​Trios Health is pleased to announce that Wendy Morby, a Registered Nurse, has been named as a recipient for The DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses by Trios Health.

Wendy has been an RN at Trios Health since 1999. She has worked in many different departments such as Surgical Services, has been a House Supervisor and currently works in Radiology.

“Wendy is an advocate for patients and staff,” said Lori Katterhagen, Trios Chief Nursing Officer. “She is an exemplary nurse with over 25 years of experience and demonstrates compassion to all.”

Wendy was nominated by an employee who had a family member as a patient. She went out of her way to care for the employee and their family throughout their stay and helped them navigate through very difficult circumstances. Wendy demonstrates being an extraordinary nurse by providing a family atmosphere and goes out of her way to make all staff and patients, including their families, feel safe.

The staff member who nominated her wrote, “When you are an employee and on the other side of things, everything becomes ‘foggy’. My family and I were lost. My family made the ICU waiting room our home. Wendy would come to the waiting room and bring our family water or snack or just offer a needed teddy bear hug. She listened to everything we said and would also get clarification for us.”

Larry Zackula, Market Director for Diagnostic Imaging, and Wendy’s supervisor said, “Wendy is incredibly deserving of this award. It is an honor and a privilege to have her working at Trios Health because she takes care of everyone like they are her own family.”

The DAISY Award® is an international program started in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, whose family experienced first-hand the difference his nurses made in his care through clinical excellence and compassionate care. The family created The DAISY Award® to express gratitude to nurses and to enable other patients, families, and staff to thank and honor their special nurses.

To nominate a nurse or to learn more about The DAISY Award®, visit TriosHealth.org/Daisy.

​​The Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety (CBPPS) recently recognized Mark Holyoak, CEO of Lourdes Health, as a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS).

“Earning this credential attests to Mark's professional competency in patient safety science and application,” said Patricia McGaffigan, RN, MS, CPPS, President, CBPPS. “This achievement demonstrates his expertise in this critical discipline and positions him among those committed to and leading patient safety work.”

Holyoak earned this credential in part by passing a rigorous, evidence-based examination that tests candidates on their competency in patient safety science and application.

With the conferring of certification Holyoak is privileged to use the CPPS credential.

“As the CEO of Lourdes Health, I firmly believe that becoming a Certified Professional in Patient Safety, is not just a personal achievement, but a commitment to the highest standards of care for our patients,” said Holyoak.
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For more information about the CPPS credential, contact the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety at 617.391.9927 or write to [email protected].

The Richland Public Library announces a new mobile application available for free download on Apple and Android phones. The user-friendly app can be found by searching “Richland Public Library” at the Apple Store or Google Play. 

With this app, you can search the library catalog, place holds, manage multiple card holders, and even get your digital library card. Don’t miss out on our programs with easy access to our event calendar, the ability to add events to your calendar, and opt-in library updates. 

Enjoy central access to our digital resources, check out free attraction passes, and join our reading challenges. You can even renew your library card, reserve a meeting room, and connect with your library in many other ways.
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Take the Richland Public Library everywhere you go, today!

After suffering financial losses since 2020, The Tri-City Water Follies Association is in need of securing financial support from sponsors to continue the 59-year event.
 
The three-day event scheduled for July 26-28th is the largest tourism and sporting event in Eastern Washington consistently contributing 2.7 million dollars to the Tri-Cities economy, as reported by Visit Tri-Cities.
 
Tri-City Water Follies President Nathan Craghill explains, “Our Water Follies event would not happen without key support from our local businesses and volunteers.  Having a title sponsor and community support ensures that we are able to continue to provide the Tri Cities with its largest annual event”. 
 
Title Sponsorship for the Hydroplane races is critical for the continuation of the event. For the second year in a row, STCU is generously sponsoring the Over the River Air Show.
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Other sponsorships include marketing and advertising opportunities customized to individual needs and include V.I.P. ticket packages, media coverage, community outreach, and exposure to an average of 50,000 attendees.
 
For more information about sponsorship or marketing opportunities please call Nathan Craghill at 509-539-8902.
 
The volunteer Board of Directors meets year-round to plan and execute the Tri-Cities premier summer celebration. Sponsorship opportunities are one of the most critical components to the success of the event.
 
