CHAMBER CALENDAR
January 16
Marketing Committee at 11am
Chamber Boardroom
January 16
Ribbon Cutting at 3pm
Palm Springs Library
300 S. Sunrise Way
January 16
Ribbon Cutting at 4pm
Design Pure + Simple
301 N. Palm Canyon Drive
January 17
Board Meeting at 8am
Chamber Boardroom
January 22
Ribbon Cutting at 3pm
Golf with Freedom
28555 Landau Blvd
Cathedral City
January 22
After Hours Mixer at 5pm
Matchbox
155 S Palm Canyon Drive
Lead$ Lunches
Tuesdays (Jan 22, 29) at Noon
Rock Garden Bar & Grill
777 S Palm Canyon Drive
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Palm Springs Chamber
Executive Board
Andrew Starke, President
Palm Springs Power Baseball Club
Tim Ellis, Past President
Palm Mountain Resort and Spa
Ulrich McNulty, President Elect
Schlecht, Shevlin & Shoenberger
John Dahlin, Treasurer
Maryanov, Madsen, Gordon & Campbell
James Canfield, Vice President
Palm Springs Convention Center
David Gandolfo, Vice President
Palm Springs Airport Self Storage
Jerry Noonan, Vice President
Fisherman's Market & Grill
Ken Wheat, Vice President
Desert Regional Medical Center
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for hosting wonderful
Chamber Mixers!
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RESTAURANTS!
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Image courtesy of
Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Drop off your updated Rack Cards and To Go Menus to the Chamber Office at 190 W Amado Road in Palm Springs.
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SAVE
THE
DATE
Annual Golf Tournament
Friday, March 22
1pm Shotgun
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Palm Springs Chamber Board of Directors Ryan Brown, Classic Party Rentals Mary Jardin, The Palm Springs Follies Mike Keane, Groove Marketing Martin Massiello, Eisenhower Medical Center Joel Ontiveros, Airport Quick Car Wash Aftab Dada, Hilton Palm Springs Jeff Grubbe, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Keith McCormick, Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions Michael McGlashan, Las Casuelas Terraza Tammy Perezchica, Canyon Commercial Services, Inc. David Portener, TravelHost Magazine |
SEND US YOUR
LOGO!
Email your logo (in .jpg format)
and we'll upload it to our online
Business Directory.
Also a good time
to update your business description
(up to 25 words) seen online at:
Send updated info to Lisa:
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RENEWING MEMBERS
AAA Travel - Automobile Club of Southern California
Shana Perettie
300 S. Farrell Drive
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)318-2303 www.AAA-Calif.com
AES Wind Generations
Cinda English
19435 Ruppert Street
North Palm Springs CA 92258
(760)329-6431 www.aes.com
Airport Quick Car Wash
Joel F. Ontiveros
4144 E. Ramon Rd.
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)864-7150
www.airportquickcarwash.com
American Medical Response Corp.
