Willamette Valley Medical Center

American Physical Therapy Association - Oregon Chapter (APTA) recognized WVMC's Matt Munger, LPTA, with the 2024 Regional Excellence Award for the Northwest region. Regional Awards are given to a PT or PTA living in Oregon who has made a positive impact in their community, workplace, and or within APTA-Oregon. Nomination: "Matt has been a staple in McMinnville and has worked as a Physical Therapist for 28 years at WVMC. He works in outpatient, inpatient, and cardiac rehabilitation and is an assistant director of rehabilitation for the hospital. He goes above and beyond for the community and is always willing to do what it takes to support the citizens of Yamhill County to optimize their health. Matt not only works to improve the lives of his patients but also serves the community as a high school female soccer coach and serves on the pro bono injury assessment and treatment team. He is a constantly striving to enhance his knowledge and extend that knowledge to the next generation by regularly mentoring students as a clinic instructor." Thank you, Matt, for embodying our core values and being a true Champion of Patient Care. Congratulations on this prestigious recognition!

Coming to an emergency department in pain is a scary thing, no matter who you are. This 5 Star Google Review outlines the quality of care provided here at WVMC. "You got me stable and probably saved my colon by taking things seriously. I felt calm and safe for once and most importantly like I was being heard. Thanks for taking care of me when I was at a point where no one longer could take care of me." ~ grateful patient Ultimately, it was the quality of care, the compassionate hands delivering the care plan, and the attentive ears providing guidance that helped this patient navigate the pain and find healing. GREAT JOB ED!!!!

Congratulations to our Employee of the Month - Wendy Brooks We take pride in celebrating the vital contributions of our incredible team in providing exceptional patient care. Our Employee of the Month Program is our way of honoring and rewarding their dedication and service! In the words of Wendy's peers: "Wendy has recently stepped into the charge nurse role in Endoscopy 2 days a week, as well as the Short Stay charge nurse one day a week. She has taken on this role very well and has kept both departments running smoothly and efficiently. She communicates well with her team and is always thinking ahead. We appreciate you, Wendy!!" Congratulations to Wendy!

This letter arrived yesterday, offering praise for all of WVMC's team members and the amazing work we have done to build a unique and robust workforce development program, and congratulating us on our McMinnville Economic Development Partnership Workforce Partnership of the Year award. Thank you, Congresswoman Salinas, watching over Oregon and acknowledging the great work being done here in McMinnville. This means everything to our local team.

As we will all soon gather to celebrate and reflect on what we’re thankful for, we want to take a moment to recognize our incredible team! Every day, they provide compassionate, quality care to our community. Who is a healthcare hero you’re thankful for? Give them a shoutout and share how they’ve made a positive impact on your life!

WVMC is dedicated to fostering the future of the healthcare workforce by offering a Nurse Residency program, Paid Internships in a variety of fields, and will launch the LPN to RN program with Chemeketa in January. The following is from Andi Vu, Nursing Instructor, Associated Educator with Chemeketa Community College praising our team for the work with Chemeketa's first year students. "In just a few weeks of working with the team at Willamette Valley Medical Center, I have already seen a great culture of support, education, and teamwork. I am delighted to show Chemeketa's first year students such a great example of a nursing unit that is clearly well-supported by their management team. Their nurse leaders and nurse educators have a strong presence on the floor throughout the workday and are quick to come up with solutions whenever problems arise. The nurses, CNAs, and unit clerks have all been so gracious in welcoming our students to the med/surg unit and providing them with education at every opportunity. My students' sentiments of their experience so far also echo this hospitality - I spend most of my day at clinical circling around and being flagged down to explain things, but with the wonderful nurses at this hospital, they are always engaged in a meaningful discussion or providing patient care. I am always glad to have a chance to chat with them as well and have only heard good things about their experiences working there. Thank you all for the awesome learning environment you have created!" Andi Vu, RN BSN Nursing Instructor, Associate Educator Chemeketa Community College

We celebrated our Hospital Safety Grade “A” from the Leapfrog Group with the team! Dr. Leapfrog, aka Safey Guru, brought out the smiles while delivering cookies to the team. Every team member, in every role, every day is responsible for patient safety. This top rating reflects our commitment to keeping our patients safe and healthy. This is a team win!

McMinnville, Oregon NOVEMBER 15, 2024 – Willamette Valley Medical Center (WVMC) earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.     “Championing patient care is a core value at Willamette Valley Medical Center, and we’re dedicated to continuously enhancing our services. Our Leapfrog A designation highlights our nurses, providers, and all team members’ collaborative commitment to excellence in care.,” said Kristi Amerson, Senior Director of Quality and Risk Management at WVMC. “Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade is a significant accomplishment for Willamette Valley Medical Center,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It reflects enormous dedication to your patients and their families, and your whole community should be proud. I extend my congratulations to Willamette Valley Medical Center, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for their tireless efforts to put patients first.”   The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.    To explore Willamette Valley Medical Center’s full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.  

On November 11, 2024, at the 11th hour, Willamette Valley Medical Center honored Veterans Day with a ceremony featuring the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Iron Side Division as the color guard. They carried the American flag, along with flags representing all military branches, from the main lobby to the cafeteria, where the event took place. Mitchell Ronning, a McMinnville High School student, gave an impressive performance of the national anthem as veterans from the community and WVMC staff members proudly saluted the flag. The ceremony included speeches on the importance of Veterans Day and why we honor those who serve. A moment of silence was held, along with a tribute video for Jim Bratcher, a WVMC veteran who passed away earlier this year. At the conclusion of the ceremony, interim CEO Jody Knox presented WVMC Challenge Coins to veterans on staff and in the community, expressing heartfelt appreciation for their service.

WVMC welcomes George Fox University nursing students to campus for an amazing learning experience! This is an experimental cohort is dividing students across Med-Surg, ICU, the Birthing Center, and our Women’s Clinic. Typically, cohorts are placed within a single unit, but in this arrangement, 3 students are in acute care settings (ICU and Med-Surg) and 3 are in obstetrics settings (OB, Women’s Clinic), with a rotation planned for the next term. This allows students two terms in the same facility, enabling students to build confidence, become familiar with our charting system, and hopefully become immersed in our hospital culture. The students have been appreciating the warm welcome, the range of experiences they’ve observed, and the hands-on skills they've been able to practice. Great Job Team! For more information about our educational opportunities at WVMC contact Anna Hilts at anna.hilts@mywvmc.com