meet OSHA and WISHA compliance, the department offers
comprehensive testing, medical exams, and screenings, such as the Titanium Respiratory Questionnaire, to ensure workers are able to safely perform their jobs.
The Occupational Medicine department treats workplace illnesses and injuries in addition to screenings that ensure employee wellbeing and OSHA compliance. Photo credit: Care Medical Group
“The most important part of occupational medicine is having
expertise and knowledge and applying OSHA standards to ensure a healthy workforce,”
Petterson says. “This is accomplished by using job analysis, work capacity
evaluations, physicals, lab work, pulmonary function testing, audiograms, blood
and asbestos testing, drug and alcohol testing, and fit testing.”
“Certain services are offered on a walk-in basis, like DOT
physicals, drug and alcohol testing, hearing tests, and respiratory fit tests.”
says Petterson. “We like to ensure that all of our clients are happy working
with us, so we ensure timely responses and results from physicals and other
testing. We also offer additional services such as physical therapy, urgent care,
and primary care,”“
Serving Whatcom’s Community
CMG receives most of its clients by word of mouth. The Occupational
Medicine department’s network of companies regularly connect employees and
business partners with their services.
“One of my favorite things about occupational medicine is
seeing all the companies we provide services for out and about doing various
jobs,” Petterson says. “Whether they’re the firetruck or ambulance that you
drive by, , or City of Bellingham working to keep our parks looking nice.”
“We even had a local business and client of ours, RAM Construction, build our new
clinic in 2020,” says Petterson. “It’s rewarding to be able to directly see the
work we do and the impact it holds on Bellingham and the surrounding areas.”
Care Medical Group’s team of Medical Assistants in the Occupational Medicine department build lasting relationships with local businesses. Photo credit: Care Medical Group
Care Medical Group’s variety of services and extended hours
makes it convenient for patients to access a thorough treatment plan that works
around their schedule.
“We can usually schedule patients one to two days out, so
we have openings to get more patients in for any additional services that are needed,”
Petterson says. “Our goal is to continue to provide excellent quality and
occupational medicine services to the local business communities.”
Care Medical Group is located at 4043 Northwest Avenue and is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 7p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on occupational medicine, you can visit their website, www.caremg.com, call 360.734.4300 and dial extension 4, or email Petterson at kepetterson@hinet.org.
The interpretive signs at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal overlook the harbor where their histories transpired and continue. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Since originating as four towns over 100 years ago,
Bellingham has developed a storied history. Many such stories are documented by
historical markers: signs, stones, and plaques posted where formative events
took place. The Historical Marker Database,
a prominent online reference guide, has nearly 30 entries in Bellingham.
Touring Bellingham’s historical markers reveals different
areas’ personalities. Readers can rediscover pioneer pride at the northern city
limits, commercial buzz downtown, and wild west charm and maritime industry in
Fairhaven.
North Bellingham
The State Parks Commission erected one of Bellingham’s
largest historical signs at Telegraph Road by the Guide Meridian. The sign
describes how “Old Telegraph Road” originated along an 1865-1867 telegraph line
leading northward to Alaska and British Columbia. Western Union Telegraph
Company planned to “connect New York with London via the Bering Strait Cable”
through Russia but quickly replaced this line with other services.
The “Old Telegraph Road” sign itself is an out-of-place relic in a developed metropolitan area. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Above Whatcom Creek on Dupont Street, the Daughters of the
American Revolution’s sign for Pickett Bridge reads: “First built in 1857 as a
Military Bridge by Captain George E. Pickett.” This U.S. Army Captain and later
Confederate Army General built Bellingham’s oldest building at 910 Bancroft
Street in 1856. The Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington run Pickett House
as a museum today.
Washington Territorial Courthouse (1308 E Street) has
markers commemorating its status as Washington’s oldest brick building. The
1858 structure, built from Philadelphia bricks during the Fraser River Gold
Rush, started as T.G. Richards and Company Store and became a courthouse from 1863
to 1891.
One sign commemorates the Dawn Redwood at Whatcom County
Courthouse (311 Grand Avenue). This tree is one of the largest living specimens
in the country, planted with seeds from China. Horticulturists believed the
prehistoric species to be extinct until finding living specimens there.
