Primary Care Patient Lorraine

Lorraine Amman-Blau, 66, cannot remember how long she's been a Virginia Mason patient. But she believes it was the late 1980s that she first received care. She became unwell and doctors at another health care organization could not determine what was wrong. She was so ill, in fact, that she began using a cane and had difficulty with simple tasks like peeling a potato.

Lorraine's mother suggested Virginia Mason and her first visit to the Issaquah Medical Center impressed her. "It was different. My doctor really listened to me," remembers Lorraine. Her doctor was confident he could help. Eventually, he determined that Lorraine had a bacterial infection and prescribed medication that took care of the problem. "From that point on, all of my family went to Virginia Mason," says Lorraine, who describes visiting the Issaquah facility today as "like going to see my best friends."

“From that point on, all of my family went to Virginia Mason.”

Over the years, Lorraine has been treated by her primary care physician and Virginia Mason specialists for, among other things, bunions, carpal tunnel syndrome, endometriosis, ovarian cysts and diverticulitis. The Spine Clinic taught her exercises to prevent back surgery, and she received diabetic counseling for pre-diabetes. She has had inpatient and outpatient surgeries, and describes each of her experiences as "excellent" and adds that "when I’m having problems, either physical or emotional, the staff at Virginia Mason helps me find the answers to return to good health."

One thing Lorraine says she particularly appreciates about her care is that both her primary care physician and specialists will "try the simple thing first" before doing an intrusive treatment like surgery. She likes that "everything is explained so that I understand what is happening and why, and I can work with my doctors to determine the best course of action for my situation."

Another thing Lorraine appreciates is the care Virginia Mason has provided to her husband, who has high blood pressure and other health issues, and to her adult son, who has autism. "I know that when there is a problem, they're getting wonderful care from people who know them and care about them," says Lorraine.

Since retiring from Boeing in 2005, Lorraine says she has been so busy with family concerns that she's waiting for the real retirement to happen. A trip to Europe is on the distant horizon. For now, Lorraine is grateful that she's in good health and that should a concern arise, her Virginia Mason medical team is right there, ready to take care of it.