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We are profiling the McKnight’s 2020 Women of Distinction honorees daily through the program’s July 28 online awards ceremony. Read more › Author: Lois A. Bowers · Publication: McKnight's Senior Living · Date: June 29, 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.

Jeanette Crane is a fighter. At age 100, she beat the odds and fully recovered from COVID-19. "She's tough," says her son Jeff. "Day-by-day she just keeps getting better!" Jeff Crane attributes Jeanette's recovery to her overall resilience and also to the doctors and nurses who care for her at the Jewish Home's Max Factor Family Foundation Nursing Building on the Eisenberg Village campus. "They all love my mother," Jeff says. "They were with her throughout her recovery." He specifically credits Dr. Hangnga Vu with getting his mother to "slowly come back" from the virus. "Dr. Vu is my mother's best friend," Jeff says. "That's true!" Dr. Vu says with a laugh. "But all of the nurses are her friends too. Everyone loves her." Vu, who is a geriatrician, says that she got to know Jeanette when Jeanette was living in residential care at Eisenberg Village. Jeanette moved to the Jewish Home at age 93, when son Jeff says his mother began to feel unsafe living on her own. "We became friends," Vu recalls. "We used to talk about her childhood. She always told me how much she loved life." "One day I learned that Jeanette had generalized weakness and lost her sense of taste," says Vu. "Then she tested positive for COVID-19." Jeanette was moved into a room where she was isolated from the other residents. "I wanted to cry when I saw her," Dr. Vu recalls. "We thought we were going to lose her. She wasn't eating. At age 100, to get COVID, can be a death sentence." But Dr. Vu and the nursing staff didn't give up on Jeanette. "My gut told me that she wanted to live," says Dr. Vu. Through their layers of PPE, Dr. Vu and her team sang to Jeanette to get her to eat and drink. "She recognized us despite all of the PPE! I visited her every day," Dr. Vu says. "We took turns offering her food and drink, even throughout the night. When we got her to take a teaspoon of food or a drop of juice, it felt like a triumph." Slowly, Dr. Vu and the nurses began to notice that Jeanette's eyes were open wider. Then, one day Jeanette had the strength to blow a kiss to Dr. Vu. "She beat the odds," says Dr. Vu. "After a month in isolation, we graduated her so she could receive physical and occupational therapy." "She was almost gone," says son Jeff. "But now she's able to call us via Zoom and talk to us." In fact, on a recent Zoom call with both of her sons and their spouses, Jeanette was asked if she had any good Jewish Home gossip to share. "There's always something!" she replied with a sly smile. "One day at a time, she's getting better," Jeff says. "We're so grateful she's doing so well." "Jeanette was our first victory!" says Dr. Vu. "We were so happy that Jeanette recovered, that we threw her a party!" To ensure that everyone on the team is recognized for helping Jeanette Crane recover, Dr. Vu requested that their names be listed: Luisa Lacson, Olivia Matusalem, Editha Andrada, Daisy Estrada, Johanna Duncan, Elsy Rivas, Lupita Cedillo, Marife Bautista, Ingrid Lemus, Kusum Kapoor, Sydelle Aquino.

After 24 years as president and CEO of the Los Angeles Jewish Home, Molly Forrest is stepping down and making a lateral move, to become president of the Jewish Home Foundation. Dale Surowitz, CEO of Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center will replace Forrest beginning Oct. 1. Read more › Author: Leslee Komaiko · Publication: Jewish Journal · Date: July 12, 2020

For months, families have pined to see their loved ones who live in California’s skilled nursing facilities, which have been shut down to outside visitors to keep the coronavirus from spreading. California health authorities recently issued guidance for visits to resume, but few are happening as infection rates surge in many communities. Facilities are being cautious after many suffered severe outbreaks earlier in the pandemic. Read more › Author: Associated Press · Publication: Los Angeles Times · Date: July 12, 2020

