Patrons

CHUCK AND LISA NOSKI

Sharing their knowledge and resources to give back

A COMMUNITY NEEDS STRONG INSTITUTIONS

We are very lucky. Torrance Memorial Medical Center is a significant resource to the community, providing exceptional medical care and wellness to residents of the South Bay and beyond.

My support of Torrance Memorial has been easy. The hospital is a natural “sell” because of its excellence. This excellence positions the hospital to meet the needs of community. From the start of my involvement, I recognized the status Torrance Memorial holds as a significant community asset.

A community needs strong institutions—including schools, houses of worship and health care resources—to fulfill and enrich our lives. These establishments need our support for the betterment of society and the communities they serve.

My wife, Kak, and I have lived in Palos Verdes for 40 years raising our four children. We have been lucky to benefit from the use of Torrance Memorial throughout the years when needed. While I have supported several other community interests, I believe health care is an area that serves a continuing and essential need.

Joining the Foundation board in 1990, I saw the power of Torrance Memorial and appreciate the opportunities to grow our services and technol ogy in primary health care resources, obstetrics, cardiology, orthopedics, neurology and more. At every turn, management’s process to set the vision, define plans and implement expansion has always been thoughtful and practical–well planned but not overreaching—and helps us continue to excel.

Witnessing two generations of hospital leadership navigate the growth from a community hospital into the regional medical center affiliated with Cedars-Sinai it is today has been inspiring. This is a testament to the nation al rankings we have received at the top of annual surveys like U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek. Together with knowledgeable leadership and outstanding staff, the Foundation’s fundraising efforts have been a signif icant and successful source for the hospital, increasing annual goals over time to $15 million and climbing.

In 2023 we will focus our efforts to fund the expansion of the emergency department. Frequently the ED is the starting point for medical services to the community. With the expansion, we will increase the capacity to deliver critical care services to more patients a year! (Please see our ED expansion plans on page 20 in this issue.)

It is an honor and privilege to serve on the Torrance Memorial Foundation board, and I look forward to many more years of involvement.

“IN 2023 WE WILL FOCUS OUR EFFORTS TO FUND THE EXPANSION OF THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. FREQUENTLY THE ED IS THE STARTING POINT FOR MEDICAL SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.”

TORRANCE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MARK LURIE, MD, PRESIDENT Medical Director, Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute

PHIL PAVESI, VICE PRESIDENT Retired Aerospace Executive, TRW

GREG GEIGER, TREASURER Principal, Westport Capital Partners, LLC

HEIDI HOFFMAN, MD, SECRETARY Radiology, Torrance Memorial Medical Center

JOSEPH HOHM, CPA/JD, OFFICER Medical Accounting Service, Inc.

PATRICK THEODORA, OFFICER Cofounder and Chairman, DocMagic

MICHAEL ZISLIS, OFFICER Owner, The Zislis Group

BOARD MEMBERS

CHRISTY ABRAHAM

Community Volunteer NADINE BOBIT Community Volunteer JOHN G. BAKER Founding Partner, The Brickstone Companies

HARV DANIELS

Retired Airline Executive PAUL G. GIULIANO President, Integrated Food Service

ALAN GOLDSTEIN

First Vice President, PVG Group at RBC Wealth Management

RICK HIGGINS

Retired Technology Management Professional

GINA KIRKPATRICK Community Volunteer

SONG CHO KLEIN Community Volunteer

CONNIE LAI, ESQ. Board Chair, JI REN Primary School Former Litigator, Musick Peeler

RICHARD E. LUCY Investor

LAURIE MCCARTHY Retired Investment Banker W. DAVID MCKINNIE, III Consultant, McKinnie Consulting ERIC C. NAKKIM, MD Emergency Medicine, Torrance Memorial Medical Center

TOM O’HERN CEO and Director, The Macerich Company

RICHARD K. ROUNSAVELLE, DDS General Dentistry

MICHAEL ROUSE Retired VP of Philanthropy and Community Affairs, Toyota Motor Sales SAM SHETH Cofounder and Senior Managing Director, VerityPoint

STEVEN SPIERER Partner, Spierer, Woodward, Corbalis & Goldberg

JANICE TECIMER Community Volunteer RUSSELL VARON Owner, Morgan’s Jewelers

Torrance Memorial Medical Center treats all people equally without regard to race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability. The section 504 coordinator can be reached at 310-784-4894. If you do not wish to receive this publication, please contact marketing communications at 310-517-4706.

A Publication of the Torrance Memorial Foundation

EDITOR

Julie Taylor

DIRECTOR, MARKETING

COMMUNICATIONS

Erin Fiorito

PUBLISHER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Vincent Rios

DESIGN ASSISTANT

Alexandria Smith

COPY EDITOR

Laura Watts

CONTRIBUTORS

Stephanie Bezner

Lisa Buffington Melani Morose

Edelstein

John Ferrari

Diane Krieger Nancy Sokoler Steiner

Laura Roe Stevens

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Siri Berting

Deidre Davidson

Vincent Rios

Published by Vincent Rios Creative, Inc.

VincentRiosCreative.com

©2022 Torrance Memorial Medical Center. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

MEET OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS

Torrance Memorial Medical Center appointed two new distinguished members to the Foundation board: Janice Tecimer and Gina Kirkpatrick. Together, these amazing women have prioritized their families and managed careers, all while devoting years of service to the community through their extraordinary volunteer efforts. They are dedicated to serving on the board and supporting health care services provided by Torrance Memorial for the South Bay community.

JANICE TECIMER

Janice Simon Tecimer was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She earned a bach elor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and pursued a career in financial securities sales and trading. After moving to the West Coast, Janice met her husband, Timur, on the beach in Santa Monica. They have been married for nearly 32 years and split their time between Palos Verdes and Park City. They have two children: Chase, 27, has a tech start-up in London, and Natalie, 29, is an attorney in Washington, D.C.

Janice has been an active community volunteer in Palos Verdes Estates and Greater Los Angeles. She served for nine years on the board of the Peninsula Education Foundation and worked on several campaigns for city bond measures sup porting PVPUSD and the PVE police and fire departments. Janice served six years as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), providing multiple services to teenage children in the L.A. County foster care system. She has also been active in the Palos Verdes Golf Club house and membership committees.

Janice and Timur frequently travel, love skiing and golf, and proudly serve at the pleasure of their two Standard poodles, Rupert and Daisy, and grandpoodle, Charlotte.

GINA KIRKPATRICK

Gina Kirkpatrick was born and raised in Southern California and has lived in the South Bay for more than 30 years. Gina graduated with a degree in business administration from Pepperdine University and a master’s in busi ness administration from the University of Southern California. She and her husband, Gregg, live in Rolling Hills, where they raised their three children: Nicola, 26, Alise, 24, and Kyle, 21.

Gina has always been an active volunteer in her community. Although she is a member of the Palos Verdes Junior Women’s Club and has been involved in several other local organizations, her main focus has been on local schools and education. She has served as PTA president and as the chairwoman of numerous committees over the past 25 years. She served on the Cal Berkeley Parents Board for four years and has been a member of the University’s Parent/Community Basic Needs Committee, which advocates for and provides services for students in need.

Gina pursues the study of history and languages. She and her family enjoy hiking, a wide variety of outdoor activities and water sports, and they all share the love of travel.

•

ON THE COVER

PROGRESS NOTES

CLINICAL SPOTLIGHT

PATRON PROFILE

TORRANCE MEMORIAL’S 39TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY FESTIVAL IS UNDER THE BIG WHITE TENT

AGAIN THIS YEAR

Offering themed holiday trees and the South Bay’s largest holiday boutique and live entertainment.

WHEN: November 29 – December 4, 2022

WHERE: Torrance Memorial Medical Center

RECORDED INFORMATION: 310-517-4606

SPECIAL EVENTS

Festival Fashion Show

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. $250 per person

Festival Gala

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 6 to 10:30 p.m. $500 per person

PUBLIC EXHIBIT AND BOUTIQUE SHOPPING HOURS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. – Open to the general public

Senior Day #1 – Free admission for seniors and the physically challenged 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. – Open to the general public

Senior Day #2 – Free admission for seniors and the physically challenged 10 a.m. to 2 p.m

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 Closed to the public

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission free with a new, unwrapped toy

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

HOLIDAY FESTIVAL COLLECTS TOYS FOR TOTS

Torrance Memorial’s Holiday Festival will once again support the annual Holiday Toy Drive of the Torrance Police Department and Torrance Fire Department.

On Saturday, December 3, collection bins will be placed inside the Holiday Festival tent. Attendees are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy, which will help children in need have a joyous holiday season.

Those who bring an unwrapped toy (one toy per person) will receive free admission to the Holiday Festival. After the festival, the departments will deliver the toys to families in the South Bay.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

OPPORTUNITY DRAWING

Call 310-517-4703 to purchase tickets for your chance to win a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Premier. Donated by Joe Giacomin’s Martin Chevrolet. (MSRP estimated value $41,270) Winner to be announced on Sunday, December 4 at 1 p.m.

HEROES TREE

Honor a hero in your life—physician, nurse, or staff, department, patient or community member—with recog nition at the 12-foot decorated tree in the Grand Lobby of the Lundquist Tower.

Donation levels: $10,000 $1,500 $5,000 $500 $2,500 $150

HOLIDAY FESTIVAL EVENTS

All activities are located at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, 3330 Lomita Blvd., Torrance.

$5 general admission Children 5 and younger are free.

For general recorded information call 310-517-4606.

To purchase special events tickets call 310-517-4703.

Visit TorranceMemorial.org/holidayfestival to purchase tickets or view the entertainment schedule.

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

Torrance Memorial Medical Center has been recognized as a Best Hospital for 2022–2023 for the 11th year by U.S. News & World Report. This places the hospital in the top 3% in the state, the 11th-highest ranking hospital for overall hospital quality in California and fifth in the Los Angeles and Orange County regions.

This year, we are nationally ranked in Diabetes and Endocrinology and high-performing in six specialties and 17 of 20 procedures and conditions areas. Ranking in the top 3% shows we are delivering on our vision to provide patient-centered care with the highest level of quality and service to the community. It means we are honoring our promise to deliver our core values of Service, Excellence, Knowledge, Stability and Community.

NATIONALLY RANKED SPECIALTIES

Diabetes and Endocrinology

HIGH PERFORMING SPECIALTIES

• Cardiology & Heart Surgery

• Gastroenterology & GI Surgery

• Geriatrics

• Neurology & Neurosurgery

• Orthopedics

• Pulmonology & Lung Surgery

HIGH PERFORMING PROCEDURES

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

• Aortic Valve Surgery

• Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion)

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

• Colon Cancer Surgery

• Diabetes

• Heart Attack

• Heart Bypass Surgery

• Heart Failure

• Hip Fracture

• Hip Replacement

• Kidney Failure

• Knee Replacement

• Lung Cancer Surgery

• Pneumonia

• Prostate Cancer Surgery

• Stroke

C O C COMMISSION ON CANCER ACCREDITED PROGRAM

Torrance Memorial has received full accreditation as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program from the American College of Surgeons. The recognition speaks to the high quality of care the Hunt Cancer Institute provides. The Commission on Cancer accreditation denotes quality—potentially attracting more patients and providing opportunities for patient engagement.

SOUTH BAY’S BEST

We are honored our community has once again voted Torrance Memorial Medical Center as the BEST hospital in the South Bay.

VOTED BEST

• Hospital

• Cancer Treatment Center (Hunt Cancer Center)

• Workplace

• Hospital Group (Torrance Memorial Physician Network Primary Care/IPA)

• Medical Group (Torrance Memorial Physician Network/IPA)

• Urgent Care Facility (Torrance Memorial Urgent Care)

LEADING LABORATORIES RECOGNITION FROM ASCP AND THE JOINT COMMISSION

Torrance Memorial Medical Center is the first in the nation to receive Leading Laboratories recognition from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and The Joint Commission. This two-year designation demonstrates Torrance Memorial’s commitment to laboratory excellence and to helping improve patient outcomes.

To receive the recognition, the hospital had to demonstrate excellence in four areas: elevating quality outcomes, supporting professional development, cultivating trusted leadership and promoting laboratory visibility. The Joint Commission said key initiatives that led to the hospital receiving the designation include implementing lab automation to reduce the outsourcing of certain tests and turnaround time.

VOTED

FAVORITE

• Knee Center

• Medical Supply Store – Healthlinks

• Nutritionists

• Physical Therapy Center

• Pharmacy/Local (Torrance Memorial Outpatient Pharmacy)

• Novelty Store: Gift/Boutique Shop (Torrance Memorial Gift Shop)

BEYOND THE SNACK CART

Health care organizations faced unprecedented challenges as the COVID-19 global pandemic ravaged society. Doctors, nurses and staff were overwhelmed. Amidst neverbefore-seen conditions, health care professionals embraced the moment, pivoted, set their personal needs aside, and provided around-the-clock care to sick and dying patients.

Thanks to Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s Foundation and its many generous donors, their sacrifices did not go unnoticed. As the pandemic persisted and widespread enthusiastic support for health care workers endured, the now infamous and always bountiful Foundation Snack Cart made its hospital debut. With hundreds of behind-thescenes volunteers who steadfastly served welcomed snacks to weary health care workers, the snack cart

thrived—bringing sweet treats and moments of joy to exhausted employees.

During COVID-19, all fundraising events were re imagined for two years, and the Foundation team—led by dynamic executive vice president Laura Schenasi— regrouped and leaned into the moment. “We imme diately stepped up to support the hospital and staff in other ways,” she explains. “The Foundation team organized and disbursed meal donations, PPE for staff, cards and posters, and of course we created the memorable and beloved snack cart.”

Now, as society and the hospital embrace a new normal living with the COVID-19 pandemic, the beloved Foundation Snack Cart will move into semiretirement.

“During the pandemic, the Foundation team be came our caregivers’ caregivers,” says Mark Lurie, MD,

Loaded with snacks aplenty, Laura Schenasi makes her way to deliver treats.

medical director of the Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute and president of the Torrance Memorial Foundation Board. “During those memorable times of high stress and anxiety, the Foundation’s work reflects incredible moments of generosity, humility and grace.”

The Foundation was established in 1980 with the sole purpose of supporting Torrance Memorial Medical Center, with every single dollar raised going back to the hospital. And that is precisely what it has done. Schenasi took over the leader ship of the Foundation in 2001. During her 21 years at the helm, Schenasi and her hardworking team increased fundraising from $750,000 annually to an average of more than $17 million in cash and pledges.

As a South Bay resident, Schenasi knows her community well. She attributes the Foundation’s vibrancy and success to her exceptional team, including Judith Gassner, senior director of development and principal gifts; Sandy VandenBerge, director of planned giving; Sophia Neveu, development officer; Lisa Takata, special

events and Patrons program manager; and development liaisons, Karen Randazzo, Margaret Johnson Doran and Jill Golden. Schenasi practices a model of shared deci sion-making and believes in the expertise and brilliance of her staff and colleagues.

“If the hospital wasn’t well run and people didn’t receive the high-quality care they expect, the Foundation wouldn’t have the success it has realized,” Dr. Lurie points out. “Our employees and medical staff bend over backward to provide exceptional patient care, and people appreciate that. It’s the excellent patient experience that coexists with the unforgettable ways the hospital impacts their lives. People are generous in those circumstances.”

