Evergreen Emergency Preparedness Program Manager Receives Unique Certification

KIRKLAND, Wash., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its unique strength as a leader in disaster preparation, Evergreen Healthcare's Emergency Preparedness Program Manager Barbara Jensen recently became a Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional (CHEP) by the International Board for Certification of Safety Managers.

Jensen, who has been in this role since 2008, is one of only five emergency managers to hold the CHEP certification in the state of Washington.

"I'm proud of this certification, and I'll put it to good use in further strengthening the comprehensive preparedness program at Evergreen," said Jensen.

Jensen's expertise was put to work recently during the major snowstorm in January. She provided quick and valuable assistance to incident command leadership in organizing the Incident Command Center throughout the statewide, multi-day weather event. 

"Barb was there providing much needed technical assistance and support. She has amassed a great deal of real-life experience to be ready for the next emergency on short notice, and we owe our organizational agility in situations like this to her expertise," said Dr. Jeff Tomlin, Evergreen's senior vice president and chief medical officer.

Jensen's position at Evergreen is an extension of her lifelong passion for preparedness. She is a major in the Civil Air Patrol, the civilian arm of the United States Air Force, and has instructed wilderness medicine and patient transport at the Ground Search and Rescue Academy at Joint Base Lewis McChord for several years, in addition to teaching personal preparedness to community groups. Jensen is formally trained as a registered nurse and joined Evergreen in 2000.

The International Board for Certification of Safety Managers, also known as BCHCM, was established in 1976 as a not-for-profit, independent credentialing organization. The board establishes certification and recertification requirements for the Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional. The CHEP credential meets a need for a professional certification for healthcare emergency directors, managers, coordinators, associates, consultants and others who work with or coordinate real-world emergency issues with the health sector.

"As a hospital Emergency Preparedness Program Manager, there are not many credentials available to me to demonstrate my proficiency. When this program became available, it provided me with a means of personal validation for my training and education," added Jensen.

To learn more about Evergreen Healthcare, visit www.evergreenhealthcare.org or call the Evergreen Healthline 425.899.3000.

About Evergreen Healthcare
Evergreen Healthcare, a public hospital district and community-based health care organization established in 1972, offers a breadth of services and programs that is among the most comprehensive in the region. More than 950 physicians provide clinical excellence within more than 80 specialties, including  cardiac, oncology, surgical care, orthopedics, a Neuroscience Institute, Women's and Children's services, hospice care, pulmonary care, a Sleep Disorders Center and Home Health services care.  Evergreen serves more than 400,000 residents in its primary service area of northern King and southern Snohomish counties with Evergreen Medical Group, a network of primary and urgent care practices, and Evergreen Hospital Medical Center, its main hospital campus in Kirkland, Wash. Evergreen also provides emergency care at two sites; its main hospital campus and the Evergreen Redmond Medical Center.  In addition to clinical care, Evergreen offers extensive community health outreach and education programs, anchored by Evergreen Healthline, a 24/7 nurse consultation service. For more information, visit www.evergreenhealthcare.org.

CONTACTS:

Kay Taylor
VP of Marketing
Evergreen Healthcare
425.899.2604

Ken LeBlond
Public Relations Program Manager
Evergreen Healthcare
425.899.1886

SOURCE Evergreen Healthcare