Pulse – October 2021

DIRECTOR’S DESK CHRISTINA R. GHALY, MD

Health Services has a lot to celebrate this month. We received recognition for our highly innovative work, demonstrating once again our commitment to bring our best to the patients and communities we serve. In this issue of The Pulse, several articles highlight the good work that Health Services staff do to make the communities that we live, work and play in safer and healthier.

First Daughter and advocate Ashley Biden visited Harbor-UCLA Medical Center on October 14, 2021. She toured the Safe Harbor Trauma Recovery Center (TRC). Ms. Biden, a social worker by training, was interested in learning about our creative efforts to help people recover from trauma and it was a proud moment to showcase how we’re making inroads in this effort.

Health Services was also featured in the LA Times and Univision’s National news segment for the street medicine efforts that meet the unique healthcare needs of some of the most vulnerable people in LA County – people experiencing homelessness. You will find a link to the LA Times article and a link to the Univision piece in this edition of The Pulse.

There is also a video link to the LA General Medical Center food bank and the deliberate efforts Health Services is undertaking in order to help our patients with food insecurity, which is intimately connected to health outcomes.

I also want to commend Health Services staff for the fine proposals submitted for consideration of the top awards for the Productivity and Quality Awards. The Department submitted excellent proposals spanning all facets of patient care and administrative streamlining efforts that improve productivity and the quality of services rendered. Health Services had three proposals in the Top Ten category, the most of any County department, and ultimately won the Gold Eagle Award – the top award – for “Predictive Modeling of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This reflected the collaborative work between DHS – Health Services Administration, DHS – Emergency Medical Services Agency (DHS-EMS), Berry Consultants, LLC, the CEO’s Office, LA Care, Department of Public Health and the UCLA Departments of Biostatistics, Mathematics and Statistics. The Gold Eagle award was shared with the Department of Human Resources for successful efforts to implement teleworking in response to the pandemic.

Congratulations to the MHOAC COVID Response team, which included DHS-EMS, CEO Office of Emergency Management, Medical Examiner/Coroner’s office and the Departments of Public Health and Mental Health.

Kudos also to the LA County COVID-19 Response for PEH (People Experiencing Homelessness) team, which is a public-private partnership between DHS-Housing For Health, CEO Homeless Initiative, CEO Offices of Emergency Management and Real Estate Development, ISD, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), Los Angeles County Development Authority and the Departments of Mental Health, Public Health and Public Works. The various partners worked together to prevent COVID-19 from spreading among unhoused individuals.

Videos about the projects are available on the PQA Website. Congratulations to all the winners.

Please remember to get your flu vaccine and submit documentation for your COVID-19 vaccines if you have not already done so. Visit our staff Covid-19 SharePoint (this site is only accessible for staff) site for more information.

It’s an honor to work with such talented and committed individuals and teams. Together we accomplish great things.

Dr. Christina Ghaly