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Senate Bill 5114 is a bipartisan bill that was drafted to allow our businesses to immediately and safely open under the provisions of “Phase 2” of the Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery plan. This would allow businesses to operate at 25% indoor capacity while following all current health and safety guidelines (masks, social distancing, strict limits on number of customers, etc.). This is an important bill that would allow the legislature to have a greater voice in the recovery process for businesses in Washington State.  

The Regional Chamber supports SB 5114 and invites you to do the same. 

There are four options to support this bill:  

1. Submit written testimony (accepted up to 24 hours after the hearing) – submit testimony.
2. Testify during the hearing (Wednesday, Jan. 20th at 8:00 am in State Government & Elections Committee  - Senate) - register to testify.
3. Note your position for the legislative record.
4. Email your legislator.  

For your convenience, an example opinion/testimony (below) and white paper (download) have been provided.  

Thank you,

Stephanie Swanberg,
Government and Regional Affairs Director
Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

​Sample opinion: 

Hello, my name is __________ from the Tri-Cities, Washington. 

Please Support SB 5114 to help our business recovery efforts

For nearly a year, businesses operating throughout the state have worked closely with state health officials and with the Governor’s Office to do their part to help ensure the health and safety of all Washington residents. Through their actions, businesses have demonstrated their commitment to safety by masking up, avoiding large gatherings, and enforcing social distancing practices since the start of the pandemic. The health and well-being of our family, friends, co-workers, and community members has been a priority for all of us. On behalf of the business community (or insert the name of your business) in XXXX City/County, I am writing to urge you to support SB 5114 and allow our businesses to immediately and safely open up under the provisions of “Phase 2” of the Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery plan. Our businesses have endured challenging circumstances over the past year and deserve a chance to demonstrate that they can operate, at 25% indoor capacity, in a safe and effective manner.

Throughout the course of the pandemic, our businesses have gone to extraordinary lengths to help save lives by implementing necessary precautions and safety measures. It’s time now for us to help ensure the survival and health of our local businesses by supporting and passing SB 5114.  

Name

Business

Junior Achievement of Washington is partnering with the Office of the Governor and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the STEM Education and Innovation Alliance, and Career Connect Washington to launch the State of Innovation Challenge. This virtual, career-connected problem solving challenge invites Washington state youth to design and share their solutions to some of the biggest issues Washington’s employers and communities are facing now. From COVID-19 to the state food supply, to creating sustainable communities, students will explore these issues in-depth and work with educators and industry leaders to design solutions.

“Washington has always been a state of dreamers, doers, and innovators,” Gov. Inslee said. “This year, as we face some of the biggest challenges our state has ever faced, we want to invite the next generation of problem solvers to help us find the way forward.”

Junior Achievement of Washington’s program focus on financial empowerment, career readiness, and entrepreneurship is the ideal complement to support youth in the Challenge, helping them connect classroom topics with real-world issues. JA is providing the JA Be Entrepreneurial and JA Launch Lesson programs, particularly as they introduce the concept of design thinking and prepares students for engaging with entrepreneurial leaders. “We’re thrilled to partner with so many statewide education groups to launch the State of Innovation Challenge,” said Natalie Vega O’Neil, President & CEO of Junior Achievement of Washington. “JA programs are uniquely positioned to help guide youth in their research and work as they innovate and create solutions that can have a profound impact on the future of Washington state. Furthermore, the Challenge creates pathways for youth who may face barriers to further education and opportunity. We need to be tapping into the potential of this next generation of leaders to pave the way for brighter tomorrows.”

Youth in middle school, high school, and alternative education programs are eligible to participate in the State of Innovation Challenge. In addition to working directly with JA and other educators, other partners include Career Connect Washington, 4-H Washington, and other education and youth-focused community partners across the state.

Trios Health is pleased to announce that patients can now make urgent care appointments through online scheduling.

The online scheduling tool allows patients to skip the line and waiting room and show up at their scheduled appointment time for their visit.

“We are excited to be launching this resource for our patients and make our urgent care services more accessible for patients by allowing them to select convenient times that work with their schedules for their urgent medical needs,” said Lorie Orozco, Director of Trios Medical Group Operations.

Walk-in patients will still be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Anyone with a scheduled appointment, though, will be seen ahead of walk-in visits, with the exception of patients who have more emergent needs.

