Pulse – October 2022

DIRECTOR’S DESK CHRISTINA R. GHALY, MD

The end of the year is fast approaching, the weather is finally cooling, and the leaves are beginning to change. This can be a time to think and plan for changes we would like to make in the year to come. The pandemic pause gave people time to think about the way they spend their time, priorities, life decisions including their career and work satisfaction.

Work is important. It is where we spend most of our waking hours. Thinking about career goals can be empowering. For some, this is a daily exercise that is always top of mind. For others with complex life situations, defining career goals may be more difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.

Careers don’t come with a defined roadmap. People can take breaks to raise children, heal from a health condition, change employers, or switch professions all together. But these things shouldn’t prevent you from being able to achieve your goals when it comes to your career. LA County has a guide and a series of videos to help you define your goals so you can pursue your dreams via the many opportunities afforded in a large employer like this. The videos can help you gather information to determine whether you should take classes, pursue a promotional opportunity, or stay in place to achieve your goals.

On another note, remember to sign up to get your annual flu vaccine as well as the new COVID booster through employee health services, your healthcare provider’s office or major pharmacies. Continue practicing all the good habits developed over the last few years – wash your hands frequently, refrain from touching your face, stay home when you’re sick and use a mask to protect yourself and others in high-risk settings.

In this month’s issue of The Pulse, we celebrate the launch of our new Mobile Clinics, that enable our street medicine team to expand the scope of available services to vulnerable populations. We also learn about the Cancer Navigation project that helps patients navigate the healthcare system in a time of need.

We also celebrate the awards and recognition our projects received at the Productivity and Quality Awards Event with a theme of “Adapt, Create, Achieve” on October 12, 2022. Congratulations to all the winners!

There is an exciting opportunity to become a lifeguard through the Parks and Recreation department.

We also commemorate World Polio Day. The Polio vaccine has been a lifesaver and contributed to substantially reduced rates of the disease. Thanks to advances in science, this and so many other diseases are now preventable.

We also learn about an important multi-departmental effort called LA Found. LA Found is intended to help individuals with dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease or other cognitive conditions and their caregivers if they were to wander away.

Thank you for all you do.

Dr. Christina Ghaly