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It’s hard to believe a year has passed since the first COVID-19 case appeared in California.
Our hospitals answered the call early on by expanding their capacity to care for surging numbers of COVID-19 patients as the virus indiscriminately attacked our neighbors, our colleagues, and our loved ones.
Southern California Edison and HASC are continuing a unique partnership designed to keep facilities informed when weather-driven shutoffs threaten electrical power supply.
The association has worked with the utility for several years since the rollout of Public Safety Power Shutoffs designed to prevent wildfire during high-wind events.
We appreciate sponsor support for this event! Because we will be virtual this year, sponsors at the Gold and higher levels are invited to present 30 minutes of recorded educational content. Topics and final videos are subject to review. Content must be educational.
Cedars-Sinai’s Nicole M.B. Mitchell, MBA, CDP, chief diversity and inclusion officer (top right) teamed with colleague Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, senior vice president and chief health equity officer (lower right) on Jan. 7.
National Health Foundation, a HASC charitable affiliate, has taken a strong stance in its commitment to serving its most vulnerable neighbors through the pandemic. Chief among these efforts was the opening of a 90-bed emergency recuperative care facility through Project Roomkey, the statewide initiative aimed at limiting COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness.
Last year was a challenge for health care professionals, including physicians, many of whom are on the front lines of COVID-19 care and yet have seen their practices diminish or even close due to the virus.
Physician search firm Merritt Hawkins, in conjunction with The Physicians Foundation, tracked how the pandemic affected physicians in 2020 by means of three national surveys. The results make valuable reading for physicians and others concerned about economic trends affecting health care.
Mark your calendar for a presentation on labor union trends in the U.S. and California health care industries. HASC’s State of the Unions webinar takes place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on March 11. It will present a comprehensive briefing on trends and activities of organized labor, and identify opportunities to utilize these facts and trends.
Please join us for our virtual annual meeting this spring, themed Better Together. Because of sponsor support, HASC is able to offer the low member fee of $150 for early-bird registration, and $195 after Feb. 1.
CA Notify is a no-cost smartphone app that anonymously tracks phones and notifies users if they’ve spent time near another user who reports being COVID positive.
The system was released Dec. 10 to the state’s nearly 26 million smartphone users — but depends on residents to use it for widespread effectiveness. As of Jan. 4, about 8 million people had signed up.
The College to Career Diversity Internship Program (CDIP) is a 10-week summer internship that brings diverse fourth-year college students and recent graduates to hospitals to complete significant projects that benefit and boost facilities. The participation deadline was recently extended to Monday, March 1.
Julie Sprengel, MBA, RN, is division president for CommonSpirit Health’s newly-expanded Southwest Division. In the role, Sprengel oversees Dignity Health hospitals in Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Clark County, Nev. Also joining the newly-formed division are Dignity Health hospitals from the Central Coast and Central California — a total of 21 facilities. The new division is the largest in CommonSpirit Health.
It’s only a matter of hours before this unsettling and chaotic year concludes. However, 2020’s pandemic crisis is not receding quietly into the history books. The strain and stress experienced by the health care community is beyond severe as our members continue to care for their communities during a full-blown emergency. Beds, staff, and supplies are extremely scarce, and our workforce is fatigued – having been stretched to the limit for nearly a year.
Above, California health professionals attend a pre-COVID-19 education session discussing opioid use disorder.
According to a CDC survey this summer, mental health distress and substance use have risen markedly in response to the pandemic. Close to 13 percent of adults reported starting or increasing substance intake.
Nurse Helen Cordova (seated) received one of California’s first COVID-19 vaccinations at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center on Dec. 14.
The recent distribution of a limited number of COVID-19 vaccines sent some cautious optimism across a landscape rocked by skyrocketing hospitalization numbers.
“It’s reason to be optimistic,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. ”But let’s be mindful of where we really are.”
Please join us for Better Together, HASC’s 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting. The breakout program offers three ACHE Face-to-Face credits. Members may register for the low fee of $150 prior to Feb. 1 and $195 thereafter.
Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN (left) is senior vice president and chief health equity officer with Cedars-Sinai Health System. Nicole M.B. Mitchell, MBA, CDP (right) is the system’s chief diversity and inclusion officer.
To help support hospitals in advancing their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, HASC invites you to participate in a 60-minute roundtable discussion from 10 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan 7.
Collective Medical, a HASC Endorsed Business Partner, this month shares a limited-distribution white paper detailing its Collective Platform product — also known as EDie.
HASC’s long-running LEAD Academy leadership training series will be presented electronically in 2021 — offering students easy-to-digest two-hour sessions in the comfort of their own homes. The synchronous e-learning program is part of HASC’s ongoing workforce support initiative as the pandemic continues to make staffing a priority for members.
Participants at the HASC session included (from left) Dignity’s Trudy Johnson, HASC’s Keven Porter (moderator), Providence St. Joseph’s Jeannine Loucks, and MemorialCare’s Shela Kaneshiro.
The upcoming holiday brings a host of impressions as this incredible year rolls on. This year has certainly been one of the most challenging for our hospitals, but there are plenty of bright spots I can point to. Two promising vaccines have been a recent source of optimism and the immense collaboration that has united us as we combat this virus has brought me hope in the midst of a resurgence. For these things I’m thankful.
You’re invited to join Advancing Health Equity: Pathways for Hospitals to Improve Health from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3.
The session covers foundational concepts central to advancing health equity across organizations and communities served. It will also present an in-depth survey of the difference between equity and equality in a health care setting, the root causes of health inequities and impact of implicit bias and racism on health outcomes.
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