Approximately 1,200 volunteers work every year to create the event for 50,000+ spectators. The Tri Cities has been recognized throughout the circuit as a top venue for the sport. 

​Richland received 2 state awards last month during the Washington Economic Development Association’s (WEDA) winter conference in the Innovation and Emerging Leadership categories.

The 2024 Innovation in Economics Development award recognizes the City’s use of the Targeted Urban Area Exemption, a Manufacturing Recruitment Tool that is a game-changer in creating long-term jobs and increasing economic vitality in our region.

Economic Development Manager Mandy Wallner was also awarded the 2024 Emerging Professional in Economic Development for her significant contribution to her community and as a promising future leader in the industry.

“Mandy exemplifies partnership and the spirit of a strong economic development leader. Her work and efforts impact not just the community in which she serves, but the entirety of the economic development network that builds a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive economy,” said Michael Cade, Executive Director of the Thurston Economic Development Council and WEDA Awards Committee member, “Mandy continuously offers her expertise and skills to further the success of all, teaches and recognizes others, and leverages her creativity to find new solutions that increase economic diversity.”
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More information can be found at https://wedaonline.org/news

Elijah Family Homes is gearing up to host their second annual Better Together Non-Profit Coed Softball Tournament. With 13 teams already signed up and eager to participate, this year's event promises to be exciting. Returning teams include SnipesH3, Serve Tri-Cities, The Boys and Girls Club, Numerica Credit Union, and Big Bro Joe, along with newcomers Restoration Market, Mustang Forces, Walk to End Alzheimer's, Clean Sweep, Tri-Cities Residential Services, Mid-Columbia Children's Museum, and Grace Kitchen.

The tournament is open to the public and free of charge, so we encourage everyone in the community to mark their calendars and come out to support this wonderful cause. Located in Richland, WA, at the Horn Rapids Athletic Complex, the action kicks off on April 13th at 10:00 a.m. to enjoy the games, vendors, food trucks, and activities.

Staying late for the All-Star Game at 7 p.m. offers the opportunity to enter and win the 50/50 raffle and fantastic raffle items.
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For more information, please get in touch with Angela Dryden at (509) 943-6610 Ext. 110.

Bechtel’s $7 million dollar commitment to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will provide critical resources and programming to 500,000 U.S. construction workers over the next five years.
 
Bechtel and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) today announced a new, multiyear partnership dedicated to saving lives in the construction community lost to suicide. The initiative was unveiled this morning in Washington, D.C., at an event focused on raising awareness, educating stakeholders on this crisis, and beginning to build a coalition to prevent construction worker suicides.
 
The new partnership will reach 500,000 U.S. construction workers over five years through industry-specific programs and resources developed by Bechtel and AFSP. The $7 million, five-year commitment to AFSP to fund the effort is the largest-ever pledge received by AFSP and the largest single donation ever made by the Bechtel Group Foundation.
 
“This is the start of a long-term, sustained effort to lift up the whole construction community. We want to see mental health become as much of a priority as physical safety in our industry,” said Brendan Bechtel, chairman and CEO of Bechtel. “It’s our belief that addressing suicide in construction is as vital as wearing a hard hat on site. This is the next frontier in taking care of each other.”
 
The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the U.S. In fact, the number of suicides in the industry is nearly five times higher than the number of lives lost in jobsite safety incidents, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, respectively.
 
The initiative will leverage Bechtel’s industry knowledge and reach in combination with AFSP’s expertise in research, education, and effective prevention strategies, as well as its national network of local chapters. Bechtel welcomes participation from others in the industry, as this partnership forms a construction working group and a first-ever senior advisory council to help guide the effort.
 
“We know we cannot meet this challenge alone. Real change will take all of us. We want to build an industry-wide effort, and we are actively encouraging others in construction to join us,” added Brendan Bechtel.
 
“The partnership with Bechtel is the first of its kind for AFSP, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with an industry leader that is focused on improving the mental health of the construction industry as a whole,” said Robert Gebbia, CEO of AFSP. “We’re excited to be building a team within AFSP dedicated to this important initiative aimed at reaching thousands of people in need and preventing suicide.”
 
“All of us who work in construction have seen gains in physical safety that were once unimaginable, become the standard for success,” said Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions, who also spoke at today’s event. “It’s time to bring the same mindset, resources, and innovation to the issue of mental health and suicide prevention.”
 
