Summer 2015
Dr. Kaviani Finds Parallels
Between Surgery & Giving
TORRANCE MEMORIAL
CELEBRATES 90 YEARS
New Hope for Once
Inoperable Heart Patients
Why You Need A
Primary Care Physician
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Having a Primary Care Physician results in significant patient health benefits:
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Dr. Anthony J. Chen
Primary Care
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2900 Lomita Boulevard
Torrance
3333 Skypark Drive, Suite 100
Torrance
Dr. Sunil Hebbar
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Primary Care
705 Pier Avenue
Hermosa Beach
2900 Lomita Boulevard
Torrance
Dr. Rola Magid
Primary Care
Dr. Michael Yu
Primary Care
705 Pier Avenue
Hermosa Beach
3333 Skypark Drive, Suite 100
Torrance
REDONDO BEACH
•
M A N H AT TA N B E A C H
•
HERMOSA BEACH
•
CARSON
BOARD NOTES
CHANGING THE FACE
of South Bay Medicine
W
Nearly 50,000 women are seen
each year, and those with breast
cancer can expect the earliest
diagnosis, prompt biopsy results,
and follow-up with the support
of technologists, nurse navigators,
physicians and office personnel with
special expertise in this area.
e were the proverbial “One Percenters”—not those with the 1% highest
incomes who own New York City today, but the six women in my class
of aspiring physicians at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.
The professor leading us on hospital rounds would ask me why I wasn’t “home having
babies and making jam.” He also asked why I was taking up the space that could be
for another male student.
Those were fighting words for the female students. Today is very different with
women making up more than 50% of medical students. These women have changed
the face of medicine.
After 10 years of clinical radiology practice in Oregon, I was very fortunate 34 years
ago to be invited to join Torrance Memorial’s Radiology staff as a general radiologist
and its first female associate. At first I did not realize how lucky I was to be working
with people of great vision, as radiology was changing at warp-speed.
The administration has always been responsive to the changing needs of the
Radiology department, even when it meant considerable risk. Our radiology “toys”
have never been inexpensive, and the visions for growth veered in entirely new
directions like interventional radiology suites, PET-CT and MRI scanners.
The Vasek Polak Breast Diagnostic Center was another new direction for the
hospital—the first in the South Bay dedicated to an important women’s health issue.
It opened in 1992 and has continued as a center of excellence. Nearly 50,000 women
are seen each year, and those with breast cancer can expect the earliest diagnosis,
prompt biopsy results, and follow-up with the support of technologists, nurse
navigators, physicians and office personnel with special expertise in this area. It is a
privilege to work with this group.
As a woman physician, I found a perfect fit as director of the Breast Diagnostic
Center since its inception. I am especially grateful to the hospital administration
for their constant financial and operational support of our growing needs, and of
course to Vasek and Anna Maria Polak and the trust for their exceptional vision
and generosity. As one example, they recently enabled us to again be first in the
South Bay to offer 3-D or “tomo” mammography, which is 41% more accurate at
diagnosing breast cancer than previous technology, and decreases “call-back” or need
for additional imaging by 40%.
I am honored to be a member of the Torrance Memorial Foundation board as
it helps the hospital continue to grow and be at the forefront of the South Bay
community’s health care needs.
Patricia E. Sacks
Director, Vasek Polak Breast Diagnostic Center
Board Member, Torrance Memorial Foundation
PATRONS | Summer 2015
3
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Mark Lurie, MD, President
Cardiology, Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Phillip Pavesi, Vice President
Former Executive, TRW
W. Gregory Geiger, Treasurer
Principal, Westport Capital Partners, LLC
Nadine Bobit, Secretary
Community Volunteer
Michael Zislis, Officer
Founder and Owner, The Zislis Group
Eric Nakkim, MD
Emergency Medicine
Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Richard K. Rounsavelle, DDS
General Dentistry
Patricia Sacks, MD
Radiology, The Vasek and Anna Maria Polak
Breast Diagnostic Center
BOARD MEMBERS
Christy Abraham
Community Volunteer
Nicholas W. Tell, Jr.
Owner, Armory Funds and Armory Securities
John G. Baker
Founding Partner and General Counsel
The Brickstone Companies
Patrick Theodora
Executive President, Platinum Home Mortgage
Co-owner, DocMagic
Stevan Calvillo
Attorney, Calvillo and Meyer
Ann Zimmerman
Community Volunteer
Harv Daniels
Board of Directors, SAXA, Inc.
FOUNDATION STAFF
Brett Dillenberg
Branch Owner, RPM Mortgage dba
Platinum Capital
A Publication of the
Torrance Memorial Foundation
Editor
Colleen Farrell
Contributors
Diane Barber
Carol Jakucs
Kristin Reynolds
Photographers
Deidre Davidson
Scott Gilbert
Christina House
Michael Neveux
Lauren Pressey
Wally Skalij
Laura Schenasi
Executive Vice President
Judith Gassner
Senior Director of Development
and Principal Gifts
Thyra J. Endicott, MD
Radiation Oncology
Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Sandy VandenBerge
Director of Planned Giving
Peggy Fisher
Registered Principal, LPL Financial
Lisa Takata
Special Events Coordinator
Patron Program Manager
Kathleen Fulmer
Founder, Innovative Dialysis Systems
George Graham
President Emeritus, Consultant
Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Rick Higgins
Technology Management Professional, Retired
Joseph Hohm
Owner, Medical Accounting Service
Heidi Hoffman, MD
Radiology, Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Richard Lucy
President, Crosswind Capital, Inc.
Keith Murphy
President and CEO, Organovo, Inc.
Michael D. Rouse
Vice President, Diversity
Philanthropy and Community Affairs
Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Jeffery P. Neu, Officer
President, TLE Properties, Inc.
Song Cho Klein
Community Volunteer
W. David McKinnie, III
Consultant, McKinnie Consulting
Danielle Boujikian
Jill Golden
Karen Randazzo
Development Liaisons
Torrance Memorial Medical Center treats
all people equally without regard to race, color,
national origin, age, gender or handicap.
The section 504 coordinator can be reached
at 310-784-4894.
If you do not wish to receive this publication,
please contact public relations at 310-517-4706.
3330 LOMITA BLVD., TORRANCE, CA 90505
HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION: 310-517-4703
PATRONS | Summer 2015
4
58 11th Street,
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Tel 310-376-7800 Fax 310-376-0200
moontidemedia.com
Brand Publisher
Hannah Lee
Creative Director
Angela Akers
Graphic Design
Michelle Villas
Copy Editor
Laura Watts
Managing Partner
Charles C. Koones
Managing Partner
Todd Klawin
CONTENTS
PROGRESS NOTES
6
8
14
Calendar
Torrance Memorial Looks
Back on 90 Years
Miracle of Living at the
Beach Presents Breast
Cancer Facts/Myths
CLINICAL SPOTLIGHT
16
TAVR Procedure Gives
Hope to Once Inoperable
Heart Patients
FUTURE FOCUS
8
19
21
22
Lifelong Investor Puts Her
Money on Torrance Memorial
PAC Member Explains How
to Perform a Checkup on
Your Nest Egg AMBASSADOR’S CORNER
24
22
Ambassador-Supported
Cancer Resource Center
Provides Navigation
Tools for Survivors
PATRON PROFILES
30
24
36
In Your Community
26 Holiday Festival Gala
Celebrates $73 Million
30 Holiday Festival
Fashion Show Draws
Sell-out Crowd
32 YPPA and Ambassadors
Ring in the Holidays
33 Lundquist Tower: Keep
Calm; We’re Moving!
34 YPPA Doc Hosts
Recruitment Salon
34 YPPA Samples Local
Craft Brews
35 Celebrating Our Staff
and Nurses
36 Golfers Tee Off for
Torrance Memorial
PATRONS | Summer 2015
5
Dr. Amir Kaviani Explains What
Giving, Vascular Surgery and
Fixing Cars Have in Common
CALENDAR
JUNE 27
JUNE 27
LUMINARIES 25TH
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
LUMINARIES 25TH
ANNIVERSARY DINNER
The Luminaries, a parent support
group for Torrance Memorial,
celebrates a major milestone.
The Luminaries, a parent support group
for Torrance Memorial, celebrates a major
milestone.
WHEN: 10:30 – Tour of Lundquist Tower;
Noon – Reception and Luncheon
WHERE: Hoffman Health Conference
Center, Torrance Memorial Medical Center
RSVP AND INFO: Contact Lisa Takata
310-891-6605 (By Invitation Only)
WHEN: 10:30 – Tour of Lundquist
Tower;
Noon – Reception and Luncheon
WHERE: Hoffman Health
Conference Center, Torrance
Memorial Medical Center
RSVP AND INFO: Contact Lisa
Takata 310-891-6605
JULY 15
AUGUST 1
Most people feel anxious or
depressed at times. But for some,
these feelings make it difficult to
carry on with normal, everyday
functioning. Find out what’s normal
and learn ways to better manage
your mental health.
Enjoy an elegant evening under the
stars featuring tastings from the
South Bay’s finest restaurants and
beverage companies. All proceeds to
benefit Torrance Memorial.
“HONDA EVENING UNDER
THE STARS” 29TH ANNUAL
GOURMET FOOD & WINE
FESTIVAL
MIRACLE OF LIVING
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Torrance Memorial
Medical Center, Hoffman Health
Conference Center
INFO: 310-517-4711
WHEN: 6 to 9:30 p.m.
WHERE: American Honda’s
Torrance Headquarters
TICKETS AND INFO:
310-517-4703
OCTOBER 2
SEPTEMBER 19
YPPA CASINO NIGHT
“All in” to support to support
Torrance Memorial. Young
Physicians and Professionals
Alliance will host a fall event
to remember.
MIRACLE OF LIVING
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
WHEN: To be announced
WHERE: To be announced
INFO: 310-517-4728 or email
foundation@tmmc.com
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Torrance Memorial
Medical Center, Hoffman Health
Conference Center
INFO: 310-517-4711
PATRONS | Summer 2015
6
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Alzheimer’s disease is the most
common form of dementia. Hear
more about causes, risk factors and
signs, as well as how to diagnose and
manage symptoms in yourself or a
loved one.
CALENDAR
PAC CALENDAR
AUGUST 19
Professional Advisory Council (PAC) seminars
MIRACLE OF LIVING
DIABETES
are here to help.
Learn how to identify symptoms of low and high blood glucose and the latest methods to
prevent, control and treat diabetes.
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Hoffman Health Conference Center
INFO: 310-517-4711
GET YOUR FINANCIAL
HOUSE IN ORDER
JULY 11
Estate Planning: Problems and Pitfalls
AUGUST 8
The Skinning on Required Minimum
Distributions from Retirement Plans
OCTOBER 2
YPPA CASINO NIGHT
“All in” to support Torrance
Memorial. Young Physicians
and Professionals Alliance will
host a fall event to remember.
WHEN: To be announced
WHERE: To be announced
INFO: 310-517-4728 or email
foundation@tmmc.com
SEPTEMBER 12
End of Life Decisions: A Panel Discussion
OCTOBER 10
The Intersection of Economics and
Investments
WHERE: Hoffman Health
Conference Center
RSVP AND INFO: 310-517-4728
See page 20 for more details.
OCTOBER 13
MIRACLE OF LIVING AT THE BEACH
BREAST CANCER
Updates on the recent debate over who should get mammograms,
when and how often.
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Shade Hotel, Manhattan Beach
RSVP AND INFO: 310-517-4702
OCTOBER 21
MIRACLE OF LIVING
CANCER AWARENESS
There are more than 100 types of cancer. Hear from experts about the
latest weapons doctors are using to fight the war on this disease.
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Hoffman Health
Conference Center
INFO: 310-517-4711
PATRONS | Summer 2015
7
TORRANCE MEMORIAL
Celebrates 90 Years
Those integral to its history reflect on the past, present and future.
WRITTEN BY DIANE E. BARBER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY LAUREN PRESSEY
PATRONS | Summer 2015
8
The tone of the original hospital, built in
Spanish-style architecture, suggested a
costly mansion in good taste rather than an
institution for the care of the sick.
N
inety years ago the Torrance family’s vision was realized
when the doors opened to the 32-bed Jared Sydney Torrance
Memorial Hospital. This was due to the foresight of Torrance
founder Jared Sidney Torrance. In his effort to make Torrance a
completely modern city, before his death he made a will leaving $100,000 to
the Torrance Hospital Association (created in 1920).
However, after his passing, the bequest in the will was declared invalid
because of a technicality in the laws of the state. His wife, Helena Childs
Torrance, and his family honored his bequest by purchasing land on Engracia
Avenue in Old Torrance, constructing the building and deeding it to the
Torrance Hospital Association.
The hospital admitted its first patients on May 17, 1925. Mrs. Torrance
went on to serve as a major benefactor and was largely responsible for
sustaining the hospital through its first decade. Like her husband, she also
remembered the hospital in her will with a generous bequest.
The independent, nonprofit hospital survived the Great Depression and
other hardships throughout the years to become nationally recognized as
a leading multi-faceted health care system. Its evolution included a move
across town, two name changes and the building of a state-of-the-art medical
campus outfitted with the latest technology. The ultra-modern Lundquist
Tower is a far cry from the quaint, Spanish-style architecture of the original
hospital on Engracia Avenue.
Torrance Memorial’s success is historically credited to forward-thinking
leadership, a passionate and highly educated staff, and a steadfast commitment
to providing medical care excellence for the South Bay community. In
celebration of the hospital’s journey, esteemed members of its team share
glimpses of modern-day history through the lenses of their careers that have
spanned decades. >>
PATRONS | Summer 2015
9
CRAIG LEACH
PRESIDENT AND CEO
Staying the course
of growth and
independence
GEORGE GRAHAM
FORMER CEO
Righting the ship and
charting a 30-year
course of success
G
eorge Graham joined what was then known as Torrance Memorial
Hospital as a financial consultant in 1974. During that time it
was suffering tremendous economic hardship. Impressed with his
management style, within just a short time the chairman of the board asked
him to take over management of the hospital for “a couple of years.”
He earnestly accepted the challenge in 1975. Thirty years later when he
retired as president and chief executive officer, he left behind a legacy that
has distinctly set the medical center apart from other hospitals and ensured
its continued success.
“I saw a future for the hospital when most people had written it off,”
Graham says. “Indicators that predict a hospital’s doom are having poor
(economic) demographics, being land-bound and unable to expand, residing
in decaying communities where people are moving away, and employing an
aging medical staff that keeps the young lions out. We had none of that.”
To the contrary, the hospital had a growing, youthful medical staff, was
surrounded by vacant property and the population was growing. Graham
went to work to right the ship, instructing his team to “bite the bullet” (a
favorite expression from George’s U.S. Navy days). Profits were reinvested
back into the organization.
With George at the helm, the hospital was selected as one of the top
100 hospitals in the United States and continued to earn recognition as
a technically advanced medical center. He attributes this success to the
medical talent.
“It didn’t take much to get the hospital into a growth pattern,” Graham
says. “There was so much going for it. There was no reason that it could not
be successful. We were bringing in quality doctors, and we had an incredibly
trained medical staff. Dick Hoffman (Richard B. Hoffman, MD, radiologist,
in whose memory the Lundquist Tower is dedicated) in particular, greatly
influenced my decisions regarding technology. We would not have the
hospital we have today without his good judgment and commitment.”
In addition to Graham’s ability to attract an exceptional staff, build an
excellent medical campus and stay on the cutting edge of technological
advancement, he also created and implemented organizational procedures
that fostered collaboration between the administration and the medical
staff. The competition for resources and an “us vs. them” culture commonly
seen at other hospitals gave way to a collaborative team spirit that is still at
the core of Torrance Memorial’s culture today.
Where does Graham see the hospital going in the future? “We have all
of the credentials necessary to continue to grow and thrive. We have leading
technology, a highly qualified medical staff, a wonderful facility and we offer
exceptional care. There is no end in sight in Torrance Memorial Medical
Center’s future,” he says.
C
raig Leach began working for Torrance Memorial 31 years ago.
He became George Graham’s successor on January 1, 2005.
As a lifelong resident of the South Bay, it resonates with Leach
to stay true to Mr. & Mrs. Torrance’s founding vision for an independent
hospital that serves this community. Today the Torrance Memorial Medical
Center service area includes approximately 900,000 people who live in a
geographic area that extends beyond Torrance, the Beach Cities and the Palos
Verdes Peninsula to include San Pedro, El Segundo, Carson and Hawthorne.
“It is unique for Torrance Memorial to still be an independent hospital
system in the state of California, of which we are very proud,” Leach says.
“With about 150 hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange County combined,
only about a half-dozen remain independent. We feel that a local board making
decisions for the community we serve continues to be the best approach.”
The staff ’s commitment and passion for the community has been
generously returned in kind over the years. When planning for the
Lundquist Tower began in 2007, the fundraising target was $50 million
to $75 million. Upon opening the Lundquist Tower in 2014, that goal was
far exceeded with a total of $130 million in cash and pledges—a testament
to the magnitude of the local philanthropic support, which has become a
substantial component of the medical center’s income for future long-term
growth and development.
With their sights set on the future, Leach and his dynamic team recently
envisioned and established the Torrance Memorial Health System to better
facilitate and improve the health of South Bay residents. Part of that vision
included the purchase of THIPA (a local independent practice association) and
the creation of Torrance Memorial Integrated Physicians (an accountable care
organization), with close to 400 physicians participating in each organization.
The focus of both organizations is to better coordinate patient care.
It also established the Torrance Memorial Physician Network, a multispecialty practice that provides comprehensive care in primary, pediatric and
medical specialty care, including endocrinology, rheumatology, OB/GYN,
cardiology and oncology. The network is equipped with a state-of-the-art
electronic medical record system and a patient portal, which provides patients
direct and confidential access to all of their medical information. Staying a
step ahead of its historical campus growth, Leach was also instrumental in
facilitating the purchase of 16 acres of land across Lomita Boulevard, which
will be incredibly valuable in the future.
For the third straight year, Torrance Memorial was ranked as one of the
best hospitals for 2014–2015 in California and the Los Angeles metro area
by U.S. News & World Report. As one of the largest health care facilities
in Los Angeles (based upon the number of admissions and patient days),
Torrance Memorial Medical Center is an industry frontrunner that
continues to attract top physicians through technological capabilities for
on-campus advanced medical procedures, including high-end, complex
cardio, neurological and orthopedic surgeries.
“From a value standpoint, we deliver high quality at an appropriate cost
level. We add to that a culture of service with a high level of passion and
compassion for how we do what we do. This is a great hospital,” he says.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
10
Mimi Brody, Kate Crane, Craig Leach, George Graham, Bill Collier,
Norman Panitch, MD, and Peggy Berwald, RN, have each played a
unique and critical role in making Torrance Memorial what it is today.
KATE CRANE
FORMER BOARD OF
TRUSTEES CHAIR
Carrying out the
founder’s vision
W
hen Kate Crane, an estate planning attorney and hospital donor,
joined the Torrance Memorial board of trustees in the late 1980s,
glass ceilings for women in business were commonplace. However,
that was not the case at Torrance Memorial.
