Going above and beyond during the pandemic

Generous local philanthropists have helped us expand our work in important ways, to meet the unique challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are just a few examples.

Testing in the community.

In collaboration with the City of Pasadena and the County of Los Angeles, our caregivers administered COVID-19 tests to members of our community at the Rose Bowl. A drive-through model allowed us to test as many residents as possible, while maintaining social distancing and safety.

Supporting first responders.

We provided free COVID-19 antibody testing to our frontline caregivers, as well as to members of the Pasadena Fire Department and Pasadena Police Department. Testing not only increases safety and peace of mind; it could also expand our arsenal in the fight against COVID-19: We encourage those with antibodies to donate blood plasma, which may help patients who are seriously ill with the virus.

Care for those in need.

Huntington Hospital Ambulatory Care Center (HACC) is a full-service medical clinic, located on our campus. It provides a broad array of primary and specialty care for local residents who lack alternative resources. To ensure continued access, HACC staff partnered with our medical and surgical residents to implement telehealth services for the center’s high-risk patients.

Prepared for any eventuality.

We increased our bed capacity by 50 percent. Together with the City of Pasadena, we also created a temporary medical facility at the Pasadena Convention Center. Huntington Hospital has a surge plan that we will activate, when needed, to ensure all beds at the hospital are available to care for the sickest patients. The hospital currently has surge tents outside our emergency department, which remain available as we monitor COVID-19 cases. If needed, the tents will be used for non-critical patients as overflow from our emergency department.

A lifeline for seniors.

Older adults can be hit especially hard by prolonged social isolation, with negative impacts on their overall health. In response, Huntington Senior Care Network (SCN) created their Senior CareLine. This free phone-based service matches seniors with a trained volunteer to chat with by phone from time to time to help them safely stay socially connected. If you’re interested in getting connected to this service, call SCN’s membership line at (626) 397-3147 or (800) 664-4664.