A nasty winter storm that rolled in last week almost derailed the Puyallup/Sumner Chamber’s annual awards breakfast at the Pioneer Pavilion in Puyallup.

But the event went off without a hitch, and a slew of awards were handed out, along with a keynote address from Piece County Executive Pat McCarthy.

Shelly Schlumpf, executive director of the chamber, said the event continued despite down attendance.

“These awards banquets help us to acknowledge what businesses are doing,” she said. “It also helps businesses to connect resources and share success stories.”

Two major awards handed were the John Porter Memorial, to Dave Radcliffe, chief executive officer at the Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse in Sumner, and Business Innovations, to MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital.

Schlumpf said Radcliffe is a businessperson who understands the importance of supporting the community. During the past year, he has supported events that range from Come Walk With Me to the Bridge Lighting.

“He understands that the community supports his store,” Schlumpf said. “There is a direct correlation between the success of his business and his volunteerism in the community.

“Dave is one of those people you can call on any time to help out,” Schlumpf added.

Radcliffe has been especially supportive of the chamber’s military affairs and civic functions, Schlumpf said.

Meanwhile, MultiCare Good Samaritan was recognized with the Business Innovations award in regard to its anticipated launch of its new family medicine residency training program in July.

“The goal of the program is to provide a strong clinical education to our residents, to provide primary care to our community, and to ultimately retain program graduates within our community,” said Glenn Kasman, president of MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital. “Our success will be measured by the patients who come to our practice, and the local residents who are helped by our graduates. Both will take time to measure, but the benefits throughout east Pierce County will be realized for years to come.”

The program will be located at MultiCare East Pierce Family Medicine, 1322 Third St. SE on the MultiCare Good Samaritan campus. The clinic has received accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association, which allows the clinic to recruit for the program.

Laura Bauer, business manager at East Pierce Family Medicine, said clinic staff members recently began to interview for its first resident class.

“On Feb. 13, we will learn which residents we matched with,” she said. “Our first class of residents will arrive at the end of June and begin rotations in July.”

Bauer said the impetus for the program launch was the increased demand for primary care providers in the community.

“We realized that east Pierce County was facing a substantial and real need for primary care providers that was projected to as much as double within the next five years,” she said. “It became clear that a residency program would be an ideal solution to help to address the deficit within our community, now and into the future. The program was designed to provide an additional 18 resident physicians by 2014, with a mission to retain program graduates within the community.”

Bauer said resident physicians will be trained to provide primary care from children to elders, including delivering babies and performing a wide range of office procedures.

“Our goal is to provide intelligent, compassionate physicians who would fit into the local health care system,” Bauer said.

Bauer said MultiCare’s family medicine residency training program “defines business innovation because it is a novel and intentional approach to a long-standing concern.”

“The health care industry has been aware of the growing primary care deficit for some time,” Bauer said. “Good Samaritan seized the opportunity to address it head-on.”

Chamber business award recipients
-John Porter Memorial: Dave Radcliffe, Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse
-Volunteer of the Year: Tracey Pidge, Coleman American Allied
-Ambassador of the Year: Karissa Thompson, Heritage Bank
-Small Business of the Year (1-10 employees): Mt. Rainier Coffee Company
-Medium Business of the Year (11-50): Hampton Inn & Suites
-Large Business of the Year (51-plus): Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse
-Young Professionals, Individual: Bridget O’Connor, Red Canoe Credit Union
-Young Professionals, Organization: Good Samaritan Hospital/MultiCare
-Non-profit of the Year co-winners: Exodus House and Helping Hand House
-Best Company to Work For: Green Mt. Coffee Roasters
-Entrepreneur of the Year: Debi Ameline, Gift Basket Diva
-Business Innovations: Good Samaritan Hospital/MultiCare

Reach Puyallup reporter Andrew Fickes at 253-841-2481 Ext. 313 or email at andrew.fickes@puyallupherald.com.