“We would encourage our patients to utilize online scheduling for their urgent care needs,” said Ann Bradley, Urgent Care Clinic Manager. “The convenience this tool will bring will not only allow our patients to know approximately what time they will be seen, but will allow us to have our clinic days more scheduled. We of course will continue to serve all patients, whether they schedule online or walk into our clinic.”

Patients utilizing the online scheduling tool have multiple options for scheduling their appointment. These include logging into their Trios Patient Portal (for established patients); using the urgent care online scheduling link at trioshealth.org/online-scheduling, or calling the Trios Urgent Care Center at 509.221.6900 to speak with a receptionist who can help them schedule. Online scheduling for urgent care visits is only available up to 24 hours in advance.

Trios Urgent Care Center is located at 7201 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick and is open daily from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia (CRFMC) with support from Numerica Credit Union will be distributing thousands of books to the community on January 20th from 9am-4pm at the Numerica Pavilion at the Southridge Sporting Complex.

On December 31st The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia challenged the local community to make the resolution in 2021 to read 20 minutes every day with a child through the social media champaign, Resolution Read. To support the community in meeting this resolution, CRFMC will donate 12 books to the first 2000 families who register on their website by January 19th. Over 600 book bag requests have already been hand delivered to people’s homes through the support of volunteers, the remaining 1400 book bags will be distributed at the Resolution Read event on January 20th from 9am-4pm at the Numerica Pavilion at the Southridge Sports Complex.  “Resolution Read has taken off in a way we never expected,” said Elizabeth Barnes, CRFMC Executive Director “we were only anticipating about 200 families. We are really excited that so many families are making the resolution to read 20 minutes every day with their children.”

CRFMC is partnering with Numerica Credit Union to bring Resolution Read to life. “Numerica is passionate about supporting children and their families so that they can fulfill their dreams,” said Andy Stirling, senior vice president of Central Washington at Numerica Credit Union. “Helping Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia provide books to thousands of families is the first step to encourage households to read together 20 minutes each day.” Numerica employees have supported the event through the distribution of thousands of books directly to people’s homes.

CRFMC and Numerica would like to thank all the volunteers who have supported this event including Team Battelle, Washington River Protection Services, Kennewick Kiwanis Club, Kennewick Parks and Recs, and many other individuals.

Press is invited to attend Resolution Read on January 20th.

Petersen Hastings in Kennewick and Walla Walla, Washington is honored to announce our recertification from the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX) for the 13th straight year. This certification is only granted by CEFEX to firms that demonstrate adherence to fiduciary best practices. It is a hallmark accomplishment as it signifies conformity to a recognized global standard of fiduciary excellence. 

The CEFEX certificate requires that advisors undergo annual fiduciary assessments conducted by the program’s expert analysts to ensure they are upholding fiduciary standards and that practices are in place in order to achieve cultural excellence, supported by documented and structured processes. The CEFEX Fiduciary assessment, in detail, includes administrative review, analyzes structure systems and reporting – where conflicts of interest may be addressed, analyzes risk and characteristics of the portfolio, and samples client deliverables. Because of this, advisors are better able to manage client portfolios and expectations through education, reporting, and disclosure. 

“CEFEX is pleased to once again, include Petersen Hastings amongst an elite group of investment advisors who have demonstrated adherence to professional practices that define a standard of fiduciary excellence,” said CEFEX Managing Director, Carlos Panksep. “They have earned the right to use the CEFEX Mark which indicates the firm’s established practices are aligned with investors’ interests and worthy of trust and confidence.”

“Embracing the fiduciary standard has been and continues to be a pillar of the Petersen Hastings mission, and we are excited to be one of the few firms in the country that have been CEFEX certified as fiduciaries for over ten years,” said Matthew Petersen, Chief Compliance Officer. “We have been able to achieve this through our entire team’s dedication to putting the interest of our clients ahead of our own.”

The next seminar in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Community Science and Technology Seminar Series, “Size Does Matter! Testing with Simulated Hanford Tank Waste,” presented by Philip Schonewill, a senior chemical engineer at PNNL, will take place on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at 5:00 p.m., via Zoom. 

On this webinar, you will learn how big is too big. When investigating ideas and refining design concepts, researchers often develop methods and systems at a reduced scale. For Hanford waste processes, the particularities of the situation demand a much larger size despite the increase in complexity and expense. The test system must be very large to properly capture the relevant physical or chemical processes controlling the behavior of interest. Through a series of recent case studies, learn why choosing the appropriate scale for Hanford waste process test systems is critical to obtaining meaningful results.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Community Science and Technology Seminar Series was launched to help the general public better understand and explore how science transforms our world. 

