Honoree Patti James (center) is congratulated by Kathy Jermain, vice president for case management and Patient Hub (left) and ������ CEO Robert Allen in a celebration held at the corporate office in El Segundo.

Patti James is the Exemplary Employee for September for our corporate office.

Patti joined Pipeline in September 2022. She serves as Manager of the Patient Hub call center. One of her two nominators had this to say:

“Patti is the Manager of the Patient Hub and has been a huge reason for its success. Her role in the Hub is multifaceted, and she balances it all very well, especially managing the 24/7 utilization reviews and the team, both on site and in the Philippines.

“Patti consistently goes above and beyond outside of her busy job to help and assist wherever needed in the hospitals. Recent examples include:

• She took on training the case management staff�� on e-fax to improve efficiency and cost, for all four hospitals.
• She jumped in to help one of the case management directors who had been short staffed for a period of time. Patti learned the functions of a discharge planning assistant in order to help facilitate discharges and manage length of stay.
• She has covered for the Hub Supervisor while she is out.
• Patti covers the night shift in the Hub for sick calls and never complains, even after working all day.

“Patti’s flexibility and positive attitude to do whatever is needed for the good of Pipeline and the hospitals are admirable. She very much deserves this recognition.”

Another nominator called Patti a “pioneer who sees only opportunities, never problems,” adding:

“As manager of the Patient Hub, Patti has led an important, relatively new, program for the transfer of patients from other facilities to our Pipeline hospitals. As the program has evolved and grown, she has interacted regularly with a variety of hospital and corporate staff as well as external customers, always working to ensure the most appropriate care for the patient. She is all about process improvement when that is possible.

“Patti always has an energetic, positive demeanor–which is greatly appreciated in our sometimes daunting healthcare environment. As a manager, she works well with her team members, often providing posters of inspirational or humorous messages. If Patti says she will do something, you know it will get done. Patti is truly an exemplary employee, and we are so fortunate to have her at ������.”

9.01.2026

The month of August brings recognition for four ������ employees who have been honored with the company’s prestigious Exemplary Employee Award. The award recognizes outstanding employees who demonstrate their commitment to patients, family and co-workers through acts of caring, compassion and excellent customer service.

Nominations are submitted by co-workers, patients, physicians and visitors.

Each award carries with it a certificate of recognition as well as a $100 gift card. Hospital honorees will have use of a premium parking space for one month, and photos of each honoree will be displayed on plaques in a public area of their hospital or office.

Congratulations to these most recent honorees!

East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital

Lucy Delgado Named Exemplary Employee

Lucy Delgado has been named our Exemplary Employee for the month of August. The award recognizes outstanding employees who demonstrate their commitment to patients, family and co-workers through acts of caring, compassion and excellent customer service.

Delgado joined our hospital in March 2008. She is a Staffing Coordinator in our Nursing Administration office. She was nominated by two co-workers who had this to say:

“Lucy consistently demonstrates outstanding dedication, professionalism, and a positive attitude in the workplace. She is always willing to assist anyone who seeks her help, whether by providing direction, guiding them to the appropriate person or resource, or taking the initiative to address the need herself whenever possible. She is dependable, approachable, and committed to ensuring that others receive the support they need.

She takes her role seriously and consistently maintains professional behavior in all interactions. Staff frequently turn to her for direction and guidance because of her strong work ethic, helpful nature, and willingness to find answers. Even when she does not immediately know the solution, she takes the initiative to seek the correct information and follow through. Her positive presence, commitment to service, and reliable support make her highly deserving of exemplary recognition.”

Another co-worker wrote the following:

“It is with great appreciation that we recognize Lucy Delgado for her unwavering dedication, exceptional service, and commitment to supporting our team. For 18 years, she has been a constant source of reliability, knowledge, and support through numerous organizational changes, leadership transitions, and evolving department needs.

She consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that our nursing leaders and staff have the resources and assistance they need to provide excellent patient care. Whether she is diligently reviewing and correcting timecards to ensure accuracy and timeliness, coordinating and ordering essential supplies, or assisting with countless day-to-day operational needs, she approaches every task with professionalism, efficiency, and a positive attitude.

