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Samaritan Healthcare recognized
by Big Bend Community College
Samaritan Healthcare was recently recognized as one of
three Big Bend Community College (BBCC) nominees for
state awards in Spokane during the Trustees Association
of Community and Technical Colleges spring meeting on
May 14 in Spokane.
Samaritan Healthcare was honored by the college re-
cently for its essential, long-term support of BBCC’s nursing
program. The college’s foundation commissioned a bronze
plaque to hang in the Advanced Technologies Education
Center (ATEC) in recognition of $700,000 in support from
Samaritan Healthcare during the period of 2001 to 2014.
The commitment meant BBCC did not have to
reduce capacity of its registered nursing program from
24 students to 18 students annually.
“Samaritan Healthcare’s support has affected access
to health care in all of the communities in the college’s
service district,” says BBCC president Terry Leas. “Our
health care partners say they do not have a local shortage
of nurses due to BBCC’s program.”
The BBCC Foundation commissioned a bronze plaque
for permanent recognition for Samaritan Healthcare in
the ATEC building. It is the foundation’s policy to com-
mission a bronze plaque recognizing donations to the
college or foundation that exceed $100,000.
SUPPORTING TOMORROW’S NURSES:
Samaritan Healthcare president and CEO Tom Thompson accepts a bronze
plaque on behalf of Samaritan Healthcare.
A new face at Samaritan
Gretchen Youngren has
joined Samaritan Health-
care as the director of
development and commu-
nications, a newly formed
position aimed at combin-
ing both the foundation
and communications func-
tion of the organization.
After graduating from
Washington State Univer-
sity, Youngren served as
the community relations
assistant for Pullman Re-
gional Hospital before
joining the staff at the In-
land Northwest Blood Cen-
ter (INBC) in 2012. While
at INBC, she worked pri-
marily in development and
communications, help-
ing to coordinate annual
fundraising campaigns as
well as Epicurean Delight,
INBC’s annual black-tie
gala. In 2014, Youngren
was promoted to territory
manager, overseeing the
daily blood drive logistics
of nearly 150 community
accounts, including hos-
pitals, colleges and large
businesses.
Growing up as the
daughter of a college foot-
ball coach, Youngren spent
time in Cheney and in
Bozeman, Montana, before
relocating to Pullman for
college. Youngren and her
husband, Ian, a fourth-
generation farmer, recently
moved back to their family
farm outside of Lind.
In their spare time, the
Youngrens enjoy boating
with friends and family and
attending college football
games every Saturday in
the fall. Go Cougs!
Award-winning care
In celebration of National Volunteer Month, this past
April the Inland Northwest Blood Center (INBC) hosted
four regional recognition banquets. INBC’s annual He-
roes for Life banquets are a way to say thank you to all of
our donors and volunteers who play a vital role in helping
INBC save lives on a daily basis.
In 2014, INBC collected 48,751 units of whole blood
with the help of 323 volunteers, who contributed over
18,220 hours total. Each event recognized our donors (both
whole blood and apheresis) and our volunteers for their
years of service and included INBC’s Awards of Excellence.
INBC’s Awards of Excellence have become a way to help
honor outstanding individuals and organizations within
the community who exemplify our lifesaving mission. We
are proud to say that Samaritan Healthcare was one of
three recipients recognized as Hospital Partner of the Year.
The nomination reads:
I would like to nominate Samaritan Healthcare
for the “Heroes for Life” recognition. I have had
the pleasure of working in the Moses Lake com-
munity for the past 11 years. I have always been
impressed with Samaritan’s community leadership.
They have exemplified what it means to be a com-
munity partner. I thought I would list the multiple
ways they work to partner with us to serve their
community with compassion and respect.
●
●
They have opened their doors and have wel-
comed us into their hospital family.
●
●
They have been hosting our weekly community
blood drives within their facility for 14 years.
●
●
When our operations became too large for the
space we were collecting in, they generously pro-
vided us with a permanent location.
●
●
They offered IT support when it was needed to
better serve patients, doctors and donors.
●
●
When we host special events that involve food,
their friendly food service staff is willing to pitch
in to make it happen.
●
●
When a supply cart breaks or a hinge won’t
work, we make a call to facilities and our prob-
lems are quickly resolved.
●
●
They have an exceptional team in the lab that
is in regular communication with us to make sure
we know what they need.
●
●
Their development team is supportive of our
efforts to communicate with the community. They
are willing and eager to share our message with
the staff and the community.
●
●
Leadership has been open and transparent in
their vision for the hospital’s future and where we
fit into that vision.
●
●
They have included us in community outreach,
inviting us to share our story at health fairs and
community events.
It is with the help and support of outstanding
health care organizations like Samaritan that we
are able to better serve the patients who rely on
us every day.
—Karen Klein, Inland Northwest Blood Center
We are humbled by this award and excited to share
it with the community that makes this weekly event so
successful.
Gretchen Youngren,
director of development
and communications
Photo credit: Doug Sly, Big Bend Community College.
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