Grossmont Pediatrics May Be Downscaled to Make Room for Adult Patients
In the cutthroat world of high-tech firms, San Diego’s Qualcomm Inc. was recently awarded for doing the right thing.
On May 11, Sharp HealthCare honored Qualcomm for its commitment to hiring people with disabilities and helping employees who have suffered a tragic accident overcome obstacles.
Senior Design Engineer Eric Henderson, who suffered a spinal cord injury in a dirt bike accident in 1997, applauded Qualcomm for its support.
“I never had any reason to worry,” Henderson said. “They (Qualcomm) set me up with a laptop computer while I was in the hospital so I could read e-mail. They made it clear that I didn’t have to come back to work until I was ready.”
Sue Townley, a project manager who suffered a brain injury after falling from a cliff last year, also applauded Qualcomm’s commitment.
“While I was recovering, my supervisor brought meals to my husband and mother in the hospital,” Townley said.
Pam Albertson, a wheelchair-bound buyer in corporate procurement at Qualcomm, said the company didn’t “bat an eye” when she came to interview with the firm three years ago.
“They even put a lift in the company pool so I could swim with my co-workers,” Albertson said.
Eileen Cornish, a spokeswoman for Sharp said some 500 people attended the 11th annual Victories of Spirit awards ceremony May 11 at the Sheraton Harbor Island Hotel and Marina.
She described the event as “one of the best things Sharp does all year long.”
The event also honored six individuals who had overcome traumatic injuries, Cornish said. Each of their stories was recognized during a two- to three-minute video.
George Dunn, vice president and general manager at Qualcomm Wireless Business Solutions, said the 12-year-old parent company prides itself on caring for their employees.
“We feel very honored to receive this award,” Dunn said. “We are very interested in helping our employees with their growth and career development, especially our employees who have challenges and obstacles.”
Qualcomm has a total staff of 6,300 people, according to a company spokeswoman.
She couldn’t say how many of those employees have disabilities.
Dan Sullivan, senior vice president of human resources, said “Qualcomm has historically maintained a highly supportive environment for people with disabilities of all kinds.”
Previous honorees of the Spirit Award included the San Diego Padres and Rubio’s Restaurants Inc.
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Grossmont May Expand:
Grossmont Hospital said its governing board will consider a proposal to convert 11 pediatric beds to adult beds.
The need to reassign pediatric beds comes from the rising number of adult admissions since El Cajon-based Scripps Memorial Hospital East County closed its doors, Sharp reported May 4.
At the same time, Grossmont chief executive Michele Tarbet blamed the decline in pediatric admissions at Grossmont on doctors’ preferred patient referrals to Children’s Hospital.
“The current underutilized beds in the pediatric unit are desperately needed to accommodate our burgeoning adult patient population,” Tarbet said. “Currently, we are bypassing seriously ill adult patients to other hospitals out of the immediate area due to the lack of available bed space.”
Grossmont anticipates 70,000 emergency room visits this year, up from 40,000 emergency room visits prior to the Scripps East closure. Meanwhile, pediatric admissions continue to fall. Tarbet said only four out of the 100 doctors that can admit children to Grossmont bring in the majority of pediatric patients.
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