Regence promotes Chong to chief medical officer

Dennis Chong, M.D., has been named as Regence chief medical officer. Chong is now in charge of pharmacy services and the subsidiary RegenceRx, in addition to leading clinical policy and programs, and quality medical management for the Health Care Services division that serves all four Regence health plans.

Chong has been employed at Regence since 2006. Prior to that, he was the vice president and senior market medical executive at Cigna HealthCare.

Dr. Chong received his medical degree from the University of Calgary, Alberta, and is board-certified by the College of Family Physicians, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada, and the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Knight is new Swedish president

Long-time Swedish administrator and Mercer Island resident, Cal Knight, was recently promoted to president and chief operating officer (COO).

Knight served as COO of the Swedish First Hill Campus from 1995 until May of 2007, when he became the executive vice president.

Knight oversees the outpatient services, nursing operations, Swedish Physician Division, support functions and service lines at Swedish’s First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard and Issaquah campuses.

Knight graduated from Western Washington University and earned master’s degrees in health administration and business administration from the University of Iowa.

Before joining Swedish, Knight was the senior vice president of operations for ORNDA Healthcorp.

Katz wins Social Issues Award

Mercer Island psychologist, Renee S. Katz, Ph.D., has received the Social Issues Award from the Washington State Psychological Association (WSPA). The WSPA Social Issues Award was presented to Dr. Katz in recognition of her outstanding application of psychology to community mental health in the arena of end-of-life care. Dr. Katz, who co-chairs the WSPA End-of-Life Task force, has been at the forefront of promoting awareness of the psychological needs of patients and families who are bereaved, living with life-limiting illness or near the end of life. Dr. Katz and her colleague, Therese Johnson, recently published “When Professionals Weep,” the first book to address the emotional responses and needs of health care professionals working in end-of-life care.

Free CPR training

The American Red Cross Serving King & Kitsap Counties will present the 9th annual CPR Saturday event on May 3 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center begin at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. This free event is open to anyone who would like to learn life-saving Adult CPR skills. The training takes approximately 2.5 hours and will include skills practice and a written exam. Upon successful completion, students will be given Red Cross certificates. Participants must pre-register for CPR Saturday by visiting www.seattleredcross.org or call the Red Cross in Seattle at (206) 726-3534.

Eating Disorders Support

The Eating disorders support group (EDSG) is to begin again.

The group will meet from 6:30 until 7:30 p.m. on May 5 and will continue on the first and third Mondays of every month, except holidays, at the Community Center at Mercer View.

The need for such groups is greater now than ever with an increase in numbers of people with eating disorders, the skyrocketing costs of medical care and therapy, and the economic struggles many people are facing today.

EDSG is appropriate for people with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, orthorexia nervosa or eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) as long as there is a drive for thinness present.

There will be two groups: one group for people with eating disorders and one for family, friends, or spouses.

The groups are free. Advance registration is not required. All facilitators have had direct experience with an eating disorder.

The EDSG is for you if you: