Kaiser Point West Says Goodbye to Gity

I will be in Sacramento tomorrow at Kaiser’s Point West facility to bid farewell to Gity Tabriztchi Baxter, who is retiring from Kaiser. Those of you who are Kaiser members may know Gity from the bariatric programs in South San Francisco and Richmond.

Gity has been special to me from the moment I met her at my bariatric orientation in October 2004, when she asked the assembled group why there was so much guilt among the obese.

“Does anyone ever blame the cancer patient for their disease? Or the bypass patient for their heart problems? No. Why? Because we all understand that diseases are out of our control.”

Gity is the first person I recall seeing when I awoke from surgery. She wished me a happy birthday, since Feb. 24, 2005 was the first day of the rest of my life. And she was right, it was a happy birthday – and my life has never been the same.

I will miss her, though I know we’ll keep in touch. I just wonder if Kaiser has any idea at what they are losing.