Wayne Ennis
1111 Montalvo Way
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)883-5010 www.amr.net
Bank of Southern California
Christy Majors
333 N. Palm Canyon Drive, #102
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)325-7520 www.banksocal.com
Cabazon Outlets
Caroline Thalasinos
48750 Seminole Dr. Ste 100
Cabazon CA 92230
(951)922-3000
www.cabazonoutlets.com
Camelot Theatres
& Camelot Int'l Cafe
Jeremy Proctor
2300 E. Baristo Road
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)325-6565
www.CamelotTheatres.com
Center for Orthodontics
Dr Mina Narula
71949 Highway 111, Suite 200
Rancho Mirage CA 92270
(760)340-2026
www.centerfororthodontics.com
Club Trinidad Resort
Art Brigman
1900 E. Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)327-1161
www.clubtrinidad.com
Courtyard by Marriott
Vanessa Perera
1300 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)322-6100
www.marriott.com/pspch
Desert Adventures
Robert Schneider
74-794 Lennon Place, Suite B
Palm Desert CA 92260
(760)340-2345 www.red-jeep.com
Desert Art Center Inc
Sally Hedberg
550 N. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)323-7973
www.desertartcenter.com
Desert Lexus
Ed Atwood
68068 Kyle Road
Cathedral City CA 92234
(760)321-5750 www.desertlexus.com
Desert Oasis Healthcare
Sharon Walters
275 N. El Cielo Rd
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)320-8814 www.mydohc.com
Desert Regional Medical Center
Ken Wheat
1150 N. Indian Canyon Dr
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)323-6511 www.desertregional.com
Desert Water Agency
David K. Luker
1200 S. Gene Autry Trail
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)323-4971 www.dwa.org
Doral / Desert Princess Resort Palm Springs
Elie Zod
67967 Vista Chino
Cathedral City CA 92234
(760)322-7000
www.doralpalmsprings.com
Eisenhower Medical Center
Maria Moses
39000 Bob Hope Drive
Rancho Mirage CA 92270
(760)834-7903 www.emc.org
European Touch Custom Cabinets & Countertops
Samija Ajanic
19020 N. Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs CA 92258
(760)329-1133
www.europeantouchps.com
Fey's Canyon Realtors
Julie Fey
1001 S. Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)325-0905 www.feys.com
Forest Lawn - Cathedral City Funeral Directors
Cary Boisvert
69855 E. Ramon Road
Cathedral City CA 92234
(760)328-3112 www.forestlawn.com
Garcia Insurance Inc
Joseph A. Garcia
2099 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)320-1111 www.garciains.com
Glory to God Ministries
Randy Brodhagen
67399 E. Palm Canyon Drive
Cathedral City CA 92234
(760)321-5222 www.glorytogod.org
Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs
David Rijos
285 N. Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)322-9000
www.hyattpalmsprings.com
Jensen's Finest Foods /
Smoketree Commons
Todd Hodges
2465 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Bldg. 7
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)325-8282 www.jensensfoods.com
Keller Williams Realty
Alvin Fuchs
70005 Mirage Cove Dr
Rancho Mirage CA 92270
(760)219-1504 www.alvintherealtor.com
Lloyd Pest Control
Howard Jacobs
19020 N. Indian Canyon Dr, # 2-K
N. Palm Springs CA 92258
(760)460-1181 www.BadBugs.com
Lori E. Weigant, CPA
400 S. Farrell Drive, Ste #B-200
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)327-5674 www.lweigantcpa.com
LSA Associates, Inc.
Lyn Calerdine
901 E.Tahquitz Canyon Way Ste. B-200
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)416-2075 www.lsa-assoc.com
Lund & Guttry
Gary Dack
39700 Bob Hope Dr Ste 309
Rancho Mirage CA 92270
(760)568-2242 www.lundandguttry.com
Maracas Mexican Restaurant
Todd Flood
155 S. Palm Canyon Dr, Suite B1
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)322-9654
www.maracas-restaurant.com
Maryanov, Madsen, Gordon & Campbell
Steven T. Erickson, CPA
801 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Ste. 200
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)320-6642 www.mmgccpa.com
Michael S Kahn, Attorney at Law
2825 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Ste 202
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)320-5656
Miracle Springs Resort & Spa
Sandy Vrabel
10625 Palm Drive
Desert Hot Springs CA 92240
(760)251-6000
www.miraclesprings.com
O'Donnell Golf Club
Sally Mahoney
301 N. Belardo Rd
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)325-2259
www.odonnellgolfclub.com
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Lena Zimmerschied
1 Tramway Rd
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)325-1449 www.pstramway.com
Palm Springs Cyclery, Inc.
