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SWEDISH MEDICAL CENTER\WINTER 2007 DELVING INTO THE MYSTERIES OF THE BRAIN

Delving Mysteries - Swedish Foundation · Yet the human brain still holds vast mysteries. For many, the keys to unlocking them have yet to be found. But we are getting closer. The

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Page 1: Delving Mysteries - Swedish Foundation · Yet the human brain still holds vast mysteries. For many, the keys to unlocking them have yet to be found. But we are getting closer. The

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Page 2: Delving Mysteries - Swedish Foundation · Yet the human brain still holds vast mysteries. For many, the keys to unlocking them have yet to be found. But we are getting closer. The

O N T H E C O V E R

Mapping the brain. Reading genetic markers. Navigating with GPS-like systems.

The stunning advances in the neurosciences have meant new life and new hope for millions of people with neurological diseases and disorders.

Yet the human brain still holds vast mysteries. For many, the keys to

unlocking them have yet to be found. But we are getting closer.

The researchers and physicians at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute are committed to unlocking these mysteries. Swedish now has one of the largest brain tumor research projects in the country. Through close collaboration

with other renowned experts in the region, researchers strive to find the cure for a host of diseases.

For information on how you can help, contact the

Swedish Medical Center Foundation at 206-386-2738.

Cover art by M. Durrant

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There was a time in health care when any hospital could say it delivers quality health care, and no one would question it. But times have changed, and in

today’s world, you can’t just claim to do quality work – you have to prove it.

The physicians, nurses and other clinical staff at Swedish are doing just that. By following proven clinical processes, they are

working to do things right the first time, every time. It’s part of our commitment to quality, and it’s the reason we signed on to participate in the national 100,000 lives campaign to reduce medical errors in hospitals.

Recently, our work in this area was featured in a PBS series titled “The Remaking of American Medicine.” The documentary showcased our quality improvement initiatives and captured the passion and dedication our staff has for this work. It is a moving and inspiring piece, and I am honored that PBS thought our story worth sharing at a national level.

Swedish is also working to improve quality by replacing paper patient records with a secure electronic medical record. With our new state-of-the-art clinical information system, our staff will have vital patient information at their finger-tips, which is especially critical when they need to make immediate, life-saving decisions. The new system – a $120 million investment for Swedish – will go live in phases beginning in 2007, and much work is taking place behind the scenes to make it a success.

Whether we are pursuing clinical research or continuous quality improve-ment, our work would not be possible without the generosity of donors like you. As I prepare for my upcoming retirement and reflect on my tenure here, I want to thank you for your ongoing support of our nonprofit mission.

I wish you all the very best in the new year.

Richard H. PetersonPresident and Chief Executive Officer

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F O R U M WINTER 2007

Volume 21, Issue I

Melissa TizonDirector, Communications

Editor:Janet Simmelink

Designer:Mike Durrant

Production Team:Amanda Holm

Natalie Kozimor

Feature Writer:Janice Kennedy

Feature Photographer:Doug Ogle

Welcome to Swedish Medical Center’s FORUM magazine. This publication is designed to provide you with the latest information about Swedish services and events, health-care and medical topics, and the activities of the Swedish Medical Center Foundation and its supporters. FORUM is published as a community service by Swedish Medical Center. Any questions or comments may be addressed to Janet Simmelink, editor, Swedish Medical Center, 747 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122-4307.

Ta b l e o f C o n T e n T s

C a P s U l e s

Richard Peterson to Leave Lasting Legacy ................................... 1

f e aT U R e

Finding the Key to Unlock the Mysteries of Brain Tumors ....... 4

f o U n D aT I o n n e W s

The Merrill P. Spencer, M.D., Endowed Lecture ...................... 12

Giving Back to Ballard ................................................................... 13

Swedish’s Founders Circle: The Legacy Continues................... 14

Around the World in One Spectacular Night ........................... 14

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C A P S U L E S

“Today, Swedish is not only larger, it is stronger, healthier and well positioned to serve the community for many more years to come,” says Swedish Board of Trustees chair Kirby McDonald.

“We could not have come this far without Richard’s leadership and com-mitment to our nonprofit mission. As he prepares for retirement, we owe him many thanks for making Swedish what it is today.”

