UW Medicine Appoints Bernadene Dochnahl of Renton to Valley Medical Center Board of Trustees

SEATTLE, Oct. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- UW Medicine has appointed Bernadene "Bernie" Dochnahl to Valley Medical Center's new Board of Trustees. Dochnahl, of Renton, will serve as a community trustee appointed from within the medical center's service area. Her six-year term will begin Oct. 17. Previously, she served as a Commissioner for Valley Medical Center from 1991 to 1993.

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As part of the strategic alliance formed July 1 between UW Medicine and Valley Medical Center, UW Medicine formed a new board of trustees to provide oversight for Valley Medical Center and its clinics.

"The board has an important role in ensuring that Valley Medical Center continues its long tradition of providing pre-eminent care and is well poised for the future," said Dr. Paul G. Ramsey, CEO, UW Medicine. "The strategic alliance provides exciting opportunities to pursue important initiatives that will benefit patients and the community. Our shared commitment to providing outstanding clinical care with an emphasis on patient safety and service will further support our mission to improve the health of the public and enhance our ability to provide national leadership for healthcare reform."

"I am pleased to welcome Bernie Dochnahl to the board," said Lisa Jensen, chair, board of trustees, Valley Medical Center. "She brings a wealth of experience as a leader in the South King County business community in addition to her work in healthcare and community leadership on various boards."

Dochnahl manages and develops commercial properties in Renton and Kent. She has also held executive positions at Puget Sound Energy and Global Partnerships, a non-profit micro-lending organization. In addition, she led the healthcare reform agency under Governor Mike Lowry in the 1990s.

She has served on the Harborview Medical Center board of trustees since 2006. Other community leadership positions include: chair, board of trustees, Mutual of Enumclaw Property and Casualty Insurance Company; former vice chair, Washington State Health Insurance Pool; and Legislative Committee, Renton Chamber of Commerce.

Dochnahl graduated magna cum laude in accounting from the University of Washington Business School.

Valley Medical Center (VMC), Public Hospital District No. 1, joined UW Medicine July 1 as the eighth entity – joining Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, UW Neighborhood Clinics, UW Physicians, the UW School of Medicine and Airlift Northwest.

VMC is a 303-bed acute care hospital and network of clinics committed to providing safe, high-quality, compassionate care for more than 63 years. The oldest and largest public district hospital in the state of Washington, VMC serves over 400,000 residents in South King County. Dedicated to patient safety and improving the overall health of the community, VMC is the largest nonprofit healthcare provider between Seattle and Tacoma. For more information, please visit www.valleymed.org

SOURCE Valley Medical Center