Chris Cross
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Ste 24
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)325-9319 www.pscyclery.com
Palm Springs Disposal Services
Rick Wade
4690 E. Mesquite Ave
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)327-1351
www.palmspringsdisposal.com
Palm Springs Florist Inc
Jordan Hall
894 N. Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)325-7441
www.palmspringsflorist.net
Palm Springs Motors Inc
Mike Beaty
69200 Highway 111
Cathedral City CA 92234
(760)328-2102
www.palmspringsmotors.com
Palm Springs Nissan
Paul Connolly
68-177 Kyle Road
Cathedral City CA 92234
(760)328-2800
www.palmspringsnissan.com
Palm Springs SunUp Rotary
Kevin Taylor
PO Box 558
Palm Springs CA 92263
(760)320-1933
www.palmspringssunuprotary.com
Palm Springs Walk of Stars
Robert Alexander
PO Box 1156
Palm Springs CA 92263
(760)416-5811
www.palmspringswalkofstars.com
Paychex
Matt Fess
39-830 Portola, Suite 1
Palm Desert CA 92260
(760)636-2462 www.paychex.com
Plaza Investment Company
Michael Pitts
115 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)325-1347 www.laplazaps.com
Prudential California Realty
Louise Hampton
2905 E. Tahquitz Canyon
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)320-4586
www.louisehampton.com
Quality Inn - Palm Springs
Art Flores
1269 E. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)323-2775 www.chmhotels.com
601 Kuenzli Street, Reno NV 89502
(775)329-7469
www.roadshowsreno.com
Realty Rentals Palm Springs
Reagan Richter
515 N. Palm Canyon Dr, Bldg. C
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)318-2090
www.beaumondevillas.com
Renaissance Palm Springs
John Daw
888 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)322-6000
www.renaissancehotelpalmsprings.com
Sammy G's Tuscan Grill
Sal Zavala
265 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)320-8041
www.sammygsrestaurant.com
Savoury's Catering
Lynne Toles
611 S. Palm Canyon Dr, Ste. 7-442
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)778-2740 www.savourys.com
Schlecht, Shevlin & Shoenberger
Daniel T. Johnson
801 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way #100
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)320-7161 www.ssslaw.com
SCORE
Ned Roache
43100 Cook St., Suite 104
Palm Desert CA 92211
(760)773-6507 www.scorecv.org
Scott M Aaronson, MD
1221 N. Indian Canyon Dr
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)325-5255 www.saaronson.com
Spotlight 29 Casino
Marie Gonzales
46200 Harrison Place
Coachella CA 92236
(760)775-5566 www.spotlight29.com
Stater Bros. Markets
Adam Brown
1717 E. Vista Chino
Palm Springs CA 92262
(760)416-2551 www.staterbros.com
Sullivan's Steakhouse
Colby Hosking
73505 El Paseo, Suite 2600
Palm Desert CA 92260
(760)341-3560
www.sullivanssteakhouse.com
Sun and Fun Vacation Rentals
Kirk Harris
1051 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)322-7961 www.sandFVR.com
Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort
Brandon Alexander
1885 Golf Club Dr
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)328-1005
www.tahquitzgolfresort.com
The Annenberg Retreat At Sunnylands
Mary Perry
37977 Bob Hope Dr
Rancho Mirage CA 92270
(760)202-2222
www.sunnylands.org
The Center (Golden Rainbow)
John O'Connor
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 201
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)416-7790 www.grcps.org
The City of Palm Springs
David H. Ready
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs CA 92263
(760)323-8299 www.palmspringsca.gov
The Curve Palm Springs
Jennifer Masten
333 E. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)327-1211
www.curvepalmsprings.com
Virginia Waring International Piano Competition
Ann Greer
73-710 Fred Waring Drive, Suite 201
Palm Desert CA 92260
(760)773-2575 www.vwipc.org
Weingarten & Hough Insurance
Hunter Hough
610 S. Belardo Rd Ste 300
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)325-2526 www.whinsurance.com
Wells Fargo Bank
John Paul Heffington
543 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)416-3087 www.wellsfargo.com
Wessman Development Company
Michael Braun
555 S. Sunrise Way, Ste.200
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)325-3050
www.wessmandevelopment.com
Williams Properties
Gene & Ron Williams
4511 E. Sunny Dunes Rd Ste B
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)325-1641
Zelda's Night Club
Mike McCormick
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 16
Palm Springs CA 92264