Peterson, 64, will retire early this year, marking the end of a dynamic chapter in the history of the organization.

a period of growthPeterson will leave the organization

with many accomplishments behind him. He presided over a period of tremendous growth that included the construction of the 11-story East Tower on the First Hill campus, the addition of Providence Seattle Medical Center to the Swedish system in 2000 and the opening of a free-standing Emergency Room and Specialty Center in Issaquah in 2005.

He also pushed to redefine Swedish as a collection of core specialty services, rather than the traditional collection of hospitals. What emerged were dedi-cated centers of excellence, such as the construction of the Swedish Cancer Institute in 2001 and, more recently, the Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute and the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. A groundbreaking for the Swedish Orthopedic Institute is set for early January.

Richard Peterson to Leave Lasting Legacy

When Richard H. Peterson took the helm as president and CEO of Swedish in 1995, he could not have

arrived at a bleaker time. It was the era of health-care reform,

and Swedish was recuperating from a series of blows: its first financial losses in history, hundreds of layoffs, and a bitter, very public labor dispute with the union representing its nurses. Swedish was also on the verge of merging into Tacoma-

based Multicare Health System. The merger, of course, never came to

be because, upon his arrival, Peterson and the Board of Trustees made a decision to call it off and, instead, focus on turn-ing Swedish around. That’s exactly what Peterson did, and within a short time, the institution was back on solid ground.

The rest, as they say, is history, with the organization growing and expanding for another decade.

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C A P S U L E S

Richard and Rosemary Peterson received the 2006 John A. Soderberg Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award in October from the Swedish Medical Center Foundation.

Peterson has had to navigate the complex and often turbulent waters of the health-care industry and, like his peers nation-wide, his decisions have not always been popular.

“Not everyone has agreed with him all of the time. But as a strong leader, he’s made tough decisions and stuck with them. Ultimately that is the job of leader-ship, and thoughtful people admire him for that,” says Dr. Vassall.

During his tenure, Peterson assembled a senior leadership team to operate and develop different aspects of the organiza-tion. His administration will be remem-bered for working tirelessly on many fronts, with the ultimate goals of making Swedish the best place to receive care, and the best place to work and practice medicine.

Though a successor had not yet been named when this issue of FORUM went to print, the next generation of leadership will have a solid foundation to build upon. After all, Peterson is leaving the organiza-tion in far better shape than he found it 12 years ago.

the pursuit of qualityA passionate advocate for quality

throughout his career, Peterson made it a major focus at Swedish. The organi-zation’s quality-improvement work has been recognized with several prestigious honors, including of the Leadership Level of the Washington State Quality Award, the Codman Award for excellence in stroke care and the 2007 Health Grades Award. Additionally, for nine years, local consumers have named Swedish the hospital with the best overall quality according to an annual survey done by the National Research Corp.

“Quality is critically important to Richard. He has pushed the organization to be the best it can be and has been a strong champion of quality improve-ment,” says Swedish outgoing chief of staff John Vassall, M.D.

He has also been a supporter of con-tinuous learning and improvement and made ongoing education and training part of the culture at Swedish. One of his lasting legacies will be the creation of a dedicated education and conference center that will help managers, staff and physicians at Swedish develop and learn new skills.

serving the communityAnother one of his passions has been

the issue of access to emergency health care. To increase access, he established a “no divert” policy that essentially means no matter how busy they are, the Swedish emergency departments will always accept ambulance patients.

By the same token, Peterson is proud that the level of charity care provided

by Swedish grew from $5 million per year when he started to more than $13.3 million per year at the end of his tenure. He is also proud that the annual Celebrate Swedish gala has gone from raising $300,000 per year for charity care to more than $1 million per year. He and his wife, Rosemary, are also actively involved in the community. He serves on boards for United Way of King County, the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Life Center Northwest. Rosemary is a member of Seattle University’s Dean’s Advisory Board and the Seattle Opera Board.

Collaboration Amidst the competitive

environment of health-care, Peterson sought ways to collaborate with others whenever possible. Through partnerships with community hospi-tals – such as Northwest, Stevens, Valley and Highline – Swedish has been able to make its cancer- and heart-care services avail-able in local communities.

