Cherish Mendoza
California Department of Public Health
Loma Linda,CA
20
years of professional experience
Dynamic public health and healthcare quality professional with a robust background in quality improvement, infection prevention, and regulatory compliance. Expertise in assessing healthcare facilities and validating quality and infection surveillance data, along with a talent for identifying care gaps and formulating evidence-based recommendations to enhance patient outcomes. Proficient in conducting comprehensive facility assessments, complaint investigations, and regulatory surveys across diverse healthcare settings, including hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Strong collaborator with healthcare organizations and public health agencies, adept at translating complex regulatory requirements into actionable quality improvement strategies.
Work History
Infection Control Coordinator
4 Years- Delivered non-regulatory consultation and assistance that enhanced HAI prevention efforts.
- Conducted on-site visits during outbreaks to reinforce infection control practices and educate healthcare staff.
- Provided non-regulatory consultation and assistance to support HAI prevention.
- Facilitated training sessions to improve infection control practices, including environmental cleaning, hand hygiene, transmission-based precautions, and multidrug resistance prevention.
- Reviewed patient medical records, policies and procedures, surveillance data, and standard of practices in the facilities.
Health Facilities Evaluator Supervisor
1 Year- Had an authority in the interest of management to hire, transfer, suspend, layoff, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, train, or discipline other employees; or responsibility to direct them, adjust their grievances, or effectively recommend such action.
- Provided one-on-one on the field training with new employee how to conduct survey process in accordance with protocol from the State and Federal regulations.
- Provided guidance in writing regulatory non-compliance.
Health Facilities Evaluator Nurse
5 Years- Conducted inspections, investigations, surveys, evaluations, wrote citations about health facilities conformity with licensing and certification requirements of the Department of Health Services and for compliance with State and Federal laws, rules, and regulations relating to medical care.
- Reviewed patient medical records, policies and procedures, and other documents to verify appropriate patient care was rendered by the facilities.
- Primary responsibility was for enforcement of State and Federal laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to areas affecting total patient care such as nursing, physicians, restorative, pharmacy, social, dental, and related services.
- Conducted surveys and provided written report about patient safety and assessing compliance with the patient safety aspects of the Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Condition of Participation (CoP).
- Received certification from Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct inspections of the General Acute Care Hospital, End-Stage Renal Disease Dialysis Clinics, Critical Access Hospital, and Long-term Care Skilled Nursing Facilities.
- Conducted on-site visits related to patient/family complaints against a facility and wrote outcomes of the investigation to the complainant.
- Provided infection control and prevention recommendations and guidance using Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and CDPH requirements in healthcare, enforcement, new technologies, scope of practice, or general information that affects the health facility.
- Collaborated with California Health and Human Services Agency by assessing and providing recommendations related to COVID-19 infection control practices for different types of Congregate Living Facilities.
Registered Nurse
7 Years- Seven-year experienced managing adults with chronic diseases, such as Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Congestive Heart Failure, Sickle-cell crisis, Stroke, and others.
- Lead the unit staff in transition to electronic medical charting.
- Received training in Stroke response for the Stroke-center hospital accreditation.
- Experienced health educator of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke management.
Education
MPH - Public Heath
BSN - Nursing
AS - Nursing
Skills
Investigative Skills
Infection assessment
Regulatory compliance
Public health collaboration
Staff training and education
Effective communication
Teamwork and collaboration
Adaptability and flexibility
Patient safety advocacy
Document Review
Timeline
Infection Control Coordinator
California Department of Public Health
01.2022 - 01.2026Read More
Health Facilities Evaluator Supervisor
California Department of Public Health, Licensing and Certification
01.2021 - 01.2022Read More
Health Facilities Evaluator Nurse
California Department of Public Health, Licensing and Certification
01.2016 - 01.2021Read More
Registered Nurse
Loma Linda Medical Center
01.2006 - 01.2013Read More
Loma Linda University
MPH from Public Heath
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Loma Linda University
BSN from Nursing
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San Bernardino Valley College
AS from Nursing
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