As part of my role as Supervisor, I attend a lot of events in an effort to get out and see the 2 million people of Los Angeles County’s Fourth District.  One of my favorite events is the annual Amistad Gala benefiting Rancho Los Amigos hospital in Downey.

Last weekend, I again had the pleasure of serving as the evening’s emcee.  I am so pleased that this year’s “Mardi Gras for Miracles” raised $260,000, the most ever.

And no place is more deserving!  Miracles occur every day at Rancho and the patients are some of the most inspiring people I have ever met.  Perspective comes quickly into focus when one sees the incredible art that a patient is able to painstakingly produce with a brush in her mouth…or the incredible effort of an athlete who has spent countless hours of training and conditioning while in a wheelchair.

While Rancho may not be a hospital you have heard of, it is one of the most highly-regarded medical centers in Southern California.  Rancho was recently ranked 8^th out of 140 hospitals in L.A. & Orange County by U.S. News & World Report.  It was also named one of “America’s Best Hospitals” for the 22nd consecutive year.

The awards keep coming in.  We learned recently that Rancho has been nominated twice in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Healthcare Leadership Awards.  Rancho has been recognized for “Top Hospital or Medical Center” and “Safety Net Provider.”  That is an amazing combination – being nominated for top hospital, while also being recognized for helping those who may not have the resources to pay to go to the best hospital.

Rancho helps thousands of inpatients recover from their catastrophic illnesses and injuries each year.  They also conduct more than 80,000 outpatient visits for long-term patients, more than any other rehab facility in the western U.S.  While their successes, research and standards of care earn them accolades, what impresses me most is the unique spirit of the patients, doctors and staff, all passionately focused around hope and giving people the highest quality-of-life.  I am honored and humbled anytime I get to be a part of it.

Fourteen years ago, an idea and vision was dreamed of by Jose G. Ramos.

In 1998, Ramos, a Vietnam veteran participated in a World T.E.A.M. Sports’ 16 day, 1,250 mile bicycle ride through Vietnam. His journey took him through the war-torn areas of Vietnam that he had fought in over a quarter of a century earlier.

The experience proved to be enlightening, oftentimes reflecting on his comrades who lost their lives in the jungles fighting for their country, and the thousands who returned home to the United States and were met with disrespect and disdain. Ramos began brainstorming ways to honor his fellow soldiers’ memories, and to ensure that no soldier returning home from combat would meet the same fate as Vietnam veterans.

Two years later, Ramos started a grassroots campaign to share his idea of a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. He decided to ride his bike from Whittier to Washington, D.C. and ask the White House Administration to proclaim March 30 as national Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.

Support for Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day quickly grew and Whittier became the first city to proclaim a day to honor Vietnam Veterans. Soon, other local cities and jurisdictions followed suit. In 2008, I proclaimed the first Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day on behalf of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Jose G. Ramos has dedicated his life to honoring the convictions and ideals of so many Vietnam veterans who returned home from the war broken and dispirited. His patience and perseverance finally paid off this week when President Obama officially proclaimed March 29, 2012 as Vietnam Veterans Day.

Vietnam Veterans Day is another day that we can join together as Americans to remember the sacrifices of those who have answered our nation’s call, and to thank those who continue to serve us faithfully everyday, with their hearts and their lives.

Recognition of our military should never be about whether we think a war or conflict is right or wrong. Our nation has asked our military to serve and we must thank those who protect our country, our constitution, our lives and most importantly, our freedom.

Thank you to our Vietnam veterans, like Jose G. Ramos, who fought to protect the very values of this great nation. We enjoy freedom and individual privileges because of your service and sacrifice.

In America there is far more uniting us than separating us. We must pay tribute to those who bravely answer the call to serve…with pride, respect and admiration.

At last week’s meeting, the Board granted permission for the Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMS) to enter into agreements with local fire departments to improve patient data collection.  The first pilot program will be with the Long Beach Fire Department, beginning later this year.

EMS coordinates services for the County, which includes 30 fire departments and four ambulance companies who respond to 911 calls.  Currently, we have about 600,000 EMS patient contacts with pre-hospital care providers and paramedics.  There is a patient care record generated for each patient by the fire department, by the base hospital providing orders to the paramedics, and by the trauma center.  Obviously, it is critical that this information is accurate, timely and shared.

Since its inception in Los Angeles County in the 1970s, there has been little change in how the patient care record is generated and transferred to the EMS Agency.  Data from some large departments can be over a year behind.  Federal funds are often available for data improvement within hospitals, but not for EMS.  Many still do not see the person in the pre-hospital environment as a patient.

Funding for this pilot program is coming through a Homeland Security grant to recognize the importance of data collection and submission in the event of a crisis.  I am pleased to see this pilot program get underway and hope that it will be expanded to other fire departments.  Data is absolutely critical for us to make policy decisions and to evaluate our system and care for those most in need.

In the spirit of “you can’t make this up,” I learned recently about a federal regulation that guides the operations of the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS).  This is the County department which manages all of the General Relief payments and food stamps. Participants receive updates on their cases and program announcements on a regular basis.

Under the federal law, we must send paper mail to all program participants, many of whom list one of our district offices as their mailing address because they are homeless.

Yep, you got it.

We are sending mail to ourselves! In fact, more than a million pieces of mail are issued from any of our 13 offices, and they are delivered right back to us.  On the rare occasion that participants come to pick up their mail, staff must search through thousands of items, resulting in long lines and frankly, a waste of staff time.

This week, I have put forth a motion for consideration by the Board to fix this. The first step will be overcoming all federal and state regulations requiring paper mail to those that list our offices as their mailing address. Second step will be developing an electronic alternative that allows program participants to access the information they need, either through a place where the internet is available (public library, for example) or a DPSS office, where they can request print-outs of everything we “mail” to them.

While the County is facing many challenges that we cannot fix because of the economy and the impacts of the federal and state budgets, as the great John Wooden once said, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to appoint Philip Browning to lead the County’s Department of Children and Family Services.

During his tenure in Los Angeles County, Philip has inspired a great deal of confidence with his leadership at Child Support Services, Public Social Services and as the interim director of Children and Family Services.  He has made good in-roads in addressing the challenges the department has faced and I believe he will be an effective leader in finding long-term solutions to the problems we face.

We need to “reboot” our approach to child welfare.  On any given day, we serve over 35,000 children.  From the moment they enter our system from a crisis situation, to the monitoring of their progress with their family or in foster care, we need consistent rules and policies across our 17 regional offices, with clear lines of accountability.

Our number one priority must be the children – they must have the rights, the focus, the attention, and the support they need to grow up safely with the potential for a great future.  I’m confident that Philip shares that goal and will guide the department forward in doing everything possible to protect the children of Los Angeles County.