Good Samaritan Hospital

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Todd Kelley (253) 403-1716
Jennifer Aalgaard (253) 219-1715

(TACOMA) – Good Samaritan Home Health & Hospice and MultiCare Home Health & Hospice officially became one organization on January 1, 2009 under a unified name and structure, MultiCare•Good Samaritan Home Health & Hospice.

Home health caregivers provide rehabilitative and supportive care to patients recovering from strokes, surgery or ongoing health issues such as diabetes or osteoarthritis in the comfort of the patient’s home. Hospice provides spiritual, emotional and physical support for patients in the last phases of incurable disease so that they may live as fully and as comfortably as possible.

“We now have the ability to meet the patient’s needs wherever they are on their journey,” said Jeanette E. Weyrich, RN, MBA, Administrative Director of the integrated services. “We can provide care seamlessly throughout Pierce and South King Counties with the ability to expand services to more patients.”

The integration will enhance the organization’s ability to provide services to all Pierce County and South King County communities. The larger staff will provide more flexibility and additional resources within the four MultiCare hospitals; Tacoma General, Good Samaritan, Mary Bridge and Allenmore. The integration also calls for the future expansion of services, including Home Palliative Care, a program to help patients improve their quality of life.

The integration will also include the full implementation of the electronic health records system (EHR).

Called MultiCare Connect, the system allows immediate, secure access to a single, comprehensive health record each time a patient visits a MultiCare hospital or doctor. MultiCare is now one of few health systems in the nation to implement a comprehensive electronic health records system.

For more information on MultiCare•Good Samaritan Home Health & Hospice, call 1-888-516-4504. The MultiCare•Good Samaritan Home Health & Hospice offices are located at 3901 South Fife Street in Tacoma.

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MultiCare is a leading-edge, integrated health organization made up of four hospitals, numerous primary care and urgent care clinics, multi-specialty centers, Hospice and Home Health services, and many other services. A not-for-profit organization based in Tacoma, Washington since 1882, MultiCare has grown over the years in response to community needs. Today we are the area's largest provider of health care services, serving patients at 93 locations in Pierce, South King, Kitsap and Thurston counties.