CHINO – Montclair Hospital Medical Center, Cardenas Markets and Allstar Kia were among the donors to Ontario-Montclair Promise Scholars Program honored Nov. 14 during an appreciation event at Chaffey College Community Center in Chino.

The board of the Promise Scholars program presented plaques of appreciation featuring student artwork to the first round of major donors for the organization, launched earlier this year.

“We have long had a dedication to higher education, and we’re happy to be able to support a program that encourages it from such a young age,” said Gregory Brentano, Montclair Hospital Medical Center CEO. “Planting these seeds early will make a difference to the future health and economy of our community.”

The Ontario-Montclair Promise Scholars initiative is dedicated to preparing all Ontario-Montclair School District students for success by increasing their high school completion and college going rates.

“I’m very happy to have a healthcare partner that understands the connection between education and health” said Leslie Sorensen, OMSD Resource Development Administrator, as she recognized the donation and participation of Montclair Hospital Medical Center.

The program begins in fifth-grade and follows students through graduation, with students informed about post-secondary learning. The program hopes to achieve its vision by increasing parent and student awareness of education, increasing student knowledge and planning about such programs, and increasing both their readiness and access to college.

“We take our mission very seriously to make sure the funds go to the children,” said Madeline Stewart, President of the Promise Scholars Board.

The event opened with a performance by the Vernon Middle School Choral Group, before Stewart, Dr. James Hammond, Superintendent of the Ontario-Montclair School District, and Chris Hughes, representing the City of Ontario, each gave remarks on the importance of the program.

Promise Scholars is based on the Online to College Program, and includes activities such as field trips to universities and community colleges, speaker presentations to students about their college experiences, classroom activities that involve planning high school course selection and career exploration, and assistance with college and financial aid applications. The program also hopes to be able to offer scholarship assistance, with the amount based on what the endowment will support.

Montclair Hospital Medical Center, a founding sponsor of the program, is a not-for-profit hospital owned by the Prime Healthcare Services Foundation. The foundation’s sister organization, the Dr. Prem Reddy Family Foundation, has a long history of supporting education in healthcare in the high desert communities, with activities such as creating and maintaining the Dr. Prem Reddy School, a public health library, and a scholarship program.

To support the development of Promise Scholars, OMSD has formed the Ontario-Montclair Schools Foundation. The foundation is seeking support from individuals, businesses and service clubs to make the promise possible. To volunteer, visit the website www.ieuw.org/promise-scholars or contact Sara Clark at SClark@ieuw.org

For more information, contact Sarah Dale Schwald at Prime Healthcare Management Inc., 909 235-4320 or sschwald@primehealthcare.com

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Montclair – Veteran Montclair City firefighter Rusty Vidal does more than just put out fires. The Firefighter of the Year for 2012 is also a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Technician, which involves repair and testing of the department’s breathing apparatus that allow firefighters to breathe while surrounded by smoke. Since being hired in 2007, Vidal has volunteered on the negotiation team for wages and benefits, participated in Firefighters Association activities – taking photos, making flyers and banners, selling raffle tickets – and, of course, taken his turn as cook for his fellow firefighters.

“I get to be involved in about 95 percent of what we do,” Vidal said. “It feels good to be able to help people.”

On Nov. 14, Vidal along with Angelic Bird, who was named Employee of the Year were honored at the annual Firefighters Appreciation Breakfast for the Montclair Fire Department, which was held at Dolce Café and Bakery. This recognition breakfast is put on by the Montclair Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Montclair Hospital Medical Center and Wells Fargo.

All of the Montclair firefighters were provided breakfast and those who couldn’t attend received a rain check. (Three firefighters were called into action in the middle of the festivities.) The goal is to honor the services provided by each and every one of the brave crew, and about one hundred community members came to show their appreciation, including many local political figures and business leaders.

“When we’re talking about these two, we’re talking about two on a team, and they’re part of a great team” said Gary Ovitt, San Bernardino County Supervisor as he presented the awards.

