Recognizing Heroes at the Busiest ER in Los Angeles County
“If I could give every single person that work in our ED a Hero’s Heart, I would. I thank all and appreciate my whole crew.”
When a RN at Los Angeles County - USC Emergency Room, Kate Santiago, reached out to us about acquiring Hero’s Heart recognition pins for her fellow frontliner ER coworkers and herself, we were eager to get an order out to her. Kate mentioned in her email to us that the USC ER is one of the busiest Emergency Rooms in Los Angeles county. Kate obviously loves what she does and her team’s passion and commitment to catering for the underserved/uninsured communities near USC shines through in the photos she sent us. In addition, Kate’s family is full of healthcare heroes. We are proud to take the time to honor Kate, her colleagues and her family on the blog today.
According to Kate Santiago, Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center is one of the largest public hospital and medical training centers in the United States, and the largest single provider of healthcare in Los Angeles County. It provides healthcare services for the region's medically underserved, and is a Level I Trauma Center.
Pictured above is Kate Santiago’s family of healthcare workers. From left: Melinda Macaraig, School RN, 2nd on the left with her son Jomarq on her left. Ferdinand Santiago, RN (Kate’s brother) with his son Lucas in front of him. Kate (in the middle) with her 5 yr old son Kamden in front of her. On Kate’s right: Dr. Lawrence Lipana, anesthesiologist (Kate’s nephew). Right: Analyse Lipana, Occupational Therapist (Kate’s other nephew, Lanz’s wife).
In addition, the Emergency Department is one of the world's busiest, with more than 150,000 visits per year. LAC+USC also serves as the host facility for the U.S. Navy's Trauma Training Center, allowing uniformed medical professionals valuable exposure to trauma cases that prepare them to treat battlefield injury on the front lines with the United States Marine Corps, at sea with the Navy, or ashore at Fleet Hospitals and Shock Trauma Platoons.
In her email to us, Kate explained, “When I decided to work at LAC-USC ED, I knew I had to be ready to face the unknown. We experienced the N1H1, SARS, Ebola, Measles Outbreak, Salmonella, and now - Covid19. I am proud to be working with amazing people who are ready to work in all situations. Covid19 is the most heartbreaking and stressful of them all. We have coworkers who got sick from it. We have close family and friends that suffered from it and some that we lost. Yet, we are here everyday to serve the community and praying that (this day or any day) should NOT be the day I take this disease home.”
Kate says of the Hero’s Heart recognition program, “If I could give every single person that work in our ED a Hero’s Heart, I would. I thank all and appreciate my whole crew. Hospital Security. Registration and Financial Services. Clerks. Nursing Assistants. Radiologists and Techs. Pharmacists and Techs. EKG techs. Respiratory Therapists. Environmental Services. Nurses. Doctors.”