A cornerstone of the Pasadena-Altadena area, Huntington Hospital was hit hard by the Eaton fire.
“Within the first three days, about 50% of our staff were affected by the evacuation orders,” said Lori Morgan, MD, Huntington’s president and chief executive officer. Many lost their homes completely to the relentless flames.
Yet despite their own overwhelming challenges, employees still reported to work day after day — strongly dedicated to caring for patients, the community and each other.
“What is always amazing to me is the commitment that our team members have to come in to work, caring for our patients, bring their best selves to work every day so that they can continue to provide the care that we always have at Huntington,” Dr. Morgan said.
Employees rallied together to send supplies to the Pasadena Convention Center, which became an evacuation center, and to assist vulnerable community members who needed to evacuate. A conference room turned into a food pantry to serve colleagues in need.
“We’ve had 900 visits of staff and about 10,000 items donated,” said Pamela Weatherspoon, MBA, Huntington’s vice president for enterprise, diversity, equity, inclusion, engagement and wellness. The hospital also received a grant to keep the pantry open, she said.
Many agreed that while the fire caused so much devastation and heartache, it also drew out the best of people. “It’s really shown the heart of our community and brought everyone together, Weatherspoon said. “I feel really proud to be a part of it.”
Valerie Szopa, internal communications manager, who lost her home, said, “I’ve never been surrounded by a stronger group of people in my life. Just how we’re helping each other, looking out for each other.”
“Coming back to work helped me breathe, because everybody just showed me so much love and compassion,” said Jennifer Schweitzer, a worker in the food and nutrition services department who lost her home. With the dream of passing their home to the children, she and her family are determined to rebuild. “I’m going to fight for it,” she said.
With the Huntington staff’s awe-inspiring unity, dedication and resilience in the face of devastating personal loss, HASC is honored to share their story.
