5 Questions with Photon Biosciences CEO Chandima Bandara

1. Tell us about your business in two sentences or less.

Photon Biosciences is a company focused on developing and implementing advanced imaging probe technologies that utilize genetically expressible biological imaging molecules for studying and manipulating biological systems. We create innovative tools and methods for applications such as diagnostics, medical imaging, cryo-electron microscopy, to improve scientific understanding and human health.

1. What inspired you to do this work?

Dr. ChulHee Kang and James Brozik, both esteemed professors at Washington State University, are the visionary scientists who co-founded Photon Biosciences, driven by their passion for advancing the field of biotechnology. Dr. Kang, with expertise in molecular biology and protein engineering, contributes to the development of novel genetically expressible imaging molecules. Dr. Brozik, a specialist in biophysics and fluorescence spectroscopy, enhances the company's capabilities in creating cutting-edge imaging techniques and applications for improved diagnostics and research. Later joined by Chandima Bandaranayaka and Kevin Lewis, the team expanded its interdisciplinary foundation. Chandima, with a scientific background, has expertise in biotechnology business development and operations, while Dr. Lewis contributes his knowledge in the areas of protein engineering, molecular biology and genetics.

1. What is your hope regarding improving health in Spokane County with your work?

While Spokane's research and development (R&D) sector may be smaller compared to other metropolitan areas, the region possesses a vibrant community with the potential to thrive in the fields of science and healthcare. Despite the current limitations in advanced scientific facilities and challenges in attracting top talent, there is ample opportunity for growth and innovation. Spokane faces healthcare challenges such as a shortage of healthcare providers, limited access to specialty care, and high rates of chronic diseases, particularly in rural areas where accessing high-quality diagnostic tools can be difficult. Photon Biosciences, recognizing the potential of Spokane, specializes in developing advanced medical diagnostics, including high-resolution microscopy and imaging tools. By harnessing local resources and expertise, Photon Biosciences aims to improve diagnosis, reduce healthcare costs, and ultimately enhance the overall quality of health in Spokane and its surrounding communities..

1. What is your hope regarding powering Spokane County's economy with your work/business?

Spokane, WA is becoming a prominent health innovation hub, offering a dynamic environment that fosters collaboration between researchers, medical institutions, and biotechnology companies. With our partnership, Photon Biosciences, a pioneer in fluorescence detection technology, Spokane can leverage this expertise to accelerate the development of novel diagnostics, further solidifying its position as a leader in healthcare innovation. This symbiotic relationship not only enhances Spokane's reputation as a premier destination for biotech investments and talent, but also drives significant advancements in medical science that ultimately benefit the entire community.

1. Please share a short story that gives us insight into your impact.

Photon Biosciences specializes in advanced fluorescence detection technology, a field with the potential to significantly impact cardiac marker testing and improve patient outcomes. Dr. Kevin Lewis, a leading scientist at Photon Biosciences, recognizes the importance of enhancing diagnostic sensitivity and introducing multiplexing capabilities in cardiac marker tests. He knows that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 17.9 million deaths annually, and early and accurate diagnosis can help reduce the number of fatalities.

Through dedicated research and collaboration with other experts in the field, Dr. Lewis and his team is developing an innovative cardiac marker test that provides superior diagnostic sensitivity and multiplexing ability. This innovation allows healthcare professionals to detect multiple cardiac biomarkers simultaneously, enabling faster and more accurate identification of heart attacks.

The test being developed by Photon Biosciences holds great potential for use in pre-hospital settings, such as during the average 45-minute ambulance ride to the hospital. This early testing enroute to the hospital can provide valuable information for healthcare professionals, allowing them to prepare appropriate treatment options even before the patient arrives. This expedited diagnostic process can significantly improve patient outcomes and increase the likelihood of survival.

The adoption of the new technology in hospitals and emergency medical services has the potential to reduce the number of deaths due to heart attacks. By improving the accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility of cardiac marker testing, Photon Biosciences could play a crucial role in saving lives and enhancing cardiac care.

