Griffith-Collison Heads Medical Center

 

            The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors appointed June Griffith-Collison as director of the countyÕs Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.

 

            Griffith-Collison, the medical centerÕs chief operating officer since October 2000, has served as ARMCÕs interim director since previous director Mark Uffer assumed the duties of county administrative officer in March 2004.

 

            ÒThe medical center is one of the countyÕs biggest and most-vital operations, and June has done an excellent job of running it during the past 11 months,Ó said Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus.  ÒThe county and the community are lucky to have someone with her qualifications heading such an important facility.Ó

 

            Griffith-Collison is a native of Guyana who currently resides in Rancho Cucamonga.  She is married and has a 17-year-old son.

 

            She came to the United States in the late 1970s to attend Adelphi University in Garden City, Long Island, on a full track scholarship.  She received her BS in banking and money management and an MBA in corporate investment and finance while at Adelphi University. 

 

            She was among the fastest 400-meter runners and held a world record in the 400 meters in the late 1970s and early 1980s, racing at Madison Square Garden, and was a silver medalist in the 1979 Pan Am games in Puerto Rico on behalf of Guyana.  While racing for Guyana in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, she realized that Southern California was where she wanted to live.

 

            Griffith-Collison has more than 18 years of healthcare management and finance experience.  During her tenure as chief financial officer for St. LukeÕs Medical Center in Pasadena, she was named woman of the year for the City of Pasadena in 1994.  She also was designated chief financial officer of the year in 1998 and 1999 for the Tenet Healthcare Corporation.

 

            At ARMC, she actively oversees daily operations of the 373-bed medical center, three family health centers and a combined staff of more than 2,500.  ÒJune is one of the most talented people in the healthcare business.  Bringing her to San Bernardino County is one of my proudest accomplishments,Ó  Uffer said.  ÒI have no doubt she will continue and expand upon the standard of excellence set at ARMC.

 

            ÒWe have many challenges to face.  We are facing significant cuts in federal support, which will force us to expand programs, increase bed capacity, identify new business, and find other innovative ways to back fill any losses in funding,Ó she added.  ÒHowever, we have a great staff, and once you have a good staff, you need to provide them with a good example and they will follow.  That is something I plan to do.Ó  Collison said she plans to continue ARMCÕs emphasis on superior customer service.  ÒThe root of our success is treating patients with dignity and respect.Ó

 

            Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is a state-of-the-art hospital that was opened in March 1999 following more than 20 years of meticulous planning.  A publicly-owned hospital serving the residents of San Bernardino County, ARMC is committed to the well-being of its population by providing topnotch healthcare in one of the most modern hospitals in the world and a myriad of community-based wellness and educational programs.  This is in keeping with its vision, which is to improve the health of the community by being a leading provider of health care delivery and education.

           

ARMC is the fourth facility to serve as the San Bernardino County hospital, which was founded in 1877.  Located in Colton, ARMC is the first facility to serve as the San Bernardino County hospital built outside the San Bernardino city limits.

 

            Designed with patients and hospital staff in mind, ARMC was constructed using the latest in safety technology and medical equipment.  The 373-bed, 950,000-square-foot facility is comprised of five main buildings covering 72 acres and is ideally located, just off Interstate 10.  Because of its many unique design features, ARMC can

withstand a magnitude 8.3-magnitude earthquake.

 

            The hospital facilities include a behavioral health complex, outpatient care center and burn center--the only  major burn unit serving the four counties of San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo and Mono.  ARMC is a teaching hospital, with one of the largest and most successful family medicine residency programs in the United States.

 

            ARMC offers a full range of ancillary and patient services, including advanced critical care, neonatal intensive care, emergency and trauma care and burn care.  The hospital has six medical/surgical units.  The hospital also features comprehensive rehabilitation services and a freestanding behavioral health facility.  The ARMC Outpatient Care facility offers more than 60 different services, from allergy treatment to urology, and specialized in pediatrics, orthopedics, general and specialty surgery, internal medicine, womenÕs health, rehabilitation services, geriatrics and more.

 

            To meet the needs of residents in remote areas of San Bernardino County, the largest in the United States, the hospital has a tele medicine program allowing off-site patients to receive specialty service consultation without driving to the facility.  Patients can also receive topnotch health care at one of ARMCÕs three family health centers, conveniently located in the nearby cities of San Bernardino and Fontana.  The family health centers offer comprehensive primary medical services, including family medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics and geriatric care.

 

            ARMCÕs medical imaging department features a state-of-the-art digital imaging system, recognized by the Smithsonian Institute for the use of information technology in improving patient care.  The Picture Archiving and Commun-ication System (PACS) is a filmless radiology system that uses computerized images for all X-rays and MRI exams.  ARMC is one of the only hospitals in the U.S. with the Optifill2 prescription machine, a highly automated system that allows pharmacists more time to counsel patients.