Move Redmond Member Spotlight: Evergreen Health Redmond is Building a Culture of Sustainable Commuting
By Michael Leach
Move Redmond’s work is grounded in the needs of our members. As a Transportation Management Association (TMA), we have 35 member organizations across a broad swath of sectors. From healthcare facilities to manufacturing facilities, tech companies to Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) apartment buildings, we help our members build commute programs that help retain employees and help our region mitigate the traffic and pollution that happens when everyone drives along.
We’d like to highlight one of our members, EvergreenHealth, and to learn from their efforts in building a great commute program for their employees. We’ve had the pleasure of working with their team in support of their multifaceted healthcare facility at Redmond Bella Bottega (8980 161st Avenue NE #400, Redmond, WA 98052), which offers comprehensive services including primary care, an Emergency Department, and urgent care. In February, Move Redmond took the time to talk with Senior Benefits Analyst Amy Torggler and Benefits Specialist Amanda Gates, who serve as EvergreenHealth’s Employee Transportation Coordinators (ETCs) for both the Kirkland and Redmond campuses. Over the past year, they have worked hard to support sustainable commuting for their employees, despite the particular challenges faced in a healthcare setting.
In 2024, EvergreenHealth worked with Move Redmond to advocate for improved transit access to their Redmond site. Together, we helped push for a new Route 251 bus stop near the Bella Bottega clinic. Future service will be implemented as part of East Link Connections improving connectivity between the clinic, Woodinville, and the Downtown Redmond and Marymoor Village light rail stations.
“A stop there would have been amazing when I worked in urgent care,” Amanda said. “It’s not just a benefit to staff; it makes healthcare more accessible for the whole community.”
EvergreenHealth offers a heavily subsidized ORCA card to all employees- just $12 per year for unlimited transit rides- and the benefit is catching on. They also started hosting Lunch and Learns, where new staff can hear from HR staff and ask questions about benefits and other topics. They’ve proven to be a helpful tool in promoting their ORCA benefit.
“We’ve definitely seen more employees stopping by to sign up since we started doing weekly Lunch & Learns,” Amanda shared. “New hires are overwhelmed during onboarding, and these sessions give us a chance to slow things down, show them how it works, and answer their questions.”
“Once people have that ORCA card in their hand, it really does entice them to give transit a try,” she added. “Even if it’s just once or twice a week, it’s a start.”
For employers looking to offer a similar benefit, ORCA Business Programs are a great place to start. With flexible options like Business Choice and all-inclusive coverage with Business Passport, employers of all sizes can offer employees unlimited transit access across the Puget Sound region. ORCA Business Programs are easy to manage, offer tax advantages, and make a big impact—helping employees get to work and save on transportation costs. New customers may even qualify for up to 35% off their first year. Learn more at the ORCA Business Programs website.
EvergreenHealth also revamped their transportation incentives as part of their Transportation Management Plan update with the City of Kirkland. Walk and bike incentives were increased, and eligibility was made more accessible- now requiring only two active commute days per week instead of three. They also boosted their vanpool program support, offering a $60 subsidy plus a $60 monthly incentive to employees who join or start a vanpool.
In fall 2024, EvergreenHealth hosted a Week Without Driving campaign that evolved into something much larger. It started with an idea from a former employee on EvergreenHealth’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Council, and turned into a full Accessibility & Mobility Fair with a Walk & Roll event around the Kirkland campus and surveys for employees to report access issues. Move Redmond participated in the fair and provided resources to staff commuting to or from Redmond. The fair resulted in important feedback from employees.
“That feedback helped HR identify issues with our older buildings,” Amy said. “And we’ve already started making some accessibility improvements based on what we heard.”
Amanda fully embraced the Week Without Driving challenge: “I made it all five days! I bused in from Kenmore, carpooled with my husband, who also works at EvergreenHealth, and worked from home one day. It really showed me how doable it is.”
As we all know, healthcare is essential work. Many EvergreenHealth employees never had the option to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. As traffic returns and infrastructure continues to change, EvergreenHealth is doing the hard but important work of building a more supportive commute culture- one conversation, one ORCA card, or one policy change at a time.
“There’s a growing community here of employees who care about sustainable transportation,” Amy said. “They share stories, spread the word, and help build momentum. That makes a real difference.”
We’re proud to support EvergreenHealth Redmond as they build a culture of accessibility, sustainability, and care on the Eastside. To learn more about the care they provide on the Eastside, visit evergreenhealth.com.