Hello colleagues,

I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to a cooler September, and hopefully a beautiful fall season, especially after such an eventful summer. We were able to spend time and have fun with loved ones, but we also experienced a tragedy. You may recall that our MA Michael Roque was senselessly attacked. Fortunately, he continues to do well as he recovers from surgery. Thanks to those of you who have contributed PTO toward his recovery –close to 600 hours were donated. You’re an amazing group and I’m proud to lead this team.

Perhaps that’s why I’m so looking forward to your comments from the current employee engagement survey going on right now. I’m grateful for those of you who have taken the time to give your feedback. I read every comment and find them all valuable in understanding what we need to do more of, less of, or simply start doing. If you haven’t taken the survey, please check your email for the link.

Now, onto updates:

• SOM retreat. There were a number of great ideas shared during last month’s event.  A few of the topics included:
  • OnboardingTrainingCost reductionCommunicationResource availabilityEpic designProcess improvements
  • Culture

I want to commend Steve Reyes and Linda Reimann for making the retreat special.  I also wanted to send a shout out to Linda who will be retiring at the end of this month.

• Breastfeeding. Last month, UCR participated in Breast Feeding Awareness Month, a big area of focus for us. There is pending legislation that will improve the access and availability of breast milk for infants and babies by reducing some of the barriers of cost and regulation.  In fact, UCR has been part of a UC-wide effort to promote the availability of breast milk and recently opened the UCR Health Milk Depot which aims to collect breast milk for community members in need. The Depot has partnered with the Inland Empire Breastfeeding Coalition, a non-profit organization committed to proving evidence-based education.
• Medical Assistant (MA) Mentorship. Over the last year, we have introduced multiple roles and career tracks for our MAs, both clinical and administrative. We have also introduced leads, managers, supervisors, and regional leaders to our organizational design – all to create opportunities for advancement. Hiring within is always the goal at UCR Health and this program is helping to continue that process.

There are so many wonderful things that continue to propel our mission forward. It is a pleasure to see our workplace and our culture continue to transform as we work to provide expert health care to our surrounding communities. Keep up the great work, keep making an impact every day, create connections and improve the quality of life for our patients.

All my best,