Bits 'n' Pieces

Clinic to Unite Student Education with Healthcare Delivery

Cal State Long Beach and MemorialCare announced today a new partnership to transform health care education, bolster the number of allied health practitioners entering the workforce and promote health equity in the community.

Building on decades of working together in preparing nurses at MemorialCare’s Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, a key component of the new partnership is the creation of a new clinic on the university campus that will combine clinical education with clinical practice – unique in the state of California – to deliver the core programs of primary care, executive/concierge health, geriatric assessment, back pain and sports medicine. The clinic is slated to open in Spring 2026.

The suite of programs will address patient care and social determinants of health, support the educational needs of students within CSULB’s College of Health and Human Services under the leadership of Dean Monica Lounsbery, and expand clinical practice to new areas such as dietary evaluation, nutrition counseling, exercise prescription, exercise testing, sport injury treatment and prevention, mental and behavioral health, and speech and language therapies. This environment will also serve as a test site for other disciplines, such as hospitality management in designing the welcome process and overall on-site experience.

The clinic will allow for bold and intentional innovations of systemic challenges including the delivery of cost-effective and superior patient care while also increasing the quality of clinical education and growing the health care workforce.

“We are proud of our long-standing nearly 20-year-old partnership with Cal State Long Beach not only because of the number of nurses we have been able to bring into the workforce with a bachelor’s degree, but the high caliber, quality level of nursing these graduates provide to our patients,” said John Bishop, CEO, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach. “We look forward to expanding the partnership and bringing additional clinical disciplines into the program and eventually hiring them throughout healthcare facilities in the community, as well as our MemorialCare hospitals and clinics.”

AbilityFirst Re-Opening

Following the completion of AbilityFirst’s $6 million capital campaign, “Building Independence, Celebrating Community,” the organization marked another milestone with the grand re=opening of its Long Beach Center on Sept. 28.

AbilityFirst, a nonprofit that provides programs and services to empower children and adults with disabilities reach their full potential, showcased the completed planned renovations of its building in Long Beach at 3770 E. Willow St. and expanded programs to the community.

The AbilityFirst Long Beach Center incorporates a person-centered approach for its programs: adult day program, social recreational, after school and summer programs for 6-to-22-year-olds, including youth employment programs for people with developmental disabilities, and an aquatics program serving the community.

Besides expanding its programs, AbilityFirst is “bringing the supported employment and college to career and programs to the Long Beach Center which will allow for teens and young adults, who are aging out of the after school program or currently in our adult day programs, the opportunity for more choice when it comes to programming as well as allow for our participants and family to get to know the new staff better,” April Stover, senior director of programs at the Long Beach Center, said.

The renovations consisted of modernizing and enhancing the children and adult program areas, including the administration office with more space to support staff and participants in the college to career program. Participants interested in continuing their education or finding meaningful work will use the office space to identify and develop a plan to achieve their personal goals.

Built more than 50 years ago, the Long Beach Center additional renovations included improved safety for participants and the community with a new one-way drive aisle at the rear of the building, designated space for the art activities and a place to showcase artwork, wellness rooms with additional restrooms with a support station, and new mechanical equipment to adequately ventilate the indoor swimming pool, an integral component and vital resource to the community. A teaching demonstration kitchen was also renovated to empower independent living skills and can lead to workforce readiness.

To learn more visit abilityfirst.org.

Su Casa Exec. Director

Su Casa - Ending Domestic Violence announced that Alberto Uribe will take leadership of the organization as its new executive director. Uribe has more than 30 years of experience working in positions of increasing authority at non-profit and government agencies, operating community service and workforce development programs serving youth and adults.

Uribe brings demonstrated expertise in mobilizing public and private sector resources to grow community-based nonprofit organizations committed to strengthening local communities.

Throughout his career, Alberto has worked with government entities, elected officials, industry leaders, professional associations, education and vocational training experts, nonprofit boards, and community organizations to design, develop and deliver effective programs. He has extensive experience in leadership, administration and oversight of agencies working with the unemployed, youth, veterans, and Job Corps programs nationwide.

More information about Su Casa is available at www.sucasadv.org

Breast Cancer Awareness

About one in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Thankfully with advances in technology, like screening mammography, breast cancer can be caught at its earliest, most treatable stage.

However, many women delayed or skipped their annual mammograms due to COVID-19. This has led to breast cancers being caught in later, more advanced stages.

To raise awareness of this health concern, the physicians, nurses and employees from the MemorialCare Breast Center at Long Beach Medical Center gathered to create a giant human breast cancer awareness ribbon.

“Studies have shown that screening mammography can decrease the morality from breast cancer by more than 30 percent,” says Angela Sie, M.D., medical director, breast imaging, MemorialCare Breast Center, Long Beach Medical Center. “If you have been putting off your screening mammogram, or know someone who has, encourage them to make an appointment. We’re here to help women through every step of the mammography process, and if needed their cancer journey.”

Long Beach Medical Center patient, Kristy Masterson, shared her experience on the value of annual screenings. Since she had a family history of cancer, during her annual mammogram, she was advised to get an MRI mammogram, which is designed specifically for breast imaging. A breast MRI provides detailed images of the breast tissue using a magnetic field and radio waves instead of the standard x-rays. This detailed MRI imaging, helped catch Kristy’s breast cancer early at Stage 2.

Every mammogram at the MemorialCare Breast Center is read by a team of all female, sub-specialized, dedicated breast radiologists, who focus only on breast care. Research has shown that this focus and experience results in a higher quality, more accurate mammogram.

If a cancer is detected, the MemorialCare Breast Center also offers the latest treatments that not only increase survival but improve the patient experience and cosmetic outcomes. “We know that every woman is different, and there is no one solution to fit all needs. That’s why together, with our patients, we select a personalized treatment plan to provide them with the best possible outcome,” says Jessica Rayhanabad, MD, medical director, breast surgery, MemorialCare Breast Center, Long Beach Medical Center.

To schedule a mammogram at the MemorialCare Breast Center, women can visit memorialcare.org/BreastCare.