IN BRIEF

Olympian staff

Originally published Monday, March 18, 2002

Client Support wins knowledge bowl

A team from the Division of Client Support won first prize in the Quality Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by the Medical Assistance Administration at the Department of Social and Health Services.

The annual event tests employee knowledge of quality procedures, continuous improvement philosophy, Medical Assistance history and administrative goals and initiatives.

This year's bowl was March 7 at the Town Square office complex at Plum Street and Union Avenue.

Members of the winning team are Paul Meury, Mary Beth Ingram, Dana Hawkins, Daniel Hershley, Bernice Dittmer, Michael Haines, Les Sandusky and Seanna Sams.

State worker joins nursing hall of fame

Patty Hayes, a manager at the state Department of Health, was inducted into the Washington Nursing Hall of Fame at a March 8 ceremony in Seattle.

According to the nominating committee, Hayes was honored "achievements that will have a lasting value to the nursing profession and for affecting the health and/or social history of Washington state through sustained, lifelong contributions."

Since 1997, Hayes has been the director of policy, legislative and constituent relations at the Department of Health.

Hayes' first nursing job was at the West Seattle Hospital in the medical-surgical ward, which started a career that led to a number of private- and public-sector health-policy positions, including as executive director of the Washington State Nurses Association, which sponsors the Hall of Fame.

"I've built my career on the personal values of a community-based approach to health care and developing leadership skills through mentoring," Hayes said in a news release. "These have played vital roles in shaping my career path."

Trooper honored as 'Real Hero'

State Patrol Trooper Linda Allen was honored with a Red Cross "Real Hero" award for saving the life of a tow truck driver who was nearly electrocuted while responding to a traffic accident on Interstate 5 near Tacoma.

Allen called for a tow truck at the scene of the accident where she had arrested the driver on suspicion of drunken driving.

When the tow truck driver arrived to clear the scene, he attempted to move a light pole that had been knocked to the ground.

The pole made contact with some live wires, causing 480 volts of electricity to travel through his body.

The electricity made the driver's hands grip the pole tightly. He screamed for help, unable to let go of the pole. Allen repeatedly kicked the driver's arms, finally causing him to drop the pole.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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