As a beloved cardiologist and hospital administrator, it is Dr. Lurie’s unique position to make the special relationship between the overall wellness of the hospital and the Foundation exception ally positive and steeped in gratitude, cooperation and collaboration.

For the past five years, the Foundation

has transferred $15 million annually to the hospital, including during the two years when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Now more than ever, it’s time to focus on the future.

At a recent retreat, the Foundation board of directors voted to transfer $50 million to the hospital over the next three years, and the giving does not stop there. “In 2023, we will begin expansion and renovation of the emergency department, and in 2025 the hospital celebrates its 100th anniversary. So a lot is going on,” Schenasi shares.

Schenasi says the Foundation is looking ahead and focusing on what they do best: design, create, build relationships and host community events to raise funds for Torrance Memorial. “I am a cheerleader for the hospital,” Schenasi says.

The Foundation’s programs make up the team Schenasi encourages.

The Ambassadors are committed to supporting Torrance Memorial’s mission, vision and values. Contributions provided by Ambassadors fund cardiovascular,

cancer, neuroscience and orthopedic programs and services.

The Employee Ambassador program allows employees to sign up for auto matic payroll deductions so a donation to the hospital is directly withdrawn from their paychecks.

Planned Giving programs make a lasting difference through estate planning. For anyone looking to supplement income during retirement, reduce taxes, eliminate capital gains tax or pass assets to family members at a reduced cost, planned giving provides many benefits. Future gifts help people receive expert care and treatment for years to come.

YPPA, or Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance, brings profes sionals and physicians together to have fun and support the hospital.

The Foundation’s famous Holiday Festival—featuring the big white tent with all the gorgeous trees, the fashion show and gala, along with the annual golf tournament—continue to be the cornerstone events for the Foundation. Still, it is private giving that makes the most significant impact. From the

generosity of major donors whose names grace our buildings, institutes and conference rooms to the young philanthropist who donated her earn ings from making slime in the colors of the rainbow … every donation counts!

“Fundraising is systemic,” Schenasi points out. “You need people to attend the events, lectures and amazing offerings we do for stewardship and fundraising. Still, we find sitting down with donors and connecting in one-on-one meetings and sharing how their donations will affect the hospital is where relationships are built. Those are the best.”

The Foundation team members are experts at cultivating relationships resulting in the strongest long-term arrangements for the hospital, and they foster alliances with generous donors who are happy to give because they care deeply about Torrance Memorial. When looking at the incredible progress the hospital has made over the last two decades, it is clear the Foundation is helping this world-class institution’s growth and development toward its centennial celebration. •

FOUNDATION BOARD TRANSFERS $15M TO MEDICAL CENTER

On May 6 at the annual meeting, the Foundation board at Torrance Memorial allocated more than $15 million to the medical center. The funds support the many programs and innovative treatments that offer exceptional care to the South Bay community. Thank you to the many donors who made this possible by generously giving through out the year.

Top of staircase to bottom, L to R: Sam Sheth, Song Klein, Ann Zimmerman, Nadine Bobit, Jack Baker, Mark Lurie, MD, Laurie McCarthy, Alan Goldstein, David McKinnie, Joseph Holm, Eric Nakkim, MD, Phil Pavesi, Christy Abraham, Heidi Hoffman, MD, Connie Lai, Greg Geiger, Harv Daniels, Steven Spierer, Richard Lucy, Richard Rounsavelle, DDS, Paul Giuliano, Rick Higgins

WHY I BECAME A DOCTOR

Despite the challenges one may encounter on the path to becoming a physician, there are distinct and profound reasons for pursuing a career in medicine. It could be a childhood illness, a sick relative or parent, legacy physicians as role models, a love for science or even a dream.

It’s a demanding career requiring years of schooling, constant training and a chaotic schedule, but the challenges and rewards are abundant and often the driving force behind choosing to become a doctor. For many, medicine is a calling.

Torrance Memorial physicians enthusiastically embraced the idea of sharing their inspiring stories—which run the gamut from funny and charming to serious and heartbreak ing. But they all offer compelling insights into what inspires a person to choose such a demanding path.

These doctors are living out their dreams and making a difference. They empower patients to take control of their health. They save lives in unexpected emergencies. And they play a critical role in the ever-growing field of medicine.

“My brother-in-law was an influence, but really it was watching Ben Casey—a dramatic doctor TV show. He was young, intense and an idealistic neurosurgeon. I was interested in science, and the whole idea just grew on me.”

“During my last years in high school, I wanted to study business, work in a consulting firm and travel around the world. One day I had a dream, which I don’t remember, but I remember waking up knowing I had to be a doctor. Initially, I didn’t think much about it, but the idea of becoming a doctor kept growing until I was fully committed to it. I knew if I studied medicine, it would require my full dedication. So when I decided, I was completely convinced I didn’t want to do anything else. Looking back, that was the best decision because I’m very happy with what I do, and I love being a doctor. I guess you could say I followed my dream!”

“Growing up, my parents stressed the importance of excelling in mathematics and science and instilled in me the val ues of hard work and accountability. At the same time, my family and my church laid a foundation of strong morals, treating everyone with kindness and respect and always trying to do what is right above what is wrong. I can think of few careers in which all these principles and ethical values are more in synchrony than in the practice of medicine. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be a physician, as I try my best to follow these convictions while working alongside some of the most remarkable professionals I have ever met.”

“I lived in an apartment in Brooklyn with my family and grandmother. She helped raise me, and when I was a teenager, she was admitted to a small local hospital for massive vomiting of blood. The doctors could not figure out the cause and told us to say our goodbyes to her. I thought it was not right that they could not save her. I vowed I would learn medicine and try to help keep people like her from dying or at least be able to tell families why their loved ones died.”

“After seeing a presentation in seventh grade about how to care for rare animals and getting to hold some of the reptiles the specialists worked with, I decided I wanted to be a veterinarian. Later, when I was a camp counselor in high school, I learned how much I loved working with children and decided to make the switch from animals to humans.”

“In my 20s, I was enjoying a success ful career in real estate and marketing consulting while living in Florida. I had all the trappings of success: a nice house, a boat, a Harley and vacations around the world—but it wasn’t enough. I had a life-threatening medical scare, and it really woke me up because although the care I received was good, I felt like it lacked a holistic, humanistic approach that makes you feel you are part of the process. I felt totally out of control, and I wanted a more meaningful, deeper connection physically and mentally. So I studied under a Lakota Sioux medicine man and spent time studying multiple religions and cultures, hiking in deep Alaskan bush, going offshore sailing and finally making the commitment to pursue medicine. If I could save one life, my own would be complete.”

RUMI

MD

Internal Medicine and Primary Care

“My parents were my inspiration to be a health care provider. My dad was an anesthesiologist, and my mom was a nurse-midwife. Throughout our lives, my brother and I were instilled with the concept of helping those in need and practicing the art of healing. Both of us became doctors, which has given us the wonderful opportunity to give back to our communities. I have been able to do humanitarian work in Sri Lanka and here in our underserved communities of the City of Angels. Teaching future generations about the art of medicine and the importance of giving back to the community is something I enjoy doing to this day.”

“Growing up, I was always interested in the sciences, including the possibility of going into medicine. I did always have a love for helping people. However, the fuel that provided the initial spark was when I fell ill with severe Crohn’s disease at 13 years old and was hospitalized. Witnessing firsthand the daily heroics around me—from the smallest to the most life-changing and across the spectrum from nurses to physicians to laboratory staff to radiology technicians and many more—was powerful. Ultimately, pursuing medicine was the right path for me, and I’ve never looked back.”

TRACY BERCU, MD Chief of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Lead Hospitalist

“I was influenced by my father, who is a physician. When I was young, he would take me with him to the hospital when he saw his patients on the weekends. He always used medical terms around the house, and by the time I was 6 years old, he was having me give him his required monthly vitamin B12 shot. I always thought I would become a doctor; however, sometimes things change in life, and I became an engineer instead. Although I built a successful engineering career, I continually regretted not following what I felt was my true calling: becoming a doctor. Then I was diagnosed with breast cancer at a relatively young age, and I realized how short life can be. Because of this, I left engineering, went to medical school and became a physician and have never looked back. Being able to help others while using my firsthand knowledge of what it is like to be a patient is something I consider a gift and would not trade for anything in the world.”

“I was rescuing injured animals during my childhood and felt such joy when I could return them to their lives. Being a teacher and a healer has always been very fulfilling to me, and medicine gave me a path to ac complish both. Whether with my patients, peers, friends or family, I was inspired from a young age to help.” •

GEORGE W. GRAHAM IN MEMORIAM

George W. Graham, Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s former chief executive officer (CEO), passed away on July 8. He served Torrance Memorial for three decades as administrator, president and CEO, and president emeritus. His visionary leadership brought advanced care to the South Bay, and his legacy leaves a lasting imprint on the hospital he rebuilt from the brink of insolvency in 1975.

Over the course of his career, George nurtured the advancement of the medical center by recruiting skilled medical staff and health care professionals and acquiring the latest medical technologies to ensure Torrance Memorial remained at the forefront of med ical care. He sought to meet the needs of a rapidly growing and changing community and set the trajectory of excellence, which has allowed Torrance Memorial to be the regional medical center it is today.

George will be greatly missed, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family.

1970s & 1980s

The late 1970s and 1980s ushered in many building projects and saw decisions that would forever change the face of the medical center. Significant projects completed during this time included the dedication of the new three-story East Wing, opened in 1978. Just five years later, the five-story, 78-bed North Wing opened in 1983, increasing capacity to 325 beds.

1990s

Torrance Memorial continued to meet the community’s need for services by opening the Outpatient Center in 1991 to accommodate the burgeoning number of outpatient surgeries and offer advanced treatment for cancer care and heart disease. Diagnostic imaging continued to grow with the expansion and dedication of the Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Breast Diagnostic Center, named for several large donations by Vasek Polak in honor of his late wife.

2000s

In 2005, George W. Graham stepped down as president and CEO—handing over this role to longtime CFO and COO Craig Leach. Here, the two stand on the future site of the seven-story Lundquist Tower, completed in 2014.

Digging in for the 2003 West Tower groundbreaking are William Averill, MD, chief of medical staff; Thomas Simko, MD, president of the Health Care Foundation board of directors; George W. Graham; Craig Leach; and William Collier, Jr., chairman of the board of trustees.

1983

The five-story, 78-bed North Wing opened in 1983, increasing capacity to 325 beds.

George and his team planned for the growth of the medical cen ter over the course of his three-decade career, and many of these ideas materialized in the years leading up to his retirement in 2005. With an eye on ensuring that excellent care and advanced technology would be available to the community in state-of-theart facilities, campus-wide expansion planning began. In 2000, an ambitious Growing for Our Community campus master plan was unveiled, and work began to make the West Tower and the Lundquist Tower a reality.

•

FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES REMEMBER GEORGE

“I don’t know the people who ran the hospital during its first 50 years, but I would venture to say George Graham has had more impact on Torrance Memorial Medical Center than anyone in the history of the hospital. He laid a fantastic foundation for the future. He was a great leader, a great man. We will all miss him.”

“My late husband, Dick Hoffman, MD, considered George the ‘savior’ of Torrance Memorial. Dick was in that small group that brought in George as a ‘consultant’ and then hired him permanently as the essential leader needed to bring the hospital out of disorder and financial disaster.

George was far from an ordinary leader. He was gutsy, courageous, assertive, bold and he listened. He was a visionary way ahead of his time, making sound judgments and decisions quickly and taking calculated risks. He believed a first-rate radiology department was essential for the growth and reputation of the hospital and invested in advanced technology to attract the besttrained partners. The strength and respect the radiology department enjoys today is the flagship of the hospital and a reflection of the great pride and excellence George cultivated.”

“I wasn’t here to see George’s righting of the then-listing Torrance Memorial ship. But I was around to see him bring it through the obstacle course of developing a first-rate medical center during his three decades at the helm. One word is often used to describe George: vision. He had the vision to build a solid system. He had the vision to expand the success he generated through the birth of managed care. And he had the vision to ensure his team would continue on the path to excellence. I’m grateful for the legacy he left us, and I’m proud to have personally worked with him.”

“George Graham was a man with a mission and a vision. His mission was to stabilize a financially shaky community hospital. His vision was to set Torrance Memorial on a path to becoming an excellent medical center. This would not have been possible without his intelligence, tenacity and grace, and the support of our community and current leadership. He was an amazing leader. Thank you, George.”

“When George came to Torrance Memorial, many hospitals had adversarial relationships between the hospital administration and the medical staff. George respected the doctors and established a trusting relationship that allowed a team approach to move the hospital forward. We were good friends with George and Marion and shared many adventures. We miss them very much!”

“George invited me to join the board of trustees and later asked me to serve as chair of the board. Thanks to his wisdom and the collective sound judgment of the magnificent leadership team he assembled, my association with Torrance Memorial Medical Center has never been cause for a single sleepless night. On the contrary, my association with George (both personal and professional) and the hospital has been a source of significant pride. Watching the growth and many accomplishments over the years, I only wish George were here today to see what his wisdom and vision shaped.”

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT EXPANSION WILL ENHANCE ACCESS TO CARE

A new two-story facility will incorporate advanced technology and double the number of beds while increasing safety and efficiency.

For nearly 100 years, Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s Melanie and Richard Lundquist Emergency Department has provided award-winning, 24/7 care to South Bay residents—delivering critical health care services to more than 88,000 patients each year. In late 2023, Torrance Memorial will begin construction on a $40 million emergency department (ED) expansion project that will increase capacity, efficiency and access to emergency care.

New designs are underway to increase capacity, efficiency and access to emergency care.

“Our ED has set the standard for exceptional and compassionate care in our community, and as a result we’ve seen consistent growth in the number of patients we serve each year,” says Gretchen Lent, MD, director of the Torrance Memorial ED. “Our team has done a remarkable job of making the most of our current space. An expanded, state-of-the-art ED will allow our team to more efficiently and effectively provide lifesaving care.”

The expanded emergency care facility, which is expected to open in 2026, will feature:

• More than 80 treatment spaces including dedicated behavioral health rooms—double the department’s current capacity

• A modular, open-concept design, including spaces that can be used for multiple purposes or modified depending on staff and patient needs

• Rooms with glass partitions for enhanced viewing, safety, security and privacy

• A pandemic-ready waiting room with two separate patient areas

• Enhanced technology to improve efficiency and safety

COLLABORATIVE PLANNING AND DESIGN WITH LEADING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

Torrance Memorial took a collaborative approach to designing the new ED. In addition to hiring Huddy HealthCare Solutions—a firm that has designed more than 300 emergency departments worldwide—the Torrance Memorial planning team included physi cians, nurses and support staff in the design process.

“We invited our ED team members to give us input and feedback from the very beginning, which was even better than putting ourselves in their shoes,” says Gina Sulmeyer, MD, executive director of clinical informatics at Torrance Memorial.

“Working with Huddy HealthCare Solutions and our team members will ensure we get the most innovative, efficient space with maximized capacity,” says Dr. Lent. “Together we will not only build the department of our dreams but a space designed with future needs in mind.”

