Thanksgiving has come back around giving us another opportunity to reflect and celebrate all of the reasons we should be grateful. This year I’m grateful for my family, my health, for our patients who entrust their care in our hands and for all of the passionate and dedicated people who work at Alameda Health System. As health care providers we see people in their most vulnerable states and you work hard every day to help restore their health and improve their quality of life. As I walk the halls of our hospitals I can see firsthand the compassion you bring to our patients and it’s an honor to work alongside people who truly believe in our mission of caring, healing, teaching and serving all.
Together we’ve accomplished a lot to be thankful for. We launched our electronic health record and are overjoyed at how it’s positively impacting our ability provide high quality comprehensive health care. As the only adult Level 1 trauma facility in the East Bay, we often receive trauma patients who receive their care outside of our system. Now that we have Epic, with just a few mouse clicks, we have instant digital access to a patient’s entire health record. We can see their allergies, cardiology records and so much more. While implementation was laborious at times, it was certainly worth the effort. Together we delivered on our commitment to do what’s best for our patients and we’re transforming the way we deliver care.
Continuing with our commitment to system transformation, on December 8 our Acute Rehabilitation Unit (ARU) will be moving to San Leandro Hospital (SLH) significantly enhancing our rehabilitation services with state-of-the art equipment. Patients will enjoy therapy in a new rooftop area and will have access to the only Ekso robotic exoskeleton on the west coast. Moreover, patients will have access to traditional hospital services under one roof. Moving rehab services to the new bigger space will allow us to see more patients, more quickly freeing up beds for patients who require hospitalization and will ensure our patients receive care at the right place and at the right time. It took a lot of work and coordination to complete this project on time and on budget. I’m thankful for all of staff and for the Alameda Health System Foundation and their donors for making this move possible. Thanks to all of you, our patients will have a more comfortable and improved patient experience that leads to recovery so they can live healthy and productive lives.
I cannot close without recognizing the staff who will be working this Thanksgiving so that our patients will receive high quality care. Thank you for your commitment. My hope is you will all enjoy a safe and peaceful holiday.
Sincerely,
Delvecchio Finley