Evergreen Healthcare Foundation Programs
Major programs include Hospice; Home Health; Cancer Care which includes medical and radiation oncology services, and surgery; Cardiac Care which has a 20 bed Intensive and Coronary Care Unit and rehabilitation services; Women’s and Children’s Services which includes the Family Maternity Center, Maternal-Fetal Medicine care for high-risk pregnancies, and Level III Intensive Care Nursery, Pediatrics; Booth Gardner Parkinson’s Care Center; Multiple Sclerosis Clinic; Community Health Education which provides community education and support programs; and Healthcare Access Program which provides outreach and health care access to our low-income and vulnerable residents.
Cancer Care
Evergreen Hospital offers an integrated approach to cancer care that puts the program's full resources to work for every patient in a warm and supportive environment. All of our services are conveniently available in our suburban Seattle cancer center.
Our cancer program includes:
- Medical experts at the core of each program
- State-of-the-art diagnostics
- Advanced treatment technologies
- An array of education and supportive services to help patients and families cope with issues that often feel overwhelming
The Evergreen Neuroscience Institute
Launched in 2006, the Evergreen Neuroscience Institute provides diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative services to patients living with a variety of neurological diseases and disorders.
The Institute is comprised of four advanced treatment programs:
Booth Gardner Parkinson's Care Center providing expert treatment for Parkinson's disease, with one of the nation's top programs for managing deep-brain stimulation.
Movement Disorders Center providing diagnosis and treatment for the full range of movement disorders, from dystonia, spasticity and restless legs syndrome to tremor and Tourett's syndrome.
Multiple Sclerosis Center offering diagnosis and treatment, access to clinical trials, and one of the few MS-trained rehabilitation physicians in the country.
Primary Stroke Center offering the latest acute care and interventional radiology treatments, including the lifesaving drug tPA.
The Institute also offers neurorehabilitation, access to clinical trials, educational programs and wellness programs to enhance quality of life. The Evergreen Neuroscience Institute now occupies two floors of the state-of-the-art
DeYoung Pavilion on the Evergreen campus. It offers leading-edge treatment and rehabilitation in an atmosphere where patients come first, where hope and compassion combine with powerful medicine to create life-changing care.
Evergreen Care Network
Evergreen Care Network (ECN) is designed to help when special needs arise as a result of aging, chronic illness or disability. The ECN helps people live as independently as possible by creating a network of support from the various social services that exist in this community.
Evergreen Care Network staff provide:
- Linkage to financial/insurance options
- Connection to health care and other social services
- Planning for and setting up in-home services to maximize independence, increase safety and help manage disability or illness
- Nursing home, assisted living or adult family home personal emergency response system information
- Assistance with issues relating to mental illness, chronic illness, domestic violence, pregnancy, special needs
Care coordinators provide ongoing assistance with managing daily activities or coordinating special care needs, and if family or other support is not readily available, our care coordinators can work closely with you, and even come to patient homes, to:
- Coordinate physician and care provider services
- Perform comprehensive assessments and develop plans of care
- Conduct ongoing monitoring, support and regular assessment
- Provide short-term crisis intervention and counseling
- Offer assistance with planning and long-term care placement
Care for the Caregivers
The Care Network also offers caregiver information, support groups and resources that can help caregivers manage and thrive in the care of their loved ones. Families may be eligible for respite services offered by the state's respite program, which allows caregivers regular time off by providing temporary care at home or in an adult day care setting.
Eldercare Services
The ECN maintains a resource library for information on medical insurance and eldercare resources. Experts available to give advice on what is needed to plan ahead for an aging family member.
We also have a Medicare expert (SHIBA or State Insurance Health Benefits Advisor) trained by the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner available to provide consultation free of charge.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
The Commission on Cancer has accredited Evergreen's cancer program with commendation - the highest certified standard - for its commitment to superior cancer care, ongoing improvement and public accountability.
Evergreen received positive ratings across all 36 standards and categories, which include institutional and programmatic resources, cancer committee leadership, cancer data management and cancer registry operations, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and staff support, and quality improvement.
Evergreen Healthcare and the Evergreen Cancer Program already has established an incredible record of success, utilizing advanced technology coupled with the most compassionate care. Evergreen has received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, recognizing the program for the highest level of excellence in providing cancer care to its patients. In both 2009 and 2010 HealthGrades, the leading provider of independent hospital ratings, recognized Evergreen as a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence. This rating places Evergreen among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for clinical excellence; one of only two hospitals in the state of Washington and the only one in King County to earn this recognition. Further, the five year survival rates for breast, prostate, colon, ovarian, and kidney cancers are all above the regional and national averages. Of particular note, current early stage breast cancer survival rates for Evergreen patients are an astonishing 94%, well over the national rate of 85% and the regional rate of 86%.
There is no question that cancer care is a crucial need in our community. Half of all men and one-third of all women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Cancer rates are higher in the Puget Sound region than elsewhere in Washington State for both men and women. In the last few years in Washington, one in four deaths has been cancer related and cancer exceeds heart disease as the number one cause of death. From 2005 through 2009, more than 3,670 new cancer cases were diagnosed at Evergreen. In fact, just this last year we diagnosed 768 new cancer cases and provided more than 11,500 radiation treatments. In 2008 alone, over 2,547 new cancer cases were diagnosed in Evergreen Healthcare’s primary and secondary service districts. By expanding both our facilities and programs, the Cancer Center will expand the number of patients served. This expansion will both meet the growing community need as well as prepare the program for strategic and strong growth that will sustain the Evergreen Cancer Program for the long-term.
Eastside cancer patients do not want to make multiple trips weekly to Seattle for treatment. As oncology treatment is rapidly becoming a maintenance activity and ongoing process, patients like Emily seek the highest quality services available in their own communities. Evergreen is in a unique position to meet this need.
The new Cancer Center will reflect its name: a center with an array of services, all centered around patients in nurturing and dignified space. Treatment space, clinician offices, research facilities and comprehensive support services will all be within reach. The Cancer Program’s team of providers have long had a collaborative approach to patient care despite the current fractured physical layout. Patients currently walk with paper files distances longer than a football field as they navigate between care providers. In the new Cancer Center patients will be surrounded with support – dieticians, financial specialists, patient navigators, complementary care providers, meeting space for support groups, an appearance and resource center and more.