Non‐Profit Los Angeles Jewish Home Plans Rapid Expansion to Serve 10,000 Seniors Throughout Los Angeles County by 2025

Jul 6, 2020

Aging in Place in the Rapidly Changing Landscape of Elder Care/Living is Focus of One of the Nation’s Leading Senior Healthcare Systems

LOS ANGELES — July 6, 2020 — For Immediate Release — The Los Angeles Jewish Home, one of the nation’s largest, single‐source providers of comprehensive senior care, plans rapid expansion of services throughout Los Angeles County with a goal of serving 10,000 seniors by 2025. Los Angeles Jewish Health, which has previously offered services primarily in the San Fernando Valley, provides healthcare and living options; community‐based programs; in‐resident services; professional training; and research on frequently overlooked issues that affect senior healthcare and living.

Leading Los Angeles Jewish Health’s expansion will be newly appointed CEO and President Dale Surowitz, who has served as CEO of Providence Cedars‐Sinai Tarzana Medical Center since 1997. Dale brings broad‐based relationships and expertise in furthering partnerships with external healthcare providers.

Molly Forrest, who has led Los Angeles Jewish Health’s dynamic growth and direction as CEO and President for 24 years, will now focus on growing advocacy efforts, community advancement and fundraising as president of the Jewish Home Foundation.

Recognized internationally, Los Angeles Jewish Health has taken a guiding role in the rapidly evolving future of senior healthcare with innovative, broad‐based initiatives to promote aging in place and develop programs for individualized and person-centered senior healthcare/living. During the recent COVID‐19 crisis, the Home led the way with less than .025% of more than 1,200 seniors in residence having been diagnosed with the virus to date.

Founded in 1912 as a haven for five elderly Jewish men in need of shelter during Passover, the non‐profit Los Angeles Jewish Health has evolved into a comprehensive, non‐denominational, senior healthcare system. Today, Los Angeles Jewish Health—with a staff of over 1,600 and annual budget of $160 million—provides nearly 4,000 seniors annually with care in‐residence on five SoCal campuses or through a wide array of in‐home and community services. As a major provider, Los Angeles Jewish Health is a significant contributor to the L.A. economy.

Los Angeles Jewish Health, which has operated primarily through facilities and partnerships in the San Fernando Valley, will continue expansion to serve all of Los Angeles. Its expansion began in 2017 with the opening of its fifth campus, Fountainview at Gonda Healthy Aging Westside Campus in Playa Vista. Additional plans call for the 2021 expansion to the westside of Los Angeles with the opening of the Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE Program, which will provide comprehensive healthcare services to seniors living in the community.

“With 108 years of experience in supporting seniors, it provides insights for a very different approach,” comments Forrest. “These moves will allow us to continue to bridge outside our walls and serve more and more seniors. Community outreach is where senior healthcare is going. We are looking at every opportunity to provide excellence of care at home, with a goal of people aging in place and avoiding, as much as possible, the need to move into a facility. It’s where we see ourselves as a major force. With 12 million baby boomers aging, these needs will continue to increase tremendously. We are positioning ourselves to address those demands in SoCal and as a progressive model for U.S. elder care.”

Says Surowitz, “I join Los Angeles Jewish Health with a background in hospital care and programs and the vision of expanding our institutional relationships throughout the Los Angeles community as we significantly grow our capabilities to serve more seniors. Remaining at home for as long as possible is a goal each of us wants for ourselves, our family and our friends. The Los Angeles Jewish Home is an innovator and cutting‐edge model for best practices. I am excited to lead this outstanding team and work to further the Home’s already stellar accomplishments as we address the rapidly changing landscape of senior healthcare and living. I look forward to working with Molly and the officers, board leadership, staff and volunteers.”

Adds Andrew Berman, chairman of the Los Angeles Jewish Health Board of Directors, “I am thrilled that we have been able to hire someone of Dale’s caliber with the depth of experience and knowledge he brings with him. Molly has been an amazing leader and visionary and I know will accomplish extraordinary things as president of the Jewish Home Foundation. Under the leadership of Dale Surowitz and with Molly in her new role, we can be assured that we will not only maintain but expand our standing as one of the leading and innovative senior health‐care providers in the country.”