What truly sets her apart is her willingness to help others. She is the person many turn for answers, guidance, and support. She works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep operations running smoothly, often anticipating needs before they arise and ensuring that challenges are addressed quickly and effectively.

We want to thank Lucy for her outstanding contributions, years of loyal service, and the countless ways she supports our department every day. Her hard work does not go unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for all that she does. She is an invaluable part of our team, and this recognition is well deserved.”��

Community Hospital of Huntington Park

Javier Paniagua Named Exemplary Employee

Javier Paniagua has been honored with the Exemplary Employee Award for August. The award recognizes outstanding employees who demonstrate their commitment to patients, family and co-workers through acts of caring, compassion and excellent customer service.

Paniagua is a Registered Nurse on our Telemetry unit. He came to work here in February 2024. Following are comments from one of the two co-workers who nominated him for this award.

“Javier consistently helps others and goes above and beyond to support the team. As a preceptor, he patiently guides and mentors others, while setting a strong example through his knowledge, professionalism, and dedication.

He remains calm and composed in challenging situations, communicates effectively with colleagues, patients and patients’ family member, and clearly sets expectations while upholding high standards of performance and accountability, always making patient safety a priority.

His positive attitude, teamwork, and strong communication skills make him truly deserving of this recognition.”

Another co-worker said this:

“Javier is constantly helping others on the floor, going above and beyond to help patients and their families.”

Coast Plaza Hospital

Tess Coloma Named Exemplary Employee

Colomba has been honored with the Exemplary Employee Award for August. The award recognizes outstanding employees who demonstrate their commitment to patients, family and co-workers through acts of caring, compassion and excellent customer service.

She is a Certified Nurse Assistant on our Med-Surg unit who has worked at our hospital since November 2017. She was nominated by two co-workers who had this to say:

“Tess stands out over her peers by going out of her way to make sure floor nurses obtain the assistance they need. She is usually seen moving the hydration cart going room to room refilling patients’ water pitchers to make sure nurses are able to do med pass without delay. Before the Quiet Hours initiative was implemented, she pioneered providing essential oils to patients to help them relax and have restful sleep. She also has a keen eye and immediately reports her patients’ observations to respective nurses. She makes her rounds without being told. New hires would benefit from her years of knowledge, attitude, experience and skills in promoting her craft.”

“I would like to thank Tess for continued commitment to her work with excellence.�� She exceeded beyond what is expected of her, the effort that she puts in daily makes a difference.�� She cares and shows empathy to every patient.�� Her dedication and perseverance are truly inspiring.”

Memorial Hospital of Gardena

Linda Schrader Named Exemplary Employee

Schrader has been honored with the Exemplary Employee Award for August. The award recognizes outstanding employees who demonstrate their commitment to patients, family and co-workers through acts of caring, compassion and excellent customer service.

She is an LVN who works in the Emergency Department. She joined our hospital team in April 2010. Among her nominators for this award are two family members of one of our patients. One nominator had this to say:

“My brother was admitted to MHG earlier this week. Ms. Linda was not only helpful to him, but also efficient in handling a lot of patients all at one time! She kindly followed through with my sister and me to let us know when our brother was finally moved from the ER to his room. People like Ms. Linda make traumatic experiences easier to manage due to the way she lovingly handled our brother, us and the large number of patients she served during our time in the ER. She is truly an exemplary employee and human being.”

Another patient’s family member said this:

“Ms. Linda was a wonderful ER nurse. Upon arrival in the ER intake, after being sent to MHG from another hospital, I was pleasantly greeted by Ms. Linda. In spite of all the constant motion of the ER, Nurse Linda display strength under pressure. She was able to multitask and effectively communicate with ambulance services and hospital staff with professionalism and grace. She was like a conductor in an orchestra! Our family appreciates Ms. Linda and MHG!”

One Schrader’s co-workers wrote the following:

“Linda consistently demonstrates an unwavering commitment to providing exceptional patient-centered care.�� She is extremely attentive to the needs of her patients and goes above and beyond to ensure they are comfortable, informed, and supported throughout their stay with us.��

“Her compassion and advocacy are evident in every interaction and is reflected in the consistent recognition she receives in our monthly Press Ganey patient comments.�� Patients frequently acknowledge her kindness, attentiveness, and the positive impact she has had on them.�� I sincerely appreciate her dedication and loyalty to her patients, their families, her peers, and physicians.”����

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Pictured here left to right are: hospital CEO Victor Carrasco, ������ CEO Robert Allen, honoree Diana Graciano, and hospital CEO Hector Hernandez.

