Physicians Replace Heart Valve with New Minimally-Invasive Procedure

Yesterday, physicians at Overlake Medical Center replaced a valve in the heart of an 87-year-old man using a game-changing, minimally invasive procedure. 

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a procedure that uses a catheter to replace a patient’s aortic valve with an artificial valve that greatly improves the ability of the patient’s heart to regulate the flow of blood.  The procedure is a less-invasive alternative for patients with severe stenosis of the aortic valve who, as such, are not suitable candidates for traditional surgery.   Aortic stenosis is the narrowing of the aortic valve – usually caused by calcium build up or scarring – that restricts blood flow through the heart, sometimes resulting in heart failure.

Doctors from Group Health and Overlake Medical Center’s Heart Team demonstrated the procedure for members of the media yesterday – check out the Bellevue Reporter's story and coverage on Q13  below!

Overlake is the only hospital on the Eastside, and one of only four hospitals in the state, to provide the TAVR procedure.  Because there aren't any other treatment options for patients with severe or critical aortic valve stenosis, this procedure offers new hope to patients and their family members.

“Before TAVR, patients diagnosed with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who were not surgical candidates carried a mortality rate as high as 50 percent at two years,” said Scott J. Haugen, MD, Interventional Cardiologist at Group Health Bellevue Medical Center and co-medical director of the TAVR program at Overlake Medical Center.  “In a clinical trial, TAVR reduced mortality in the same patient population by greater than 20 percent.  For the first time, we have the opportunity for Overlake and Group Health to not only help improve those patients’ length of life, but also their quality of life.”

Patients interested in learning more about the TAVR procedure should contact the Overlake Valve Clinic at 1.855.895.VALV (8258) or visit www.overlakehospital.org/TAVR.  More information about Group Health cardiology is available at http://www.ghinnovates.org/?p=5242 and https://www1.ghc.org/html/public/specialties/cardiology/.

Overlake Hosts 54th Annual Bandage Ball

Mark your calendars!  Overlake Medical Center Foundation & Auxiliaries will host its annual Bandage Ball gala and auction on Saturday, March 29 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.  Proceeds from this year's event will go toward the establishment of a new cancer center.

The Bandage Ball marks the official kick off of the Overlake Foundation & Auxiliaries' $10 million campaign to raise critical funding for the $15 million facility.  In a statement issued last week, Overlake's Vice President of Fund Development and Executive Director of the Foundation and Auxiliaries Molly Stearns said, "The Bandage Ball represents an opportunity to expand and heighten the level of care Overlake provides its patients.  We're committed to providing the Eastside with the highest caliber of care available, and the funds raised at this year's event will allow us to continue to do just that."

One of the Eastside's premier social events, the Bandage Ball is expected to gather more than 800 community leaders in support of Overlake and its new cancer center.  First held in 1960 to celebrate the opening of Overlake Hospital, the Bandage Ball has raised more than $10 million in the last 16 years.  Last year's even alone raise $1.1 million for the David and Shelley Hovind Heart and Vascular Center.

Patty Edwards (at podium) and David and Shelley Hovind at last year's Bandage Ball.  Edwards announced she planned to donate an additional $250,000 to the David and Shelley Hovind Heart and Vascular Center.

This year's event will feature auctioneer Mark Schenfeld from Stokes Auction Group, and be emceed by local media personality and Puget Sound Business Journal columnist Patti Payne.  The event includes dinner, dancing and an auction featuring items such as trips to Tuscany, Maui, and a private chef's dinner at the Columbia Tower Club.  Tickets are $300 per person, $3,000 for a table of 10.

Interested in attending or volunteering for the event? Contact Jennifer Fischer at 425.688.5526 or events@overlakehospital.org.

WGU Washington Adds New Master's Program

Adding to its already expansive list of degree offerings, WGU Washington announced yesterday it has launched a new master’s degree program in its College of Business.  The online university is now offering students the opportunity to earn a Master’s in Management and Leadership.

