Two gifts from Swedish medical staff show “we’re all in”
Dedicated physicians and advanced practice clinicians give back to the future of health care in our community.
SEATTLE, Nov. 26. 2024 – Day in and day out, the 3,500 physicians and advanced practice clinicians (APCs) who work at Swedish devote their all to helping our patients. Now they’ve taken their commitment even further.
In November 2024, the group, collectively known as Swedish medical staff, announced it was making two generous gifts to Swedish Foundation: $100,000 toward the expansion of infusion services at Edmonds Providence Swedish Cancer Institute and $500,000 to the Swedish North Tower project on the First Hill campus. The contributions will be allocated from the medical staff’s strategic investment reserves, a fund generally preserved for exceptional opportunities to make a long-term, meaningful impact.
“Our medical staff is committed to the future of Swedish — we’re all in,” says Kimberly Morrissette, D.O., FACEP, an emergency physician and Swedish system Chief of Staff. “These gifts speak to the foundation and culture of our medical staff. We believe in the future of Swedish.”
A gift to honor a beloved colleague
The first gift is in memory of their late colleague Dr. Jeffery Ward, national leader in oncology, tireless patient advocate, and a medical staff leader at Edmonds and across Swedish.
“Dr. Ward’s profound impact on his patients, his community in Edmonds, and his instrumental role in unifying our medical staff under the Swedish banner will not be forgotten,” Dr. Morrissette says. “This contribution will help us carry forward his legacy and further improve access to lifesaving treatments for cancer patients.”
While honoring Dr. Ward, the expanded infusion services in Edmonds will also bring leading-edge cancer care closer to home for so many patients in our community.
A gift for Swedish’s future and legacy
When it came to the second gift, the medical staff took to heart a message made by Elizabeth Wako, M.D., president and CEO of Swedish Health Services. Last year, Dr. Wako encouraged physicians and APCs to contribute to the foundation and make a meaningful investment in their future and the future of their patients.
At Swedish, the North Tower project represents exactly that. The planned 12-story building, which broke ground in February 2024, will be part of Swedish’s flagship hospital at First Hill that incorporates world-class technology, services, and patient care under one roof.
“It’s a modern building with new operating rooms and critical care units, but we know it’s more than that,” Dr. Morrissette explains. “It really signifies an investment in our future, enabling Swedish to continue its mission of providing world-class care in the heart of our community.”
The medical staff’s gift contributes to the capital campaign for this project and underscores their vital role in shaping health care in the Pacific Northwest.
“We all have a choice where we practice and deliver our medical care and expertise to patients,” Dr. Morrissette says. “We choose to be here at Swedish, and that speaks for itself.”
About the Swedish Foundation
Your generous gift helps support a healthy tomorrow for everyone in every communty we serve. Learn about more ways to give to the Swedish Foundation or make a direct donation online at swedishfoundation.org. You can also contact the Foundation at 206-368-2738 or email foundation@swedish.org. Thank you for helping us shape the future of healthcare. We can’t do it without you.
About Providence Swedish
Providence Swedish has served the Puget Sound region since the first Providence hospital opened in Seattle in 1877 and the first Swedish hospital opened in 1910. The two organizations affiliated in 2012 and today comprise the largest health care delivery system in Western Washington, with 22,000 caregivers, eight hospitals and 244 clinics throughout Western Washington – from Everett to Centralia. A not-for-profit family of organizations, Providence Swedish provides more than $545 million in community benefit in the Puget Sound region each year. The health system offers a comprehensive range of services and specialty and subspecialty care in a number of clinical areas, including cancer, cardiovascular health, neurosciences, orthopedics, digestive health and women’s and children’s care. For more information, visit providence.org/swedish.
