Dignity Health | hello Healthy | Spring 2019

2 DignityHealth.org/Bakersfield | Spring 2019 Rendering created by Centennial High School seniors Christopher Gereke and Caden Erickson and instructor Pierre Peasha A little help goes a long way To find out how you can contribute, visit bakersfieldveteransvillage.org . Say hello toMemorial Hospital’s new President/CEO As hospital executives go, Ken Keller is fluent in health care “I tell people that I’m trilingual. I’ve been in the health care space for about 30 years. During that time I’ve garnered experience on the health plan side, the physician side, and the hospital side,” Keller says. “It gives me the ability to understand the needs and concerns of all parties, and when we work in collaboration, it ultimately leads to better patient care.” As Memorial’s chief operating officer since 2015, Keller was instrumental in many projects— most notably the completion of the Robert A. Grimm Children’s Pavilion for Emergency Services; the launch of the new neuro critical care unit; and the establishment of a dedicated, permanent unit for the Grossman Burn Center. He also supervised the conversion to a new electronic medical record system and oversaw an $11 million face-lift for the hospital. So what does the future hold? “I want to make sure we are aggressively focused on patient quality, patient experience, and patient safety,” Keller says. “We want to continue to improve and elevate our game.” That includes continuing Memorial Hospital’s strong community partnership and delivering on the Hello humankindness brand. A longtime champion for local veterans is taking the lead on a new project. The mission: to provide permanent housing to Bakersfield’s homeless veterans. Tim Terrio, president of TERRIO Physical Therapy and Fitness, saw a plan for so-called tiny homes on social media and had a lightbulb moment. “I knew this would be huge for our community,” Terrio says. “Both my father and grandfather are veterans, so I know how important it is to make sure those who have served our country are taken care of.” Terrio teamed up with the California Veterans Assistance Foundation (CVAF), a local agency with a long history of providing housing for homeless veterans. The nonprofit already had a piece of land in mind on Covey Avenue in Oildale. Safe, dignified housing The Veterans Village will consist of 12 tiny homes, an outdoor barbecue area, and a common space with a laundry room. Each home is 400 square feet and includes a bathroom, kitchenette, bedroom, and living area. CVAF will identify local homeless veterans to occupy the homes and will manage the facility. Terrio is working to raise funds through his nonprofit, Health Through Wholeness. Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals contributed $20,000 to the project. “We’re trying to build this entire project with private funds, so donations like the one from Dignity Health make a huge impact and help us reach our goal of getting homeless veterans into permanent housing,” Terrio says. Bakersfield steps up for veterans The list of people involved keeps growing. From local home builders to high school students, everyone is donating time and talents to the project, but there is still much to be done. “Anything we can get donated makes it go faster,” Terrio says. “We need everything from concrete to coffeepots. “This project is going to be a testament to Bakersfield and how this community comes together to get things done,” says Terrio. Construction is expected to start this spring. Tiny homes, big impact for local veterans Tim Terrio