EvergreenHealth Board of Commissioners Presents Jeff & Merrie Tomlin with Community Service Award

This is the second of two Community Service Awards presented by the Board this year.

KIRKLAND, Wash. — EvergreenHealth's Board of Commissioners has presented Jeff Tomlin, MD, former EvergreenHealth CEO, and his wife Merrie Tomlin, RN, BSN, with the 2023 Community Service Award for their decades of steadfast service to our community.

With Merrie's support, Dr. Tomlin dedicated more than 30 years to the health and wellness of our community through his work as an anesthesiologist and leader at EvergreenHealth. He also served the nation for more than 40 years in active and reserve duty for the U.S. Military.

"Dr. Tomlin and Merrie are lifelong residents of the EvergreenHealth community. He led initiatives to improve patient care and develop comprehensive safety and quality programs. Under his leadership, EvergreenHealth joined the top 1% of health care organizations nationwide for patient outcomes," said Board of Commissioners Chair Virgil Snyder. "They are both thoroughgoing professionals and fundamentally good people."

Dr. Tomlin accepted the role of interim CEO in 2019, accepting the permanent role less than a year later. He led EvergreenHealth and its leadership, staff and physician teams as they rose to meet the challenge of becoming the first hospital in the nation to admit multiple patients marking the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic for the country.

"My wife and I are so honored to receive the Community Service Award," said Dr. Tomlin. "Getting to play an important role in improving the health and wellness of our community has been one of my proudest achievements. The staff, physicians, leaders and patients at EvergreenHealth will always hold a special place in our hearts."

The award was presented during the July 16 Board of Commissioners meeting and was the second of two 2023 Community Service Awards presented by the Board this year. The first was presented in June to Microsoft for the company's remarkable commitment in helping EvergreenHealth and other local organizations to create an effective vaccination program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 1998, the Community Service Award has been presented to community members and groups who make a profound impact on enhancing the health of the Eastside and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to our most important values: compassion, respect, excellence, collaboration and accountability. See a list of past recipients here.

(From left) Commissioner Norman Seabrooks; Commissioner Nancy Stewart, Merrie Tomlin, RN, BSN; Jeff Tomlin, MD; Board Chair Virgil Snyder; Commissioner Jeff Cashman, Commissioner Charles Pilcher, MD; CEO Ettore Palazzo, MD, FACP