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Action Alert: Prop 35 Campaign

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LifeLong Medical Care along with California Primary Care Access, Alameda Health Consortium and Aliados as well as many others is a proud supporter of Proposition 35.

The passage of Prop 35 will secure dedicated funding to maintain stability for hospitals, health centers and doctors’ offices.

Prop 35 aims to focus on the following:

  • Secure ongoing funding – without raising taxes on individuals – to ensure that our health care system has the resources it needs
  • Ensure health care funds are not redirected for non-health care purposes
  • Fund more graduate medical education (GME) residency programs to address the physician shortage
  • Fund loan repayments for physicians and allied health professionals
  • Expand access to preventative health care to alleviate the burden on ERs
  • Reduce wait times in emergency rooms and urgent care facilities
  • Help hire more first responders and paramedics to reduce emergency response times
  • Provide long-overdue rate increases for Medi-Cal providers and stabilize rates, to protect and expand access to care

Bottom line: Prop 35 will improve health outcomes for millions of Californians.

Why we need Prop 35:

As you know, LifeLong closed a primary health care center, in addition hospitals and maternity wards are closing; emergency rooms are overcrowded, and patients often wait months to see a specialist.

California has dramatically expanded health care coverage and services, but care for 15 million children, seniors, disabled and low-income families with Medi-Cal coverage remains significantly underfunded. LifeLong Medical Care has joined a coalition of other community health centers, health care workers, Planned Parenthood, health plans and emergency responders to pass Prop 35. And, Prop 35 is supported by both the California Democratic Party and the California Republican Party.

Prop 35 will protect and enhance our health care system for all. Prop 35 will secure ongoing revenue – without raising taxes on individuals – and dedicate these funds to protect and expand access to care for all Californians. And most importantly, it will prevent the state from redirecting these revenues for non-health care purposes. ​

Posters, pamphlets, brochures and buttons will be distributed to help us educate our patients and community about Prop 35.

  •  Passive information will be posted on tables, doors and walls. Staff can wear buttons as well without accounting for this time. If patients ask questions, please direct to website for more information or 510-981-4153.
  •  When we hand out information at the front desk or at our outreach events, we will have to account for this distribution. More details will be provided directly to Center Directors/Managers.

Please follow Yes on Prop 35 on Facebook, Instagram, and X to share the importance of this initiative with your friends and family and stay tuned for updates.

 We cannot tell you how to vote; however, we are urging you to consider this information provided in making your decision.

Please visit voteyes35.com for more information. 

From Treadmill to 10K: How LifeLong’s Yousif Kady Transformed His Life

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By Elaine Herscher, Senior Editor

Just five months ago, Help Desk Lead Analyst Yousif Kady could barely walk for 15 minutes on a treadmill. Now, he’s completed a solo 10K and lost 100 pounds. “Once I changed my mindset, everything came into place,” he says. “I feel like I’m a completely different person.”

Last year, as the holidays approached, Kady confronted his health. Overweight, suffering from severe sleep apnea, and managing high blood pressure with medication, he struggled with low energy and felt challenged to play with his young children, ages two and six. With a family history of heart disease, he knew he needed to make lasting changes.

He began by overhauling his diet, cutting out sugar and carbs, and focusing on protein, fiber-rich foods, and vegetables. He initially used Zepbound, a GLP-1 drug similar to Ozempic, for a short time. But soon he achieved weight loss through diet alone.

Next, Kady turned to physical activity. His gym sessions were brief, so he started slowly — walking, then jogging, and finally running. “The start was very humble,” Kady says. He gradually built his stamina, running just a minute or two at a time before increasing his pace. After five months, he completed a solo 10K in 60 minutes on neighborhood trails and is now seeking out a runners’ group.

Today, Kady’s energy has dramatically improved, his sleep is better, and he’s off all medications. “If my story can inspire someone else within LifeLong or anywhere, definitely I’m all for it,” he says. “The way I see it, health is more important than anything. Once you have a healthy body, you can do anything.”

Pictured: Yousif Kady and his running buddy, 2-year-old son Adam

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Howard Daniel

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 LifeLong Medical Care is hosting a special event to honor the life and legacy of our beloved colleague, Dr. Howard Daniel. Dr. Daniel was a beacon of compassion, dedication, and excellence, and his impact on our community will last a lifetime.  

The event will be held on September 21st, 2024, 12pm-2pm at LifeLong-Howard Daniel Health Center. 

During this event, we will come together to celebrate the remarkable contributions of Dr. Daniel and the many lives he touched.  

In keeping with Dr. Daniel’s passion for promoting health and wellness, we will be raising funds to go towards funding health and wellness classes for our community, continuing Dr. Daniel’s mission to foster a healthier and happier community for all.  

For more information click here. 

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Howard Daniel

by

 LifeLong Medical Care is hosting a special event to honor the life and legacy of our beloved colleague, Dr. Howard Daniel. Dr. Daniel was a beacon of compassion, dedication, and excellence, and his impact on our community will last a lifetime.  

The event will be held on September 21st, 2024, 12pm-2pm at LifeLong-Howard Daniel Health Center. 

During this event, we will come together to celebrate the remarkable contributions of Dr. Daniel and the many lives he touched.  

