Pulse – January 2022

DIRECTOR’S DESK CHRISTINA R. GHALY, MD

Happy new year! I hope that you were able to get some rest and reconnect with family and friends over the holiday season. As we embark on the new year, we again have our hands full with the latest surge of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. As the hospital censuses continue to increase, we are reminded yet again of the importance of working together to keep each other healthy and safe by continuing to follow public health guidance. Getting vaccinated and boosted is still the best way to avoid serious illness. I encourage you to get vaccinated, get a booster, and vaccinate the children in your lives who are eligible.

In the last year, we accomplished so much. We worked tirelessly to vaccinate staff and patients and that effort has yielded results. The vaccinations are keeping more people from getting seriously ill. We weathered the Delta variant. We helped patients get back into care and launched a series of innovative programs to help our patients adjust to the new normal. We created the Nurse Advice Line to help patients get accurate, timely information so they could make informed decisions about their health. We also enhanced the Virtual Health platform to help patients take control of their care. We started the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDIA) initiative to foster a workplace that is inclusive and supportive of our diverse workforce. Our Restorative Care Villages are providing much needed shelter and care to individuals who are unstably housed, while they recover. LA Health Services also proudly received national and local recognition for the excellent work we do. LA Health Services received 11 National Association of Counties (NACo) awards and earned the top prize from the Quality and Productivity Commission.

This month’s issue of The Pulse includes good news about Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center earning special recognition by Newsweek. There is also an article on One-Degree and how to use it to help patients navigate a variety of resources. We recently implemented a new pick-up testing program to help our community members have access to Covid-19 test kits. There is also an article on the critical blood shortage. Please consider donating blood, if you can.

Thank you for all you do. We are all in this together.

Dr. Christina Ghaly