Torrance Memorial’s remodeled ED will feature a unique, two-story design—making it one of only a few double-decker EDs in the country. The Torrance Memorial team is visiting other double-decker EDs to learn best practices for managing various processes in a two-story environment.

The new ED will also be equipped with state-ofthe-art technology designed to enhance efficiency and safety. “Our patient spaces will have wireless systems that can record conversations between doctors and patients, extract the relevant infor mation, and then automatically enter a note in the patient’s electronic medical record so physicians can talk with patients more freely,” says Dr. Sulmeyer. “Team member badges and patient identification bracelets will also be equipped with RFID trackers so we know where they are in our facility, when they enter and leave specific areas, and how to call for help if needed.”

A STATE-OF-THE-ART, HEALING SPACE

The Torrance Memorial ED team is thrilled to have the opportunity to work in a thoughtfully designed, healing space that pairs beautifully with the existing Lundquist Tower. But most of all, the team is looking forward to providing members of the community with enhanced access to emergency care for conditions including strokes, heart attacks, sepsis, accidents and more.

“Our new ED will be a reflection of our mission statement, which is to provide high-quality, timely and comprehensive emergency care, one patient at a time,” says Dr. Sulmeyer.

“Overall, it has been incredibly exciting, hum bling and rewarding to be involved in creating the distinguished ED our team and community deserve,” says Dr. Lent.

•

AND RICHARD LUNDQUIST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT RECOGNITIONS

• Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center

• Designated as an Emergency Department

Approved for Pediatrics

• ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Receiving Center

• Paramedic base station for Los Angeles County

• One of only three certified Burn Treatment Centers in Los Angeles County

• Recipient of the Lantern Award for extraordi nary nursing care

Advanced imaging changes the world of medicine by creating a road map for treating the precise location of the disease.

X-RAY SPECS

High-tech imaging helps interventional radiologists find and fix life-threatening conditions.

From head to toe. From arteries to brain and spine. From slow-growing cancers to emergency blood clots. Torrance Memorial’s interventional radiology (IR) specialists focus on everything— literally.

“We do minimally invasive procedures to diag nose, treat and cure many types of illness,” explains diagnostic and interventional radiologist Richard Krauthamer, MD.

The hospital’s IR room combines diagnostic imaging capabilities and an operating room in a single location, giving interventional radiologists the ability to look inside a patient’s body, make a diagnosis and

then treat the issue immediately if needed. “This reduces costs and recovery time, and pain and risk to patients who would otherwise need traditional open surgery,” Dr. Krauthamer says.

Torrance Memorial’s IR suite allows physicians to use multiple imaging techniques—from fluo roscopy with low-dose X-rays to ultrasound and CT-equivalent scans—and to generate 3D images. This biplane capability, called that because images are generated in two planes at once, cuts in half the time it takes to create a complete, digital representation of a patient’s limb, torso or head.

“For example, if someone is having a major stroke, we can inject a contrast dye fluid to pinpoint where the blockage is in the brain, image it, and get simultaneous head-on and profile views,” explains Dr. Krauthamer. “This cuts our diagnosis time in half because we don’t have to move the X-ray tube. There aren’t many hospitals outside a university setting with that kind of high-end capability.”

As a medical specialty, IR is used to diagnose and treat illnesses ranging from stroke to cancer. The common factor is conditions that need to be identified within the body. With such versatile capabilities, the IR suite is in use “from early in the morning until nighttime,” Dr. Krauthamer says. “We’ve outgrown the one room, and we’ve really needed to have a second room.”

Now, thanks to a generous gift from the Turpanjian family, Torrance Memorial is constructing a second IR suite. The IR technology, combined with construction and infrastructure costs needed to support it, isn’t cheap. The total cost will be near $5.1 million.

But, says Dr. Krauthamer, it’ll be worth it. “Physically, the rooms are side by side, so we can share our nursing staff and technologists. And we’re using similar equipment in both rooms. The control rooms are right next to each other. It makes for a lot of efficiencies.”

The IR room is expected to be complete and ready to use in early 2023. “It’s a big endeavor we are embarking on,” says interventional radiologist George So, MD. “The new IR suite will be one of the most advanced interventional biplane suites in existence, allowing us to treat many conditions—including stroke, cancer and pain—with increased efficiency, improved patient outcomes and, ultimately, lives saved. It will incorporate new technology, and it will be ready for the future technol ogy we know is coming.”

Dr. So adds: “That’s only possible through the support of donors and our local community. This would not happen if the hospital didn’t have funding. We are so fortunate to have donors like the Turpanjian family.”

Embolisms, or blood clots, are a prime example of the life-threatening condi tions IR technology can diagnose and treat. “The IR suite allows us to perform minimally invasive angioplasties to unblock vessels,” Dr. Krauthamer says. “We can also shut down vessels in people who have bleeding ulcers, for example. We can use different devices to remove clots in the heart, lung or brain, or the upper thigh, pelvis or inferior vena cava vein, which runs to the heart. We can also direct medication to clots.”

IR also allows for more options in the treatment of various cancers, explains vascular and interventional radiologist Donny Baek, MD. “It adds to our repertoire and toolbox for treating cancers.”

Chemoembolization, for example, involves inserting a small catheter into an artery to deliver a cytotoxic agent directly to a malignant tumor, starving it of its blood supply. Another treatment option, tumor ablation, either heats or freezes the tumor.

IR imaging technology also gives phy sicians the precision to surgically block pain in cancer patients and other patients. “We can put in nerve blocks and treat that chronic, severe pain,” Dr. Baek says. “The advanced imaging tools we have allow us to target nerve plexus areas deep within the body. For example, advanced pancre atic cancer can cause pain that requires round-the-clock narcotic medication. We can use a variety of techniques to help us localize the celiac plexus, which is usually invisible or shows as a very thin line on CT, and neutralize it.”

Combining an IR imaging suite and an operating room benefits interventional radiologists as they complete operations, as well as before and during procedures. “After treating, right on the table we can now obtain a coned-beam CT, which provides us with CT-like images to allow us to evaluate the treatment and identify any remaining tumor,” Dr. Baek explains. “This allows us to make a lot of decisions we weren’t able to make at the time of the procedure before. It’s more effective, and from a patient care standpoint there’s a huge benefit.”

He adds: “Our existing IR suite is highly utilized. We definitely need another room. We’re really lucky to be getting it.” •

Torrance Memorial’s new $5.1 million Interventional Radiology (IR) suite, which will complement the hospital’s existing IR suite, is scheduled to be completed in early 2023.

Britney Mula’s medical team

(from left): Brian Sherman, MD, George So, MD, fiancé Timothy Webb, Britney, baby Savannah and Cheryl Sanders, MD.

SPECIAL DELIVERY

A Torrance Memorial team performs minimally invasive surgery, saving the lives of a new mom and daughter.

Pregnancy can be an emotional time, and that’s normal. Scary isn’t normal, but sometimes pregnancy can be scary. Scary is what happened to Britney Mula and her fiancé, Timothy Webb, as they awaited the arrival of their baby girl, Savannah. Thanks to quick thinking and a high-tech intervention, this scary situation has a happy ending.

As Britney recalls, the first 35 weeks of her preg nancy “were super easy—it was great.” But in early April, five weeks away from a full-term pregnancy, her left leg felt sore. She had exercised that day and

chalked it up to a good workout.

Over the next three days, however, the pain became steadily worse, and Britney went to see her OB-GYN, Cheryl Sanders, MD, of Torrance Memorial Physician Network. In less than five minutes, an ultrasound revealed an extensive blood clot.

Dr. Sanders called in Torrance Memorial’s interventional radiology (IR) team, and Britney was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). That’s a serious condition for anyone, but espe cially for Britney, says interventional radiologist George So, MD.

First, the blockage was large, extending from Britney’s calf to below her abdomen. Second, there’s always the potential for a blood clot to dislodge and travel to the lung’s pulmonary artery, becoming a pulmonary embolism. The pressures associated with childbirth increase the potential for this life-threat ening condition. At the same time, placing Britney on anticoagulants to manage the blockage and pain medication to manage her symptoms was potentially dangerous for a pregnant woman.

Although a pregnancy of 39 to 40 weeks is ideal, Dr. Sanders says delivery at 37 weeks is considered early full-term. Could Britney’s delivery be delayed for at least two weeks, even with a serious embolism?

With Britney’s agreement, Dr. Sanders and Dr. So decided to admit her to the labor and delivery department for two weeks while administering med ication for the DVT. At 37 weeks, they would induce labor and, immediately following delivery, operate to remove the clot. Correctly timing when to stop and restart the medications would be crucial.

At 37 weeks, after an induced labor was unsuc cessful, Savannah was safely delivered via C-section. Just hours later, Britney was wheeled into Torrance Memorial’s IR suite to remove the 30-inch blood clot using minimally invasive surgery made possible by the Inari ClotTriever—a specialized device designed specifically to remove DVT embolisms.

The device and the Inari FlowTriever, designed to remove pulmonary embolisms, are at the leading edge of treatment for blood clots, Dr. So says. “Most hospitals do not have an interventional radiologist, and only a small number of hospitals have these Inari devices. With them, thrombectomies can be per formed as outpatient surgeries without the need for the patient to stay in the ICU. The procedure is very quick, and there’s much lower risk.”

In Britney’s case, “The plan worked out beautifully,” he says. Her pain disappeared as soon as the proce dure was complete. “Honestly it was a really easy procedure,” Britney recalls.

The Inari ClotTriever and FlowTriever are game changers in the treatment of blood clots, says Brian Sherman, MD, a Torrance Memorial medical/surgical intensivist and chair of the critical care department. Treated with these devices, patients “immediately feel better on the table, and you’ve instantaneously saved their lives,” he explains.

The devices are part of Torrance Memorial’s

Timothy, Britney and baby Savannah when she was 3 months old.

campaign to better serve the South Bay by being a re gional center of excellence for cardiogenic shock and pulmonary embolism, a multidisciplinary program including IR, pulmonary and cardiac critical care, and the emergency room.

“The program allows us to diagnose patients with cardiac shock or large pulmonary embolisms causing shock and direct them to immediate lifesaving proce dures,” Dr. Sherman says. “We have an array of tools here, from anticoagulant medicines to catheter-di rected thrombolysis and the Inari device, assisted if needed by the Impella device and the ECMO (extra corporeal membrane oxygenation) support system. So for patients like Britney, we can remove clots without anticoagulation or the risk of bleeding from clot-busting drugs.”

Beyond the latest technology though, what Torrance Memorial patients see is the compassionate care they’re getting from dedicated physicians, nurses and specialty support teams. “The team is absolutely amazing,” Britney says. “I don’t think I could’ve gotten better care anywhere in the world.” •

TORRANCE MEMORIAL EMPLOYEE RECEIVES SECOND CHANCE TO WALK PAIN-FREE

After complex spine surgery to treat a genetic condition, Mina Diaz, 44, is back at work and grateful to the team of clinicians who made her recovery possible.

In her 22 years working as a unit secretary in the Torrance Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department (ED), Mina Diaz has never called in sick. But in March 2021, she began to experience nerve pain that radiated down the back of her leg, making it difficult for her to walk, work and perform her normal activities.

As a member of the ED’s Stroke Committee, Mina worked closely with Paula Eboli, MD, medical director of Torrance Memorial’s Lundquist Neurosciences Institute Neuroendovascular Surgery Program. Dr. Eboli is a neurosurgeon who provides general spine care and specializes in treating neurovascular conditions such as aneurysms and stroke.

“I told Dr. Eboli, ‘I think I have to come and see you’,” says Mina, who had already tried anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy to manage her pain.

A SURGICAL SOLUTION FOR A GENETIC SPINAL CONDITION

Mina scheduled an office visit with Dr. Eboli, who ordered an MRI. The MRI revealed Mina had a genetic, degenerative spinal condition called pars defect/spon dylosis, which causes the spine to become damaged and leads to stress fractures, muscular weakness, and problems with spinal discs and joints.

“Not everyone with this condition has pain, but Dr. Eboli told me if you’re going to have problems, they usually occur in your 40s,” said Mina, who is now 44. “I was miserable.”

“We decided to try a nerve block and steroid injections to see if that would help relieve Mina’s pain,” says Dr. Eboli, who referred Mina to Torrance Memorial interventional radiologists Donny Baek, MD, and George So, MD.

Although Mina’s nerve block and injec tions helped for a few months, the relief didn’t last. By this time, she was unable to

bear weight on her left leg, causing it to drag when she walked.

Dr. Eboli referred her to Lindsey Ross, MD, who specializes in complex spine surgery.

Dr. Eboli and Dr. Ross are Cedars-Sinai neurosurgeons who bring their expertise to South Bay patients through the affiliation of Cedars-Sinai and Torrance Memorial.

“I needed to have surgery, and when Dr. Eboli referred me to Dr. Ross, I knew she would take the best care of me,” says Mina. “I was also relieved to be able to have my surgery at Torrance Memorial— close to home and among familiar people and surroundings.”

“When I met Mina, I could see the problem in her spine right away, and I knew the surgical solution I was offering was going to help,” says Dr. Ross.

COMPLEX SURGERY YIELDS OUTSTANDING RESULTS

Three days before her birthday, Mina underwent a two-stage, minimally invasive anterior lumbar interbody fusion procedure. By her side, were Dr. Eboli, Dr. Ross, vascular surgeon Amir Kaviani, MD, and anesthesiologist Ronald Rothstein, MD. “Mina’s surgery was complex because we had to access the spine in two stages—from both the front and the back of her body—to make the repair,” says Dr. Ross. “Having Dr. Kaviani on our team was critical because we needed him to move Mina’s major blood vessels out of the way so we could access her spine through her abdomen.”

And although Mina says she was nervous before her procedure, she felt confident that her surgical team would take excellent care of her.

GRATITUDE FOR A SECOND CHANCE

Mina came through the seven-hour procedure flawlessly and was able to walk a few steps the next day. She spent five days in the hospital before returning home, where she received several weeks of occupa tional and physical therapy.

She wore a back brace and used a walker for a month, followed by a cane for another month.

Throughout her recovery, Mina says the encouragement she received from her Torrance Memorial coworkers and prayers from family and friends kept her going. She says there wasn’t a day that went by when she didn’t receive a text from some one asking how she was doing. Although it was tough to be away from work and her normal activities, Mina’s experience gave her a new appreciation for things she previously took for granted.

“By month three, I was walking a mile a day,” she says. “By month five, I was able to come back to work, and today, at month six, I am back to my everyday activities and exercise routine with only a few restrictions.”

“Mina was an excellent patient, and she did really well. Her story illustrates how the Torrance Memorial team takes care of every patient in our community who needs our help,” says Dr. Ross, who points out Mina’s complete recovery will take a year or 18 months. She will continue to follow up with Mina until the two-year mark.

