On Wednesday, September 20, 2023, Class XXVII participated in Community Health and Medical Services Day.

The focus of this session was to gain a better understanding of the medical and community health resources in our region.

The day had a full, rich agenda presented by our Session Day Sponsor, Kadlec.

Cadwell Lab Tours

Class XXVII started their day at Cadwell Labs with a tour of the 3rd largest global neurology company in the world.

Cadwell has all its core function located in the Tri-Cities and is global leader in 2 product lines.

To the left, you can see class 27-member Avonte Jackson (Grace Clinic Director) test diagnostic equipment.

Grace Clinic

Next, Mark Brault, the Grace Clinic CEO, stopped by to discuss the Clinic’s impact in the community, “We serve approximately 775 people a month who are at or below 200% of the poverty line.”

Grace Clinic provides free medical, dental and mental health services to uninsured adults in the Tri-Cities.

“Over 27,000 people in Benton and Franklin Counties are uninsured, and they need to have a medical option.”

Healthcare Education Panel

Panel discusses the current healthcare education landscape in the Tri-Cities.

The Tri-Cities has a robust medical education landscape, and Class 27 was updated by three leaders in the field:

1. Dr. Marie Cadwell Meyer: Assistant Dean at Pacific Northwest University (PNWU) and a practicing Family Physician
2. Dr. Katina Rue: Head of the Family Physician Residency Program at Trios Health.
3. Dr. Farion Williams: Associate Dean of Clinical Education at Washington State University-Tri-Cities

A worrying trend noted by each panelist is that many healthcare professionals left during COVID, and are continuing to leave. This trend is compounded by the difficulty in filling the talent pipeline back up due to limited residences and the costly nature of preparing new healthcare professionals.

Mental Health & Behavioral Health Panel

Panel discusses mental health services in the Tri-Cities.

Three panelists discussed the current mental health services in the Tri-Cities.

One key take-away — there is a severe lack of mental health providers in the Tri-Cities.

The panelists included:

1. Alexander Nelson: Director of Behavioral Health at Trios Health
2. Nathan David: Social Worker at Kadlec, and Mental Health Therapist at First Response Counseling
3. Mauricio Gomez: Director at Lourdes Counseling Center.

Hospital CEO Panel

Mark Holyoak, the CEO at Lourdes Health, describes opportunities and challenges Hospitals in the area are facing.

During the Hospital CEO panel, Class 27 heard from three chief executives of the three largest health facilities in the Tri-Cities.

The panelists included:

1. David Elgarico: Chief Executive Officer at Trios Health
2. Mark Holyoak: Chief Executive Officer at Lourdes Health
3. Kirk Haprer: Chief Nursing Officer at Kadlec

“We represent more than just ourselves,” said David Elgarico.

The three executives noted that each hospital does not standalone, but is part of a community.

David Elgarcio, the CEO at Trios Health discusses the importance of community in healthcare

SIGN Fracture Care

Jeanne Dillner, CEO, and Lori Maier, Fund Development Manager of SIGN Fracture Care talked about their about their impact in humanatrian fracture care.

SIGN Fracture Care is a Richland, Washington non-profit that has helped more than 411,000 patients around the world.

Their mission is to give the injured poor access to fracture surgery by donating orthopedic education and implant systems to surgeons in developing countries.

To the left, Class 27 member David Jordan (Supply Chain Services Manger at Energy Northwest)