(760)325-2375
www.zeldasnightclub.com
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BUSINESS MATTERS
January 2013 Newsletter
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President's Circle Sponsors
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Carlos Camacho Insurance ~ Carlos Camacho
462 Village Square W, Palm Springs CA 92262 (760)327-3757 Casa De Frida ~ Kimberly Durkin
450 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA 92264 (760)459-1681 www.casadefrida.com Desert City Cab ~ Mabu Sarker 36-555 Bankside Dr, Cathedral City, CA 92234  (760)328-3000 www.desertcitycab.com Design Pure & Simple ~ Michael Thomas 301 N Palm Canyon Drive, Ste. 103, Palm Springs CA 92262 (760)322-3784, www.shopdesignpureandsimple.com Dezart Performs ~ Michael Shaw  611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Ste 7538, Palm Springs CA 92264 (760)322-0179 www.dezartperforms.com European Touch Custom Cabinets & Countertops ~ Samija Ajanic
19020 N. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA 92258 (760)329-1133 www.europeantouchps.com 
Gillespie's Air Conditioning ~ Jeff Gillespie 2303 Viminal Road, Palm Springs CA 92262 (760)779-1616 www.gillespiesair.com Golf with Freedom Lesson Center ~ Brandon Richardson 31-200 Landau Blvd., Cathedral City CA 92234 (541)954-7684 www.golfwithfreedom.com Kenny Irwin Jr. Palm Springs Artist ~ Kenny Irwin Jr. 1077 E. Granvia Valmonte, Palm Springs CA 92262-6104 (760)774-8344 Lake La Quinta Inn ~ Chris Chmielak 78120 Caleo Bay Drive, La Quinta CA 92253 (760)564-7332 www.lakelaquintainn.com Miro's Restaurant ~ Miro Terzic 1555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA 92264 (760)323-5199 www.mirospalmsprings.com Palm Springs Animal Hospital ~ Peter Henein 4771 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA 92264 (760)324-0450 Palm Springs Cultural Center ~ Michael Green & Paul Palodichuk  2100 E. Tahquitz Canyon, Palm Springs CA 92262 (760)880-4921 www.thepalmspringsculturalcenter.org Palm Springs Masonic Lodge #693 ~ Luther Wood 450 S. Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs CA 92262 (760)327-6693 http://www.palmspringsmasons.org/contact-lodge-693.html Palm Springs Vacation Home Rentals ~ Bill Hunt  40R Merrimac Street, Newburyport MA 01950 (800)710-2755 http://www.vacationhomerentals.com/vacation-rentals/Palm-Springs-Deserts-California.htm Random Haus Palm Springs ~ Paul Caudell  588 E. San Lorenzo Road, Palm Springs CA 92264 (855)341-0784 www.randomhauspalmsprings.com Senior Living Options of the Desert ~ Rick Peterson PO Box 5795, Palm Springs CA 92263 (760)322-0322 http://www.securecaresolutions.com/ Spectrum Business Solutions, LLC ~ John M. Diviggiano  363 Andorra Way, Cathedral City CA 92234 (760)328-9983 www.spectrumbusinesssolutions.biz 
Stone Brewing Company ~ Lindsey Sylvester 1999 Citracado Pkwy., Escondido CA 92029 (760)471-4999 www.stonebrew.com Sunnyvale Garden Suites Hotel ~ Tony Naraval 73843 Sunnyvale Drive, Twentynine Palms CA 92277 (760)361-3939 www.sunnyvalesuites.com Two Springs RV Resort ~ Mark Abercrombie  14200 N. Indian Canyon Drive, N. Palm Springs CA 92258 (760)251-6162 www.twospringsrv.com Western Dental ~ Jacqueline Hernandez 555 S. Sunrise Way, Ste 400, Palm Springs CA 92264 (714)571-3656 www.westerndental.com |
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SAVE THE DATE! FAST FORWARD BREAKFAST MEETINGS Starting in March, the Palm Springs Chamber will sponsor quarterly meetings to update our Chamber members on important City issues. Representatives from Palm Springs will give you a Quick Look at Business in the Valley. These important updates will come personally from representatives such as: City Manager David Ready, Police Chief Al Franz and Fire Chief John Allen. First breakfast meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 5th from 8:00am - 9:30am at the Spa Resort Hotel. Reservations and details will be available soon on our website. |
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UPCOMING RIBBON CUTTINGS
Palm Springs Library - Wed, January 16 at 3pm
300 S. Sunrise Way , Palm Springs
Design Pure + Simple - Wed, January 16 at 4pm
301 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
Golf with Freedom - Tues, January 22 at 3pm
28555 Landau Blvd, Cathedral City
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Two New Discrimination Laws Mean Changes
for Policies, Posters
Question:
How will Discrimination and harassment laws passed this year affect employer requirements?
