Pulse – March 2021

DIRECTOR’S DESK CHRISTINA R. GHALY, MD DIRECTOR

Earlier this month we hit the one-year anniversary of the LA County shutdown, this monumental benchmark brought into perspective just how much we overcame and more importantly all we accomplished in the last year.  Our accomplishments range from our ability to quickly adjust to the sudden shutdown last year, to demonstrating our collective grit during the horrific winter surge and currently our determination in our ongoing efforts to vaccinate our patients and fellow co-workers as part of our commitment to our shared health.

I am inspired by the many ways in which we continue to prove that we are committed in our work towards excellence. Throughout the month I am often greeted with the news of outside entities honoring and recognizing the many talented individuals who make up Health Services. In this issue I want to take a moment to highlight one of those honorees –  Chief Nursing Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Nancy Blake, who has been selected as the honoree for the 2021 UCLA School of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Award. The award recognizes individuals who have made sterling contributions in advancing nursing science, education, leadership, and patient care. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Blake and recognizing her contributions.

Throughout the past year, LA County Health Services has stepped-up time and time again to the challenges that come our way. And confronting the very real impact that racism continues to have in our communities and workplaces is no exception. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, we have also seen a disturbing increase in hate crimes against our Asian American brothers and sisters. Hate crimes against Asian Americans in major U.S. cities surged by nearly 150 percent in 2020, and most recently our nation witnessed the horror of the shooting in Atlanta, Georgia.

I want to first express my sincerest support and solidarity to each and every one of our fellow LA County Health Services coworkers who because of their Asian and Pacific Islander identity and heritage are being impacted by the heaviness of these violent attacks. I stand with you and I stand in vigilant opposition against all forms of racial injustice.

Secondly, I want to encourage everyone – regardless of your racial or ethnic identity – to actively engage with our new Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Antiracism Initiative (EDIA). We launched it this past December following the global uprising attached to the murder of George Floyd, because we understood every organization must take responsibility for rooting out racism and enhancing equity. This includes strengthening our commitment to addressing the long-standing racial inequities within our own organization by accepting these two basic factors: Racism is Real. Racism is Wrong.

I hope you’ll join us in the co-creation of the EDIA Initiative so we can better address the needs of patients, improve outcomes, and ensure our staff have equal access to opportunities. In this past year, we have all witnessed the incredible work we can deliver – regardless of the challenge at hand.

I know that together we can continue to build on our commitment to excellence and ensure Health Services is a welcoming, inclusive, and compassionate force within LA County.

Thank you for all you do.