Co-founder Helena Childs Torrance placed such great importance on
the role of women to the future of the medical center that in 1925 she
had it written in the bylaws that the board would always be comprised of
50% women. After four years of service on the board, Crane was invited to
succeed the late Jeanne Beecher as the hospital’s second female chair. “There were not very many women physicians at the time, so it was very
inspiring that Jeanne had become the chairwoman after beginning as a
volunteer,” Crane says. “Jeanne had done a great job and was well respected
by the board and the greater hospital community, so when I became the
chairwoman, no challenges arose because I was a woman. The attitude
concerning the composition of the medical center’s governing board was
totally unbiased, which said so much about the organization’s culture. Women
were fully respected in all positions then, just as they are today.”
With no prior hospital experience and the health care industry in a state of
non-stop transition, Crane had a “wonderful learning experience” during her
service. “There were always new health care and hospital administration issues
to deal with,” she says. “There were constant developments in technology
and innovations in the approach to care. Torrance Memorial was often the
first hospital in the area to invest in new equipment—each purchase was
carefully considered as to how it would contribute to the level of care in the
community.” (Kate specifically remembers the board being briefed on the
acquisition of a lithotripter, which was then an amazing new device used in
the non-invasive treatment of kidney stones.)
She remembers Torrance Memorial investing very early on in handheld
devices that would streamline medical record maintenance. “It was an exciting
time. I also learned the different ways that physicians and their practices were
involved with the hospital and observed how those relationships evolved
positively over many years of association,” she said. While on the board she
felt privileged in getting to know a wonderful network of physicians and
health care professionals in the community.
Another component that made a big impression on Crane was the corps of
volunteers. “Volunteers work in all areas of the hospital. Many of the people I
knew in the late 1980s and ’90s are still there today. It was always evident that
the volunteers contributed so much to the hospital community. I truly think
the hospital could not function without the remarkable volunteers.”
Additional key milestones under Crane’s service include the dedication
of Torrance Memorial’s Breast Diagnostic Center to the late South Bay
auto dealer Vasek Polak and his late wife, Anna Maria, in 1994, and the
emergency department expansion and reopening. “The Breast Diagnostic
Center dedication was wonderful and momentous because it created a very
positive space for women in the community. The staff there continues to be
very dedicated to continually improving the services it provides.” >>
PATRONS | Summer 2015
11
1
2
3
4
1. Jared Sidney Torrance made a will leaving $100,000 to the Torrance Hospital Association. 2. On July 9, 1968, community members gathered to break ground for the new $8 million Torrance Memorial Hospital
located on Lomita Boulevard. 3. George W. Graham successfully turns the medical center into a profitable organization through humor and impressing upon his staff the importance of “biting the bullet” when
cutting nonessential expenses. 4. The new hospital as it looked when it opened in April 1971.
B
BILL COLLIER
CURRENT BOARD
OF TRUSTEES CHAIR
NORMAN PANITCH, MD
FORMER CHIEF
OF STAFF
The future will be
defined by “safety
and quality”
Keeping an eye on the
forefront of innovation
ill Collier stepped up from his board position to fill Kate Daniels’
seat in 2001. Like Crane, Collier is also an attorney and spent
a considerable amount of time in his early years with Torrance
Memorial Medical Center learning the basics about the health care business.
“George Graham and I met in parenting classes with our wives and
became great friends when he was CEO of the hospital,” Collier said. “A
few years later he asked me if I would be interested in serving on the board. I
told him there couldn’t be anyone more ignorant about health care than me.
But George didn’t care about that. He wanted people from the community
who cared about the hospital.”
According to Collier, when he joined the board of trustees the delivery
of care in the health care environment was very complicated. Managed care
had become the “watch word” with a focus on quality, cost and efficiency.
“It is a complex system that has changed dramatically over the past 20
years. But in the hands of our extraordinary staff, we have always been
very competitive and a step ahead of everyone else in the managed care
environment in Southern California.”
In addition to policy and procedure changes throughout the years, there
have been major hospital campus changes and improvements. Collier’s
proudest accomplishment during his tenure thus far is his involvement with
the decisions made by the board to build the Lundquist Tower.
“It is one of the most attractive, user-friendly and state-of-the-art
hospitals in the state of California and in the country,” he says. The operating
rooms look like they are right out of a Star Wars movie, and the bright and
airy atmosphere is so much more welcoming than other hospitals in general.
We joke that it is just like checking into a Four Seasons Hotel.”
What lies ahead for the hospital in the eyes of Bill Collier? “One of
the biggest things we anticipate going forward is that major hospitals will
make further great strides in the safety and quality of the care they deliver.
We are well positioned to do that, and everyone (patients, medical staff,
payors, regulators and the hospital itself ) will be the beneficiaries. As board
members, we will continue to rely on the medical staff to inform us of
promising new technologies, and we will continue to invest in them so this
hospital system will provide its community with care that is on the cutting
edge of health care.”
N
orman Panitch, MD, was one of very few gastroenterologists in the
area when he joined the Torrance Memorial Hospital (the name
changed to Torrance Memorial Medical Center in 1979) staff in
1975. Along with him came a host of other board-certified specialists from
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (where he was formerly the chief medical
resident). He became chief of staff in the 1980s and retired from practice in
2013. Currently he chairs the Physician’s Council and is a lecturer.
“When I started, the hospital was doing poorly financially. But it was the
only hospital in the area that could do sophisticated lab testing, and it was full
of young bright doctors like Dr. Richard Hoffman and Dr. Stephen Lemkin,
who provided tremendous stability,” says Panitch. “At the time I took over as
chief of staff, we were not accepting any more doctors because the building was
too crowded.”
With a passion for education, Dr. Panitch grew concerned about the lack
of educational opportunities for post-graduates. He was soon appointed
chairman of medical education and arranged monthly lectures at the medical
center, often led by his friends from USC and Harbor General/UCLA.
“I felt Torrance Memorial was a rising star at that time, as did many other
young physicians coming into the community,” he says.
In the early 1980s when doctors were still leery of health maintenance
organization (HMO) medicine, Torrance Memorial management was
concerned that if the hospital did not compete, it would lose market share.
Dr. Panitch and a group of other doctors formed the nonprofit Torrance
Hospital Independent Practice Association (THIPA) in 1985, which
doctors ran independently until 2012.
“THIPA turned around the perception of HMOs. Now we measure
doctors not by quantity or by claims, but by access, patient satisfaction
and quality scores. The old concept that HMOs were inferior to preferred
provider organization (PPOs) has been blurred.”
Dr. Panitch looks to the future of Torrance Memorial Medical Center
with great enthusiasm and optimism about the advancements in technology
that are leading the way for the coordination of care. “The future of medicine
is transparent, encrypted information portals with patient access,” he says.
“Torrance Memorial has always been on the forefront of innovation, and
that will continue with this and other technologies.”
PATRONS | Summer 2015
12
PEGGY BERWALD, RN
CHIEF NURSING
OFFICER, SENIOR
VICE PRESIDENT OF
PATIENT SERVICES
MIMI BRODY
AUXILIARY MEMBER
25,200 hours
(and counting)
of volunteering
perspective
Witnessing the
evolution of nursing
P
eggy Berwald, RN, has spent 37 years of her 42-year nursing career
at Torrance Memorial. She began as a staff nurse. In 2003, she was
appointed chief nursing officer and senior vice president of patient
services. During her tenure, Berwald has watched the hospital evolve from
a small community hospital to a large, regional medical center and health
care system.
“I was very fortunate when I started as a staff nurse in our adult
intensive care unit (ICU) in 1978. There was a team approach and a lot of
opportunities to try different positions, as there still are today. I was asked to
take on various projects and responsibilities until my current position, which
was an honor to accept because of the credibility, integrity and stability of
the executive leadership team.”
A turning point in Berwald’s career was losing both of her parents in
ICUs and making the difficult decision to have them taken off life support.
The silver lining in her loss was the ability to relate to patients and their
families on a much deeper level.
“I have always been one to advocate working with families to make
the right decisions for the patient. But you never expect to find yourself
where the patients’ families are. We are touching people’s lives in the most
vulnerable and intimate way, which is a privilege and a calling.”
With more than 3 million members, nursing is the largest segment of
the nation’s health care workforce and has been voted as the most trusted
position in the Gallup polls since 2002. Berwald sees a bright future for
nurses and believes that now is one of the most pivotal times in the history
of the profession.
“Nurses are playing an integral role in a shift from a treatment to a
prevention and wellness health care model. Our role is to make people feel
safe and cared for and to look with empathy beyond just clinical care to the
connection of the mind, body and the spirit. That is what makes the greatest
difference in caregiving.”
Under Berwald’s leadership, Torrance Memorial received the prestigious
Magnet designation in 2012, which is the highest recognition for nursing
excellence in the United States and abroad. Out of 5,000 hospitals
nationwide, only 400 hospitals have achieved this honor. “When I became
the chief nursing officer in 2003, the Magnet designation process became
my blueprint and strategic plan to be able to attract and retain a quality
nursing workforce to achieve the highest patient outcomes.”
Working on the front lines of patient care, Berwald and her dedicated
staff continue to strive for excellence. Since the research-based Versant
New Graduate RN Residency program was implemented nearly 10 years
ago, the hospital’s retention rate of nurses has increased for those who have
completed the program.
“Our young and diverse nurses are competent, compassionate,
confident and well-prepared to become future nursing leaders at Torrance
Memorial,” she says. “The caliber, quality and education level of these
nurses positions us very well to meet the changing and growing health
care needs of our community.”
M
imi Brody began volunteering at Torrance Memorial Hospital in
1970 at the original location on Engracia Avenue. Forty-five years
later, her spirited enthusiasm is as strong now as it was then, as
she continues to serve her beloved community.
“There were only 40 or 50 volunteers when I started, and we all knew
each other. Now there are about 950 of us. Back then volunteering was not
as structured as it is now because the hospital was very small. It was so small
that we held our meetings in private homes. We discharged patients, served
meals and did anything we could to help.”
When the hospital moved to its current location in 1971, the bed count
dramatically increased from 96 to 247, and additional volunteers were
recruited for more diverse responsibilities.
“We were able to do a lot of new things,” Brody says. “And instead of
pushing carts from room to room with magazines and other sundries, we
had an actual gift shop, which is where I love to spend most of my time
now.” The Auxiliary’s commitment to the success of the shop, along with
outside fundraising, has provided significant financial support for the
medical center.
“At the end of each year, the gift shop profits go back to the hospital,”
she says. “Four years ago we pledged $1 million toward the naming of the
Lundquist Tower Healing Garden. It is a place where people can go and sit
with trees, flowers and a fountain to gather their thoughts. We have one year
to go and are close to reaching our goal.”
As for the future of volunteerism at Torrance Memorial Medical Center,
according to Brody, regardless of new technology, changes in health care or
the size of a hospital, patients and families benefit greatly from interacting
with volunteers. “Most people are upset and are facing a lot of unknowns.
They appreciate a friendly smiling face and a personal touch. For me to be
able to give that to them is very satisfying. ” •
Helena Childs Torrance was largely responsible for seeing Jared Sidney Torrance’s vision through
and also for sustaining the hospital during its first decade of financial stress.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
13
PROGRESS NOTES
[Top left to right]: Dr. Patricia Sacks and Dr. David Chan presented the latest facts about breast cancer at the fall Miracle of Living at the Beach program. Michael Zislis, Andrea Zislis, Judith Gassner,
Sandy VandenBerg. [Bottom left to right]: Mark Lurie, MD, Cardiology, makes introductory remarks. Sherry Kramer, Judith Gassner, Laura McIntire, Gail Engvall, Manette McDermott, Janie Honeycutt.
Miracle of Living at the Beach: Breast Cancer Update
WRITTEN BY CAROLE JAKUCS, RN, BSN, PHN
W
hether you or a loved one is at risk for or has been diagnosed with
breast cancer, you most likely find yourself wanting to stay up on
the latest news regarding breast cancer prevention, diagnosis and
treatment. At the fall Miracle of Living at the Beach program, attendees
heard from two guest speakers who addressed just that: Patricia Sacks,
MD, radiologist and medical director of the Vasek and Anna Maria Polak
Breast Diagnostic Center, and David Chan, MD, breast cancer specialist
with Cancer Care – Torrance Memorial Physician Network. Each shared the
latest findings on this common and dangerous disease.
Despite mixed messages from recent studies and the media, both physicians
recommend getting a yearly mammogram beginning at age 40. “The biggest
hope is an early diagnosis, to allow much less aggressive treatment for a
cure,” says Dr. Chan. As Dr. Sacks continues, “Finding a breast cancer early
that is small in size, at 4 to 5 mm rather than large at 2 inches, increases the
chances for a cure.”
Torrance Memorial is transitioning its digital mammography equipment
from 2-D (two-dimensional) to the latest technology called digital
breast tomosynthesis (also known as DBT), or 3-D (three-dimensional)
mammography. This is a proven technology and the best screening tool
available for capturing breast cancer for most patients.
It allows radiologists to examine breast tissue one layer at a time, making
it possible to detect early stage tumors previously undetectable with 2-D
mammography alone. This is especially critical for those with dense breast
tissue because their breast cancer risk is three times higher than those with
lower density tissue.
In addition to utilizing cutting-edge diagnostic screening, it’s helpful for
women to learn about their risk factors for developing breast cancer. Some
are not modifiable, meaning we cannot change them as mature adults. Others
are modifiable, meaning they are under our control to change.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
14
PROGRESS NOTES
Miracle of Living 2015 Calendar
Non-Modifiable Risk Factors:
> Increasing age
> Age when the menstrual cycle
began, earlier increases risk
> Age at birth of first child, number
Modifiable Risk Factors:
> Obesity
> Lack of exercise
> Alcohol consumption
of children and length of
breast-feeding
> Heredity and family history
> Smoking
> Estrogen replacement
> High-calorie diets
Diagnostic Tests Important for Early Detection:
> Yearly mammograms starting at
age 40—an important tool for early
diagnosis
> MRI: Getting an MRI in addition to
a mammogram if you are in a highrisk category
Lower Your Risk of Developing Breast Cancer:
> Frequent exercise—should include
the interaction of sunlight on
cardio and activities to increase
our skin
muscle mass
> Consider not taking multivitamins
> Taking a low-dose aspirin daily may
and supplements other than vitamin
lower breast cancer and overall
D. Research over the past two
cancer risk in general
decades indicate that multivitamins
> Having a normal blood level of
and supplements don’t lower
vitamin D, which is low in most
cancer risk and may paradoxically
Americans because it’s made from
increase it.
Additional Advice:
Dr. Sacks: If your mother had breast cancer, start your screenings at least
10 years before the age of her diagnosis. Don’t become complacent with
getting your annual mammogram. Some women may feel it is ok to take a year
off; it is not, as increasing age increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
Dr. Chan: Fear of breast cancer isn’t a good reason to not get yearly
mammograms. Breast cancer is a very curable disease when caught early, and
many patients can avoid mastectomy and chemotherapy with early diagnosis
and treatment.
Knowledge Is Power:
Boost Your Health IQ
by Attending a Miracle of Living Lecture
Miracle of Living
At Torrance Memorial’s Hoffman
Health Conference Center
7 p.m.
JULY 15
Depression and Anxiety
AUGUST 19
Diabetes
SEPTEMBER 16
Alzheimer’s Disease
OCTOBER 21
Cancer Awareness
NOVEMBER 18
Men’s Sexual Health
Miracle of Living at the Beach
The Miracle of Living at the Beach lectures offer timely health topics
to the public three times a year at Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach.
Shade Hotel, 1221 N. Valley Drive, Manhattan Beach
JULY 14
Vascular Disease: The Collateral Damage of Diabetes
7:30 p.m.
OCTOBER 27
Breast Cancer Update
7 p.m.
See page 6-7 for more details.
Dr. Sacks studies mammography images.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
15
Each day is a gift for Jacqueline and Ed Barley. Jacqueline
will have a normal life expectancy from a cardiac standpoint
thanks to her recent TAVR procedure.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
16
CLINICAL SPOTLIGHT
Happy Heart, HEALTHY HEART
New TAVR heart procedure gives Jacqueline
Barley a new lease on life.
Written by Colleen Farrell
Photographed by Scott Gilbert
J
acqueline Barley, age 67, had made up her
mind. When she checked into Torrance
Memorial Medical Center on December
9, 2014, for surgery, she reaffirmed to
her family and the medical staff that she
and her husband, Ed, would host her four sons,
their wives, 10 grandchildren, extended family
and friends for Christmas Eve—as was their
tradition. Jacqueline was determined to make
her body cooperate with her mind, but it was an
ambitious timetable.
Just a few months prior, Ed had begun to
notice a dramatic decline in Jacqueline’s health.
He initially thought it might just be her asthma
flaring up. Doctors even suggested it might be
depression. But as her condition worsened, he
and his family feared something more serious
was to blame.
“She wasn’t getting up much during the day.
She couldn’t get from the bed to the bathroom
without becoming out of breath,” Ed says. “Her
life basically consisted of going to and from
doctors’ appointments.”
wheelchair—to get around. However, because of
her suppressed immunity, her primary physician,
infectious disease specialist Eric Milefchik, MD,
told her the risk of post-surgery infection was too
high for any major surgery.
During a weekly appointment at Dr. Milefchik’s
office, nurse practitioner Izzat Alamdar (Dr.
Milefchik’s wife) was concerned about Jacqueline’s
fatigue and shortness of breath. After discussing
her symptoms with Dr. Milefchik, their office
made an appointment for her to see interventional
cardiologist Salman Azam, MD, who specializes
in structural heart disease.
Dr. Azam put Jacqueline through a series of
diagnostic tests, including an echocardiogram, a
chest X-ray and an angiogram to diagnose any
major heart abnormalities contributing to her
symptoms. The tests revealed her heart valve had
become severely calcified—a condition known as
aortic stenosis. Dr. Azam didn’t mince words. He
told the Barleys that Jacqueline would have a 50%
chance of surviving the next two years unless she
underwent immediate heart valve replacement.
“I went from having just a two-year life
expectancy to having a new lease on life.
It’s been a godsend and a blessing.”
Because Jacqueline had become close to
bedridden, Ed took an early retirement from
his 40-year job at the Long Beach Harbor so he
could focus on her care.
Jacqueline had long been challenged with two
autoimmune diseases: lupus (a systemic disease
in which the body’s immune system mistakenly
attacks healthy tissue) and rheumatoid arthritis
(a disease that leads to loss of joint function).
In need of knee replacement, her mobility was
also limited to using a walker—and often a
The aortic valve allows blood to flow from the
heart’s lower chamber (left ventricle) into the
aorta and to the rest of the body. Aortic stenosis
prevents the valve from opening properly, forcing
the heart to work harder to pump blood through
the valve. This causes pressure to build in the left
ventricle and thickens the heart muscle.
