Patient Stories
Colon Cancer Survivor
Waylon Kostrzewski
“This has been a life-changing experience. You don’t get to experience that one-on-one care that I received very often.”
Breast Cancer Survivor
Heather Steffenson
“People ask me all the time how I got through it. I tell them you have to have an absolutely tremendous support team, and I did.”
Bariatric Surgery
Hailey Emmons
I feel great. I have the rest of my life to look forward to, and now I feel like I can really live it.
Prostate Cancer Survivor
Bob Reemts
“My care team was excellent, and all three providers collaborated on my treatment plan.”
Breast Cancer Survivor
Dianne Munroe
“They have great care, great people, and great follow-up. They just do an excellent job.”
Vascular Surgery
Victor Petersen
“Dr. Roberts saved my life. Without him, I might not be here. He did a great job. ”
Colon Cancer Survivor
Dr. Chris Eugenio
“If you have a history of colon cancer in your family, do it early. Start at 40. I’ve been telling all my friends, if you haven’t had one, please go get one.”
Colon Cancer Survivor
Joe Goode
“The process is easy. You’re very comfortable and relaxed, then you wake up and get your results. You just have to take a day off from work, and that day off can save your life.”
Lung Cancer Survivor
John Thompson
"I feel as good as I ever did. The scars from surgery were small, and now I can’t see them at all. I trusted the doctors and they did a great job.”
Lung Cancer Survivor
Rebecca Carreto
Dr. Templin was very reassuring, very confident and organized. “He told me 'we’re going to take good care of you.' And that’s exactly what they did."
Breast Cancer Survivor
Autumn Landos
“The team at CHI Franciscan supported my decisions and helped me get the treatment that worked best for me.”
Breast Cancer Survivor
Kathy Himes
“You can’t let your guard down - even missing one mammogram can mean an entirely different outcome. Just schedule it. Around your birthday each year is a great time.”
Colon Cancer Survivor
Valerie Schock
“I was fortunate to have excellent care from three female providers. I knew I wanted to put my health in the hands of the Franciscan providers.”
Midwifery Birth Center
April Murphree
“I really noticed that every person that we interacted, the doulas, midwives and nurses, were genuinely happy about our baby. They met us in our concerns, not treating it clinically,” April said. “There was a lot of nurturing and sweet responses. Everyone was very responsive to our questions.”
Prostate Cancer Survivors
Scott Vanderflute and Kelly Bolender
"Dr. Willis is a brilliant surgeon, but perhaps more important is how deeply he cares,” said Kelly. “He treated me like a good friend. He’s caring and easy to talk to, and his goal was 100 percent recovery. His belief in me and my recovery helped me believe."
Breast Cancer Survivor
Yvette Fosberg
I just want people to know that you have to get your mammogram, even if you don’t have any signs. If it hadn’t been for the mammogram I would never have had a clue that something was going on.
Lung Cancer Survivor
Kathy Calvert
Kathy considers herself “one of the lucky ones!” And you won’t find a more positive and energetic person. Today, she is grateful for the excellent care she received and is a proponent of lung cancer screening for those who really need it.
Testicular Cancer Survivor
Ronn Goodnough
“I want the community to feel that we’re providing them with a respectful and thoughtful experience of healthcare,” he says. “I want people to feel like we’re thinking of them as they experience life and all that it comes with.”
Breast Cancer Survivor
Shannon Wulick
Shannon’s tumors were treated and shrank significantly as a result of her chemotherapy, and she had surgery in late July, followed by radiation to remove any residual tumors.
Lung Cancer Survivor
Peter Newcomb
Peter received successful surgical and chemo treatment, right away. “It was the best care and the nicest staff possible,” he says.
Bariatric Surgery
Mohria Mote and Breanna Rae
We have so much energy now, and we’re both so active. We love hiking at Point Defiance and China Lake. This has truly been life-changing.
Breast Cancer Survivor
Linda Fortune
Dealing with this type of issue isn’t fun, and the whole team worked together and treated me like I was important. They did a great job with me.
Colon Cancer Survivor
Alan Roberts
When God or your body gives you a sign, you pay attention - even if it’s from a softball.
