Four Questions: Dr. Christian Raigosa

Dr. Christian Raigosa
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Dr. Christian Raigosa works with Kaiser Permanente’s Department of Family Medicine and is also the physician-in-charge for the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clarita Medical Offices.

1. For those who might be new to the area, could you please provide a brief overview of about Kaiser Permanente’s facilities in the Santa Clarita Valley?

It’s hard to believe, but this year, Kaiser Permanente is celebrating 30 years of serving the Santa Clarita Valley!

We started with one primary care office on Soledad Canyon Road at Ruther Avenue in July 1989, with six providers. Since then, our presence as a major health care delivery system in the Santa Clarita Valley has grown exponentially, caring for more than 75,000 members — a quarter of the area’s population.

We offer a robust suite of services in the area, with primary care offices on both sides of the SCV, in Valencia and Canyon Country. We also offer behavioral health and specialty services, with most specialty services and Urgent Care available at our new facility, Santa Clarita Medical Offices 2 on Tourney Road.

2. In the last few years, Kaiser Permanente has established a growing presence in the SCV. Can you talk about how that might continue in the near future?

Our goal in Santa Clarita is to provide as many services as possible locally, so our members don’t have to travel into the San Fernando Valley (or beyond) for primary and specialty care.

Our newest facilities, including Santa Clarita Medical Offices 2 on Tourney Road, are designed to improve the member experience even further. We have open-space waiting areas designed to educate, entertain, and reinforce Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to total health.

Our aim is to provide care from wherever our members are most comfortable –and today that could be through a video appointment, email, or telephone visit. Our telehealth portfolio continues to evolve, just like the needs of our patients.

3. What sets Kaiser Permanente apart from a health care perspective, from other providers in the industry?

Our integrated system allows us to work together across every department, specialty, or sub-specialty, to support the total health of our members and deliver a consistent, high-quality care experience.

Our advanced electronic medical record system enables our physicians and care teams to deliver world class care and strive for clinical excellence. Physicians at Kaiser Permanente are able to focus 100 percent on patient care, because they are supported by a service-oriented administrative team that handles day-to-day business operations. We take pride in providing patient-centered care that is team-delivered and evidence-based.

4. With flu season upon us, are there any recommendations or advice you can offer readers about this year’s strain?

The timing of flu season is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. It can take up to two weeks for the body to develop immunity, so it’s important to vaccinate as early in the season as possible.

The flu strain changes every year, and because of that we encourage everyone 6 months of age and older to get a flu shot annually. It’s looking like we may be in store for an intense flu season and because of that, we recommend getting the flu shot as soon as possible.

The flu vaccine is available now at Kaiser Permanente and we have already vaccinated hundreds of patients from the Santa Clarita valley.

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