The heart can make up for stenosis and the
extra pressure for a period of time. But at some
point, the extra effort it is making to pump blood
through the narrowed valve can cause the heart to
PATRONS | Summer 2015
17
fail. Symptoms of aortic stenosis include shortness
of breath, fatigue, chest pain, light-headedness,
loss of consciousness and water retention.
According to Dr. Azam, aortic stenosis is more
frequently diagnosed among patients in their 80s
and 90s. Jacqueline is younger than most aortic
stenosis patients, but her mother—as well as her
mother’s brothers and sisters—had also developed
heart problems at a young age.
Because of her other health problems,
Jacqueline was considered a very high-risk patient
for traditional heart valve replacement surgery,
which requires opening the chest through an
incision while the patient is supported by a heartlung (cardio-pulmonary bypass) machine. “She
would have experienced a very difficult postoperative course, which would have required a
prolonged rehabilitation,” Dr. Azam says.
He recommended that Jacqueline undergo
a relatively new, minimally invasive surgical
procedure called transcatheter aortic valve
replacement (TAVR). Last year Torrance
Memorial Medical Center launched the TAVR
program, which has since “grown tremendously,”
according to Dr. Azam.
During TAVR a catheter slightly larger than the
size of a pen is inserted in the artery in the leg/
groin and carefully passed up into the heart. A
replacement valve made of bovine (cow) tissue and
supported on a metal stent is then implanted inside
the narrowed aortic valve, resulting in a normal
functioning aortic valve. The procedure is conducted in Torrance
Memorial Medical Center’s new state-of-the art
Hybrid Operating Room located in the Lundquist
Tower. The Hybrid OR features sophisticated
imaging systems for catheter-based procedures,
but it also meets the sterility standards and has
the equipment of a traditional operating room.
This enables providers to perform high-risk,
minimally invasive procedures and switch to
open surgery without moving the patient if a
dire complication arises. >>
CLINICAL SPOTLIGHT
Since her procedure, Jacqueline has been
able to resume one of her favorite activities,
cooking with her granddaughter Victoria.
“Torrance Memorial has a dedicated, multidisciplinary heart team focused on thorough
evaluation of each patient to determine the most
appropriate course of treatment,” Dr. Azam says.
“Our team is committed to making a personal
connection with each patient and their family. We
really encourage family members to be involved at
every step of treatment because it makes a significant
difference in a patient’s recovery.”
Dr. Azam joined COR Cardiology
in 2013 to help start the TAVR
program at Torrance Memorial.
He previously developed the
TAVR program at University
of Colorado and Swedish
Medical Center in Seattle. He
has performed more than 150
TAVR procedures.
A TAVR procedure is not without risks, but it
provides beneficial treatment options to people
who may not have been candidates for valve
replacement a few years ago. It also provides the
bonus of a faster recovery in most cases—on
average three to five days.
While Ed was apprehensive about moving
forward due to the risks, with Dr. Milefchik’s
approval Jacqueline had no hesitation about
scheduling the procedure as quickly as possible.
Dr. Azam’s office scheduled her procedure within
just three weeks of diagnosis.
“There were a lot of necessary precautions due
to Jacqueline’s previous surgery complications
with anesthesia, but the doctors and staff were
so positive and fantastic,” says Ed. “Susan
Robinson, RN, (TAVR coordinator) and the
anesthesiologist’s staff were so thorough and
patient with all of her prep work. They explained
everything we should expect from A to Z. It was
very reassuring and helpful.”
The procedure, from prep to operation to
recovery, took just less than three hours. Following
the operation, Jacqueline was put on a respirator
for a short time as a precaution to ensure she
didn’t have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia.
Because of her other health issues, Dr. Azam
anticipated her post-operative stay might extend
beyond Christmas Eve. But with her sights set
on not breaking her family’s holiday tradition,
Jacqueline’s resiliency surprised everyone. The
day following her procedure, she was walking the
hospital halls using her walker.
“It was like night and day before and after
(the procedure). She was a like a new person
immediately after,” Ed says.
“They (the staff ) told me if I used my walker
to walk every day, if my oxygen levels were good
and there were no complications, ‘We’ll see,’”
Jacqueline says of meeting her release date goal. “I
PATRONS | Summer 2015
18
walked four times per day. When I couldn’t sleep
at night, the aid came in and said, ‘Let’s go walk.’
I was told I was the only patient (admitted for the
procedure at the time) who got up and walked.”
She continues, “Before the surgery, I had become
so pasty, my face was whiter than the walls.
When my son Christopher saw me for the
first time following surgery, he noticed that my
feet were pink (a sign that normal circulation was
returning to her body).”
On day six post-surgery, Jacqueline received good
news from Dr. Azam. She was ready to return home
with two weeks to spare before Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve 2014 was a holiday to remember
for the Barleys. And so has been the year 2015. Dr.
Azam’s most recent prognosis for Jacqueline is a
normal lifespan from a cardiac standpoint.
“I still can’t get outside as much as I used to
because of my knees,” Jacqueline says. “But I
have so much more energy, and I’m able to enjoy
my grandkids.” One favorite activity she’s been
able to resume is cooking orange chicken with
her granddaughter Victoria after school during
the week.
“I was told if this happened a year earlier, I
would not have been a candidate (because TAVR
was so new),” Jacqueline says. “I went from having
just a two-year life expectancy to having a new
lease on life. It’s been a godsend and a blessing.” •
FUTURE FOCUS
Lifelong Investor Puts Her Money
Where Her Health Is
Written By Colleen Farrell
Ninety-three-year-old Suzanne Webb has a
crystal clear mind and a soft spot in her heart
for doctors and hospitals. Her brother was an
ear, nose and throat specialist at a large regional
hospital in her native Quebec.
So when Bill Chang, her financial planner and
a member of Torrance Memorial’s Professional
Advisory Committee, recently suggested how she
could make a donation to Torrance Memorial that
would also help to secure her own future, she was
all ears. He suggested she consider transferring
funds from an upcoming rental property sale to a
charitable remainder trust (CRT). (See definition
below.)
“It impressed me that Torrance Memorial is
an independent hospital,” she says. “It’s more
difficult for them these days, so I wanted to do
something to help.”
“With some charities, you really don’t know
where your money is going. This way, I know where
it’s going and that it will do some good,” she says.
Webb knows the value of the dollar and is no
stranger to making smart money decisions. While
taking courses to prepare for law school, she
worked two jobs—keeping books for the owner of
several gas stations in Los Angeles and practicing
real estate in Hollywood.
As she enrolled in Western State University
Law School in Orange County, her day job
was working in the travel department of the
Consulate General of Canada, which required her
to be fluent in English and French. After passing
the California State Bar, she plunged right into
practicing general practice law with a partner at a
small private firm.
She practiced there for the next 20 years,
mostly taking on family law legal aid cases. She
then moved her offices to Long Beach and San
Pedro, where she practiced solo for the next 23
years, changing her specialty to probate and real
estate law as well as estate planning.
“I enjoyed my work as an attorney because I
could help the middle class who could not afford
to pay legal fees,” she says.
Webb began to invest in real estate at a
young age. Her first home purchase was in
the Hollywood Hills near the Hollywoodland
(now Hollywood) Sign. She then continued to
buy apartment buildings, homes and condos
throughout Southern California and Hawaii as
investment properties.
“I didn’t make that much money practicing
family law, so from that point on it became all
about buying real estate and acreage,” she says.
“I bought an apartment house in Burbank and
rented it out to movie studio employees. I later
Suzanne Webb attended last year’s Lundquist Tower
opening gala.
sold that and bought another, and then another.”
Webb married later in life. Her first husband,
a physician, passed away at 57. She later married
Robert Webb.
With several investments providing income
and the help of the CRT, Webb is able to spend
her golden years doing what she loves most—
traveling the world. Her first trip as a young girl
was crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary just
following World War II. Her most recent trek
included stops in Cape Town, South Africa, and
Angkor Wat, a temple complex in Cambodia that
is the largest religious monument in the world.
“It feels a lot better to give to a charity than to
pay that money in taxes,” she says. “When your
affairs are in order, you have peace of mind.”
HOW A CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST WORKS
With a charitable remainder trust (CRT), you or other named individuals can receive income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20
years from assets you give to the trust you create. Payments can be
either variable or a fixed amount. After the life of the named individuals or
the set period of years, the balance in the trust goes to Torrance Memorial
Health Care Foundation.
Because the CRT is irrevocable and a charitable gift is the end result,
you receive an income tax deduction in the year you make the gift to the
trust. The payments you receive each year are also partially tax-deductible.
Assets used to fund the CRT may include cash, appreciated stock or
real estate. For highly appreciated assets, establishing a CRT eliminates
up-front capital gains tax and may increase your income to more than the
amount previously generated by the contributed assets.
Contact Sandy VandenBerge at 310-784-4843 or Sandy.VandenBerge@tmmc.com
with any questions or visit TorranceMemorial.org/PlannedGivingCRT to learn more.
CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST
1. You give cash or property
to the trust.
2. You receive an income
tax deduction and named
individuals receive income
for life or a period of years.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
19
3. Remainder goes to
Torrance Memorial
Health Care Fotundation
after the lifetime of
named individuals or a
period of years.
FUTURE FOCUS
PAC – The Prescription for Your Financial Health
2015 FINANCIAL PLANNING SEMINAR SCHEDULE
JUNE 13
Torrance Memorial’s Professional Advisory Council (PAC) is a volunteer
group of attorneys, financial and estate planners, and CPAs brought
together by the mission of educating the community on the benefits of
charitable tax and estate planning. As part of PAC’s community outreach,
this group of professionals has volunteered their time to conduct a series of
informative, interactive and educational seminars on a variety of financial
topics. These free seminars are strictly educational—no products or services
will be sold to attendees.
ESTATE PLANNING: PROBLEMS AND PITFALLS
• Preparing for incapacity and avoiding elder abuse
• Avoiding squabbling children and other general
unpleasantness
• Making sure all assets pass through your estate plan
PRESENTERS: Troy Martin, Attorney,
Stephanie Bezner, Attorney
Sessions: Saturdays, 9 to 11 a.m.
Location: Torrance Memorial Hoffman Health Conference Center
For more information please call Sandy VandenBerge at 310-784-4843.
JULY 11
THE SKINNY ON REQUIRED MINIMUM
DISTRIBUTIONS FROM RETIREMENT PLANS
• Compare and contrast IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEPs,
SIMPLEs and Inherited IRAs
• Distribution requirements for each type of IRA
• Tax smart strategies for starting and taking RMDs
PRESENTERS: Phil Cook, CFP,
Joe Hohm, CPA
AUGUST 8
SEPTEMBER 12
SAVVY SOCIAL SECURITY
PLANNING
• Maximize your Social Security
benefits by applying at the right time
• Unique strategies for married couples,
divorced individuals and surviving
spouses
• The impact of poor Social Security
decisions and how to avoid costly
mistakes
END OF LIFE DECISIONS: A PANEL DISCUSSION
• Advanced Health Care Directives
• POLST
• Palliative Care
• Human Dimension
PRESENTERS: Cristin Rigg, CFP,
Chris Cordoba, Financial Advisor
OCTOBER 10
THE INTERSECTION OF ECONOMICS
AND INVESTMENTS
• Key economic and business
indicators to watch
• Drivers of investment value—today’s outlook
• How public policy affects your wealth
PRESENTERS: Stephen Connors, CFP,
William Chang, Financial Consultant
PATRONS | Summer 2015
20
PRESENTERS: Eric Harris, Attorney,
Sylvia Thompson, Eldercare
Consultant, Lisa Humphreys, MD
FUTURE FOCUS
Financial Health Checkup:
Is Your Nest Egg Still Producing Eggs?
WRITTEN BY MARK TSUJIMOTO, MEMBER OF TORRANCE MEMORIAL’S PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
For retirees today, you are faced with many challenging decisions:
> When and how should I file for Social Security benefits?
> How should I take my pension payment?
> What should I do with my 401(k) or retirement plan through my employer?
> Do I have enough money to retire, and where do I invest today?
> Will the rising cost of health care deplete my lifetime of savings?
Historically the best places for creating wealth in this country have been
ownership of real estate, stocks or a small business. On the other hand, if
you are retired your objective may be more than just having an asset you
are hoping to sell for a higher price than you paid for it. In my experience
there are a few basics to consider for your investments if you need retirement
income:
LIQUIDITY: If you invest your money today and decide you want your
money back tomorrow, what will you get back?
TAXATION: While non-retirement account income is usually taxed at
the more favorable capital gains rate, retirement account income is typically
taxed as ordinary income.
FEES & EXPENSES: What is the total cost of owning your
investments and potential penalties for early withdrawal?
Here are a few important ages to remember with regard to retirement:
50: Age you can contribute a higher amount to your retirement plans, also
known as “catch-up” contributions.
55: Age you can take a penalty-free withdrawal from an employersponsored qualified plan, if separated from service.
59½: Age you can take a penalty-free withdrawal from your Individual
Retirement Accounts. (This is exactly 59 years and 6 months.)
Lastly, here are a few things to consider for your retirement investment
portfolio:
> With the increase in the U.S. markets, there may be better opportunities
found in international rather than domestic equities.
> Longer duration and higher quality bonds have a tendency to be more
sensitive to interest rates. In a rising interest rate environment, shorter
duration, credit-oriented and non-U.S. bonds might possibly fare better.
> Cash and short-term instruments are still generating minimal to no
interest. You may still consider using this only for your short- to nearterm liquidity needs, until we see a rise in interest rates.
62: First year you can file for your Social Security benefits.
70½: First year you have to take a required minimum distribution (RMD)
from your retirement account(s). If your birthday is on or before June 30 in
the year you turn 70, you are considered 70½ that year by the IRS. If your
birthday is on or after July 1, you are considered 70½ the following year. At
age 70½, your first distribution is approximately 3.6% of your account value.
(Example: If the prior year-end value of your IRA account was $100,000, the
distribution would be approximately $3,600 the first year.)
Mark Tsujimoto
310-373-7351 x304
Financial planner with Cetera Advisor Networks. Mark’s
family has operated a financial planning business in Torrance
since 1968. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, (CA Insurance
License #0B99371)
Securities and advisory services offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC (doing insurance business in CA as CFGAN Insurance Agency), member FINRA/ SIPC. The opinions in this story
are those of Mark K. Tsujimoto of Cetera Advisor Networks, 310-373-7351 x304. They are general comments that might not be appropriate for every individual. All information is believed to
be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. All economic and performance information is historical and not indicative of future results.
Information with legal or tax issues should be relied upon only after consulting your legal or tax advisor.
For additional financial health information, please attend Torrance Memorial’s monthly Saturday financial health seminars.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
21
AMBASSADOR’S CORNER
Thanks to her successful treatment
for breast cancer, Mary Hodges is able
to get back to doing what she loves,
including exercising in the park and
participating in Zumba classes.
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Supports Mind/Body Healing
The Cancer Support Center gives patients an ear to listen, a shoulder to lean on.
WRITTEN BY KRISTIN REYNOLDS | PHOTOGRAPHED BY LAUREN PRESSEY
I
t was the holiday season. Outside it was cheerful, boisterous
and sunny. But inside Mary Hodges’ world, everything went
instantly dark. “I’m so sorry to give you such bad news at this
time of year,” the doctor said.
Something was said about “a mastectomy” and “chemotherapy,”
and then, “Do you have any questions?” But a shocked and stunned
Hodges could only choke back tears. Her thoughts were jumbled.
What was she supposed to do now?
Like most people new to cancer’s grip, she was terrified. Friends
and family rushed to her side and embraced her with loving arms.
And, she recalls, so did the compassionate team at the Vasek and
Anna Maria Polak Breast Diagnostic Center at Torrance Memorial,
where her cancer was diagnosed.
The staff helped calm her mind and ease her nerves. They never wavered
when it came to positivity and encouragement; and neither did Miriam.
Miriam Sleven, RN, is the cancer survivorship program coordinator
for the Cancer Resource Center at Torrance Memorial. As Hodges
said her name, she smiled as if remembering a sweet, longtime friend.
“Miriam was so warm; so caring,” Hodges said. “Sure, she gave
me a lot of great information and told me about support groups and
places in the community that I might find helpful. But really, the most
important thing she did for me was to simply be there. She talked and
walked me through the entire journey one step at a time.”
The Cancer Resource Center is there for anyone affected by
cancer, regardless of where they live or where they’re being treated.
A team of advanced practice nurses, certified in oncology, offer
one-to-one support for patients and their families, as well as
information about different types of cancer, treatment options and
helpful resources. All the services are free.
The Cancer Resource Center receives funding in part from
the Ambassador Program—Torrance Memorial’s annual giving
program. Members include physicians, community members and
volunteers who, through their donations, support the Cancer
Resource Center, oncology services, rehabilitation services and
health education. For newly diagnosed cancer patients like Mary
Hodges, the support is invaluable.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
22
AMBASSADOR’S CORNER
“I love, love, love Torrance Memorial,” she says. “From the friendship
I formed with Miriam to every doctor and nurse who treated me,
to the overall positive vibe there.”
“Through financial support from the
Ambassador Program, Mary’s experience with
the nurse navigators and Cancer Resource
Center highlights the guidance and coordination
of care she received during each phase of her
treatment,” says Judith Gassner, senior director of
development and principal gifts.
Hodges learned about the Cancer Resource
Center through the Navigation Program at the
Vasek and Maria Polak Breast Diagnostic Center.
There, each newly diagnosed patient is matched
with her own nurse navigator—a specially trained
registered nurse who does everything from setting
up appointments with specialists to answering
questions about treatments and side effects, to
serving as a liaison between the patient and their
team of physicians.
Nurse navigators refer patients to the Cancer
Resource Center for additional support, which
often means they are offered another ear to
listen or shoulder to lean on—invaluable for the
newly diagnosed. There is much collaboration
and communication between the hospital and
the Cancer Resource Center, which ensures that
patient care is seamless and that their experience
is as comfortable as possible.
“We’re the patient’s advocate, and we also help
people learn how to be their own advocate when
it comes to their treatment and care,” Sleven says.
“We listen to the individual patient and help
them identify what their needs are, and then we
help facilitate that for them. Often it’s helpful
for patients and families to simply get some
perspective and reassurance that what they’re
feeling is completely normal.”
For Sleven, being there for people during one of
the most challenging times in their lives is a gift that
she is grateful she’s able to give. “I went into nursing
to help people, and my role at the Cancer Resource
Center is another way of doing that beyond taking
care of patients at the bedside. It’s humbling and
satisfying to be able to do what I do.”
It’s now been 2½ years since Hodges was told
she had breast cancer. The disease is in remission,
and Hodges says she is feeling “fantastic.” She still
takes to heart much of the advice she got from
Sleven during her illness, including the frequent
reminder: “Be good to yourself.”
On the day of this interview, Hodges had
already been to her favorite Zumba class (she
goes to the gym every day) and had done some
volunteer work. In fact, volunteering has proven
to be great medicine—Hodges says it made her
feel better to help others while she was sick, and
it gave her a sense of purpose during a time filled
with many unknowns.
In fact, she has found volunteering so meaningful
that she hopes to pursue a new career in nonprofit
work. “I’m always trying to help someone, because
that gives me inspiration,” she says.
