Welcoming a new baby into the world is a magical occasion that gives birth to life-long memories. New moms and dads expect the very best care at this special time, and our Maternal Child Health Services (MCH) team rallies to fulfill their expectations with service extraordinaire. In 2008-2009, personalized touches have brought patient praise and countless smiles to the hospital maternity wing. Extended visiting hours allow more flexibility for loved ones. New moms are served afternoon tea on fine china donated by our staff. An MCH physician makes early morning rounds to best prepare patients for going home. And as part of our Tree for Life program, every newborn discharged has a tree planted in his/her honor, somewhere in California. MCH caregivers are as nurturing, energetic, and fun-loving as they are motivated, competent, and committed to excellence. Our clinical practice nurses and Obstetrics and Pediatric Task Forces strive to standardize best practices. Certified midwives and lactation nurses deliver their specialized skills. And staff nurses collaborate with physicians and clinical nurse midwives to ensure continuous, quality, patient-focused care. As a result, Santa Rosa’s Maternal Child Health unit regularly receives top patient- satisfaction scores in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California region, along with many heartwarming Thank Yous from our patients. Maternal Child Health Services Hospital volunteers serve new moms afternoon tea on fine china donated by Maternal Child staff.
Transcript
Welcoming a new baby into the world is a magical occasion that gives birth to life-long memories. New moms and dads expect the very best care at this special time, and our Maternal Child Health Services (MCH) team rallies to fulfill their expectations with service extraordinaire.
In 2008-2009, personalized touches have brought patient praise and countless smiles to the hospital maternity wing. Extended visiting hours allow more flexibility for loved ones. New moms are served afternoon tea on fine china donated by our staff. An MCH physician makes early morning rounds to best prepare patients for going home. And as part of our Tree for Life program, every newborn discharged has a tree planted in his/her honor, somewhere in California.
MCH caregivers are as nurturing, energetic, and fun-loving as they are motivated, competent, and committed to excellence. Our clinical practice nurses and Obstetrics and Pediatric Task Forces strive to standardize best practices. Certified midwives and lactation nurses deliver their specialized skills. And staff nurses collaborate with physicians and clinical nurse midwives to ensure continuous, quality, patient-focused care.
As a result, Santa Rosa’s Maternal Child Health unit regularly receives top patient-satisfaction scores in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California region, along with many heartwarming Thank Yous from our patients.
Maternal Child Health Services
Hospital volunteers serve new moms afternoon tea on fine china donated by Maternal Child staff.
Pam Browne When Pam Browne attended a benefit performance for The Living Room years ago, she wasn’t looking for a life-changing experience, but the call to support needy mothers and children tugged at her heart.
Pam quickly found her niche as a volunteer with Sonoma County’s only daytime drop-in program for homeless and at-risk women and their children. In 2008, she coordinated the Living Room’s summer Lavender & Art Show and annual dinner/dance fund-raising events, along with serving on the board of directors from 2005-2008.
Today, Pam remains an active promoter for the shelter, which annually provides meals, education, and social services for nearly 1,000 women and children transitioning through hard times.
Pam’s enthusiasm for helping others has prompted success in her 35-year career with Kaiser Permanente, as well. Working at Santa Rosa Medical Center since our Creekside Plaza beginnings, she’s gone from assisting a handful of doctors to meeting the HR needs of 300 physicians and their families. In 2008, Pam became Kaiser Permanente’s first Senior Physician Human Resources Generalist.
“I love my job working with physicians and their families, and I love making a difference at The Living Room,” says Pam. “Both roles keep me aware of how very fortunate I am.”
As a Senior Physician HR Generalist, Pam works closely with Physician-in-Chief Bob Schultz, MD.
Volunteering is an Akrawi family tradition.
On the job and off, food is one of Sandra Akrawi’s favorite ingredients for promoting health and happiness. Raised in the “salad bowl” region of California, Sandra gained an early appreciation for the nourishing and nurturing qualities of fresh food.