Learn more about this new initiative and how you can get involved at: Confronting Suicide in the Construction Industry | Bechtel.
 
ICYMI: Bechtel and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Announce Groundbreaking Partnership to Confront Construction Suicide
 
Bechtel and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) announced a new, multiyear partnership dedicated to saving lives in the construction community lost to suicide. The new partnership will reach 500,000 U.S. construction workers over five years through industry-specific programs and resources developed by Bechtel and AFSP. Bechtel’s $7 million commitment to AFSP will fund the effort and is the largest-ever pledge received by AFSP.
 
The new initiative was unveiled at an event in Washington, D.C. this week, where Sean McGarvey, President of North America’s Building Trades, joined Bechtel chairman & CEO, Brendan Bechtel, AFSP CEO, Bob Gebbia, and AFSP Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, to raise awareness of the alarming rate of suicides in the construction industry. Together, the panelists called on others in the industry to join this effort.
 
To watch the full panel conversation online, click here. 
  
Bechtel and AFSP announced a first-of-its kind, industry-specific effort to confront suicide rates in the construction industry. What separates this effort from others is the sustained, multiyear commitment and the invitation for the entire construction industry to join:
 

• Bob Gebbia: “One way [this initiative is different] is that it is an industry-wide initiative. We’ve worked piecemeal in different groups...but nothing ever like this that’s so industry-wide and sustainable over a long period. And one thing we have learned about suicide prevention, it's not one and done. It's got to be sustainable. It's got to actually change the culture which you're working within.”

 

• Bob Gebbia: “I think this is going to raise the bar for other industries because we haven't had such a major industry focus. We can learn things here that will raise the bar for other industries and make them more willing to do something on a scale like this.”

 

• Sean McGarvey: “This gives me real hope that we're onto something where we're all coming together—best practices across international unions, best practices across [the] contracting community, best practices together with the mental health community. It’s a new day in the construction industry.”

 

• Brendan Bechtel: “There's no competition when it comes to safety or well-being. There's no proprietary, Bechtel-specific way to promote mental health, and that's been part of the success [of physical safety]. It didn't matter if you were management or labor, we all wanted to improve physical safety for everybody in our industry. That's the same mindset that we're launching this partnership with, and [why we are] trying to build the biggest tent that we can because everybody wins if we get even a little bit better at this…There are no competitors within the industry when it comes to this. We're all teammates.” 

 
The construction industry has made tremendous progress on physical safety. This new initiative will apply lessons learned to the next frontier in safety, prioritizing mental health and well-being:
 

• Brendan Bechtel: “30 years ago, [Bechtel] and some of our peers decided the only acceptable number of people to lose, or to hurt on a construction site is zero. And it took us 30 years to get there, but we're there…There's a playbook that our industry knows how to execute really, really well because we've done it with physical safety—there's no reason we couldn't do the same for mental health, particularly if it's killing five times as many people as physical safety is on our jobs.”

 

• Brendan Bechtel: “This industry has proven that it excels at doing hard things that no one else can do. Most notably what we've done around physical safety on our projects. And again, that’s a kind of a playbook and a set of strategies and tactics that our whole industry knows how to do well, which is why I'm pretty excited [that] once we get the right expertise, and once we get pointed in the right direction on what we can do, I think as an industry, we can stop being the second highest risk industry for risk of suicide that's out there. That is a shameful statistic for us as an industry. And we will not rest until we change it.” 

 

• Sean McGarvey: “To admit that you're struggling, or that you just don't feel right has been hard to do [in our industry]. Where I think our members are at now…it's not quite an acceptance, but it's an awakening and an understanding of, ‘You know what? This isn't unique to me. This isn't unique to my family. This isn't unique to my colleagues.’ So, I'm interested in having the conversation, where before, these were conversations that didn't happen on our job sites.”

 

• Sean McGarvey: “The timing of what Brendan and his company are doing, along with many of our other colleagues from the EPC community that are in the room [today]…my brother union and sister union members that are here, and some of the things that we at NABTU are going to roll out—to create this, as Brendan coined a phrase, a ‘psychologically safe job site, not just the physically safe job site’—in April at our legislative conference, the timing is really good. I think our people are ready.”  

