'events' posts

ISSAQUAH, WASH., Oct. 23, 2012 – The public is invited to ‘A Night Out at Swedish: Fall Arts Showcase’ on Thursday, Nov. 1 from 6-8 p.m. This free evening event, which will take place in the first-floor lobby of Swedish/Issaquah (751 N.E. Blakely Dr.), will feature a community concert by the Sammamish Symphony String Quartet.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending “Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes” at Magnuson Park in Seattle and meeting hundreds of people touched by diabetes. Whether they had family members or loved ones with diabetes or had diabetes themself, each person had a clear passion for finding a cure for this condition. That passion was contagious and I was happy to catch it!

Joining doctors and Certified Diabetes Educators from Swedish’s Diabetes Education Center at a booth, I heard about patients’ challenges, from staying at a healthy weight to getting the right nutrition to checking their blood sugar. Facing a chronic disease like diabetes (which affects nearly every aspect of a person’s life) is truly heroic! As a health educator, I understand the risk factors for diabetes and how to treat it, but until you meet someone that deals with the finger pricks, test strips and insulin shots every day, it is difficult to grasp what living with diabetes is truly like.

What it also made me realize is that there is always more to learn about diabetes care and treatment. And many of these lessons can help those without diabetes! Learning how to stay healthy and practicing these skills does not have to be boring either. In fact, the Diabetes Education Center has a series of cooking classes where you can learn how to cook tasty healthy food (and eat it, too!) The interactive classes are usually held every few months with the next one coming up at Swedish/Cherry Hill on Tuesday, November 13th from 6-7:30 p.m. Frankly, I’m a poor cook but classes like these help remind me that being healthy can actually be fun. They are even hosting these classes at Swedish/Issaquah starting in 2013, too! Who’s coming with me?

Even as someone who works at a hospital, I find myself grabbing for that second treat more often than I should and a regular reminder of healthy habits is always welcome. Being at the Step Out walk was one of these reminders and it made me realize how strong those with chronic disease are. For those out there that deal with conditions like this every day, you are amazing.

Thanks for stepping out this weekend and reminding me why it is awesome to work with patients and families like you!

The Swedish team at Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes 2012

SEATTLE, Oct. 15, 2012 - If you’re pregnant or thinking about having a baby, finding the right provider is a pretty good place to start this incredible journey. When you come to OB Speed Dating, you’ll get the chance to meet several Obstetricians and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) who deliver at Swedish/Ballard's Family Childbirth Center and get to know them in a fun, low-key environment.

Many people joined us last week to see Mrs. Day's cochlear implant surgery live-tweeted and Instagrammed. (You can click here to view a recap and see the pictures from Instagram.)

One of my favorite parts of the event was seeing the many thoughtful tweets & notes were sent in support of Mr. & Mrs. Day:

@swedish good luck, Mrs. Day! An ear surgery (patient) veteran in Virginia is cheering you on!

— Amanda Jenkins (@refinedladybug) October 2, 2012

@swedish I am so proud that you are doing this on SoMe. Thank your patient and the treating team for your willingness to involve the world.

— Pseudo ENT Surgeon (@otorhinolarydoc) October 2, 2012

@swedish Thanks to Mr & Mrs Day for participating & you for sharing - it's been an amazing priviledge to be part of it! #SwedishHear

— Vicki Kirwin (@KidsAudiologist) October 2, 2012

@swedish Good luck Mrs. Day on this new exciting journey in life!! Thanks for sharing!! #swedishhear

— Alaina Leighton (@AlainaLH) October 2, 2012

All the very best Mrs Day! May your surgery be more than a success and beyond! Thank you for sharing your journey! #Swedishhear @swedish

— Doose Ugo (@Deesse26) October 2, 2012

Some of the most frequently asked questions we received during the event were:

1. Why are you doing this? (Answer - read this blog post, and watch this video to learn more about the inspiration behind the #SwedishHear web series.)

2. Are you livestreaming Mrs. Day's cochlear implant activation?

We weren't originally planning to livestream the activation like we've done livestreams before - instead, we planned to host two, text-based live chats so people could type and read questions and engage directly with Dr. Backous, Stacey Watson (Mrs. Day's audiologist), and Karen Utter (President, Hearing Loss Association of Washington State).

Now we're doing both!

If you tune in....

You may have seen a post (Forbes) or two (CNET) in your various newsfeeds recently about the fact the Swedish is live-tweeting and Instagramming a cochlear implant (hearing restoration) surgery tomorrow, on October 2, 2012. (Check it out at www.swedish.org/swedishhear.)

A question we've gotten is why live-tweet or Instagram a surgery? Haven't you done that already? (Yes, we've used Twitter and video before (to educate patients about deep brain stimulation and knee replacement procedures, among others), but not Instagram.)

We're learning from our patients how hard it is to access information if you are deaf or have hearing loss, and, per a study in The Lancet, how this impacts the quality of healthcare. And so we decided to create additional resources to help raise awareness about the option of cochlear implants. (In this Mashable post,  Dr. Backous said only 10% of people who qualify for cochlear implants end up receiving them.)

Here's an example of one of the many stories that inspired this series:

(For closed captioning press the CC button located in the middle of the action bar that appears at the bottom of the video when it is playing. For the best results, watch the video in full screen by pressing the full screen button located in the right hand corner of the action bar.)

People with hearing loss are not able to call on the phone to get more information or ask questions, so we decided to document via text (tweets) and images (Instagram photos) the cochlear implant procedure.

We're also hosting two text-based chats next Wednesday on October 10, 2012 (at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time). The chats will enable patients and interested viewers to talk directly via the chat (text based - no audio) to Dr. Backous, audiologists, patients who have had the procedure, and patient advocacy groups. If you have unanswered questions about hearing loss or cochlear implants, we hope you'll join us for the discussion. (You can ...

(Click 'read more' to see a full recap from the live event)

SEATTLE, Sept. 26, 2012 - Swedish Medical Center and Douglas Backous, M.D., medical director of the Center for Hearing and Skull Base Surgery at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute, will host the world’s first live-instagrammed and live-tweeted cochlear implant (hearing restoration) surgery on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (PT).

REDMOND, WASH., Sept. 24, 2012 – Did you know you can restore a more youthful appearance without going 'under the knife?' Come to a free seminar led by Dr. Angie Song of Swedish Facial Plastic Surgery to learn nonsurgical options to rejuvenate your face and the effects of aging on your skin. Dr. Song will also perform live demonstrations of a cosmetic injection and dermal filler procedure.