“We’re pleased to be adding this new program,” WGU Washington Chancellor Jean Floten said in a statement yesterday.  “WGU Washington is committed to equipping its students to excel in the workplace, and the addition of the Master’s in Management and Leadership represents yet another way we can help not only our students, but their future employers as well.”

The M.S. in Management and Leadership is designed for business professionals who wish to expand their career opportunities or improve their job performance by honing their ability to be effective leaders and managers, whether they aspire to enter management or are already in a management role.  Courses will cover team leadership, data-driven decision making and change management and innovation.

WGU Washington is also offering scholarships to students applying to the new program.  Valued up to $2,000 each, the scholarships are $500 awards that are renewable for up to four terms.  

Interested in learning more about WGU Washington’s new Master’s in Management and Leadership?  Visit http://washington.wgu.edu/business/master_leadership_management_degree. 

WGU Graduates Earn High Ratings from Employers

100 percent of WGU graduates are prepared for their jobs, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive.

The survey, which asked employers of WGU grads about alumni’s job preparedness and performance, revealed high levels of satisfaction with WGU alumni:

• ·         96 percent of employers surveyed said WGU graduates exceeded their expectations
• ·         97 percent rated WGU graduates’ job performance as good as or better than the job performance of graduates from their colleges and universities
• ·         100 percent said the WGU graduates they hired were prepared for their jobs; 88 percent said they were very well or extremely prepared

“WGU Washington allows working adults to  earn the skills and knowledge to keep our state’s businesses competitive in the global marketplace,” said Don Brunell, former president of the Association of Washington Business and member of the Washington State Advisory Board for WGU Washington.  “The university’s model ensures its graduates are well prepared to be valuable, contributing employees.”

The unique nature of the model referenced by Brunell has allowed WGU Washington to provide an affordable alternative to traditional models of higher education.  After the passage of legislation in Olympia last spring that made WGU Washington students eligible to apply for State Need Grant funds, Washington’s only state-endorsed online university has taken off.  Hitting a record 5,000 students enrolled last fall, Washington is home to more WGU students than any other state in the country.

Want to learn more about WGU Washington’s innovative approach to higher education? Visit washington.wgu.edu. 

Tune in to KJR this Thursday and Support The Medic One Foundation

Mark your calendars!

 

Join us this Thursday, December 19 for the Medic One Foundation's fundraising radiothon at King County Fire District 34 in Redmond!  KJR Seattle Sports Radio personality Dave "Softy" Mahler will be broadcasting LIVE from the fire station between 3 and 6:30 p.m. as he works to raise awareness and much-needed money to fund research and paramedic training in the coming year.

 

The Medic One Foundation touches the lives of tens of thousands of King County residents every year, but this lifesaving work would not be possible without the support of community members like you.

Drop by, take photos with Santa, learn how to perform CPR and show your support for the Medic One Foundation and the lifesaving work it does in our communities each and every day!

Not able to join us in person? You can still show your support by logging on to www.mediconefoundation.org or www.sportsradiokjr.com, tuning in to KJR Sports Radio 950 between 3 and 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, calling (206) 744-9425 or texting the word “Medic” to 56512 to make a donation. 

 

Location:

King County Fire District 34

8450 161st Ave. NE

Redmond, WA.

 

Raisbeck Aviation High School touches down at The Museum of Flight

We have liftoff!

Yesterday, Oct. 17, Raisbeck Aviation High School (RAHS) celebrated its Grand Opening in truly impressive fashion.

The morning's festivities commenced when an Alaska Airlines 737-900ER dubbed "Spirit of Education" delivered over 100 students and honored guests to The Museum of Flight.  Among the students on the plane was RAHS junior Alyda Sorm, who, until yesterday, had never flown in an airplane (she's pictured on the right with Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden and the crew from yesterday's flight).

As they exited the plane, passengers were greeted by a crowd of nearly 600 RAHS students, alumni, parents and invited guests,
including Museum of Flight CEO Doug King.