And speaking of inspiration, though she has
moved on with her life, she will always treasure
Cancer survivor Mary Hodges pays a follow-up visit to Miriam
Slevens, RN. For Mary, the Cancer Resource Center provided
information and a shoulder to lean on.
the team at Torrance Memorial who helped save
it—not just physically but emotionally.
“I love, love, love Torrance Memorial,” she says.
“From the friendship I formed with Miriam to
every doctor and nurse who treated me, to the
overall positive vibe there. One time I got a card
in the mail from the nurses who took care of me
during an overnight hospital stay. The card said,
‘Thanks for being such a good patient!’
She continues, “Honestly, who does that? It
made me feel really special.” •
For more information on the Ambassadors annual giving
program, visit torrancememorial.org/giving.
The Hunt Cancer Institute’s Oncology Services
Provide Caring, Compassionate Guidance to Patients and Families
“We serve the community, and the community serves us,” says
Miriam Sleven, RN, regarding the continuum of care that is top priority
for Torrance Memorial and its Cancer Resource Center. Sleven is
part of a team of specially trained oncology nurses at the Cancer
Resource Center, which serves as an extension of a patient’s health
care team once he or she has been diagnosed with the disease.
The Cancer Resource Center is there for patients (regardless
of where they live or where they’re treated), family members and
caregivers every step along the path—from treatment to recovery to
survivorship. Services provided include:
> Personal, one-on-one consultations to discuss anything related to
the disease, from treatment options (including clinical trials) and
symptom management to emotional wellbeing and beyond
> Coaching (for example, what questions to ask your health care
provider as well as how to ask them)
> Assistance with appointments and referrals
> Information about support groups and other helpful resources and
services in the local community and online
> Educational materials, including booklets, pamphlets and more
All of the Cancer Resource Center’s services are provided free
of charge. “We can address any need a person may have related
to the disease, and we can point them in the direction of community
resources if it’s something we don’t offer at the Resource Center,”
Sleven says.
She continues, “Dealing with cancer is overwhelming. Don’t be
afraid to lean on us.”
PATRONS | Summer 2015
For more information about the Cancer Resource Center,
visit torrancememorial.org or call 310-517-4665.
23
ATRON PROFILES
“Quantitative” Reward in GIVING BACK
Vascular surgeon Amir Kaviani, MD, finds parallels in
medicine and his passion for restoring cars.
WRITTEN BY COLLEEN FARRELL | PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL NEVEUX
When not suited up in scrubs, vascular and
endovascular surgeon Amir Kaviani, MD, can
often be found operating under the hood of one
of his classic Alfa Romeos. He fell in love with
these cars as a child. Today, refurbishing them is
one of his passions.
“It’s my time to chill and escape. I love
resurrecting something that’s old and returning
it to be something cool and functional again,”
he says.
His view of his hobby parallels that of his
other passion—his chosen specialty of medicine.
Both involve repairing something to its former
condition with a “quantitative” result.
“Compared to other specialties in medicine
where a good outcome can be a subjective
determination, repairing the circulation system
has very specific and objective criteria for
success,” he says.
If one continues to probe Dr. Kaviani’s career
path and accomplishments for less quantitative
grey areas, not many can be found. Torrance
Memorial vascular surgeon and current chief
medical officer John McNamara, MD, recalls
first meeting Dr. Kaviani while the two were
completing fellowships at the Cleveland Clinic
10 years ago.
“He was a star vascular fellow,” Dr. McNamara
says. He was very well organized and good with
patients. He was definitely the whole package.”
When his fellowship ended, the Cleveland
Clinic wanted to keep Dr. Kaviani on staff,
but he was weighing a return to Southern
California to be closer to family. Dr.
McNamara made Dr. Kaviani promise not
to sign any contracts until he paid a visit to
the Association of South Bay Surgeons in
Torrance, where Dr. McNamara practiced.
Something else made an impression on Dr.
McNamara at the Cleveland Clinic. Upon his
return, he told Torrance Memorial’s president
and CEO Craig Leach “I have seen the future,
and we’re not the future. To be on the forefront,
we really need a hybrid operating room.”
A hybrid operating room did not yet exist
at a California hospital. Over the past decade,
medicine has been rapidly moving away from
maximally invasive open surgery toward
minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures.
A hybrid operating room features sophisticated
systems for these types of procedures, while also
meeting the sterility and equipment standards
of a traditional operating room. This enables
providers to perform high-risk, minimally invasive
procedures and switch to open surgery without
moving the patient if a dire complication arises.
The hybrid OR is used to perform a full range
of endovascular services, including abdominal
aortic aneurysm repair. It’s also used for carotid
artery stenting, a procedure in which a tube or
other device is used to expand the vital arteries
that supply oxygenated blood to the head and
neck, thereby reducing the risk of stroke.
Dr. Kaviani made good on his promise.
During his visit to Torrance he also met with
Craig Leach. Their conversation sealed the deal
on his return to his home state. Leach expressed
his commitment to build the first hybrid
operating room on the West Coast.
Dr. Kaviani made the move back to
California and joined the Association of South
Bay Surgeons. The timing enabled him the
opportunity to influence the design of Torrance
Memorial’s hybrid OR. Within six months of
its 2007 opening, Torrance Memorial became
the busiest hospital for vascular surgery in
Southern California.
Four years ago construction plans were set
in motion for a new patient tower. Central to
its design elements would be an even more
advanced hybrid OR. At the Lundquist Tower’s
opening in November 2014, the new hybrid OR
paved the way for the medical center to become
first in the South Bay to offer even more
advanced procedures such as transcatheter aortic
valve replacement, known as TAVR. TAVR
enables patients once considered inoperable due
to complex medical conditions to undergo lifeextending heart valve replacement.
It was such “progressive thinking and action”
PATRONS | Summer 2015
24
that inspired Dr. Kaviani to seek a quantitative
way to say “thank you” to the medical center that
launched his career. Earlier this year, he made a
gift to name one of the Lundquist Tower’s third
floor Intensive Care Unit Visitor Lounges.
“What’s unique about Torrance Memorial is
the administration’s commitment to develop a
vision that’s based on the community’s needs,
and then follow through to make the finances
work for that vision. It’s traditionally the other
way around—with the vision based on what
finances are available. This (latter type of )
thinking pushes you away from the cutting edge
and from what the community deserves,” Dr.
Kaviani says. “Most of the administrators and
employees grew up and live here in the South
Bay. They are a part of the community and view
Torrance Memorial as an asset in which they
share a vested interest and responsibility.”
The Lundquist Tower’s Hybrid OR serves as a daily reminder to Dr.
Amir Kaviani of the fruits of avid community support.
ATRON PROFILES
Similar to his hobby of refurbishing
Alfa Romeos, Dr. Amir Kaviani has
a passion for restoring vascular
function to his patients.
“Compared to some of the other specialties in medicine where a good
outcome can be a subjective determination, repairing the circulation
system has very specific and objective criteria for success.”
Another inspiration to Dr. Kaviani’s giving
spirit and also his career path was his father, Ali
Kaviani, a pediatric surgeon who helped spearhead
fundraising efforts as a foundation board member
at Children’s Hospital in Orange County. Dr.
Ali Kaviani trained under future surgeon general
C. Everett Koop at The Children’s Hospital in
Philadelphia in the mid-1960s.
After completion of pediatric surgical
training, the senior Dr. Kaviani returned to his
native Iran, where Amir was born. Following
the country’s 1979 revolution, the family moved
back to the United States and planted roots in
Newport Beach.
“My father was my role model because he
always loved what he did, so I grew up believing
that I wanted to be a physician and later a
surgeon,” Amir says.
After attending the University of Pennsylvania
where he completed undergraduate studies with
honors, Amir Kaviani attended Medical School
at Boston University. Following completion
of his residency in general surgery at Yale
University School of Medicine in New Haven,
Conn., he left for the Cleveland Clinic to pursue
specialty training in vascular surgery.
Ten years ago Amir met his wife, Nazanin.
Shortly after, the couple married. Together with
their 5-year-old daughter, Sophia, they enjoy the
South Bay lifestyle, which includes spending time
with extended family and hiking in Palos Verdes.
Among Dr. Kaviani’s current goals is to help
raise awareness and understanding among fellow
physicians about the struggle hospitals face amid
a rapidly changing health care landscape. “Even
the most profitable hospitals operate at a margin
of 1% to 2%,” he says. “Many may think just a
small donation won’t make difference, but each
PATRONS | Summer 2015
25
small donation adds up to make a significant
impact. Torrance Memorial is a freestanding
hospital and doesn’t need to check in with large
conglomerates that may not be in touch with the
needs of our community to make its decisions.
However, because of that, the financial backing
is not always as robust, so it’s always important
to maintain a fundraising spirit.”
As Dr. Kaviani goes to work each day in
the hybrid OR, the Lundquist Tower serves
as a constant reminder of the “tangible and
quantitative” results to which avid community
support leads. “I feel so blessed for what this
hospital has done for me and that we have such
an asset as this facility here in our community,”
he says. “We (Torrance Memorial) have always
had the talents and culture to make a terrific
hospital. The Lundquist Tower shines a light
on that now.” •
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Holiday Festival Gala Night Celebrates $73 Million in Gifts
Torrance Memorial’s premier fundraiser of the year, the Holiday
Festival’s black-tie Gala, sold out in record time. Hundreds of guests
enjoyed the event of the season, which supports the medical center
and raises millions of dollars for the care of our community. Guests
enjoyed individual tree themes, lively auctions, gourmet dining,
dancing to live music and a magical holiday atmosphere.
During the Gala, president and CEO Craig Leach announced
GERALD MARCIL, CAROL MARCIL, DON EVANS, CAMI EVANS, LEE
MINSHULL, SANDII MINSHULL, ELLEN THEODORA, PAT THEODORA
HARV DANIELS, RUTH DANIELS, KIM BOWE, CURT BOWE
CAROLYN SNYDER, BEV GEORGE
the receipt of more than $73 million in gifts during the past year to
benefit the hospital’s recently opened Melanie and Richard Lundquist
Tower. The tabulations included a gift of $50 million from Melanie and
Richard Lundquist, the largest donation in the history of the hospital,
announced at the 2013 Holiday Festival. In total, Holiday Festival
2014 raised more than $4.8 million, which includes sponsorships and
major gift announcements.
PHIL PAVESI, CHRIS PAVESI
JONATHAN CHUTE, THYRA ENDICOTT, MD, CHERYL WELCH, WADE WELCH
LISA NAKKIM, ERIC NAKKIM, MD
KATE CRANE, BARBARA LURIE, MARK LURIE, MD, ROXANNE BALTER, BILL BALTER
PATRONS | Summer 2015
26
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
DR. TEI-FU, DR. OI-LIN CHEN
JEROME UNATIN, MD, MARY JO UNATIN,
PEGGIE REICH, GERRY REICH, MD
DAVE KLEIN, SONG KLEIN
SUSAN CHAN, DAVID CHAN, MD
JOHN MCNAMARA, MD,
SALLY EBERHARD
HARLYNE NORRIS
CHRISTY ABRAHAM, GRETCHEN THOMAS,
ANN ZIMMERMAN
LOUISE KOCH, CAROLE HOFFMAN, GREG POPOVICH, ADRIANA POPOVICH
ANNA MELLOR, MD,
ERIC MELLOR
PATRICIA TURPANJIAN, GERALD TURPANJIAN
DAVID HAAS, MD, SUSAN HAAS
MICHAEL WYMAN, MD, KATHY WYMAN, JUDY LEACH, CRAIG LEACH
PATRONS | Summer 2015
27
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
THOMAS SIMKO, MD, LAURA SIMKO
MILLION-DOLLAR DONORS – BACK: STEVEN MORIKAWA, RALPH SCRIBA, RENÉ SCRIBE, DR. TEI-FU CHEN, RICHARD
LUNDQUIST, GERALD TURPANJIAN, JOHN KENNELLEY, WALTER ZANINO, JACKSON YANG, STEVAN CALVILLO, RALPH
ALLMAN. FRONT: MARY MORIKAWA, PHYLLIS SCRIBE, DR. OI-LIN CHEN, PRISCILLA HUNT, MELANIE LUNDQUIST,
PATRICIA TURPANJIAN, HARLYNE NORRIS, JULIE YANG, BETH GRAZIADIO, SIGRID ALLMAN
BETH GRAZIADIO, ERIN HOFFMAN, LOUISE KOCH, RICHARD KRAUTHAMER, MD,
KATHLEEN KRAUTHAMER, HEIDI HOFFMAN, MD
MARC SCHENASI, RUTH DANIELS, HARV DANIELS, JOE HOHM, TERRY HOHM
STANLEY CHANG, MD, JOANNE CHANG, MICHAEL NEWMAN, MD,
OREN ZAIDEL, MD, AARON HONG, MD
MARSHALL VARON, JUDITH GASSNER, RUSS VARON, LAURA SCHENASI
IAN MACLEOD, MARILYN MACLEOD,
STEVE LOPES, RICK KLINE
RICHARD BRUNO, DANIEL HOVENSTINE, MD, THYRA
ENDICOTT, MD, GREG GEIGER, JONATHAN CHUTE
PATRONS | Summer 2015
28
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
JACK BAKER, CINDY HARVEY, AYNE BAKER, RICH HARVEY
JACKSON YANG, JULIE YANG, CRAIG LEACH, SERENA NGAN
MELANIE LUNDQUIST, RICHARD LUNDQUIST
LAURA SCHENASI, BETH GRAZIADIO
BILL COLLIER, MEI COLLIER
RICHARD LUNDQUIST, MARK LURIE, MD
EMMANUEL DAVID, OFELIA DAVID
ROXANNE ELLISON, BRUCE ELLISON, GENE NAFTULIN, MD, KAREN NAFTULIN
LUMINARIES PAM WOO, PEGGY MASUTANI AND DEBBIE UBA WITH LISA
TAKATA (SECOND FROM LEFT)
THE CHEN FAMILY
PATRONS | Summer 2015
29
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Holiday Festival Fashion Show Showcases A-List Designs
Las Amigas volunteers kicked off the 31st
annual Holiday Festival with the sophisticated
Festival Fashions event, which drew a sold-out
crowd. The runway show featured creations by
Edwards-Lowell Furs Beverly Hills and designer
Margi Kent, whose designs are worn by A-list
Hollywood and music personalities from Meryl
Streep to Stevie Nicks. The week of family
activities is supported by hundreds of community volunteers who work throughout the year to
make the event a success.
LUAN SMITH, AMANDA ZAUMEYER, NICOLE PAGEL, NINA TARNAY,
CARRIE SCOTT, CARRE PORTER, JILL LAMKIN, KIM MARTIN
RANDI DAUCHOT, CAROLINE PERRY, ALLISON MAYER
FREDDIE BENSON, CHRISTINA JESPERSON, SUSAN HAAS
BACK: BEA MANTICO AND PAT CARLSON WITH MEMBERS OF TORRANCE
MEMORIAL’S PET VISITATION PROGRAM. FRONT: MICHELLE RAND, CELESTE
CRANDELL, KATHARINE CRAWLEY
SONG KLEIN, JUDITH GASSNER, ANN O’BRIEN, COLLEEN FARRELL
PATRONS | Summer 2015
30
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
SIGRID ALLMAN, MADELINE SCHENASI, DEBBI ALLMAN, LAURA SCHENASI
CAROLYN SNYDER, SALLY EBERHARD
HANNE EKBERG, DARCI BELL-HOOVER, SONG KLEIN, KRISTIN KUDRAVE
HEATHER KLINE, RANDI DAUCHOT, SANDY VANDENBERGE
GINNY ROMERO, MICHELLE RAND, MYLES, CELESTE CRANDALL
SANDY BARRETT, RIKA TANOUS, CINDY PERCZ, GUEST, PAM BRANAM
PATRONS | Summer 2015
31
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Building Momentum
YPPA was established with the purpose of bringing together
young physicians and successful professionals in the South Bay
community to engage in dynamic social gatherings that allow for
personal and professional networking, while increasing awareness of and support for Torrance Memorial. For more information
call 310-517-4708 or visit TorranceMemorial.org/YPPA.
YPPA and Ambassadors
Ring in the Holidays
YPPA and Ambassadors met under the big white tent for a private,
members-only reception during Holiday Festival 2014. Guests mingled and enjoyed musical entertainment while taking in the sights of
the more than 30 themed, decorated trees on display.
CHERYL CONNORS, STEPHEN CONNORS, WADE
NISHIMOTO, MD, SCOTT DONNELLY
JOHN MCNAMARA, MD, LISA HUMPHREYS, MD,
MOE GELBART, PHD
THE 2015 YPPA COMMITTEE: ALEX SHEN, MD, COLLEEN FARRELL, STANLEY CHANG, MD,
NICK ARQUETTE, NADINE BOBIT, JAMIE MCKINNELL, MD, MELISSA MCWILLIAMS, HEIDI
HOFFMAN, MD, SONG CHO KLEIN, CARI CORBALIS, ANGELA PARK SHELDON
NICK ARQUETTE, CHARLOTTE ARQUETTE,
MEGAN ARQUETTE, PETER LUJAN, TERRI
WELBY-ZAJEC
CHIRAG PATEL, MD, DAVID BRAY, MD, GWENN NORCROSS,
DO, TIM NORCROSS, DO
PATRONS | Summer 2015
32
SONG KLEIN, HEIDI HOFFMAN, MD, COLLEEN FARRELL
BETH EICHEL, JUDITH GASSNER, BERKLEY EICHEL, MD, JOY
COLMAN, MD, MARC COLMAN, MD
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Torrance Memorial Moves
into the Lundquist Tower
Torrance Memorial Medical Center opened its new Lundquist
Tower on November 16, 2014, to serve a growing community. The
meticulously planned move occurred in one day and ahead of
schedule. More than 150 patients smoothly transitioned to all private
rooms. The 390,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art patient tower
features the latest medical technologies, 256 private rooms and 18
surgical and interventional treatment rooms, including the South
Bay’s first hybrid operating room.
MICHELLE KIM TAKES A RIDE WITH
HER SON, PATIENT JACOB QUAN, TO
HIS NEW ROOM.
JACQUELINE MARSHALL PLAYS A CONCERT GRAND HARP TO GREET PATIENTS AS THEY
ARE MOVED INTO THE NEW LUNDQUIST TOWER.
STAFF CELEBRATES MOVING THE LAST OF 162
PATIENTS TO THE NEW LUNDQUIST TOWER.
MORE THAN 1,000 STAFF MEMBERS HELPED TO
FACILITATE THE MOVE.
TO EASILY IDENTIFY TEAMS, STAFF WORE COLOR-COORDINATED
SHIRTS BASED ON THEIR JOB ON MOVE DAY.
LISA HUMPHREYS, MD, INTERNAL
MEDICINE, CELEBRATES THE DAY WITH
A FELLOW TORRANCE MEMORIAL
EMPLOYEE.
STAFF CAREFULLY PREPARE TO MOVE THEIR UNIT.
