Kudos from the Director: Hemodialysis Unit

One of the best dialysis units they have ever seen. That’s what surveyors from The Joint Commission expressed to me about our Hemodialysis Unit after our recent Joint Commission survey. I was so thrilled to hear that. It was also fascinating for me to hear the JC surveyors say this since they have seen hundreds of dialysis units at both private and VA facilities all over the country.

HD Unit Staff SFVA

Congratulations and thank you to Dr. Cynthia Delgado, Oksook Kim, Sharon Offril, Dr. David Lovett, and the entire Hemodialysis Unit team. You should all be very proud of your accomplishment. The hemodialysis team has done such a fantastic job at creating a sense of community and teamwork. When I visited the unit, employees told me they felt respected by their supervisors and coworkers and enjoyed working on a team that accepts one another’s differences. They said what made their jobs easier is that they all work with one goal in mind—helping our Veterans.

Dr. Delgado wrote to me, “we did not achieve our success without the support of Engineering, Clinical Informatics, OI&T and EMS. Members from these departments were instrumental in efficiently addressing issues prior to our inspection. Oftentimes, these issues required repeated visits and I do want to thank the folks who often work behind the scenes and may not necessarily get our thanks.” Thank you to all the services that were instrumental in this accomplishment.

Beginning on June 6, our Veterans will have more choices to seek their care in the community. With exceptional teams like the Hemodialysis Unit in so many other areas at the SFVAHCS, I am confident Veterans will continue to choose us for their health care needs. The dedication I see in our employees every single day at the SFVAHCS is what differentiates us from private hospitals. Why should Veterans choose VA? This team is another example.

Thank you for being part of the reason why Bay Area Veterans choose and trust the San Francisco VA Health Care System for their health care.

Bonnie Graham