“I would choose the Torrance Memorial team all over again,” says Mina. “They gave me a second chance to walk without pain, and I will forever be thankful to all the surgeons who made this possible. I am so blessed.” •

LAURIE ANDERSON CAR DONATION

Knowing her late husband, Keith, would be supportive of her decision, Volunteer Auxiliary member Laurie Anderson chose to donate his 2012 Mercedes Benz C250 Sedan to Torrance Memorial. Using the services of CarDana (cardana.co), the car was picked up on a Thursday afternoon and sold the next day! Ten days later, Torrance Memorial Foundation received a check for $8,350. Laurie then made an additional donation to round up the gift to $10,000. “CarDana made it so easy,” Laurie says, “and a charity never receives less than 70% of the proceeds from the car donation.”

LAWNDALE ROTARY SUPPORTS PEDIATRIC

UNIT

With its strong commitment to supporting the community, Lawndale Rotary Club raises funds throughout the year so they can give back. President Shirley Giltzow and member Sandra Horwitz delivered books and activity kits on two occasions for the pediatrics department at Torrance Memorial.

Child life specialist Gina Sievert, Sandra Horwitz, Shirley Giltzow, sitter tech Abby Gonzalez

JACK KRAMER CLUB –TENNIS TOURNAMENT

The historic Jack Kramer Club in Rolling Hills Estates hosted the fourth of six events in the USTA/SCTA professional tennis championships June 27 through July 3. This SoCal Pro Circuit series helps prepare future stars for a career in professional tennis. A percentage of the sponsorship proceeds in the amount of $2,500 was donated to Torrance Memorial by the Jack Kramer Club.

MYCHAL’S LEARNING PLACE COOKIES

Mychal’s Learning Place creates a safe envi ronment to support its belief that children and young adults with developmental disabilities are valuable contributors to our community. Social enterprises of printing and embroidery, bakery and coffee, and The Café at Torrance Memorial’s Specialty Center provide opportunities for train ing and employment. Mychal’s regularly donated hundreds of chocolate chip cookies for staff to enjoy since the beginning of the pandemic.

INSPIRING ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEMONADE DAY

Lemonade Day is a fun, experiential national program teaching youth how to start, own and operate their very own business: a lemon ade stand. This year, fifth graders Greyson Winyarat (son of Susan Lieb) and Blake Kawazoe participated in the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship by setting up their business, learning essential skills like financial literacy, goal setting and teamwork. They donated 10% of their proceeds to the Torrance Memorial pediatrics department and purchased coloring books and crayons.

GROWING FAMILIES AND BUILDING CAREERS

After 17 years at Deloitte, Chuck’s largest client, Hughes, recruited him to join them. He accepted a corporate controller position and went on to become chief financial officer (CFO) and then president of the company. During his early years at Hughes, he earned his master’s degree in accountancy at Cal State Northridge by attending classes at night.

He later joined AT&T as CFO, commuting weekly from home to New Jersey for three years. He attempted to retire at the age of 50 but was soon re cruited by Northrop Grumman as CFO. After another attempt at retirement, Chuck later became CFO of Bank of America, where he again commuted across the country, this time to Charlotte, North Carolina.

He retired “for real” at age 60 and continues to serve on corporate boards of major companies. Over the past 20-plus years Chuck has served on several boards, including AT&T, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Northrop Grumman and Wells Fargo.

Meanwhile, Lisa worked in the tax field for 10 years. When Chuck started traveling extensively, she decided to stay home with their then-2-year-old daughter, Michelle. Younger sister Jennifer arrived four years later.

Today Michelle works in public relations advising luxury resorts and hotels and serves as the family’s vacation planner extraordinaire. Jennifer hewed closer to her parents’ field, studying accounting at NYU and is a manager with Chuck’s former employer, Deloitte.

Both sisters and their husbands live in Dallas. They have traveled with Lisa and Chuck on numer ous occasions, including a 2018 trip to Paris before either daughter had married. “Not only did we have a lot of fun together, but we got to see how our daughters and their longtime boyfriends interacted. It was a great way to get to know our future sons-inlaw,” says Chuck.

The three couples have a tradition of leaving on Christmas Eve for a weeklong trip. “We’re usually on an airplane having dinner together Christmas Eve, then we go to sleep and wake up in a new city,” says Lisa. Destinations have included Marrakesh, London and Napa.

A BELIEF IN GIVING BACK

Lisa and Chuck place a high value on philanthropy and have shared that priority with their daughters. Both girls participated in the National Charity League

(NCL), a program of service for grades 7–12. The organization provides opportunities for mothers and daughters to volunteer with local and national non profits and helps the adolescents develop leadership skills. Lisa worked in the NCL Thrift Shop for 12 years during her daughters’ successive terms.

The Noskis are longtime members of the Peninsula Committee Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, recently working the Portuguese Bend Horse Show in Rolling Hills Estates.

Cal State Northridge alumnus Chuck is a director emeritus of the board of the CSUN Foundation, and the couple helped fund a campus building, now christened the Charles H. Noski and Lisa J. Noski Auditorium. They also support other on-campus initiatives. About eight years ago, they decided to start a scholarship program for accounting students in financial need.

“I held three part-time jobs when I was in college,” says Chuck. “I was envious of the full-time students

Michelle, Jennifer, Lisa and Chuck Noski celebrating Jennifer’s wedding weekend.

who could be involved in campus organizations and have a richer experience. I wanted to make that possible for students in similar situations.”

The Noskis grant four full scholarships to four accounting students each year. The students must maintain a B average to receive funding each sub sequent year. Their only other requirements, Chuck tells recipients, are to “work hard, graduate and, at some point, give back to students like yourself when you can.”

About 30 students have now received a Noski Family Scholarship. “It’s an amazing group of young people,” says Chuck, who notes most are the first in their families to attend college, and some are even the first to complete high school.

Noski Family Scholarship alumni stay in touch with the Noskis and form a de facto support group amongst themselves. “Chuck mentors them from day one,” says Lisa. Chuck adds, “This is the most satisfying thing I’ve done in my career.”

As for their connection to Torrance Memorial, “Our initial exposure was 12 years ago when I was thrown from my horse and broke my collarbone,” recounts Lisa. (She and daughter Jennifer ride Dutch Warmblood horses.) “At the emergency department, I was taken in immediately and treated for my pain and a very badly fractured clavicle. My orthopedist of choice, Dr. Stephen Nuccion, who had treated Chuck for two rotator cuff surgeries, happened to be at the hospital and treated me immediately. This was the beginning of our very positive impression of Torrance Memorial. We decided to get involved after that experience.”

The Noskis are Patrons of the Torrance Memorial Foundation as well as Ambassadors who donate annually to fund care in neuroscience, ortho pedics, cancer and cardiovascular disease. “We are impressed by and grateful for the leadership, the organization and the caregivers of Torrance Memorial,” says Lisa about the couple’s decision to become Patrons.

She has high regard for the Polak Breast Diagnostic Center, which provides screening and diagnostic services to women in the South Bay through 60,000 annual exams provided in four community locations. “I am very appreciative of their state-of-the-art equipment, and it gives me comfort and confidence I am getting the best care for good health,” she says. “And it is so easy—a very small time commitment!”

Lisa recently attended an Ambassador-sponsored program featuring board-certified internist and cardiologist Nadia Curran, MD. “She educated a group of women about the importance of women’s cardiac care and how heart challenges are a bigger mortality risk for women than cancer,” says Lisa. “Dr. Curran did a fabulous job of making everyone feel comfortable and welcome to ask personal questions.”

The Noskis are also grateful for the care Lisa’s father received through Torrance Memorial’s hospice program in 2021. “I had no idea the breadth and sup port hospice could offer,” says Lisa. “Everybody was so caring and kind and professional. The nurses, the 24-hour phone support, the chaplain and the doctor gave me the confidence we were doing everything we could for my father. I never imagined I’d have that kind of support which helped make me feel I was never alone.”

In addition to appreciating the care provided at Torrance Memorial, the Noskis have high regard for president and CEO Craig Leach. “Craig and I both started our careers at Deloitte and have stayed in touch,” says Chuck. “He is an exceptional leader and an important force driving the hospital forward. Health care in the U.S. is a changing landscape, and Craig has done a great job of keeping Torrance Memorial Medical Center foot-forward.”

It appears in the case of the Noskis, father really does know best. A piece of sage advice given to a young boy blossomed into two gratifying careers. And thanks to the generosity of the couple who pur sued those careers, many lives have been changed for the better. •

PACK LEADER

Pat Carlson has been Torrance Memorial’s resident dog whisperer for more than 20 years.

For someone who claims to never have been sick a day in her life, Pat Carlson spends an awful lot of time in the hospital. She measures her visits in miles, not days.

“I use my pedometer religiously,” says the longtime Torrance Memorial volunteer leader and Ambassador. Pat averages around 2,800 steps per trip, usually with Quincy, a Tibetan terrier, or Kylie, a Briard herding dog, by her side.

For more than 20 years, Pat and her well-man nered, impeccably groomed dogs have fronted the hospital’s much-loved Pet Visitation Program. It began in 1999, building on a service for patients in the hospital’s former psychiatric unit. The first eight visitation dogs and their handlers were chosen from 40 candidate pairs. Pat and her Briard-Beardie mix, Chloe, were among them.

In 2005, Pat stepped up as program chair, and Chloe became her training partner. Together they helped prepare the next generation of volunteers. “Chloe gave 13 years to this hospital,” says the Malaga Cove resident. Since Chloe passed away in 2013, Quincy and Kylie have taken up the baton.

They come at least twice a month, but usually sneak in extra visits under the 24-hour bath rule. “With one bath, I can do back-to-back shifts,” Pat explains. “If I wash my dog Monday morning and he stays clean, we can come back on Tuesday.”

In addition to volunteer shifts with Quincy and Kylie, Pat screens all new candidates and their dogs. She trains those that meet her rigorous standard, introduces them to the hospital and shadows each team through their first three months of visitation. There are currently 15 dogs in the program, and some weeks Pat is at Torrance Memorial three or four

times. After more than 22 years walking the units, she knows everyone.

A retired dental tech and former Gail Jewelers salesperson, Pat has no formal canine training experience, but she has spent her entire life around dogs—starting with the family dachshunds. The child of Swedish immigrants, Pat was born in Los Angeles during the post-war boom and grew up in Westchester.

Her father, Vic Melin, was an aerospace engineer who started his own business manufacturing airplane parts. Her mother, Kathleen, was a homemaker with an adventurous spirit. Before the war, she had seen exotic palm trees on a travel poster in a Stockholm travel agency and resolved to someday live “there.”

All the Melins were builders. Pat’s brother, Carl, became an engineer like his dad. Pat had an artistic streak, so after graduating from St. Mary’s Academy High School, she enrolled in a USC-affiliated technical school where she learned the “hidden art” of making porcelain teeth.

She met her husband, Dick Carlson, through an aunt who waitressed at the San Pedro restaurant where he and his partner were lunch regulars. An engineer, Dick led Komax Systems, the manufacturing company he cofounded in the 1970s. They’ve been married for 42 years, and though Pat has no children of her own, she has three grandchildren and five great-grandkids thanks to stepson Donald Carlson and stepdaughter Barbara Clark.

In the early days, the couple lived in Redondo Beach and Pat worked as a dental ceramist in Beverly Hills. But after 15 years of that unpleasant commute, she made an abrupt career change. Stopping one day at Gail Jewelers to get a chain necklace repaired, she fell into conversation with the owner and ended up applying for a seasonal job as a gift wrapper. Soon she was learning the trade and moving into sales. She stayed until retiring in 2004.

The best part of working in jewelry, she found, was “everybody’s happy. Everyone has a smile on their face.” Ironically, Pat seldom wears jewelry herself, but she enjoyed the customers’ energy. She likens it to the hospital nursery—another place where smiles are ubiquitous.

It was curiosity that first brought Pat to Torrance Memorial. Never having been sick in her life, she wanted to meet patients. “I’m also an ER junkie,” she admits. “I love to watch hospital TV shows.”

Starting as a general “blue jacket” volunteer, she later moved into the ER but found it wasn’t “active enough. I wanted to be really busy,” she says.

When she heard of the dog visitation program, Pat pounced. After Chloe sailed through the vet screening with flying colors, Pat brought in Tucker, her Maltese, to be evaluated. She learned an important lesson about hospital dog volunteering that day: It has to be a team effort. “Tucker was a great dog, but he just didn’t want to be there,” she recalls.

How could she tell? “It’s pretty obvious when you have a dog that’s going toward the door the minute he arrives,” she says.

Chloe, however, was a natural. She had a repertoire of 25 tricks, from jumping through hula hoops to playing a toy piano (Pat used to carry the props around with her.)

Chloe’s successor, Kylie, also performs tricks. Though she doesn’t tickle the ivories, she’ll gladly weave poles,

turn circles, back up, sit-up pretty, salute and take a bow— to the delight of patients, their families and the nurses, doctors and hospital staff who attend to their needs.

Dick is proud of the work his wife and their dogs do at Torrance Memorial, and he supports their desire to do even more. Seven years ago she suggested they become donors, and the Carlsons have been Ambassadors ever since.

Pat’s relationship with the Torrance Memorial Foundation goes back at least a dozen years. That’s when she started the tradition of Dogs on the Catwalk—a high light of the annual Holiday Festival. During the popular fashion show luncheon, a half-dozen stylish visitation dogs accompany festival volunteers on the runway, decked out in matching scarves and costumes.

In the runup to the show, Pat carefully identifies dog-people among the volunteer models, pairs each with the appropriate visitation dog and drills the duo in a dress rehearsal. On the day of the luncheon, Pat crouches at one end of the runway, and Sandy VandenBerge from the Torrance Memorial Foundation office kneels at the other—ready to leap should a volunteer stumble or a dog slip its leash.

That, mercifully, hasn’t happened, but Pat recalls a scene that caught her off guard some years ago. A woman had approached her after the luncheon, checkbook in hand, and announced, “I want to adopt this dog,” pointing at Chloe. Pat stared in confusion, then burst into laughter. The woman had mistaken Chloe for a silent auction item. “I told her, ‘No, she’s not for sale.’ The poor woman was mortified,” Pat recalls, chuckling.

Pat runs the Pet Visitation Program without any assis tance and with a minimal budget. “It’s just me,” she says, though she credits Volunteer Services leaders Mary Matson and Ruth Velasco (now retired) as dedicated partners.

The work brings her deep satisfaction. “It’s not about me,” she says. “It’s about the wonderful people who come and do this. I just want to make it as easy as possible and make sure their dogs are happy.” Aside from comforting patients and staff, Pat sees the pet visitation program as a gateway to personal growth.

Last year a new program volunteer had confided she was uncomfortable around sick people. That’s OK, Pat reassured her. Dogs are excellent icebreakers. “It took about six months,” Pat says, “and she’s now very comfort able. I love that part—having somebody gain confidence in themselves to meet all these new people at the hospital. And then go on their own journey.”

•

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY BENEFITS

With your charitable gift annuity donation to Torrance Memorial Foundation, you receive income for life starting immediately or at a future date you designate. The annuity rate paid is determined by your age and is higher in comparison to your savings account or certificate of deposit. You receive an immediate charitable tax deduction, and the income received is partially tax-free. For more information contact Sandy VandenBerge at 310-784-4843 or Sandy.VandenBerge@tmmc.com.

