Cedars-Sinai Blog
Faces of Cedars-Sinai: Warehouse Supervisor Alvaro Londono
Meet Alvaro Londono, a warehouse supervisor who is part of a small team managing the huge influx of supplies and donations arriving during the COVID-19 pandemic. We caught up with Alvaro to see how the team is ensuring supplies reach their intended destination.
"I'm part of something so much bigger than what happens in the warehouse. Everyone from the doctors to the nurses to the administrators to the warehouse staff is doing their part to step up and help out during this crisis. We're all part of the same family, and our only goal is to work as a team to heal people who are suffering."
What is your role at Cedars-Sinai?
Alvaro Londono: When I joined Cedars-Sinai in October 2005, my role was to help move departments from one location to another location. Before the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began, I was an inventory coordinator and then a team leader. Now I'm a warehouse supervisor.
At the warehouse, we receive all of the products that need to get to the hospital, including purchase orders of suppplies as well as donations. Everything that goes to the hospital comes through us, from million-dollar purchase orders to single-item deliveries for specific physicians.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
AL: Working in the warehouse is a physically and mentally demanding job. We have to ensure deliveries get where they need to go, and we have to document and track every order. Right now, we're dealing with an influx of donations from the community.
Since donations have a separate process, we have to determine which departments need specific items and then deliver them accordingly. Sometimes we're delivering masks, face shields and sanitizer. Other times, we're delivering coffee.
How are you managing the stress of your high-pressure job during the pandemic?
AL: I am always striving to achieve a balance between working hard and taking care of myself. I know I have to keep my stress levels in check.
My dad died from a heart attack on his 52nd birthday. I'm 47, and I know I have to be careful. I eat healthy, exercise and I try to compartmentalize my life. When I go to work, my family problems stay at home, and when I go home at the end of the day, I leave my work in the warehouse.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
AL: I'm part of something so much bigger than what happens in the warehouse. Everyone from the doctors to the nurses to the administrators to the warehouse staff is doing their part to step up and help out during this crisis. We're all part of the same family, and our only goal is to work as a team to heal people who are suffering.
How do you spend your time when you're not in the warehouse?
AL: I enjoy family time more than anything else. When I'm not working, I spend time with my wife and daughters, Sophia, 13, and Diana, 11. With the stay-at-home order, we do virtual tours in our living room!
We play games together as a family and watch movies. And now that we all have more time at home, I've started teaching my daughters how to cook food from my home country. We all love Colombian-style food, and the act of cooking together is nourishing for both body and soul.
