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President's Corner

Sue Hennessy

What a beautiful fall, with its mixture of cool and warmth, the dazzling colors, and a reminder that holidays and year end reflections are just around the corner! Our December General Meeting and holiday luncheon will be held at the Monarch Hotel on December 14. The planned program is designed to be fun and entertaining! We will have plenty of room for guests and plenty of parking. Please sign up as early as possible.

We are continuing to implement our new officer terms of office at KaPeRs and I will be turning over the President’s gavel to Patti Lawler in January. It has been my pleasure to serve you this past year. I will continue on the Board for 2018 and will look forward to seeing you at our events throughout the year.

Our Board is very active in developing our new website, volunteer programs, learning what activities you will find most attractive in the New Year, and planning programs and workshops accordingly.

We are always recruiting for potential Board members. If you are interested, we encourage you to contact Patti Lawler (pdxpatti@comcast.net), incoming Board chair, or talk with any current Board member. Let them know of your interest and attend one or more of our Board meetings.

As the year comes to a close, it is inevitable that your mailbox will be flooded with requests to contribute to any number of charities. This is a reminder of how fortunate we are as KPNW Retirees to have the retiree benefits we have and a community of former colleagues with whom to share memories, new experiences in our new lives, and the incredible healthcare at Kaiser Permanente. Many are not so fortunate. I hope that you will consider contributing your time to a community organization needing volunteers, place your favorite charities on your gift list, reach out to an elderly neighbor, adopt a family for gift giving, or volunteer at the food bank. Whatever your choice, your efforts will be appreciated! Our communities need us and we have so much to give. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Sincerely, 
Sue Hennessy,
Board Chair

October Luncheon Highlights

KaPeRs members contributed $4000 to the community giving program this year. KaiPerm Credit Union also contributed $2000. Store to Door and Share Vancouver were the recipients.

Janet O’Hollaren, acting Interim Regional President and Chief Operating Officer of Health Plan and Hospitals presented an informative overview of significant KPNW endeavors.

The proposed slate of officers for the coming year was presented and will be voted on at the December meeting. For President: Patti Lawler; Vice President: Peggy McClure; Treasurer: Anke Kuindersma; Secretary: Connie Clemmens. We still need replacements for the Program chair and Newsletter editor next year. Members were asked to consider joining the Board of Directors and getting involved with our retirement group. The following people received gift cards in the quarterly drawing:

  • Judy Collinsworth
  • Ethel Gibney
  • Anne Larson
  • Peggy Leniger

Board of Directors Actions

November board meeting

  • KaPeRs will request the same budget as last year from the Region.
  • The Board approved charging a $10/year fee for continued paper mailing of the newsletter, beginning no later than July next year. The goal is to primarily send the newsletter by email. Members will also be able to opt out of receiving the newsletter if they choose. It will continue to be available on our website. Communication will go out to members in the next three newsletters.
  • Judy Collinsworth agreed to assist members with questions about retiree benefits. She will attend the general meetings and be available before and after the meetings to talk to members with questions. She recommended contacting Marv Holmes in the local HR office for further assistance. Although he primarily works with current employees, he has been helpful in the past with questions from retirees.

KP News Roundup
Ruth Brinkley Named President of Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region

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Kaiser Permanente announced today that Ruth Brinkley is the new president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals of the Northwest, which includes Oregon and markets in Vancouver and Longview/Kelso, Washington.

Brinkley comes to Kaiser Permanente from KentuckyOne Health, Kentucky’s largest integrated health system, where she has served as CEO since 2012. KentuckyOne is a division of Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems.

“Ruth’s deep experience in integrated and nonprofit health care systems makes her a great fit for this important leadership role,” said Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson. “Her commitment to improving access to high-quality care is very reflective of Kaiser Permanente’s mission. Ruth understands the ever-growing demands of consumers. I look forward to her contributions in the Northwest and to our entire organization.”

KentuckyOne was created in 2012 by the merger of Jewish Hospital & Saints Mary and Elizabeth HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System. In 2013, the University of Louisville Hospital and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center joined KentuckyOne. Brinkley is credited with successfully overseeing post-merger systems integration and optimization, along with expanding signature programs in heart and cancer care for the benefit of citizens across Kentucky.

