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HR Team Restructures, Keeps Focus on Strategic Priorities With a recent restructuring and the arrival of new leaders, Pipeline Health’s Human Resources team has their eyes on the strategic priorities of employee recruitment, retention and engagement, while enhancing our UKG HR and timekeeping system. Reporting to Chief Human Resources Officer Lisa Guzman, a new leadership team is in place to collaborate with hospital leaders on HR issues and opportunities. “While we have been successful in recruiting new employees and decreasing our dependence on contract labor, we plan to align more closely with hospital leaders to implement new strategies that support business growth and positively impact employee retention,” Guzman said. Current HR activities include continued development of the UKG timekeeping system, roll-out of the 2026 employee benefits program, launching the new Exemplary Employee Awards recognizing exemplary performance, and initiatives for enhanced workplace safety. Meet the HR Directors Enjoli Smith is the new Director of Human Resources Angela Evans is our new Director of Benefits Elizabeth Shah is Director of Human Resources Information Systems Tess Foster is Director of Employee Health
Memorial Hospital of Gardena is home to a new Personal Injury Spine Program, enhancing the facility’s relevance in the surrounding community. “Bringing a dedicated Personal Injury Spine Program to our community hospital fills a vital need,” said hospital CEO Victor Carrasco. “We understand the challenges individuals face after a spine injury, and this program ensures they have local access to expert, compassionate care that supports their journey to recovery.” Automobile and motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries. A spinal cord injury can lead to other physical complications including loss of bladder or bowel control and a compromised respiratory system, among other concerns. The new program is led by board-certified neurosurgeons known for their advanced skills and commitment to patient-centered care. They bring years of experience in managing complex spinal injuries, ensuring the highest standard of surgical treatment. “From the initial consultation to post-surgical recovery, this team of well-trained professionals are committed to supporting the patient at every stage, prioritizing comfort, safety and well-being throughout the healing journey,” Carrasco added.
Scholarships Awarded to Two Nurses National Nurses Week – observed May 6-12 this year – had special meaning for two individuals working at Coast Plaza Hospital. Scholarships were awarded to Norberto Bowen, RN, and Dennis Magadia, RN, to pursue additional academic studies with CNI College. Each nurse received a check in the amount of $13,624 to support his pursuit of a Master of Science degree in nursing. The scholarships winners were announced May 8. “We are extremely proud of these two individuals, and we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with CNI College to support these deserving nurses as they pursue additional education for their careers,” said Valentine Duran, RN, chief nursing officer. Bowen, who has worked at Coast Plaza Hospital since 2018, currently works as a nurse in the Behavioral Health Unit and also serves as a Management of Assaultive Behavior instructor. In his scholarship application, Bowen relayed that his journey in nursing began in the service as a U.S. Army combat medic. Magadia joined the Coast Plaza staff in 2016 and currently works as an ED charge nurse. With 32 years in nursing, his experience spans several hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange County, where he has taken pride in delivering excellent patient care.
Four Pipeline Health nurses were honored in May with the prestigious DAISY Award recognizing their deep caring and compassion for the patients they serve. The following information describes each winner along with comments from the nominations received. East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital: Sinoun Hem, RN Sinoun Hem, RN, was nominated by a patient who received care in what unit/department. The patient shared that she came to the hospital in severe emotional distress—feeling heart pain, depressed, and deeply alone. She was crying when Hem entered the room, introduced herself warmly, and asked how she could help. The patient shared her problem and described how, simply by listening and showing genuine empathy, the nurse made her feel cared for, comforted, and no longer alone. “Her empathy was so profound and genuine. She made me feel loved and welcome—like I mattered. She listened with compassion and gave me the support I needed at one of the hardest times in my life. We need more people like her who make us feel like more than just patients—we’re human beings who matter.”
Four Pipeline Health nurses were honored in May with the prestigious DAISY Award recognizing their deep caring and compassion for the patients they serve. The following information describes each winner along with comments from the nominations received. Memorial Hospital of Gardena: Miguel Fuentes, RN Miguel Fuentes, RN, works the mid-shift in the Emergency Department. He was nominated by his supervisor who is the hospital’s director of emergency services. “Miguel Fuentes has been employed with us since 2017. He works in the Emergency Department and is known by all of us to be a kind and gentle soul. Miguel is consistently (almost weekly) acknowledged by the patients he cares for as being patient, kind, and an excellent nurse. Many of our patients share that he is detailed and explains their plan of care and that they never feel he is rushing them out the door. Miguel is a team player, and he never complains. He accepts any assignment and/or task he is given knowing that it will benefit the ED. He is well liked by the ED physicians and staff and always goes above and beyond to make sure our patients feel cared for.”
