BELLINGHAM, Wash. – PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center is proud to celebrate the Bellingham Mended Hearts support group, which has been named Chapter of the Year by Mended Hearts, Inc. (MHI).
The award recognizes the chapter’s outstanding commitment to supporting heart patients and their families and places the group at the very top among MHI’s 187 chapters nationwide.
According to Chapter President Dianna Konrad, the chapter’s success is closely tied to its longstanding partnership with the PeaceHealth St. Joseph Cardiovascular Services team.
“This incredible team of professionals is an integral part of our efforts and success, and for that we are extremely grateful,” she said. “Their support has been invaluable in helping us serve heart patients and caregivers throughout our community.”
The award is also a testament to the collaborative spirit of the chapter’s Board of Directors, she added.
“Our board acts as a cohesive unit when we make decisions about how our chapter will accomplish our mission to support as many heart patients and their families as we can reach,” Konrad said.
A unique strength of the chapter is its commitment to diversity of experience and perspective, she added. The board includes two representatives from Young Mended Hearts, a program serving younger adults living with heart disease. Their involvement brings fresh ideas and valuable insight that help the chapter connect with heart patients across generations.
Mended Hearts volunteers provide peer-to-peer support, education and encouragement to patients and families navigating the challenges of heart disease, heart surgery and recovery. This year, the chapter’s team of 13 dedicated hospital volunteers is on pace to complete 3,000 patient and caregiver visits, offering compassionate support when it’s needed most.
“This national recognition underscores the remarkable dedication of our Mended Hearts volunteers and the impact they make every day,” said Jerry Marschke, director of Cardiovascular Services at PeaceHealth St. Joseph. “Their partnership with our cardiovascular team helps ensure patients receive not only expert clinical care, but also the emotional support and connection that can make a meaningful difference in recovery. The compassion and positive influence this group has on patients and families is truly extraordinary.”
The chapter will formally present the Chapter of the Year Award to its members during its meeting on Aug. 8.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a non-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, nearly 3,200 physicians and clinicians, more than 160 clinics and 9 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