STAFF MOVE A PATIENT DOWN ONE
OF THE CORRIDORS CONNECTING
THE EXISTING HOSPITAL TO THE
NEW LUNDQUIST TOWER.
JOHN MCNAMARA, MD, CHIEF
MEDICAL OFFICER, GETS SUITED UP.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
33
CRAIG LEACH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, JOKES WITH
THE LATE STAN ZISLIS AS STAFF PREPARED HIM
TO BECOME THE FIRST PATIENT TO MOVE.
SARA BADAWI AND JEFF AGNER MONITOR
AND ASSIST IN ORCHESTRATING THE
TRANSITION.
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
YPPA Physician Hosts
Recruitment Event for
Prospective Members
This spring, Heidi Hoffman, MD, radiology,
hosted an intimate salon event at her home in
the Valmonte area of Palos Verdes Estates to
introduce prospective members to the organization. During the event several physicians
and professional members spoke about the
latest developments at Torrance Memorial
and why they believe YPPA is an organization
worthy of support.
ALEX SHEN, MD, ALLYSON SHEN,
SHANE ANDREWS, CHRIS ANDREWS
GREG BECKER AND TIFFANY BECKER, MD
JOE SPIERER, HEIDI HOFFMAN, MD, BEN ARCHER
AMIR KAVIANI, MD, NAZANIN KAVIANI,
ALEX ELMINOUFI
MADELINE SCHENASI, LORI BALDWIN,
DAVE BALDWIN, VAL ADLAM
YPPA’s Cup Runneth Over at 2nd Annual Beer Tasting
More than 100 people gathered in the early spring
to sample some the South Bay’s finest locally brewed
craft beer at YPPA’s second annual beer-tasting event
at King Harbor Brewing Company. In addition to beer
sampling, guests heard from committee members
Nick Arquette and Jamie McKinnell, MD, about upcoming events planned for the year.
HUGO HOOL, MD, STANLEY CHANG, MD, JOANNE CHANG,
AMARPREET BRAR, MD, HEIDI HOFFMAN, MD, JAMIE
MCKINNELL, MD
CARI CORBALIS, BRIAN MIURA, MD, COLLEEN FARRELL, SYDON
ARROYO, DDS, DANIELLE BOUJIKIAN, STANLEY CHANG, MD
ANGELA PARK SHELDON, DAVID WALLIS, MD,
KERRY WALLIS
PETER WEINSTEIN, MD, TRACY BERCU, MD,
TERRI WELBY-ZAJEC, ALEX SHEN, MD
PATRONS | Summer 2015
34
KERI ZICKUHR, MD, ANN WU AND GUEST
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
YPPA Recognizes Staff Who Go Above and Beyond
YPPA recently began sponsoring two awards that are presented
monthly to exceptional Torrance Memorial employees. The DAISY
Award recognizes extraordinary registered nurses who have created
a remarkable patient experience by demonstrating excellence through
their clinical expertise and compassionate care. YPPA stepped up
to continue sponsorship of this award following the passing of Ginny
Olney, RN, who sponsored it for many years. “The Reason Is You”
recognition honors extraordinary persons in any job classification who
create a remarkable customer experience by demonstrating excellence through their extraordinary and compassionate communication,
behavior or teamwork.
YPPA board members Stanley Chang, MD, (second from left), Heidi Hoffman, MD,
(third from left) and Cari Corbalis (fifth from left) gather with Torrance Memorial
managers to honor Anthony George, desktop support, who was recently honored
with “The Reason Is You” recognition.
Excerpts from a letter by a family member nominating Lisa PalmAlkadis, RN, for the DAISY Award:
Dear Torrance Memorial: My daughter has been hospitalized over eight times with asthma
that turns into pneumonia. She is 3 years old. The compassion that
I always receive from Torrance Memorial is stellar. Lisa was knowledgeable, and I trusted her totally. My daughter could barely breathe,
with oxygen of 86%. I know this is more than a profession; it’s her
passion, and it shows.
Melissa McWilliams, YPPA board member, Lisa Palm-Alkadis, RN, DAISY Award honoree, Laura
Schenasi, Foundation, and Alex Shen, MD, YPPA board member.
DAISY Award
Founders Dedicate
Healer’s Touch
Statue
Heidi Hoffman, MD, Nadine Bobit, Carrie Corbalis. Bonnie
Barnes, Mark Barnes, Madeline Schenasi, Laura Schenasi
Bonnie Barnes, co-founder of the DAISY Foundation,
shares the story of how the organization came to
fruition prior to the unveiling.
Auxiliary president Beth Zager and past president Gail Long
unveil the Healers Touch statue.
Past DAISY Award recipients with DAISY
Foundation co-founders Bonnie and Mark Barnes.
Torrance Memorial’s
Versant RNs gather around
the Healer’s Touch statue.
The Versant program is a
comprehensive education
and training system
designed to transition
newly graduated RNs from
new graduates to safe,
competent and confident
professionals.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
35
As part of the National Nurses Week
celebration, Torrance Memorial dedicated the
Healer’s Touch statue as a tribute to the nurses
of Torrance Memorial. Nurses who receive the
DAISY Award receive a miniature version of
the statue when they are honored. Mark and
Bonnie Barnes, the co-founders of the DAISY
Foundation, were on hand as the statue was
unveiled in the Torrance Memorial Auxiliary
Healing Garden.
During the ceremony they shared their
son’s story—their inspiration for founding the
organization. In 1999 at the age of 33, Patrick
Barnes awoke one morning with symptoms
of an autoimmune disease after surviving
Hodgkins disease twice. After eight weeks of
hospitalization, Patrick passed away. It was
the extraordinary care he received by nurses in the hospital that prompted the Barnes
family to form the organization as a way to
say “Thank-you for the gifts nurses give their
patients and families every day, just as we had
experienced.” Since then the award has been
adopted by health care facilities all over the
United States and beyond.
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
29th Annual Golf Tournament Swings in Funds
An early spring 29th annual Torrance Memorial Golf Tournament
proved to be another sell-out success. Funds raised from the April 6
tournament will help fulfill the overall fundraising goal for the Lundquist
Tower, which opened late last year. After a day of golf, participants enjoyed a cocktail reception, dinner, silent auction and awards banquet.
City National Bank once again served as the tournament sponsor.
Don Douthwright served as tournament chair. The late George L.
Graziadio, Jr., was named honorary chair.
COLLEEN TELES, CATHY SIEGEL, JULIE MAKRYGIANNIS, PEGGY MASUTANI
DAVID BUXTON, STEVE MILLER, STEVE JONES
DANIELLE BOUJIKIAN, KAREN RANDAZZO, SANDY
VANDENBERGE, JILL GOLDEN
CHRIS ADLAM, GENE MATSUDA,
ROBERT RUIZ, GREG LAETSCH
TODD POWLEY, CARLOS BOTANA
JERRY KOZAR, MD, STANLEY CHANG, MD, CRAIG LEACH,
MARK PFEIL, MARK ROUSE
DON DOUTHWRIGHT, SCOTT DAVIS,
BRETT DILLENBERG
DAVE KLEIN, HARV DANIELS, MIKE
PHILBIN, FOREST RIOPELLE
PATRONS | Summer 2015
36
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
GREG HALVORSEN AND
MICHAEL WATTS
DEREK PETRAK, BRIAN MATTEWS,
CRAIG LEACH
SANDY VANDENBERGE, DON
DOUTHWRIGHT, CRAIG LEACH
LORAINE SCRIBA, RALPH SCRIBA
CARI CORBALIS, MARK ROUSE, SONG KLEIN, JUDITH
GASSNER, DANIELLE BOUJIKIAN, SCOTT ROUSE
ROBERT RUIZ, CHRIS ADLAM, CHRIS DELGADO
ELAINE GEE, KELLI PIKEN,
UNI MAYESH
MARC SCHENASI, LAURA SCHENASI
FRONT: TINA LUALLEN, MELLISSA
MCWILLIAMS, SONG KLEIN. BACK:
COLLEEN FARRELL, JUDITH GASSNER.
WILLIAM TARNG, MD, ALEX SHEN, MD,
RICHARD BUTLIG, MD, NHAT TRAN, MD
STEVE MATHISON, RICK ROUNSAVELLE, DDS, JUDITH GASSNER,
ALEX SHEN, MD, LAURA SCHENASI
MADELINE JORDAN, CYNTHIA WILLIAMS, MD, DEBBIE
DINSMORE, EDITH ANDREW
PATRONS | Summer 2015
37
CELESTE CRANDELL, JEAN O’DELL, LEONA CARRINGTON,
GINNY FRAZIER, DAROL DRAGGOO, BETTY BROUGHTON
Torrance Memorial Would Like to GIVE SPECIAL THANKS to Our Many Supporters
GIFTS FROM SEPTEMBER 2014 TO FEBRUARY 2015
$2,000,000
Melanie and Richard Lundquist
$1,000,000 +
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
The Kenneth T. and Eileen L.
Norris Foundation
Jackson and Julie Yang
$600,000 +
Drs. Tei-Fu Chen and
Oi-Lin Chen
UniHealth Foundation
$300,000 +
Elaine and Ron Florance
Henry L. Guenther Foundation
Donald and Priscilla Hunt
$150,000 +
Michele and Robert Christensen
Roxanne and Bruce Ellison
Sam and Rose Feng
Greta and Mike Jarvis
Amir Kaviani, M.D.
Janice L. Kellogg
Carol and Karl McMillen
Alfredo and Beatrice Sheng
Judith and Sherrill Sipes
Torrance Memorial Auxiliary
$100,000 - $149,999
Gerald Bronstein
Billee and John Gogian
Joelene and Bill Mertz
Owens & Minor Distribution Inc.
Loraine and Ralph Scriba
$50,000 - $99,999
Ty and Nadine Bobit
Ofelia and Emmanuel David
Dottie and Larry Delpit
Lisa Humphreys, M.D. and John
P. McNamara, M.D.
Jeffrey Neu
Torrance Memorial Radiology
Group - Donny Baek, M.D.,
Kimberly and David Stone,
M.D., Kathleen and Richard
Krauthamer, M.D., Erin and
Heidi Hoffman, M.D., Fay and
Mitchell Sklar, M.D., HsinYi Lee, M.D. and George So,
M.D., Karen and Mitchell
Parver, M.D., Keith and
Amanda Murphy, M.D.,
Rachel Knopoff, M.D.,
Albert Grabb, M.D.
Susan and Richard Walker
Ann and Gary Zimmerman
$25,000 - $49,999
Sigrid and Ralph Allman
Megan and Andrew Bark
Barbara and David Bentley
Robert DeSantis
Employee Ambassador Program
Nicole and Jonathan Hirshberg
Brandie and Roy Kaneshiro
Pat and Rich Lucy
Marilyn and Ian MacLeod
Marcil Family Foundation
Marybeth and Roy Martinez
Oarsmen Foundation
Lorraine and Lee Ouye
Kathleen and Buddy Parks
Jan and Mike Philbin
Beverly and Howard Sachar
Sandra Sanders
Bharti Sheth
Ellen and Pat Theodora
Torrance Memorial Medical Staff
Tom Turner
Liz and Rich Umbrell
$15,000 - $24,999
Ayne and Jack Baker
Sandy and Thomas Cobb
The Burt and Diana Cutler Family
Foundation
Ruth and Harv Daniels
The Dodson Foundation, Inc.
Darla Valliant and Jack Feldman
Jackie and Greg Geiger
Keenan Healthcare
Alicia Miñana and
Robert Lovelace
McCarthy Building Companies
Doris and Gregory Morton
Nancy and Michael Rouse
Sam and Monica Sim
Kevan J. Steffey
Jan and Ian Teague
Gerald and Patricia Turpanjian
Russell Varon
$10,000 - $14,999
Khrystyna Pavlova and Riad
Adoumie, M.D.
COR Healthcare
Medical Associates
Krissie and Scott Douglas
Katie Fulmer
George and Reva Graziadio
Foundation
HealthCare Partners
Carole Hoffman
Erin and Heidi Hoffman, M.D.
Terry and Joseph Hohm
Rachel Knopoff, M.D.
Audrey Reynolds-Lowman and
Frank Lowman
Torrance Emergency Physicians
Cathi and R. Michael
M. Wyman, M.D.
Frances and Stanley Zee
$5,000 - $9,999
THE BEUTLER AND CHEN FAMILIES
Christy and Jay Abraham
Sandy and Tim Armour
Association of South
Bay Surgeons
Donny Baek, M.D.
Jennifer and Brad Baker
PATRONS | Summer 2015
38
BCM Boehling Construction
Management. Inc.
Karen Blain
Ann and David Buxton
Alida and Stevan Calvillo
Chevron U.S.A.
Nancy Combs
Jim DeFlavio
Karla Burns and Brett Dillenberg
Dr. Thyra J. Endicott and Rev.
Jonathan Chute
Albert Grabb, M.D.
Eve and Rick Higgins
Joanne Hoffman
Ronna and Robert Katz
Keesal, Young & Logan
Kay and William E. Kim, M.D.
Kinecta Federal Credit Union
Song and David Klein
Kathleen and Richard
Krauthamer, M.D.
Patti and Thomas LaGrelius, M.D.
Barbara Demming Lurie and
Mark Lurie, M.D.
Kak and David McKinnie
Medline Industries Inc.
Anna B. Mellor, M.D.
Ljepa and Vel Miletich
Jacquelyne and Steven G. Miller
Lee and Sandii Minshull
Murray Company
Lisa and Charles Noski
Drs. Thomas and Tricia Paulsen
Pat Sacks, M.D. and
Harvey Kushner
Allyson and Alexander
J. Shen, M.D.
Laura and Tom Simko, M.D.
Fay and Mitchell Sklar, M.D.
Carolyn Snyder
Hsin-Yi Lee, M.D. and
George So, M.D.
Debra and Gerald Soldner
South Bay Gastroenterology
Medical Group
Kimberly and David Stone, M.D.
Michele and Tim Stratton
$2,500 - $4,999
Anesthesia Medical Group, Inc.
Peggy and Clifford Berwald
Ashima and Amarpreet Brar
John Bucher
Robin Camrin
City National Bank
Kathleen D. Crane and
The Honorable Milan D. Smith
Digestive Care Consultants
Medical Group
Marcia and James Ding
Sally and Mike Eberhard
EMCOR Service/Mesa
Energy Systems
Jeannine and Dennis Frandsen
Melanie H. Friedlander, M.D.
Giving Tree Program
Susan and David Haas
Laurie and Greg G. Halvorsen
HMC Group
HUB International of California
Robert Kraemer
Judy and Craig Leach
Charlotte and Russ Lesser
Lomita Post Acute Care
Miles & Kelley Construction Co.
Susan and Ralph Moore
Morrow-Meadows Corporation
Keith and Amanda Murphy, M.D.
Lisa and Eric Nakkim, M.D.
Karen and Mitchell Parver, M.D.
Payden & Rygel
Sean Smith
Sodexo
South Bay Orthopaedic Specialists
Medical Center
South Bay Plastic Surgeons
Gina Sulmeyer, M.D.
Helen and Pasquale Theodora
Marta and Mike Thomas
Torrance Pathology Group/
Torrance Memorial Medical Ctr.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc
Cynthia Williams, M.D. and
Chris Delgado
Kay and Dwight Yamada
$1,000 - $2,499
24 Hr. HomeCare, LLC
2H Construction
Valerie and Chris Adlam
AD/S Companies
Cary Allison
Susan Arbour
Anthony M. Arellano-Kruse, M.D.
Karen Ashton
Kathleen and Randy Avakian
Lori and David Baldwin
Burt E. Belzer
Sunny and Jonathan Beutler
Stephanie and Brian Bezner
Jeanie and Don Blum
Brigante, Cameron,
Watters & Strong
Trudy Brown
Lloyd Brown
Ludmilla and Ronald Buss
Zan and Linda Calhoun
Terri Cammarano
Ann and Jim Carley
Elena E. Castillo
Joanne and Stanley Chang, M.D.
Bryan Chang, M.D.
Kate and Dave Cocke
Mei and Bill Collier
Roger Conde
Janie Connors
Francine and Phillip Cook
Coretek Services
Crosswind Capital, Inc.
Cymetrix
Robert D. Daniels
David J. Dewenter
Ujjwala S. Dheeriya, M.D.
Julie and Michael Di Lustro
Susan Dilamarter
Debbie and Stephen
Dinsmore, M.D.
Scott Donnelly
Suzann and Donald Douthwright
Beth and Berkley S. Eichel
Gary and Alex Elminoufi
Stephanie Enright, CFP
Express Scripts
Judith Gassner
Robert W. Gates
Christine and Robert Gaudenti
Deborah and Morris Gelbart, Ph.D.
Vjera Glusac
Griswold & Griswold Insurance
Shanna and Jack Hall
Donna Marie and Eugene Hardin
Patricia and David Hempel
Heritage Rehabilitation Center
Mr. and Mrs. Chih-Ming Ho
Daniel Hovenstine, M.D.
Lesley and Colin Hull
Internal Medicine of Nephrology
Medical Group, Inc.
Audrey Johnson
Katherine and Kirk Johnson
Judy and Parnelli Jones
Debby and Russell Kelley
Vince Kelly
Roberta Kelly
Lucy and Byron Kimball
Heather and Rick Kline
Arlene and Michael Klosk
kpff Consulting Engineers
Sherry and Ian Kramer, M.D.
Kathleen and Richard
Krauthamer, M.D.
Jessica and Tonny Meng-Che Lee
Roman Litwinski, M.D.
Helaine and Steve Lopes
Lorrie Tuccinardi
Family Foundation
Los Angeles Biomedical
Research Institute
Karen and Nelman C. Low M.D.
James McKinnell, M.D.
Drs. Sunny and Ron Melendez
Catherine and Linwood Melton
Fifi and Sam Menzelos
Mercer Human
Resources Consulting
Lura Meyer
MidAmerica Administrative
& Retirement
Brian Miura, M.D.
Diane and Davis D. Moore
Kim and Jim Morasco
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Joanne and Marc Moser
Patricia and Larry Murphy
Nixon Peabody LLP
Drs. Gwenne and
Timothy Norcross
John Norin
Robin and Norman
M. Panitch, M.D.
Lore and Marvin Patrick
Drs. Elizabeth and Joy Paul
Peninsula Medical
Management Services
Teresa Phillips
Piazza Donnelly & Marlette, LLP
Janice and Joseph Pulici
Pedro Ramirez
Michelle and David Rand, M.D.
Kathy and Larry Rausch
Robin L. Reppert
Carlene Ringer
Ellen and Mike Rosenberg
Drs. Kirsten Wagner and
Richard Rounsavelle
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Salisbury CPC
Drs. Carmen and Gordon Schaye
Laura and Marc Schenasi
Connie and Richard Senner
Patti and Rich Severa
Julie and Nick J. Silvino, M.D.
Karen and Richard Sonner, M.D.
Robert Stephenson
Rollin and Pauline Sturgeon
Aileen M. Takahashi, M.D.