Brinkley, who began her health care career as a nurse, has also served as president and CEO of Carondelet Health Network in Tucson, Arizona, and as president and CEO of Memorial Health Care System in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Brinkley will report directly to Gregory Adams, executive vice president and group president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals.

“Ruth’s expertise in leading local and regional health systems, her patient focus and her drive for continually improving operations will help us deliver on our promise of providing high-quality, affordable health care,” said Adams.

“I am excited and honored for this opportunity to serve the communities of the Northwest Region” Brinkley said. “Kaiser Permanente has a remarkable legacy of excellence and innovation in health care. I am looking forward to building upon that legacy to bring total health to new members and additional communities in this great region.”

Kaiser Permanente’s Northwest Region provides health care and coverage to more than 570,000 medical and 260,000 dental members at 34 medical offices, 20 dental offices and two hospitals. Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave Kaiser Permanente Northwest’s Medicare plan the highest possible rating of 5 out of 5 stars for the seventh year in a row.

Keeping in Touch

Richard Babal became the moderator/coach for the Jesuit High School Chess Teams. The varsity team had a great showing last March by taking 2nd place in the Varsity 6A Oregon State Title. Their teams also took 3rd place overall team State Title. He’s looking forward to helping to rebuild their varsity and JV teams since many of their strong players graduated this past year.

Jane Walker is asking for someone to step up and volunteer to take over the position of editor for our newsletter. Due to other obligations, she needs to step down next year. If you enjoy writing and proofreading, this could be a very rewarding position for you. She will be happy to work with you and get you up and running.

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Pride of Portland Chorus Sweet Adelines International

Just when it seemed like summer would last forever, it’s November! That means the holiday season is upon us once again — the good news is that KaPeRs’ Holiday members’ luncheon is just around the corner… and this will be special. Pride of Portland Chorus is the premier women's a cappella chorus of the Pacific Northwest, and one of the 700 Sweet Adelines International choruses worldwide. They have the honor of consistently finishing in the top ten at international competitions… and the first to be invited to audition for America's Got Talent! The full chorus numbers 100+ strong, with ages from 13 to over 80, and a repertoire of musical genres from barbershop to standards, pop to jazz, patriotic to show tunes. Join us on December 14 and prepare to be dazzled by “Pride’s” smaller-venue ensemble of 20, performing their dynamic harmonies with a Holiday twist! A cappella harmony, created from four voice parts that blend into one chord, is stunning and challenging. They say, "Once you see us perform, one thing becomes perfectly clear: barbershop is not a hobby, it’s a calling.” We thank KaPeRs member Judy Shafer Collinsworth (a Pride singer) for sharing this exciting experience with us. Take a listen:  https://prideofportland.org/experience Note our new holiday luncheon venue this year will be at the Monarch Hotel’s Pacific Ballroom — there’s plenty of space and ample parking, so register now

Volunteers Caring and Sharing

Carol Cohen retired in June, 2014, after a 34 year career in nursing. Since retiring, she volunteers with multiple organizations: SMART at her local elementary school, Oregon Buddhist Temple, Eastside Democratic Club, Veterans for Peace, Friends of the Columbia River, 350. org, Healthcare for All Oregon, Nurses for Single Payer, and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Sue Goodstein has volunteered for Store to Door for over 14 years. She says the clients (she finds herself referring to them as “patients”) truly appreciate the service provided.

Volunteer with KaPeRs

We always need people to help with mailing out newsletters. If interested in helping, contact Jane Walker, lois246@aol.com for mailing schedule.

Join the Board of Directors at a Board meeting. Contact any Board member if interested. 

mORE volunteers opportunities

KP Voice is a community of advocates who promote Kaiser Permanente’s values of affordable, accessible, high-quality care. http://www.kp.org/voice

Take Action Now: To learn more about how to best match your interests, time, and geography with one of our other projects, please contact Ron Shoals at Ron.R.Shoals@kp.org or 503-813-4234.

