“OWN YOUR HEALTHY” Mariners partner with CHI Franciscan to promote groundbreaking “NW Healthy” initiative. By Rebecca Hale August 18, 2015 is the day that as she got ready to go back to school, the Tacoma-based health system’s mes- Joleen LaMay’s life changed. That is the LaMay put mammogram at the top of sage of “NW Healthy.” day the Tacoma school teacher and bas- her “to do” list. The campaign stresses the impor- ketball coach was diagnosed with cancer. But before she could schedule it, tance of exercise, smart eating, getting “You would have never thought I LaMay found a large, hard lump in her enough sleep, even laughing more as could see where I am right now back in left breast. LaMay went to her gyne- ways to live a more healthful lifestyle. August when I was diagnosed because cologist, who was concerned enough Mariners Hall of Famer Dan Wilson it’s so overwhelming when you hear that she sent her immediately to Carol delivers the NW Healthy message in TV the ‘Big C’ word,” says LaMay. Milgard Breast Center in Tacoma. and radio commercials, and Mariners LaMay, who is 47, hadn’t had a The Milgard Center is a non-profit, fans are encouraged to participate in mammogram since she was 35, and patient-centered, state of the art facility a “Healthy Scorecard” social media jointly owned by MultiCare Health campaign by posting Instagram photos System and CHI Franciscan, the Seattle of themselves doing healthy activities. Joleen LaMay is cancer-free 12 months after her initial Mariners official “Partner in Health.” breast cancer diagnosis, thanks to the Mariners “Partner in This season, the Mariners are work- Health” CHI Franciscan. ing with CHI Franciscan to promote (continued on page 52) MARINERS MAGAZINE 51 (continued from page 51) The 10 NW Healthy tips are fairly simple and designed to be easily adopted by anyone interested in “owning your healthy.” One of the main elements of the 1. Increase physical activity by finding something you enjoy doing. NW Healthy campaign is an emphasis 2. Watch portion sizes and increase healthy choices and decrease unhealthy ones. on preventive health screenings. “Even 3. Health screenings to verify up-to-date immunizations and preventive procedures. though you may eat well, exercise and 4. Make getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night a priority. do all the right things to take care of yourself, it’s still important to get your 5. Try something new each month to challenge your mind and body. annual screenings, like mammograms, 6. Add strength and flexibility to your workout routine twice a week. and ensure you’re taking every oppor- 7. Laugh every day to improve your overall health and well-being. tunity to keep yourself healthy,” says 8. Invest time in family and friends and the people who matter most to you. Stephanie Moore, Marketing Specialist 9. Drink lots of our clean NW water – 13 cups a day for men, with CHI Franciscan. 9 cups a day for women. It’s good advice that LaMay admits 10. Quiet your mind and take 10 deep breaths at least once a day. she didn’t follow. “The one message I would ab- You can learn more at NWHealthy.org. solutely send to women is get your mammograms, for sure. If we could prevent one in eight women from get- let me down, you know? But it did. It er tumors, and tests revealed that the ting cancer, why wouldn’t we want to was a perfect example of cancer has cancer was confined to her left breast do that,” asks LaMay. no boundaries. It doesn’t care who and one lymph node. But because she The irony is that LaMay lives a you are, where you come from, it can tested positive for the PALB2 gene, a very healthy lifestyle. She played prep hit you. You just never know, so early “partner” of the BRCA2, or breast can- basketball at Sumner High and col- detection is the key,” says LaMay. cer gene, the risk that her cancer would lege ball at Lewis-Clark State College Women whose breast cancer is return or spread was high. in Lewiston, Idaho, and has been a caught at an early stage have a 93% Not taking any chances, LaMay Health & Fitness teacher at Sumner or more survival rate. Once cancer has opted for a radical mastectomy, which High School for the last two decades. reached Stage IV, and spreads to other was bookended by 15 rounds of che- “I’ve always eaten healthy and parts of the body, the five year survival motherapy and a punishing regimen worked out, and how could my body rate drops to about 22%. of radiation. Fortunately, LaMay’s cancer, which As awful as cancer is, LaMay de- Cancer survivor Joleen LaMay includes messages about turned out to be Stage IIB Invasive Duc- scribes her experience with the Milgard prevention and healthy habits during her Sumner High tal Carcinoma, was detected fairly early. Breast Center, and her team of doctors, School Health & Fitness classes. The large mass was actually two small- as “awesome.” Today, 12 months after her diagnosis, LaMay is cancer-free and preparing for her 22nd year of teaching, and her 18th season as an assistant women’s basket- ball coach at University of Puget Sound. In addition to the partnership with the Mariners, CHI Franciscan has also joined with the Seattle Sounders FC, Tacoma Rainiers and Tacoma Stars to spread the NW Healthy message. “We are thrilled to affiliate with these strong and well-recognized teams, with their loyal relationships with millions of fans,” says Ketul J. Patel, CEO of CHI Franciscan Health. “Joining with these teams as our of- ficial partners in health is a natural because the players, coaches and staff are committed to the principles of be- ing Northwest Healthy, too.” This is a new direction for the health care system. In fact, CHI Franciscan sees it as a “bold” effort to partner with people of all ages and health care needs to get and keep people healthy and well. Rebecca Hale is the Mariners director of Public Information. 52 MARINERS MAGAZINE.