Bird was born and raised in Southern California and graduated from Montclair High School. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Azusa Pacific University and has worked for the City of Montclair for over five years. During her time with the city, Bird’s work has included valuable contributions including creating a public information book, organizing and archiving historic and educational materials and planning and executing public drills including the Montclair participation in the Great California Shakeout. In addition to her regular duties, Bird went above and beyond by taking on the role of Emergency Services Coordinator two years ago.

“Prime Healthcare hospitals, particularly the Montclair Hospital Medical Center, work very closely with our communities’ first-responders,” said Gregory Brentano, the CEO for Montclair Hospital Medical Center. “We know how hard they work, and how dedicated they are, and it’s important to be able to support them. We really value our relationship with the fire department, knowing that together as a team we can serve the city better.”

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Oct. 31, 2012, San Dimas – A healthy planet equals healthy people, and San Dimas Community Hospital wants to keep people healthy.

As part of that mission, on Oct. 1, new policies were put into place to encourage a waste-free space. The San Dimas Community Hospital dietary department embraced the plan and changed the materials they use.

“Air, water and food pollution can make people very sick,” said Maryanna Stratte MPH, RD, the hospital’s director of food and dietary. “San DimasCommunityHospital’s Dietary Department is making positive changes to prevent pollution and keep people healthy.” 

Employees were provided re-usable cups and encouraged to remember them with financial incentives. For hospital employees who bring their own reusable cup, coffee and tea are provided free, soda is 25 cents, (an effort to discourage excess sugar consumption). For those who don’t bring their own cup, a compostable cup can be purchased for 15 cents for coffee and tea and $1 for soda. The fee covers the cost of the cup and soda, and their free beverages are still – free.

Styrofoam has been banned entirely atSan DimasCommunityHospital. According to EarthResource.org, toxic chemicals leach out of polystyrene products (especially when heated in the microwave). These chemicals threaten human health and reproductive systems. Many communities in California have banned Styrofoam containers, and though the city of San Dimas has not, hospital administrators believed in taking the lead when it comes to protecting the community’s health.

Though the eco friendly cups and to-go containers are more expensive than Styrofoam, currently about three times as much, hospital officials said that as community leaders the hospital should lead by example and spend a little more on disposable biodegradable products.

The new products being used by the hospital include napkins made from 100 percent recycled paper, plates, bowls and cups that are 100 percent compostable and made from 100 percent renewable resources. They are also suggesting employees eat in the cafeteria, which will remove the need for a disposable container altogether.

Through these efforts, the hospital will reduce the number of cups going to the landfill by over 5,000 per month. There are now almost 12,000 Styrofoam cups and 5,000 to-go containers that are no longer being trashed. As an added bonus, the hospital has saved over $700 in the first month of the program, an example to everyone that going green can pay as well.

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November 8^th, 2012 – The San Dimas Senior/Community Center hosted a Thanksgiving celebration, the “Green Eggs and Ham” dinner, sponsored by San Dimas Community Hospital. There were over ninety seniors in attendance that evening.  All the Thanksgiving fixings were served, including turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, and pumpkin pie.  Entertainment was provided by Ron Johnson, “The One Man Band” who wowed the crowd with a beautiful voice, playing a variety of eras and genres.

San Dimas Community Hospital also had volunteers in attendance to provide information on the senior services the hospital offers, help with serving, and even do a bit of dancing themselves. Recreation Coordinator, Erica Rodriguez stated that, “For many participants the monthly special events have become a regular outing with friends and family.  We are fortunate to have the opportunity to bring people together and fill their lives with laughter and new friends. With the continued support of great sponsors like San Dimas Community Hospital and the many volunteers that help coordinate the events, we will continue to provide amazing programs”.

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Prime Healthcare hospitals are known for being community focused hospitals. They strive to provide local populations with the services they need. At times, that means that tough decisions have to be made in balancing the overall financial stability of a whole facility and caring for the community.