Downtown Bellingham
The City of Bellingham has installed “City Info” kiosks downtown. One between West Champion Street and Bay Street describes the history of the downtown commercial hub and performance theater. In 1905, Bellingham’s commercial hub hosted over 300 businesses — including antiquated trades such as “bazaars, dyeworks, haberdashers and bottling works.” Bellingham’s early performance theaters included opera houses, vaudeville shows, and multiple other entertainment houses. Only Mount Baker Theatre and Bellingham Theatre Guild survive today.
The “City Info” kiosks downtown also double as bulletin boards for current event flyers. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
The kiosk at Cornwall Avenue by East Holly Street describes Bellingham’s streetcars and Tulip Festival. From 1891 through 1938, Bellingham’s streetcar system would span 14 miles through the waterfronts and neighborhoods until discontinuation. Bellingham’s Tulip Festival took place throughout the 1920s, attracting over 60,000 visitors to parades and fields of over 100,000 bulbs planted per year. The 1929 stock market crash ended festivities until 1947 brought the Blossom Time Parade, which now commemorates Ski to Sea.
At East Magnolia Avenue and Railroad Avenue, a kiosk
describes Bellingham Public Market and the Great Water Fight. Bellingham Public
Market started in 1909, attracting merchants from the San Juan islands and
stimulating the commercial district’s growth around it for decades. The “Great
Water Fight” was a welcoming celebration gone awry for the Canadian Pacific
Railway in 1891. Rival firefighters tasked with creating a water arch instead
sprayed each other, drenching passengers and Bellingham’s hopes for a
transcontinental railroad terminus.
Fairhaven
Fairhaven has over
50 historical markers along Harris Avenue. Publisher and historian Tyrone
Tillson started installing these stone plaques with a community grant for
Fairhaven Historic Association in 1988. These commemorate regional history from
2,800 years ago to the 1900s. The Historical Marker Database documents the
markers on Mark Twain’s 1895 visit, the 1905 counterfeiters’ hideout, and the
1890 town pillory.
Many of the Tyrone Tillson markers in Fairhaven have fallen in disrepair, while newer ones have QR codes. Most of them cover sensational events in the town’s early history. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Other markers commemorate local benefactors. The Judson Plaza
is dedicated to Phoebe Goodell Judson, the “Mother of Lynden” who named it in
1871. A bust of Charles X. Larrabee in McKenzie Alley describes his many
donations and business ventures. He deeded the land for Fairhaven Library in
1904, commemorated with its own 2004 centennial plaque by Friends of Fairhaven
Library.
The Port of Bellingham displays many interpretive signs at Bellingham Cruise Terminal (355 Harris Avenue). These describe early Bellingham Bay and Fairhaven, original Lummi inhabitants, Pacific American Fisheries, Commercial Point shipyard, Northwest Shipbuilding Company, and the Schooner Zodiac. Pacific American Fisheries, once the world’s largest salmon cannery, operated from 1899 to 1966 — building Commercial Point Shipyard in 1916 and leasing it to Northwest Shipbuilding Company in 1942 to 1944. The Schooner Zodiac is a 1924 vessel that visitors can still book for a sail today.
Outside the ferry terminal, Port and Bellingham Railway Museum signs
commemorate Fairhaven’s former Great Northern Railway station and living 1909
empress tree from Pacific American Fisheries. Other Railway Museum markers
describe the Puget Sound Sawmills and Shingle Company (Harris and 8th) and
Fairhaven Canning Company, source of the “tin rock” at present-day Boulevard
Park. City signs describe how community efforts and Parks and Recreation
Department director Byron Elmendorf helped build Boulevard Park by 1980.
Bellingham Railway Museum closed in 2020, but its “Rails to Trails” markers with QR codes survive. This one stands outside the Pacific American Fisheries empress tree: a gift from Chinese labor contractor Goon Dip to cannery owner E.B. Deming and one of the oldest specimens alive in the country. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
The “Daylighting Padden Creek” sign on Old Fairhaven
Parkway near 20th Street describes how the City of Bellingham rerouted the
creek in 2015. It had been diverted underground in the 1890s to accommodate the
Great Northern Railroad, which never arrived.
Many more historical markers await discovery in Bellingham’s
significant buildings and parks.
Kevin Wiebe is a Ferndale native. Although he graduated from Ferndale High School, he admits he wasn't a model student. His teachers and administrators...
