11/13/2025
I was driving over Sherman Pass this morning, I passed a Ferry County EMS vehicle. I got a smile on my face because I knew the significance of this vehicle and what it represented. What started as a conversation between Ferry County Health and Ferry County EMS last February has now become a community service that is a reality.
I knew that RN Bess Hadley was taking the maiden voyage for the Interfacility Nurse Transport Team. Ms. Hadley and the EMS team were headed to Spokane to pick up a community member who could not arrange transportation to our facility, and the sending facility would not cover the cost of transportation to bring the patient here for swing bed rehab.
Last week at the sending facility, a social worker retrieved a business card for our Utilization RN, Sarina Pirkey, from a gift basket that had been delivered during Case Management Week by Rebecca Thompson. In a discussion with a patient from this area, the social worker recalled that she had this card and called Ms. Pirkey. This led to making steps to bring this patient home.
Because of the initiative and teamwork of two Ferry County organizations, we will be bringing a community member home for rehabilitation. Thank you to everyone who helped at various stages over the past 10 months, who made the difference in getting this patient home to Republic.
-Zane Gibbons, CNO, Ferry County Health