Medical Staff Recognition - October 2023

Provider of the Month - September 2023
Callie Byrd, MD, Covington Primary Care

"Dr. Byrd has worked tirelessly for the children of this clinic.  She was our first pediatrician here and consistently provides excellent care to the youngest and most vulnerable. She cares for her patients deeply and works very hard for the families. In her free time she has donated her services for refugees in Central America. She is a fun and faithful coworker! She goes above and beyond for her patients. She will consult her colleagues at Seattle Children's as needed. She goes to her patients' memorials if there is a tragic passing. She is a wonderful provider!"

"Dr. Callie Byrd has been a pediatrician here at Valley since November 2012. When I advised the clinic that she had been nominated for an upcoming provider of the month by one of her fellow peers and wanted to include any additional comments to the statement about her for this there was an abundance of love and support for her that flooded in:

• How do you describe Dr. Byrd in one word? Hard working, dependable, exceptional, valuable, assertive, fun, focused, team oriented, honest, up-front, on-time and delightful.
  
  
• Dr. Byrd is always open to offer guidance and expertise to her fellow colleagues for a collective effort to provide exceptional care. We are extremely lucky to have her on our team. She is a strong advocate for her patients and their families, including their mental health needs. Not only does she cover our pediatrician inboxes when others are on vacation or out of the office, she also helps cover our Children's Psychiatrist inbox when needed. This puts the clinic at ease to know these are taken care of and we don't have to worry about these tasks as well.
  
  
• Dr. Byrd's dedication to her patients shines daily when you hear her speak to her patients. She knows them, their parents, siblings, likes, dislikes, and challenges. Making the children feel comfortable coming to see her- sometimes in the toughest of situations. She earns their trust and can gain the knowledge which is needed to provide the care needed for them. She is willing to go above and beyond searching for specialties when needed and works long hours to ensure she has answered every parent's question before she leaves for the evening.
  
  
• Lastly as one of her fellow co-workers described her best: Callie embodies the definition of patient-centered care. She taps into the resources around her to ensure her patients and her patients' families are getting the best care possible. She is open to learning and improvement in an effort to continue to elevate the quality of medical and emotional care she provides her patients. Lastly, she takes her talent and intelligence beyond the walls of Valley and helps her community here and abroad. Admirable, respected, caring, and thorough, is our Callie!"

Thank You and Best Wishes to Ron Cohen, MD, Psychiatry & Counseling Clinic and to David Vossler, MD, Neuroscience Institute

Dr. David Vossler will officially retire from Valley on October 31. Dr. Vossler entered the field of Neurology 30+ years ago. He is a fellowship-trained epileptologist who was recruited by Valley Medical Center in 2006 to help form the Valley Neuroscience Institute.

In addition to being regarded as one of the founders of the Valley Neuroscience Institute, Dr. Vossler lead the initiative to help Valley achieve the Level 4 Accreditation of the Valley Epilepsy Center. Dr. Vossler’s other achievements include becoming an Associate Professor at University of Washington, School of Medicine, Medical Director of the Valley Neuroscience Institute, Program Director of the Valley Epilepsy, Center, Valley Coordinator for the Madigan Residency Program, and the completion of multiple clinical research trials at Valley Medical Center. Please join us in thanking Dr. Vossler for his many contributions to VMC, the field of Neurology, and patient care.

After a long career as a psychiatrist, Dr. Ron Cohen is retiring on October 31. Dr. Cohen began his career in 1988 when he opened a private practice in Renton. In 1995 it was acquired by VMC and became the Psychiatry and Counseling Clinic. Between 1988 to 1995, Dr. Cohen treated outpatients in his private practice as well as inpatients at Valley. He became the Medical Director of Behavioral Health Sciences in 1995 which included the inpatient unit. The inpatient unit closed in 2003.

He has been seeing patients at PCC for 29 years. Dr. Cohen also established and spearheaded the Clinician Wellness program at VMC which was a passion of his. Please join us in thanking Dr. Cohen for his many contributions to VMC, the hundreds of lives he touched as a psychiatrist and for his dedication to making the Psychiatry and Counseling Clinic a place that people want to work at and are proud of.