Likewise, Peterson found innovative ways to partner with physicians. Swedish became the first to develop hospital-phy-sician joint ventures on services such as medical imaging and ambulatory surgery.

He also formed a productive relation-ship with the labor unions at Swedish and, under his leadership, four nursing con-tracts were successfully negotiated.

a solid foundation Like all hospital administrators,

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Richard H. PetersonRole: President and CEOTenure: 1995-2007

Milestones

Jan. 1995 Peterson takes office

Feb. 1996 Lobby & main entrance open on Broadway

Jan. 1997 Women & Infants Center opens on First Hill

Apr. 1998 Swedish rolls out mission-vision-values statement

Apr. 1998 Construction begins on East Tower on First Hill

Jul. 2000 Providence Seattle Medical Center joins Swedish system

Jan. 2002 Swedish Cancer Institute celebrates grand opening

Jan. 2002 Sabey Corp. purchases part of Prov campus, including the 1910 Building and the Jefferson Tower

May 2004 Swedish sells various medical-office buildings to HCPI

Mar. 2005 $20 million Emergency Department and Specialty Center opens in Issaquah, with imaging services provided through a joint venture with Radia Imaging

Sept. 2005 Swedish receives the Leadership Level of the Washington State Quality Award

Sept. 2005 Swedish prepares to implement clinical information system

Oct. 2005 Construction begins on $30 million Swedish Neuroscience Institute

Nov. 2005 Swedish receives Earnest A. Codman Award for stroke care

Jan. 2006 PET/CT Imaging Center opens as a Swedish joint venture with Seattle Nuclear Medicine and Tumor Institute Radiation Oncology Group

Jan. 2006 Swedish launches its first TV ad campaign, “Living the Oath”

Sept. 2006 Swedish receives Health Grades Award

Oct. 2006 Peterson and wife, Rosemary, presented with Lifetime Achievement Award

Nov. 2006 Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute celebrates grand opening

Nov. 2006 Swedish becomes a smoke-free facility

Jan. 2007 Swedish Orthopedic Institute celebrates groundbreaking

Early 2007 New education center opens

Early 2007 Peterson to retire

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1996 2005Charity Care $5 million $30 millionContributions $4.8 million $11.1 millionRevenue base $330,000 $1 billionLicensed beds 860 1,245

CHARITY CARE PHILANTHROPIC GIFTS TO SWEDISH

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Swedish Then & Now

1995 2005

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finDing the Key

On Dec. 30, 2005, Lori Top awoke to find her

husband, John, in the throes of a massive seizure. Although his spasms stopped a few minutes later, he could not move and didn’t seem to recognize Lori or her parents, whom they were visiting in Kansas City. Paramedics arrived to provide help, but John looked at them “as if they were aliens,” remembers Lori.

of Brain tUMorsMysteries

to UnloCK the

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of Brain tUMors

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As Lori rode with John in the ambulance, a small miracle seemed to take place. Lori watched as John seemed to recover. He even apologized to the paramedics for getting them out in the middle of a

cold night. At the hospital, however, the news was not good. A CT scan revealed a “spot” on John’s brain. The emergency room physician said this was evidence of “maybe a stroke, maybe a bruise on the brain . . . maybe something else.”

That “something else,” they soon learned, was the most devastating news of all. John, a man who had never been ill in his life, had a malignant cancerous tumor in his brain.

The Tops returned home to Seattle. As John tried to resume his life and work, Lori researched treatment options with mounting despair. One physician the couple consulted suggested it might be best to forego any treatment and make the best of the time they had.

Eventually, the Tops found themselves at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. And there they met a neurosurgeon who would not only offer excellent medical care, but also something they were finding in short supply — hope.

A Physician Focused on aFuture for His Patients

Greg Foltz, M.D., is a quietly determined man. When he meets patients like John Top, his goal is not only to treat the symptoms of their disease, but also to keep them alive long enough for medical science to find a

cure. And he’s not sitting by waiting for that to happen. Dr. Foltz recently helped set up what may be the country’s most comprehensive brain tumor bank to catalog and study tumors like John’s. The information researchers hope to gain may well pave the way for cures for a host of diseases, not just those of the brain.