Diana Graciano has been named the Exemplary Employee for the ������ Corporate Office and Central Business Office for the month of June. The award recognizes employee commitment to patients, family and co-workers through acts of caring, compassion and excellent customer service.

Graciano joined Pipeline in January 2020. She serves our company as a Senior Director of Medical Staff Services.

She was nominated by three co-workers, one of whom shared the following:

“Diana was presented with a change in regulation two weeks ago that would directly impact physician enrollment and future reimbursement for the hospital. Instead of declining ownership of the problem, she obtained all the facts and proactively moved toward resolution, implementing a variety of checks and balances to get this working. It’s very difficult to embrace change in a fast-paced environment, but she didn’t just embrace it, she implemented the changes ahead of the regulation taking effect. That’s true leadership, and Diana certainly deserves the Exemplary Employee Award.”

Another nominator said this:

“Diana has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and operational excellence in her oversight of the Medical Staff/Facilities function. Despite ongoing staffing shortages, she has successfully maintained full departmental operations, ensuring all new applications and reappointments are processed accurately and within required timeframes. Her ability to sustain both efficiency and compliance under constrained conditions reflects a high level of discipline and commitment.

“Over the past two weeks, our hospitals have encountered several complex and sensitive matters, including physician summary suspensions, a HIPAA-related incident, and additional physician-related concerns. Throughout these challenges, Diana has remained composed, responsive, and highly professional. She has not only managed these issues promptly and effectively, but also she has continued to lead her department without disruption.
“Diana’s work is consistently of the highest quality. She approaches every situation with precision, sound judgment, and a clear understanding of regulatory and operational expectations. Beyond execution, she serves as a trusted resource, providing thoughtful guidance and support whenever needed.

“Her reliability, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to excellence make her a truly deserving candidate for this recognition.”

A third nominator shared this:

“Diana has been a vital part of ������ since 2018, beginning her journey at East LA before rising to her current role as Senior Director for the Medical Staff. In 2023, she successfully led her department through a major restructuring to implement our current operational model. Her leadership was instrumental in several key centralization efforts, including the launch of a system-wide universal application, the alignment of Medical Staff Bylaws across all four hospitals, and the optimization of our Medical Staff software.

Beyond her technical expertise and management skills, Diana’s character and community-�� focused dedication make her an Exemplary Employee. She is a tireless advocate for patient safety, ensuring that only high-quality providers are onboarded, and she serves as a trusted advisor on governance best practices. Despite her many accomplishments, Diana remains humble, often crediting her team’s hard work as the true source of her success. She is truly deserving of this award.”

6.1.2026

The Spring 2026 Safety Grades from The Leapfrog Group are out, and Coast Plaza Hospital once again received an “A” grade.

The Leapfrog Group is a national non-profit organization founded in 2000. The Safety Grade provides consumers with critical information on how likely they are to experience accidents, injuries, errors or harm while in the hospital.��The Leapfrog Survey is based on voluntary participation.

In a memo to Coast Plaza employees and physicians, hospital CEO Victor Carrasco wrote, “Our ‘A’ grade is not the result of a single department. It reflects a hospital-wide culture of safety. From our Environmental Services team to our surgeons, every staff member owns this grade of excellence.”

The hospital’s grade reflects a slightly increased numerical score from 3.3 in Fall 2025 to 3.3340 currently.

Leapfrog’s scoring is based in part on data reflecting performance from a year or two ago.

Since then, Pipeline hospitals have implemented several improvements that are not yet captured in the public grade. For example, the hospitals are strengthening core safety practices, including: enhanced medication safety checks, daily safety huddles, and expanded leadership rounding–all of which directly align with Leapfrog’s evidence‑based standards.

At the same time, staff are implementing improvements in infection prevention, hand hygiene, and early‑warning systems for patient deterioration.

Carrasco’s memo also said, “Leapfrog gives us a clear roadmap to ensure our community hospitals provide the safest care possible—to each and every patient, each and every day.”

