LET TER FROM THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
VIAN NGUYEN, M.D. As Legacy’s Chief Medical Officer and an OB/GYN physician, I consistently search for new ways to advocate for my patients, and the community as a whole, to improve their health. This year that approach was magnified to an extreme as we face the COVID-19 global pandemic. From the onset of the pandemic, Legacy teams from across the organization came together to not only address a public health threat, but also protect the more than 200,000 patients we see throughout the year. I’m proud to be part of the leadership team that coordinated efforts such as: • Setting up four standalone satellite clinics to provide COVID-19 testing to the public weeks before most other organizations. • Changing the physical structure of our clinics to provide more safety measures for our staff and patients. • Creating a virtual pediatric clinic that implemented telemedicine appointments to ensure medical care for parents who had sick children. • Providing adult primary care virtually when possible. • Having a drive-up option for labs and other in-person services. We have learned a lot about the resilience of our organization, patients and community from facing COVID-19. In the coming year, we look forward to implementing new programs to help some of our most vulnerable patients, specifically: • Rigorously protecting patients with comorbidities as well as those who are immunocompromised against any and all infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. • Empowering adolescents and young adults to become more involved in their health through the launch of a new online resource and educational initiatives designed to expand our capacity to engage this hard-to-reach group “on their turf.” • Opening new clinic spaces to focus on community needs and expanding access to care. These spaces include Wellness Bar by Legacy, a walk-in clinic in Montrose that will offer health screenings, free, rapid HIV testing and same-day PrEP for the prevention of HIV, and more. • Exploring and implementing innovative ways to help patients with their health needs, such as remote blood pressure monitors and more ways to incorporate telehealth across our service lines. I look forward to meeting the goals we’ve set out to accomplish, including meeting the public health and community health care needs of our patients where they reside. As we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe that Legacy’s focus on preventative medicine, education and outreach in ways that are more convenient to our current and future patients—whether it be done virtually or other ways—will not only help our community heal, but become healthier. Vian Nguyen, M.D. Chief Medical Officer
22
2020 Year In Review