DEL McCULLOCH A LIFE OF LAUGHTER AND COMPASSION

Passion is an energy source for living an inspired life. Unlocking passion can lead to happiness, providing life with meaning, energy and freedom. As Del McCulloch, an astute altruistic Torrance Memorial Patron explains, passion isn’t about pursuing the one thing you love. Instead, it’s about finding love in what you do and laughing along the way.

“Laughter is the secret to life. I have even heard it relieves pain. If you’re fortunate enough not to have any pain, like me at the moment, and you can’t think of anything to laugh about, then laugh at yourself like I do,” explains the lively 93-year-old.

McCulloch, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, recently moved from her home in Redondo Beach to Merrill Gardens in Palos Verdes. She makes the most of every moment and strongly believes in taking life one day at a time. She explains her philosophy: “Anything can happen, which is why I moved. I was living alone, so I figured I would make some decisions while I could still control things.”

Her dedication to philanthropy fulfills McCulloch on many levels. “The charitable gift annuities, which I have with several charities including Torrance Memorial, are a great way to earn income while still giving back, and they make me feel good,” she says, delighted.

McCulloch regularly engages with her friends and neighbors both in person and online and fills her calen dar with travel and adventure. “There is always so much to learn. I like the internet, watching videos and learning a new word daily on my iPad,” she says.

After losing her beloved husband, Paul, 27 years ago, she was looking for a way to pass the time. So she packed her bags and embarked on travel

adventures—building upon her world experience working for the State Department before she married.

“The pandemic slowed things a bit, but it has picked up. I went to Denali last year. This year I’ve been to South Africa and Namibia, and to Alaska on a Viking ship. I went to England, Scotland and Wales, and I’m a movie buff, so soon I’m taking a Turner Classic movie cruise. I love classic movies. Back in the day, we didn’t need all that violence and swearing to get our point across; that’s why the classic movies are so great,” she says as she makes further plans to spend Christmas and New Year’s with friends of 70 years in Mexico City.

When asked to be profiled for the planned giving program at Torrance Memorial, she was hesitant to agree, stating she doesn’t have much to share except her zest for life!

“In a nutshell, I am a conservationist and com passionate for my fellow man—hence my support of health care and the preservation of our planet. That’s not very exciting,” says Del. Respectfully, many people disagree.

Del’s selfless ways of donating her time, money, experience, skills and talent to create a better world convey the impression of an extraordinarily accom plished life of gracious generosity. •

Financial Health Seminars*

Seminars are scheduled to be held in person on Saturdays, 9 to 11 a.m.

Hoffman Health Conference Center 3315 Medical Center Drive, Torrance Information & RSVP: 310-517-4728

January 14

Individual Taxation: Wrapping Up 2022 and Planning for 2023

March 11

Professional Fiduciaries and Their Role

May 13

Why Estate Planning is Still Important

*Dates and topics are subject to change.

THE PROPOSITION 19 SURPRISE

Proposition 19 was adopted by voters in November 2020 and became law in February 2021. While this means more flexibility for homeowners over age 55 to maintain their property tax basis when moving, all Californians have far fewer options for transferring their properties to their children.

Before Proposition 19 was adopted, parents could transfer their primary residence and other properties to their children without property tax reassessment as long as the sum of the assessed value of other properties did not exceed $1 million (there was no cap on the pri mary residence). Now parents can no longer transfer other properties to their children without property tax reassessment and are limited in their ability to transfer their primary residence. The transfer of a primary residence from parents to children will only escape reassess ment if the fair market value of the property on the date of transfer does not exceed the assessed value of the property plus $1 million and a child makes the residence their primary residence.

Gone are the days when children can keep their parents’ house as a rental property with low property taxes. The new law also means some children who live with their parents will be unable to continue living in their parents’ residence without a large property tax reas sessment. Take, for example, parents who purchased their home in the South Bay 46 years ago for $75,000 and the property is now worth $2 million. The assessed value of the parents’ house for property tax purposes would now be approximately $183,000, based upon the 2% per year increase under Proposition 13.

If their child lived with them, they might gift the property to such child at the time of the death of the surviving spouse. Before Proposition 19, the child would have kept the same property tax basis. Now, because the property is worth more than $1.183 million, the child would have a modified property tax basis of $1 million (the difference between current market value of $2 million and $1.183 million, which is $817,000 plus the original assessed value of $183,000). This would result in a more than five-time increase in property taxes!

Parents can undertake some planning during life to mitigate the impacts of Proposition 19, but when leaving real property to children, the landscape has changed dramatically.

JUGGLING PRESENT-MOMENT AWARENESS WITH FUTURE EMERGENCY NEEDS

Brian Miura, MD, knows a thing or two about present-moment awareness. In fact, as an emergency medicine physician for the past 25 years who also serves as one of the medical directors for the Torrance Memorial Emergency Department and urgent care centers, he says the heightened focus needed for emergency medicine is what he enjoys most about the field.

“Every patient is a new experience and opportunity to help someone in need. In a short period of time, we need to gain their trust, investigate their symptoms and develop a list of possible diagnoses. It’s nice to be the investigator, or sleuth, who is trying to figure out the cause of their symptoms and then do the appro priate workup,” Dr. Miura explains. “And once we’ve made a diagnosis, we can initiate the appropriate treatment and decide whether they can go home or need to be admitted.”

While each patient’s case is unique, requiring full attention by physicians and staff, Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s Emergency Department (ED) and its three urgent care centers (in Manhattan Beach, Torrance and now El Segundo) are treating more patients this year. The recent uptick means expanded multitask ing for staff. Brian Miura, MD, hiking Sólheimajökull glacier in South Iceland

“To put it into perspective, currently we’re seeing 8,000 patients in the ED and 2,800 patients in the urgent care centers each month,” he reports. “That’s 130,000 patients annually who are seeking acute medical care.”

Dr. Miura estimates some of the rises in urgent care patients are due to COVID-19, back-to-school colds and other flu-like illnesses. Another reason for the surge in ED and urgent care patients is people rec ognize Torrance Memorial as the premiere hospital in the South Bay. Patients share stories of traveling farther and past other hospitals and urgent care centers to be treated by his staff.

STRIKING A BALANCE

Juggling multiple patients with various health issues in a busy emergency depart ment is a skill well-honed by Torrance Memorial ED staff and physicians. “Going into the field of emergency medicine, we understood this dynamic. One of the nice things about our specialty is we work nine- or 10-hour shifts, but not 20 to 22 days a month, like most 9-to-5 workers,” explains Dr. Miura.

Emergency medicine physicians typi cally work about three shifts a week or 12 to 14 shifts a month. This allows sufficient time off to decompress, reduce stress and find more balance. “When we come to work in the ED, it’s usually extremely busy,” he says.

To let off steam on days away from the hospital, Dr. Miura likes to exercise—al though his interests have changed since the judo days of his youth. “Now that I’m older, my body can’t handle being thrown around in judo,” he says with a laugh. Instead, he prefers road cycling, snow boarding and golf (even though he claims not to be good at it).

Dr. Miura also loves to travel. He and his partner, Brandy Van Zitter, a cardiovascular ICU nurse at Torrance Memorial, recently explored Iceland. “We just got back from an amazing twoweek trip to Iceland. Unfortunately, we did not see the Northern Lights, but we drove around the entire country, hiked to dozens of waterfalls and on several glaciers, and kayaked around icebergs. It was spectacular scenery.”

YPPA & OUR FUTURE

In addition to fitness and travel, Dr. Miura likes to volunteer and has been an active member of the Torrance Memorial Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance (YPPA) program since its inception 10 years ago. Involvement with YPPA is the opportunity to bring physicians and business leaders together to have fun, network and discuss ways to better our communities.

In 2023, fundraising efforts will align with the Torrance Memorial Foundation to focus on the ED expan sion project. This expansion is antici pated to open in 2026 and is considered critical by ED staff.

“The ED is undergoing plans to build a second story where the old intensive care unit used to be,” explains Dr. Miura. “In those plans, there will likely be some remodeling of the first floor as well, to give us an additional 16,000 square feet of space. We need more space to handle the anticipated continued growth of our ED population.”

You could say this mindset of concen trating on the present moment—which is constantly changing—is a way of life for Dr. Miura. Whether working in the ED, meeting with local leaders, keeping up with fitness goals or prioritizing time for family and travel, he always takes a mindful approach. •

EL SEGUNDO RIBBON-CUTTING

CEREMONY

It was another proud moment for Torrance Memorial and our joint effort with Cedars-Sinai as we celebrated the opening of our new multispecialty medical complex located at the new Nash Street Exchange at 2110 E. El Segundo Boulevard in El Segundo. Hospital representatives, donors and city officials gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 2. The complex offers urgent care, an Endoscopy Center, blood draw station, imaging, and various physician offices including primary care, pediatrics, OB-GYN, gastroenterology and other specialties.

1. Mona Madani, MD, Matthew Mejia, MD, Richard Brucker, MD 2. El Segundo City Council members Carol Pirsztuk, Carl Jacobson (former), Scot Nicol, Chris Pimentel 3. Keith Hobbs, Tom Prisolec, Zachary Gray, MD, Craig Leach, Mayor Drew Boyles, Heidi Assigal 4. Kenneth Holt, MD, Tom Prisolec, Azam Riyaz, MD, David Chung, MD, Nikhil Selvakumar 5. Tom Prisolec, Craig Leach, Judy Leach, Chris Rogers, Bill Collier 6. Brian Miura, MD, Brian Lee

EL SEGUNDO COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE

The community was invited to tour the El Segundo Medical Office Building on Saturday June 4. More than 300 community members enjoyed physician-led tours and visited booths to learn more about the services offered at the complex. Some visitors also received a complimentary carotid artery ultra sound screening.

HEALTHY HEARTS FOR WOMEN

LUNCHEON

It was a beautiful day in early May when 110 women of the Ambassadors, a fundraising program of Torrance Memorial Foundation, gathered for a luncheon at Shade Redondo Hotel’s Horizon Ballroom. The women were there to hear about the Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute’s new Women’s Heart Health Clinic from director, Nadia Curran, MD. She spoke about the inequities and gaps in cardiovascular care for women, emphasizing that they are often undertreated, and heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. Dr. Curran stressed the importance of pre venting heart disease by knowing risk factors and symptoms and having noninvasive testing to evaluate heart disease risks.

Dr. Nadia Curran is a cardiologist and director of the LLCVI Women’s Heart Health Clinic, 2841 Lomita Blvd., Suite 100, 310-257-0508.

1. Elizabeth Paul, MD, Charlotte Lesser

Francesca Deaver, Shannon Cochran

Front: Tamiko Nakama, Jennifer Dorlet Merilee Hobbs Back: Melissa Long, Nadia Curran MD, Carla Duhovic

Front: Cindy Williams, MD, Christy Abraham, Nadine Bobit, Kak McKinnie | Back: Patricia Sacks, MD, Pat Lucy, Kathy Krauthamer, Angela Furkioti, Judith Gassner, Ann Zimmerman

Janice Tecimer, Pat Lucy

Melody Lomboy Lowe, Linda Rillorta, Gracelyn Bateman

Diana Brandt, Karen Odom, Cindy Hagelstein

Front: Val Adlam, Tasneem Bholat, MD, Helaine Lopes, Laura Schenasi Back: Mary Richardson, Carolyn Snyder, Patti Hermann, Donna LaMont

Barbara Bentley, Judith Gassner, Song Klein, Kay Sheth

Melanie O’Regan, Wendy Klarik

Sandy VandenBerge, Nancy Weisel, Laurel Cameron

Lisa Lahr, Antonia Lavender

36TH TORRANCE MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Palos Verdes Golf Club was the setting on Monday, June 6, for the 36th annual Torrance Memorial Golf Tournament sponsored by City National Bank. Before the shotgun start for the scramble-format tournament, all 135 golfers competed in a stampede miracle putt with two balls successfully falling into the cup! After playing 18 holes, golfers returned to the clubhouse for a silent auction, rose garden reception and awards ceremony. In addition to the golfer awards given at the ceremony, special recognition and thanks was expressed to Don Douthwright who stepped down as committee chair after serving in that role for 34 years. The 2022 Golf Committee, now chaired by Rick Higgins, also deserves thanks for their diligence and participation in making the event successful. All proceeds support the Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute.

1. Jill Golden, Nadine Bobit, Karen Randazzo

Front: Mary Wright, Steve Wright, Dan Dritschel  Back: Aman Wright, Brian Wright

Song Klein, Mark Lurie, MD, Barbara Demming-Lurie

Chris Rogers, Anthony Chen, MD

Lowell Hill, Chris Adlam, Zach Matos, Nick Burdiak

Neal Verga, Sam Morris, Phil Cutler

Chris Profeta, Jarratt Rouse, Scott Rouse, Connie Senner 8. Front: Bernie Reid, Matt Wildman

Back: Anthony Chen, MD, Keith Hobbs, Chris Rogers, Blake Beltramea

Front: Mark Rouse, Scott Rouse Back: Chris Profeta, Jarratt Rouse

Rick Higgins, Mike Emenhiser, Craig Leach, Brandon Hovard

Sal Gonzalez, Mike Ninnis, Dave Klein, Steve Lopes

HERITAGE SOCIETY LUNCHEON

Heritage Society members were appreciated and acknowledged at the annual luncheon at Palos Verdes Golf Club on June 23. They were joined by donors who have made a contribution annually for 10 or more consecutive years. Guests heard from Mark Lurie, MD, who shared his personal story, “My Journey to Cardiology.” Heritage Society members are those who have designated a gift to Torrance Memorial in their estate plan. For more information, please contact Sandy VandenBerge, director of planned giving, at 310-784-4843 or sandy.vandenberge@tmmc.com. You may also visit TorranceMemorialFoundation.org/planned-giving.

AMBASSADORS PICKLEBALL

Members of the Ambassadors program came together at the Palos Verdes Tennis Club on a sunny afternoon in late July. Pickleball was on the menu, and many Ambassadors either played or observed America’s fastest growing sport. Torrance Memorial’s Matthew Mejia, MD, a family and sports medicine physician, discussed diagnosing and treating injuries, injury prevention, individual treatment plans and rehabilitation strategies. Ambassadors financially support the Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute, Hunt Cancer Institute, Lundquist Orthopedic and the Lundquist Neurosciences Institute.

PATRONS EVENING AT THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

In appreciation for their generous support, Torrance Memorial treated its Patrons to dinner under Air Force One at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on July 30. Donors toured the museum and the Secrets of WWII exhibit, posed for photos at the entrance to Air Force One, and enjoyed a cocktail reception before sitting down to an elegant dinner. President and CEO Craig Leach spoke to the group and expressed sincere gratitude for the generosity of these Patrons.

WINE PROCUREMENT PARTY

With the added excitement of meeting again in person after two years of “drive-by” donations, friends and supporters gathered at the home of Song and Dave Klein on August 28. Attendees arrived with bottles of wine to donate for the Holiday Festival 2022 silent and live auctions, and then enjoyed cocktails, appetizers and fun socializing. Scott Grillo donated his time providing live music to set the mood. Silent auction co-chairs Song Cho Klein, Jennifer Chen, Gina Kirkpatrick and Helaine Lopes hosted the event.