Throughout the years, the Jewish Home has benefitted from wonderful partnerships with companies in our community. During this time of COVID-19, the need has never been greater, and in addition to monetary donations, companies such as the Ford Motor Company and Harbor Freight have stepped up with in-kind donations of masks, gloves and face shields. All of this personal protective equipment (PPE) remains in high demand by the Home care teams. The PPE provided by these companies, and so many others, has played a major role in enabling the Jewish Home to keep our residents safe and healthy during this time. This outpouring of support exemplifies the essence of the Jewish Home's Corporate Partnership Program. Companies across the region and country have stepped forward to demonstrate their support of the Jewish Home and the quality of care we are providing to nearly 4,000 people annually. Everyone at the Home is grateful for this outstanding support from the corporate community. Contributions from our Corporate Partners support the Jewish Home's ability to provide a broad spectrum of elderly care services to meet the growing needs of our senior population. Corporate partners giving levels range from $10,000 to $100,000 annually. One of our most steadfast corporate sponsors is Torrey Pines Bank. "As our communities continue to face extraordinary health and economic challenges due to COVID-19, Torrey Pines Bank is steadfastly committed to standing by nonprofits, particularly those that are helping the most vulnerable and underserved populations in our communities," shares Monika Suarez, managing director of public, nonprofit and affordable housing finance at Torrey Pines Bank. "We are proud to contribute to Los Angeles Jewish Home as they continue their longstanding mission of providing seniors with access to the vital care and resources that they need, especially during these challenging times." Torrey Pines Bank is among numerous Corporate Partners who provide annual financial support to the Home. They join with many corporations from around the city and the country who have stepped up to partner with the Los Angeles Jewish Home during these challenging times. For more information on how you can become a corporate sponsor with a monetary or in-kind donation, please contact Lesley Plachta, Director of Development of the L.A. Jewish Home Foundation, at [email protected] or 818.774.3282.

The Los Angeles Jewish Home has always been able to count on its friends, supporters, and caring individuals and companies throughout the community who will step forward to provide support to its residents and staff. Never has this generosity been more apparent than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Home launched its "Helping Hands" campaign. More than 100 community leaders, members of the Home's board of directors, volunteers and community supporters have come together to provide the Home with both monetary and in-kind donations. Items donated included Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including surgical and N95 masks, gloves and surgical gowns. The Home also received iPads allowing residents to visit with their families and other loved ones during this difficult time of required social distancing. As community members reached out with their support, staff also took action volunteering to lend a helping hand. Director of Transportation Elisa Sosa stepped forward early in March, when it became apparent staff were in need of additional masks. She volunteered to spend her free time making cloth face coverings. Her initiative and hard work started a movement. Once members of the community learned that the Home was in serious need of additional face coverings, they called, offering to donate or create the cotton masks. Elisa, who has worked at the Home since 2001 consistently does whatever she can to help the Home's staff and residents. "I want to help the community. I have learned a lot from the Home, and I want everyone here to be safe," she said. In her career at the Home, she has worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) as well as in the medical records area and at the Home's Levy-Kime Geriatric Community Clinic, before assuming her current role as Transportation Supervisor for Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC). She went on to share, "The Home is a big family, and I want to help out however I can, as I want to take care of my family here – the residents and the staff." Masks are not the only thing Elisa creates. She became aware that the Home was also in need of additional hospital gowns, as part of its "Helping Hands" campaign, an initiative to sew long sleeves on hospital gowns to help prolong the use of the gown while saving costs. She happily volunteered, sewing sleeves on hospital gowns to help aid the Home's residents. Joining with Elisa, the Home now has a group of dedicated volunteers who are continuing to sew sleeves on to gowns. More than 30 women from various sewing groups across Los Angeles have sewn sleeves onto more than 3,000 gowns. Remarkable people helping a remarkable organization. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge throughout Los Angeles, the state and the country, the Home continues to battle the virus and protect its residents. The need for PPE continues to grow. If you are interested in becoming part of the Home's "Helping Hands" campaign, please contact Stacy Orbach, Director of Volunteer Services at 818.774.3116 or [email protected] If you would like to donate new PPE to the Home or make a financial contribution, please contact Corey Slavin, Vice President of Community Engagement at 818.774.3031 or [email protected]

