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A special message from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Team

June 19 – Juneteenth – is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth celebrations date back to 1866 and have historically been observed with festivals celebrating African American traditions. Today, Juneteenth is often observed with an emphasis on African American education and achievement.

Celebrate wtih KPAAPA (details below). More information, upcoming Listening Sessions, and other ways to participate and learn here. ^[2]

Celebrate Juneteenth with KPAAPA: Despite INJUSTICE, We Still THRIVE!

Join the Kaiser Permanente African American Professional Association (KPAAPA) ^[3] to learn about the significance of Juneteenth. Sponsored by a partnership between National Equity, Inclusion and Diversity and Enterprise Learning.

Friday June 19, 2020; 12 -1 pm

Click here to join at the time of the event ^[4]
(Event will stream live on Teams; use you KP SSO login)

You kids may be asking questions. Your kids may be showing signs of distress. Your kids may be watching news coverage or getting messages via their phones, which you may not know about.  Your kids may be reacting to or even assimilating your moods.

There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and kids are often well aware of it. Knowing how to discuss these complex issues with children isn’t easy.  Kaiser Permanente Pediatric Psychiatrist Dr. Natasha Cortes offer some guidance to parents, in an appearance on KCBS8 News in San Diego.  Watch the clip here.  ^[7]

A message from Julie Miller Phipps, president, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Health Plan and Hospitals, and Ed Ellison, MD, executive medical director, Southern California Permanente Medical Group:

From the recent killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor to the discrimination faced by Christian Cooper, our society is faced with stark reminders of the frequent injustices we must continue to fight. America must do better, we can all do better, and Kaiser Permanente is committed to addressing the root causes of this painful inequity. This is why we are supporting and personally planning to participate in tomorrow’s “Moment of Solidarity” to recognize the need for greater equity and inclusion:

What: A “Moment of Solidarity,” in which staff and physicians who choose to do may come together to kneel or stand silently for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Participation can be at your desk in your department, with a larger group outside of the facility, or from your remote work location.

When: Friday, June 5, from 12:30 p.m. to 12:49 p.m.  FULL DETAILS HERE ^[8].

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No one thinks technology has a tender side (or even thinks about this at all). But a cross-departmental team of industrious Kaiser Permanente Southern California IT professionals discovered it – unknowingly. When the “No Visitors” policy was instituted early in the COVID-19 crisis, patients were disconnected from their dearest, most vital support systems, just when they were most needed.

The simple solution, as it turned out, wasn’t simple at all. Read how the extraordinary efforts of the KPSC team implemented a solution in record time — allowing patients to connect with loved ones and employees to connect their work to its emotionally impactful outcome. Story here. ^[10]

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Equality for All
An Important Message From Greg A. Adams, Chairman and CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals. Click here. ^[14]

Chaos or Community? Bringing the American Dream to All Americans.
A message from Julie Miller-Phipps, President, Kaiser Permanente Southern California  Health Plan and Hospitals; and Ed Ellison, MD, Executive Medical Director, Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Click here. ^[15]

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In the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic, a grandmother, mother, and two young children were all hospitalized at Downey Medical Center. All except one child tested COVID positive. Their situation demonstrated the chaos that the virus wrought; spotlighted the complexities of managing this novel situation; and exemplified the heroics of three KPSC social workers who had to resolve this high-pressure, multi-faceted case. How did they do it? Find out here. ^[17]

As COVID-19 continues to dominate our lives, it’s natural to feel anxious and stressed. As you care for others, whether members, patients, or your own family, we want to be sure you prioritize taking care of yourself, during Mental Health Awareness Month (May) and always.

• Download this updated flyer ^[18], “Mental Health and Well-being Resources for Kaiser Permanente Employees.” Please note: some of the resource links will require you to login to the KPSC network.
• Listen to the Town Hall rebroadcast ^[19] from May 21, 2020, “Coping with the Mental Health Crisis Created by the Coronavirus Pandemic” (login required).
• Review these simple and effective self-care practices ^[20] that can help support your physical and mental health. The Calm app ^[21] assists with mindfulness and meditation; MySt ^[22]rength app ^[22] provides in-the-moment coping tools, inspirational resources, and community support, with pathways for anxiety, sleep, stress and depression. Both are free to KPSC members.
• Kaiser Permanente’s Employee Assistance Program ^[23], a free, confidential service available to the people of KP, is now offering free Weekly Mindfulness, Meditation and Yoga Sessions ^[24] (login required).
• Social media and other poorly vetted sources can be transmitters of misinformation. Make a point to seek out reputable sources of facts, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ^[25], World Health Organization ^[26] and the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center ^[27].
• Social distancing does not mean social isolation. Stay connected with family and friends using FaceTime, Zoom, email, phone, or text messages.