Larry Tallman
Deborah and Tom J. Thomas
Torrance Memorial Neonatology
Torrance Orthopedic & Sports
Medicine Group
Travelers
PATRONS | Summer 2015
39
Michelle Traylor
Shiela and Mark Tsujimoto
Marie Joelle and
Jerome Unatin, M.D.
Unified Care Services
Marshall Varon
Voya Financial
Joyce Walker
Susan and William Weintraub
Susan and Wade P. Welch
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Alissa and Robert Wilson
Monica and Peter C. S. Wong
Harry H. Yoshikawa
$500 - $999
E.A. Abrokwa
Nancy Agustin
American/California Financial
Services, Inc.
Anthem Blue Cross
Arch Reinsurance Company
Benjamin Archer
Dr. Jody B. Aronson and
Dr. Marc Rosenthal
Jeanne and Fikret
I. Atamdede, M.D.
Marcia and Lawrence
N. August, M.D.
Michele and William
K. Averill, M.D.
Veronica Avila
Georgette and Al Avoian
Lorri D. Bailey
Patricia Baker
Sara Balough
Cecilia Banania
Daniel Bauman
B-E Spear Enterprises II Inc.
Beach Cities Lodge No. 753,
F & AM
Tracy E. Bercu, M.D.
Kim and Curt Bowe
Beth and David Bower
Srikanth and Renuka
R. Boyapalli, M.D.
Marcella Boyd, R.N.
Kathryn Braasch
Mary Bradfield-Smith
Walter S. Brannan, M.D.
David A. Bray Jr., M.D.
Maureen Brigante
Maeola Brown
Elena and Larry Bruns
Alexandra Bujor, M.D.
Nancy Burke-Barr
Agnes Butardo
c/a Architects
Torrance Memorial Would Like to GIVE SPECIAL THANKS to Our Many Supporters
Dayla and John Cabeza de Vaca
Blanca Cabrera
California Resources Corporation
California Retirement
Advisors Group
Anita Canfield
Capitol Strategies Group, Inc.
Zoanne and Dave Carney
Susan and David Chan, M.D.
Anita and William W. Chang
Naiwei Chang
Maria and Kevin Chapman
Julie Chen
Herbert Clarkson
Donna Clervi
Kathy and Paul Cohen
Cheryl and Stephen Connors
Christian Cordoba
Pamela Crane
Jasminka M. Criley, M.D.
Phyllis and Donald M. Culler
Drs. Natalia Prada and
Joshua Davidson
Maureen Dearden
Parin Demel
Cynthia and Steven Dennis
Raj Dhami
Juan Diaz
Alice Diego-Malit, M.D.
Mary R. Doost, M.D.
Patricia A. Drew
Anna Eakins
Blake Edwards
Josephine Espejo
Mary E. Espinoza
Meg McCormick and Michael
Falvey, M.D.
Rachael Ferraro, D.O.
Regina and Dan Finnegan
Lisa A. Fisher, M.D.
Peggy and Daniel Fisher
Mary J. Ford
Roy C. Fu, M.D.
SHERRY KRAMER, IAN KRAMER, MD
Yumi and Karl Fukunaga, M.D.
Angela and Dean Furkioti, D.D.S.
Theresa and Jan Gable
Mary Giordano
Debra and Damien Goldberg
Stephanie Goodman
Teresa Gordon
Gale Gould
Cathryn and Richard Gregory
GSRT&K
Rose Hadley
Harbor Care Center
Eric J. Harris, Esq.
Tim Hersey
Charmaine Hogarth
J. Brandon Hohm
Drs. Kalpana and Hugo Hool
Sharm and Andrew
Horodner, M.D.
Barbara Ignacio
Carolyn Y. Ito
Sandra and Karl F. Jackson
Davey Johnson
Janet and Mike Johnson
Rena Johnson
Gabor P. Kalman
Mona and Derrick Kawamoto
Daniel Kelley
Kathy Kellogg-Johnson
Carrie and Dennis Kikuno
Rev. James Kim
Maria Koegel
Anne Laity
Bonny and Albert Lam
Patricia and Steve D. Lantz
Erlinda Lara
Douglas D. Laurin
George Lee
Susan Legaspi
Patricia Leonard
Barbara and Barry LeQuire
Timothy F. Lesser, M.D.
Cresencia T. Libeta
David and Linda Lillington
Eliwyn and Russell T. Liptzin
Andy Livian
Susan and Peter Lorman, M.D.
Monica Lowrey
Fernando Magdaleno
Cindy Manson
Wei Q. Mao
Joan Mastick
Mary and David Matson
Meg McCormick
Laura and Donald McIntire
Elaine McRae
Maria Mendoza
MHP Structural Engineers
Caro and John Miguelez
Rene Miller
Marian and James P. Mills
Minuteman Press
Roxanne and Ramin
Mirhashemi, M.D.
Deana and Richard Montgomery
Patrick Moore
Vimal K. Murthy, M.D.
NAA Inc.
Karen and Gene Naftulin, M.D.
Tamiko Nakama
Kera T. Nakasone
Farhad B. Nowzari, M.D.
Diane and Stephen Nuccion, M.D.
Una O’Brien, R.N.
Young Oh
Ronald Padilla
Maureen and Mario Palladini
Chris and Phil Pavesi
Howard Pfahler
Dolly and Bang Pham, M.D.
Kelli and Edward Piken, M.D.
Prestige Care Physician, Ind.
Linda and Frederick Pullen
Susan Quenga
Gallena L. Quinalty
Karen and Mike Randazzo
Janice and George Rasmussen
Bernadette and Gus Reid
Dean Reuter
Sophie and Guido Rietdyk
Cristin H. Rigg
Adriana and Sam Rodriguez
Ginger and Larry Romero
Mir Ramin Roohipour, M.D.
Michelle and Gregory Rosen
Faith and Scott Rouse
Lynn and Dirk Ruffin, M.D.
Amber Rugenstein
Terry Runzler
Adele Ruxton
Lydia and Stan Salas
Mary Ann Sanchez
PATRONS | Summer 2015
40
Catherine and Jack Sarcona, Jr.
Marge and John Schugt, M.D.
Elaine and David J. Scott, M.D.
Phyllis and René Scribe
LaDonna Joe Shea
Julie Sim, M.D.
Mae and Deren Sinkowitz, M.D.
Roya and Hicham Siouty, M.D.
Shahinaz E. Soliman, M.D.
South Bay Alumnae of Alph Phi
South Bay Urology Med Group
Joseph Spierer
Doris and Stewart Steckel
Michael R. Steele
Jennifer Stewart
Lynda A. Stoodley
Cammie Strong
Nani and Elliot Sumi, M.D.
Mary Sun, M.D.
Stephanie L. Tang, D.O.
Sherrill Tanibata
The Remedy Pharm
Mark Thomas
Tormed Women’s Medical Group
Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation
Michelle Nguyen and
Nhat Tran, M.D.
Tran Medical, Inc.
Tranan Management Corporation
Shelly Trites
Dr. and Mrs. Peter C. Tseng, M.D.
Stuart Tsujimoto, CFP
U.S. Air Tool Co.
Kazuaki Uemura, Esq.
Urology Institute of the South Bay
Sandy VandenBerge
Margarite Waite
Sandra and Eric Wang
Patrick Wecker
Leona Wesley
Janet Westergaard
Reba Mae Westreicher
Maria White
Robyn and Scott Wilkes
Phyllis and Arthur L. Wisot
Rae and Arnie Wolfson
Word & Brown
Alice Young
Terri L. Zajec
$250 - $499
Susan and Bob Abelson, Ph.D
Damira and Milo Bacic
Roxane R. Bakerjian
Debra and Manuel Banderas
Allene J. Bloom
Marcia and Ken Boehling
Mimi Brody
Beth Burkhalter
DEBBIE BANDERAS, MANNY BANDERAS
Chelsea and Jonathan Chen
Shirley Cooper
Silvia and Juan S. Corredor, M.D.
Achara and Thomas
P. Cowell, M.D.
Joanne and Al D’Amico
Carol Ecklund and Wayne Jepson
Brent Enright
Debbie and Chuck Eyberg
Virginia Frazier
Judy and Peter Frederiksen
Friday Nite Live
Geri-Care II, Inc.
Grace and Louis Giovannetti
James P. Haire
Home Medix
Julie and Nick Hulse
Alfie J. Ignacio
Elaine B. Jerome
Jayashree and Vinod Jivrajka, M.D.
Richard Kellogg
Wendy Klarik
Patricia Kromka
June Leach
Susan Liebson
Gail and Rick Long
Maricarmen Luhrsen, R.N.
Crystal MacDonell
Theresa McElhone
Frances McKindsey, M.D.
Karen Murray
Serena and John Ngan
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Ochi
David Parker
Jacqueline Parker
Paty Pearce
Myra and Lee Perlman
Carol and Darryl Rippstein
Betty Rothstein
Michael Salvay
Mary and Peter Shackle
Richard Smisek
Joy and Kevin Theodora
Terri Wagner Cammarano
Carolin Keith Wade and Bob Wade
Kerry and David Wallis, M.D.
Sheri and Harry Williams
Donna and Albert Worch
Andrea and Michael Zislis
$100 - $249
Maria and Rodie Abejero
Kathy Abrams
Jeanette and Jerry Adams
Susie Adams
Marti Adler
Pari Afzali
Eric Aguirre
Jason W. Ahn
Tomoko Akazawa
Michele and Steve Alarcon
Bibi Ali
All Health & Beauty USA
Gail and Douglas Allen
Ellen Allen-Wainwright
Debbi and Bryan Allman
John E. Alter
Mei and Kent Amano
Arthur M. Amasaki
Sharon and Charles R. Amos
Laurie and Keith Anderson
Wayne Andrews
Vanina and Ruiz Angeloni
Jaime and Lourdes Antonio
Oliva Arcela
Carol and Bert Argo
Paula Arico
Cresencia Armamento
Larry Armendariz
Judy A. Armstrong
Judy Arnold
Maria Arteaga
Lida Asgari
Heidi Ashcraft
Jose Albert Rey Asis
Heidi Assigal
Jamie Atkinson
Susan Atlas
Sheryl Au
Joanne Austin
Ralph Avakian
Sara Avakian
June Bacon
Gwendolyn Bailey
Cynthia Baker
Patricia Baldivia
Bali Construction, Inc.
Lisa Bargar
Gayle Barney
Sandra Barrett
Diane F. Bartz
Danute Basiulis
Margaret and Morton Bauchman
Denise Bauer
Irene Bayan
Nancy and Robert Beck
Julie and Brian Beckman
Below Cost Closeouts
Susan Bench
Melissa Benoit
Frederica and Victor Benson
Bentley Management Group, LLC
Ed Bernardo
Douglas W. Bernhagen
Anthony Berry
Patricia Rowe, M.D. and
Mr. Howard Bessen
Dr. Raj and Christine Bhagat
Betsy and Jerry Biggins
Anthony and Margery Bilas
Body Suite Massage & Facial
Lee Bogan
Maral Bolsajian Hand
and Brian Hand
Lance Bommelje
JoAnn and Lawrence Booth
Maricela Bordenave
Bjorn Borgen
Ruth V. Borges
Borrowed Bling
Roxan Bottlewala
Veann and Tracy Bracken
Susan and Ron Brady
Pam and Larry Branam
Joan Edelmann and Irwin Brand
Stella Bray
Richard Brazier
Nancy Brennan
Pat and Richard Brienzo
Susan Brooks
Julie and Mark Brown
Jo Ann Brown
PATRONS | Summer 2015
41
Lucille Brown
Julie Brown
Donna and James Bunn
Joy Burkhardt
Heather and Glenn Burr
Heather Burt
Dinah Cabalatungan
Norma Cabas
Felicidad Cabuena
Barbara Callen
Helen and George Camero
Cameron & Associates
Loreta Camiling
William Campbell
Lodel Caplan
Pat and Dick Carlson
Debbie Carlton
Valerie Carrier
Nancy Carter
Elaine and Albert Castillon, Jr.
Eugene and Karis Cavecche
Angela Chan
Olivia Chan
Ming Chang
Kathleen and Charles Chao
Melba Chatman
Martha Chellew
Katie and Reuben Chen
Cristina Chen
Changrong Cheng
Eleonora Chevalier
Jyu Hwa Chiang
Heidi and Hae Son Chong
Jeanne and Albert Chou
Herminia Chua
Sallie and Thom Cintron
Diane Ciszek
Denice Clement
Louise and David Clinton
Michele G. Cohen
Cynthia Cohen
Paige Connolly
Simon G. Contreras
Marguerite and Robert Cooper
Debbi Cordano
Coral Cortez
Danielle Cosgrove
Dianne Cota
Lynda Cowan
Marcia Creighton
Marcia A. Cribbs
Charlotte Crocker
Anne Crofut-Rhilinger
Carolyn Cruz
Rebecca Cumins
Kristin Curren
Linda Currie
Lynn Cutter
Ittie and Warren D. Cutting
Jeanette Cutuli
Torrance Memorial Would Like to GIVE SPECIAL THANKS to Our Many Supporters
Dale Michele, Inc.
Betty Dalton
Azam Daryabar
Mina Dastgheib
Randi and Luke Dauchot
Monica Davis
Anita Davis
Patricia and Albert Davis
Georgia and William D. Davis, Jr.
Geraldine De La Cruz
Erin Deering
Barbara DeGuire
Lori C. Delgado
Patricia Demarest Lynch
Kenneth L. Dennis
Victoria Desimore
Jeff Ding
Stacey Dobak
Sally Donner
Darol Draggoo
Susan and Gerald D’Sena
Carla Duhovic
Lauren and Kevin Dunbar
Dunn & Associates
Janice Dunn
Patricia A. Dunne
Leslie and Robert Durham
Suzanne Dyer
Margie Eclevia
Mary J. Eddy
Elaine Eguchi
Gisela Ehlers
Hanna and Craig Ekberg
Ashley and John H. Elfmont
Cheryl Ely
Juliana Enge
Marlene Erskine
Ana Maria Espejo
Eloise Evans
Barbara and George Farinsky
Suzanne and Richard D. Farman
Marissa Farol
George Farquhar
FBMC Benefits Management
Carlos Fernandez
Erin and Stan Fiorito
Judith and Robert V. Fisher
Cynthia Fix
Darlene and Paul Foley
Franklin Fong
Patrick J. Ford
Alan Forman
Fowler & Moore
Cheryl Fox
Tom Fox
Gaylene and Marc K. Frederic
French Kande
Fringe
Carol Fukuchi
Lynda and Joseph Galins
Sidney Gamber
Shirley Gamble
Marco Garay
Rolando D. Garcia
Felix Garcia
Patricia and William Gardner
Charles Garrett
Larry and Delia Gasco
Elaine and Byron P. Gee
Dave Genens
Deborah Giles
Carol Gilles
Anne Giltner
Elizabeth and Barrett Glenn
Jill Golden
Kathleen and Rich Goldstein
Virginia E. Gonzalez
Ann R. Goodhart
Mary Goodloe
Amanda Goodrich
Patty and Ed Goren
Ann Gotthoffer
Gourmet Blends Corp.
Karen and Richard K. Govenar
MARYBETH MARTINEZ, ROY MARTINEZ, BRANDIE KANESHIRO, ROY KANESHIRO
Zorayda Gozun
George Graham
Darryl Graver
Green Hills Memorial Park
Veronica Greene
Cheryl Greenwood
Judith A. Grohne
June Grossberg
Cheryl A. Guheen
Sharon and Bud Guthrie
Cathy Guthrie
Hector Gutierrez
H G Interiors
Kathy Hagemeier
Azmina and Arif Haji
Rosalind Halikis
Kimberly and Jim Hall
Lloyd and Barbara Hall
Susan and Michael Hall
Careen M. Hammer
Hana’s Fashions
Jennie and Ronald Handy
Joan Hansen
Mary Hardie
Catherine D. Hargrove
Deborah Harris-Meek
Lori and Bob Hart
Dr. Daniel Harvey
Natalie Hassoldt
Nancy and Keith Hauge
Mary and Peter Hazelrigg
Patricia Heath
Lynne and Jim Held
Jacqueline Hemmah
Cathy Hendrickson
Sophia and Richard
P. Henke, M.D.
Laura Heredia
Maria Hermann
Susan Hernandez
Claribel Hernandez
Gisele and Norman Herrington
Mary Hersh
Bruce A. Hershberger
Vickie Hershberger
Janet K. Hettick
Nathan Higashigawa
Duwayne Higgins
Mary Hileman
Alfred Hill
Jillian Hilton
Helen Hitzel
Debbie Hoagland
Diana and Van Honeycutt
Lena and Dwayne Horii
Suellen G. Hosino
Karen Householter
Linda Howard
Dr. John Hoying
Nancy Hu
PATRONS | Summer 2015
42
Judy Hu
Jane Huddleston
Lisa Hughes
Eileen Hupp
Karen and Christopher Hutchison
George Ikeda
Imber Court Reporters
Paige Ireland
Ann Irwin
Patricia Irwin
Barbara Ishii
Candy Isidro
Geninne Jacobs
Alicia Jacobsen
Jacqueline B., Inc.
Reynaldo Jaojoco
Rosario Jarquin
Lisa Jeffcoat
Dale Jenkins
Roberta A. Jenkinson
Christina Jesperson and
Thomas Gray
Bonnie Jewell
Bing Jing
JMS and Associates
Sandra Johnson
Ajor-Helyn Johnson
Margaret and Thomas Johnston
Debbie and JP Jones
Nancy A. Jones
Lois L. Jones
Shirley Jones
Teri Kane
June Kaneoka
Pearl Kaperl
Kate Mesta, Inc.
Debra and Russell Kelley
Pam and Gerry Kenoyer
David Kerr
Cynthia Keus
Freda Khan
Laura Kiessling
Changkyun Kim
Jin Sook Kim
Annette King
Lea Ann King
Jean Kissell
Patti Kjenstad
Leah Klein
Julie and Donald Knabe
Betty Knickerbocker
Gil Knipe
Eleanor Knox
Lihon Ko
Mary Kobus
Susan Koch
Gaile and Gene Koecheler
Thomas Koehring
Steve Kostrencich
Marjorie Kramer
Nancy and Bob Kritzler
Reba and Gustav Kroesen
Julie A. Krueger
Cassandra Krutsinger
Kristen Kudrave
John Kumashiro
Wen and William Kuo
Lin Lee and Chin Hsien Kuo
Isamu Kurahashi
Kusar Court Reporters
& Legal Services
Lisa Lahr
Anne Lam
Jill Lamkin
Laura L. Lamping
Mary Jane Landrock
Velta and Darrell Lanham
Gretchen Lanman
Gerald and Patricia Lanphen
Danielle and Nat Lauro
Lavender Blue, Inc.
Jeannie L. Lavezzari
Judy Grace Lebrillo
Donna and George Lee
Monica and Ernest Lee
Donna and James Y. Lee, M.D.