On July 23, the Los Angeles Jewish Home's Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN) hosted a very special and unique "drive-thru" commencement ceremony. The event—always joyful—held particular resonance this year, as 23 new vocational nurses, ASN's largest class ever, celebrated the determination and drive that kept them going even in the midst of the worst global pandemic in a century. Social distancing and safety protocols made a more typical ceremony impossible but that did not stop the celebration. ASN developed a drive-thru version of the "procession" enabling the graduates' family members and close friends to be present for the occasion. Also on hand were Jewish Home CEO-President Molly Forrest, ASN Board President Shelly Steier, Director of ASN Amandeep Kaur and David Cooper, an instructor in the program. As class president and valedictorian of the 2019 class, Kimberly Daley was one of the beneficiaries of ASN's cutting-edge curriculum. The remarks she prepared for the ceremony captured the sentiment shared by her fellow graduates. "I was given so many opportunities this past year thanks to being a student at ASN," she said. "The Jewish Home nurses, certified nursing assistants and other employees all taught me more than I could have learned anywhere else." In addition to earning the title of valedictorian, Daley also distinguished herself as receiving the highest score on the rigorous ATI exam, which assesses a student's preparedness in entering health science fields. Other students receiving special honors included Denise McDonald, who graduated magna cum laude, Kyra Azalbarian, who graduated cum laude and Juan Garcia, who received the Florence Nightingale Award. After handing the graduates their pins and diplomas, Kaur, Cooper, Steier and Forrest bumped elbows with the graduates as a congratulatory gesture—a coronavirus-friendly alternative to handshaking. For Forrest, participating in the students' remarkable milestone was a highlight of the summer. "The Jewish Home has long prided itself on its commitment to career advancement for its employees by promoting education through our training and educational programs," she commented. "The Annenberg School of Nursing also provides a career ladder for those from the public looking to pursue and further their nursing opportunities, whether here at the Jewish Home or elsewhere. We are so proud of the school's leadership and the students' accomplishments, especially during these very unusual circumstances." Since ASN's inception, approximately 50 percent of all graduates have gone on to work for the Jewish Home. It is a result, according to Kaur, ASN's director, of the respect students develop for the Home during their course of study. "Our students build bonds of trust with the Home that last well beyond graduation," she says. "It's wonderful that so many of them come to work here after completing their degrees; it reinforces the feeling that, at the Home, we are all part of one extended family."

What better way to bring joy and comfort to a senior's life than to write them a Note of Love? While recent months have required the Jewish Home to curtail visitation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, every effort is being made to keep the residents not only safe and healthy, but also engaged, active and entertained. One great way we can all take part is by sending Notes of Love to the residents. Notes of Love is a creative and simple way to say you care while making a tremendous difference in the day of a Senior. Whether or not you have a loved one or a friend at the Jewish Home, or have been looking to make a difference during this difficult time, sending a Note of Love is a way to say you care. There is no minimum age requirement to send in your "note" and you don't need to be an artist—adults and kids alike are encouraged to write a note, draw/paint a picture, or make a photo collage. Your Notes of Love will demonstrate to our Seniors that they are being thought of with love during this time. Once your "note" is received by the Jewish Home, we will distribute and post them throughout our campuses providing our residents with a virtual hug from the community. There is no need to put a specific date or name on the communication as we will share them broadly at our various sites over the coming weeks. To participate, simply send your creation to Stacy Orbach C/O Los Angeles Jewish Home, 7150 Tampa Avenue, Reseda, CA 91335 or send via email to [email protected]. And remember to share your act of kindness by tagging us @lajewishhome.

There is a bright spot amidst what can feel like the countless challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic: the smiling faces of Jewish Home residents able to connect with family and friends. Thanks to the Home's iPad donation program, our seniors can laugh, celebrate and catch up with loved ones—all while safely avoiding exposure to the harmful effects of COVID-19. The program was born out of necessity. The pandemic has had a profound impact on everyone, and the residents of the Jewish Home have not been immune to that disruption. Due both to the highly contagious nature of the disease and seniors' particular susceptibility to it, the Home took early and aggressive action to safeguard residents' lives. The Jewish Home's protective measures included temporarily halting visits, which meant finding alternative ways for residents to be in contact with the people they hold most dear. Generous donor contributions from all parts of the community enabled the Home to purchase iPads for use across both the Eisenberg Village and Grancell Village campuses. Residents are able to access the technology to reach out to connect with their family members. If they are unfamiliar with iPads and how they work, Jewish Home staff are available to help get them up and running on the equipment. The program, notes Corey Slavin, vice president of community engagement, has been a crucial lifeline for residents at an especially vulnerable time. "The iPads are a touchstone for residents and their families, allowing them to see one another, express their feelings, and catch up on what's been happening in each other's lives," she says. "Due to pandemic safety measures, there have been no visits from the public at the Home for months, and that includes holidays like Mother's Day. We recognize it's been hard on our residents and their families, and things like having ‘face-to-face' conversations can make such a difference." The Home is grateful to the supporters who have made the iPad donation program possible. When they first heard of the needs, Marilyn and Cal Gross immediately provided funding for the purchase of 30 iPads; Dr. Boris Ratiner bought iPads, as well, and the Oscar Litwak Foundation raised money to help buy even more. "Our donors are amazing, and they have once again stepped up at a critical juncture," Slavin says. "Their generosity, warmth, and compassion are helping our residents stay happy, healthy, and optimistic about the future."