5.6.2026

Among those in those congratulating honoree Justin Gracieux (center) were (left to right): Pipeline CEO Robert Allen, hospital CEO Victor Carrasco, Vice President for Marketing and Communications Jane Brust, and hospital CEO Hector Hernandez.

Justin Gracieux is our corporate office Exemplary Employee for the month of May. He joined ������ in November 2023 and serves as a Clinical Liaison on the Business Development team in the corporate Marketing and Communications office.

The award recognizes outstanding employees who demonstrate their commitment to patients, family and co-workers through acts of caring, compassion and excellent customer service.

Gracieux was nominated by two co-workers. One of those nominators had this to say:��

“Justin Gracieux is the model of a dedicated, enthusiastic employee who takes initiative in his role as Clinical Liaison on our corporate Business Development team. He demonstrates a strong commitment to serving our patients — and our hospitals — in his words and actions.

Every day he is out in the community, cultivating strong relationships with physicians, nurses, case managers and others in hospitals and other facilities all across Los Angeles County. Justin is a terrific representative of our hospitals and of ������ as he educates providers about our services and facilitates patient referrals to our Pipeline hospitals.

Internally, Justin has cultivated equally strong relationships with a variety of Pipeline physicians, nurses, case managers and administrators — including our hospital CEOs and CNOs. He can be counted on to identify opportunities for enhanced service as well as issues and solutions. Justin is a high-energy individual who thrives on working to serve our communities and ensure the success of ������.”

Another nominator said this:

“Justin has been with Pipeline over three years now as a Clinical Liaison.�� He has been instrumental in building community awareness and support for our Pipeline services—especially our two Sub-acute Units and our Behavioral Health Unit.�� His contributions to rebuilding relationships and reestablishing trust with our post-acute care partners has yielded improved access to care across multiple service lines for our communities.��Justin has been instrumental in ensuring our Behavioral Health Unit is well known for access to this care across the entire LA Basin through community, law enforcement, and EMS outreach. Justin has built a path for success though his strong advocacy of behavioral and long-term care patients by ensuring our community partners have knowledge of our services.”�� ����

5.1.2026

Amy Lu has been named Vice President for Finance, effective April 20. Lu will be responsible for leading several areas of Finance, including accounting, payroll, cash management and decision support, reporting to CFO Matt Williams.

Lu brings to Pipeline 20 years of experience in executive financial management roles. Most recently she served as Associate Chief Financial Officer for Cha Hollywood Medical Center. Among her accomplishments there she collaborated with department leaders, the CNO and COO in operating and productivity strategies resulting in more than $2 million in annual cost savings. She also performed financial analysis on KPI’s and delivered key business performance metrics to executives.

“Amy’s expertise will help facilitate our goal of supporting our hospital leaders to improve the financial performance of Pipeline,” Williams said in a memo to all personnel.

Lu’s previous employers include Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, Dignity-Glendale Memorial Hospital, and PIH Health in Whittier. She holds a Masters of Business Administration degree with Management and Leadership and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, both from the University of La Verne.

4.20.2026

Among the cost-savings initiatives under way at ������ is one that involves a new relationship that is reducing the cost of hospital supplies.

Effective Jan. 1, Pipeline is affiliated with SURPASS, a program of the Premier Group Purchasing Organization. Pipeline has been affiliated with Premier for purchasing a wide range of hospital supplies since 2022.

Among the other SURPASS affiliates are founding member Texas Health Resources and the Billings Clinic, part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

“Pipeline has 18 months to get in full compliance with our agreement to purchase 90 percent of our supplies through SURPASS,” explained Bob Bertels, Pipeline’s corporate director for supply chain. “In exchange for that commitment, Pipeline receives deep discounts on the quality supplies we need.”

Bertels estimates that Pipeline could save as much as $2.8 million a year in supply costs through the new affiliation.

“We will have a limited number of vendor options, but all are well-known vendors,” he said.

Using examples of common hospital supplies, Bertels explained that the practice of purchasing several kinds of examination gloves, different kinds of dressings and bandages, and a variety of plastic urinals – all from different vendors — is more costly than purchasing one kind of glove, one kind of dressing, one kind of urinal from a single vendor.

