16 minute read
An Inspiring Night at the 10th Annual Los Angeles Healthcare Awards
10th ANNUAL Los Angeles Healthcare Awards
On November 4, the Los Angeles healthcare community gathered for the 2022 Los Angeles Healthcare Awards celebrating the Patient Care Foundation of L.A. County and honoring medical students and healthcare heroes from across the county.
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Held at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, guests were greeted by the LACMA team and welcomed with a lively cocktail hour in the solarium. After moving into the tent-covered fountain-side promenade, the festivities continued.
LACMA’s 151st president, Dr. Omer Deen, was the first to take the stage to welcome guests and introduce the Chairman of the Patient Care Foundation, Dr. Troy Elander.
“How wonderful to be back in person after the COVID era forced us into virtual events for what seemed like a century or two,” Dr. Deen joked before welcoming Dr. Elander.
Dr. Elander emphatically echoed the sentiment: “Boy, that sounds good- “Good evening, everyone!” There’s something wonderful about saying that to an actual room filled with people and not into a Zoom Room filled with people secretly ordering lunch on their laptops.”
“Tonight is our 10th event – that’s a major milestone. It can’t be said enough – every physician in this room, everyone who works even tangentially in the medical profession, is a hero. The Coronavirus pandemic put us to a major test, and we passed well beyond what anyone could have expected. [W]e all had specific challenges which we faced with absolute commitment. That is who we are. That is what we do”
And that’s why we founded this event ten years ago – to shine a light on members of our community who go so above and beyond in their commitment to helping patients and advancing the practice of medicine.
“Then the Foundation took things a step further. We wanted to encourage and recognize the next generation—their vision and passion for giving back to their communities put into perspective why we’re here. We not only find the best students, but we also facilitate mentorship between our members and young physicians working in underserved areas. We also find funds to help new community-based physicians pay off their loans.”
LACMA CEO Gustavo Friedrichsen then recognized and thanked longtime supporters and event sponsors.
While we know the current environment presents new challenges, it allows us to engage with our partners as we support our physicians and the community in new and innovative ways. My thanks to all of you. Again, thanks to our sponsors and friends. And congratulations to all of tonight’s honorees.”
Following a presentation of awards that included no shortage of awe, breathtaking inspiration, and more than a few tears, as you will experience as you read about the honorees on the following pages, Dr. Elander and Dr. Elizabeth Kurihara closed out the night.
1) Honorees and presenters: Top Row, Left to Right: Dr. Ali Gholamrezanezhad, Dr. Diana Lodoño, Johnna Gherardini, Dr. Mark Goulston, Richard Zaldivar, Ann Kerr, Rohit Shukla, Dr. Evelyn Janet Bonilla, Alina Moran, Vickie Kropenske. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Dr. Jeffery Lee, Dr. Elizabeth Kurihara, Dr. Omer Deen, Dr. Troy Elander, Dr. Jerry Abraham, Dr. Heather Silverman, Gustavo Friederichsen, Lisa Le. 2)Honorees awards. 3) Guests were greeted by the LACMA team and welcomed with a lively cocktail hour in the solarium.
INDEPENDENT PHYSICIAN Leadership Award Dr. Diana Lodoño
“Diana Londoño is a board-certified urologist who truly cares about her patients’ total well-being. Only 10% of urologists are women, and only half of a single percent is both female and Latinx. In addition to caring for her patients, she is a frequent guest speaker for informative medical segments for organizations like City of Hope, on television, in print, and in podcasts. In addition, Diana has done something remarkable for the medical community by creating “Physician Coach Support,” a grassroots organization where certified life coaches offer no-charge one-onone life support to physicians who need mental or emotional support. Burnout in our profession is real. Sadly, too many of us ignore the old adage, “Physician, heal thyself,” and ignore problems that affect our lives, health, and ability to care for our patients. She’s there for her patients. She’s there for her colleagues. She’s there for her community. Dr. Londono will be speaking at the Healthcare Burnout Symposium in February 2023, where she will be taking a deep dive into burnout. We encourage all of you to attend this informative event.”
- Dr. Jerry Abraham, presenting the Independent Physician Award to Dr. Londoño
INNOVATION AWARD Community Service The Wall Las Memorias
“While all of us are still reeling from the Coronavirus pandemic, for many people, its arrival echoed the early days of an earlier medical crisis. For the LGBTQIA community, HIV-AIDS was a plague that tragically was ignored by too many people of power. While progress has been made, the death toll in this country is about 675,000, and every year 13,000 people die of the virus. Here in East Los Angeles, an extraordinary 10,000-square-foot monument stands in Lincoln Heights. Put into motion in 1993 by Angeleno Richard Zaldivar, it was dedicated in 2004 as THE WALL LAS MEMORIAS PROJECT. A beautiful memorial featuring walkways, gardens, and, of course, beautiful murals – the project exists to provide services to LGBTQIA people in our Latinx community. Those wide-ranging services include innovative mental health prevention services to LGBTQIA youth and in the transgender community. They have also been involved in several campaigns, including ACT NOW AGAINST METH, an initiative at the forefront of that problem that began in 2007. A breathtaking memorial, it is also a place to initiate communication, education, advocacy, and building leadership for all underserved populations in the LA Latinx community.”
