Trios Health has appointed two of its residents to serve as chief residents for the hospital system’s family and internal medicine residency programs. Dr. Brandon Hanley, has been selected as chief resident for the Family Medicine Residency Program, and Dr. Matthew Kheir has been chosen for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. The physicians were selected by their fellow residents and will serve as chiefs for one year, from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. Chief residents provide leadership within a medical residency program by teaching, facilitating conferences, supervising, scheduling, implementing policy, mediating and serving as role models for other residents. The residents are supervised by attending faculty and their program directors.

Dr. Hanley earned his Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry and Health Sciences at Walla Walla University.  He earned his Master's Degree in Medical Science from Heritage University and his Doctor of Osteopathy Degree from Pacific NW University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Yakima, WA. Dr. Hanley enjoys spending time with his family and friends.  Dr. Hanley is an avid outdoorsman, with special interests in fishing, skiing, motocross, hiking, paddle boarding, camping, and surfing.

“I look forward to having Dr. Hanley as the family medicine chief resident,” said H. Matt Smith MD, Interim Family Medicine Residency Program Director. “He is a compassionate, well-organized, insightful leader who is known for his strong bond with his patients and fellow residents.”

Dr. Kheir earned his Bachelor of Science in Physics Degree from the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor. He earned his Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Kheir speaks Arabic, German and Spanish. Some of his hobbies include: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, weight lifting, ping-pong, traveling, learning languages, church activities, volunteering and Global health missions. Since being in residency Dr. Kheir has also participated on a number of research projects, including one that was just recently published on albumin levels and COVID-19. He also completed a specialized ultrasound training course, and after completion of that course has been leading ultrasound training sessions for his fellow residents.

“I am pleased to have Dr. Kheir serve as the Internal Medicine Residency Chief Resident next year. He is organized, committed to the position and will be an excellent role model and leader,” said Dr. Vamsi Kanneganti, Internal Medicine Residency Program Director.

Individuals looking to establish care with a primary care provider can schedule an appointment with Trios Health resident physicians, including Dr. Hanley and Dr. Kheir. To reach the Trios Health Family Medicine Residency Clinic, call (509) 221-5520. For the Internal Medicine Residency Clinic, call (509) 221-5222.

With great excitement, the City of Pasco broke ground on March 19, 2021 for the Peanuts Park and Pasco Farmers Market Renovation Project. This project is the culmination of many years of work in establishing a new era for downtown Pasco.

The project includes a complete renovation of Peanuts Park and the Farmers Market, including adding new hardscape amenities, landscaping, public art, permanent food truck connection points, and a new canopy to the Farmer’s Market area in order to ensure a more pleasant atmosphere for all patrons and vendors.

We would like to thank our partners including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the 16thWashington State Legislative Delegation, as well as former Senator Maureen Walsh and Representative Bill Jenkin, for their efforts in securing funding for this project.
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We look forward to seeing you at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony when we will dedicate the ‘new’ Peanuts Park and Farmer’s Market which will serve the City of Pasco and surrounding area for many decades to come.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic and its continued impact on the most vulnerable in our communities, Baker Boyer chose to direct $32,500 in funding from its Legacy Giving Grant Program to be distributed to non-profits and organizations in Walla Walla, Milton-Freewater, Tri-Cities, and Yakima. Many are still facing increased demand for support brought on by the pandemic. These donations focus on food insecurity, providing support to low income individuals facing challenges of homelessness, access to healthcare, and those seeking refuge from domestic violence.

“Covid-19 has been particularly challenging for some of the most vulnerable in the communities we serve,” said Mark Kajita, Baker Boyer President and CEO. “We are all in this together. Baker Boyer cares deeply about our communities and want to do our part in helping everyone get through this unfortunate pandemic.”

Baker Boyer also provided support to vaccine clinics by buying lunches from local restaurants for volunteers in Walla Walla and Yakima. In addition, the bank bought EpiPens to have on site at the Walla Walla vaccine clinic to increase safety protocols. This need was identified by vaccine clinic volunteer and Baker Boyer VP Anne Sumner, who is a former nurse.

This brings the total of additional contributions made to support those impacted by the pandemic from Baker Boyer to more than $142,000 since it started.

Here are the recipients of contributions made in 2021:

In Tri-Cities:

• Second Harvest — $5,000 to support increased need for food assistance, including specific programs such as the Hanford Feeding Families Fundraiser and Red Nose Day (in addition to the $5,000 donated earlier in the year).
• Grace Clinic — $2,500 to support the volunteers and staff that provide medical, dental, and mental health services to low-income uninsured residents of Benton and Franklin counties.
  