Colon Cancer Survivor
Sara
Sara’s prognosis depended on swift multidisciplinary intervention.
Colon Cancer Survivor
Melissa
If there was a picture in the dictionary that went along with the definition of compassion, it would be Dr. Kanneganti.
Weight Loss Surgery
Barry and Wynetta
We had the surgeries close together so we could learn from and support each other.
Heart Care
Frank
I couldn’t have chosen a better person to do this surgery than Dr. Hampton or a better hospital to have it done than St. Joseph.
Heart Care
Norman
It was so convenient to have all of these tests done within one single visit, each test was done by a different individual and they were so professional.
Testicular Cancer Survivor
Kevin
I needed to keep moving, keep working and keep living. They helped me to do that.
Prostate Cancer Survivor
George
Dr. Mastras comes across as very human, very down to earth, and has a great sense of humor.
Prostate Cancer Survivor
John
In all cases I’ve felt very confident and trusted that CHI Franciscan was giving me the best information.
Prostate Cancer Survivor
Bill
Dr. Arroyo spent time with my wife and I, and he talked to us about everything.
Breast Cancer Survivor
Gretchen
If you have to go through chemo, I would rate the experience at the cancer center very highly.
Breast Cancer Survivor
Diane
He was sensitive to the issues and addressed any questions or concerns that we had and he took the time to make sure we understood the answers.
Breast Cancer Survivor
Kerie
Dr. Blau is brilliant but she doesn’t talk like an academic. She uses laymen terms so you understand everything.
Breast Cancer Survivor
Maggie
Her capacity for compassion, and at the same time getting right to the point, is pretty amazing.
Breast Cancer Survivor
Eileen
They were talking to both of us from a very humanistic and holistic perspective.
Breast Cancer Survivor
Heidi
I trusted the doctors, they knew what they were doing and they attacked the problem.
Knee Replacement Surgery
Judy
I can walk without pain and run around with my little grandson. I’m a much happier person.
Arthroscopic Surgery
Toby
As someone who’s an extremely active person and doesn’t sit down very often, I was happy to be back on my feet as soon as I possibly could.
Arthroscopic Surgery
Rachel
I’m incredibly grateful to Dr. Vaughan for putting me back together again and allowing me to go on doing what I love to do.
Palliative Care
Reed Family
“They helped us focus on living the life we have now to the fullest,” Marianne says.
Joint Replacement Surgery
Liz
A hike up Crystal Mountain would never have been possible before her joint replacement surgery.
Erratic Heartbeat
Maria Gudaitis
Why did I wait so long?
Sleep Therapy
Tim Simon
Now I can drive all day without feeling tired.
Chronic Pain
Marta Idowu
At last, I feel like my old self again.
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Ronald Johnson
It’s absolutely wonderful.
Reconstructive Breast Surgery
Andrea
And for the first time, when I woke up in recovery, I felt ok.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Bea Christophersen
I’m ready to get back to work.
Uterine Fibroid Embolization
Melody Canty
It was an excellent choice for me.
Life-saving Care
Tina Barnes
I feel better than I’ve felt in years.
Hyperbaric Medicine
Dillard Bass
I want everybody to know about this advance procedure..
Family Birth Center
Arsanto Family
Everyone here really cares about you personally, and your experience.
Knee Replacement Surgery
Gary Hill, Sr.
Knee replacement gets better every year—lowering risks, improving longevity and decreasing pain and recovery time.
Hip Replacement
Tony Chursky
I was cycling eight weeks after surgery, it feels great to be back to running and coaching without pain.
Back Surgery
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Gaylen Wood
They explained my options so I could make a decision about treatment. Just knowing that I have this access to care takes a lot of pressure off.
Heart Care
Bob
Bob said he believed in Dr. Reed’s skill and in the care he was getting and the relationships he had forged at Harrison.
Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery
Jeff
Franciscan got me on the mountain again, I have never felt better!
Tumor Survivor
Barb
With her balance back, Barb is able to again enjoy motorcycle rides with her husband, Gary.
AVM Pain
Donna
After Gamma Knife treatment, Donna says "I’ve got my life back."
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Sharon
It’s like the pain never happened.