Learn More About Photon Biosciences at https://photonbiosciences.com/home-1

Pictured Below Dr. Kevin Lewis and Chandima Bandara at the Photon Biosciences lab.

5 Quick Questions with Carol Plischke of Partners with Families & Children

Partners with Families & Children is an HSSA Access to Care Grant Recipient.

Tell us about your organization in two sentences or less.
Partners with Families & Children’s mission is to prevent, interrupt and repair cycles of abuse and neglect within families.

What inspired you to do this work?

I was exposed to traumatic stories of child abuse when I was a volunteer with another organization. Because of that, I moved from the “for-profit” world to working in the non-profit world with a passion for serving abused and neglected children. Part of my life mission statement is to make a positive difference in the lives of abused children and to help strengthen families to provide the best environment for children to thrive.

How is your work improving the health care system or health outcomes in Spokane County?

Partners provides trauma informed specialized child abuse medical exams and the needed wrap around services to heal for child victims of abuse under one roof. If we were not able to serve these children, they would have to go to the Children’s Hospital Emergency Department. Already overwhelmed hospital system services are at a much higher cost plus more trauma for the child and their families.

What can others in our community do about child abuse/to prevent child abuse?

Familiarize yourself with the different signs and types of abuse, teach children their rights about their bodies, support local prevention programs, and most importantly report any suspected abuse.

Please share a short story that gives us insight into your impact.

Partners recently provided training for the Spokane Police Department patrol officers, letting them know who we are and what services we provide. Shortly after completing the trainings, we received a call from one of the Corporals on a team who had responded to a call from a parent who shared that something had happened to their daughter and another young peer person. They asked if they could refer them directly to us rather than sending the child to the hospital. We were able to see them that afternoon and our courthouse facility dog, Tori, was able to accompany her the whole way through. We were able to call for advocacy support and mental health support for the mom as well. Overall, this went well and is a great example of how we can support these families right away.

Photo Credit: Spokane Journal of Business

HSSA Announces Awards for 2023 "Access to Care" Grants

The Health Sciences and Services Authority (HSSA) of Spokane County has announced its 2023 recipients if its annual Access to Care grants who will receive a total funding of $471,400. These awardees participate in a competitive process whose applicants submitted proposals totaling over $1.3 million.

The Community-Minded Enterprises will receive $75,000 for a Behavioral Health Clinic at its downtown location and will address substance abuse recovery, and will create self-sufficiency through third-party awards.

Joya Child & Family Development will receive $68,400 for its Family Resource Center to hire a Family Resource Coordinator to increase early intervention for infants and toddlers.

The Hispanic Business Professional Association (HBPA) will receive $50,000 for its Esperanza (HOPE) that will support 100-150 Hispanics and Latinos to connect to health, mental health, food and other services who have not been receiving these services due to language barriers and housing instability.

Maddie’s Place Pediatric Transitional Care Facility will receive $95,000 to increase the space for the number of infants who suffer from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Hospitals have had to reduce the time addicted new mothers and babies stay and there were no places for the babies who need specialized care provided at Maddie’s Place. This new facility is only the fourth in the nation to provide these important services.

Partners with Families and Children Children’s Advocacy Center will receive $85,500 in 2023 to help it continue to meet the growing needs of our community’s most vulnerable population, children who are victims of physical and/or sexual abuse.

HSSA will grant Passages Family Support $67,500 to be used toward the purchase of a used RV to deliver behavioral services into the community with Certified Peer Counselors.

Spokane Prescription Assistance Network (SPAN) will receive $30,000. It is one of the most cost-effective programs HSSA funds with a 27 to 1 return on investment. SPAN provides free and lost-cost prescriptions to patients who otherwise cannot afford them.

“HSSA’s mission includes increasing access to care through innovative and collaborative health care delivery in the County, in addition to funding scientific research and infrastructure to grow the life sciences industry in Spokane,” said Jason Thackston, HSSA Board Chair.

