The Netzorgs were longtime Milwaukie residents with hearts for helping others.

Leonard was a lawyer who regularly provided pro bono legal services. Bernice was an active volunteer at the Ledding Library where she lovingly repaired book bindings. Together they gifted a portion of their estate to the Providence Milwaukie Hospital Foundation.

On Halloween 2020, Les Wallace was given an unforgettable treat. After spending six weeks in the hospital, he learned he would be getting a new heart. 

Kathryn Smith was enjoying a successful 25-year career at Nike, traveling the world and making lots of friends along the way, when she was diagnosed with cancer. 

New technologies at the Jubitz Family Center for Excellence in Coronary Intervention are revolutionizing care of coronary artery disease for patients like Jamie McParland. 

The Green Team at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center has facilitated several operational improvements to reduce waste and become carbon negative by 2030.

Busy Bees member Marlys Carter knows the pain of losing a loved one. She joined the group in 2005 after her husband passed away. Busy Bees allowed Marlys to connect with others, share her grief and learn the creative outlet of quilting.

Providence Oregon now has a team of dedicated, specialized forensic nurse examiners that works with patients who seek help during one of the most vulnerable times of their lives.

When Thomas Joseph became a member of the Providence Milwaukie Foundation Board in 1995, he planned to stay no more than 10 years. Now 27 years later, he still is on the board and has made plans to support the hospital long into the future.  

In 2005 David Heller, a star on his high school basketball team, went to bed and never woke up. The 17-year-old was struck down in his sleep by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition caused by abnormal genes affecting the heart muscle. Last month a foundation created by his parents announced a gift to the heart institute that will help others with HCM through genetic counseling and research.

Providence Newberg Health Foundation recently received a $92,000 grant from the Austin Family Foundation to support the hospital’s Out of the Cold program for vulnerable and medically fragile patients served by Providence.

Thanks to generous donor support, Providence Multiple Sclerosis Center is now equipped with Icometrix—a tool that uses artificial intelligence to identify microscopic disease progression in patients with MS. 

More than 400 bike helmets found grateful new owners in the Hood River community in 2021. The helmet giveaway is part of the Trauma Nurses Talk Tough program led by Rhonda Fischer, RN, BSN, CEN, trauma nurse coordinator.

“I appreciate so much having a safe place to stay during my husband’s open heart surgery. A wonderful kindness by all the staff. God bless and keep you.” – Debi

For people who need to be discharged from the hospital but don’t have stable housing to return to, Project Turnkey aims to provide a solution.

Last year, caregivers in the medical/surgery unit at Providence Milwaukie took vital sign measurements over 36,600 times. Unfortunately, they had to use mobile units that often took several minutes to locate and then move to a patient’s room.

“The hospital is very dear to me, and our family has strong ties to it,” she says. Faith, family and community are what keeps Sheri positive and strong. 

"We really appreciate donor support – your generous donations give us the opportunity to provide the environment and the tools we need to increase coping, self-regulation, body awareness and understanding of the mind-body connection."

Dinah Nicholson never imagined she was at risk for a stroke. But in May 2021, she had a mini-stroke – a transient ischemic attack (TIA) – and was taken to the emergency department at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. 

Salem resident Sharon Petersen, 78, is all too familiar with severe heart disease. She has had two triple bypasses and several other cardiac procedures. Her mother, grandmother and adult daughter all died of heart disease. 

In 2021, thanks to donor support, five scholarships were awarded to Providence Seaside Hospital caregivers.  The scholarships are used for tuition or other direct education expenses. 

“We’re able to offer a fuller spectrum of care,” said Melissa Sayyah, clinic manager. “Before our offerings were much more limited, and patients would have to go to Providence St. Vincent for many services.”

Physical therapy at Providence Benedictine Nursing Center now includes real-life terrain that people may encounter when they leave the center. Boy Scouts of local Troop 485 partnered with Providence Benedictine Foundation to give back.

Katie Brewington credits the Providence Seaside emergency department with saving her life. “I’m deeply grateful,” she said. “They provided me with the best care I have ever experienced.”

Howard "H" White marvels that the generosity of Phil and Penny Knight allowed him to receive a new heart close to home.

Born into a once-in-a-hundred-year pandemic, 7-month-old Gabriel is off to a fast start. “He’s moving quicker through babyhood than we would like him to,” said his mother Julia Dwyer.

In her talk, Dr. Sacks shared information about adverse childhood experiences and how those experiences can affect people throughout childhood and into adulthood.

Thanks to your support, the doctors in the Family Medicine Residency Program have a new training model that simulates the birth process.

In March 2020, COVID-19 created chaos. Thanks to your generosity, the Providence Benedictine team purchased electronic tablets to connect patients and residents with their families and friends.

Until cancer took her in 2007, Andrean Gerber lived life to its fullest. A lifelong artist, after receiving her diagnosis in 2000, she spent the next seven years creating colorful collages using images cut from magazines.

To help these caregivers and the patients they serve, last year Providence Community Health Foundation provided twelve health care education scholarships totaling $25,000.

Basecamp, the donor-supported center for heart disease prevention and wellness, is on the beat with the Sherwood Police Department to reduce heart disease among police officers. Heart attacks are a leading cause of death among law enforcement.

The side effects of cancer treatment can wreak havoc on a person’s diet. Side effects, such as loss of appetite, sore mouth or throat, dry mouth, nausea, abdominal pain, etc., can impair a patient’s nutritional intake.

Thanks to your generosity, in 2017 we brought Tomosynthesis (Tomo) or 3D mammography to Providence Seaside Hospital.

The pandemic has been hard for all of us but children with special health care needs and their families were hit particularly hard.

When Amy Fisk, a medical assistant at Providence Medical Group-Medford Neurology, left her apartment on Sept. 8, 2020, she thought she would be back in a few days.  That was before the Almeda fire destroyed over 2,400 residential structures, including houses, apartment buildings, mobile and manufactured homes.

The COVID-19 outbreak accelerated the need for expanded critical care space at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. Thanks to generous donors, a brand new intensive care unit on the lower level of the hospital opened in December.

Camp Erin is a free, weekend-long camp for kids who have experienced the death of a family member, friend or other significant person.

Donors purchased a new car for Community Connections, a service that offers free rides to medical appointments for county residents who have limited options for transportation.

The Rural Track Residency Program trains family physicians to care for people living in rural and underserved areas.

The young patient didn’t speak for days. But when Maggie, a visiting Golden Retriever, greeted the stuffed dog clutched in her arms, she burst out laughing and healing began.

April was at her lowest. She had been through five surgeries for severe endometriosis and her anxiety and depression were becoming overwhelming. She asked her doctor where to get help.

The nearly completed $160,000 kitchen and dining enhancement project at Providence Benedictine Nursing Center means more than just a better way to prepare and serve food.