“Sharing food is a big part of fellowship,” says the 16-year Kaiser Permanente registered dietitian. “It brings people together socially, and supports our physical and emotional well-being.”
At Santa Rosa Medical Center, Sandra supervises the outpatient nutrition team and develops bilingual therapeutic health programs for patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. At home, she gardens for relaxation, sweetens family ties with her home-cooked meals, and volunteers—a lot!
Sandra’s been cooking up ways to serve the global community for 15 years. So far, she and her family have participated in service missions to Baja California, Peru, Chile, and the Solomon and Galapagos islands. Cooking and menu planning are a specialty of her volunteer contributions.
“It’s exciting to bond with people in different parts of the world and to help fulfill dreams that would otherwise never happen,” says Sandra. “I really encourage everyone to find a passion and use their talents to help others. It feels great!”
Sandra Akrawi, RD, CDE
The defining moment in Eileen VanCleave’s care-giving career happened before obtaining her nursing degree.
“My son had a stroke in utero, which made me want to understand the health care system better and learn how to best advocate for him,” she explains.
Today, Eileen’s 15-year-old son, Austin, is strong and healthy, and so is her passion for health advocacy—both as a Kaiser Permanente pediatric nurse and quality liaison, and in her work with the community at large.
In 2008, Eileen was honored as one of Sonoma County’s Outstanding Volunteers for her service as a nurse volunteer with the Public Health Medical Reserve Corps. Since joining the corps in 2005, she has developed online training tools and curriculum, assisted with public outreach for disaster preparedness and preventive health, and presented Sonoma County’s Hand Hygiene Program to more than 300 elementary school children.
“In the field, I like educating parents and children on how to protect themselves from community-acquired illness,” says Eileen, who also teaches maternal-child patient care to nursing students. “At the medical center, I like helping childern who are ill and frightened to get well and go home smiling.”
Eileen VanCleave, RN
Eileen has taught hand hygiene to more than 300 local school children.
John Mihalik, MD Compassion is a consistent quality in Dr. John Mihalik’s multifaceted life.
Before attending medical school, he earned degrees in philosophy and bioethics, studied to become a Jesuit priest, and met his wife Catherine in nursing school. Just prior to joining Kaiser Permanente in 2003, the family physician ran clinics in Cloverdale and Gualala, caring for many indigent farm workers.
“There’s a sense of purity in giving freely without monetary reward,” says Dr. Mihalik of volunteerism. “I like serving people as a way of giving back for the blessings I’ve experienced as a physician.”
Four years ago, Dr. Mihalik’s eldest daughter, Amanda, introduced him to Somos Amigos Medical Missions in the Dominican Republic. Since then, he has volunteered on three, week-long medical missions a year. On every trip, volunteers examine over 1,000 medical and dental patients, including people who hike for days through their mountainous region to receive the only available care.
“I very much enjoy my one-to-one interactions with Kaiser Permanente patients,” says the Santa Rosa hospitalist, “but on these missions, we truly improve the health of entire families and communities. When I see the need, graciousness, and gratitude of these people who have literally nothing, it makes me want to participate as long as I am able.”Dr. Mihalik volunteers regularly with Somas Amigos
Medical Missions.
We’re here to make lives better…
for every person, every encounter,
every time.
For over 25 years, many of the employees at Kaiser Permanente’s Santa Rosa Medical Center have quietly done the work of heroes. Today that spirit lives on in our physicians, nurses, and staff who go the “extra mile” every day to serve our members and fulfill our mission of “A Healthy Community.”
Some of our Everyday Heroes save lives. Others have simply provided kindness and generosity when it was needed most. If you ask our heroes about their efforts, they often say it just feels like the right thing to do. If you speak with those who benefit from their work, they say it makes all the difference in the world.
We proudly acknowledge a few of these Everyday Heroes for their selfless dedication to helping our members and our communities thrive.
