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Health Commission honors Laguna Honda staff and residents, adopts resolution and recognizes teams
Summary
The San Francisco Health Commission adopted a resolution honoring Laguna Honda Hospital staff and residents for the facility's COVID-19 response, then read awards recognizing multiple departments and staff for outbreak management, testing and vaccination work.
The San Francisco Health Commission on Jan. 5 adopted a resolution recognizing the staff and residents of Laguna Honda Hospital for the facility's pandemic response and held an extended employee recognition program for dozens of departments.
Commissioner Guillermo read the resolution, which notes Laguna Honda's role as one of the nation's largest skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, the hospital's ownership by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and the steps taken since the facility's first COVID-19 case on March 22, 2020 — including daily staff health checks, restricted entrances, universal masking, regular testing and a designated COVID unit. The resolution cites the hospital's outbreak-control procedures, contact investigation work and implementation of EPIC, the centralized electronic medical record system.
Following the adoption, commissioners took turns reading formal awards for dozens of teams at Laguna Honda. Honors cited specific accomplishments: the South 5 COVID unit's care for 29 residents who tested positive, the respiratory therapy team's testing and clinical work, the contact investigations team's completion of more than 1,500 staff interviews and 37,800 COVID-19 tests for Laguna Honda staff, and the environmental services team's expansion to 24-hour cleaning shifts to reduce transmission. Individual staff and unit leads (including infection control nurse Jennifer Yu, contact investigations lead Iren Blanco, and Food & Nutrition Services lead Elvis LaVarajda) were named during the ceremony.
Commissioners and health department officials praised the facility's outcomes in the context of national long-term-care trends. Director of Health Grant Colfax told the commission that nearly 1,000 Laguna Honda staff had received vaccine doses through the city's efforts and that resident vaccinations were expected to be offered and largely completed by the next day. Commissioners noted the hospital's physical design, staff leadership and the role of partnerships with ZSFG and the Department of Public Health in limiting outbreaks.
The commission adopted the resolution by roll-call vote and then proceeded with the remainder of the agenda.