“During the COVID pandemic, when there were many supply chain interruptions, we learned that we could be less particular about certain kinds of supplies while still purchasing quality products,” Bertels said.

SURPASS also serves a resource for purchasing decisions, providing a range of data analytics to support supply chain purchases.

2.11.2026

EDSP site visitors joined with East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital staff to discuss the new screening program.

A new program implemented in the emergency departments of three ������ hospitals is providing important patient screening for HIV and syphilis.

Funded by the California Department of Public Health and the , the Emergency Department Screening Program (EDSP) aims to increase equity and detect undiagnosed infections.

The emergency departments at Memorial Hospital of Gardena, Coast Plaza Hospital and East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital are receiving funds as well as technical support to provide the screening, patient education and referrals for follow-up care.

“The EDSP allows us to meet patients where they are by offering routine screening in the Emergency Department, identifying infections earlier, and connecting patients to the care and resources they need,” explained Mary Delvalle, director of clinical education at East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital. “This program plays an important role in improving health outcomes for our community.”

A recent EDSP site visit to the East Los Angeles hospital provided implementation support and assistance by validating the EDSP workflows, ensuring alignment with the program and public health requirements, according to Delvalle.

“During the visit, the EDSP team gained a deeper understanding of our emergency department operations, patient flow, screening processes, and follow-up mechanisms,” she said. “The visit also allowed for shared learning, planning, and identification of resources to support success of the program.”

2.11.2026

Mark Dakich, manager of legal affairs; General Counsel Brittany Whitman; Rosas; and Pipeline CEO Robert Allen.

Beatrix Rosas is the ������ corporate team member selected to receive the Exemplary Employee Award for February. The award recognizes outstanding employees who demonstrate their commitment to patients, family and co-workers through acts of caring, compassion and excellent customer service.

Rosas joined Pipeline in March 2016. She serves as Contract Manager in our Legal Department. Here is what her nominator had to say about her:

“Bea Rosas’ job is to review — carefully and thoroughly — contracts and agreements between ������ and our vendors or other organizations with whom we partner. Some of those legal agreements require review and updating annually. A misplaced comma or an unclear sentence could result in issues for our company down the road. Bea is extremely conscientious with her reviews to avoid such difficulty.

“You can count on her to ask good questions and offer suggestions for rewording or otherwise clarifying aspects of an agreement to ensure that Pipeline’s best interests are served, while also achieving what the requesting department and the outside entity want to accomplish together.

“Bea probably reviews dozens of contracts and agreements each month, completing each one in a timely manner. In her tenure with Pipeline, she may have reviewed a thousand agreements.

“Besides her very thorough approach to her work, Bea always presents an exemplary attitude. She provides excellent customer service, always taking calls and responding to emails with a cheerful, helpful demeanor. Bea sets a high standard for how all of us should interact with patients, co-workers and individuals external to ������. Bea is absolutely an exemplary employee!”

2.1.2026

Rebecca Stiff has received our corporate Exemplary Employee Award for December.�� The award recognizes employee commitment to patients, family and co-workers through acts of caring, compassion and excellent customer service.

Stiff joined Pipeline in August 2023. She serves as an Onboarding Compliance Specialist in Human Resources. Here is what a few of her co-workers have to say about her:

“Rebecca goes far and beyond for our new hire candidates. She is always dependable and always willing to help. She shows professionalism, compassion, and kindness to me and the candidates that she encounters. She collaborates effectively with our team, communicates productively, and her work does not go unnoticed. Rebecca possesses a strong positive attitude each day, which makes working alongside her easy and delightful. Rebecca is an exemplary employee here at Pipeline.”����

“Rebecca goes the extra mile in her onboarding role, assisting our new hires, while keeping Pipeline’s best interests in mind. New hires have a lot of questions due to the amount of information that needs to be relayed to them, and that requires patience and immediate follow through. In addition, they need guidance through the process, so they get their questions answered. Rebecca shines in this area as a first representative of ������ to the newest members of our team. She is an ‘outside the box’ thinker when presented with a challenge and digs in to find solutions, all with care and a work ethic to do the best she can in her role daily.��We are very fortunate to have her on the Pipeline team.”

Congratulations to Rebecca!

12.1.2025