Dr. Steve Bunnage to retire
A message from Krista Farnham, Providence Portland Medical Center Chief Executive
I want to share the news that Dr. Steve Bunnage, division chief of surgery, has decided to retire with his last day being Sept. 1, 2023. Our ministry is the better for his many years serving our Mission.
Dr. Bunnage has a wonderful history of service at PPMC, starting in 1981 as an internal medicine resident.
After completing internal medicine and anesthesia residencies, he returned to PPMC in 1986 as an anesthesiologist. Dr. Bunnage has served in many leadership roles throughout his tenure at PPMC and has served as our Division Chief of Surgery for the last 11 years.
I asked Dr. Bunnage what his most memorable experience was over these past 37 years, and he graciously gave all his PPMC colleagues a nod: “Collaborating with our superb leaders and teams as we managed our way through the immense challenges of the Covid pandemic.”
He plans to take some personal time to reflect and decompress after retirement, and then travel, family time, outdoor recreation and finding ways to continue to serve our community.
Dr. Bunnage wanted to share a note with all of you: “I’m grateful that my career at Providence Portland has given me the opportunity to be part of both clinical and administrative leadership at PPMC. It’s been my great honor to help build and manage our surgery environment, guided by the principle that excellence in patient care flows from an environment where every team member is seen, heard, and valued. Caring for our caregivers has always been my focus as I have advocated for our physicians, nurses, techs, and support staff. Thank you, all, for enriching my life.”
I am deeply grateful for Dr. Bunnage’s leadership over the years and his steadfast commitment to our Mission. His work to lead our surgical services teams through the pandemic was expert, our patients and our caregivers were well cared for during such a challenging time due to his leadership. Please join me in celebrating Dr. Bunnage and his incredible service to our community.
I am pleased to also share with you that Dr. Amanda Hayman has accepted the position of division chief of surgery for PPMC and will be partnering with Dr. Bunnage over the next couple of months working together for a smooth transition.
Dr. Hayman is a colorectal surgeon and joined Providence Cancer Institute and The Oregon Clinic in 2014. She received her MD/MPH from Oregon Health & Science University prior to completing her general surgery residency and surgical oncology research fellowship at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, followed by a colon and rectal surgical training at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota
I want to share a few thoughts from Dr. Hayman on why she is eager to take on this new role, and why we welcome her servant leadership:
“During my nine years at PPMC, I have worked with countless skilled, caring professionals, whether in the operating room, on the floors, or in leadership meetings. We all share the same goal: providing excellent and safe patient care. One of the most fulfilling aspects of practicing surgery is being able to durably fix a patient’s problem. However, more often than we like, system inefficiencies and failures can thwart these goals, leading to clinician and patient frustration.
In the same way that I enjoy the satisfaction being able to cure a patient’s colon cancer by a colectomy, I relish being able to recognize and fix a system problem, hopefully easing the way for my colleagues. I am enthusiastically looking forward to expanding my role of regional surgical quality officer, under the leadership of Dr. Chuck Douville and Colata Loganimoce, into my new role as Providence Portland Division Chief of Surgery, partnering with our strong PPMC leadership team. Lastly, I have benefitted greatly from Dr. Steve Bunnage’s compassionate and patient mentorship and leadership; he leaves such big shoes to fill. I hope to emulate his example.”
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Hayman to her new role at PPMC.
Krista