Four Pipeline Health nurses were honored in May with the prestigious DAISY Award recognizing their deep caring and compassion for the patients they serve. The following information describes each winner along with comments from the nominations received. Mi Han, RN, is a house supervisor who was nominated by a telemetry nurse co-worker. She came to work at Coast Plaza Hospital in March 2016.“Mimi is a ‘hands on’ supervisor. She never hesitates to help with anything, no task is too small or too big. I have seen her cleaning patients, feeding patients, talking to patients. She helps during codes. She is an example of what a great nurse should be!! I do not hesitate to come in to help when she calls because I know she will help. Mimi is also a wealth of knowledge and is always willing to share her knowledge with her colleagues.”
Janet Chi, RN, Med Surg/Telemetry Department, was recognized May 6 following nominations from four patients. She was hired as a patient care tech in November 2021, passed her RN license, and was hired as a new grad in March 2022. Chi was nominated by three patients and one patient’s family member. “To Janet, my most sincere gratitude for being an excellent and compassionate nurse. More than caring for the health of patients, in this case, me, she cares for emotional well-being. I believe the world needs more nurses like Janet, who at all times, regardless of possible fatigue or stress, is always kind, patient, and helpful. I think the work of a nurse is important for the well-being and recovery of patients; these days I have been here, I feel that Janet is part of my family because of how kind and respectful she is. Thank you, Janet. God bless you.” “Janet has been the world to me while I’ve been here. So helpful to my mind and spirit in a helping and healing way as all nurses should be. Any time I needed Janet she was and has been there for me. Janet deserves to have 10 stars plus reward of the year. Janet is a stellar nurse for sure. Thanks for letting Janet be my “angel” nurse.” “Thank you for taking care of my grandma. She says you’re very sweet. Keep up the good work.” “I was well taken care of by Janet, RN.
Delivering a Legacy Editor’s Note: Following are the words of East LA Doctor’s Hospital CEO Hector Hernandez as he reflected on the May 23 special delivery. Twenty-five years ago, my niece’s daughter was born at our hospital, where I have dedicated so much of my professional life. At that time, I was already walking through these halls, deeply committed to serving this community with compassion and excellence. Now, a quarter of a century later, that same little girl, now a woman, returned to our hospital not as a patient herself—but as a mother. On May 23, she delivered a beautiful baby, and with that, a new generation of our family began its journey, right here within the very walls where hers once began. This moment is more than sentimental. It reaffirms what our hospitals stand for: continuity, trust, and the profound privilege of being present at life’s most significant milestones. To see our hospital not just as a place of work, but as a place where my own family’s story continues to unfold, fills me with pride, humility, and a renewed sense of purpose. To the doctors, nurses, and staff who made Nicole’s experience safe and joyful—thank you. You didn’t just deliver a baby. You delivered a legacy.
May 23 brought a special delivery to the Labor and Delivery unit at East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital—not only for the mother, but also for the baby’s great uncle, hospital CEO Hector Hernandez. Nicole Topete delivered a healthy baby boy at 6:22 a.m. While this was Topete’s firstborn, the baby was not the first in the family to be born at the Pipeline Health hospital. Topete herself was born there. That was the key reason she wanted her baby born at East LA. “My mom had me here,” Topete said. “The hospital gave me confidence to have my baby here because of the quality care my mother received.” Hernandez reports that the new mom gave a positive review of the care she received. “She told me, ‘I never expected this kind of treatment. I know you are my uncle, but all the nurses made me feel safe and confident everything was going to be okay,’” Hernadez relayed. “She also said the doctor – Dr. Baggot -- especially made her feel safe.” During her pregnancy, Topete took a break from her work in commercial modeling and plans to return after a period of adjustment to parenthood for herself and husband Ivan Frias. The family lives in Chula Vista, CA. Hernandez added that community and physician outreach efforts are accelerating to attract more moms-to-be to the hospital for their deliveries. “East LA Doctors Hospital has delivered babies for decades,” he said, “and we want more families to know about the quality care we offer with compassion.”
A new program is in place to enhance the care of critically ill patients across Pipeline Health. The new Intensivist Program launched Sept. 3, offering the expertise of board-certified physicians who provide specialty care for critically ill patients in our Intensive Care Units. According to Dr. Vincent Green, Pipeline’s chief medical officer, “This special expertise addresses a quality concern that has been identified in our Culture of Patient Safety surveys, particularly from our ICU nurses. Because we listened to that concern and have put this program in place, we expect to see increased satisfaction and improved retention among our ICU nurses, in addition to enhanced quality of care. The most visible change in the ICUs will be daily rounds conducted virtually by Intensivists using synchronous audiovisual modalities. “This live, real-time patient-provider interaction will utilize audio-visual technology to review patient cases and develop care plans,” Green said. Green outlined a number of exciting benefits to having an Intensivist Program in our Pipeline hospitals. For example, research shows that an Intensivist Program leads to numerous quality improvements, such as reducing the length of stay in the ICU by 10-30 percent. “We expect to see fewer medication errors, CLABSIs, pressure ulcers, ventilator associated pneumonias and other complications among our ICU patients,” Green said. Intensivist programs physicians also have shown reductions in mortality rates of 5-15%.