Answer:
Employers will need to change notices, postings and employee handbook policies related to discrimination and harassment prevention to reflect the changes specified by AB 1964 and AB 2386. Continue Reading Here
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Great Palm Springs CVB Achieves International Marketing Accreditation
The Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) announced today that it has been awarded accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), the industry-wide accreditation program designed to recognize destination marketing organizations (DMOs) that meet or exceed industry standards. Continue Reading Here.
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Desert Regional Medical Center recognized in California Awards for Performance Excellence
for second consecutive year
For the second year in a row, Desert Regional Medical Center has been recognized for its commitment to continuous improvement and business leadership in the California Awards for Performance Excellence (CAPE.)
The award program, which emulates the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, recognizes organizations that demonstrate superior performance in seven key business areas including leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. Continue Reading Here.
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CONGRATULATIONS 2012
ATHENA AWARDS RECIPIENTS
Barbara Sinatra, Annette Bloch and Melissa Desmarais!
  
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Palm Springs Air Museum
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RIBBON
CUTTINGS
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The Curve
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Casa de Frida
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Twin Palms Bistro
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WIN A CHAMBER ADVERTISEMENT!
Your business will be automatically entered into a Raffle for a FREE Business Card sized E-newsletter advertisement when you
from now until January 31. |
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DMAP is an international accreditation program developed by the Washington, DC based Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). In earning the DMAP accreditation, DMOs communicate to their community, buyers and potential visitors that they have achieved a significant measure of excellence.
"This is an important milestone for our organization and Greater Palm Springs as a destination," said Scott White, President and CEO, Greater Palm Springs CVB. "We are honored to be recognized in the destination marketing community for providing outstanding services in accordance with international standards and benchmarks in this field."
"By applying for and receiving DMAP accreditation, the Greater Palm Springs CVB has demonstrated a commitment to quality programs and services," said Shelly Green, DMAP Board Chair. "Earning DMAP accreditation tells the community and potential visitors that your DMO has attained a measure of excellence assuring that their trust is well placed and their business in good hands."
To become accredited a DMO is required to provide evidence of compliance with 58 mandatory standards and 30 voluntary standards. The standards set by DMAP cover a wide variety of topics including governance, finance, management, human resources, technology, visitor services, group services, sales, communications, membership, brand management, destination development, research/market intelligence, innovation, and stakeholder relationships.
About DMAP
DMAP is an independent international accreditation body and a leader in defining quality and performance issues in destination marketing. For information about DMAP visit www.destinationmarketing.org.
About Greater Palm Springs CVB
The Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official tourism agency for the entire Coachella Valley, providing sales, marketing and promotional efforts targeted to potential leisure and convention group markets.
The CVB serves more than 1,300 business partners throughout Riverside County's nine-city region of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella.
Tourism in Greater Palm Springs generates over $5 billion in business sales, and contributes an estimated $450 million in state and local taxes and $343 million in federal taxes. One in four jobs is sustained by the tourism industry, amounting to over 43,000 jobs with an associated income of $1.25 billion. Greater Palm Springs welcomes an estimated 11.5 million day and overnight visitors each year. (*Economic Impact statistics are based on a 2011 research study conducted by Tourism Economics - An Oxford Economics Company). For information about Greater Palm Springs visit www.palmspringsoasis.com.