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“We now have one of the largest brain tumor research projects in the country,” says Dr. Foltz. “I can now tell my patients that we have people working every day for a better understanding of these tumors.”

What is unusual about the research project, says Dr. Foltz, is that the collaborators are focused solely on human disease rather than theoretical pursuits. It is a project with a mission, says Dr. Foltz, to help patients currently affected. It is from these patients’ tumors that all of the data is collected.

One of the things the researchers are looking into is whether there are certain genes that “turn on” and cause a tumor to grow. These genes may remain dormant for decades, only to “awaken” for some reason. Why? That’s what researchers are hoping to find out.

Dr. Foltz has also developed a way to analyze a patient’s blood and look for certain “markers” that can help determine the best course of chemotherapy for a particular type of tumor. While there is still a long way to go, the early results look promising for not only brain tumors, but other types of diseases as well. The goal is to eventually learn which drugs will best destroy a particular tumor without harming healthy tissue or impacting vital organs.

It was the opportunity to be both a hands-on neurosurgeon and a researcher that brought Dr. Foltz to the Swedish Neuroscience Institute (SNI) in 2005. Previously, Dr. Foltz had been at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, where his clinical interests included the surgical

treatment of malignant brain tumors, but also complex disorders of the craniocervical junction — the place where the spine and brain attach.

Relocating to Swedish meant Dr. Foltz could see and study more patients with the kind of tumors he wanted to

focus on treating. As the premier treatment center in the Pacific Northwest for complex tumors of the brain, the SNI welcomes patients from around the world.

“One thing that makes learning about these types of tumors difficult,” says Dr. Foltz, “is that there are relatively few people who get them.” Dr. Foltz is especially interested in oligodendrogliomas like John’s, which are currently considered incurable.

Soon after arriving in Seattle, Dr. Foltz began working on developing a tumor “bank” that would give researchers in Seattle and beyond access to tissue samples for advanced study. In 2006 he was able to meet this goal through an alliance with the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the Institute for Systems Biology, both premier Northwest research institutions.

“We now have one of the largest brain tumor research projects in the country,” says Dr. Foltz. “I can now tell my patients that we have people working every day for a better understanding of these tumors.”

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Treating the Patient, Not Just the Disease

In researching treatment options, Lori Top met with medical personnel at other facilities that seemed detached and uninterested in the traumatic impact John’s condition was having on their lives. She says she

was pleasantly surprised by John’s first visit with Dr. Foltz. “He asked John about his life. He made it clear,” she says, “that he wanted to treat John the person and not just the tumor.” John told him about his work as an architect, about his and Lori’s daughter, Isabelle, who was 6, and about his daughter, Katie, who was 12 and lived with the couple part of the year. He told Dr. Foltz he wasn’t ready to leave them behind.

After assessing John’s condition, Dr. Foltz recommended an operation to take out as much of the mass as possible. Because the tumor was in the brain’s right frontal lobe, which controls function on the left side of the body, Dr. Foltz believed John would retain most of his abilities since he was right-handed. Removing the tumor, however, would amount to taking almost a quarter of John’s brain and with that came such risks as a change in personality. There was no way to know for sure. Dr. Foltz encouraged the couple to get a second opinion.

Their visit to another facility for that purpose, says Lori, began with a three-hour wait to see a doctor and ended with her “leaving the exam room in tears.” The second-opinion physician told the couple that John would soon be dead “regardless of what we did.” The next visit to Dr. Foltz, however, renewed their commitment to fight. They gave him the go-ahead to develop a plan for surgery and follow-up treatment.

On Jan. 25, 2006, Dr. Foltz performed a craniotomy on John that removed the tumor and allowed for a more complete diagnosis of the disease and its prognosis. Lori’s fears about a personality change in John were abated when she realized as he recovered that his “dry sense of humor came through unscathed.”

The subsequent pathology report specified John’s tumor as an “oligodendroglioma,” grade three. It was both good news and bad. John could expect to live two or more years compared to three to six months with other types of brain cancers. But while subsequent assessments have found John to be “cancer free for the moment,” the disease is still expected to return and take his life.

