As Thanksgiving approaches, we’re thankful that the wildfires that scorched our state recently are no longer an imminent threat. Over the past two months, Californians endured the dual hardships of wildfires and public safety power shutoffs — which disproportionately affected patients and providers.

This week we mourn the young lives lost in Nov. 14’s shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita. As this tragedy played out, HASC region facilities were called upon to care for patients injured in an act of violence. I am thankful for the prompt and professional response of EMS workers and staff at some of our local hospitals, which likely saved lives that day.

These incidents are hard to fathom, and we know that work will continue on multiple fronts, including improved access to adolescent health services, to help prevent these senseless incidents.    

At HASC, we’re busy leading on issues that can have impacts that extend beyond communities to the legislative and economic landscapes of health care. While we may provide care in different settings, association members all benefit from our collective ability to make sense of the rapidly evolving world we live in.

Let me briefly describe one area where HASC is playing a leadership role.

Public Safety Power Shutoffs, or PSPS events, are declared by Southern California Edison and other utilities during dangerous fire weather conditions — to prevent downed power lines sparking blazes. Many Southern California residents outside of urban areas experienced the blanket of darkness in late October, with some fearing hospitals might go dark too.   

Fortunately, most of the state’s hospitals were well prepared. Many facilities kept the lights on with generators — while hundreds of thousands of residents relied on candles and batteries. Hospitals in the HASC region were largely unaffected. However, we continue to work with the power companies, state officials, and regulators for more rational and sustainable approaches to address the threat of disastrous wildfires.

Lastly, the health care community is remembering a transformative leader, Bernard J. Tyson, Kaiser Permanente’s late chairman and chief executive. Mr. Tyson posted a myriad of accomplishments — he was Kaiser’s first African-American CEO in 2013; was on Time magazine’s 2017 list of the world’s most influential people; and grew Kaiser Permanente from 9.1 million members and 174,000 employees to 12.3 million and 218,000 respectively. Impressive feats indeed, however, he was also renowned for his passion and commitment to health equity and health care access. His visionary spirit is greatly missed, but his impact will be felt by millions for years to come. 

For that too we are thankful.

George W. Greene, Esq.

Contact:
George W. Greene, Esq.
(213) 538-0706
ggreene@hasc.org