Impact Stories

Howard S. Wright Recognizes Health Care Workers with a Gift

When the St. Michael Medical Center (SMMC) leadership team was searching for a partner to build a new hospital in Silverdale, they sought a team that would thoughtfully take their employees’ and patients' needs into the design-build process. They found the experts at Howard S. Wright to be a perfect fit.

St. Michael is an urban-rural hospital, so we need to be equipped to serve a broad range of patients. Most people come from Kitsap County, but we’re also the primary hospital for specialty care for folks who live hours away on the Olympic Peninsula,” SMMC CEO, Chad Melton says.

The SMMC team didn’t realize how far above and beyond the Howard S. Wright team would go to support their vision.

“Building any 500,000 square foot space is complex. But we were building operating rooms where doctors perform life-saving surgeries, and the acute care floors where patients recover from heart attacks,” Chad says. “It’s much more than a building and the Howard S. Wright team took time to ensure our teams’ needs were absolutely met.”

Through tours, job shadows and design reviews, the Howard S. Wright team learned about how nurses cared for stroke patients and why a new imaging center would lead to more precise diagnoses across multiple specialties.

That insight inspired the Howard S. Wright team to show their gratitude for the SMMC workforce by hosting a poker tournament to raise money for the Covid Relief Fund to support health care worker needs. The event raised $10,000.

“We continually asked ourselves – how can we help make the delivery of care the best it can possibly be? We’ve all worried about a loved one in the hospital. We all know the incredible role our health care workers take on, but the burden they carried through the pandemic was monumental. Both patients and providers need and deserve the best,” says Chris Martindale, Howard S. Wright Vice President of Healthcare in Washington.

Today, the SMMC team is providing faster and more personalized care to every patient.

“Dozens of people across the hospital gave us their time and quality insights into their roles. Our gift is a celebration of the St. Michael team,” Chris says. “We must show our health care professionals our gratitude for their expertise and compassion.”