Health Care

Providence contributions topped $133 million in '13

Total included $30 million in free, discounted care

July 3, 2014

Providence Health Care, the Spokane-based nonprofit network of hospitals, physician clinics, and other health care organizations and programs, says it contributed more than $133 million last year to provide services to thousands of needy residents through

WSU students awarded research support grants

Scholars' studies target cancer, heart endurance

July 3, 2014

Katie Ross

Two Washington State University doctoral students here have been granted three years of support from the National Science Foundation to advance their respective research projects involving heart enlargement and cancer-related immune system responses, and,

Providence-Group Health joint venture advances

Partners announce name, brand for care organization

July 3, 2014

Kim Crompton

Group Health Cooperative and Providence Health Care say they have established a name-CareUnity-and a brand for an 'accountable care organizationâ€ they founded jointly in 2012, and already are starting to see some care delivery improvements as a re

Deaconess reconfirms its pick for hospital's new CEO

Oregon executive Cate slated to start in August

July 3, 2014

Staff Report

Maurine Cate has been named the new CEO of Deaconess Hospital, effective Aug. 4, after having earlier put on hold her initial acceptance of the job. Cate has served as CEO of 113-bed McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, in Springfield, Ore., since 2007.

Diagnostics lab makes yet another acquisition

Incyte acquires the assets of Seattle-based Accupath

July 3, 2014

Kim Crompton

Incyte Diagnostics, of Spokane Valley, says it has acquired the assets of Accupath Laboratory Services Inc., a one-pathologist lab in Seattle, and Accupath's former owner, Dr. Robert R. Hasselbrack, has joined Incyte, where he will be heading up a compa

A promising response

Firefighters favor smaller vehicles; city extends pilot test phase at three stations

July 3, 2014

Judith Spitzer

Pain â€¦ chest pain, back pain, and abdominal pain as well as nausea, shortness of breath, and vomiting are among the top 10 reasons firefighters are called out by 911 dispatchers to assist people in the city of Spokane, says Brian Schaeffer, assistant fi

Medical-school pilot program attracts fewer students

Incoming second-year class to be half the expected size

July 3, 2014

Linn Parish

The incoming class of second-year medical students in Spokane will be about half the size of the inaugural second-year class, with nine to 11 slots failing to fill. Ken Roberts, director of the Spokane unit of WWAMI, a University of Washington program

L&I to boost penalties for workplace violations

State agency says it must rise to federal minimums

June 19, 2014

Mike McLean

The Washington state Department of Labor and Industries is proposing to increase penalties for serious workplace safety violations to make them more in line with federal standards. The move, however, could disproportionately harm small businesses that ma

Premera promotes Bill Akers

Executive will remain manager of Spokane office

June 19, 2014

Katie Ross

Mountlake Terrace, Wash.-based Premera Blue Cross, one of the Inland Northwest's largest providers of health care plans, has promoted Spokane-based Bill Akers to vice president and general manager of Premera's Washington Group Market, says Premera spo

Mammography bus expands capabilities, reach

Five-year-old vehicle here adds portable defibrillator

June 5, 2014

Kim Crompton

Providence Health Care's five-year-old mammography coach, which has seen recent growth in the number of mammograms it performs and is extending its reach into additional rural areas, soon also will be equipped with a portable defibrillator, giving it th