Raisbeck Aviation High School's partnership with The Museum of Flight is part of what makes the school so unique.  The only college preparatory aviation-themed school in the country, RAHS offers students access to both The Museum's archives and exhibits, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with Museum staff and volunteers.  The high school's new location on campus at The Museum of Flight creates a space in which students need only look out the window for inspiration; imagine watching a plane take off just outside your classroom as you listen to a presentation on aerodynamics - to say it is an incredibly inspiring environment is a gross understatement.

In addition to providing access to The Museum and its resources, RAHS' new location is also in close proximity to over 200 aviation and aerospace businesses that surround Boeing Field.  Students have internships with many of the school's new neighbors, including companies like Boeing, Planetary Resources and the FAA.

Raisbeck Aviation High School is a school unlike any other - its commitment to providing the highest caliber science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to its students reflects a commitment to both cultivating the next generation of aviation and aerospace leaders and, in turn, ensuring the Puget Sound region remains competitive in STEM-related industry markets.

One of yesterday's speakers referred to RAHS as a "little school with a big engine."  Serving roughly 400 students grades 9-12, RAHS is a truly remarkable place where high schoolers come together to share their passions, study the latest developments in STEM fields and enjoy a high school experience unlike any other.

Each of the speakers in yesterday's Grand Opening program lauded RAHS Principal and CEO Reba Gilman for her vision and leadership in securing Raisbeck Aviation High School's new home.  The program included remarks from Gilman, Museum of Flight President and CEO Doug King, as well as Governor Jay Inslee, Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Ray Conner - the three of whom graduated from Highline Public Schools, the district of which RAHS is a part.

Yesterday's celebration marked the culmination of years of hard work and dedication on the part of RAHS' board, The Museum of Flight and the numerous donors who made the school's brand new $43.5 million facility possible.

We at The Keller Group are incredibly thankful to have been afforded the opportunity to work with Raisbeck Aviation High School and The Museum of Flight and cannot wait to see what RAHS students achieve in the years to come!

Welcome home, Raisbeck Aviation High School; always remember, the sky is NOT the limit!

Know where Seattle's AEDs are located? You could win $10,000!

This month, Seattleites can join in a life-saving scavenger hunt.

From Oct. 15-Nov. 15, local residents will compete to identify and report the locations of Seattle’s automatic external defibrillators (AEDs).  With cash prizes ranging from $50 to $10,000, this is definitely one scavenger hunt we’re eager to get started!

AEDs are electronic, brief-case size devices designed to allow bystanders to help someone who has collapsed as a result of cardiac arrest.  Often, cardiac arrest is due to ventricular fibrillation (VF); AEDs simplify analysis of heart rhythm so lay persons can recognize and treat VF before the arrival of emergency medical services providers.  Each device has voice and visual prompts that guide bystanders through the steps necessary to help someone with a medical emergency.

AEDs are cost-effective lifesavers that are often located in places where cardiac arrests are most likely to occur, such as airports, sports clubs and shopping malls.  There are now more than 1.2 million AEDs in public places across the United States, and roughly 180,000 more are installed each year.

But what happens if a bystander can’t locate the nearest AED during an emergency? That’s a concern the My HeartMap Seattle Challenge is hoping to address.  According to Dr. Graham Nichol, University of Washington professor of medicine and Medic One Foundation Endowed Chair for Pre-Hospital Emergency Care at UW Medicine’s Harborview Medical Center, “Our list of AED locations may be incomplete.  We are seeking the public’s help to learn where more of these devices are.”

To register to participate in My HeartMap Seattle Challenge, click here and follow the link to My HeartMap Seattle Registration.  Then, starting Oct. 15, each time you locate an AED in Seattle, report a brief description of the AED and its location on the contest website.  The team or individual that identifies the most unique AEDs will be awarded a $10,000 grand prize.  Additionally, 20 $50 prizes are available; twenty AEDs in the city of Seattle have been pre-selected as “Golden AEDs.”  Be the first to locate and report one of these specially designated devices and win $50!

Just over one week to get your team ready – on your mark, get set, go!