| Women have a tremendous impact in the health care industry on the Kitsap Peninsula. Whether working as nurses or physicians, administrators or CEOs, they affect local patients every day. Here are some of the outstanding local women in medicine:
Kim Leatham, MD, a family practice physician at Virginia Mason Winslow on Bainbridge Island, pursued health care as a second career in her 30s. After being a wilderness guide for a decade, she started looking at her long-term goals. Science was an interest, so medical school became her choice. She did her family practice residency at what was then Providence Hospital in Seattle, and has been with Virginia Mason since 1991.
At the Winslow location for nearly 13 years, Leatham has been the medical director and head of the clinic since 2000. Although focused on overseeing the quality of care and working with doctors on improvements, Leatham still spends the majority of her time seeing patients. The clinic has seven other primary physicians, in addition to providing urgent care and several specialized services. As part of a nationwide project by the American Academy of Family Practice, the Winslow campus has added dermatology recently and is looking at additional services in an effort to offer comprehensive health care choices locally.
Leatham notes that with the many changes in medicine over the years, it has been important for her to stay flexible. The biggest change she’s observed was the move from medical care being somewhat of a “cottage” industry to having insurance companies heavily involved in health care delivery. “Doctors are not as autonomous as they used to be,” she says. She also notes that the new doctors entering the field are more interested in balancing work and life, and will likely impart those believes on their patients as well.
Mary Grubbs has been the administrator of MultiCare Gig Harbor Medical Park since its May 2007 opening. Her career in medical field spans 35 years, including 26 years in the Army. Grubbs first moved to Washington State to work at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, and later joined MultiCare as a facilities manager. For several years, she was also MultiCare’s emergency management director, and she earned her master’s degree while working for the nonprofit health system.
Grubbs has been attracted to the idea of being in leadership for some time. “I enjoy mentoring and working with young professionals to help them achieve their goals,” she says. She enjoys the camaraderie within the organization, despite its large size — the “family feeling” reminds her of her Army days.
Grubbs says her biggest challenge as the administrator is to promote the wellness aspect of the medical center, and to demonstrate how its complementary services work together with primary medicine. “Most chronic illnesses can be lessened or prevented with exercise and diet,” she says, adding that the wellness focus of the center has been well received by the community.
Nancy Boyden, ARPN, co-owner with husband Derek of Olympic Surgical Associates, has been a registered nurse since 1993. A few years ago, she became interested in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, and sought training from renowned endocrinologist Dr. Diana Schwarzbein. She now also practices functional medicine, treating underlying reasons for chronic symptoms. “Usually by the time (patients) get to me, they’ve been to all the doctors, and can’t find the cause (of their symptoms),” she says. This can range from chronic fatigue to sweet cravings. “I still target the hormones, but I look at everything,” she says. Her approach follows three steps: checking their hormones, gastro-intestinal functions, and the body’s ability to detoxify.
“It’s all scientifically based, with treatments based on lab results, not symptoms,” she says. “…I like treating the underlying symptoms rather than throwing meds at people to control the symptoms.”
Boyden says working in her own practice gives her the ability to better serve patients. “I can spend and hour — and usually do — with a patient. I wouldn’t be able to do that if I worked for an HMO,” she says.
Patty Cochrell became Harrison Medical Center’s first woman Chief Operating Officer in November. Previously the Chief Nursing Officer, Cochrell started her career at Harrison as a nurse, and has worked her way up multiple ranks. She first joined Harrison in 1978, two years after graduating from nursing school, and worked there until 1996, then returned in 2005. In between, Cochrell worked for a Phoenix consulting firm from her Poulsbo home office, helping hospitals nationwide to implement nursing care delivery models. She missed the connection to one hospital, however, and returned to Harrison as vice president of operations/CNO.
“I think health care is in my blood. I love the interaction with our patients and families,” she says.
Cochrell had hip surgery at age 12, and that experience made a big impact on her. After recovery, she became a hospital volunteer, and in short time decided to become a nurse. She started out, at age 16, as a nursing assistant in a nursing home.
As chief of operations, Cochrell oversees clinical and nonclinical operations, looking for ways to improve systems and processes. She still makes time to visit patients every week. “I enjoy the opportunity to touch people’s lives. As a nurse, human contact is important to me — each person can make a difference and we truly have special opportunities to impact others,” she says. “To me, it’s such an honor to be entrusted by patients… and to have the trust of our community that we will provide the best care for them.”
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