Moving Forward: Two Years into the Pandemic

Over the last two weeks, many of us have no doubt stopped to reflect on the past two years. March 11, 2022, marked two years since we learned of the first COVID-19 positive case in Tulare County. And now, two years later, we find ourselves having made incredible progress yet still challenged by quickly-changing COVID-19 variants and the ongoing demands of new protocols, guidelines, and regulatory measures.

Despite the fast-moving target of patient and employee safety, we have persevered to keep up. No doubt, that speaks to our organization’s resilience and the many acts of kindness we continue to see from each other, our patients, and our community.

One year ago, we were already one year into this pandemic and we hoped that by this time – the pandemic would be a thing of the past. We thought that we had seen our darkest hour yet, but what we found out since then is that COVID-19 may continue challenging us well into the foreseeable future.

We face uncertainty. We don’t know what the future will look like in relation to the virus. Yet, one constant has arisen. That constant is our sense of collaboration. Together, we have accomplished more than we may have previously thought possible.

In the past two years, we have overhauled spaces within the walls of our hospital to accommodate the care of COVID-19 positive patients. We have quickly created new processes and adjusted them as necessary to address changing infection prevention strategies, testing initiatives, and vaccination efforts.

Sierra View Medical Center Leadership recognizes the commitment every single one of our employees has shown with the same goal we have had all along in mind: keeping our patients and staff safe. We continue thanking them immensely.

Over the past two years, we have done plenty to ensure that our community has the updates and resources it needs. Within the walls of the hospital, we ensure the safety and cleanliness of our facilities so that we can continue to deliver essential acute care and outpatient services to our patients. In 2021 alone, we served our community with the unshakeable belief that care cannot be compromised even in the most difficult of times. We provided care during 60,178 patient visits from community members. 34,100 of those were ER visits. We provided acute care to 5,512 patient admits and safely completed 5,540 discharges. We also completed 126,710 procedures throughout our many departments including the cath lab, surgery, and radiology.

Outside of the hospital, we have continued forging ahead to create new primary care opportunities in nearby communities. To date, we have administered more than 25,000 COVID-19 vaccines and gone mobile with Imperial Ambulance to help vaccinate the South Valley. Our community partnerships are stronger than ever and the future looks bright in knowing that we have even more shared resources to leverage in the interest of our community’s health.

So, where are we two years later? We’re together and we’re stronger than ever. We simply ask SVMC health care workers – and all health care workers – to do what they have always done. Please continue to show up. We see you, we hear you and we are deeply grateful for everything you do.

Sincerely,

SVMC Senior Leadership Team

To learn more about the Sierra View Medical Center Senior Leadership Team, please visit our Executive Team page.