Urgent care now available.

Providing care for even our smallest patients.

No parent plans a trip to urgent care with their child, but these are the moments when families need kindness and high-quality, convenient care the most. At Dignity Health Urgent Care–Northridge, our board-certified doctors and nurse practitioners are trained to care for pediatric patients. Busy caregivers and families will benefit from the onsite lab and radiology services to quickly determine the next steps for healing and heading home.

We are conveniently located on the Northridge Hospital campus and are open seven days a week (walk-ins are welcome). But in the event of an emergency, Dignity Health-Northridge Hospital Medical Center is right here to provide kids and families with expert care.

For more information, please visit dhmf.org/NorthridgeUrgentCare.

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The stresses kids feel today are real. And extraordinary. Gun violence. War. Pandemic. Climate change. Add in a 24/7 smartphone internet connection and self-esteemrobbing social media, and it’s clear that being a kid—and raising kids—are both more daunting than ever. (We explore this in depth in a Q&A with a science journalist on page 28)

I have no idea what it is like to be a child today. The formidable events I experienced as a child were pretty much limited to three things: My parent’s divorce when I was 10. The attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan outside a D.C. hotel, just a few miles from my home. And the murder of John Lennon in New York City. Of course, other bad things were happening in the world, but I didn’t read the newspaper, and my mom allowed only one hour of TV per night. Current events weren’t discussed in any of my public school classes; lessons were derived from antiquated textbooks. My high school world revolved around going to class, weekend parties, and whether one blue-eyed boy might be there. That’s it. It may sound shallow, but to me, in reflection, it sounds idyllic.

While I don’t know what it would be like to be a kid in these complicated times, I do know what it is like to be a parent. It is more challenging than ever. And while this annual FACES OF THE FUTURE issue is about teens and their accomplishments, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge their parents. All parents, really.

We all love our kids and try to raise kind, welladjusted, well-educated people who will have meaningful relationships in life. (I just read a study that showed that the latter is the most important factor in achieving happiness.) Sometimes our efforts are spot-on; other times we fail. Making mistakes is imbued in parenting. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to broach a delicate subject with one of my sons and said something I wish I could take back. Or done something hastily—fueled more by emotion than reason—and wished I could reverse it. But, as with most parents, the love and good intention were always there.

So with this issue, I salute all the parents who are doing their best amid circumstances that are more challenging than ever. I see you and feel for you.

I hope you all enjoy our annual FACES OF THE FUTURE issue. When I read through it the other night, I realized I had a smile on my face. I hope it affects you that way, too.

MARCH/APRIL 2023

ECO-FURRY

This teen aims to keep plastics out of the ocean with her whimsical creations. More on page 50.