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At Prosser Memorial Health, our mission is to improve the health of our community. As our community grows, we also grow by expanding services and adding new providers. Prosser Memorial Health welcomes Becky Morris, CNM-WHNP to the team of providers at our Grandview Clinic.

Becky received her BSN at the University of Utah School of Nursing and Health Sciences in Salt Lake City and her MSN at Georgetown University School of Nursing Health and Sciences in Washington DC. Becky is a Certified Nurse Midwife and certified in ultrasound. Professional Associations include the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health and the American College of Nurse Midwives.

“I came to Prosser Memorial Health because I believe they are committed to providing women with access to the latest medical technology and care. I look forward to partnering with the Prosser Memorial Hospital team in supporting and caring for the women of Prosser, Grandview and all surrounding areas.”-Becky Morris, CNM-WHNP

Her services include routine exams and pap smear screening, prenatal care, family planning and contraceptive counseling, thyroid management, health education and more. The Grandview Clinic is located at 1003 Wallace Way. To schedule an appointment with Becky Morris call 509.203.1080. To learn more about services offered at Prosser Memorial Health, visit prosserhealth.org.

The Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) Board of Directors held a special meeting to discuss the agency’s proposed 2021 operating and capital budget on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. At the regular monthly meeting held immediately following, the Board voted to release the proposed budget for public comment. Per the Governor’s COVID-19 Proclamation 20-28 Open Public Meetings Act, a physical meeting location was not provided for these meetings, however telephonic access information was provided to allow public attendance via Zoom.

The proposed budget is available for review online at www.bft.org/financial-information, or can be provided via email or mail upon request by calling 509.735.5100.

Comments may be submitted by mail (postage-free comment cards available at BFT ticket outlets), by phone at 509.735.5100 or Language Line service, or by e-mail to CustomerComment@bft.org. The comment period will remain open until Nov. 8, 2020.

More information about Ben Franklin Transit and its services can be found at BFT.org.

​Trios Health is pleased to announce that Amy Sweetwood has been appointed the Designated Institutional Officer (DIO) for the Graduate Medical Education Residency Program.

As DIO, Amy is tasked with the oversight and administration of Trios’ family and internal medicine residency programs and ensuring compliance with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) standards and requirements. She will work with the Program Directors of the Family Medicine and Internal Medicine residency programs, their respective Program Coordinators, core faculty, the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), and residents of the respective programs in her role.

Amy most recently was the Program Operations Lead at Spokane Teaching Health Center and continues to consult with the organization. She was also previously the Graduate Medical Education Director from 2013-2018 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center and was part of the team that built and implemented the residency program when it began in 2015.

“Amy comes to us with a wealth of experience and knowledge that will benefit our residents, organization, and community,” said John Solheim, Chief Executive Officer. “Her knowledge of the area and extensive experience in healthcare and specifically in regard to education and residency programs is a great asset. We’re looking forward to working with her and having her as part of the team to train future physicians.”

Amy says she is looking forward to leading the Trios residency programs to continue to meet the needs of this region.

“I am really excited to be collaborating with a great team and to be able to contribute to Trios’ residency vision,” she said. “I want to ensure that our region has providers to serve the needs of our community members, and I look forward to making this happen by working in partnership with everyone involved.”

In 2013-2015, Amy worked to expand Washington State funding for residency development in Eastern Washington and was a Community Member of the University of Washington - School of Medicine - Family Medicine Educational Advisory Committee. She is currently a board member of the National Board of Advisors at the Carson College of Business at Washington State University – Tri-Cities and was a board member with Columbia Basin College/Washington State University’s MESA-Yakima Valley/Tri-Cities, which encouraged middle and high school students toward STEM careers.

Amy was an E-5 Sargent in the United States Army Reserves from 1988-1996 and is a Desert Storm Veteran. During her service, she was awarded the National Accommodation Medal for the 244th Personnel Service Unit. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Sports Medicine from the University of Idaho and Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University.

Mid-Columbia Libraries (MCL) invites book lovers to break out their coziest sweater and curl up with a good book and a pumpkin spice latte for its first ever fall reading challenge, “Fall Into Reading.” From Oct. 12 to Nov. 30, participants can earn badges for reading and completing activities while earning chances to win great prizes. Reading must be logged in Beanstack to be eligible for prizes. Readers can register as individuals or families at: midcolumbialibraries.beanstack.org.

Beanstack is MCL’s new source for participating in reading challenges and activities, tracking reading, and logging and discovering books. Beanstack can be used on any computer, or participants can find the Beanstack Tracker app in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Beanstack is translatable in more than 100 languages when accessed via Google Chrome. Frequently asked questions and more info are available at midcolumbialibraries.org/reading-challenges.

On Saturday, September 12th, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation hosted their 2nd annual
culinary event, DINE OUT. This year participants ROAD TRIPPED to a number of cancer crushing restaurants
around the Tri-Cities for a curbside sample of each restaurants Cancer Crushing dish. Participants voted for their
favorite dish and a 2020 Cancer Crushing Restaurant of the Year was chosen. This year’s winner was The
Bradley in Richland for their spiced avocado ice cream bar dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with marcona
almonds.
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During the entire month of October, participating restaurants will be offering their cancer crushing dishes from DINE
OUT with proceeds from their dishes benefitting the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation. For a complete listing of
locations and dishes, click here.

