Gustavo Valdespino Award Transcription
[Light music]
V.O. Visuals: Exterior of Valley Presbyterian Hospital; composite of photos with statistics under the headline “This Hospital is Vital to the Valley”; nurse with a mask on attending to a patient in a hospital bed; close up of patient smiling; facilities worker cleaning hospital bed.
U.S. Congressman Tony Cardenas (V.O.): More than ever in America, more people have true access and that’s wonderful, but not everybody does.
V.O. Visuals: Valley Presbyterian Hospital logo on exterior of building; poster with the headline “A hospital that reflects the values of its community” with a list of services; a doctor and male nurse walking down a hallway; male doctor talking with a female nurse at nurse’s station. Two female nurses at computers behind desk talking; two women with masks learning how to diaper babies.
Cardenas (V.O.): It’s independent hospitals like Valley Presbyterian Hospital that is actually giving true access to healthcare to be able to see a doctor, to be able to get the care that they need, when they need it. That's what makes Valley Presbyterian Hospital important not only to the northeast San Fernando Valley...
Visual: Speaker is U.S. Congressman Tony Cardenas sitting behind his office desk.
Cardenas: ...but beyond because they care for everyone who walks through those doors.
V.O. Visuals: Camera pans across bags with hospital logo; President/CEO Gustavo Valdespino sitting at his desk signing documents.
Kimberly Wyard (V.O.): Valley Pres and Gus Valdespino really have created a business model that works for the healthcare safety net.
Visual: Speaker is Kimberly Wyard, CEO of Northeast Valley Health, sitting in a room.
Wyard: He really fostered that type of a model so that federally qualified health centers, or FQHCs, as we call ourselves, are able to participate fully in managed care.
V.O. Visuals: Valdespino with a red hat and t-shirt on, high-fiving toddlers at the Toy Giveaway event; Valdespino waving to visitors; mother with children getting their photo taken with Santa
Alex Guerrero (V.O.): Gus Valdespino cares about this community...
Visual: Speaker is Valley Presbyterian Hospital Board Member, Alex Guerrero, sitting in a room.
Guerrero: ...and he cares about bringing the best of the best to provide services.
Visual: Speaker is Dr. Sanjay Vadgama, MD, Medical Director of the ICU and Director of the Hospitalist Program at Valley Presbyterian Hospital. He is sitting in a room.
Dr. Sanjay Vadgama: For me, one of the best things about Valley Presbyterian Hospital is actually the people and the culture, and I think a lot of that comes from Gus...
V.O. Visuals: Valdespino walking up to two female nurses in the parking lot during In & Out day at the hospital; another female worker hugs him; a male worker shakes his hand.
Vadgama (V.O.): ...and the way he treats us and how friendly and approachable he is, how easy he is to work with.
V.O. Visuals: Valdespino in the commissary kitchen talking and hugging three female workers; he hands a gift box to a female employee in an office.
Guerrero (V.O.): Gus thinks about everybody at that hospital from the top to the bottom. What I've discovered about him is...
Guerrero: ...he's an excellent, excellent listener.
V.O. Visuals: Valdespino listening intently to male food service worker in kitchen; in hallway with his hand on shoulder of maintenance worker talking with him.
Wyard (V.O.): As busy as he is, and as much as he has on his plate...
Wyard: ...he's always willing to sit down and listen.
Vadgama: Anytime there's a problem or an issue that I need help with, I can just knock on Gus's door and we discuss it and I know that I'm gonna get some help.
V.O. Visual: Valdespino handing Operation Gratitude boxes between volunteer workers in a warehouse.
Guerrero (V.O.): When I think of him as a leader and a caring leader, I think of Covid...
Guerrero: ...but in this community where there's so many challenges where it's so underserved, he made every effort to do outreach to make sure that we were communicating with the community, and then also to make sure that needs of staff was met.
V.O. Visuals: Valdespino talking with a group of hospital staff in an office hallway; talks with a volunteer one-on-one in a warehouse; hands out boxes to other volunteer workers.
Vadgama (V.O.): Seeing Gus manage that really stressful situation, his leadership and guidance for all of us was really helpful.
Vadgama: His leadership has allowed me to personally grow. I think I've learned a lot from him and how he manages people in the hospital. I've been able to, uh, grow programs and provide patient care here that we weren't able to do elsewhere.
Lionnel Zaragoza: I describe Gus as a caring individual. Someone who just, uh, wants to give back, wants to make sure that the community that he's in is getting all the resources and services that they need. And also a big sports fan.
Visual: Lionnel Zaragoza, District Vice President/Executive Director at the Mid Valley Family YMCA, sitting in office with a hospital logo placard behind him.
Zaragoza (V.O.): It's about the eighth year that we're doing the Valley Presbyterian Hospital and YMCA Dodger Night. It's a day that we take 22 kids and 22 leaders from Valley Presbyterian Hospital to a Dodger game. Just seeing the smiles on these kids' faces is just so amazing.
V.O. Visuals: Valdespino in line clapping as Zaragoza smiles next to him; Valdespino laughing as a group walks out of the YMCA; back of Valdespino and Zaragoza as they walk with the group through the parking lot at Dodger stadium; Valdespino with his arm around with a young man as they walk toward the entrance; standing in the aisle talking to the group seated before the game gets started; row of kids with their parents in the stands.
Zaragoza: I actually asked Gus a couple years ago how this event started, and it's something that he's been doing for years.
Guerrero (V.O.): I’ve known Gus about 14 years. He is constantly pushing himself to provide more for this community, and that's what I love about Gus.
V.O. Visuals: Close up of Valdespino talking to a group of office workers off-camera; Valdespino in a warehouse with another volunteer boxing up items; in parking lot smiling and waving to someone off-camera; at Toy Giveaway event receiving a Certificate of Recognition.
Guerrero: He is not the kind of guy that wants to accept awards.
Guerrero (V.O.): He does things because it's his job, because he knows what's best and because he wants to provide services to the community.
V.O. Visuals: Valdespino talking at the front of a bus in the parking lot of Dodger stadium; talking to a group of office workers off-camera; walking up a hospital sidewalk talking with a female employee.
Wyard: Congratulations, Gus on your vision and excellence and healthcare leadership award.
Guerrero: I know that you are not an awards guy. You don't even like it when I say attaboy, but this is definitely an award that you deserve and you deserve much more.
Cardenas: You've done an amazing job, my friend, continue to do so. You've earned it.
Vadgama: We're so proud of you, and I want to thank you for everything you've done.
Zaragoza: Gus, on behalf of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, especially the Mid Valley family, YMCA and from the bottom of my heart, congratulations. You deserve this award, and I know you may be a Yankees fan, but go Dodgers.
End screen: Valley Presbyterian Hospital logo
[End music]