Contacts for each of our programs

  • Carolyn Ortman – KWMC   971-310-4563
  • John Tisserat – KWMC  471-400-7197
  • Annette Shaff-Palmer – Hospice – 503-499-4644
  • Randi Orth – KPB - 503-813-2050
  • Bonnie Morgan – KSMC – 503-571-4155
  • Jani Hazen – KSMC Teen Volunteer Coordinator – 503-571-7201

Volunteer Opportunities with Villages NW
2 More Villages Open and Serving Members

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  • • North Star Village North and inner northeast Portland, Sauvie Island, Linnton & Forest Park  503-793-8518 infonorthstar@comcast.net
  • • River West Village I-405/Highway 26 South to Multnomah County line, Willamette River West to Scholls Ferry Road 971-266-3187 | info@riverwestvillage.org
  • • WLLO  An 8th Village (WLLO) is being developed in the Lake Oswego/West Linn area. WLLO is beginning to have activities and events for villagers to get acquainted. Most Villages have social events and KaPeRs members are invited to attend an event or activity in their local Village

Existing Villages NW

KaPeRs Making Changes

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Over the years the cost of producing and mailing the quarterly newsletters has steadily risen and your Board of Directors has been brainstorming ways to more efficiently get the newsletters out to our 3700+ members. Our current process is labor intensive and costly. The newsletter is KaPeRs’ primary means of communicating with our members and we are mindful of the importance of continuing its publication.
     While we appreciate the financial support we have received for many years from KPNW and KaiPerm Credit Union, their budgets are impacted by rising costs as well. Their financial support could be put to use keeping the cost of luncheons down as well as providing high-quality programming and events of interest to members, rather than postage, paper and printing costs. Therefore, your Board of Directors has decided that, beginning no later than July, 2018, the newsletter will be available primarily by email and on our website. We realize that not everyone has a computer, and visiting our website is not an option. So, for $10 per year, those members can continue to receive a paper copy.

Here are your options:

  1. Pay $10 per year to continue receiving paper copy. Make check out to KaPeRs, and send to KaPeRs, P.O. Box 2732, Tualatin, OR, 97062, with note, “Subscribe to Newsletter”.
  2. To switch from paper to email delivery, send email address to kapersmembers@comcast.net with subject line, “KaPeRs Newsletter” Current email address will also allow you to receive communication throughout the year from the updated KaPeRs website, like meeting reminders and special events.
  3. If you already receive the newsletter by email, you will continue to receive it that way, unless you send an email to kapersmembers@comcast.net, asking to stop receiving it.
  4. If you currently receive the paper newsletter and don’t want it anymore, do nothing, and your name and information will be moved to an “inactive” list. You will no longer receive the newsletter by paper, but can still access it online at kpnwretirees.org and can always send an email later to kapersmembers@comcast.net requesting email delivery.
  5. The deadline for taking one of the actions above is July 1, 2018.
  6. If you have questions, please reach out to one of the Board members.
     

Coming soon a new web site

Rob Perry and Nick Socotch are working diligently to upgrade our kpnwretirees.org website to improve the process of registering for quarterly luncheon meetings and special events, as well as other features. We’ll let you know when the upgrade is completed.

Welcome New Retirees

Karen Asaro
Kristine Becker
Kristine Bennett
Steven Bergman
Carol Bremner
RaNea Bryant
Aaron Chrusoskie
Margaret Chrusoskie
Patricia Collins
Paulino De Paz
Jeanne Ewen
Alice Fevold
Les Gray
Susan Guerin, MD
Anita Kennelly

Julia Lynch
John LysterDavid Matthews
Steve Mazzarelli
Andrew McCulloch
Linda McVay
Leslie Nicodemus George Oh, MD
Denette Peffers
Mary Pohlman
Linda Ramirez
Nancy Rogauskas
Ennis Rosamond
Brian Ryder CRNA
Blaise Scollard
Carolynne Snyder
Weilin Tung Ray
Jan Willy
Amber Wright

KP Human Resources Business

Human resources business is conducted through the Human Resources Service Center (HRSC) in Northern California. The Retiree and Benefits Team can be reached at 1-877-457-4772. Press Option 1 for Northwest Region and Option 2 for Benefits and Retirement. For pensionrelated inquiries call toll free 1-866-627-2826. When prompted for pass code, please enter pass code. If you do not have a pass code or you have forgotten it, select the * (star) button, then press 0 to speak with a representative.

Online Newsletter

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