Gov. Gregoire highlights Eastern Washington�s health sciences industry

For Immediate Release: October 15, 2008

SPOKANE � Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced three appointments to Spokane County�s new Health Sciences and Services Authority board.

�Today, I�m appointing three Spokane leaders who I know will serve the board�s mission well,� Gregoire said. �That mission is to promote growth in the global health industry in Spokane and this region in a myriad of ways � from promoting bioscience-based economic development to advancing new therapies and procedures to fight disease and improve health.�


Gregoire�s three appointees are:

Patricia Butterfield �dean and professor at Washington State University�s Intercollegiate College of Nursing
Nancy Isserlis �attorney at Winston & Cachatt, board member of the Spokane Neighborhood Action Program and chair of the Spokane City Ethics Committee
Wendy Schneider �Foundation Relations director at Eastern Washington University

The Health Sciences and Services Authority board is the result of legislation passed during the 2007 legislative session. Spokane Mayor Mary Verner also appointed three members. Spokane County commissioners will appoint an additional three members later this week.

�Spokane now has an important tool to strengthen this region�s presence in health science research and global health,� Gregoire said. �The work of this board will not only benefit the regional economy, but will ensure Spokane continues to be a major part of our state�s leadership in improving health around the globe.�

Gregoire highlighted Spokane�s burgeoning health sciences industry, adding that in Spokane alone, there are more than 1,000 health science businesses, including six major hospitals, which provide health care jobs to an estimated 30,000 Washingtonians. The industry accounts for nearly 13 percent of local employment with a total annual payroll of more than $1.2 billion.

Gregoire has made significant investments to expand the health sciences capacity in Eastern Washington. She recently expanded the University of Washington�s School of Medicine to include a site at Washington State University�s Spokane campus and allow additional students to enroll. She also helped secure more than $30 million to build the Intercollegiate School of Nursing Building at Spokane�s Riverpoint campus, and expanded the nursing program at WSU Spokane to include a Ph.D. program and to allow additional students to enroll. In addition, Gregoire helped establish Spokane as the first site for the Regional Initiatives in Dental Education program. The program is designed to help meet the oral health needs of rural and underserved areas.







# # #