SPOKE ASSOCIATE CORRESPONDENT
Ben Taft
Crack Spoke Guest Editor,
Jacob Frost, had to make an emergency exit early into Thursday's program, and tablemate
Ben Taft sprang into action and jotted down some crucial info before I took over. I don't have Ben's full bio, but I believe he operates what he calls a "
fruit boutique". He bought me breakfast last Sunday at 24th Street Cafe, so he's a hero in my book. Visit
California Fruit Depot for some tasty gift ideas!
Invocation: Decon Justin Salters
Flag Salute: Steve Sanders
Song: God Bless America
Good News and Announcements
President Joe opened up with some garlic trivia on account that it's National Garlic Day
President Joe hosted some of his "Ford Dimension" high school academy students and introduced them from memory.
Mike McCoy announced a new attraction at the Kern County Museum. The museum recently transformed an old Italian landmark into a wine-tasting room he named the Caretta Bar. Named after an ornate Sicilian two-wheeled cart also donated by the Giumarra family.
The club's unofficial ambassador,
Juan Bustamante, reported back about West Rotary's
Cioppino feed.
Steve Sanders gave a Garro update. His progress from his stroke has been more than outstanding. He should be returning to Bako soon!
Program
Toni Harper introduced today's speaker (and her husband), Ralph Garcia Pacheco, M.D.,
Chair Department of Medicine, Kern Medical Director of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Kern Medical Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Ralph earned his medical degree from Universidad Peruana Cavetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. He completed both his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, where he also holds a Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
Facts about Kern Medical:
- Kern Medical has been a community cornerstone since its founding in 1867 (157 years!)
- They are an acute care teaching center with 222 beds, offering the only advanced trauma care between Fresno and Los Angeles
- Kern Medical is proud to be a tertiary referral center, academic teaching institution, and safety net hospital
- Each year, more than 200 residents, fellows, and medical students enroll in our UCLA-affiliated training programs, with residencies offered in Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Psychiatry, and Pharmacy
Kern Medical by the numbers:
Data from the 2020 calendar year
- 54,853 ER visits
- 2,987 Trauma Activations
- 5,404 Surgeries
- 9,213 Inpatient Admissions
- 148,485 Outpatient clinical visits
- 2,241 Births
Kern Medical is the area's only teaching hospital and is affiliated with UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. They host over 200 residents, fellows, and medical students.
Other important facts:
- 12 clinical locations
- Hosts the Valley Fever Institute
- Operates the area's only level 3 NAEC-accredited adult epilepsy center
- KMC has the only trauma center in the area
- KMC's Orthopedics Fresh Fracture Clinic is one-of-a-kind in Kern County
.jpg){kind=logo}
.png)