About Dale Surowitz: As CEO of Providence Cedars‐Sinai Tarzana Medical Center, Surowitz led the respected hospital’s transition from an investor‐owned, for‐profit institution, to a not‐for‐profit, faith‐based facility. He piloted the launch of a $600 million campus replacement project to be completed in 2022. Additionally, he was instrumental in establishing a joint venture relationship with Cedars‐Sinai Medical Center for the Tarzana campus. Under Dale’s leadership, the medical center has received national recognition for overall quality and a variety of clinical services.

About Molly Forrest: Under Forrest’s exceptional leadership, Los Angeles Jewish Health underwent the most ambitious expansion in its history, becoming a nationally recognized leader and innovator in all aspects of senior health care and living. In July, Forrest became President of the California Chapter of Leading Age. She is a frequent guest speaker.

Full bios, headshots and other artwork available at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hwqp3ydv5d7dp9i/AAAlrVphTdn7LGWutXjT5YWDa?dl=0

Los Angeles Jewish Health programs and services include:

Connections to Care Program (C2C): Through C2C, seniors and their families gain timely referrals to services tailored to meet their specific needs, regardless of religion, ethnicity or ability to pay.
Home/Community Care: Each year, thousands of seniors benefit from Los Angeles Jewish Health’s community‐based services. Services include, hospice; home health; palliative medicine; community clinics; short‐term rehabilitation; acute psychiatric care, through its Brandman Centers for Senior Care, a Program of All‐inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); Skirball Hospice; and Care Transitions program.
Senior Housing: As the largest, single‐source provider of senior housing in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Jewish Health is home to more than 1,200 women and men who live on four campuses covering 21 acres. Housing options include independent living, residential care, skilled nursing care, short‐term rehabilitation and Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care. Locations include the Reseda‐based Eisenberg Village; Grancell Village; Fountainview at Eisenberg Village; and Fountainview at Gonda Healthy Aging Westside Campus in Playa Vista.
Best Practices Research: Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Brandman Research Institute, under the leadership of Chief Medical Officer and Executive Director Dr. Noah Marco, focuses on research on effective models for post‐acute care which improve and enhance medical, social, psychiatric and psychological services for seniors. The institute was founded in March 2019 to fill the gap in clinical studies, which often exclude older people.
Annenberg School of Nursing: An intimate center of learning on Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Hirsch Family Campus, preparing vocational nursing students for the state licensing exam, the NCLEX‐PN®. The School also trains home health aides, medication technicians and nurse assistant students to earn certification through the California Department of Public Health.
Philanthropy: The home’s dedication to serving needy seniors is reflected in its annual commitment of philanthropic support to serve those dependent upon the state Medi‐Cal (welfare) program, with 75% of those served in‐residence rely upon the Medi‐Cal program and social security.

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Feb 4

Care and Comfort: Keeping Seniors Safe and Secure Throughout Historic Los Angeles Wildfires

