Volume 10, Issue 26 December 20, 2002
Happy
Holidays...Happy New Year 
This time of year, is a time for looking back, and at this time I am reminded of how my wife and I have grown to care about the Valley as our home for the past decade.
I hope that you are your family are able to create all the memories of a very good holiday season this year. In the weeks ahead we will look again toward the work of the State Legislature and the Federal government as they continue to parcel out shrinking tax revenues. We will all need to work together to continue to provide the framework for a system that will provide very good care for our patients.
But for now, I would just like to say thank you once again to everyone who remains dedicated to our mission of service to the Lower Valley. You are a talented group of individuals, and it is my sincere wish that everyone of you will continue to find Sunnyside Community Hospital a very good place to work and grow professionally. Not only do I wish outstanding career development for you and your co-workers, but I also hope that you will continue to find the hospital is a place that provides the very good patient care that you are proud to be a part of.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year! Thanks to the Auxiliary for their hard work on Festival of Trees, and to all of you who work so hard on behalf of our hospital.
The State Department of Health has re-certified Sunnyside Community Hospital as a Level Three Trauma Service Designation. The action follows a clinical review of the hospital in September. Trauma certifications are given for three years and re-evaluated near the end of the third year.
“Your hospital commitment to providing trauma care is commendable,” noted Janet Griffith, the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical and Trauma Prevention in Olympia. “You should be proud of the capabilities and efforts of your staff.”
A level three-trauma center provides 24 hour a day availability of general surgery and other highly skilled medical care. Patients that cannot be cared for at the Sunnyside facility are normally transported to a higher designated trauma facility such as Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
“The commitment to providing high levels of trauma care is something our community has told us is important,” explained CEO Jon D. Smiley. “Our proximity to the interstate requires that we be able to deal with trauma from motor vehicle accidents. The growth of agribusiness and other industry in the Valley also is dependent upon the local availability of emergency trauma care.”
Sunnyside Community Hospital is a private non-profit hospital. A local board of trustees from Sunnyside, Grandview and surrounding areas provides leadership, policy and strategic direction to the hospital staff and management.