HSSA’s grant competition helps to meet one of its strategic goals to increase access to health delivery services in Spokane County for at risk populations and represents a fund of about 15 percent of annual revenues designated for this purpose.

“To date HSSA has awarded approximately $4.5 million in this category, providing resources to those organizations in our County who do the important work with people who might otherwise not receive health care services, and HSSA’s Access to Care grant program also helps decrease costs while improving health care services,” Thackston said.

HSSA’s other strategic initiative is to increase local health sciences research and the infrastructurethat supports it and designates 75 percent of its revenues for that purpose. In the latter case, the grants are open year-round for proposals at any time, and HSSA has invested over $8 million in health science research and infrastructure grants to date. HSSA was successful in achieving reauthorization for 15 years by the legislature, thanks to state and local legislative leadership and local partners, Thackston said.

Together with its Access to Care grants, the organization estimates that it has created over 500 jobs and over $100 million in total economic activity. This includes over $ 70 million in extramural federal grant funding to Spokane. More information about all HSSA grants may be found at www.hssaspokane.org.

About Our Board:

HSSA Board members include Jason Thackston, Board Chair, Senior VP, Chief Strategy & Clean Energy Officer, Avista Corp.; Daryll DeWald, Ph.D, VP WSU Health Sciences and Chancellor, WSU Spokane; AllisonGlasunow, Ph,D & Counsel, Perkins Coie LLP; Alex Jackson, Senior VP & CEO, Northwest Region, MultiCare Health Systems; Kevin Oldenburg, Ph.D. CEO/President, 2nd Sight Bioscience; Alison Poulsen, Executive Director, Better Health Together; Darryl Potyk, M.D., UW/GU Regional Director of Medical Education; David J. Vachon, Ph.D, CEO/Founder, Iasis Molecular Sciences, and Francisco Velazquez,M.D., Director, Spokane Regional Health District.

About HSSA:

The Health Sciences & Services Authority (HSSA) of Spokane County was established in 2007 for 15 years by the Washington legislature, authorized county-wide by Spokane County in 2008 and began operating in 2009. In 2019 it was reauthorized for an additional 15 years effective January 1, 2023 to January 1, 2038. Its mission is to invest in health sciences research to promote economic development, advance new therapies and procedures to combat disease, and to promote public health. HSSA invests funds to create and support a nationally competitive health sciences research cluster in Spokane County, and works to catalyze higher education research and the private sector health sciences industry that will lead to higher wage jobs, long-term sustainability and economic diversification. For more information, visit our website at www.hssaspokane.org or call 509.474.0798.

HSSA Board Meets Dec. 14th, 3 PM

HSSA's Board will meet Wednesday, December 14th at 3 PM. The meeting will be held at Gonzaga University in the Hemmingson Center, LaStorta Room 310. The Agenda is available elsewhere on this site.

HSSA Board meetings are open to the public.