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On Saturday, May 30, celebrate “Mental Health for All: A National Day of Hope” by taking a virtual walk to support the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – and do it your way. “NAMIWalks Your Way” means participants get to make NAMIWalks their own. You can walk a 5K through your neighborhood or on your treadmill, plan a craft day at home or virtually, or do something else meaningful and fun to celebrate the virtual walk day.

NAMIWalks ^[29] bring together people of all ages and fitness levels to combat stigma, show solidarity, and promote awareness of mental illness. Take photos and videos and share your activity on a favorite social media using these hashtags: #NotAlone; #MentalHealthForAll; #NAMIWalks+tag for your area.

Virtual NAMIWalks are scheduled in Coachella/Palm Desert, and Kern, Orange, Ventura, and San Diego counties, but you can participate from anywhere! Get more info or register for your local walk at https://www.namiwalks.org/ ^[29].

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The National Committee for Quality Assurance, which issues report cards to health care organizations based on measurement, transparency and accountability, has awarded Kaiser Permanente Southern California with its highest status of “Excellent Accreditation.” The 3-year accreditation follows a rigorous and extensive survey of our organization’s Commercial and Medicare operations in the Southern California Region. NCQA Report Cards examine how well doctors, other clinicians, practices, health insurance plans and other national health care organizations perform. More here about this prestigious recognition. ^[31]

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Kaiser Permanente expands its mental health and wellness resources with an app focused on emotional wellness, available at no cost to members.

As part of Kaiser Permanente’s long-standing commitment to the mental health and wellness of our members and communities, KPSC members now have access to Calm ^[33] a leading app for mindfulness meditation and sleep, at no additional cost. In these times of increased stress and anxiety, this is an effective, secure new way to support emotional wellness — anytime and anywhere. While not intended to replace treatment or clinical support, Calm includes guided meditations, sleep stories for deeper and better sleep, and video lessons on mindful movement and gentle stretching. Members with an active kp.org account should go to kp.org/selfcareapps ^[34] to register (it is important that you register here before attempting to sign in through Calm.com or the Calm app). More info here ^[35].

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Kaiser Permanente Southern California is one of six of Los Angeles County’s largest nonprofit health systems united in a mission to encourage community members to put health first and access care when needed. The “BetterTogether.Health” educational campaign sends the message that “Life is on pause. Your health isn’t” and urges viewers to “Get care when you need it.” Delaying medical assistance and advice can result in serious and avoidable health consequences.

Getting to a hospital quickly for heart attacks, strokes, and serious illnesses or accidents is critical and saves lives. Those exhibiting serious symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, numbness in one side of the body or severe headache should seek medical attention immediately. Additionally, scheduled vaccinations for children are important to help ensure everyone is protected from infectious diseases. The six health systems have joined to let people know they are open and ready to serve the health of the communities they serve.  Watch the public service message in English ^[41] or Spanish ^[42], and get more info at LA.BetterTogether.health ^[43].

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As we recognize National Hospital Week, we honor our people whose expertise, dedication, and compassion elevate our 15 Southern California medical centers into beacons of member care and confidence. We know it’s our people, our culture, and our innovation – consistent hallmarks of KPSC’s excellence – that allow us to bring out our best in the delivery of high-quality, compassionate health care – never more so than during the COVID-19 pandemic. And for that, we are deeply grateful.  Julie Miller-Phipps and Ed Ellison, MD commend our organization for Activating, Innovating, and Caring in an inspiring message of thanks to those who make it so. ^[45]

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We will all have remarkable coronavirus stories to tell for years to come, from the heartbreaking to the heartwarming. Emberly Anne McCabe, a newborn girl born on April 20 at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center, will likely be telling the story of her own birth for the rest of her life. Her parents, Roxanne and Milo, are already sharing theirs in the national press, from “Inside Edition” to People magazine ^[47].  That’s because Milo, suffering from a critical case of COVID-19, watched Emberly Anne’s birth take place one floor away in the same hospital via a live Zoom video conference. “I never thought with our first child that this is the story that we’d be telling her about how she was born!” said Roxanne McCabe. Almost equally miraculous…thanks to the excellent care he got at KP Baldwin Park, including treatment with Remdesivir ^[48], Milo was able to leave the hospital just a few days later, and join his new family at home. Watch the amazing video here ^[49].