“Today, I live with the fact that I have a terminal illness,” says John, who has continued to work throughout his ordeal of the past year. “I actually feel blessed,” he says with a small laugh. “I don’t sit around now. I get out and do things. If Lori and Isabelle want to go for a walk, we go for a walk. We appreciate the time we have together, no matter what we’re doing.”

John calls Lori his hero. “She’s cried with me and she’s also told me to pull it together and keep going.”

Lori, also an architect, recently went back to work as a store designer to help meet the family’s growing expenses. For his part, John took sick leave and vacation time for his treatments that came to only a little over 100 hours.

“I got brain cancer,” he says, “I didn’t win the lottery. Life goes on and it’s a good life. I’m grateful for all that we have.”

Dr. Foltz says the recent establishment of the brain tumor tissue bank is one thing that keeps him positive as he works every day with patients like John who face terminal illness. “It gives me a lot of hope as a doctor,” he says, “and that’s why I can do the work I do. Because I have hope.”

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The Swedish Neuroscience Institute has joined forces with the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the Institute for Systems Biology to collaborate on research they hope will lead to cures for diseases of the brain.

The alliance brings together physicians and researchers from three of the most respected organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

The Swedish Neuroscience Institute (SNI) is led by two of the region’s top neurosurgeons – Executive Director Marc Mayberg, M.D., and Executive Director and Medical Director David Newell, M.D.

In addition to being the principal investigators on many clinical trials and the authors of hundreds of scientific papers, Drs. Mayberg and Newell head an exceptional team of SNI neurologists, neurosurgeons and subspecialists.

The Allen Institute for Brain Science was founded in 2001 with a $100 million grant from philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen. In September, the institute completed the Allen Brain Atlas, a Web-based,

three-dimensional map of gene expression in the mouse brain. Detailing more than 21,000 genes at the cellular level, the atlas provides scientists with a level of data previously not available.

“We’re now ready to take this powerful tool to the next level,” says Allan Jones, the brain institute’s chief scientific officer. “Dr. Greg Foltz and his team at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute, who are already conducting vital research, will be a critical partner in that work.”

The third partner in the new collaborative research effort is the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB). Founded in 2000, the ISB integrates such sciences as biology, chemistry, physics, computation, mathematics and medicine.

“Systems biology is the science of discovering, modeling, understanding and ultimately engineering at the molecular level the dynamic relationships between the biological molecules that define living organisms,” says Leroy Hood, M.D., ISB co-founder and president. Unlocking the keys to those dynamic relationships may provide answers to how illness and disease work in the human brain.

The new partnership between the Swedish Neuroscience Institute, the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the Institute for Systems Biology represents “the future of medicine,” says SNI’s Greg Foltz, M.D. Already underway is a research project in which brain tumor samples from Swedish patients are being preserved and studied by partner scientists with the aim of learning how the growth of these tumors might be slowed or stopped.

“As a physician whose primary concern is my patients,” says Dr. Foltz, “it’s inspiring to see scientists working so hard to find a way to help them.”

Cooperative effort to learn More about Brain Diseases

This image is of the Allen Brain Explorer, a free and publicly available application that allows scientists to view 3-D representations of gene expression data from the Allen Brain Atlas. (Courtesy of the Allen Institute for Brain Science)

“ Systems biology is the science of discovering, modeling, understanding and ultimately engineering at the molecular level the dynamic relationships between the biological molecules that define living organisms.” Leroy Hood, M.D.

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When her husband, John, had a seizure in Kansas City and physicians suspected a brain disorder, Lori Top did a computer search to find out what resources would be available when they returned home to

Seattle. That’s when she learned about the Swedish Neuroscience Institute (SNI), where John became a patient of neurosurgeon Greg Foltz, M.D., in early 2006.

Lori will be, she says, “forever grateful” for finding a place and a physician who provided John with “the best of care” during a difficult time for her family.