Recently, when trying to make some of these tough decisions, Lower Bucks Hospital leadership made the call that they would need to cut the Cardiac Rehabilitation program as the resources it required were not equal to what the hospital had to give it. The community and the clients of the center responded, talking to staff, writing letters, and letting leadership know just how vital the facility was to their lives.

These residents were heard, and leadership worked together with the staff to find a way to keep the program open. We are pleased to announce that this facility will remain in operation and the needs of the community will continue to be met, as the needs of the hospital are also served.

Read the whole story from PhillyBurbs.com online here 

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Prime Healthcare Services would like to congratulate Congressmember Judy Chu and Assemblymember-Elect Chris Holden on their successful campaigns.

Mike Sarian, President of Operations for Prime Healthcare, recently attended a fundraiser held for Congressmember Judy Chu, D-El Monte, in San Gabriel. Congressmember Chu was successful this November in her bid for re-election.

Sarian also was able to share a moment with Pasadena City Councilman and Assemblymember-Elect Chris Holden at the event. Holden has been elected to the newly drawn 41st Assembly District seat, which includes Pasadena, San Dimas, and much of the San Gabrien Mountain foothill communities.

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Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center CEO Helen Lidholm is featured in the Reno Gazette-Journal series on “Captains of Industry”. She speaks on leadership lessons, the transition between health systems, turning the hospital into a profitable one, and her own story.

Read the full article and see a video of Lidholm Here

Or download a PDF Here

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Dr. Doug McConnell and the team at Shasta Regional Medical Center were featured in California Healthcare News article “Strength of Shasta Regional’s Cardiology Success Lies in Esprit de Corps” by Contributing Editor Nora Haile.

Click here to read the whole article.

Click here to learn more about Shasta Regional Medical Center and their Cardiovascular Services

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Hey Texas, we’re having a career fair in Dallas, and hiring! Especially looking for experienced clinical care nurses, but many positions available!

Thursday, November 8th from 9am-2pm

http://www.primehealthcare.com/documents/Flyer-Dallas-Career-Fair.pdf 

And everyone can check out our career page for other opportunities:http://www.primehealthcare.com/Careers.aspx

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Gemma Rama-Banaag, chief nursing officer of Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, was selected ”Administrator of the Year” by the Philippine Nurses Association of San Diego (PNASD) on Sept. 15. The award is part of the association’s annual Nursing Excellence Awards.

Rama-Banaag has extensive experience in nursing leadership, beginning with her role as nurse manager at the South Bay Rehabilitation Center at Paradise Valley where she managed a 22-bed acute rehabilitation unit. She then was director of nursing for Promise Hospital, managing a five-bed ICU and 52-bed long-term acute unit—where she initiated a new grad nursing program. Rama-Banaag was promoted to director of clinical services at Promise, where she assisted in the clinical operational planning and implementation.

Currently, Rama-Banaag is the chief nursing officer at Paradise Valley Hospital, where she is in charge of all clinical operations for a 301-bed acute care, award-winning hospital. She has been instrumental in working to improve the hospital’s service excellence programs and improve patient satisfaction. The hospital has recently won many national awards, including being named as part of the “Top 15 Health Systems” in the nation by Thomson Reuters, an “A” for patient safety by The Leapfrog Group and a “Top Performer” by The Joint Commission.

“Gemma has always had a passion for creating and implementing special programs designed to engage the staff and improve quality in the clinical and professional areas,” said Marita Ferrer, RN, PNASD past president and current member of the board of directors. “I know this multi-talented lady to be a true professional as well as passionate about the Filipino values inherent of our culture and heritage.”

“The staff and physicians at Paradise Valley Hospital are able to see every day what a difference Gemma makes to our patients—and we are thrilled that the community now knows as well,” added Neerav Jadeja, administrator, Paradise Valley Hospital.

Rama-Banaag, RN, received her master’s in nursing science and MBA in healthcare management from the University of Phoenix. The Philippine Nurses Association Of San Diego County is a non-profit organization of nursing professionals dedicated to the medical community for the past 30 years.

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