Healing Heroes

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.