- Dr. Jeffery Lee presenting the Innovation Award for Community Service to the founder and executive director of The Wall Las Memorias, Richard Zaldivar
INNOVATION AWARD Facilities Hope Street Margolis Family Center, a program of Dignity Health - California Hospital Medical Center in partnership with UCLA
“As the saying goes, “it takes a village,” and Hope Street is one of the most dedicated, caring, and transformative villages in our city, if not the entire country. The Center is a community health, education, and recreation program with a mission to educate children, strengthen families and provide physical and mental health services to children, young adults, and parents. Their commitment to children starts at birth and stays supportive through high school and college. There simply isn’t sufficient time to cover all that they do but suffice it to say they offer all-day, yearround services. When the pandemic struck, they found a way to keep community children educated and families fed. They delivered hundreds of gallons of milk and more than a quarter of a million diapers. Governor Newsom is one of their biggest fans and visited the center as part of his effort to highlight his historic $2.3 billion investment in early childhood education and his commitment to create and implement a master plan for early learning and care.”
- Elizabeth Kurihara presenting the Innovation Award for Facilities to the Hope Street Margolis Family Center, accepted by president of Dignity Health – California Hospital Medical Center, Alina Moran and Dr. Evelyn Janet Bonilla, a graduate of the Hope Street Family Center
MEDIA AWARD Shine the Light Mark Goulston, MD, FAPA
“I know we’re exiting much of the early days of the COVID era, but the truth is, we’ll be sorting out its effects on all of our lives for a long time. While we are well aware of the physical toll of the past 30 months, it was also a time of serious mental and emotional health issues. This year’s “Shine the Light” Media Award honoree spent more than a quarter century as a UCLA assistant clinical professor of psychiatry, specializing in suicide prevention, and then spent years as an FBI Police and Hostage negotiation trainer. On his watch, there was not a single suicide. Having spent years in some of the most stressful and high-stakes situations, he next turned his focus on writing books. Not surprisingly, they were immediate best-sellers, with one in particular – entitled Just Listen – being translated into 28 languages and named the top book in the world on the subject of “Listening.” Looking at our world today, it’s safe to say “listening” is a skill in need of a renaissance. He also has a highly-rated podcast called The Wakeup Call. He is also a co-founder of The Rising Tide Challenge. It’s a multi-platform movement that hopes people will have their voices heard by simply finishing the phrase – “My hopeful future will have…” ...My hopeful future will include a lot more of his wisdom.”
INNOVATION AWARD Technology Heal.LA Initiative Powered by Larta Institute
“Where do tomorrow’s leaders come from? How can we encourage the best and the brightest? The Larta Institute has begun a fascinating initiative designed to foster innovation in science and technology to aid our planet’s sustainability. Larta was founded close to 3 decades ago in LA. It emerged as California’s regional technology alliance to stimulate the economic development of technology-based enterprises. They quickly partnered with government agencies like DARPA, NIH, NSF, and NOAA to commercialize novel research and innovation. Their discoveries focus on reversing the global catastrophes affecting the environment, food, education, energy, and healthcare. A daunting list, but their innovations in science and tech are working to transform needs as basic as how we sustainably feed, fuel, and heal the world. From Climate to Agriculture to Clean Tech to Marine and Ocean life – their daily mandate is to find ways to save the world. We simply can’t explain their formula, but suffice it to say they have assisted more than 4,000 start-ups, commercialized more than 6,000 science and technologies, raised more than four and a half billion in non-dilutive funding by their portfolio companies, and more than 2 billion in private investment.” - Dr. Jerry Abraham, presenting the
Innovation Award for Technology to founder and CEO of Larta Institute, Rohit Shukla.
INNOVATION AWARD Public Education Ali Gholamrezanezhad, MD, FEBNM, DABR
Dr. Ali Gholamrezanezhad is a respected Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology at USC’s Keck School of Medicine. He’s also the director of clinical research for the department of radiology and associate section chief of emergency radiology. In what we idealistically call the “post-COVID” era, he has initiated vital research into the correlation between critical situations and patient care. His goal is to discover ways to have both immediate and long-term impacts on patient care, especially during trauma, epidemics, and pandemics. He has led a team that has produced more than 55 journal articles focusing on: • Investigating the radiologic presentations of
COVID-19, • Clinical factors predisposing patients to complications of COVID-19 (such as ICU admission, intubation, or death)
Long-term pulmonary consequences of COVID-19
The impact of the global pandemic on healthcare workers and medical students
Radiology department preparedness for surge potential, factors influencing differential casefatality rates in countries worldwide
And the best approach to transition to the post-
COVID-19 era
Beyond the 55 scholarly articles, he has edited a brand-new imaging textbook, “CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019: A CLINICAL GUIDE,” which covers all aspects of diagnostic and treatment approaches to the disease. To call his work precise and timely is quite an understatement.”
