Within a few years of becoming Chief of Emergency Medicine for KP Central Valley, Amanda Perez, MD, greatly expanded the team of emergency physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and licensed vocational nurses. Dr. Perez was a driving force in starting an Emergency Medicine residency program for KP Central Valley, which is the only medical center in KP Northern California with a primary sponsored program. The residency program attracted fellowship-trained physicians in emergency medicine related specialties including sports medicine, emergency medical services, medical education, and ultrasound. In the first class of eight residents, five became KP physicians and three stayed in the Central Valley, a historically challenging region for physician recruitment.
While fostering a culture of process improvement where all emergency department staff contribute to improving care and efficiency, she also dramatically improved morale by bringing her teams and their families together outside the workplace for picnics, sporting events, and other fun outings. “When I became chief, I wanted KP Central Valley to be a place that our staff, physicians, and the whole care team could say they’re proud to work,” Dr. Perez says.
Likewise, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Perez maintained good spirits among her department members by listening, adjusting, and personally taking on terrific workloads to demonstrate her commitment to patients and colleagues.