The next seminar in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Community Science and Technology Seminar Series, “Solving the World’s Biggest Problems on the Smallest Scale,” presented by Heather Olson, a PNNL Chemist, will take place on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, at 7:00 p.m., via Zoom.

What tool can help people find cancer earlier, give plants a fighting chance when water is scarce or develop new fuels to get our vehicles from point A to B? Mass Spectrometry can! Join us and find out how researchers are utilizing this powerful tool to find differences in everything from single cells to entire forests. We use mass spectrometry to identify changes in proteins, metabolic compounds as well as lipids in any living system. With this knowledge, we can fill in the blueprint of life and understand biological systems in a way that we never could before.

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.

The public can help shape the future of the historic waterfront district in Kennewick by providing feedback on two potential community-guided development approaches. The concepts were created based on previous public input.  

The historic waterfront district includes the port’s Clover Island, Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village, The Willows and Cable Greens development sites.

The process is intended to spur discussion of the pros and cons of the different development approaches and illustrate a range of ideas for how the area could evolve. Components of each concept can be “mixed and matched,” so feedback will help determine which ideas move forward into the next project phase.
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WHO: Everyone interested in future uses/amenities in Kennewick’s historic waterfront district
WHAT: Give feedback on preliminary development concepts 
WHEN: Virtual presentation of development concepts: Monday, October 12 at 3 p.m. 
              – or –  Review concepts and comment online: October 10 through 18
WHERE: kennewickhistoricwaterfront.org 

The Port of Kennewick’s Historic Waterfront District Master Plan will prioritize the next 15 to 20 years of activities, amenities, and improvements at Clover Island and port-owned property on the north side of Columbia Drive, between Clover Island Drive and the Cable Bridge.

The plan will build upon 15 years of port and city of Kennewick investments and establish a cohesive plan for the future of that neighborhood which honors the community’s vision of revitalizing the historic downtown and creating a destination waterfront.

For the second year, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation is partnering with Speck Family Dealerships during the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness. Throughout the month of October, Speck Family Dealerships will donate one mammogram for women in our community for every new vehicle purchased during the month.

For complete details, please visit speckdealerships.com/driveforacure or tccancer.org.

Breast Cancer Facts:

• Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women (aside from cancers of the skin).
• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death in women.
• 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
• While guidelines vary, women should consider having their mammogram starting at age 40. Have a conversation with your physician to determine what is most appropriate for you

For more information, please call the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation at (509) 737-3413.

Trios Health is pleased to announce that Michael Kolczynski, MD, has joined Trios Medical Group as a pain specialist.

Dr. Kolczynski will see patients at the Trios Care Center at Southridge 4th floor clinic, located at 3730 Plaza Way in Kennewick. He treats patients for a variety of conditions, including back, neck, and shoulder pain; carpal tunnel; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS); diabetic neuropathic pain; fibromyalgia; headaches; herniated discs; hip and knee pain; pelvic and abdominal pain; sacroiliac pain; sciatica; shingles (postherpetic neuralgia); spinal stenosis; and work and sports injuries.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Kolczynski to Trios Health and know his experience, expertise, and wide array of conditions he treats will be of great benefit and value to our patients and our community,” said Lorie Orozco, Director of Trios Medical Group Operations.

Most recently, Dr. Kolczynski was medical director at Advanced Pain Management in Oconto Falls, Wisconsin. He completed medical school at Saba University School of Medicine in Netherlands-Antilles and completed his residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in pain management at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago. 

“Dr. Kolczynski believes in a multidisciplinary approach and minimally invasive interventional techniques to treating pain and its associated conditions, and he will be a great addition to our team,” said Cristal Trevino, clinic manager. “We are looking forward to being able to treat patients with chronic pain conditions and being able to provide this needed service for our community.”
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Dr. Kolczynski is double board-certified in pain management and anesthesiology and is a member of the American Board of Anesthesiology, American Medical Association, and Spine Intervention Society. He is originally from Vancouver, Canada, and is fluent in English, Polish, and conversational German.

Prosser Memorial Health now offers Heightened Detail 3D Mammography in the Radiology Department. The Hologic Genius 3D Mammography exam allows providers to examine breast tissue layer by layer. This means fine details are more visible and no longer hidden by the tissue above or below. The Genius exam is currently the only mammogram FDA approved as superior for women with dense breasts. The unique Smart Curve Paddle provides more comfort and the Genius delivers a much faster image. It takes just 3.7 seconds as opposed to 10 seconds or more on a typical 3D machine.

Prosser Memorial Health is a Mammography and CT Accredited Facility and currently the only provider in the Yakima Valley or Tri-Cities region offering Heightened Detail 3D Mammography with Smart Curve Technology. We are excited to offer this state-of-the-art technology to our patients. The American College of Radiology (ACR) recommends women start getting annual mammograms at age 40.

Mammographers Amanda Hibbs, PMH Lead Technologist, and Judy McCormick, RT, have a true passion for women’s health. “Every year you should have your mammogram to continue with consistency. Skipping a year, or skipping two years or three, women’s breasts change in that amount of time.”-Amanda Hibbs, RT (R) (M) (CT) (BD) ARRT

To schedule a mammogram, learn more about Heightened Detail 3D Mammography, or other Diagnostic Imaging services at Prosser Memorial Health, call 786.5596 or visit prosserhealth.org.