Those who are interested can register here.

Many of you have questions about when you will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. We are currently in Phase 1a of the rollout plan that has been developed with recommendations that closely align with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This includes risk stratification given the limited supply of the vaccine for COVID-19 for the first two months. These guidelines are provided by the CDC.

Phase 1a includes the following groups:

• High-risk workers in health care settings (clinical judgment should be applied to identify who is at greatest risk).
• High-risk first responders (clinical judgment should be applied to identify who is at greatest risk).
• Residents and staff of nursing homes assisted living facilities, and other community-based, congregate living settings where most individuals over 65 years of age are receiving care, supervision, or assistance. This is to avoid hospitalizations, severe morbidity, and mortality.

Phase 1b includes:

• People of all ages with comorbid and underling conditions that put them at significantly high risk.
• Older adults living in congregate or overcrowded settings.

Phase 2 includes:

• K-12 teachers and school staff and childcare workers.
• Critical workers in high-risk settings – workers who are in industries essential to the function of society and at substantially high-risk of exposure.
• People of all ages with comorbid and underlying conditions that put them at moderately high risk.
• People in homeless shelters or group homes for individuals with disabilities, including serious mental illness, developmental and intellectual disabilities s, and physical disabilities, or in recovery and staff who work in such settings.
• People in prison, jails, detention centers, and similar facilities and staff who work in such settings.
• All older adults not included in Phase 1.

You can visit the Department of Health’s website to learn more the vaccine rollout plan:
https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/WA-COVID-19-Vaccination-Plan.pdf

For information on the community vaccination schedule, please call Prosser Memorial Health Chief Communications Officer Shannon Hitchcock at 509.786.6601 or connect@prosserhealth.org Additional COVID-19 resources can be found on our website at prosserhealth.org. We will notify the community when we begin the community vaccine clinics.

Prosser Memorial Health proudly announces Dr. Jared Clifford as the new Chief of Staff for 2021-2023. Prosser Orthopedic Center Podiatric Surgeon, Dr. Jared Clifford, DPM, FACFAS, has been caring for our patients for fourteen years. He is Board-Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons.

“Every time I come in through the hospital lobby, I am amazed as I pass the ever-growing number of provider portraits hanging on the wall. I never would have guessed that we would eventually have such a diverse group of providers and specialists when I started here 14 years ago!

As chief of staff, I will be just one part of this team of physicians, healthcare providers, and Prosser Memorial Health coworkers, all of us striving to provide excellent patient care and a comfortable, personal experience for everyone who walks through the doors of our hospital and clinics. 2020 brought obvious challenges, and I am proud to have been a part of Prosser Memorial Health as we responded with our COVID respiratory clinic and measures in our hospital and clinics to keep our patients and team members safe.

 am optimistic as we begin 2021. Prosser Memorial Health is blessed to have a cohesive medical staff that works very well together. Our sights are set firmly on becoming a top-100 critical access hospital. It’s going to be a great year.” - Dr. Jared Clifford, DPM, FACFAS, and Chief of Staff at Prosser Memorial Health

The two-year term position was held by Prosser Memorial Health Emergency Room physician, Dr. Terry Murphy from 2019-2020. Board-Certified Pediatrician Dr. David Carl of Prosser Memorial Health’s Benton City Clinic will serve as the 2021-2023 Vice Chief of Staff. For questions, please contact Prosser Memorial Health Chief Communications Officer Shannon Hitchcock at 509.786.6601.

On Wednesday, January 13th at 1:30 p.m., the Port of Pasco will perform a dedication ceremony for the new Reimann Industrial Center.

The Port purchased the 300-acres of land in October of 2019 for development of a new industrial center in Franklin County. The land is available for purchase for new and expanding industrial businesses with parcel sizes ranging from 5 to 100 acres.

The Reimann Industrial Center was named in honor of Ron Reimann, a former Port of Pasco Commissioner. Ron served as a Commissioner for the Port from November 2011 until his passing in July of 2017. Ron was very active in the local agricultural community in both farming and industry advancement.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the dedication will be a small group and will be outdoors only with social distancing and masks required.
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The dedication ceremony will take place at Reimann site along Railroad Avenue, approximately ½ mile north of the Granite Northwest office at 7131 N Railroad Ave.

You can register for the free luncheon here.