- Gustavo Friederichsen presenting the Innovation Award for Public Education to Dr. Ali Gholamrezanezhad
This year, the Patient Care Foundation created an entirely new award category for extraordinary people who acted bravely during a time of crisis: The Heart of Courage Award. Nothing about our recent times has been typical, and this year, there are two very special people we wanted to recognize. Each made a principled and courageous stand against the madness of increased gun violence.
Heart of Courage Steve Kerr
“Last May in Uvalde, Texas 19 children, and 2 adults were killed in the deadliest-ever shooting at a Texas public school. The next day, Golden State Warriors Coach, Steve Kerr, was expected to give an NBA press conference about his team’s chances in the finals. But that day, Steve used that power of the press for a bigger purpose. Because for Steve, the matter is one he knows all too well. When Steve was 18, living in Lebanon, where his father taught at the American University of Beirut, the militant Islamic Jihad shot and killed his father. His father was 52 years old. Steve said that day at the press conference, “I’m not going to talk about basketball. Any basketball questions don’t matter.” Steve spoke honestly about the gun violence that had occurred just the day before and educated his audience about the mental and emotional scars that rip through survivors who have lost a loved one to gun violence. That day, in that place, with so many cameras on him – Steve Kerr made a stand to the American people and to our leaders in Washington.” - Dr. Omer Deen, presenting the Heart of Courage Award to Steve’s mother, Ann Kerr, accepting on his behalf
Heart of Courage John Cheng, MD
“Dr. John Cheng was one of us. He was a beloved and respected sports medicine physician with South Coast Medical Group. All knew him for his kindness, generosity of spirit, and quiet, humble nature. He was a man who lived for his community and donated countless hours of his time to patients in need. He felt empathy was an essential skill for a physician, and he practiced what he preached. Last May, the same month as the Uvalde shooting, tragedy struck at his church. A madman, motivated by hatred towards the Taiwanese, attacked the church. He had secured doors with chains and tried to disable locks with super glue, clearly making sure congregants wouldn’t be able to leave when he opened fire. With no thought for his own safety, Dr. John Cheng rushed the shooter and attempted to disarm him. While this supreme act of courage cost Dr. Cheng his life, his actions enabled others to tackle the assailant and hogtie him with an extension cord. The attack wounded five people – but without John’s actions, there would have been many more wounded and potential fatalities. We mourn for our heroic brother and appreciate his family for allowing us to recognize his courage.”
- Dr. Deen, presenting the Heart of Courage Award to Dr. John Cheng. Accepting on his behalf, executive director of South Coast Medical Group, Johnna Gherardini
Healthcare Champion of the Year Pfizer
“It was only 18 months ago when it became clear that we were on the verge of an international health crisis unlike anything we’d experienced in our collective lifetimes. While we had to deal with so many immediate problems – the overwhelming question remained, how do we best treat victims of COVID-19? There wasn’t even time to ask, “How can we keep people with Covid from getting to the point where they must be hospitalized?” The magic word of the moment was “vaccine.” What would it take to create one, and how quickly could it happen? Fortunately, a team at Pfizer was already working on developing therapeutics focusing on viruses such as HIV, Hepatitis C, Rhinovirus, and SARS-CoV-1…a virus that in 2003 had rapidly spread throughout Asia. While luckily, the SARS outbreak of 2003 resolved before their discovery could be tested on humans, the similarity between the two viruses offered a good place for new research to start. Two teams were quickly formed: one to explore the legacy compound, the other to design a novel, oral therapeutic agent. Over 24 months, more than 2,000 dedicated Pfizer employees came together to share their strengths and expertise. As we know, the typical time from discovery to approval of a new drug takes an average of 12 years. Given the vast global emergency at hand, they worked together to answer the call in a fraction of that time. On August 23, 2021, the FDA announced the first approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine. Not since the space race had there been anything like the concentrated effort to help people in real-time fight this virus. The day of that announcement was the first collective sigh of relief. Yes, we knew we were far from the end or even the beginning of the end. But, to quote Winston Churchill, who knew a thing or two about winning wars, the Pfizer vaccine was< “the end of the beginning.” - Dr. Troy Elander, presenting the 2022 Healthcare Champion of the Year Award to Pfizer
To watch the award presentations or learn more about the Patient Care Foundation and donate visit www.patientcarefoundation.org
Humankindness brings us together.
Dignity Health – California Hospital Medical Center and the Hope Street Margolis Family Center are honored to sponsor the Patient Care Foundation’s “10th Annual Los Angeles Healthcare Awards.” As we reflect on the challenges faced during the last two and a half years, we honor the Patient Care Foundation for its commitment in recognizing those healthcare heroes who have selflessly demonstrated their dedication to the health and safety of our community.
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