YPPA CASINO NIGHT MAKES A VALIANT RETURN

Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance hosted its 6th annual Casino Night fundraiser at Scholb Brewery on Friday, September 16. The event hon ored our health care heroes, and guests came dressed in theme. With craft beer on tap, guests enjoyed blackjack, craps, roulette, poker and live music. Event proceeds support Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s emergency department expansion. For more information on membership and upcoming events, visit TorranceMemorial.org/YPPA.

6.

Mona Madani, MD, Aamir Abdullah, MD

Stephanie Bezner, Tanseem Bholat, MD, Jenny Ryan

Alex Shen, MD, Allyson Shen

Keyur Patel, MD, Yogina Desai, MD

Ben Archer, Melanie Archer

Sophia Neveu, Jennifer Irwin, Maria Sass,

9.

Kevin Fujimoto, Kathy Levy, RN, Natalie Thorpe, RN

Ricc Brindicci, Dani Rodriguez-Brindicci

Brandon Lee, Shawn Metts, Averie Yale, Jeff Kern, Vicki Kern, Dan Nguyen, Emily Wong, Walter Nunez

Taylor Graham, Robbie Chambers, Lyndsay McAngus, Joe Spierer, Melanie Archer, Ben Archer, Cyndy Spierer 13. Keith McBride, Tanseem Bholat, MD, Sam Alherech, Basil Younes, MD, Kara Younes

Aziz Ghaly, MD, Basil Younes, MD, Kara Younes, Stanley Chang, MD 16. Alex Shen, MD, Allyson Shen, Rachel Nguyen, Jim Nguyen, Heidi Hoffman, MD

15.

Sachin Maheshwari, Payal Maheshwari, Declan Rushe, Vimal Murthy, MD, Tricia Takasuki 18. Ernie Kwok, Monica Lee, MD, Erisa Pooee, Todd Schenasi

TORRANCE MEMORIAL GIVES SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR MANY DONORS

GIFTS FROM MARCH 1 – SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

$5,000,000+

TF Educational Foundation Patricia and Gerald Turpanjian

$2,000,000+ Melanie and Richard Lundquist

$1,000,000+ Priscilla Hunt

$700,000+ Ruth Anne Pearce and Allen Alpay

$550,000+ Ira D. and Ronnie Brown Estate Kennedy Health Services Colleen O’Neill

$250,000+

Linda and Zan Calhoun

Michelle and Darrin Del Conte Amy and Stephen Haw Susann Norton Phyllis Pelezzare

Carleen and Paul Schwartz Ellen and Pat Theodora Renee Warren Tien and Cliff Warren Nancy Weisel

$100,000+ Bob and Mimi Liu

Carol and Karl McMillen Jr. & The McMillen Family Foundation

$50,000+

Renate and Steve A’Hearn Coull Foundation

Jennifer and Paul Hennessey

Sandy and Karl Jackson Kala and Surendra Jain, MD Loretta and Art Kaiser, DDS Caren and Jordan Libit Jeannine and Benedict Lochtenberg

Thipnongnuch and Larry Miller Nancy and Larry Pasquali Sophie and Arnaud Solandt

$30,000+

Employee Ambassador Program Gardener Grout Foundation Clark Hsu and Sherry Chen Hsu

Greta and Mike Jarvis Laurie and Thomas McCarthy Doris and Gregory Morton Lee-Li-De and Erh-Mei Su

$20,000+

Jackie and Greg Geiger Graziadio Family Patricia and David Hempel Robert Koch Lori and Tom O’Hern The Thermal Race Club –Twanna and Tim Rogers Sandra Sanders Torrance Memorial Medical Staff

$15,000+

Sandy and Thomas Cobb Cathy and Major Lin Payden & Rygel Frances and Stanley Zee

$10,000+

Laurie Anderson Sandy Behrens Steve Booth Diana Cutler Eve and Rick Higgins Terry and Joe Hohm, CPA Richard McArdle Patricia and William Nault $5,000+

Audi Pacific Nadine and Ty Bobit c/a Architects Chivaroli, James & Gable Sally and Mike Eberhard Genesis of South Bay George Graham† Cindy and Bill Hagelstein Edward Hancock Keenan Healthcare Pat and Richard Lucy Luminaries of Torrance Memorial Martin Chevrolet, Joe Giacomin Mascari Warner Dinh Architects Karen and Michael Melideo Eric and Anna Mellor, MD Rita and Joe Meistrell

Marilyn and Frank Miles Jacquelyne and Steven Miller Jeffrey and Tiffany Neu Porsche South Bay

Laura and Marc Schenasi Loraine Scriba

Robin and RJ Smith South Bay Gastroenterology Medical Group

The Novas of Torrance Memorial Torrance Pathology Group/ Torrance Memorial

Torrance Radiology Medical Group

Vistas for Children, Inc. West Coast University Inc. Kathleen Whiting

Terry and Jim Witte Andrew and Cassandra Wolstan

$2,500+

Valerie and Chris Adlam Michaela and John Andrawis, MD

Donald and Kathy Black Cerner Corporation

Louise and David Clinton

Nancy Combs

Digestive Care Consultants Medical Group

Karla Burns and Brett Dillenberg EMCOR Service/Mesa Energy Systems

Ronnie and Alan Goldstein

Green Hills Memorial Park

Susan Greenberg Rudich and Howard Rudich

Rosalind Halikis

Erin and Heidi Hoffman, MD

Jenn and Brandon Hohm Internal Medicine & Nephrology Medical Group, Inc.

Jackie and Vince Kelly

Judy and Craig Leach Chelsea and Christopher Linton McCarthy Building Companies

Cessie and John Moody MS Rouse Co, Inc.

PNG Michelle and David Rand, MD

Sam and Kay Sheth Rose and Patrick Straub

Torrance Memorial Neonatology Joshua Snyder

Solid Rock Structural Solutions, Inc.

Robert Stephenson The Jack Kramer Club

Triton Pacific Construction Group Carolyn and Charles Turek, MD Williamson Construction Alissa and Robert Wilson

Mary and Steve Wright YPPA of Torrance Memorial

$1,000+

Anesthesia Medical Group of Torrance Memorial Harry Archung Peggy and Morton Bauchman

Greg and Tiffany Becker, MD Susan and Derek Berz

Caroline and Clarence Beshke

Elaine Booth-Carnegis

Diana and George Brandt

Anita and Bill Bronstein

Trudy Brown

Catalina Channel Express, Inc. Philip W. Chung, MD, and Lauren Choi, MD

Priscilla and Frank Clark Peggi Collins and Steven Cocks Judy Dabinett

EP Wealth Advisors, LLC

Mary and Steven Fisher, MD Jeannine and Dennis Frandsen Judith Gassner

Maria Sass Goldstein and Jared Goldstein

Karen Gottlieb

Graystone Consulting, Morgan Stanley Christine and Alek Haidos

Christine Hanson

Jennifer Irwin and Charles Hargraves Donna Helstrom

Adrienne Herman

Heritage Rehabilitation Center

Kalpana Hool, MD, and Hugo Hool, MD

Lindsay and Peter Imwalle Kim and Donald Inadomi, MD Alma and Barry Johnsin, DDS Seema and Bill Kalra

Vicki and Jeff Kern

Susan and Lawrence Kneisley, MD

Patricia Kromka Kris and Jimin Kumamoto

Donna LaMont

Monica Lee, MD, and Ernest Kwok

Charlotte and Russ Lesser Lomita Post-Acute Care Center

Helaine and Steve Lopes Laurie and Steve Love

Kristy and Eric Maniaci

Sudy and Bud Mayo

Catherine Melton

Patricia and Larry Murphy Shalini Singh and Vimal Murthy, MD

Karen and Gene Naftulin, MD

Warren Oda and Juliet Chang

Karen and John Odom

Melanie R. O’Regan

Delores Parcell

Pryority Lending Group

Audrey Reynolds-Lowman

Janet Richardson

Tom Rosenthal

Denise Scarpetti

Marcia and Michael Schoettle Mojgan Chegolunchei and Jerry Schwartz, MD

Angela and Hank Sheldon Mae and Deren Sinkowitz, MD

Erin and Andrew Sloves Spierer, Woodward, Corbalis & Goldberg

William Tarng, MD

Irene Terrell

Timme and Kurt Gunderlock

Torrance Emergency Physicians Mary Jo and Jerome Unatin, MD

Vereco Healthcare Solutions

Patricia A. Vincent, MD

Susan Walker

Cathi and R. Michael Wyman, MD Nancy and Roger Zapor

$500+

Christy and Jay Abraham Charlotte Adlam and Zach Matos AmazonSmile Foundation

Melanie and Benjamin Archer Marcia and Lawrence August, MD Michele and Robert Bell Beti and Christopher Bergman Peggy and Cliff Berwald Stephanie and Brian Bezner

Veann and Tracy Bracken Laurie and John Bucher Buckingham Investments Edna Campbell

Joanne and Stanley Chang, MD Cody Charnell Alan Chung Fern and Martin Cohen

ConservaTrust Fiduciary, Suzanne Grudnitski

D & R Office Works

Monique and Scott Davis Sara and Omer Deen, MD Susan Dilamarter

Diane Dunn

Danielle and Brian English Regina and Dan Finnegan Deborah and Moe Gelbart, PhD D’Ann Gesch

Susan and Richard Gomez Nancy Griffith, MD and Richard Schell, MD

Jennifer and Robert Guillen Cathleen Guthrie

Susan and Charles Hargrave Alexandra and Connor Hartwell

Nancy and Keith Hauge Chih-Ming and Shirley Ho Carole Hoffman

Judge and Mrs. Francis Hourigan Chantelle and Rob Hunt Maria and Robert Jaques Kay and William Kim, MD Song and David Klein Harold Koletsky

Gigi and David Kramer

Yvonne Kreuter

Andrea and Jamie Lewis, MD

Kenneth Libkin

Lisa and Christopher Martz Donna McNeely

Chaitali and Akshay Mehta, MD

Mercer Human Resources Consulting Marzi Mistry

Mobile Heartbeat Ming Tuan and Mathew Moore Katy and Samuel Morris Ann and Daniel Mueller

Hasham and Shireen Mukadam Nadav Nahumi, MD

Robyn and Albert Peacock III

Premier Infusion Care

Prestige Care Physician Bernadette and Timothy Reid

Lori and Ray Richard Vincent Rios

Kathy and Romolo Santarosa Abraham Santiago

Joshi Satish

Donna and Harry Schauwecker

Carmen and Gordon Schaye, MD

Todd Schenasi

Robb and Donna Scoular

James Scriba

Allyson and Alex Shen, MD

Pam and Brian Sherman, MD

Brooke Sigler

Roya and Hicham Siouty, MD

Cyndy and Joe Spierer

Kellie and Todd Stender

Jeffrey Su

Stephanie Tang, DO and Christopher Angemi, DO

Lisa and Joshua Taub

Janice and Timur Tecimer

Tortuga Wealth Management

Carroll Waite Jr.

Sarah Watson

Patrick Wecker

Mary and Scott Wheatley

Sarah Wohn, PsyD

Dwight and Kay Yamada Hilary and Clay Zachry

$250+

Nancy Agustin

Tasneem Bholat, MD, and Sam Alherech

American Family Insurance

Sasha and Omokhoje Amu Kathleen and Randy Avakian Cindy and Matt Bandy Janet and Robert Bill

Dolores and Alfred Cellier Kristen and Drew Damon Jayantha and Parin De Mel Nancy and David DiCarlo

Suzann and Don Douthwright Marilyn K. Dubas

Dunn & Associates Maria Eclevia

Grace Fuentes

Teresa Gordon Carra Graziadio and Jonathen Lund

Green Hills Mortuary Keiko Griswold

Home Medix, Inc. Alexis and Peter Jensen

Joyce Johnson

Penn Jones

Ruth Joseph-Pike Kathleen Jucar Jack Kelly

Annsley and Matthew Marshall Meitetsu Travel U.S.A. Corp. Marissa Messer

William Oberholzer

Maria and Dru Olton Susan Osa

Marcie and Scott Rees, DDS Dani Rodriguez Brindicci and Ricc Brindicci Vicki Sbarounis

Marion and Anthony Schiff Monnie and Martin Stanovich

Brittany and Jason Stone Majd Tarakji

Natalie and Dave Thorpe Robyn Westfall

Alison and Brian Wilcox

$100+

Roger Acheapel

Ellen Adams

Martin Adler Lesley Aitchison

Georgina Albi John Alter

Sara and Frank Amason Elisa Anhalt, MD, and Douglas Laurin

Margaret and Gregory Anunson Nadia Antii

Ralph Avakian William Battles Blake Beltramea Nancy Bender Carolyn Bohm Danielle Boujikian Joe Brauer Nancy Brennan Lisa Briedis

Denise Busby Caldwell Family Bryan Chang, MD Hilary and Amrane Cohen Kathy and Paul Cohen Niki and Michael Cook Leola Cork Ruth and Harv Daniels Yvette Davis-Choyce Priscilla Derieg Charles Dodd

Sheri and Casey Dodge Brian Douglas Donna and Gary Duperon

Michael Emenhiser

Thyra Endicott, MD, and Rev. Jonathan Chute Suzanne and Richard Farman Aneela Farooqi

William and Dorothy Farris Jeff Felton

Harry and Frances Fleming Kimberly Flores

Addy and Jennifer Franklin Michael Gaines

Danielle and Mike Gatto John Genter

Richard Gluckman

Phyllis and Richard Goetz Golding and Lamothe Susan Greenberg Cheryl and Hector Gutierrez-Medina Rosalind Halikis Shanna and Jack Hall Betty Hill Lucy and Frank Itami Alicia Jacobsen Lisa Jester Tracy Jordan Frank Kane Diane Kapantzos

Kay and William Kim, MD Carol and David Kleinman

Francis Knipe Sherry and Ian Kramer, MD

Debbie and Moe Kreag Connie and Jeff Lai, MD Bonny and Albert Lam, MD Joseph Lanphen James Larson Nancy and Allyn Lean Karen and Michael Learned Ken Lester Kathy Levy Marilou Lieman Mona Madani, MD Marcil Family Foundation Joyce Mason Bea Matthews Christine and Kevin McBride, MD Meg McCormick Gloria McInerney Myron and Luise Miller Diane and Davis Moore Diane Morris

Patricia and Larry Murphy Newport Printing – Neal Verga Helen and Paul Nowatka

Anita O’Bryan James O’Donnell Sheryl O’Donnell Colleen and Roger Oglesby Tomiaki and Nobuko Okada Linda Oliver

Ellen Pomella

Karol and Bob Plocky

Presbytery of San Diego

Talese and David Pulley Linda and Allan Rahn

Frank Ramogida Jason Rath

Lorena Reynoso Mary and Timothy Richardson

Magdalena Rodriguez Kelly and Chris Rogers Arlene and Edward Roupinian Kent Schafer

Marlene Schultz, DDS and Philip Walent

Cindy Shirai

Andrew Schumacher, MD

Phyllis and René Scribe Pam and Brian Sherman, MD

Michael Shima

Edward Shimp

Berthe Slattery Linda and David Smith Nadja Sokoloff

Natalia Spencer

Janet and Michael Stoakley Lindsey Stone

Ruth Sve

Tricia Takasugi Deane Taricco

William Tarng, MD

Julie and Bruce Taylor

Trudi and Timothy Tessalone Barbara and Arthur Thorne Daune and David Thorington Betty Torrance

Michelle Nguyen and Nhat Tran, MD

Stuart and Frances Tsujimoto Patricia Turner

Brandy Van Zitter, RN Jeanne Vetter Susan Warner Cindy Wermers

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Nadia Antii, CRPC

Gregory Becker, Esq.

