Special Reports
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- Clothing Drive: Discharge with Dignity
- Celebrating 1 year of Oncology at the NW Campus
- Transplant Peer-to-Peer Volunteer Program
- Healthy Work Environment Series
- UWMC Featured in Nephrology Nursing Documentary Film
- Shih Family’s Generous Donation to UWMC
Clothing Drive: Discharge with Dignity
The Discharge with Dignity program was established to address a critical gap in the discharge process for vulnerable psychiatric patients who often arrive on the unit without adequate clothing or personal belongings. The initiative created a structured clothing donation program that collects clean, unused items from staff and community members, ensuring that patients have access to warm, weather-appropriate clothing—including coats, gloves, pants, and shoes—at the time of discharge. By integrating this resource into discharge planning, the program strengthens the unit’s ability to support safe and humane transitions back into the community.
Since its implementation, the program has become a high-impact component of the unit’s patient experience strategy. It operationalizes a dignity-centered approach to care by addressing basic social determinants of health and reducing barriers patients face upon discharge. The initiative has been widely recognized by staff and patients alike as a meaningful enhancement to the discharge process, reinforcing the unit’s commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care.
Celebrating 1 year of Oncology at the NW Campus
On September 24, 2025, the UWMC–Northwest campus marked the one-year anniversary of the oncology unit’s opening. During its first year, the unit successfully launched while managing multiple internal unit relocations and anticipated operational challenges. Despite these complexities, the unit demonstrated significant clinical and workforce development.
Over 800 doses of intravenous chemotherapy were administered, numerous patients completed chemotherapy treatment courses, and nearly all nursing staff attained oncology training and chemotherapy administration certification. Progress was driven by strong interdisciplinary collaboration, staff adaptability, and a commitment to evidence-based practice. While the unit remains in an early phase of development, leadership is confident in its continued growth, stability, and ability to meet increasing patient care demands.
Transplant Peer-to-Peer Volunteer Program
As we enter this season of gratitude, I find myself reflecting on the quiet but profound ways our community lifts one another up. One of the clearest examples is our Peer-to-Peer Transplant Mentor Volunteer Program. The program, founded by 7SA RN3 Kristin McNeill in 2016, has grown into a trusted source of comfort for our patients. Today, eight trained volunteers rotate weekly across our transplant units. Their preparation includes focused training in therapeutic communication, boundaries, and compassionate presence which helps create a supportive interaction between a newly transplanted patient and a mentor who was a previous transplant recipient. They share a unique experience and through compassionate listening and sharing of their own transplant journey, they provide comfort, support and hope for living well post-transplant. Their willingness to return, to sit at a bedside, and to walk alongside another person at a vulnerable moment is a gift to others and much appreciated by new transplant recipients.
Below are some recent feedback comments from our current patients benefiting from this program:
- "Listening to her journey, she gave me hope and encouragement. She is an amazing lady to talk to. She has made a difference in my life."
- "This has been a service that I didn’t know I needed. It has brought me so much comfort being able to speak to people at different phases of their journey. It has given me a lot of confidence in the medical team and support through this adventure."
- "His knowledge about the transplant experience, and his positive outlook really helped. He answered our questions about life after transplant and gave good insight on what to expect. It was just so good to talk to someone who's been there"
Kristin continues to steward this work in partnership with Shelby Slagle from Transplant Services. Kristin shared that “I am continually impressed with the volunteers that I have trained and worked with over the last 9 years. Their commitment to giving back is inspirational.”
Healthy Work Environment Series
In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) continued implementation of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Healthy Work Environment (HWE) initiative, reflecting its commitment to fostering a supportive and effective workplace for healthcare professionals. This initiative is rooted in six evidence-based standards: Skilled Communication, True Collaboration, Effective Decision-Making, Appropriate Staffing, Meaningful Recognition, and Authentic Leadership.
Twenty-two HWE teams launched projects/efforts at improving the health of their work environment. Projects primarily focused on meaningful recognition. Projects included employee of the month or quarter recognition, a team collaboration website, development of team mascot and t-shirts for all members of the team, a little lending library, team building activities and games, a self-care locker and a “Rough Day and Thank You” cart, and social events aimed at improving team dynamics and fostering increased collaboration. Projects were funded by a generous UW Well-Being grant. Participants rated the 2025 HWE series as 4.67 on a 5-point Likert scale and their feedback was used during planning for the 2026 workshops.
By embedding the AACN HWE standards into its organizational culture, UWMC enhances not only the well-being of its staff but also continues its role as a leader in promoting healthy work environments within the healthcare industry.
UWMC Featured in Nephrology Nursing Documentary Film
UWMC Nurses were featured in a documentary by award-winning director Carolyn Jones, who directed the American Nurse Project. The newest film, I Want to Live: The Impact of Nephrology Nurses, debuted in May 2025 at the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) National Symposium in Portland, OR. The film follows nephrology nurses alongside the patients and families in their care, including the story of a living kidney donor and recipient in Seattle, participants at the Transplant Games in Alabama, and patients receiving hemodialysis in New York.
The film was produced in collaboration with ANNA to raise public awareness about kidney disease prevention and to attract more nurses to nephrology. Nancy Colobong Smith, ANNA National President at the time, encouraged filmmaker Carolyn Jones to accept this project in the hope that the film will broaden public perceptions of nephrology as more than dialysis and see the scope and humanity of kidney disease. To underscore the need for education about the field, the association also produced a five-minute video featuring student nurses at a National Student Nurses’ Association conference offering their impressions of nephrology.
The film features UWMC patient, Alex, who received a living, non-related kidney transplant from his friend Kyle at UWMC Montlake. Both Alex & Kyle work for the Seattle Seahawks and several UWMC staff and RNs are featured in the film including Chantelle Dykstra & Tyler Williams Leach from 7SA, Kevin Lee from the OR, and Nancy Colobong Smith, Renal Clinical Nurse Specialist. Additional RN interview footage is also available on the American Nurse Project website.
Shih Family’s Generous Donation to UWMC
The Shih family, which has long-standing ties to UWMC, committed a $1M gift which helped fund the capital expansion project for the Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic, adding a high-end imaging ultrasound unit. The money donated also provided professional development resources for OB nurses at UWMC Montlake. The expansion was completed in December 2024 and on January 6, 2025 the Shih family was honored with the unveiling of a picture and plaque honoring Lynn Shih in the new unit lobby.
Lynn Shih served 32 years as an obstetrics nurse at UW Medical Center Montlake, where she was a cherished colleague known for her unwavering belief in the power of positive thinking and selfless actions which had an enduring impact on all who worked with her. Lynn’s husband Jerry and children Megan and Trevor provided the generous donation to honor her life by helping to provide streamlined care to our patients and to help those who seek further professional development in obstetrics nursing at UW Medical Center.
Congratulations to our inaugural awardees of the Lynn Shih Fund for Obstetrics Nursing Professional Development Scholarship. Many UWMC staff applied for this award, and our Nurse Executive Committee reviewed the applications and selected our awardees, who each received a $500 scholarship award to reimburse educational expenses this year:
- Natalie Moore | UWMC Montlake Campus Maternal & Infant Care Clinic
- Melissa Sanchez | UWMC Montlake Campus Labor & Delivery Unit
- Kelsey Stevens | UWMC Northwest Campus Childbirth Center