Latest news with #DignityHealth
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Foothill student to fly to Botswana, Africa as part of summer-abroad opportunity
Anaius Sanchez has never had it easy. In fact, the 17-year-old Foothill High School junior is categorized as an "underserved student," yet one whose determination and hard work is about to take him places he might only have dreamed of going otherwise. On Thursday morning at the Foothill campus in east Bakersfield, the smiling young student was flanked by Simon Ratliff, president and CEO of Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield and Ken Keller, president and CEO of Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. The two Dignity Health executives presented an oversized $2,500 check to Sanchez, even as the student is preparing to embark in early July on a life-changing journey to the nation of Botswana in southern Africa. "Anaius perfectly exemplifies the type of student we aim to attract and support within our residency program partnership with the Morehouse School of Medicine," Keller said in a statement. "His commitment to providing culturally relevant care within local communities is truly commendable, and we are honored to support his dedication and future career in health care." This spring, Sanchez was awarded the prestigious Global Navigator Sponsorship, which supports underserved students interested in health care and public health. That's right. The young scholar hopes to one day become a physician assistant here in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Sanchez's sponsorship will cover a significant portion of the program tuition, but he still faced the challenge of raising remaining funds for tuition, expenses and airfare, Dignity Health said in a news release. "Demonstrating remarkable initiative, Anaius launched a GoFundMe page and even sold his grandmother's candied apples at school to help meet his goal," Dignity said in its release. The Foothill Alumni Association, known on campus as Trojan Nation, pitched in with a donation of $1,000 Sanchez needed for the rest of his program tuition, said association Vice President Mike Hernandez. To secure funding for his airfare, the determined Trojan reached out to Dignity Health with a compelling proposal, showcasing his dedication by sharing his story, his efforts and detailing his rigorous daily schedule and commute. Robin Mangarin-Scott, market director - Central Valley for Dignity Health, said the 17-year-old starts traveling at 6:30 a.m. each morning, taking the bus across town, 40 minutes each way, to attend the health care academy at CTEC at Ridgeview High School before coming back to Foothill to complete his regular course load. "He did everything he could with the GoFundMe page," said Mangarin-Scott. "His grandmother made candied apples three different times, but he couldn't make that $2,500 mountain he needed to climb to get the airfare. "When Anaius came to speak to the president at Memorial, he brought his transcripts. He put up a full-out push for why we should support him. And when he left, it was a no brainer." According to the website for the Council on International Educational Exchange, the U.S.-based nonprofit that organizes myriad High School Summer Abroad programs and the Global Navigator Sponsorships, a critical part of its overall mission is to "encourage and prepare students to connect and communicate across cultures and make a positive impact on society, both globally and locally." Sydney Peterson, Foothill's principal, said there are three other Foothill students who have been chosen to participate in similar Summer Abroad programs. "I grew up on the east side of town," she said. "I'm an East High School graduate, and coming back to Foothill as the principal, it reminds me of what the east side is all about. "It's good people, it's hard workers, and it's people who are truly invested in their future," Peterson said. "And that's what Anaius and our other students who applied for this program really represent. It's the dedication and desire to be invested in something beyond just their junior year, or beyond just their senior year. They are looking to the future. They really are. And it's amazing." As he prepares for the trip to Botswana, a place he's never been to on a continent he's never visited, Sanchez is excited and hopeful. "Honestly, it's a personal kind of hope," he said. "Botswana is known as the Land of Freedom. So I'm hoping that it can just really touch my heart a little, and make me aware of other people's stories, as well as, like, the hardships they go through." On July 8, he will fly from Los Angeles to London to Botswana. He expects to return July 31 a changed person.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
San Joaquin County, Dignity Health reach extension on management services
May 15—The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a three-year extension of its management services agreement with Dignity Health to manage San Joaquin General Hospital. The deal, which runs from July 1 of this year to June 30 of 2028, is worth just over $5.7 million. The county and Dignity Health, which is now known as CommonSpirit, have partnered on the hospital since 2022, when the board of supervisors found that San Joaquin General could operate more efficiently with a management agreement. The deal was originally for an 18-month period with a 10-year option. The supervisors extended it for an additional 18 months in 2023, and the current deal was set to expire on June 30 of this year. According to a press release from San Joaquin County, Dignity Health has implemented several changes in its time acting as management, including lowering the rate of SJGH-acquired infections, raising the hospital's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services hospital safety grade rating from an F to a C, reducing incomplete patient records from 15,000 to less than 200, and financial improvements. "Since the implementation of the Management Services Agreement, CommonSpirit Health and St. Joseph's Medical Center have had a profound impact on both financial and quality measures at San Joaquin General Hospital," said BJ Predum, Market President of Dignity Health Central Valley. "By improving and standardizing processes, I am proud of all that we have accomplished together to enhance the health and well being of the San Joaquin County community." Added Paul Canepa, Chair of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, "Since the agreement began, the hospital has made great progress in improving patient care and its finances. We're excited to keep working together to build a strong, unified healthcare system that provides excellent care to everyone—no matter their ability to pay."