SNI’s surgical, diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities are among the most comprehensive in the country. They include:• GPS-likeguidancesystemsthathelpsurgeonsnavigatein

critical areas of the brain during operations

• MRIandCTscannersand3-Dangiographythatprovide real-timeimagesduringoperations

• Brain-mappingcapabilitiestoidentifyareasofcritical brain function

• Interventionalneuroradiologytechniquestoblockblood flow to tumors prior to surgery

While there are many high-tech advantages to being cared for at SNI, Dr. Foltz says he and other staff members believe the most important aspect of care is the patient’s well-being and comfort. “I’m here because I want to practice medicine and do research in a place that is patient centered above all else,” he states.

SNI staff members are also involved in active research projects that will benefit patients. One current project may lead to the development of a simple blood test that will confirm the presence of brain tumors long before they become clinically significant. Other research is looking into genetic markers that can help physicians select the best methods for treating brain diseases and other disorders.

More information about the Swedish Neuroscience Institute is available at www.swedish.org or by calling 206-320-4144 or 1-800-331-1733.

swedish neuroscience instituteProvides northwest PatientsWith World-Class treatment

CyberKnife™ offers advanced treatment optionOne goal of SNI patient care is to minimize trauma and shorten

recovery times associated with surgery. Options for patients

now include surgical techniques that employ smaller incisions

than normal as well as operations that require minimal

use of anesthesia. Some SNI patients can also benefit from

“CyberKnife™,” a new radiosurgery procedure that focuses

multiple, intersecting beams of radiation to a precisely targeted

area with sub-millimeter accuracy, dramatically reducing

damage to the healthy tissue surrounding a tumor.

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F O U N D A T I O N N E W S

By measuring the ultrasound waves as they bounce back to a hand-held device, a computer can measure blood-flow velocity – and determine if there are blood clots present in the vessels.

Merrill P. Spencer

Thanks to a newly endowed lectureship, the Swedish Neuroscience Institute will be able to continue bringing

nationally renowned experts to Seattle to share their expertise with the medical community here. The annual Merrill P. Spencer, M.D., Endowed Lectureship will focus on the latest innovations in vascular and neuro-related medicine.

Dr. Spencer, who passed away recently, was a world leader in medical ultrasound. The endowment established in his honor will cover the costs of the annual lecture, now offered through the Continuing Medical Education program, which helps train medical professionals throughout the region.

With a long and distinguished career as a physician, professor, researcher and innovator, Dr. Spencer earned an interna-

tional reputation for his groundbreaking work with Doppler ultrasound technol-ogy. Among his many accomplishments, he founded the Institute of Applied Physiology and Medicine in1972. After his death, the institute donated $50,000 to help establish a $100,000 endowment in his honor.

The 2006 lecture, presented in early December, featured Dr. James Grotta, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Texas Medical School. Dr. Grotta spoke on The Intersection of Neurology and Cardiology: What We are Learning from Each Other.

a pioneer in stroke preventionEarly in his career, as associate profes-

sor of physiology and pharmacology, Dr. Spencer taught and performed cut-ting-edge research on the dynamics of blood flow. He later established the leading hyperbaric laboratory in the Northwest, and pioneered a Doppler ultrasound device to detect nitrogen bubbles to predict and study “the bends” in deep-sea divers. Broadening his

research, he and Dr. Jack Reid developed a Doppler device to diagnose blockages in carotid arteries, a leading cause of stroke.

Dr. Spencer opened the first vascular laboratory in Seattle, and later co-founded Pacific Vascular Inc. In 1992, after leaving

Pacific Vascular he co-founded Spencer Technologies, Inc., which devel-oped Transcranial Doppler technology.

Transcranial Doppler uses ultra-sound waves, which bounce off different parts of the brain, to assess blood flow through the various cerebral vessels.

Today, physicians worldwide use Transcranial Doppler technology to determine the nature of blood flow in the brain and recognize the early formation of clots. Advances in this technology have become indispensable in the diagnosis of stroke, heart attack and other vascular conditions.

“Dr. Spencer was a driving force in pro-viding worldwide education to medical personnel in using Doppler ultrasound for the diagnosis of brain conditions, “said Dr. David Newell, executive director of the Swedish Neuroscience Institute and former chief of neurosurgery at Harborview Medical Center.

“He was instrumental in bringing tran-scranial Doppler to this country when it was first introduced.”

additional philanthropic support for lectureship

The Swedish Medical Center Foundation is actively seeking addi-tional support to permanently endow the Merrill P. Spencer, M.D., Endowed Lectureship.