Alex M. Jackson, Alison Poulsen Appointed to HSSA Board of Directors

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Health Sciences & Services Authority (HSSA) of Spokane County announced that two new members recently were appointed to its Board. Alex M. Jackson, Senior Vice President, Inland Northwest Region, MultiCare Health System, and Alison Poulsen, Executive Director, Better Health Together have both been appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to four year terms. Alex Jackson has worked in the health care industry for 25 years, first in Oregon and now Washington. He has held a variety of leadership roles including as a hospital Chief Executive as well as a medical group President. He now leads the MultiCare Health System Inland Northwest Region that includes Deaconess Medical Center and Valley hospitals, as well as a 300-person medical group, Rockwood Clinic. With an annual revenue of $700 million and 4,000 employees, MultiCare Inland Northwest is celebrating five years of meeting the health care needs in the region. See www.multicare.org. Allison Poulsen moved from Seattle to Spokane in 2014 to join Better Health Together, established by Empire Health Foundation, to lead a team of problem solvers committed to radically improving the region’s health. Better Health Together is a community-based non-profit organization serving seven counties, including Spokane. BHT advocates for policies centered on accountability, accessibility, and affordability. It disrupts the status quo by facilitating conversations and partnerships that level the playing field for community health throughout its region. Alison has led several non-profits in the northwest including NPower NW, Seattle Works, Volunteer Works and the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce. She currently as a board member of the Washington State School Employee Benefit Board and Washington’s 211 Board. See www.betterhealthtogether.org. About HSSA’s Board: HSSA Board members include Jason Thackston, Board Chair, Senior VP, Chief Strategy & Clean Air Officer, Avista Corp.; Daryll DeWald, Ph.D, VP WSU Health Sciences and Chancellor, WSU Spokane; Allison Glasunow, Ph,D & Counsel, Perkins Coie LLP; Alex Jackson, Senior VP & CEO, Northwest Region, MultiCare Health Systems; Kevin Oldenburg, Ph.D. CEO/President, 2nd Sight Bioscience; Alison Poulsen, Executive Director, Better Health Together; Darryl Potyk, M.D., UW/GU Regional Director of Medical Education; David J. Vachon, Ph.D, CEO/Founder, Iasis Molecular Sciences, and Francisco Velazquez, M.D., Director, Spokane Regional Health District. For More Information: The mission of HSSA is to invest funds to create and support a nationally competitive health sciences research cluster in Spokane County, and to increase access to health care. HSSA works collaboratively with community partners to catalyze higher education research and the health sciences industry to lead to higher wage jobs, long-term sustainability and economic diversification. For more information, visit our website at www.hssaspokane.org, or contact Susan Ashe, Executive Director, at 509.995.8356 or susan@hssaspokane.org. ###

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Erin Williams Hueter New HSSA Executive Director

The Health Sciences and Services Authority (HSSA) of Spokane County announced that it has hired Erin Williams Hueter as its Executive Director, effective January 1, 2023. She replaces Susan Ashe who has served in this role since the organization was created. “We are extremely pleased that Erin will be joining HSSA and will provide strategic leadership that, with our Board, will lead us into our next phase of operation,” said Jason Thackston, HSSA Board Chair. “Erin has an outstanding reputation in her career as the Inland Northwest Director of Lutheran Community Services Northwest.” Williams Hueter has been working in human services and violence prevention since the mid-1990s, and has been involved in the innovative training recovery work at Lutheran Commumnity Services Northwest, most recently as its Director. She has a bachelor’s of arts degree from Pacific University, with a major in Social Work. She is a graduate of the Leadership Spokane program, and has received many honors for achievements in her field. “The HSSA Board also is very grateful for Susan Ashe’s incredible commitment to HSSA since its inception and to our greater Spokane community,” said Thackston. “Her contributions to Spokane are numerous throughout her career in both private and public organizations, and the community has been served well. Susan has set a strong foundation for HSSA and we are confident that Erin will continue that great work.” During her tenure, HSSA has invested nearly $14 million in research to both private and academic companies and institutions, and supported innovative and affordable health care in Spokane County. HSSA has created hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, assisted bringing over $50 million dollars of extramural funding (new dollars to our local economy), and created over $100 million in total economic activity. In addition, HSSA assists start-up health and life sciences companies with grant-writing funds. Erin Williams Hueter was hired after a search conducted by both HSSA Board and community members. The Search Committee was led by Attorney Nancy Isserlis, former HSSA Board Chair, David Vachon, CEO/Founder, Iasis Molecular Sciences and Dr. Francisco Velázquez, Spokane Regional Health District Director, both members of the HSSA Board; and, Kim Pearman-Gillman, Senior Vice President, Numerica Credit Union, and Marcelo Morales, CEO/President, Allele Diagnostics and current Chair of Greater Spokane Incorporated, both community leaders. Questions may be referred to Susan Ashe at susan@hssaspokane.org. ### HSSA BOARD MEMBERS HSSA Board members include Jason Thackston, Board Chair, Senior VP, Chief Strategy & Clean Energy Officer, Avista Corp.; Daryll DeWald, Ph.D., VP WSU Health Sciences and Chancellor, WSU Spokane; Allison Glasunow, Ph.D. & Counsel, Perkins Coie LLP; Alex Jackson, Senior VP & CEO, Northwest Region, MultiCare Health Systems; Kevin Oldenburg, Ph.D. CEO/President, 2nd Sight Bioscience; Alison Poulsen, Executive Director, Better Health Together; Darryl Potyk, M.D., UW/GU Regional Director of Medical Education; David J. Vachon, Ph.D., CEO/Founder, Iasis Molecular Sciences, and Francisco Velazquez, M.D., Director, Spokane Regional Health District.

