Pete’s Perspective: Honoring Outstanding Achievements and the People Who Make it Happen

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

Salinas Valley Health breaks ground in leading-edge medical techniques and features advanced equipment of the highest caliber, yet it is the people that work here that make us stand out as a healthcare system. As we celebrate National Nurses Day on Friday, May 5, and Nurses & Hospital Weeks May 8 through 12, we celebrate a team that cares deeply for our community.

Our physicians, nurses, clinical and non-clinical staff work with passion and continually find new ways to help those we serve rise in good health. They build connections with patients that inspire better self-care. They share ideas with their department leaders and with me about how we can change processes to provide stronger support in areas of regular concern. Each day they strive for excellence, knowing their actions affect people’s lives and futures and each day, I am immensely proud to lead this team.

Unit Councils amongst our nursing departments develop improvement plans with ideas for changes in practices specific to their areas. Following review, and sometimes modifications based on feedback from peers, we implement these practices for the benefit of our patients.

The skill and dedication of our nursing team earned Magnet Recognition® for our medical center in 2021. Considered the gold standard of nursing, it is a designation shared by fewer than 10% of hospitals nationwide. We are immensely grateful for our 787 registered nurses and their essential partners in leading the frontline of patient care.

Throughout our healthcare system, we are fortunate to enjoy staff who appreciate their work and embody our vision to build a community where good health grows through every action, in every place, for every person. With a team of more than 2,000, our healthcare system functions like a small city, with many divisions of support to keep our medical center, clinics and other areas running smoothly. On every front – from physicians providing world-class care, to numerous specialized departments led by individuals who dedicate their careers to improving health and well-being for our patients – our team goes above and beyond in care for our community.

Enormous changes have taken place in the field of medicine since we opened our doors seven decades ago. What has never changed is our staff’s spirit of innovation, dedication to everyday excellence, and work to increase access and equity by providing high quality care to everyone we serve.

The observations of National Nurses Day and Nurses & Hospital Weeks are a time to pause and reflect on the extraordinary commitment it takes to work in healthcare – and the very real difference that commitment makes. It is a time to celebrate an outstanding team who has never stopped answering the call and, in doing so, is helping build a brighter future for the people of Monterey County.

Be safe and be well.

– Pete