As your Union Representative, I have worked on many issues that have affected your working environment in a negative way. I have taken feedback from certain areas and worked to communicate to management whether it’s personally, through HR or in our Patient Care Committee meetings. One way or another, I am determined to achieve a positive environment so you don’t have to focus on negative things, but focus on patient care. Through our Union, good changes have taken place.

How do I know this? Because you, the members, have expressed your appreciation of these changes to me. You are the ones who count to me personally. I want you to always feel free to call and speak to me about little or big issues, no matter what they are; they are all of great importance.

Every fourth Thursday of the month, we have a Patient Care Committee meeting and if you’re interested in attending, please call me. We need people from different units so we can cover all areas with first-hand information. We need feedback from your floor so we can all work together to improve patient satisfaction at Garfield Medical Center.

Thank you, JoAnn Valdez-Kaiser