HSSA Special Board Meeting called for Oct. 31st at 11 AM

HSSA's Board has announced a Special Board Meeting for Monday, October 31, 2022 at 11 AM via Zoom. The sole purpose of the meeting is to appoint a new Executive Director.

If you wish to attend the call, please contact HSSA at susan@hssaspokane.org or call 509.995.8356.

HSSA Announces $475,000 Annual "Access to Care" Grant Competition

The Health Sciences and Services Authority (HSSA) of Spokane County has announced an increase to $475,000 for its 2023 annual “Access to Care” grant competition for non-profit and other organizations. This grant competition seeks applicants who provide innovative and efficient health service delivery that increases access to health care for at-risk populations.

The HSSA 2023 Access to Care Grant Competition will award up to $475,000 for one or more grants that durably increase the efficiency and quality of health delivery in Spokane County that measurably increases access to care for certain populations.

““HSSA has invested just over $4 million in annual Access to Care grants to promote public health in this annual request for proposals, which is part of its mission,” said Jason Thackston, HSSA Board Chair. “HSSA funds have served children suffering abuse, provided prescribed pharmaceuticals to those who could not afford them, helped build dental and medical service capacity, provided Covid-19 relief, and helped fund mental and behavioral health needs, all through organizations who provide the actual service.

Here are key dates related to HSSA’s 2023 Access to Care grants:

RFP posted at: October 3, 2022

Letter of Intent due by noon: October 24, 2022

Final Proposal due by 4PM: November 14 2022

Awards Announced: December 21, 2022

Some past recipients have included a successful program by Catholic Charities’ and the Empire Health Foundation called “Rising Strong”; Partners with Families and Children; Volunteers of America’s “Hot Spotters”; Spokane Prescription Assistance Network; Spokane Neighborhood Action Plan (SPAN); Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Coalition, Priority Spokane; Northeast Community Center’s Medical and Dental operations and youth counseling; Pioneer Human Services; YWCA mental health initiative, CHAS East Central Dental, Providence Dental NE operatories, Providence Charity Clinic, and others.

Applicants should submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) on the HSSA website at www.hssaspokane.org under the Grants tab. HSSA will provide a link to successful Applicants to use to submit a Final Proposal. HSSA will coordinate with Applicants directly, if required. If the LOI is selected, a Final Proposal is due by 4 pm. November 14, 2022. In this Final Proposal, Applicants who have previously been funded by HSSA should list positive major outcomes from previous grants. If questions, contact susan@hssapokane.org, or call 509.474.0798

HSSA Board Meeting Dates Updated

The HSSA Board will meet Thursday, Sept. 29, 2020 at 2 PM in a special board meeting (out of published schedule) to address three potential funding matters: a matching research grant request from Photon Biosciences LLC, to approve a total amount for HSSA's 2023 "Access to Care" Grant, and to consider funding for the Spokane Life Sciences Asset and Landscape Study. No other matters will be considered. The meeting will be on Zoom. If you are interested in participating, please contact susan@hssaspokane.org.

The Board next meets on October 26, 2022 at 3 PM. Details to follow.

Avista Promotes Jason Thackston

HSSA's Board Chair Jason Thackston has been appointed to Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy and Clean Energy Officer, as Avista Corp announced several executive appointments. CEO Dennis Vermillion said, "I could not be more excited to announce these appointments. These individuals are transformative leaders who know Avista and the utility industry inside and out. I have the utmost confidence in their abilities and firmly believe this change will benefit Avista's employees, customers and other stakeholders in numerous ways."