As you are probably aware, CHA recently submitted letters to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Attorney General that seek relief for the state’s ongoing workforce challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week, as we do every year, the nation paused to honor the social and economic achievements of American workers and specifically the legacy and ongoing work of the nation’s labor unions. This year, more than ever, our health care workers deserve recognition for their continued efforts to safeguard our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Challenging times bring out the best of hospitals, and there has been no more challenging time than now for our hospitals. Health care heroes continue to provide excellent care to all Californians in very challenging circumstances that include a raging pandemic, a heroic but tired workforce, and significant wildfires.
When it comes to fighting COVID-19, nothing should be off the table. Keeping Californians safe and protecting them from this deadly virus is — and must be — the top priority. And the state’s “first-in-the-nation” mandate of COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers is crucial to containing the virus.
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.
If you were in Northern California last Thursday, there’s a good chance you felt the 6.0-magnitude earthquake, whose epicenter was south of Lake Tahoe. Many of our member hospitals did as well, and within 30 minutes our RVPs had connected with 37 hospitals to get status updates; within 90 minutes, RVPs had been in touch with over 100 hospitals.
For more than 15 months, while most of the state, and the country, hunkered down — created home offices, studied via Zoom, and ordered takeout dinners to avoid the potential for COVID-19 infection — your hospitals were on the front lines, each and every day. While many retreated, you confronted the pandemic head-on.
In the midst of a health care crisis, people often turn to hospitals for help — whether it’s during a pandemic, for a behavioral health problem, or any number of other kinds of emergencies.
The pandemic that has consumed the country — the world — for more than a year has come with a hefty psychological toll for many, especially hospital staff and front-line health care workers. They’ve been working non-stop to care for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. Staff burnout is real, and it’s been the topic of many recent discussions with hospital leaders. As we inch toward the finish line and start to contemplate a post-pandemic landscape, we need to keep our health care workers top of mind.
Hospitals have been on the front lines of this pandemic since the beginning, through the multiple surges and now, leading the vaccine distribution while continuing to provide care for ALL patients. As you have navigated some very challenging circumstances, it’s been an honor and privilege for CHA and the three Regional Associations (One Team) to support you.