As 2025 began and families returned from holiday celebrations, no one could have imagined the devastation, anguish, and heartache the people of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas were about to experience.Fortunately, Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) remained out of harm’s way. At LAJH, the safety and security of those in our care is paramount. We prepare each year for any disaster or crisis that could affect our campuses. Efforts include online courses and real-time, in-person drills.On January 7, as media shared images of the Pasadena Jewish Temple Center being directly impacted, it became clear this rapidly growing disaster would affect our community, including through a potential surge of seniors dislocated from other sites with nowhere else to go. That night, Senior Vice President of In-Residence Services Ilana Springer, CEO and President of LAJH Dale Surowitz, and a handful of leaders quickly jumped on the first of many daily calls, reviewing all emergency plans to ensure the safety of our residents, participants, and staff.Among their first actions was confirming we had a good inventory of emergency supplies, including non-perishable food and water, surgical masks, and generators. Facility staff also positioned additional air filtration systems and confirmed emergency lighting was operational. Perhaps most important was assessing the welfare of our staff. Many LAJH staff live within the impacted area, and we wanted to make sure they were safe. Next, we needed to confirm we would have adequate staffing to continue providing our excellent care without disruption. The cross-functional teamwork from across LAJH that stepped up to ensure coverage was impressive: We made sure staff were standing by for deployment wherever help was needed.We communicated quickly and clearly to our internal and external audiences, updating them on our emergency efforts via email, voicemail, social media, and the website. We also reached out to fellow senior care centers and community leaders offering our support.Those displaced who came to us for shelter included a couple evacuated from their apartment in Palos Verdes, another woman from Palos Verdes whose home burned down, and a woman evacuated from her home in Encino.Our volunteers and even our cherished residents played a part in providing comfort. The wonderful canine companions and handlers who visit our campuses, thanks to funding from the Steven Ohren Foundation, reported to emergency command centers. They provided mental health support to those impacted by the disaster, including emergency workers as well as victims.In addition, our seniors teamed up with local schoolchildren to create thank-you signs for the heroic firefighters who worked around the clock under extreme and dangerous circumstances.While our campuses fortunately remained unthreatened throughout, the air quality prevented outdoor activities. One afternoon during this period, Chief Mission Officer Rabbi Karen Bender was finishing a lesson on the fourth floor of the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center when she noticed that, one-by-one; participants were turning to look out the window. They were seeing smoke from the Kenneth fire that had started that afternoon. The flames were miles away, but it was clear from the residents’ faces that this development was creating growing concern and fear. As Rabbi Bender and Ilana began strategizing about the best way to address the issue, Andrew, an activity aide at JEK, decided—without prompting—the best thing he could do to help was simply to sit down at the piano and start playing. This immediately diverted the seniors’ attention, and suddenly, everyone looked comforted and cared for. It was a signature LAJH moment, highlighting the warmth, dedication, and collaboration of our team and of the entire LAJH family.From evacuation plans and transfer agreements in place, including contracted agreements with other facilities, to continuously monitoring our emergency supplies, it was a good time to confirm we were well prepared. We assured the LAJH family they could rest assured we were ready for whatever might come our way. We all recognize, you can never be too prepared. Prior to a disaster is the best time to assess and ensure we will always have enough blankets, wheelchairs, non-perishable food, air purifiers, bottled water, etc. If you would like to contribute to support the purchase of additional emergency supplies for the safety of the seniors in our care and our devoted staff, please click here. LAJH Certified Therapy Dog Rudy visits the Fire Command CenterCertified Therapy Dog Rudy, along with Handler Steve Zonis, visited LAPD Chief of Police Jim McDonnell and staffLAJH Certified Therapy Dog Rudy visits the Fire Command CenterLAJH Certified Therapy Dog Rudy visits the Fire Command CenterLAJH Certified Therapy Dog Rudy visits the Fire Command CenterStudents from Milken Community School teamed up with residents of the Newman Building to make signs in appreciation of the firefightersStudents from Milken Community School teamed up with residents of the Newman Building to make signs in appreciation of the firefightersStudents from Milken Community School teamed up with residents of the Newman Building to make signs in appreciation of the firefighters