 
Confronting this crisis will require a culture shift for the construction industry. As colleagues endure tremendous demands and challenging work, there needs to be an understanding that it’s okay to ask for help; the industry must de-stigmatize prioritizing mental health:
 

• Brendan Bechtel: “I'm leaving here with a lot of hope and optimism about where we'll be in five years. It's a special kind of person that chooses to make this industry their career. It's really hard work. It's very stressful, it's very demanding. The next five or six years are going to be even more demanding and stressful than the prior five or six when we just think about the amount of work that's out there to do.”

 

• Brendan Bechtel: “It was not that long ago that employers used to think about our construction Craft professionals from the shoulders down, and you were here to apply manual labor to a problem… And what great companies in our industry figured out, pretty quickly, was that we were leaving a lot of capability and productivity on the table, and that we really needed to engage our construction craft professionals from the shoulders up and make sure that their head is in the game from a safety and productivity perspective. The gains that we saw from that as a company were extraordinary…At the end of the day, that, and this whole discussion here, fundamentally for us as a company, is about restoring the dignity and purpose of the person on the tools in our industry. And one of the reasons people in our industry choose to take their life is they don't feel like they're getting that dignity and respect that they deserve.”

 

• Sean McGarvey: “Where there are a lot of unknowns right now, particularly coming out of Covid, is the amount of availability of mental health professionals for people to be able to schedule an appointment. That's a crisis in itself in the United States right now. When somebody tries to get an appointment with a professional and they say, ‘Okay, how's July 12th?’… Well, we're in crisis right now…So, I can commit to the building trades, legislative and regulatory operations, to getting shoulder to the wheel up on Capitol Hill, or wherever else we need to get new legislation passed, or to get finalized legislation that's been passed in the past, so that we fully deploy the resources that we need in not just for the construction industry but for the country.”

 

• Dr. Christine Yu Moutier: “Effective suicide prevention to me looks like applying evidence and customizing it to a population and measuring as you go. So, while we want to ultimately measure reductions in suicide rates, which right now amongst construction professionals, is almost double for men compared to male American workers, and about 25% higher for women who will work in construction, compared to women who work in other industries in this country. That will be the holy grail is bringing down those rates. But there are interim outcome measures that I hope we will have, [like] toolkits, and that we will have applied them and we will have measured some of those interim results and be able to share that.”

 
With recently passed legislation like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the CHIPS Acts, we're mindful of the tremendous demands placed on the construction workforce. This new initiative comes at the convergence of the United States’ infrastructure boom, with a maturing suicide research field and influx of data on this topic:
 

• Brendan Bechtel: “We’ve got a massive construction boom underway and continuing to expand here in the United States, with the Infrastructure Bill, the CHIPS Act, and all the clean energy provisions, so we have massive demand and pressure on construction workers, and so it feels like the timing is even more important now. In this intrinsically stressful, detail-oriented, high-paced operating environment, that we double down on pushing to this next frontier of safety and health for our industry.”

 

• Dr. Christine Yu Moutier: “This partnership is so incredible because the timing, as I’m hearing, [is that] the construction industry is meeting the timing of the suicide research field really maturing. We are sitting in this incredible, wonderful spot of being honored and privileged to translate that science and those answers into actionable strategies.”

 

• Dr. Christine Yu Moutier: “I really do feel that the timing is right. We are going to learn together about how to customize what hits it on the head, and what might kind of fall flat. We will be measuring that impact as we go along. We believe at AFSP, everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention. And I think that’s the spirit that’s certainly coming into this partnership as well for the construction industry.”

 
Bechtel is taking a stand, asserting that addressing mental health in construction is as vital as wearing a hardhat on site and encouraging the entire construction industry to join in this endeavor:
 

• Brendan Bechtel: “The goal here is to build the biggest tent that we possibly can for the whole industry and all the people in it. This partnership, this industry-wide effort is about saving lives.”

 

• Brendan Bechtel: “Let's imagine a future, hopefully no more than five years from now where people think about mental health and supporting people that are contemplating suicide. It's as natural an act for the people in our industry as putting on your hard hat. You don't go to work without your hard hat. Why would you go to work without thinking about a mental health toolkit? That’s the vision.”

 
The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the U.S. In fact, the number of suicides in the industry is nearly five times higher than the number of lives lost in jobsite safety incidents, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, respectively.
 