Perpetuating Excellence: The Merrill P. Spencer, M.D., Endowed Lecture

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Anne and Mac Magruder

Retired physician Levin Magruder and his wife Ruth Anne — better known as Mac and Anne — decided it was time

to downsize and say “goodbye to an era.” So, late last year, they sold their home in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood.

Selling their house was not only a way for the Magruders to start a new chapter of their lives, but also a way to directly support Swedish Medical Center/Ballard.

“The Ballard community was good to us,” says Anne, 68. “Mac had his private neurology practice there for more than a decade. We wanted to give a gift to Ballard to say thanks for the great years.”

It was after attending an estate-plan-ning seminar at Swedish in the fall of 2005 that the Magruders decided to set up a charitable gift annuity to benefit the Ballard campus. The gift was funded by the sale of their home and will go to where the need is greatest.

Charitable gift annuities benefit donors by providing them with fixed payments

for life once they make a gift of cash or stock to Swedish.

Now living in an apartment in Seattle’s Belltown neighbor-hood, the Magruders are very active, doing everything from camp-ing and traveling to yoga and dining. Anne enjoys gardening, rowing and cooking, and Mac, 75, is cur-rently learning French.

The Magruders moved to Seattle in 1977 after Mac retired from the Army. And even though they thought they’d go back to San Francisco, they’ve never been sorry they stayed in Washington.

The Magruders have two children, a son, Levin III, and a daughter, Anne Elizabeth. They also have a grandson, Daniel, who will turn 2 in December.

What’s next for the Magruders?“Deciding on the next place to move

to,” says Mac. “We also want to keep doing the things we enjoy.”

If you are interested in learning how a charitable gift annuity might work for you, please contact Rick Downey at the Swedish Medical Center Foundation at 206-386-2738.

The Foundation has recently secured additional gifts from Terumo Medical Corp., a worldwide manufacturer of medical devices and Drs. Shirley and David Newell.

“Terumo is proud to support the memory of Dr. Spencer, who espoused such high standards and accomplished so much in the research of medical ultra-sonography,” said Kevin Hoffman, vice president and general manager, Terumo Cardiovascular Systems. “We hope this lectureship serves to further his impor-tant work and encourages others to

follow in his footsteps.”Throughout his career, Dr. Spencer

was often invited to speak to colleagues around the world about his innovations. Joanne Spencer, his wife of 34 years, is pleased the lectureship will focus on teaching physicians and other medical professionals about the latest medical innovations.

“Merrill was both a dedicated clinician and an innovative researcher,” she said. “As a clinician, he had the opportunity to observe what was needed to better diag-nose problems. As a researcher, he devel-

oped new methods to find the answers to many of those problems. He was always searching for a better answer and better methods to benefit patients.

“This lectureship honors his belief in the importance of always searching for new answers and sharing those answers with others through continuing pro-grams of medical education.”

For more information on supporting this important educational endeavor, contact Randy Mann at the Swedish Medical Center Foundation: [email protected] or 206-386-6791.

Giving to Swedish Gives Back to Ballard

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training in providing critical care to distressed newborns.

Chaired by Cheryl and Bill Gossman, Celebrate Swedish 2007 will feature the sights and sounds of dis-tant lands with the theme of Around the World in One Spectacular Night. This wonderful evening will take place in the newly-renovated Sheraton Seattle Hotel. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, donating an auction item or purchas-ing tickets, please call Krissy Stautz at the Foundation at 206-386-2738.

On March 24, Swedish Medical Center will hold its 22nd annual Celebrate Swedish event. Presented in 2007

by Wells Fargo, Celebrate Swedish is Swedish Medical Center’s annual black tie gala auction. Proceeds support Swedish’s charity care program and a specific Fund-a-Need project.

Swedish’s charity care program pro-vides free or discounted hospital services for people who cannot afford care – many of whom are underinsured or have no insurance at all.

