Director's Message
May 2022
Colleagues:
It has been a somber few weeks. Here at home and across the country, two public health crises continue to impact too many lives: violence and racism.
We were sadly reminded of this as gun violence, motivated by unacceptable hate and racism, claimed the lives of dozens of people in Milwaukee, Dallas, Chicago, Winston-Salem, Amarillo, Laguna Woods, Houston and Buffalo. All of this happening over just three days -- and again on Tuesday, at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
My thoughts are with the victims' families and loved ones. I also recognize the effects these reprehensible acts may have on us and our communities. Contra Costa Health stands against all forms of hate and violence.
CCH is dedicated to caring for and improving the health of all people in Contra Costa County with special attention to those who are most vulnerable to health problems. It's more important than ever to speak up for our values: hate and racism have no place in our community.
I am reminded that much consideration isn't given to gun violence until tragedy strikes. Contra Costa Health is working to address this through our Violence Prevention Program, which works to prevent violence throughout Contra Costa residents' lives by looking at the social determinants of health in communities most impacted by violence. The program also collaborates with community partners to reduce violence risk factors. For more information about the Violence Prevention Program, please contact Hisham Alibob at hisham.alibob@cchealth.org.
We want to support all of our staff affected by these heartbreaking events. I invite you to explore the links below to find resources on coping with stress. Take time to prioritize your mental health and self-care.
In solidarity,
Anna Roth
Health Director, Contra Costa County
Path to Zero
We recently hit a grim milestone in the pandemic: one million lives lost in the United States to COVID-19. At a time when we have testing, vaccine, and effective treatment, too many people are still dying from a preventable disease.
Contra Costa County has been a national leader in preventing COVID deaths and our collective efforts have saved countless lives.
I know at times it may feel like things are back to normal, but as we all know – the pandemic is not over.
The Bay Area now has California's highest COVID infection rates, and we're again encouraging people to mask in public indoor settings.
We also launched a new movement to stop preventable deaths called Path to Zero. Part of Path to Zero is methodically studying why COVID deaths happen. We'll use a mortality review team to analyze deaths and understand what could have happened differently, so we learn how to prevent future deaths.
Thank you for all you do each day to keep our communities healthy and to take care of each other.
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. In Contra Costa County, an estimated one in five adults experience behavioral health issues. This month, take time to care for yourself and remember that you are not alone.
Take advantage of the County's Employee Assistance Program
Employee Spotlight
Between his knowledge of medicine, decade of experience as a translator and interpreter, and knowing he could help people – interning with Contra Costa Health was a natural fit for Ihsanullah Azizi.
Ihsanullah graduated from Kabul Medical University as a medical doctor. He also worked as a translator and interpreter for agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development and the United Nations Development Program.
After moving to the Bay Area in 2019, Ihsanullah was introduced to the WEX Trainee Program through the Contra Costa Employment and Human Services Department. He worked with CCH's Business Intelligence team for a few months before joining the Linguistic Access Services Unit – something he thought was a good fit given his experience.
During his internship, Ihsanullah completed several training courses and is now a full time medical interpreter and is able to help people who speak Dari, Pashto, Farsi and English.
Thank you to our departments for working together to help Ihsanullah find a job he's passionate about. Ihsanullha, we're grateful to have you as part of the CCH team.
Do you have a story about an awesome CCH employee we should share? Let us know by emailing brittany.paris@cchealth.org.
We are excited to once again acknowledge milestone anniversaries. Like many things, Milestones were put on hold during the pandemic so we have a lot of amazing employees to celebrate this month. Since 2020, ten employees marked 40 years of service at Contra Costa Health. An extra big thank you and congratulations to them.
Congratulations to all of our dedicated employees for their long years of service making Contra Costa County a healthier place.
See all the Milestone Anniversaries