  

In Yakima:

• YWCA – Yakima — $3,000 for its Domestic Violence Shelter needed to keep operations stable with increased demand for its services and PPE.
• People for People Meals on Wheels — $4,000 to help provide meals to seniors who are isolated at home.
• $700 – Yakima Rotary Food Bank to support its collection, storage, and distribution of food throughout the Yakima Valley
• $300 – Lunches provided to volunteers at vaccine clinic
  
  

In Walla Walla Valley:

• BMAC Food Bank — $5,000 to support its collection, storage, and distribution of food throughout the Walla Walla Valley
• Helpline — $1,400 to support of emergency social services for low-income and homeless households in Walla Walla County.
• Vaccine Clinic— $2,000 to purchase lunches from local restaurants for those volunteering their time to get our communities safely vaccinated.
• Walla Walla Health Department— $5,600 to purchase EpiPens to have on sight at the vaccine clinics.
  
  

Milton-Freewater:

• Home Delivered Meals Program (CAPECO)— $2,500 to support seniors receiving home delivered meals.
  
  

Each year, Baker Boyer contributes nearly $200,000 in donations and sponsorships to support local nonprofit and community organizations and programs. Last year, this increased to over $300,000 in-light of the increases in funding to help manage the
impacts of the pandemic.

On March 25th, the Port of Pasco Board of Commissioners passed the attached Resolution opposing the Scout Energy Horse Heaven Wind Farm Project, urging the application review to be moved from Olympia to Benton County. The Resolution listed multiple reasons for opposing the project, including:

• Damage to unique and scenic vistas in the Tri-Cities area and its effects on tourism and economic development.
• A disproportionate share of wind energy structures being sited in a single area of the state, circumventing the local approval process and failing the goals of environmental justice.
• Wind power displacing existing, renewable hydropower production, offering no net gain of either power production or carbon reduction.
• Potential adverse impacts to flight operations at the Tri-Cities Airport operated by the Port.

Lourdes Health announced today that Joan White-Wagoner has been named chief executive officer (CEO), effective May 3. A veteran healthcare leader, White-Wagoner replaces Chad Pew, who has been serving as interim CEO since September 2020. 
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Joan to Lourdes Health,” said Sandy Podley, president of LifePoint Health’s Western Division, of which Lourdes Health is a part. “Joan is a seasoned leader who is deeply committed to our mission of Making Communities Healthier. I am confident that her passion for quality care, her operational expertise and her strong track record for organizational growth will be a tremendous benefit to Lourdes. We look forward to the many ways her leadership will help further improve the health and well-being of the community in the years to come.”
 
A dynamic leader with extensive healthcare management experience, White-Wagoner most recently served as senior managing director at MRN Healthcare Management in Washington, North Carolina. Before MRN, White-Wagoner held leadership positions at several healthcare organizations across the country. She was the chief executive officer at Martin General Health System in Williamston, North Carolina; system vice president and medical center chief executive officer for Baptist Health Medical Center in Conway, Arkansas; and system chief operating officer for Texas General Hospital System in Grand Prairie, Texas. 
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“Joan’s extensive knowledge and leadership experience in managing many types of hospitals will be a tremendous asset to our organization,” said Julie Killian, chair of the Lourdes Health Board of Trustees. “We are honored to name her CEO, and we look forward to working alongside her in our dedicated effort to making communities healthier.”

White-Wagoner earned her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management from Southern Illinois University and both a Master of Health Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).
 
“Lourdes has been positioned in this community as a trusted, quality healthcare provider for more than 100 years,” said White Wagoner. “It’s the people of Lourdes making that difference. There is a sense of pride and culture that you can feel as soon as you walk through the doors. I am excited to begin working collaboratively with the staff, physicians, community leaders, and the board as we continue to fulfill our mission of making communities healthier.” 

To better serve our patients and community, Prosser Memorial Health now has laboratory facilities and services in each of its primary care clinics located in Benton City, Prosser, and Grandview. Lab services are also scheduled to be offered at the Prosser Women’s Health Center starting in May. By offering lab services at each clinic, PMH can provide an added level of convenience for our patients.

One of our new lab services is automated semen sample analysis. Prosser Memorial Health is currently the only provider to offer this service locally. This testing process allows for faster turnaround times, with results often in as little as fifteen minutes. Automated semen analysis testing results are also highly accurate. Semen analysis plays a key role in infertility evaluation and in guiding our providers as they create an infertility treatment plan.

For questions about laboratory services, including semen analysis at Prosser Memorial Health, call our Laboratory Department at 509.786.6636. For questions or more information on infertility treatment services, please call the Prosser Women’s Health Center at 509.786.0031 or visit prosserhealth.org.

