As we welcome the new year, we also face the flu, cold and COVID-19 season. With respiratory viruses circulating, focusing on staying healthy this winter is more important than ever.

Dr. Ori Tzvieli, Health Officer for Contra Costa Health, shared valuable tips on the Government Speak podcast on Dec. 8. One key recommendation is staying up to date on your vaccines.

“Even if they don’t give you one hundred percent foolproof protection, they will make it so that when you do get the disease, you will not get as sick and more importantly, be less likely to die,” he said.

Respiratory viruses thrive during winter because people spend more time indoors. To minimize risks, Dr. Tzvieli also advises wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces. High-quality masks, such as an N95 or KN95, are especially effective in preventing the spread of illnesses.

Equally important is protecting others.

“If you’re sick, don’t go out in public,” Dr. Tzvieli said. “That’s a big deal and I think COVID has taught us to be more considerate of those who may be more immunocompromised or may be more medically vulnerable. It’s a good idea if you have symptoms to stay home and rest.”

Listen to the full podcast here.

For more information about COVID-19 and the flu, visit our website.

We are making steady progress in our efforts to update and streamline the operations of our Finance group, and I am pleased to update you about several leadership additions and a new organizational structure to help maintain our momentum entering the new year.

Brian Buchanan, interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO), is leading the work to transform Finance after the retirement of Pat Godley, who ably served for decades as both CFO and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of CCH before his retirement in October.

Brian is a managing director with Alvarez & Marsal, a global professional services firm. Brian brings more than 30 years of experience in healthcare finance to his role, having served in numerous interim executive positions in healthcare finance.

Other members of A&M team joining CCH on an interim basis include Ceci Arriera, now serving as Deputy CFO. Ceci has more than 20 years of experience with health systems, including numerous senior financial leadership roles. They are supported by A&M’s Christopher Lawrence and Anna Matzinger, who both bring diverse experience in healthcare finance.

We are also grateful to Pat Godley and Bud De Cesare, who continue to work with CCH as advisors to our interim team during this transition. We intend to recruit a permanent CFO during 2025.

CCH leadership, A&M, and our staff are developing new structures and processes in Finance to provide increased transparency through timely reporting of financial and operational metrics and closer collaboration with departmental operations.

Recent progress includes:

• Paul Reyes has joined CCH as a Deputy CFO. Paul previously served Contra Costa as a Senior Deputy County Administrator, a post he held since 2018. He will oversee budgeting and financial planning.
• Recruitment will soon begin to fill two additional Deputy CFO Positions who will be the finance leaders for the Care Delivery and Managed Care functions of CCH.
• Tasha Scott has been promoted to Assistant Director in CCH Finance, where she will be responsible for overseeing contracts, grants and procurement functions. Tasha joined CCH as a high school intern and has risen through the ranks in Finance over 30 years of service with our department.
• CCH’s Chief Digital Officer Bhumil Shah is adding the role of Chief of Finance Informatics and leading our efforts to update financial reporting tools and systems.

Recruitment is also underway for a director of capital projects and facilities. The coming year will be eventful and transformative for Finance, and for all of CCH. We will communicate regularly with staff as the work progresses.

Sincerely,

Anna M. Roth RN, MS, MPH
Chief Executive Officer, Contra Costa Health