Beti Tsai Bergman, Esq.

Stephanie Bezner, Esq.

Gene Brown, CLPF

Yvonne Chavez, CLPF

Stephen F. Connors, CFP

Phillip Cook, CFP

Christian Cordoba, CFP

Maureen Dearden

Vince Fierro

Nancy Gragg, CWS

Suzanne Grudnitski, CLPF

Eric J. Harris, Esq.

Connor Hartwell, CFP

Brandon Hohm, CPA

Bryan P. Hori

Alexis M. Jensen, CPA

AMBASSADORS

VISIONARY

Sandy Behrens

Jean Breedlove

Diane and Davis Moore

Twanna and Tim Rogers

Elaine Scott

Liz and Rich Umbrell

Colleen and Edward Whittemore, III

PREMIER

Valerie and Chris Adlam

Jan and Cliff d’Autremont

Steve Fechner

Patricia and Paul Francis

Ronnie and Alan Goldstein

Cindy and Bill Hagelstein

Kay and William Kim, MD

Dianne and Ned Mansour

Garrett Matsunaga, MD, and Melanie Dee, MD

Allison and Rick Mayer

Catherine Melton

Izzat Alamdari, NP, and Eric Milefchik, MD

Marilyn and Frank Miles

Jacquelyne and Steven Miller

Christina and Phil Pavesi

Phyllis Pelezzare

Mary and Timothy Richardson

Celia and Robert Rothman

Robin and RJ Smith

Jeff Wilson, Chevron U.S.A.

PLATINUM

Donald and Kathy Black

Patricia and Dick Carlson

Louise and David Clinton

Lynne and Horace Cochran

Nancy Combs

Alyson and Dean Decker

Donna and R. Stephen Doan

Diane Liebenson and Thomas Duralde, MD

Melanie Friedlander, MD

Susan Greenberg Rudich and Howard Rudich Rosalind Halikis

Ann and George Hartmann Jr. Susan Heflinger

Nazanin and Amir Kaviani, MD

Stan and Barbara Levine

Sudy and Bud Mayo

Jonathan Po, MD and Harriet Po

Ellen and Clay Smith

Robert Stephenson

Douglass Stewart

Ellen and Pat Theodora

Terri and Dennis Cammarano

Nancy Weisel

Alissa and Robert Wilson

Terry and Jim Witte

Dwight and Kay Yamada

Andrea and Michael Zislis Paul’s Photo, Inc.

Derrick Kawamoto, EA Ron Miller, CLPF

Mathew Moore

Karen Pryor

Cristin H. Rigg, CFP, CDFA

Gregory Schill, CFP

F. Thomas Schlappatha, CFP Marianne C. Sfreddo, CPA

Grace Greer St. Clair, Esq. (Co-Chair)

Larry Takahashi, CFP (Co-Chair)

Sylvia Thompson

Mark Tsujimoto

Stuart Tsujimoto, CFP

Kazuaki Uemura, Esq. Abby Waddell

GOLD Khrystyna Pavlova and Riad Adoumie, MD

Frank Y. An, MD

Janice and Mark Ancheta, MD Elisa Anhalt, MD, and Douglas Laurin

Michele and William Averill, MD

Lori and David Baldwin

Peggy and Morton Bauchman

Peggy and Cliff Berwald John D. Blakey, MD Jeanie and Don Blum

Trudy Brown

Ann and David Buxton

Linda and Zan Calhoun

Vinh Cam, MD, and Judy Nei

Philip W. Chung, MD, and Lauren Choi, MD

Priscilla and Frank Clark

Fred Clayton Kathy and Paul Cohen Joy and Marc Colman, MD

Kathleen D. Crane and The Honorable Milan D. Smith, Jr. Pam Crane

Don Culler Judy Dabinett

Cindy and Steven Dennis

Susan Dilamarter

Juli and Michael DiLustro

James Ding, MD, and Marcia Ding, MD

Beth A. Dorn, MD

Suzann and Don Douthwright Valerie Carrier and Eric Dupont Sally and Mike Eberhard Beth and Berkley Eichel, MD

Mary and Steven Fisher, MD Janet and John Fleming

Jeannine and Dennis Frandsen

Angela and Dean Furkioti, DDS

Judith Gassner

Jackie and Greg Geiger

Karen Gottlieb

Marnie and Dan Gruen

Christine and Alek Haidos

Chansen and Miaoshia Han

Christine Hanson

Donna Marie and Eugene Hardin, MD

Teresa and Zaffar Hassanally Donna Helstrom

Agi Hirshberg

Mike Ho, MD, and Joanna Ho

Erin Hoffman and Heidi Hoffman, MD

Kalpana Hool, MD, and Hugo Hool, MD

Lesley and Colin Hull Kim and Donald Inadomi, MD

Sandy and Karl Jackson Alma and Barry Johnsin, DDS

John Johnson, MD

Hakimeh Kadivar, MD

Valerie and Edward Kelly

Susan and Lawrence Kneisley, MD

Rachel Knopoff, MD, and Russell Dickerson, MD

Paula and Arthur Kozinski

Sherry and Ian Kramer, MD

Patricia Kromka

John and Yukiko Kuno

Patricia and Thomas LaGrelius, MD

Donna LaMont

George and Christina Legg

Barb and Barry LeQuire

Charlotte and Russ Lesser Linda and David Lillington Tracy and Andy Livian Laurie and Steve Love

Karen and Nelman Low, MD

Melody and Thomas Lowe, MD Vicky and Winston Mar Kimcee McAnally, PhD

Laura and Ronald McIntire

Sunny Melendez, MD, and Ron Melendez, MD

Sheri Messerlian, PhD, and Jack Messerlian

Eduard E. Morf

Joanne and Marc Moser

Patricia and Larry Murphy

Karen and Gene Naftulin, MD

Erin and Brian Neal

Warren Oda and Juliet Chang Karen and John Odom

Judith K. Opdahl

Melanie R. O’Regan Delores Parcell

Linda Pullen-Buehl

Rose Anne and Jerry Redman Rhea and Patrick Rendon Carlene Ringer

Tamara Ritchey Powers

Tiffany Rogers, MD

Laura and Marc Schenasi

Marcia and Michael Schoettle

Marlene Schultz and Philip Walent Jerry Schwartz, MD

JoAnn and Kemper Shaw

Allyson and Alex Shen, MD

Robert Sickler

Mae and Deren Sinkowitz, MD

Fay and Mitchell Sklar, MD

Christine and Scott Smith George So, MD, and Hsin-Yi Lee, MD

Karen and Richard Sonner, MD

Cherie and William Steckbauer Betty Strauss

Irene Terrell

Carolyn and Charles Turek, MD Mary Jo and Jerome Unatin, MD

Karen Varon Kerry and David Wallis, MD Brigid and James Wethe, MD Susan and Matthew Whelan Cynthia Williams, MD Judith and Barry Wolstan, MD Peter and Monica Wong Cathi and R. Michael Wyman, MD Nancy and Roger Zapor

SILVER

Christy and Jay Abraham Michelle Ahnn Michaela and John Andrawis, MD

Robert F. Appell, PharmD Marcia and Lawrence August, MD Harriet Bailiss-Sustarsic Josie and Stephen Balzano Cindy and Matt Bandy Michele and Robert Bell Meenakshi Bhasin-Shah, MD, and Samir Shah

Diana and George Brandt Elena and Larry Bruns Edna Campbell Anita Canfield Lauren and Benjamin Carroll, MD Frederique Carver and Doug Popovich

Stanley Chang, MD, and Joanne Chang Jim and Julie Chen Lilian and Patrick Chik Donna and Michael Ciminera Fern and Martin Cohen Patricia Croce

Inge and Duane Davis Vanessa Dickey, MD Karla Burns and Brett Dillenberg Diane Dunn

Lisa Fisher, MD, and Brian Fitzgerald Farnaz and Lawrence Flechner, MD LeRoy Forehand Karen and John Freeman Juan Frisancho, MD Elaine and Byron Gee Deborah and Moe Gelbart, PhD

Debra and Damien Goldberg, DDS Susan and Richard Gomez

Nancy Griffith, MD, and Richard Schell

Timme and Kurt Gunderlock Nancy and Keith Hauge Lynne and Jim Held

Chih-Ming and Shirley Ho Merilee and Keith Hobbs

Daniel Hovenstine, MD, and Richard Bruno

Lindsay and Peter Imwalle Maria and Robert Jaques Michelle and John Katnik

David S. Kim, MD Wendy Klarik Song and David Klein Harold Koletsky

Gigi and David Kramer Lisa and Carl Lahr

Tonny Meng-Che Lee, MD, and Jessica Lee

Martha and David Leveille, MD

Andrea and Jamie Lewis, MD Kenneth Libkin

Helaine and Steve Lopes

Crystal and Roderick Macdonell Ryan Mansour

Lisa and Christopher Martz Lisa Humphreys, MD, and John McNamara, MD Mary and Gus Meier

Roxanne and Ramin Mirhashemi, MD

Margaret and Chris Moggia Ann and Daniel Mueller

Shalini Singh and Vimal Murthy, MD

Cassandra Ndiforchu, MD, and Fombe Ndiforchu, MD

Elizabeth Paul, MD

Robyn and Albert Peacock III Cynthia and Laurence Percz

Linda Perry

Candace and Larry Poindexter Gina Quatrine

Marcie and Scott Rees, DDS

Lori and Ray Richard Perlita and Forrest Riopelle

David and Yoshiko Rock

Kathy and Romolo Santarosa

Carmen and Gordon Schaye, MD

Linda Schultz, PhD, and Arthur Schultz, DDS

Barbara L. Schulz, MD

Robb and Donna Scoular

Jane Semel, MD

Stacey and Chris Shane Dorothy Shen

Trudy Smith

Carolyn Snyder Erin and Paul Stanley Bert Stewart William Tarng, MD

Janice and Timur Tecimer

Robyn Westfall

Mary and Scott Wheatley Kathy and David Willock Curtice Wong, MD

Arlene Yakush

Ellen and George Zelinsky Ann and Gary Zimmerman

LIFETIME

Cathy Allen

Gail and Doug Allen, CLU

Betty Belsky

Mila and Patrick Chambers, MD Mary and John Clark

Achara and Thomas Cowell, MD

Duane Denney

Barbara Dorman

Virginia and Dennis Fitzgerald Sherry and Thomas Gossett, MD

Patti and Al Hermann Carole Hoffman

Terry and Joe Hohm, CPA Kathleen and Richard Krauthamer, MD

Sylvia and Robert Laxineta, DDS Judy and Craig Leach Pat and Richard Lucy Carol Magee

Cheryl Melville

Genevieve and Hugh Muller

Robin and Norman Panitch, MD

Ellen and Fraser Perkins, MD

Franklin Pratt, MD

Peggie and Gerald Reich, MD

Carlene and Edward Reuscher

Patricia Sacks, MD

Beya and Robert Schaeffer Jr., MD

Loraine Scriba

Laura and Tom Simko, MD

Kimberly and David Stone, MD

Tina and Peter Vasilion

Mary L. Williams

Dovie and George Worcester

Erin and Patrick Yeh, MD

The Daisy Award is sponsored by YPPA and was created to say “thank you” and recognize the extraordinary compassionate work of nurses.

YOUNG PHYSICIANS & PROFESSIONALS ALLIANCE

Michelle Abraham

Charlotte and Zach Adlam

Nicole Alexander-Spencer, MD

Janice and Mark Ancheta, MD

Michaela and John Andrawis, MD

Elisa Anhalt, MD, and Doug Laurin

Nadia Antii

Melanie and Benjamin Archer

Alejandra Arrendondo

Anthony Arellano-Kruse, MD

Megan and Andrew Bark

Bret Barrett

Stephanie Bezner, Esq., and Brian Bezner

Tasneem Bholat, MD, and Sam Alherech

Kevin Bidenkap

Angelie and John Blakey, MD

Nadine and Ty Bobit

Danielle Boujikian

Dani Rodriguez-Brindicci and Ricc Brindicci

Nik Bringleson

Drisa Carrizo, CPA

Lauren and Benjamin Carroll, MD

Cody Charnell

Joanne and Stanley Chang, MD

Christine Chui

Shoshana and Phillip V. Cutler

Kristen Damon, Esq.

Teri Dart, RN

(YPPA)

Sara Deen, DDS, and Omer Deen, MD

Alice Diego-Malit, MD

Thess Duong

Danielle and Brian English

Melanie Friedlander, MD

Denise and Roy Fu, MD

Stephen Garcia

Judith Gassner

Teresa Gordon

John Gragg, CFP

Khryste and Steven Griswold

Kimberly and Justin Guichard Jennifer and Robert Guillen

Courtney Hambleton

Charlie Hargraves

Erin and Heidi Hoffman, MD

Jenn and Brandon Hohm Allison and Justin Holcher, CFP

NaiWei Hsu, RN

Slavka Jasik-Whitaker and Brad Whitaker Kathleen Jucar

Dawn and Bo Kaplan Veronica and Jeff Kern Lynn Kim Song and Dave Klein

Connie and Jeffrey Lai, MD Cora H. Lee and Dan Chen

Kathy Levy, RN

Beth Lowerison, RN

Ryan Mansour

Annsley and Matthew Marshall Colleen and Jamie McKinnell, MD Chaitali and Akshay Mehta, MD

Erik Milanez

Brian Miura, MD

Tricia Mohammed-Stein

Austin Moller

Roberta Berg Moller

Spencer Moller Katy and Sam Morris Amanda Murphy, MD, and Keith W Murphy

Shalini and Vimal Murthy, MD Nadav Nahumi, MD Sophia and Philippe Neveu

Maria Olton, RN, and Dru Olton Sarina Pai, DO

EMPLOYEE AMBASSADORS

PREMIER $1,000+ Heidi Assigal Derek Berz

Mary Bradfield-Smith Robin Camrin

Zenaida Carrillo-Ramo Dolores Cellier

Mary Ford

Judith Gassner

Debbie Griffin Tim Hersey

Christina Hicks Naiwai Hsu

Debra Kelley Wilfredo N. Lazarte

Mary Matson

Tami Nakama

Maureen Palladini Chris Rogers

Laura Schenasi

Julie Taylor Mary Wright

BENEFACTOR $500

Nancy Agustin Rhoda Marie Alvarez Melissa Andrus Cecilia Ani Randy Avakian Kathie Avakian Cecilia Banania Bret Barrett Dan Bauman Lance Bommelje Joy Burkhardt Agnes Butardo Alan Chung Phil Cutler Michelle Dahle Sandra E. Daos

Josefina David-Engel Jann and Dan Dickson

Patty Drew Josephine Espejo Mary E. Espinoza Don Florentino Estrada Justin Ficke Erin Fiorito