Velma and Glen Lehigh
Jacqueline and Joe Leimbach
June Lerner
Kathleen and Ralph Lettieri
Chi Leung
Mary and Nolan Lew
Barbara Libutti
Laura Licea
Andrea Liedtke
Kitty Lim
Ing Huey Lin
Cheryl J. Lippincott
Willow List
Little Miss Bling Bling
Yvonne and William Liu
James Y. Liu, M.D.
Nick L. Livada
Frank Livoti
Kim Locke
LaVerne and Alfred Loek
Cathey Lohmann
Richard and Martha Lopez
Blake Lovelady
Sheryl Luera
Carmen Lynch
Lisa MacCarley
Allen and Barbara Maddox
Shirley Rose Maderazo
Alicia Maniatakis
Patricia Mann
Carol Mannino
Teri and Vince Manto
Cherie Marcz
Kim and Joe Marino
LUMINARIES: PAM WOO, SUSIE SAM, MAUREEN HAZARD, PEGGY MASUTANI, LESLEY SAUNDERS, EILEEN MAHONEY
Mark IV Capital, Inc.
Anita Markulis
Hency Marquez
Kim Martin
Beatris R. Martinez
Howard Marx
Iona Kay Matson
Judith Matsuda
Carol and Alvin Matsuno
Patrick Matteo
Bea Matthews
Carole and Chris Maurer
Cindy G. Maxwell
Linda Maynor-Gardea
Ann McCurry
Luan McElroy Smith
Shelby and Richard McGirr
Jackie and John McGovern
Suzanne M. McKennon
Cedric McRae
Mary A. Meadows
Dan Medrano
Nancy Mendoza
Geri Merlander
Marian E. Merrell
Mary Ann Merritt
Nelia Merza
Elizabeth and William Messori
Pamela Michael
Doris and M.D. Miguelez
Denyse Miller
Nancy C. Milliren
Sheree and Allen Mills
Barbara Minami
Tola and Gabriel Miro
Lauren Mitchell
Jo Anne and L.W. Mohrfeld
Kathy and Chuck Moine
Casey Moir
Sally M. Moite
Edward Montour
Glenda M. Moore
Anne Moore
Morgan’s Jewelers
Nancy Mukai
Jennifer Mull
Ken Murakami
Gus and Judith and Gus Mylan
Sheila Naghi
Bill Nakamura
Nikolina and Jimmy Naumovski
Allisha Nazareth
Sandra and Edward Nazareth
Jordan S. Neel
Lynnda Nelson
Dorothy and Jim Newkirk
Vu Nguyen
Andrew Nguyen
Gary Nofziger
Lori Nolls
North Torrance Pre-School
and Kindergarten
Mr. and Mrs. William
B. Oberholzer
Catalina Obias
Ann and Mike O’Brien
Esperanza Ochoa
Nobuko and Tomiaki Okada
Kristin Olson
Sheila O’Neill
Martha D. Ortiz
Susan Osa
Esther Ovadia
Dirk Overturf
Nicole Pagel
Doris A. Paloma
Michele Palombo
Sharron and Robert Parke
Donna Patch
Jiteshkumar Patel
PATRONS | Summer 2015
43
Jennifer Patten
Stacey and Mark Patterson
Jaquelina Patti
Sharon and Joseph Payne
Ann and Fred W. Peitzman
Jeanie and George Pelzman
Gail Pence
Cindy and Larry Percz
Rosa L. Perez
Patricia Perez
Linda Perry
Sandra and Jeffrey Perry
Sandra and Gerald Perry
Lisa Peterson
Ouida Peterson
Joanne Petow
Peter D. Pettler, Esq.
Pfeiler & Associates
Kelvin Pham
David Phung
Atsuko Pierce
Linda Pike
Kay Pitonzo
Dorothy and Steve Piurkowsky
Vilma Plagata
Judy and Dan Platus
Karol and Bob Plocky
Mary and Anthony Podell
Karen Polan
Bobbie Pomeranz
Zenaida Poquiz
Judi Porter
Carre Porter
Carolyn and Ted Porter
Sandra and Steve Porter
Gigi Portugal
Debra and Brent Primeau
Gayle Probst
William Puente
Kitty Quan
Torrance Memorial Would Like to GIVE SPECIAL THANKS to Our Many Supporters
Dorine Queener
Ronald Radcliffe
Sherry L. Rafters
Christopher Rama
Suzette Ramirez-Carr
Yvone and Armando Ramos
Denzil Ramdhanie
Brenda and David Randall
Ruth Rask
Emil Raulin
Dr. Sarita K. Saigal
Andrea and James Sala
Arceli Salanguit
Angela and Isabello Salva
Deborah Sampson
Sarku Japan
Fumie Sayegusa
Beya and Robert Schaeffer
Kent Schafer
Pat and Joe Schenasi
HELAINE LOPES, KATHY JOHNSON, TRACY LIVIAN, SONG KLEIN
Denise Rayfield
Sylvia Rayner
Wendi Reece
Donna Reed
Nancy Reeve
Elena and Will Reigadas
Tami Reiland
Debbie Reyes
Lorena Reynoso
Aloisia and Alfons Ribitsch
Amy and Thomas Ricci
Lori and Ray Richard
Lori Richards
Diane and Gerald Richman
Marcy Rix
Julie Rizzo
Jo Ann Rodda
Renee G. Rodson
Lydia Rogers
Peggy Roland
Frances and Alfred Romero
Marie Roper
Rose Publishing, Inc.
Linda Rosenfeld
Georgiana Rosenkranz
June and Richard Rossberg
Ronald Rosso, M.D.
Irene and Armand Rovero
Dottie and Vincent Rudinica
Carol J. Russell
Stephen Schlesinger, CPA
Melanie Schmitz
Mary Schneider
Wilhelm Schuelein
Roger C. Schultz
Marlene Schultz, M.D.
Jerry Schwartz, M.D.
Carrie Scott
Donna and Robert F. Scoular
James Scriba
Karen Segal
Ernesto Segura
Nenita Sequito
Christine Serra-Harris
Jean Severance
Marianne C. Sfreddo, CPA
Carol Sharkey
Heather and John W. Shay
Mary Shen
Anna Ayako and Don Masao
Shigaki
Judith and Thomas Shigemitsu
Melanie Shim
Adrianne Short
Cathy and Alan Siegel
Brian Sieroty
Sarah and Joe Silva
Silverado Senior Living
Patricia Simmons
Julianne Simon
Joanne Simonsen
Lois and Boris Sincich
Allan Singer, M.D.
Corazon and Peter Skacan
Pamela Skaggs
Marcia and Bernard Slotnick
Barbara J. Smith
Jacqualynn and H. Wayne Snavely
Solid Benefit Guidance
Kathleen Spearman
Polly and George Spindler
Annie E. Stafford
Thomas Stansell
Leola and Dr. Richard Steiner
Alice and Clark Steinman
Kimberlee A. Stephens
Bert Stewart
Karen Stockbridge
Marie Stofila
Diane N. Stone, M.D.
Viva J. Stroyke
Carol and Joseph M. Sugimoto
Sherri L. Sussman
Christina Sweeney
Catherine and Carlo
A. Tabellario, M.D.
Mildred Takamatsu
Lisa and Daryl Takata
Remer Tangoan
Rika Tanous
Madeleine Tarnay
Nina and Michael Tarnay, M.D.
Keith Tate
Lisa and Kevin Templeton
Martha and Mark S. Templin
Michael Tessalone
The Art of Jewelry Design
The Council Of Insurance Agents
And Brokers
The Treasured Accessory
Janet and Jacob Theologidy
Dennis Thieret
Lynn Thomas
Terry Thomas
Eloise and Steven J. Thompson
David Thorington
Julia Tobin
Cindy Tobis and John Koenig
Beryl Tokunaga
Jenise Tomasello
Jill and Glen Tomkiewicz
Gary Tran
Dana Traversi
Eleanor Trent
Faith and Bruce Trotman
Irene and John Trotter, DDS
Elaine Trutanich
Mei Tsai
Diane Turner
PATRONS | Summer 2015
44
Dianna Tyndall
Deborah and Grant Uba
Louise Ung
Lola M. Ungar
Union Bank Commercial
Treasury Services
Janice Untereiner
Veronica Urbano
Erlinda Valerio
Cesar Valle
Dianne Van
Jan and Don Van Buren
Katherine Van Meter
Carl Van Wy III
Roksolana and Bernard Vecerek
Ruth and Oscar Velasco
Herman Villoria
Mike Voeller
Bao Vu
Lani and Roger Walker
Margaret T. Walker
Patricia and Douglas Walter
Susan Warner
Angie Watters
Hilary and Andrew J. Waxler
Marcia Wease
Patricia Wedlock
Weller Designs
Cynthia and Kirk Wester
Mary and Steven Wheatley
Helene and Dick Whilden
Amy E. White
Kathleen Whiting
Michelle Whitman
Rosalie Wider
Connie Wight
Anthony Williams
Merla Wilson
Patricia and John Winkler
Sandra and George Winston
Doreen and Bill Witty
Lily and Wayne Wong
Pamela Woo
Dianne Wood
James F. Wood
Janie L. Woodburn
Lori A. Woodman
Phyllis and John Wormington
Yasmin G. Yap-Mariano
Philip and Sylvia Yim
Judi Yourman
Cc Yu
Mark Zahoryin
Rory Zatyko
Amanda Zaumeyer
Pat and Chip Zelt
Amy Zhang
Geri Zientek
Ambassadors
Premier
Belzer Family Foundation /
Burton Belzer
Chevron Corporation /
Rod Spackman
Nancy Combs
Thyra Endicott, M.D. &
Rev. Jonathan Chute
Jacquelyne & Steven Miller
Tricia & Thomas Paulsen, M.D.
Judith & Sherrill Sipes
Frances P. Torino Foundation /
Francesca Torino Deaver and
Douglas Deaver
Platinum
Laurie & John Bucher
Patricia & Richard Carlson
Lynn & Horace Cochran
Melanie Friedlander, M.D.
Ronnie & Alan Goldstein
Judy & Nick Hulse
William E. Kim, M.D.
Donna & George Lee
Izzat Alamdari, M.D. &
Eric Milefchik, M.D.
Marilyn & Frank Miles
Khrystyna Pavlova & Riad
Adoumie, M.D.
Kimberly & Robert Vallee, Jr.
Alissa & Robert Wilson
Kay & Dwight Yamada
Gold
Valerie & Chris Adlam
Georgette & Al Avoian
Elaine & Jerome L. Bleiweis
Jeanie Blum
Trudy Brown
Ann & David Buxton
Alida & Stevan Calvillo
Mary Louise & Donald Crocker
Judy Dabinett
Suzann & Donald Douthwright
Eric Dupont
Diane & Thomas Duralde, M.D.
Beth & Berkley Eichel, M.D.
Regina & Dan Finnegan
Mary & Steven Fisher, M.D.
Jeannine & Dennis Frandsen
Rosalind Halikis
Donna Marie & Eugene
Hardin, M.D.
Erin & Heidi Hoffman, M.D.
Leslie & Colin Hull
Jessica & Tonny
Meng-Che Lee, M.D.
Charlotte & Russ Lesser
Karen & Nelman C. Low, M.D.
Sudy & Bud Mayo
Sunny Melendez, M.D. &
Ron Melendez, M.D.
Joanne & Marc Moser
Diane & Davis Moore
Wade Nishimoto, M.D.
Elizabeth Paul, M.D. &
Joy Paul, M.D.
Phyllis Pelezzare
Linda Pullen-Buehl
Tamara Ritchey Powers
Jerry Schwartz, M.D.
Patricia & Rich Severa
Nicholas J. Silvino, M.D.
Richard Sonner, M.D.
Robert Stephenson
Pauline & Rolling Sturgeon
Carolyn & Charles D. Turek, M.D.
Susan & Richard Walker
Kerry & David H. Wallis, M.D.
Susan & Matthew Whelan
Chris Delgado &
Cynthia L. Williams, M.D.
Judy & Barry Wolstan
Monica & Peter Wong
Silver
Michele & William Averill
Catherine Bannerman, M.D.
Paula & Edward Bold, M.D.
Renuka Boyapalli, M.D. &
Srikanth Boyapalli
Maureen BriganteEdna Campbell
Anita CanfieldDavid Chung, M.D.
Philip Chung, M.D.
Mary & John W. Clark
Kathy & Paul Cohen
Joy & Marc F. Colman, M.D.
Pamela Crane
Phyllis & Donald Culler
Cynthia & Steven Dennis
Julie & Michael DiLustro
Peggy & Daniel Fisher
Elizabeth & LeRoy Forehand
Yumi & Karl Fukunaga, M.D.
Elaine & Byron Gee
Debbie & Moe Gelbart, M.D.
Janet & George Gunza
Thai Q. Ha, M.D.
Shahina Hakim, M.D.
Nancy & Keith Hauge
Shirley & Chih-Ming Ho
Kenneth M. Holt, M.D.
Kalpana Hool, M.D. &
Hugo Hool, M.D.
Sherry & Ian Kramer
Patti & Thomas LaGrelius, M.D.
Donna & George Lee
Susan & Peter Lorman, M.D.
Mary Todd & Peter McCormack
Laura & Donald McIntire
Lisa & Christopher Martz
Catherine & Linwood Melton
Cindy & Lawrence Miller
Deana & Richard Montgomery
Vimal Murthy, M.D.
Karen & Gene Naftulin, M.D.
Gwenne Norcross, D.O. &
Timothy Norcross, D.O.
Rosalie & Chirag Patel, M.D.
Cindy & Laurence Percz
Dolly & Bang Pham, M.D.
Jayne & Chris Pimlott
Azam S. Riyaz, M.D.
Pam & James Sattler, M.D.
Carmen Schaye, M.D. &
Gordon Schaye M.D.
Barbara Schulz, M.D.
Martha & Fred Signer
Carolyn Snyder
Betty Strauss
Michelle Nguyen &
Nhat Tran, M.D.
Timothy T. Tran, M.D.
Mary & Steven Wheatley
Jean Wong
Pat Yates
Life Ambassadors
Cathy Allen
Gail & Douglas Allen
Mary Lou & Jack Area
David Bauer
Betty Belsky
Joan & Chris Caras
Mila & Patrick Chambers, M.D.
Mary & John Clark
Achara & Thomas Cowell, M.D.
Patricia & Duane Denney
Barbara Dorman
Virginia & Dennis Fitzgerald
Sherry & Thomas Gossett, M.D.
Marion & George W. Graham
Patricia & Al Hermann
Carole Hoffman
Theresa & Joseph Hohm
Daniel Hovenstine, M.D.
Kathleen & Richard
Krauthamer, M.D.
Sylvia & Robert Laxineta, M.D.
Judy & Craig Leach
Fred Mackenbach
Carol Magee
Joseph Mannara†
Cheryl Melville
PATRONS | Summer 2015
45
Genevieve & Hugh Muller
Robin & Norman Panitch, M.D.
Ellen & Fraser Perkins, M.D.
Franklin Pratt, M.D.
Peggie & Gerald Reich, M.D.
Carlene & Edward Reuscher
Cindy & Benjamin Rosin, M.D.
Patricia E. Sacks, M.D. &
Harvey Kushner
Beya & Robert Schaeffer, Jr., M.D.
Loraine & Ralph Scriba
Laura & Thomas Simko, M.D.
Mary Lou Steinmetz
John Steward, M.D.
Kimberly & David Stone, M.D.
Tina & Peter Vasilion
Teresa & Gerald Wasserwald, M.D.
Mary Williams
Dovie & George Worcester
Alice Young
† Deceased
Professional Advisory
Council Members
Stephanie Bezner, Esq.
Nancy Burke-Barr
Dayla Cabeza de Vaca
William Chang
Stephen Connors
Phillip Cook
Christian Cordoba
Maureen Dearden
Scott Donnelly, CPA
Ted Hanasono, Esq.
Eric J. Harris, Esq.
Derrick Kawamoto
Troy Martin, Esq.
Cristin H. Rigg
Marianne Sfreddo, CPA
Sylvia Thompson
Mark Tsujimoto
Stuart Tsujimoto
Kazuaki Uemura, Esq.
Torrance Memorial Would Like to GIVE SPECIAL THANKS to Our Many Supporters
In-Kind Gifts
20th Centruy Fox Studios
22nd Street Landing
9Round
Addi’s Tandoor
Valerie and Chris Adlam
Admiral Risty
Adventure City Theme Park
Alandrea
Alfredo Garcias Cantina Cocina
Allied Waste Management
Aquarium of the Pacific
Arrowhead Water and Beverage
Beauty Counter
BloDryBar & Nail Bar
Roxan Bottlewala
Bradford Renaissance Portraits
Pam and Larry Branam
Gretchen and Dave Brandt
Lucia and Mark Bucklin
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
CAC Associate
Cassis Travel Services
Castle Rock Winery
Helle and Dennis Catallo
Chez Melange
Chez Moi
Michele G. Cohen and Robert Bell
Classic Party Rentals
Creative Photo Academy
Lori and Greg Delgado
Michelle Dennee
Designer Specialy Linens
Janet Di Lello
DoubleTree Hotel of the South Bay
JEANNINE FRANDSEN , DENNIS FRANDSEN
Suzanne and John Durnell
Food Fetish, Inc.
French Kande
Fresh Brothers
Fringe
Gaetanos Restaurant
Judy Gassner
Giorgio’s Restaurant
Kathleen and Rich Goldstein
Cathryn and Richard Gregory
Everard Groenewald
G.S. Brothers
Shizu Takayasu and Henry Gutter
Greg Hagerman
Halper Fine Art
Hey 19 Public House
Hillside Automotive Service
& Repair
Helen Hitzel
Hof ’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery
Allison and Justin Holcher
Hostaria Piave Restaurant
HUB International of
California, Inc.
Huckleberry’s
Image Electrolysis
International City Theater
Kellogg Garden Products
King’s Hawaiian
Elizabeth Klarik
Song and David Klein
Heather and Rick Kline
Eileen Krock
LA Pilot Services
Laugh Factory
Jackie and Joe Leimbach
Lesal Ceramics
Lindberg Nutrition
Lollipop Children’s Boutique
Long Beach Symphony Orchestra
Helaine and Steve Lopes
Los Angeles Dodgers
Premium Services
Los Verdes Golf Course
Melanie and Jeffrey MacLean
Marilyn and Ian MacLeod
Mama Terano
Judith Matsuda
Medawar’s Jewelers
Drs. Sunny and Ron Melendez
Melting Pot Food Tours
Elizabeth and William Messori
Jennifer and Peter Morgan
Morgan’s Jewelers
Doris and Gregory Morton
Morrow-Meadows
Musical Theater West
My Saint My Hero
Newport Printing
Norris Center for the
Performing Arts
Ann and Mike O’Brien
Opus Music of South Bay
Ortega 120
Lorraine and Lee Ouye
Palos Verdes Beach and
Athletic Club
Palos Verdes Golf Country Club
Palos Verdes Florist
Paradise Knolls Golf Club
Paul’s Photo, Inc.
PCB Labeling Company
Cindy and Larry Percz
Kelli and Edward Piken, M.D.