In keeping with Dr. Daniel’s passion for promoting health and wellness, we will be raising funds to go towards funding health and wellness classes for our community, continuing Dr. Daniel’s mission to foster a healthier and happier community for all.  

For more information click here. 

Understanding Your Paycom Pay Stub

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Dear Lifelong Employees,

Thank you for your patience as we implement Paycom. We appreciate all the feedback we received and your help in identifying corrections so far. We have worked hard to make as many corrections as possible in a timely manner.

If you were re-notified in the last day to verify your paycheck, it is because a change was made to your paycheck. No further action is needed for this pay period.

Here is a breakdown of your paycheck:

  1. Earnings – consisting of regular hours worked, paid breaks and overtime. 
  2. Employee Taxes – including Federal, Medicare, Social Security, State and any additional withholding. Paycom reflects latest appropriate state and federal tax withholdings. For some, this amount may appear higher than it did on your ADP checks.

If you would like to adjust your tax withholdings, please consider using the Test Sample Check in Paycom. It will allow you to see what your check could look like if you adjust your deductions without formally making any changes. Here is a Quick Tip sheet on how to use this feature in Paycom. You are now able to adjust your own tax withholdings in Paycom. You can find them under Payroll > Tax Setup. Here is a Quick Tip sheet on how to adjust withholdings.

3. Deductions 

  • Pre-tax deductions are amounts deducted from your gross pay before taxes are calculated. They may include:
    • 403b
    • Health Savings Account
    • Childcare Savings Account
  • After-tax deductions based on your net pay may include:
    • Roth 403b
    • Medical
    • Dental
    • Vision
    • Union Dues
    • Union Fees
    • Unum Voluntary Insurance Benefits
  • ER Memo contributions are made by LifeLong on the employee’s behalf. They are NOT DEDUCTED from employee gross or net pay. They include:
    • Medical ER Memo
    • Dental ER Memo
    • Basic Life and AD&D ER Memo
    • Long Term Disability and

The ER Memo contribution information is included on your paystub as a part of our commitment to transparently sharing information with you about your total compensation. This information was not previously included in your ADP paystubs. If you are a benefitted employee who opted out of LifeLong’s medical coverage, you are eligible for “in-lieu pay.”

4. Net Pay – The final amount you will receive after all deductions are applied.

5. Employer Taxes – Taxes LifeLong pays on the employee’s behalf.

You can also view the Understanding Your Pay Stub.pdf slide deck located on the Paycom Resources page for a more visual understanding.

If you still have questions regarding your paycheck, please reach out to lifelonghr@lifelongmedical.org and we will assist you.

Organizational Changes and Updated Roles

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 Dear LifeLong Staff,

To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our management and agency alignment, the Senior Leadership Team is announcing some recent reorganization and updated roles and responsibilities. 

  Office of the Chief Medical Officer (Dr. Michael Stacey, Chief Medical Officer): 

·        Yui Nishiike, NP, Chief Medical Information Officer/Chief Information Officer, is now overseeing the IT department along with Health Information Technology and Data Analytics, further aligning our information technology efforts. As CMIO/CIO, Yui will join the Senior Leadership Team.

·        Dr. Maggie Edmunds, Deputy CMO/Designated Institutional Officer (DIO), now has the added responsibility of DIO for the Family Medicine Residency Program as Dr. Eric Henley officially retires. 

·        Dr. Kim Ceci has been hired as Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), overseeing a portion of the Health Center AMDs and special programs.

·        Stacey Stein, Vice President of Medical Operations, now has the additional responsibility of overseeing Patient Services along with oversight over a portion of the Health Centers and special programs. 

·        To Be Hired – Associate Vice President of Medical Operation (posting soon) will share in the responsibilities of overseeing Health Centers and special programs and report to Stacey Stein. 

Finance Department (Brent Copen, Chief Financial Officer): 

·        Daphne Chan, Vice President of Finance has the responsibilities of overseeing the accounting, accounts payable and payroll departments. Finance is actively seeking a replacement for her previous role in leading the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) function 

·        Procurement has been restructured and now reports to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). 

·        Craig Samuel, Director of Facilities Management, is transitioning from reporting to the Deputy Director of Clinical Operations to reporting to the CFO.

 Grants Management & Planning Department (Julie Sinai, Chief Strategy Officer): 

·        Deborah Workman, Senior Director of Strategy and Planning, is focusing on high-impact strategic planning, program development, grant writing, and leading and managing HRSA awards, as well as responding to opportunities related to workforce development, dental expansion, quality improvement, care integration, and more. 

·        To Be Hired – Director of Grants Administration (posted) will be responsible for management of the Department of Grants Management & Planning, ensuring the success of the grants management lifecycle, funder engagement, and grant writing. 

·        Teresa Shepard transitioned from Health Planner to Grants Manager and is focusing on post-award grants management, reporting, renewals, and coordinating with internal and external partners. 

·        To Be Hired – Grants Manager (posted) 

  Note that a few of the changes mentioned above include the job title “Vice President.” We are in the initial phases of adding this title to the LifeLong career ladder as part of our commitment to offering expanded job growth opportunities. We will continue to assess for appropriate expansion of this title within our career ladder.

With great appreciation for your hard work and commitment to our patients and community,

The Senor Leadership Team