Jennifer and Victor Pan Hank Parker, CPA

Angela Park-Sheldon, CFP, and Hank Sheldon

William Rehrig Vincent Rios

Maggie Rodriguez, RN Leah Romine, RN, and Matthew Willis Maria Sass-Goldstein and Jared Goldstein

Andrew Schumacher, MD Madeline and Alex Schumacher Allyson and Alexander Shen, MD Pamela and Brian Sherman, MD Karen C. Shum, DPM

Brooke Sigler, CPA Julie Sim, MD

Margaret and Edward Sipes Cyndy and Joseph Spierer

Brittany and Jason Stone

Gina Sulmeyer, MD and Michael Arriola

William Tarng, MD

Stephanie Tang, DO, and Christopher Angemi, DO Dave and Natalie Thorpe, RN Sean Tompkins

Shelly Trites, RN

Elizabeth and Richard Umbrell

Brandy Van Zitter, RN Meg and Anthony Walker

Sarah Wohn, PsyD Hilary and Clay Zachry

Andrea and Michael Zislis

Kimberly Flores

Tammy Ginder Herna Joy Gonzalez Shanna Hall

Jeremiah Hargrave Keith Hobbs Linda Howard David Hozaki

Barbara Jane Ignacio Carolyn Ito Mike and Janet Johnson Rena Johnson

Anne Kienberger Dennis Kikuno Daniel Klein Min Min Kyaw

Sandra Langhammer Steve Lantz Bill Larson

Craig Leach

Patricia Leonard Fernando and Eva Sophia Magdaleno

Patricia Mann Cindy Manson

Wei Q. Mao

Elaine McRae

Eva Mendenhall Maria L. Mendoza Melany Merryman René Miller Anne Milliken

Young Oh Mary Osborne Ronald Padilla

Lorena Maria G. Pascual Ann Raljevich

Karen Randazzo

Bernadette Reid

Addy Rodriguez

Susan Santos

Catherine Sarcona

Connie Senner

Heather Shay

LaDonna and Joe Shea

Leilani Small

Michael R. Steele

Devi Sutrisna

Natalie Thorpe

Veronica Urbano

Sandy VandenBerge

Patrick Wecker

Betty Wilber

Sean Yokoe

Joanne Yoshida

SPONSOR $250

Mary Ann J. Alvarez

Gwendolyn Bailey

Lisa Bargar

Irene L. Bayan

Jennis Belen

Susan Castillo

Changrong Cheng

Heidi Chong

Danielle Cosgrove Jeanette M. Cutuli

Tami DeVine

Carla Duhovic Maria Eclevia Cheryl Ely Carlos Fernandez

Alfrenda Gonzales

Kathy Hagemeier

Natalie Hassoldt

Debbie Hoagland

Rosario Jarquin Changkyun Kim Susan Koch

Julie A. Krueger

John Kumashiro

Esther Lopez

Richard and Martha Lopez

Maricarmen Luhrsen

Shirley Rose Maderazo

Patrick Matteo

Anne McCormick

Mary Ann Merritt

Pamela Michael

Janice Miyashiro

Glenda M. Moore

Nancy Mukai

Sheila O’Neill-O’Connor

Mary Ong

Jacqueline Parker-Johnson

Paty Pearce

Vilma Plagata

Zenaida Poquiz

Armando and Faye Ramos

Debbie Reyes

Sam Rodriguez

Arceli Salanguit

Dan Schakel

Todd Schenasi

Stephanie Schmid

Susan Sions

Dianna Tyndall Aileen N. Ungab

Maria Valdivia

Larry Villalba, Jr. Maria E. White

Dianne Wood

Lori Woodman

Phil and Sylvia Yim Rosie Zamora

DONOR $100

Susie Kim Adams

Tomoko Akazawa

Bibi Ali Oliva Arcala

Maria Arteaga Jose Albert Rey Asis Sheryl Y. Au

Elizabeth Austin Sara K. Avakian Sara Cruz Baldos

Mary Beehler

Melissa Benoit Maricela Bordenave

Carly Brandt

Liliana Brankovic Heather Burt

Dinah Cabalatungan

Evelyn Calip

Rosalinda Catamisan

Julie Che-Potter

Coral Cortez

Carolyn Cruz Mina Dastgheib

Geraldine De La Cruz

Heather Dixon

Linda Dobie

Margaret Johnson Doran

Cindy Durant Mary J. Eddy

Juliana S. Enge

Ana Maria Espejo

Elizabeth Austin Evans Marissa Farol

Helen Flores

Tom Fox

Carol E. Fukuchi Sidney Gamber

Jill Golden

Mary Accetta Goodloe Zorayda Gozun Tracey Green

Cathy Guthrie Jacqueline Hemmah Mary Hersh Bruce A. Hershberger

Vickie Hershberger

Nathan Higashigawa Suellen G. Hosino

Lisa G. Hughes

Valerie Ishihara Cynthia Keus Freda Khan

Kimberley Koontz

Cassandra Krutsinger Chance Krutsinger

Gerald and Trisha Lanphen Ashley Lavezzari

Judy Grace Lebrillo Kristina Lenehan Chi Leung

Mary Jane and Nolan Lew

Christine Lopez

Elizabeth Lowerison Elizabeth Marquez Lauren Mitchell Rosalyn Modeliste

Allisha Nazareth

Edward Nazareth Maricel Olvera Martha D. Ortiz

Doris A. Paloma

Michele Palombo Wendy Pangindian Winston Pascual

Donna Patch

Jennifer Patten Jaquelina Patti Patricia Perez David Phung Kay Pitonzo

Erisa Pooee

Steve Porter

Gigi C. Portugal

Paul Pourzia Karen Provin

Dorine Queener

Sherry L. Rafters

Christopher Rama Denzil Ramdhanie Richard Rivera

Dottie Rudinica

Ana Salinas

Isabelo Salva Angela Salva

Alia Schiltgen

Ernesto Segura

Christine Serra-Harris John Singh

Lorraine Smith Madhu Subherwal Lisa Takata Remer Tangoan

Keith Tate, III Terry D. Thomas Steven Thompson Beryl Tokunaga

Wynne and Alan Torqueza Mei Tsai Cesar Valle Bao Vu

Lani Walker

Angie Watters

Laura Wilhelm Yasmin Yap-Mariano Tiffani Zanelli

FRIEND $50

Mei Amano

Kent Amano

Arlene Amigable

Ashley Archuleta

Aley Arredondo

Jacqueline Ayres

Lauren Ayres

Marnie Bay Marisa Bay Kyomi Bolender

Danielle Boujikian Josephine Boyon

Kathryn Braasch

Caroline Cabilogan

Felicidad Cabuena

Cathrine Cainglet

Thelma Carbonell

Luzviminda B. Cartera

Yan C. Chan

Arliene P. Chang

Elizabeth Cinco

Ingrid Cobb

Lety De La Torre Priscilla Ednilao

Cathy Emmerson Maria D. Gonzalez

Michael Hanson

Corrine Hidalgo

Tokiko Imai

Lynn Jagger

Lisa A. Kiyohara

Blanca Lardizabal

Vivian Lee

Devi Legaspi Susan Lieu

Elizabeth Lizaso

Liza Lumanlan-Domingo

Matthew Morales Sanjeshni Murphy Erica J. Musto

HERITAGE SOCIETY

James Andrews

Lenore Bemis

Peggy and Wayne Bemis, DDS Hilde Boldt

Elaine Booth-Carnegis

Jan and Virgil Bourgon

Robert† and Patricia Brewster Mimi Brody

Ronnie Brown† Maria Buechler

James Philip Burt Marie and James Campbell Benjamin Cheng and Kim McCarthy Marilyn Chevalier† Herbert Clarkson Francine and Phillip Cook Melody and Gary Cooper Bette and Dick† Crowell

Joyce and Bob Daniels Ruth and Harv Daniels

Rejandra and Manjri Dhami Ginny and John Dixon Sheri and Casey Dodge Arlene and Dale Dorman

Thyra Endicott, MD, and Jonathan Chute

Judy English and William Crudup, MD†

Sam and Rose Feng Harry and Frances Fleming

Myrna Frame Henry Frankenberg

Judith and Robert Frinier Sunila Fuster, MD

Sidney Gamber Sue Glessner

Irene Goldman and David Sato† Rebecca Gonzales and James Ng Susan Goodlerner, MD, and Ed Wolfman

George W. Graham†

Patricia and Gary† Hathaway, MD Adrianne and Alan† Hegge Patricia and David Hempel Joan Henderson Eve and Rick Higgins Aida Hillway†

Keiko and Allen Hochstein Carole A. Hoffman

Daniel Hovenstine, MD

Donald† and Priscilla Hunt

Gary Hunter

Maude Infantino

June Kaneoka

Ronna and Robert† Katz

Sylvia Kennedy Stuart C. Kern

Robert P. Koch Millie Kruger

Micki and Norman Lasky, MD Irving Levine

Nooshin Naghsheh

Sophia Neveu

Sue-Ann Nouchi Eliza Oliveros

Melissa O’Malley Sophia Ramirez

Maria D. Rangel Cora Roa Dani Rodriguez

Laura Tweedt Roybal May Santos

Rinnah T. Sapitanan Vilma H. Sapitanan Jamie Schneider

Kathleen Sheridan Schumm

Khalid Shariff

Manette Sinkus

Richard Tejada Shelly Trites

RETIREE MEMBERSHIP

Betsy Biggins

Kathryn Joiner

Pat Quan Bert Stewart

Pat and Richard Lucy Melanie and Richard Lundquist Barbara Demming Lurie and Mark Lurie, MD

Judith Maizlish Larry Maizlish Franceen† and Michael McClung Del McCulloch

Carol McCully and Ed Barad Kak and David McKinnie Sandra and Kenneth McKivett Linda Severy McMahon and Jerold McMahon Carol and Karl McMillen Rita and Joseph C. Meistrell Cheryl Melville Richard Meyer, DDS Myron and Luise Miller Doris and Gregory Morton Steve Nash and Dell Fortune† Victoria Nishioka† Colleen O’Neill

Judith Opdahl Kenneth O’Rourke Lore and Marv Patrick Christina and Phil Pavesi Nancy Peterson and Dick Chun Fran and Rob Peveler Judy and Dan Platus Donna and John† Prysi Betty Jane and Ernest Rivera

Lavonne and Jerry† Rodstein

Kirsten Wagner, DDS, and Richard Rounsavelle, DDS Laura and Marc Schenasi

Diane and Eric Schott

Barbara Schulz, MD

Elaine and David Scott, MD

Loraine and Ralph† Scriba René and Phyllis Scribe

John R. Sealy, MD

Judy and Sherrill† Sipes Joan and Herbert Stark

Thelma and Phil Steinberg

Nancy and Douglas Teulie Inge Thompson

Frances and Stuart Tsujimoto Sandy VandenBerge

Marcela and John Vanhara William Victor Susan K. Warner

Suzanne Webb

Nancy Weisel

Carol A. Wharton

Lois and Richard Winters

Teri and Rob Young Stanley and Frances Zee

†Deceased

IN-KIND DONATIONS

$10,000+

Adam Goldenberg

Martin Chevrolet – Joe Giacomin Shari and Morgan Moore

$1,000+ Ruth and Harv Daniels

Kenny G

Halper Fine Art

Los Angeles Football Club Los Angeles Philharmonic

Morgan’s Jewelers – Torrance MS Rouse Co, Inc.

Newport Printing Solutions, Neal Verga

Palos Verdes Golf Club

Mark Pfeil

PGA West and The Citrus Club Rowley Portraiture

Laura and Marc Schenasi Shade Hotel Manhattan Beach

UNDER $1,000

Christy and Jay Abraham Valerie and Chris Adlam Annette and John Aguirre Lori and David Baldwin

Bennett Landscaping

Susan and Derek Berz Veann and Tracy Bracken

Jennifer Brown and Clark Drake Heather and Glenn Burr

Lisa and James Cheatham

Jennifer and Anthony Chen, MD Amie and Erik Chessmore Louise and David Clinton

Cultured Slice

Randy and Luke Dauchot

Deidre Davidson Photography Lori and Greg Delgado

Donna and R. Stephen Doan

Michael Emenhiser

Regina and Dan Finnegan Bob Fullerton

Gaetano’s Restaurant Judith Gassner

Girl Scout Troop #9515

Giuliano’s Delicatessen and Bakery

Anne Gonzales

Carra Graziadio and Jonathen Lund

Mary and Scott Grillo Jackie and Craig Halverson Dianne and Mickey Hawke

Maureen and Jeff Hawke

Eve and Rick Higgins Helen and Dave Hitzel

Merilee and Keith Hobbs Erin Hoffman and Heidi Hoffman, MD Jenn and Brandon Hohm

Allison and Justin Holcher Galena Miller-Horii and Dwayne Horii Katherine and Kirk Johnson Deborah and JP Jones Kendra Scott Vicki and Jeff Kern Dede King

Jen and Bill Kirk Gina and Gregg Kirkpatrick Song and David Klei

Kristen and David Kudrave Connie and Jeff Lai, MD Tracy and Andy Livian Helaine and Steve Lopes Pat and Richard Lucy Barbara Demming Lurie and Mark Lurie, MD Tami and Paul Mance Judith and Gene Matsuda Laurie and Thomas McCarthy Colleen and James McKinnell, MD Karen and Michael Melideo Cessie and John Moody Shalini Singh and Vimal Murthy, MD

Mychal’s Learning Place Doreen and Erlend Myhre Lori and Steve Nolls Kathleen and Rick Ocampo Lori and Tom O’Hern Julia Parker Kathy and Andy Patman Lauren Phan

Jen and Kent Phillips Piccini Italian Takeout Mary and Tony Podell

Colleen and Craig Quinn

Julie Richland

Lincoln Riley

Roclord Studio Photography

Pat and Robert Romeri

Kirsten Wagner, DDS, and Richard Rounsavelle, DDS

Dolly and Mark Rouse

Deena and William Ruth

Patricia Sacks, MD

Patti and Rich Severa

Marianne Sfreddo

Pam and Brian Sherman, MD

Sam and Kay Sheth

Terrie and Steven Solomon

Shari and Craig Sunada

Janice and Timur Tecimer

The Rex Steakhouse

Linda and Robert Vallee Jr.

Sandy VandenBerge

Russell Varon

Susan and Wade Welch

Kathleen and Chris Wilson

Ted and Ann Wu

Vic and Lyndsey Yang Ann and Gary Zimmerman

“CHANGE IS THE MARK OF PROGRESS, AND THERE CAN BE NONE WITHOUT IT.”

George W. Graham, former president and CEO

DON’T DELAY YOUR BREAST HEALTH AND SCHEDULE YOUR ANNUAL MAMMOGRAM TODAY. Torrance Memorial’s Polak Breast Diagnostic Centers offer advanced diagnostics, 3D imaging and expert analysis to detect breast cancer in its earliest form. Mammograms can find small tumors before they can be felt in a physical examination, allowing for the most successful and least invasive treatment options.

Bay Locations: Manhattan Beach • Rolling Hills • Carson • Torrance

Be Your Own Hero