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For 2012, Desert Regional received a Silver-level Eureka Award. The Eureka is one of three tiers of awards bestowed by the California Council for Excellence. The other tiers include the California Prospector Award and the California Challenge Award. The Eureka award most closely emulates the Baldridge program, considered one of the most rigorous reviews of business competitiveness. In 2011, the hospital was awarded the Bronze Eureka in its first-ever application.
"We are excited to be awarded the Silver Eureka because it means the judges for CAPE recognize that we have advanced from last year in our commitment to continuous improvement," said Carolyn Caldwell, president and chief executive officer for Desert Regional Medical Center. "Our staff, physicians and management team strive for excellence in clinical quality and smart business leadership every day. I am particularly proud of our quality team, who worked so hard on this process."
The Quality Team is led by Sandy Martin, director of clinical quality improvement, and Dave King, quality analyst. The CAPE Award recipients will be honored at the 19th Annual Best Practices and Awards Conference, which will be held on Feb. 4 and 5, 2013 at the Irvine Marriott.
The CAPE Awards are organized by the California Council for Excellence. Founded in 1992, the California Council for Excellence is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to helping California-based organizations achieve world-class results through the principles and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. The organization oversees programs such as CAPE and California Team Excellence Awards (CTEA), as well as the Governor's Award for Excellence and the United States Productivity Award. CAPE honors California's leading organizations in seven areas: large and small service, education, health care, non-profit, government and military.
Congress established the Malcom Baldrige Award program in 1987 to recognize U.S. organizations for their achievements in quality and to raise awareness about the importance of performance excellence as a competitive edge.
Desert Regional Medical Center is a comprehensive health care institution that includes a 387-bed hospital, which is home to the Coachella Valley's only designated trauma center and its only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The medical center is recognized for its Comprehensive Cancer Center, Institute for Clinical Orthopedics and Neurosciences (ICON) and offers outpatient medical imaging at both its Palm Springs campus and its satellite facility in La Quinta. Desert Regional has received recognition for programs in Advanced Congestive Heart Failure and been named an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, the nation's leading hospital accrediting body.
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for Policies, Posters (continued)
Religious Dress/Grooming
AB 1964 amends Government Code Sections 12926 and 12940 and clarifies that the Fair Employment and Housing Act's (FEHA) discrimination protections and reasonable accommodation requirements cover religious dress practices and religious grooming practices.
As stated in the analysis of the bill, the intent is to "provide clarity and ensure that all religions receive equal protection under the law." The added language states:
- "Religious Dress Practice" is construed broadly to include the wearing or carrying of religious clothing, head or face coverings, jewelry, artifacts and any other item that is part of the observance by an individual of his or her religious creed.
- "Religious Grooming Practice" is also to be construed broadly and includes all forms of head, facial and body hair that are part of the observance by an individual of his or her religious creed.
Importantly, the law specifies that an accommodation is "not reasonable" if the accommodation requires segregation of the individual from other employees or the public.
Employers are required to make reasonable accommodations unless an accommodation is an undue hardship. The amended statute clarifies that the "undue hardship" definition that applies to other types of discrimination, also applies to religious discrimination.
Breast Feeding
AB 2386 amends California Government Code Section 12926 and makes it clear that breast feeding is protected by law and discrimination on that basis is illegal.
The new legislation was enacted, in part, to reflect a decision by the Fair Employment and Housing Commission (FEHC) in 2009 in which an employee was terminated because she was nursing her baby during her lunchtime break.
The FEHC's decision was designated as having precedential authority, thus such discrimination is a violation of FEHA.
The amended Government Code definition of "sex" includes, but is not limited to:
- Pregnancy or medical conditions related to pregnancy.
- Childbirth or medical conditions related to childbirth.
- Breastfeeding or medical conditions related to childbirth.
The rest of the definition of "sex" remains unchanged."Sex" also includes a person's gender identity and gender expression. "Gender Expression" means a person's gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth.
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