ARLINGTON — For the third year in a row, the Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics have been named among the top 100 hospitals in the United States for providing high-quality care to patients at low costs and charges, as well as for using their strong financial position to reinvest in their care and facilities.
Cleverley and Associates, a national healthcare consulting firm, designated Cascade Valley not only as a “Top 100” hospital, but also as a “five-star” facility, making it one of only three hospitals in Washington state to earn that distinction this year, alongside the University of Washington Medical Center and the Virginia Mason Medical Center.
“We’re pleased that Cascade Valley Hospital has received this recognition for effectively managing our costs and maintaining reasonable rates while making strong commitments to providing excellent quality patient care,” said Clark Jones, CEO of Cascade Valley. “This is a testimony to our doctors, our Board of Commissioners and our dedicated staff.”
On Sept. 29, many of those doctors, nurses, Board Commissioners and other staff members celebrated the good news with cake in the Cascade Valley Hospital cafe.
“We’re the last surviving independent hospital in the county, and we’re still solvent,” said Dr. Peter Wolff, a surgeon at Cascade Valley.
Board Commissioners Tina Davis, Steve Peterson and John Meno echoed Jones’ praise for the teamwork demonstrated by the hospital’s staff, including Wolff and registered nurse Donna Stevens, the latter of whom started working at Cascade Valley in 1986.
“It’s not just our facilities,” Peterson said. “What makes my job as a Board Commissioner so easy and fun is that all these people are so dedicated.”
“It’s a privilege to be associated with this hospital and the people who work here,” Meno said. “What’s really neat about coming to Cascade Valley, as an Arlington resident, is having your friends and neighbors take care of you.”
Stevens agreed that the staff is invested in the lives of the hospital’s patients.
“We’re all part of the same community,” Stevens said. “Our kids have grown up here, and we delivered a lot of our current patients back when they were babies. We have close ties to this community and its residents.”
Stevens and Peterson both touted how well Cascade Valley has kept pace with the evolution of medical technology as well.
“We’re upgrading our equipment all the time, but we still apply a hands-on, personal touch,” Stevens said.
“The times are always changing, but we’ve stayed on top of them,” Peterson said.
Kelly Penny, community relations director for Cascade Valley Hospital, explained that hospitals do not apply for consideration for the “Top 100” title. Rather, the selections are made based strictly on publicly reported data.
“While many hospitals perform well in one area or another, Cascade Valley Hospital stood out because of its across-the-board success,” Penny said. “Only 20 percent of top 100 hospitals also receive the five-star rating. For more than 100 years, Cascade Valley Hospital has been proud to serve our community. We are committed to maintaining all of the qualifications that have helped us to receive this honor once again.”