In 2007, Celebrate Swedish’s Fund-a-Need will support the creation of new center for neonatal and pediatric educa-

tion at Swedish. This center will be one of a few facili-ties in the country where physicians and nurses can receive simulation

Nearly 100 years ago, a physician from Swedish arrived in Seattle. He soon realized the need for a modern hos-

pital in a growing community. Along with 10 of his friends, Dr. Nils Johansson founded Swedish Hospital.

That small circle of founders started a 24-bed hospital with just $10,000 and began a legacy of health-care excellence.

Today, the legacy continues, and the Founders Circle has expanded. Members of Swedish’s Founders Circle each donate $10,000 every year to help continue health-care excellence in our region.

Donors who give at this level annually receive:• Invitationstotheannual

Founders Circle dinner in thehomeofSwedish’spresi-dent and CEO.

• Invitationstoeducationalforumsand other special events.

•Admittancetoaprivatehospitalroom, when available and medi-cally feasible.

•DiscountedElectronBeamTomography coronary artery screening.

• FreevaletordiscountedgarageparkingattheSwedish’sFirstHillcampus.

•Anexpeditedregistrationprocesswhen admitted to the hospital.

• Specialrecognitionondonorrec-ognition walls and in the annual report.

For more information about joining the Founders Circle, please contact Heidi Marsh, gift clubs director at 206-386-2138.

Swedish’s Founders Circle: The Legacy Continues

Celebrate Swedish 2007: Around the World in One Spectacular Night

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Board of TrusTees

Kirby McDonaldChair

Don BrennanVice Chair

Jonathan Chinn, M.D.Paul ClarkNed FlohrRodman Hooker Jr.Mike Kelly, M.D.William W. Krippaehne Jr.Martin Siegel, M.D.Stuart SloanJanet True Henry “Ned” TurnerMary Walker

ex officio MeMBers

Richard H. PetersonPresident and Chief Executive Officer

John Vassall II, M.D.Chief of Staff

Cindy StraussCorporate Secretary

foundaTion Board

of Governors

Janet TrueChair

Cheryl GossmanVice Chair

Lucius A. D. Andrew IIITom GoresJ. Scott HarrisonRobert J. Hutnik

William W. Krippaehne Jr.Charles S. LytleThomas Malone Esq.Richard H. PetersonJane Uhlir, M.D.James F. VatnJean Baur Viereck

ex officio MeMBers

Kirby McDonaldChair, Board of Trustees

Don BrennanVice Chair, Board of Trustees

suMMiT cluB

advisory Board

S. Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, M.D.Co-Chair

Rhonda VowinkelCo-Chair

Connie Del MissierCarrie DodobaraMaggie McKee DorseyJane EagleSusan Kupferman, M.D.Joy LewisAmy NordstromBarbara O’Sullivan, M.D.Kristina RobbsGreg Sorensen, M.D.Janet TrueJean Baur ViereckBrian VowinkelCarol WestlundGerda Wirz

swedish Medical cenTer

auxiliary/ firsT hill

Nancy HolmesPresident

Jayne CooperVice President

Fran HolderRecording Secretary

Pauline WhitmanTreasurer

Zalie LesterCorresponding Secretary

Lola BedgisoffJanet Edwards Dorothy EsserAnn HahnPeggy Hayward Florence Waggoner

swedish Medical cenTer

auxiliary/ Ballard

Rene BrisendinePresident

Louise McBainVice President

Shirley FlorySecretary

Nita MengedohtTreasurer

swedish service leaGue /

Providence officers

Peggy PiesikPresident

Edina DeichlVice President

Dixie BuolSecretary

Virginia JohnsonJules Orsucci Kass Smith

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SWEDISH MEDICAL CENTER LOCATIONS

First Hill campus747 Broadway Seattle, WA 98122-4307

Ballard campus5300 Tallman Ave. N.W. Seattle, WA 98107-3985

Providence campus500-17th Ave. Seattle, WA 98122-5711

Issaquah campus2005 N.W. Sammamish Road Issaquah, WA 98027-5364

Home Care Services5701-6th Ave. S., Suite 504 Seattle, WA 98108-9808

www.swedish.org 1-800-SWEDISH (1-800-793-3474)

©2006 SWEDISH HEALTH SERVICES

Swedish Health Services 747 Broadway Seattle, WA 98122-4307

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