Learn more about this crisis and Bechtel and AFSP’s new initiative here.

On Friday, March 8, City Council will be interviewing four finalists for the City Manager position during a Special Meeting Executive Session. The finalists are, in alphabetical order, Brian Davis, Erin Erdman, Dan Legard and Jennifer Stapleton.

• Brian Davis began his public service career as a NEPA Planner with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (OR) in 2001. Since then, he has worked his way to Director of Community Development with the City of Roseburg (OR). Since 2016, he has been with the City of Federal Way (WA), spending six years as Community Development Director and currently serving as City Administrator. Mr. Davis holds a Master of Business Administration from Oregon State University. And supports his local community by being a Board Member for South King Housing and Homelessness.
• Erin Erdman has over 22 years of public service experience. During this span of time she worked her way up as City Planner for Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Government (WA), Permit Center Manager for the City of Vancouver (WA) and Community Development Director for the City of Battle Ground (WA), where she currently serves as City Manager. Ms. Edrman holds a Bachelors in Geography, specializing in Urban Planning, from Central Washington University.
• Dan Legard brings over 20 years of municipality experience within the state of Washington. Most recently, he served as Chief Financial & Risk Officer for Chelan County Public Utility District #1. Prior to this he spent 21 years with the City of Kennewick serving as Finance Director & Deputy City Manager. He is a former President of WFOA and current member of the Washington State Treasurer’s Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) Advisory Committee. Mr. Legard holds a BA in Accounting from Western Washington University.
• Jennifer Stapleton has over 30 years of public service in Washington and Idaho. During this time, she has held multiple executive positions including Director of Grants Management & Financial Assistance and Interim Director of Community Housing & Human Services for the City of Spokane (WA). For the last seven years, she has held the position of City Administrator for the City of Sandpoint (ID). She is also a former President of the Idaho City Management Association. Ms. Stapleton obtained her MA in Public Administration from Eastern Washington University.

Council will make a final decision on appointing a City Manager at a future Council Meeting, date to be determined.

Richland Fire and Emergency Services is planning for the future and wants your input. If you are a Richland resident or business, please take a few minutes and complete the community engagement survey at bit.ly/rfescommunity. 

The survey is due by Friday, March 8. The results will be calculated and shared with staff during a strategic planning meeting on March 11-13.  

Questions can be directed to Captain Aust, [email protected]. 

On Tuesday, March 12 at 11:30 a.m., the community is invited to attend the Governor’s Smart Communities Award presentation at the Clover Island Lighthouse Plaza at 101 Clover Island Drive in Kennewick.

The Port of Kennewick and its project partners were selected as winners of the Smart Partnerships category for their multiyear, multiphase, collaborative effort to restore and revitalize Clover Island.

The ceremony will begin with a blessing by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Nation. Then a representative from the Governor’s office will present awards to Clover Island landowner, Port of Kennewick, and project partners: the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District, State of Washington Recreation & Conservation Office, Benton County and City of Kennewick. 

Who:                    Community and media invited 
What:                   Governor’s Smart Communities Award Presentation
When:                  Tuesday, March 12 at 11:30 a.m.          
Where:                 101 Clover Island Drive, Kennewick
Why:                    Recognize the collaboration to restore and revitalize Clover Island

The partnership has leveraged the strengths of each agency to transform an economically distressed area into a destination waterfront.
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In 2008, the port began seeking funding partners to help transform the island’s eroding, concrete-covered shoreline into a stable, sustainable habitat and foster vibrant upland development with artwork and inviting recreational amenities. 

The project stabilized nearly a mile of the Columbia River shoreline to allow future development, built a fully-functioning, U.S. Coast Guard-approved lighthouse PATON (private aid to navigation) and added numerous public amenities. Those amenities include the Clover Island Riverwalk, 10 public art installations, a renovated boat launch, a restroom, paved parking, benches, a picnic area, five educational panels, and 11 scenic viewpoints. 

The restoration work also created four commercial waterfront parcels the port is now working to lease for private-sector development.

“The partners are honored to receive the Governor’s Smart Communities Smart Partnerships Award and proud to have been chosen from an impressive body of work submitted by local governments around the state,” said Port of Kennewick Chief Executive Officer, Tim Arntzen.”