We recently
celebrated Hospital Heroes who help to bridge the gaps in healthcare by
providing exceptional care to their patients and their families, and who,
through a deep desire to serve and connect, have left an indelible mark on
their communities. They are specialists and nurses as well as volunteers,
program directors, social workers, and surgeons. What follows are a series of
profiles of these heroes.
Providing dignity at the most difficult time is a challenge
that Dr. Jeremy Grosser, Medical Director Palliative and Transitional
Care Services at Dignity Health Northridge Hospital Medical Center, rises to
each day. Dr. Grosser demonstrates a passion for patient advocacy for chronic disease
and terminally ill patients. As a pioneer of patient advocacy, he addresses
patients with an approach that supports dignified and compassionate patient
care delivery and speaks on the behalf of the patient to their care partners
and providers, which takes much bravery for these difficult discussions. His
approach addresses care transitions that support quality of life for the
patient and care partners throughout the continuum of the patient’s illness.
Dr. Grosser’s level of commitment, and ability to walk in the patient's shoes,
encourages appropriate and informed decisions and choices for the patient and
care partners. Dr. Grosser has been a change agent for the medical center.
Through his diligence, a transition in medical staff culture has occurred,
building trust for referrals to Palliative and Transitional care services. Dr.
Grosser is active on several internal and external community boards and
collaboratives that support patient advocacy, avoidable readmission prevention,
and services for dignified and compassionate care at end of life. His holistic
approach addresses the clinical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of the
patient and care partners and communicates through his actions that they are
not alone in their journey.
Charanjit Saroa, MD, Physician/
Pulmonary Medicine at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, is
the Medical Director of the ICU and DOU, is the Chair of the Critical Care
Committee and serves as a member of the Trauma Committee. Dr. Saroa is there in the trenches, and takes
the time to educate and share his vision of exemplary care with physicians,
nurses, and other staff members throughout the hospital. His dedication to our hospital is also
demonstrated through his work as a member of the Foundation’s Board of
Directors. He exemplifies physician leadership. But it is his dedication to
promoting the delivery of exceptional patient care and his ability to share his
knowledge with staff that garnered this high praise from one of the DOU nurses:
“He takes the time to help educate the nurses when he can and answers all of
our questions willingly. I truly feel he has a vested interest in our
professional growth as nurses as well as a vested interest in making sure our
hospital provides the best patient care. We truly feel he is a very special
doctor and outstanding human being. We feel so blessed to have him here at
Henry Mayo.”
Dr. Humberto Sauri, Trauma
Surgeon at Orange County Global Medical Center excelled
in school but growing up in predominantly white community, he fought with kids
who called him ethnic slurs. His father worked in an old record factory and
taught Humberto the importance of an education. Even after graduating from both
Stanford and Columbia University School of Medicine, Dr. Sauri considers
receiving his citizenship the proudest day of his life. He now works as the
Medical Director and surgeon in one of the only Level Two Trauma Centers in
Orange County at Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana. Dr. Sauri
represents the true meaning of the “American Dream” and is an inspiration for
anyone wanting to make a difference in their community. In addition to
advocating for patients who do not have adequate medical insurance, Dr.Sauri always
takes the opportunity to discuss the importance of using safety restraints and
wearing bicycle helmets. He also uses his personal story of coming over from
Mexico as an illegal immigrant to show gang members that having a career is
obtainable. Humberto even encourages people to look into the process of
citizenship. Dr. Sauri takes time with his patients to ensure they are safe and
making good choices after they leave the hospital.
Dr. David Sato, Staff physician, medical director, cardiac
catheterization lab at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center did
not think twice when a patient’s family was arriving at the airport during a
very difficult time; he simply picked them up so that they could be with their
family member! He is a role model for his colleagues and the hospital employees
and he advocates for nurses and is caring, devoted and supportive of the entire
hospital family. Dr. Sato's patients praise him as compassionate, treating
their heart disease, and supporting their emotional needs as well. Dr. Sato is
physician leader, active on multiple hospital committees including department
of medicine, cardiology and ICU. Currently he is serving as medical director of
the cardiac catheterization laboratory and STEMI (heart attack) program. He
also sits on the Board of Governors for the Providence Saint Joseph Foundation.
This kind of involvement brings innovation, increased focus on quality and
patient safety and fund-raising to upgrade state-of-the-art equipment for
diagnostics and treatment - all directly affecting patient care.
National Health Foundation
is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and
enhancing the healthcare of the underserved by developing and supporting
innovative programs that can become
independently viable,
provide
systemic solutions to gaps in healthcare access and delivery, and
have the
potential to be replicated nationally.
