  
Happy Thanksgiving!
 Thanksgiving Message on Behalf of Dr. Ghaly:
This Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to thank the workforce members who provide invaluable services at our Hospitals, clinics and all of the teams who provide services in other settings including correctional health at the jails, and care for our houseless population across LA County.
Patient care and wellness is a team effort. At LA County Department of Health Services we count on thousands of workforce members to show up for our patients day-in and day-out.
Every individual, every team, every unit plays a role in caring for patients, in keeping our facilities open and running and in keeping the administrative offices operating. We are the 2nd largest public health care system in America – keeping everything on track to serve hundreds of thousands of people every year is no easy task.
It is your heart-felt commitment and dedication that make a difference in the lives of those who count on DHS for their wellbeing.
I especially want to express my sincerest gratitude to those who will be working during the Thanksgiving Holiday. For patients in need of our health services in Hospital-level care, the Holidays can be extra difficult to endure. It is you, our front-line workers, who make the difference for these patients. Your kind smile, your good wishes and your helping hands is what our patients need and count on to continue on the road to recovery. I thank you for being here.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Dr. Christina Ghaly
Dr. Ghaly's Virtual Town Hall
New Name for Rancho Los Amigos Amphitheater
 The Rancho Los Amigos Amphitheater will be renamed in honor of Carlos Benavides, a long-time disability-rights advocate for the National Rehabilitation Center, reported The Downey Patriot, the community newspaper that covers the DHS facility.
Benavides said, in the Patriot’s article, that he began advocating for disability rights after an accident and spinal cord injury in 2003.
Familiar with Rancho’s high-quality care and services, Benavides wanted to receive therapy at the DHS center, struggled to get into the program, and eventually had to pay out of pocket for his treatments.
“That’s how bad I wanted to be here, because I’ve seen what they do, I’ve seen what they do for the patients,” Benavides said. “You know what, I didn’t want the patients to go through the same challenges I had to go through, so I started working with different patients and got into the patient advisory council, and that was my first step here.”
To read more about Benavides, click here to visit the community newspaper’s website.
Minute for Medicine - Using Read and Repeat Back and Communication Clarifiers for Patient Safety
Implementing the practice of Read and Repeat Back is a simple yet effective way to prevent errors in patient care and create a work climate that emphasizes patient safety. Watch this quick video to get a refresher and why this technique is so impactful in a healthcare setting.
Grow Your Career – Changing Professions
 There are many reasons people may pursue a career change. Perhaps you have a desk role and are looking for something a little more active, or vice versa. Sometimes, people need to switch things up to stay happy and excited about work.
Whatever the reason, we want to help career changers find a new path within the Department. To help transition into a new path, the LA County Department of Human Resources offers numerous guides – focusing on statistics, data collection, business writing, mechanical skills, and many other skills – to help career changers.
DHR offers a total of 13 guides to develop the skills needed for your career.
 
The Ambulatory Care Network is Growing –
Recruiting for a Staff Assistant
We all know that DHS is unique in serving complex patient populations and that it takes a robust team of dedicated professionals to care for our patients. This is why DHS leadership is investing in bringing dozens of new staff onboard to serve alongside teams across DHS.
As we grow, we invite you to grow with us!
Periodically, we will be highlighting some of our current job opportunities. As one of the largest integrated health organizations, DHS offers unique opportunities that reach across numerous medical specialties and the communities in Southern California.
The Ambulatory Care Network is actively recruiting for a Staff Assistant in the central ACN Patient Access Center, will report to the center’s Director, and provide administrative and operational support.
Click on the job title above to learn more about the opportunity, apply if you are interested, or share with friends and family.
National Family Health History Day, Nov. 25
 The day after Thanksgiving is also National Family History Day and a reminder to learn about your family’s health and whether there is a history disease among the relatives.
Having a family health history of a disease doesn’t mean that you will definitely get it. Knowing your family health history risk can help you prevent from developing the disease — if you act on it. Collecting your family health history is an important first step.
Talk to your doctor about when to start screening and what other steps to take to prevent the disease or find it early. Finding disease early can often result in better health in the long run.
Family members might not want to talk about their health during the holidays. But starting the conversation is important. Remember, you’re asking not just for your own health, but for the health of everyone in your family.
For the list of six diseases that can occur across generations, visit U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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