News

Dear Emanate Health Community:

As the source of health care for the San Gabriel Valley, Emanate Health wants to make sure that we demonstrate to our communities that it is safe to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Click to watch behind the scenes of Emanate Health's first day of staff vaccinations.

In the last six days, Emanate Health clinical volunteers have immunized nearly 2,000 frontline health care workers with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at its three hospitals. It’s a microcosm of what’s taking place at health care systems across the United States during the height of the third surge that’s hitting the country right now.

Emergency physician, Dr. Sergio Hernandez, and Sun Park of Pharmacy are thumbs up after he received his COVID-19 vaccination.

If you or a family member has "vaccine hesitancy," place your trust in the expertise of dozens of scientists who have worked on the Pfizer and recently approved Moderna vaccines. These experts bring a multitude of Infectious Disease Control experience to the table and are working hard to protect the physicians, nurses and support staff on the frontlines to stop the spread of the virus and preventable lives lost.

Like the steadfast soldier, Emanate Health has stood as a pillar of strength in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a values and mission-based health care system, we will continue to stand up tall to help serve and treat all of our patients in our hospitals and ambulatory care centers. It’s that steadfast commitment that drives us to do whatever it takes.

By providing coronavirus information on our web site and educating the community via email and social media, Emanate Health continues our efforts to help keep the communities that we serve well informed. Those efforts have even caught the attention of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune newspaper. Below you’ll find recent coverage of our first day of employee COVID-19 vaccinations.

I want to wish everyone a safe Holiday Season and a healthy and prosperous New Year. Thank you for choosing Emanate Health and always trusting us with your care.

Rob Curry
Chief Executive Officer

Frontline staff at Emanate Health hospitals in the San Gabriel Valley began receiving the first of two Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccinations on Thursday, Dec. 17.

Vaccinations were to continue Friday and through the weekend at the three hospitals, Inter-Community Hospital in Covina, Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina and Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora.

"The COVID-19 vaccinations have gone smoothly today," Emanate Health CEO Rob Curry said in a statement in an email on Thursday, "and thus far, we have no reports of anyone having any adverse reactions to the vaccine."

Emanate Health vaccinated 486 health care staff at the three hospitals on Thursday.

Dr. Sergio Hernandez, an emergency medicine physician who regularly treats COVID-19 patients at Queen of the Valley Hospital, was the first Emanate Health employee to receive the vaccination.

"Thank you to everybody behind the scenes for helping to put this together to ensure the health of our employees and patients in the future. Thank you so much," Dr. Hernandez said in a release.

Hospital staff at the Greater El Monte Community Hospital began receiving the Pfizer vaccine for coronavirus on Wednesday. As of Friday, the hospital administered 240 doses of the vaccine. The hospital has 320 employees and approximately 150 doctors, said Victor Lange, the director of quality risk and management and infection prevention at Greater El Monte Community Hospital.

Lange said the vaccines have been "very successful" with no side effects.

The Emanate Health hospitals and Greater El Monte Community Hospital have seen an increase in the number of patients with COVID-19. Lange said the Greater El Monte Community Hospital has seen about a 40% increase in COVID-19 patients in the past two weeks compared to prior weeks. Curry said the Emanate Health hospitals have seen an increase in the number of patients with coronavirus since Thanksgiving.

"Like other hospital systems throughout the region, Emanate Health has seen a large influx of new COVID-19 cases in recent weeks," Curry said in an email. "Today alone, we’re treating more than 220 coronavirus patients in our three hospitals."

Curry added that the hospitals are at capacity.

"In fact, we have many patients in the emergency rooms waiting to be admitted," he said in an email.

Lange said the intensive care unit at Greater El Monte Community Hospital is filled and, "it is challenging caring for patients." The hospital has converted rooms to treat and care for patients with COVID-19. Los Angeles County public health officials gave the hospital permission to convert the pediatric area and the labor and delivery areas into areas to treat patients with COVID-19. The hospital suspended some of its labor and delivery services and Lange said the hospital has seen a drop in deliveries during the COVID months. He added the hospital provides services for mothers in labor if they come to the hospital.

Despite an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients Lange said the hospital is prepared.

"We are well-prepared to accommodate patients if they should arrive," Lange said.

"We’re very proud of our staff. It is taking its toll on all health care providers. It’s become more challenging to do everyday functions."

Emanate Health plans to vaccinate up to 2,500 frontline employees who treat and serve patients in the next seven to 10 days. The second dose of the vaccine will be administered to Emanate Health employees in 21 days, it was announced Friday.

"As being first responders, it’s our duty to not only take care of ourselves, but our patients," Dr. Hernandez said in a release. "This vaccine will provide an extra layer of safety for all of us to be able to take care of each other."