July 8, 2020 @ 3:45 p.m.
Every Wednesday, Dr. Sherrill Brown, Medical Director, Infection Prevention, Berenice Constant, VP, Government Relations, and Elizabeth Sepetjian, AVP, Talent Management (HR), give an update for clinic and corporate line of business leaders. You can listen to today's recording here . 

This morning we were joined by Dr. Efrain Talamantes, COO Health Services.
Sherrill Brown, MD
Berenice Constant
Liz Sepetjian
Questions & Communications

We welcome your questions, suggestions and input. We do review each submission and respond appropriately, so please continue to email us— click here . Know that this is a safe space and that most questions will be answered individually prior to being shared anonymously with staff.

We also encourage you to use existing communications, such as the Wednesday-only COVID-19 huddles, COVID-19 resource and policy pages on Town Square, altamed.org/coronavirus , and any regular emails you receive.

Q & A of the Week

Q: Would it be possible to have disinfectant wipes in the break rooms?

A: Every site should have access to disinfectant wipes and Environmental Services should be frequently cleaning communal and high-touch surfaces. If you believe this is not happening, please contact your local Environmental Services manager, your manager, or your local site safety officer.

Recommendation/Reminder: If you come across an area that needs immediate attention, please contact Environmental Services by phone, email, or work order:
 
  • Phone or Email (click here for a map of each Region)
  • Juan Rojo – Facilities Supervisor Region 1 at (323) 816-0535 or Jrojo@altamed.org



  • Electronic Work Order
  • For non-urgent Environmental Services requests, please submit a work order: Town Square – Data Resources – Facility Work Orders
Reinforcing Our Commitment

Dr. Efrain Talamantes, COO Health Services, joined today's COVID huddle and shared his appreciation for the ongoing work and commitment of every AltaMed employee. He reminded us of AltaMed's Mission: To eliminate disparities in health care access and outcomes by providing superior quality health and human services through an integrated world-class delivery system for Latino, multi-ethnic, and underserved communities in Southern California.

He also reminded us to follow our Core Values:
  • Patients always come first
  • Employees are our most valuable asset
  • Encourage process excellence and innovation for quality outcomes
  • Promote wellness and advocate for strong and healthy communities
  • Integrity, honesty and respect in all of our endeavors
  • Commitment to teamwork

Dr. Talamantes emphasized teamwork in his address and restated how we all must continue to come together with integrity, honesty, and respect to achieve our goals of taking care of each other and the community.
We're Here for You,
Now More Than Ever!

The Clinic Safe Environment committee is working to develop and implement guidelines and measures to provide a safe and healthy work environment.

In the coming days, you will see new screensavers and extended signage on safety guidelines, physical distancing, and more.

We will continue to share updates through our COVID-19 Alert (emailed every Wednesday), The Beat (employee e-newsletter), The Lead (management e-newsletter), Town Square (intranet), and letters from our leadership team, among other channels of communication.

 Please rememeber that it's everyone's personal responsibility to follow safety measures and guidelines both at work and at home.
Following Safety Guidelines
 
 We continue to notice employees who are not complying with the ongoing safety guidelines listed below, especially wearing a mask. It is everyone's responsibility to adhere to AltaMed's safety practices. Kindly remind colleagues and your staff to follow all safety guidelines—we must work together to provide a safe and healthy work environment!
 
  1. Wear your masks – Face masks are to be worn at all times over your nose and mouth (except when drinking or eating), and should be stored properly or discarded.
  2. Maintain hand hygiene – Staff should have easy access to hand sanitizer dispensers to clean hands frequently, and should wash hands for 20 seconds at a time.
  3. Practice physical distancing – Six feet apart from other individuals whether inside or outside.
  4. Wipe down any work surfaces you touch.
  5. Patient-facing staff, including front office, should wear a face shield or eye covering in addition to a face mask—avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  6. Employees must wear appropriate PPE when on site.
Updates for Testing and Management of COVID-19
 
COVID-19 continues in our communities and we need to remain flexible. Dr. Brown sent a detailed email about safety protocols to providers on Monday, July 6, addressing questions and providing updated information regarding staff and patient screening and testing, diagnosis codes, as well as PPE use.
 
AltaMed currently has two testing and evaluation centers open:
  • AltaMed Medical and Dental Group–Anaheim (1325 N. Anaheim Blvd.)
  • AltaMed Medical and Dental Group–Commerce, Goodrich (972 Goodrich Blvd.)
 
Dr. Brown also provided a link for a comprehensive summary of updated Los Angeles County Department of Health recommendations:
Please Note: If you are contacted by the media with questions about the coronavirus outbreak, or for any other reason, please contact: Veronica Orozco , Sr. Manager, Public Relations via email. The Public Relations team monitors all media coverage of AltaMed (social and traditional platforms) to uphold our reputation. If you have questions and concerns regarding media coverage, please call Veronica at 323-482-3073. If you'd like to read news releases from AltaMed, visit our external website, AltaMed.org under Newsroom.