Pulse – April 2024

DIRECTOR’S DESK CHRISTINA R. GHALY, MD

We embarked on our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDIA) journey four years ago. So much has happened since then. We assessed baseline information, looked critically at issues that required further delving and we are learning so much about where we are and where we want to go as a department. We hired our first EDIA Director, Chief Equity Officers and continue to onboard other EDIA staff who have now begun working together to advance our efforts to create a more equitable, diverse, inclusive and anti-racist environment for both our patients and the staff that care for them.

We have exciting examples of efforts that are advancing EDIA principles in our department.

The Leadership Development Program (LDP) that is training the next generation of managers and leaders is taking lessons learned and operationalizing those lessons to promote inclusivity and compassion.

Human Resources (HR) is using a data-driven approach to evaluate hiring and onboarding opportunities and practices to understand who is applying for positions and seeking new venues through which to recruit and hire diverse, highly qualified candidates. This is intended to better serve our increasingly diverse patient population.

As part of our commitment to LGBTQ+ equity, staff now have the option to add proper gender pronouns onto their badges. This option will create a more welcoming environment for our staff while honoring each person’s identity. Our overall inclusivity efforts on this front, have not gone unnoticed. LA Health Services has been recognized as a leader or top performer by the Healthcare Equality Index, a project of the Human Rights Campaign, which promotes LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and affirming practices in healthcare facilities for the past five years. LA Health Services is proud and honored to again keep its status in 2024.

Additionally, our Contracts and Grants team has been exploring strategies to enable diverse contractors to successfully apply to provide necessary goods and services to our healthcare system.

I am delighted to see the progress we are making in advancing our EDIA principles and look forward to the excellent work that is coming. Thank you to all the staff who are enthusiastically participating in this important work via leadership positions within your facility, participating in Affinity Groups and thinking differently about how to take these complex concepts and make them accessible to all.

Congratulations to the East LA Health Center Group that were recently recognized as Tuberculosis Elimination Heroes! Tuberculosis is still circulating in our communities and efforts to contain the disease are critical to protecting public health.

This month we celebrated Lab Week. Thank you to the staff throughout the department who work around the clock in our labs as vital members of our care teams.

April is National Occupational Therapy Month to honor a profession the helps people improve their activities of daily living in a meaningful and profound way. See below to learn about an exciting discovery at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Services related to Occupational Therapy.

LA Health Services, in partnership with the Department of Public Health, is disseminating free gun locks at our facilities. Safely locking firearms save lives. See below to learn more about the gun lock distribution efforts.

This month we celebrated Armenian Heritage Month and acknowledged the Armenian Holocaust Day of Remembrance on April 24^th.

This month we also celebrated Arab American Heritage month and the many contributions made by Arab Americans to our communities. See below to learn more about it.

Thank you for all you do.

Dr. Christina Ghaly