​BrandCraft®, eastern Washington’s premier growth marketing agency, announced today the opening of a second office located in downtown Spokane, WA. Building on its success in the Tri-Cities, BrandCraft’s Spokane office will offer clients integrated marketing and design services to help them achieve their growth goals.
 
The expansion also brings the addition of two new team members. Spokane locals Mark Sandall and Kayla Rott recently joined BrandCraft’s creative and digital marketing divisions, rounding out a team of experts in web design and digital marketing.

“BrandCraft is at the very beginning of a targeted growth phase. We believe strongly that the economy has pent up demand for many products and services that struggled during the pandemic. Despite the impacts of COVID-19, in 2020 we invested in people, in processes, and in greater capability. We are bullish on our prospects moving into 2021 and currently eyeing new physical locations in Boise, ID, and Phoenix, AZ.” —Torey Azure, CEO, BrandCraft

The next seminar in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Special Edition Community Science and Technology Seminar Series, “Model Me This: COVID-19 Scientific Predictions and Where We Go from Here,” presented by Tim Scheibe, lead scientist for PNNL’s River Corridor Scientific Focus Area project, will take place on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 5pm via Zoom.
 
Data, data everywhere, put it in a model to see how we might fare. No need for magic when we have robust scientific tools at our fingertips. Using mathematical representations of disease patterns, scientists are beginning to learn how COVID-19 swept the globe across diverse human populations. These epidemiological models are being used to help guide policy decisions and inform public health guidelines. Join this talk to learn what types of models exist, how they’re developed, how they’re used, and how they might predict our future.
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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.

Benton PUD has earned a Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3)® Diamond designation from the American Public Power Association for the third time, the highest level awarded, for safely providing reliable electric service. 

The RP3 designation, which lasts for three years, recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement. Criteria include sound business practices and a utility-wide commitment to safe and reliable delivery of electricity. Benton PUD joins more than 275 public power utilities of 2,000 nationwide that hold the RP3 designation.  

“I think over the last year or so, we’ve seen the vital importance of running a reliable and safe utility,” says Aaron Haderle, Chair of APPA’s RP3 Review Panel and Manager of Transmission and Distribution Operations at Kissimmee Utility Authority, Florida. “The utilities receiving the RP3 designation have proven that they are committed to running a top-notch public power utility by implementing industry best practices.”

“This designation is a testament to the long-standing tradition our employees have to helping preserve the health, safety, and well-being of our customers and the communities we serve” said Rick Dunn, General Manager of Benton PUD.  “We remain focused on continuously improving the redundancy and resiliency of our delivery systems to meet the “always on” expectations our customers have for their electric and broadband services.”

​Last year was the worst year on record for wildland fires in the United States many of which were in the Northwest. The Congressional Research Service reports that more than 58,250 wildfires burned 10.3 million acres, the most acreage impacted in a year.
 
Many wildland fires are started accidentally when property owners burn debris from yard waste and it gets out of control. Benton County Fire District 4 has responded to several vegetation fires so far this year.
 
Chief Paul Carlyle says that this is a good reminder for homeowners to prepare for wildland fire season early. Rain and snow allow brush to grow and die off quickly in the spring, which provides fuel for wildland fires in the summer and fall months.
 
“All indicators point to the fact that this is going to be a challenging fire season,” said Chief Carlyle. “Our ability to protect a property is directly linked to what homeowners do to prepare now for this type of emergency.”
 
It’s important to see if and when you can burn to avoid fines. Information can be found through the Benton Clean Air Agency: bentoncleanair.org/burning/burndecision/. These regulations are in place to limit the impact of smoke to the region and ensure there is an adequate emergency response if a fire needs controlling.
 
A few steps can also reduce the risk of wildland fire to your home or property. To begin with, firefighters need to be able to locate you in case of a 911 call. Have your address posted on your driveway entrance as well as your house. Be sure to provide good access to your home and/or shop that allows firefighting apparatus the ability to access, turn around and leave your property.
 
What a homeowner may regard as just an overgrown bush near their garage (or long grass in the yard) is actually a quick burning fuel source. For firefighters, this could mean a long fight to save the home if this fuel source should ignite. Creating a “fire barrier” to homes and outbuildings is critical. Some simple tips to protect structures are as follows:
 

• Maintain a 30-foot defensible space around your home.
• Keep lawns well-watered.
• Prune or remove combustible trees or shrubs close to your home.    
• Clean gutters and roofs of any debris regularly.    
• Screen off crawl spaces, attics and decks to keep them free of debris, as well as any flying embers.    
• Do NOT store combustibles, such as wood piles, under your deck or near your home.    

 
More information can be found on Benton County Fire District 4’s website at www.bcfd4.org. Other resources for property owners are available through  the National Fire Protection Association (www.nfpa.org) and Ready.gov (www.ready.gov/wildfires).