The outstanding care teams at California hospitals are again dealing with the relentless COVID-19 as both positivity and hospitalization rates continue to increase. As we have seen with three previous surges over the past 18 months, without quick, decisive, and compassionate intervention, many Californians will become infected, hospitalized, and potentially lose their lives because of this virus.
Unlike the previous surges, this time we not only have hope that we will get through this, but a real, scientific, and available solution to protect us from the devastating conditions brought on by COVID-19: the vaccines — which are free to all Californians ages 12 and up. These vaccines are important for our entire population, but they are even more important for our health care workers — whose unifying goal is to take care of patients when they become ill. These patients and family members clearly and rightly demand and expect our hospitals to be a place where their care and recovery are the paramount concern.
That is why the Hospital Council and CHA support Gov. Newsom’s announcement earlier this week on testing and personal protective equipment requirements for unvaccinated health care workers. While there is no vaccine mandate, there is a mandate to ensure our patients are as safe as possible — and that’s a mandate hospitals have always supported.
Other Notes of Interest
STATEWIDE FLEX WAIVER EXTENDED: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced in All Facilities Letter (AFL) 20-26.9 that the statewide space waiver for hospitals will be extended until Sept. 30. The waiver suspends all statutory and regulatory provisions related to the configuration and use of physical space and classification of beds in a hospital. In short, it allows hospitals to use space and beds as they need to for patient care without any prior approval from CDPH. Other provisions that were in the statewide waiver in AFL 20-26.8, unrelated to space, are not included. This waiver only pertains to space.
PSPS WEBINAR: Hospital Council and CHA have been working with PG&E to address the challenges our members and communities have faced during public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) and make the 2021 PSPS season as safe as possible. Join us on Aug. 3 from 10 to 11:15 a.m. (PT) to hear directly from experts at PG&E, learn what improvements have been made, and get emergency contact information specific to your hospital. The webinar is free, and there will be ample time for Q&A. Topics include:
- PSPS for hospitals overview
- Improvements over previous years
- Available tools and resources
- Communication before and during a PSPS event
BEING A LEADER in any industry is challenging, and health care may be the most challenging of all. Health care is deeply, deeply personal. Whenever health care policy is discussed by patients, family members, or elected officials, it is almost always viewed through the prism of their own health care experience. Best-selling author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek’s reminder on the clear difference between being a leader and being a manager resonates in today’s health care delivery environment. Enjoy this 3:38 clip from leadership thought leader Simon Sinek.
READING RECOMMENDATION: Finished this book over the weekend and highly recommend it as a blueprint for building simple habits to achieve big goals. One of the key points is that a person does not rise to the level of their goals but falls to the level of their systems. Encourage you to check out James Clear’s book Atomic Habits – An Easy Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.