R10 Social
Rare & Exotic Jewels
Redondo Van & Storage
Restaurant Christine
Revive Wellness Center
Julie and Ladd Richland
Sophie and Guido Rietdyk
Rolling Hills Flower Mart
Deeana and Bill Ruth
Santa Anita Park
Sawdust Festival
Drs. Carmen and Gordon Schaye
Laura and Marc Schenasi
Patricia and Rich Severa
Seychelle’s Footwear
Shade Hotel
Simms Restaurants
Six Flags Magic Mountain
PATRONS | Summer 2015
46
Anita Smith
Soul Scents
Spirit Cruises
Stevie Sterling Events
The Strand House
Study Hut
Richie M. Tatum
Janice and Timur Tecimer
Martha and Mark S. Templin
Terranea Resort
Debra Terrell
The Comedy & Magic Club
The Laugh Factory
The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club
The Remedy Pharm
The Strand House
Toyota Motor Sales
Ultimate Skin Care
United Site Services
United Studios of Self Defense
Darla Valliant and Jack Feldman
Tracy Van Wier
Walteria Cleaners
Susan and Wade P. Welch
Janet Westergaard
WineShoppe
Zazou Restaurant
Andrea and Michael Zislis
Healing Garden
Jason Ahn
Irwin Brand
Elena Bruns
Elizabeth Cantine
Friday Morning
Escort Volunteers
Judy Fullenwider
Patricia Gardner
Joseph Green
Mike Heffner
Clifford Holland
Patricia Irwin
Candy Isidro
Margaret Johnston
Leslie & Bryant Jones
Gail Long
Pat Marlowe
Donna Mathwig
Sharron Parke
Denise Rayfield
Renee Rodson
Florence Rooney
Barbara Smith
Iris Vermillion
Heritage Society
William Anderson
Shirley and Winton Baker
Barbara Birchim
Hilde Boldt
Stasea and Jeffrey Borer
Jan and Virgil Bourgon
Ronnie Brown
Maria Buechler
Herbert Clarkson
Leola Cork
Bette and Dick Crowell
Don Dawson
Ginny and John Dixon
Arlene and Dale Dorman
Judy English and
William Crudup, M.D.
Sam and Rose Feng
Dell Fortune and Steve Nash
Henry Frankenberg
Sunila Fuster, M.D.
Sidney Gamber
George W. Graham
Joan Hansen
Patricia and Gary Hathaway, M.D.
Adrianne and Alan Hegge
Joan Henderson
Keiko and Allen Hochstein
Donald and Priscilla Hunt
Maude Infantino
June Kaneoka
Sylvia Kennedy
Betty and Wes Kirchoff †
Millie Kruger
Micki and Norman Lasky, M.D.
Diane and George Lee
Melanie and Richard Lundquist
Judith Maizlish
Larry Maizlish
Del McCulloch
Patricia McGinnis
Sandra and Kenneth McKivett
Linda Severy McMahon and
Jerold McMahon
Carol and Karl McMillen
Barbara and Bud Mendenhall
A. Dian Olsen
Kenneth O’Rourke
Lore and Marv Patrick
ELLEN THEODORA, PAT THEODORA
Christina and Phil Pavesi
Nancy Peterson and Dick Chun
Donna and John Prysi
Rozelyn Redisch
Betty Jane and Ernest Rivera
Glenn Roby
Lavonne and Jerry Rodstein
Neva Rogers
Kirsten Wagner, D.D.S. and
Richard Rounsavelle, D.D.S.
Laura and Marc Schenasi
Loraine and Ralph Scriba
Phyllis and René Scribe
John R. Sealy, M.D.
Yoichi Sumi
Nancy and Douglas Teulie
John Vansickle
Edith Wallace
Susan K. Warner
Suzanne Webb
Lois and Richard Winters
† Deceased
Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance
GWENN NORCROSS, DO, TIM NORCROSS, DO, HEIDI HOFFMAN, MD, ERIN HOFFMAN
Betty Duong, M.D. &
John Abe, M.D.
Valerie & Chris Adlam
Laura J. Albano
Elisa Anhalt, M.D.
Benjamin Archer
Anthony Arellano-Kruse, M.D.
Nicholas A. Arquette
Donny N. Baek, M.D.
Lori & Dave Baldwin
Hunter Baldwin
Andrew Bark
Greg & Tiffany Becker, M.D.
Tracy Bercu, M.D.
Stephanie Bezner, Esq.
Kevin Bidenkap
Nadine Bobit
Ashima Brar, M.D., MBA
Amarpreet Brar, M.D.
David A. Bray, Jr. M.D.
Alexandra Bujor, M.D.
Brittney Bunnag
Drisa Carrizo, CPA
Stanley Chang, M.D.
Cari Corbalis
Joshua Davidson, M.D.
Ujjwala S. Dheeriya, M.D.
Alice Diego-Malit, M.D.
Marcia Ding, M.D.
James Ding, M.D.
Blake Edwards
Alex & Gary Elminoufi
Rachael Ferraro, D.O.
Roy Fu, M.D.
Karin Fuire
Karl Fukunaga, M.D.
Laurie Glover
Damien F. Goldberg, M.D.
Steven Griswold
Mike Ho, Jr.
Heidi Hoffman, M.D.
Brandon J. Hohm
Dawn & Bo Kaplan
Song & Dave Klein
Tara Klein
Doug Laurin
Tonny Lee, M.D.
Peter Lujan
Lisa MacCarley
Christopher Martz
James McKinnell, M.D.
Melissa McWilliams
Brian Miura, M.D.
Keith W. Murphy
Vimal Murthy, M.D.
Pat Niemann
Timothy L. Norcross, D.O.
Gwenne Norcross, D.O.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
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Sacha Ohara
Angela Park-Sheldon, CFP
David Z. Presser, M.D.
William Rehrig
Madeline Schenasi
Pantea Sharifi-Hannauer, M.D.
Alexander J. Shen, M.D.
Julie Sim, M.D.
George J. So, M.D.
Joseph Spierer
Lauren Spiglanin
Elliot T. Sumi, M.D. &
Chez Moi Food Culture
Aileen Takahashi, M.D.
Stephanie Tang, M.D.
John Tellenbach
Nhat Tran, M.D.
Peter C. Tseng, M.D.
Richard T. Umbrell
Anthony Walker
David Wallis, M.D.
Sandra Wang
Terri Welby-Zajec
Jennifer Yang
Clay Zachry
Keri Zickhur, M.D.
Michael Zislis
Torrance Memorial Would Like to GIVE SPECIAL THANKS to Our Many Supporters
Employee Ambassadors
Maria & Rodie Abejero
Susan Abelson
E.A. Abrokwa
Susie Kim Adams
Helen Aguilar
Nancy Agustin
Tomoko Akazawa
Michele Alarcon
Manette Alford
Bibi Ali
Ellen Allen-Wainwright
Kent Amano
Mei Amano
Arlene Amigable
Lourdes Antonio
Oliva Arcela
Cresencia Armamento
Judy Arnold
Maria Arteaga
Jose Albert Rey Asis
Sheryl Y. Au
Randy Avakian
Kathie Avakian
Sara K. Avakian
Jacqueline Ayres
Lauren Ayres
Gwendolyn Bailey
Cynthia Baker
Patricia Baldivia
Cecilia Banania
Ginger Barclay
Lisa Bargar
Dan Bauman, Pharm.D.
Marnie Bay Rodriguez
Irene L. Bayan
Susan Bench
Melissa Benoit
Ed Bernardo
Anthony Berry
Peggy Berwald
Betsy Biggins
Emma D. Bilbao
Kyomi Bolender
Lance Bommelje
Maricela Bordenave
Danielle Boujikian
Mary Jane Bouman
Beth & David Bower
Marcella Boyd-Robinson
Kathryn Braasch
Mary Bradfield-Smith
Susan Brady
Richard Brazier, J.R.
Patricia Brienzo
Beth Burkhalter
Joy Burkhalter
Agnes Butardo
Heather Burt
Dinah Cabalatungan
Caroline Cabilogan
Blanca Cabrera
Felicidad Cabuena
Cathrine Cainglet
Evelyn Calip
Helen Camero
Loreta Rayat Camiling
Robin Camrin
Debbie Carlton
Luzviminda B. Cartera
Sherry Casao
Su Castro
Dolores Cellier
Yan C. (Bobbie) Chan
Changrong Cheng
Heidi Chong
Hermie S. Chua
Alan Chung
Elizabeth Cinco
Sallie Cintron
Lucrecia Coloma
Ethel C. Constantino
Simon G. Contreras
Coral Cortez
Felipe Cortez
Danielle Cosgrove
Dianne Cota
Marcia Creighton
Charlotte Crocker
Carolyn Cruz
Linda Currie
Jeanette M. Cutuli
Azam Daryabar
Mina Dastgheib
Lety De La Torre
Geraldine DeLaCruz
Juan M. Diaz
Jann & Dan Dickson
Sally Donner
Patty Drew
Carla Duhovic
Janice Dunn
Ashley Dzikowski
Anna Eakins
Sally Eberhard
Margie Eclevia
Mary J. Eddy
Priscilla Ednilao
Elaine M. Eguchi
Judith Eisler
Cheryl Ely
Juliana S. Enge
Josephine Espejo
Ana Maria Espejo
Mary E. Espinoza
Najla M. Faizi
Marissa Farol
Colleen Farrell
Todd Felker
Carlos & Mirna Fernandez
Estrella M. Filamor
Sharon Flower
Mary Ford
Cheryl Fox
Tom Fox
June Friesner-Lerner
Janet Froehlich
Carol E. Fukuchi
Sidney Gamber
Marco Garay
Rolando D. Garcia
Felix & Tami Garcia
Maria Garteaga
Judith Gassner
Jill Golden
Mary Accetta Goodloe
Amanda Goodrich
Ann Gotthoffer
Gale Gould
Zorayda Gozun
Tracey Green
Cathy Guthrie
Rose Hadley
Kathy Hagemeier
Azmina Haji
Shanna Hall
Michael Hanson
Leilani Haslam
Natalie Hassoldt
Patricia Heath
Jacqueline Hemmah
Susan Hernandez
Claribel Hernandez
Tim Hersey
Mary Hersh
Bruce A. Hershberger
Vickie Hershberger
Corrine Hidalgo
Debbie Hoagland
Charmaine Hogarth
Suellen G. Hosino
Linda Howard
Naiwei Hsu-Chang, RN
Lisa G. Hughes
Alfie Ignacio
Barbara Jane Ignacio
Tokiko Imai
Florence D. Intok
Carolyn Ito
Rosario Jarquin
Roberta Jenkinson
Bonnie Jewell
PATRONS | Summer 2015
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Mike and Janet Johnson
Rena Johnson
Kathryn Joiner
Anna Jung
Debby Kelley
Layne Kelley
Cynthia Keus
Freda Khan
Dennis Kikuno
Changkyun Kim
James Kim
Jin Sook Kim
Lisa A. Kiyohara
Leah and Mark Klein
Susan Koch
Maria Cecilia Koegel
Kimberley Koontz
Julie A. Krueger
Cassandra Krutsinger
Marley Kuehl
John Kumashiro
Mary Jane Landrock
Gerald and Trisha Lanphen
Steve Lantz
Erlinda Lara
Bill Larson
Jeannie L. Lavezzari
Judy Grace Lebrillo
Susan Legaspi
Barbara LeQuire
Patricia Leonard
Chi Leung
Mary Jane & Nolan Lew
Cresencia T. Libeta
Liza Lieu
Susan Lieu
Linda Lillington
Ing Huey Lin
Russell & Eliwyn Liptzin
Kim Locke
Cathey Lohmann
Helaine Lopes
Richard & Martha Lopez
Elizabeth Lowerison
Monica Lowrey
Vickie Lowrie
Maricarmen Luhrsen
Liza Lumanlan-Domingo
Barbara Maddox
Shirley Rose Maderazo
Fernando & Eva
Sophia Magdaleno
Patricia Mann
Erin Mann
Cindy Manson
Wei Q. Mao
Mary Matson
Patrick Matteo
Dorothy Maxwell
Anne McCormick
Meg McCormick
Cedric McRae
Elaine McRae
Mary Ann Meadows
Joe & Janet Mendence
Maria L. Mendoza
Mary Ann Merritt
Melany Merryman
Pamela Michael
Patti Migliazzo
Carmen Miguel
Rene Miller
Nancy C. Milliren
Marian Mills
Barbara Minami
Lauren Mitchell
Janice Miyashiro
Mayuri and Rajesh Mody
Glenda M. Moore
Patrick Moore
Matthew Morales
SIGRID ALLMAN, RALPH ALLMAN, DDS
Nancy Mukai
Sanjeshni Murphy
Nooshin Naghsheh
Tami Nakama
Kera Nakasone
Allisha Nazareth
Sandra Nazareth
Edward Nazareth
Janet Neu
Andrew Nguyen
Sue-Ann Nouchi
Ann O’Brien
Una W. O’Brien
Young Oh
Eliza Oliveros
Maria Olton
Sheila O’Neill
Martha Ortiz
Esther Ovadia
Dirk Overturf
Ronald Padilla
Maureen Palladini
Doris A. Paloma
Michele Palombo
Jacqueline Parker-Johnson
Mila Pasion-Flores
Donna Patch
Jiteshkumar B. Patel
Jennifer Patten
Jaquelina Patti
Patricia Pearce
Kristine M. Perez
Patricia Perez
Rosa L. Perez
Howard Pfahler, Pharm.D
David Phung
Atsuko & Gary Pierce
Kay Pitonzo
Vilma Plagata
Zenaida Poquiz
Steve Porter
Gigi C. Portugal
Pat Quan
Dorine Queener
Susan Quenga
Sherry L. Rafters
Corazon Raguirag
Christopher Rama
Denzil Ramdhanie
Pedro G. Ramirez
Armando & Yvone Ramos
Karen Randazzo
Maria D. Rangel
Donna Reed
Nancy Reeve
Bernadette Reid
Tami Reiland
Debbie Reyes
Richard Rivera
Julie Rizzo
Cora Roa
Addy Rodriguez
Sam Rodriguez
Ellen C. Roysden
Dottie Rudinica
Lynn Ruffin
Amber Rugenstein
Terry Runzler
Arceli Salanguit
Lydia Salas
Isabelo Salva
Angela Salva
May Santos
Rinnah T. Sapitanan
Vilma H. Sapitanan
Catherine Sarcona
Laura Schenasi
Melanie Schmitz
Jamie Schneider
Kathleen Schumm
Ernesto Segura
PATRONS | Summer 2015
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Connie Senner
Nenita Sequito
Christine Serra-Harris
Khalid Shariff
LaDonna & Joe Shea
Mary Shen
Judith Shigemitsu
E. Patricia Simmons
Lorraine Smith
Michael R. Steele
Kim Stephens
Bert Stewart
Jennifer Stewart
Cammie Strong
Christina Sweeney
Lisa Takata
Remer Tangoan
Keith Tate
Tina Tattersall
Richard Tejada
Mike Thomas
Terry D. Thomas
Steven Thompson
Julia Tobin
Beryl Tokunaga
Shelly Trites
Mei Tsai
Grace Turk
Dianna Tyndall
Veronica Urbano
Valeska Valdivia
Cesar Valle
Don Van Buren
Sandy VandenBerge
Ruth Velasco
Bao Vu
Lani Walker
Judith Eisler Waters
Angie Watters
Marcia Wease
Patrick Wecker
Reba Mae Westreicher
Maria White
David Wilson
Arnie Wolfson
Dianne Wood
Lori Woodman
Mary Wright
Yasmin Yap-Mariano
Lodel Yerro-Caplan
Phil and Sylvia Yim
Tiffani Zanelli
Rory Zatyko
AUXILIARY NOTES
Healing Funds
Auxiliary presents $188,000 for
Lundquist Tower Healing Garden.
The Torrance Memorial Auxiliary presented a check for $188,000
to the Torrance Memorial Foundation at its 2015 Auxiliary Board
Installation Lunch. The donation will be allocated toward the naming
of the new Lundquist Tower Auxiliary Healing Garden as part of a
$1 million, multi-year pledge. To date, $934,524 has been raised.
The more than 900-member Auxiliary collected the money through
various fundraisers and proceeds from the Torrance Memorial Gift Shop.
The Auxiliary Healing Garden features a flourishing, water-efficient
landscape and a peaceful fountain, providing tranquility for patients,
families and other members of the Torrance Memorial community to
enjoy. It serves as a restorative space for patients, where they can relax
and enjoy the trees, flowers and other integral parts of the landscape.
“We are extremely grateful to all of our wonderful volunteers for
the daily efforts and contribution to building this wonderful feature
of the new Lundquist Tower,” said Mary Matson, director of Torrance
Memorial Volunteer and Guest Services. “It is fitting that their efforts
have provided our patients and visitors with this peaceful, healing space.”
In addition to the check presentation, the Auxiliary announced
the installation of its 2015 board: Beth Zager, president; David Sato,
president elect; Irene Goldman, 1st vice president, Hospital Services;
Patrice Cullen, 2nd vice president, membership; Carla Zanino, secretary;
Krissie Douglas, treasurer; Spirit White and Tina Trudnowski, Gift
Shop chairpersons; Lindsay Imwalle, special events chairperson;
Allen Scarpetti, public relations chairperson; Valerie Punzal, program
chairperson; Bea Mantico, parliamentarian; Donna Cohen, legislative
issues chairperson; and Shirley Cook, historian. Front row (left to right): Allen Scarpetti, public relations chair; Carla Zanino, secretary; Donna
Cohen, legislative issues chair; Tina Trudnowski, Gift Shop co-chair, Krissie Douglas, treasurer; Back
row (left to right): Lindsay Imwalle, special events chair; Shirley Cook, historian; Patrice Cullen, 2nd
vice president membership; Irene Goldman, 1st vice president Hospital Services; Mary Matson,
director, Volunteer and Guest Services; Beth Zager, president; David Sato, president elect; Bea
Mantico, parliamentarian; Spirit White, Gift Shop co-chair; Valerie Punzal, program chair.
Laura Schenasi, Torrance Memorial Foundation; Jeannine Frandsen, 2014 Gift Shop Co-Chair;
Spirit White, Gift Shop Co-Chair; Sally Eberhard, Torrance Memorial Medical Center; Mark Lurie,
MD, Cardiology, Foundation Board Chair; Schola Tsai, 2014 Auxiliary president.
PATRONS | Summer 2015
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NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
3330 Lomita Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505
310-325-9110
www.TorranceMemorial.org
PERMIT NO. 381
TORRANCE, CA
PRIVACY IS THE BEST MEDICINE. The new Lundquist Tower features state-of-the-art
comfort with a wide range of services to accommodate and pamper the entire family.
Private rooms limit stress, infection, and time apart. Learn more at TorranceMemorial.org
World class care just around the corner.
PRIVATE ROOMS
•
guEST STAYOVERS
•
ROOM SERVICE
•
HOuSEKEEPINg
WO R LD
CLASS
H OS P I TA L I T Y
PATRONS | Summer 2015
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