Caring for the Ages at Los Angeles Jewish Health

January 27th commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz—the most notorious of Nazi concentration and extermination camps. Every day, there are fewer living witnesses to the atrocities and tragedies of that era. Today, only approximately 245,000 Holocaust survivors remain. Many of these cherished seniors are frail and have multiple medical needs requiring care from expert geriatric healthcare providers like the care teams at Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH).At one time, there were 113 Holocaust survivors in residence at LAJH. Now in their 90s, 29 still call LAJH home, including a new 95-year-old resident and survivor who came to live at LAJH just last week. What they find here, thanks to the incredible professionalism of a highly-trained staff who wear compassion on their sleeves, is a special combination of nurturing, expertise and an ethos—developed by Chief Medical Officer Noah Marco, MD, the child of survivors—that prioritizes listening.His approach has made Dr. Marco a trusted source of education on senior care and specifically on caring for Holocaust survivors. Last month, he presented to 15 medical students from the University of California Los Angeles who came together to learn about the Holocaust and about the importance of providing services, in a caring and sensitive manner, to each member of the survivor community.“There are many things to keep in mind when caring for Holocaust survivors. For instance, it’s important not to rush the patients, as well as to approach and touch them only after getting explicit permission,” Dr. Marco said during his presentation. “Best practices also include recognizing potential signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); asking the patients about common somatic symptoms; and realizing that sexual or abuse questions are unlikely to get a truthful response. Survivors’ history makes them unique, and as care providers, we need to adjust our approach accordingly.”Dr. Noah Marco, Chief Medical Officer at LAJHParticipants in the class reported dramatically expanding their knowledge of the subject. “Despite attending a public school in Los Angeles, the second most Jewish city in the U.S., I learned about the Holocaust for a maximum of five minutes,” noted one student. “My time with Dr. Marco helped fill the void from those high school history classes; he spoke wonderfully, and I learned a lot.”Whether he is imparting wisdom about caring for survivors or speaking more broadly about the many distinct facets of senior health, Dr. Marco enthusiastically shares strategies to help make medical visits more efficient and satisfying, both for the care provider and for the patient.“Treating our patients at LAJH is not only about cataloging their symptoms, many of which are chronic and may not resolve. It’s also critical that we truly see them: learning what matters most to them, asking them what questions they may have, and eliciting their ideas and expectations,” Dr. Marco says.Dr. Marco, who is often called upon to share his expertise in geriatric health, recently laid out his philosophy related to providing medical care to seniors in an essay he authored for the publication Caring for the Ages, the official newspaper of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed). He was recognized with a second-place award in the paper’s 2025 essay competition, “Caring for Residents, Caring for Ourselves.” The essay will appear in Caring for the Ages’ March/April 2025 issue, which will be distributed to a wide national audience of post-acute and long-term care professionals. His other recent publications include “The Lost Summer” an essay published in this week’s edition of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.“My goal in treating seniors is always to move beyond just discussing their chronic issues so that we’re able to elicit their input about things that are important to them,” he says. “When they feel heard, they often feel better—one of the key indicators, for a care provider, of a job well done.”Sally and Ben Marco, Holocaust Survivors and Parents of Dr. Noah Marco

Be The Shamash: The Light That Illuminates the Other Lights:

Chanukah 2024 at Los Angeles Jewish Healthby LAJH Chief Mission Officer Rabbi Karen BenderWhy it was important, this year especially, to bring in the Light Chanukah’s arrival this year inspired me to consider that there are three kinds of people in the world. The first are those who unfortunately bring darkness to our world. The second are those who bring light where there is darkness. Those people are wonderful, because where there is despair they bring hope, where there is sadness they bring joy, where there is cruelty they bring loving kindness, where there is tension, they bring peace. Then there is the third kind of person, the one who, like the shamash candle of the Chanukah menorah, in addition to conquering darkness, actually kindle the other lights. These are the staff members and residents at Los Angeles Jewish Health. Not only do they bring light, they inspire others to bring the light. What made the events this year at LAJH Extraordinary As holidays approach, it is always our goal to ensure residents experience something akin to what they would have had in their homes and at synagogue. This year, we are proud to have gone beyond that goal to bring joy, celebration, surprise and delight! Residents enjoyed not only potato latkes but also creative vegetable latkes. They enjoyed traditional sufganiyot and kosher Krispy Kreme donuts. At Grancell Village, they experienced a sufganiyah tasting, including creme brulee and dulce de leche. There were concerts performed at each campus with the renowned Cindy Paley and elaborate outdoor extravaganza lightings with our enormous and artistic outdoor Chanukiot. Twelve year old twin volunteers dressed up as a life sized menorah and dreidel and visited each floor bringing smiles and laughter. Shabbat Chanukah services were led by a skilled nursing resident Rabbi and a band he assembled! Resident volunteers took charge of lighting the menorah lights on their floors each night. At the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center, those same twin volunteers assisted me in re-affixing mezuzahs on every room, as residents participated. Rabbi Ron Goldberg held a food and toy drive at Eisenberg Village, enabling the entire campus to participate in seasonal giving to those in need. In the midst of it all, our wonderful activities staff ensured that residents celebrated New Year’s 2025, perhaps a once in a lifetime overlap with Chanukah. We are so grateful to all who worked together bringing so much joy and celebration to the residents of LAJH! Chanukah celebration led by resident Rabbi WarshawYoung volunteers delight residentsEisenberg Village toy driveConcert with Cindy PaleyResident sufganiyot tastingGoldenberg-Ziman Special Care Center residents celebrate with glowsticksMezuzahs re-affixed in the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical CenterToast to the New YearBrandman Centers for Senior Care PACE celebrates the New Year