Business Journals
22-04-2025
- Health
- Business Journals
Mercy San Juan starts internal medicine residency program
Dignity Health's Mercy San Juan Medical Center will welcome its first class of internal medicine residents this summer. Dignity Health's Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael will welcome its first class of internal medicine residents this summer, bolstering physician training efforts as Sacramento and much of California face shortages in health care access. Ten residents, selected from an international pool of applicants, will begin training July 1 under a new three-year program aimed at building the next generation of hospitalists, outpatient physicians and subspecialists, according to a Dignity Health news release. 'This program creates an opportunity to shape the next generation of physicians in an environment rooted in collaboration, critical thinking and compassionate care,' said Dr. Murali Adusumalli, program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Mercy San Juan, in the release. The program launches as the Sacramento region contends with gaps in primary and specialty care. A 2023 California Health Care Foundation report found many counties in the region fall below the recommended supply of 60 to 80 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents. Projections from the Association of American Medical Colleges estimate a national shortfall of up to 124,000 doctors by 2034. Residents will complete core rotations in internal medicine wards, intensive care units and ambulatory clinics, gaining experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The program will also include simulation-based procedural training and specialty rotations in cardiology and infectious disease through Dignity Health Medical Foundation clinics. Primary care is a central focus of the new program, according to Adusumalli. 'Primary care is the focus of the program and reflected in the recruiting and curriculum,' he said. 'Regardless of the final career path, we hope to develop physicians that stay to support our community." Mercy San Juan's effort follows moves by other Sacramento-area health systems to expand training pipelines in response to physician shortages. The Carmichael hospital features a Level II trauma center, a neonatal intensive care unit, and serves as a regional referral hub for neurological, cardiac and complex medical services. With 384 beds, Mercy San Juan is the fifth-largest hospital in the Sacramento region.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospital trying to identify man found unresponsive in South L.A.
A Los Angeles hospital is asking for the public's help to identify a man who was found unresponsive in South Los Angeles early Saturday morning. The unidentified man was found near W. 69th Street and Western Avenue, and brought into California Hospital Medical Center in downtown L.A. around 8:15 a.m. Dignity Health officials say he had no identification or personal documentation with him. He is described as a Black man, approximately 50 years old, 6 feet tall, and weighing around 220 pounds. He has brown eyes, black hair, and a black beard, officials said. He also has several notable tattoos on his body, including a star on the right side of his neck, a tattoo of a woman with the words 'Brown Sugar' on his right inner arm, the word 'young' on the right side of his chest, and 'Sandra Hogggs' written on the upper left side. Due to patient confidentiality laws, the hospital is unable to disclose the man's current condition. Photos shared by hospital officials appeared to show the man unconscious with a breathing apparatus in his nose. Anyone with information that could help identify him is urged to contact the hospital at 213-507-5495 or 213-742-5500. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
City of Bakersfield to unveil new Dignity Health Arena signage
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The city of Bakersfield announced the official unveiling of the new Dignity Health Arena, Theater and Convention Center signage to be held next Wednesday. The unveiling is scheduled for April 16 at 3 p.m. at 1001 Truxtun Avenue, according to a release by the city of Bakersfield. The city said it is working in partnership with Dignity Health, a California-based healthcare provider. The newly named Dignity Health Arena, Theater and Convention Center, formerly known as Mechanics Bank Arena, will host major concerts, sporting events, conventions and local gatherings, according to the release. Dignity Health acquires naming rights for downtown Bakersfield arena and convention center The city landed its first naming rights sponsor in February of 2005 and was named Rabobank Arena, Theater and Convention Center. After Rabobank North America merged with Mechanics Bank, the venue became Mechanics Bank Arena in September 2019. That naming right expired on Jan. 31. Dignity Health acquired the naming right in February. The venue provides a 10,000-capacity arena, a 3,000-seat theater and a 17,840-square-foot center, city officials said. It has hosted several top artists such as Elton John, as well as major sporting events like the American Hockey League's Bakersfield Condors games. The unveiling ceremony will include the official reveal of the sign and tours of the arena after the press conference. Community members and local businesses are welcome to attend the event, the release said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
