Praising Swedish Medical Center

This is the letter I wrote to Rod Hochman, CEO and Curtis Veal, Chief of Staff of Swedish --

May 11, 2009

Rod Hochman MD, CEO
Curtis Veal MD, Chief of Staff
Swedish Medical Center
747 Broadway
Seattle WA 98122

Dear Dr. Hochman and Dr. Veal,

I write today to praise the medical, nursing, and support staff of Swedish’s First Hill campus.

On Saturday I was discharged after a 12-night inpatient stay on the 12th floor of the First Hill campus. Without exception, everyone treated me as an individual, warmly and with compassion. It was as though I was a sister, cousin, niece, even mother to the many people who cared for me, from the A La Carte team who toted me trays of food at all hours to the transport staff, the NACs and RNs. Of course, my doctors Sheldon Goldberg, Martin Siegel, Darlene Barr and Deb Klein were exemplary givers of the kind of medical attention top professionals provide.

I wish to name all these people so that you may place a copy of this letter in each personnel file. These staff deserve such recognition and more!

RNs: Amber (very sweet); Ashley (who really listens); Bonnie (float); Heather; Heidi (charge nurse); Helen (float with a lovely sense of humor); Jemina (float); Joanne; Jon (float extraordinaire); Juliet (old fashioned commitment to standards of care); Karen; Kelly; Kerry; Khristie; Lizzie; Naz; Nicole (so compassionate); Sarah (float); and William.

NACs: Acacia (nursing student); Alex; Amanuel; E; Enri; Marsha; Sheila; Weyni; YaYa

Transport: Sheila and Steve (who transported me twice and greeted me with a smile of recognition on the second occasion)

If I have missed anyone, it’s my own oversight. I tried to keep track of all the many people who took care of me during this lengthy stay.

In addition, I have been a patient at Providence on several occasions before and after Swedish acquired it. In my humble opinion, it appears that Swedish First Hill has fully integrated the Providence commitment to patient care. That to me was the strength that Providence brought to the merger; I am more than pleased to acknowledge that the merger works.

Sincerely and with many thanks to all those who cared for me,



Jill Cohen