Bits 'n' Pieces

Timmons Donates Carloads of Toys

The holiday spirit arrived early at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach as the 23rd Annual Toy Jam, hosted by Timmons of Long Beach, delivered carloads of toys to the hospital at the end of October. Child Life Specialists from the Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Program received the generous donations, which help sustain the toy supply for kids leading into the holiday season.

Timmons of Long Beach promotes the Toy Jam to customers year-round, offering customers at their service department a 10% discount for gifting a new toy to a patient. Donations come from both customers and employees and play a significant role in the holiday activities planned by the Child Life Program at Miller Children’s & Women’s. These activities include providing developmentally appropriate toys and games and gifts for pediatric patients celebrating special days, like birthdays, while in the hospital, helping them cope with hospitalization and illness.

“These donations always come in October and we are so grateful as they help us through a slow period of donations before the holiday season approaches in November and December,” says Rita Goshert, director, Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Program, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach. “It makes such a difference to the patients and their families to receive these donations – it helps brighten their days and allows them to forget about their hospitalization, even if just for a little while.”

For the last several years, Samantha Timmons, wife of owner Greg Timmons, has personally helped with the donation process.

“This is truly one of the best things that we can do for the community,” says Samantha Timmons. “My kids and grandkids were born here at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and our family has had a number of surgeries at Long Beach Medical Center, so this opportunity to donate and give back to our community is one of our top priorities every year.”

The Child Life Program accepts donated toys that are appropriate for infant through adolescent patients. Child Life Specialists use medical play and distraction techniques to help children adjust to their hospital stay and promote the continuity of normal, daily childhood activities. These large toy donations guarantee that children of all ages have access to toys that help brighten their hospital experience and provide moments of joy during challenging times.

“Toy Jam is not just an event – it is a commitment to our community,” says Greg Timmons. “It’s incredible to witness the generosity of our customers and employees and knowing these toys bring comfort to children at Miller Children’s makes it all worthwhile.”

ICT a Legacy Business

International City Theatre (ICT) has been honored as a “Long Beach Legacy Business” by the City of Long Beach’s Long Beach Heritage, a title conferred on organizations that contribute to a sense of history in the surrounding neighborhood, support the cultural life, diversity or identity of Long Beach and actively work to create a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable community.

ICT has been part of the Long Beach community since 1985, when Shashin Desai opened a 99-seat black box theater on the campus of Long Beach City College where he was chairman of the drama department. From the beginning, the fledgling company attracted critical acclaim and multiple awards – including the Los Angeles Drama Circle’s prestigious Margaret Harford Award for “Sustained Excellence in Theater.”

In 1996, determined to build a high-quality professional, mid-size theater company in the City of Long Beach, Desai began producing simultaneous seasons on the college campus and at the Center Theater in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. In 1999, the Long Beach City Council proclaimed International City Theatre the “Professional Resident Theater Company” at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.

A year later, ICT made the choice to invest entirely in the downtown, mid-size theater with an annual five-play season. When Desai retired in 2011, ICT’s board of directors unanimously approved caryn desai, ICT’s general manager since 1990, to take the reins as producing artistic director.

In 2025, ICT will celebrate its 40th anniversary in what is now known as the Beverly O’Neill Theater in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. The season of five premieres will include the Los Angeles premiere of Desperate Measures, a foot-stompin’, knee-slappin’ musical inspired by Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, with a score by David Friedman and book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg; the American premiere of The Violin Maker by Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum and Ronda Spinak, a powerful and uplifting new play, based on the stories of Violins of Hope, that tells the true story of Israeli violin maker Amnon Weinstein who gathered and restored violins damaged during the Holocaust; the Los Angeles premiere of The Angel Next Door, a screwball romantic comedy by Paul Slade Smith; the world premiere of Masala Dabba, the newest family drama by Los Angeles playwright Wendy Graf; and the Los Angeles premiere of Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson–Apt. 2B by Kate Hamill, an irreverent, darkly comic, modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous sleuth and sidekick that re-examines the world’s most famous detective story through a bold new feminist lens.

In addition to its professional theater productions, ICT offers six community and educational outreach programs each year. The company’s commitment to the community also includes ongoing collaborations with Long Beach’s African American community and other groups and organizations. Former Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe called ICT “a cultural treasure.”

For more information about ICT’s 2025 season and to purchase subscriptions or single tickets, call (562) 436-4610 or visit www.InternationalCityTheatre.org.

SMMC Ranked Five-Stars for Specialty Care

Dignity Health - St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC) announced today that it has attained distinctions for patient safety and clinical excellence. SMMC has earned an A grade for hospital safety from the Leapfrog Group, the nation’s premier advocate of transparency in healthcare and was rated five stars for cardiac and critical care services from Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital.

These achievements place SMMC in the top hospitals nationwide for care delivery, underscoring its commitment to exceptional patient outcomes. “Our hospital remains committed to patient safety and clinical excellence,” said Dr. Jim Keany, MD, MBA, FACEP, Chief Medical Officer. “These quality distinctions are a testament to the collaboration of our physicians, nurses and caregivers.”

SMMC’s achievements are based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. The Leapfrog hospital safety grade is a letter rating of how safe hospitals are for patients. This informs prospective patients how likely they are to experience harm in the hospital.

“Greater Long Beach deserves access to advanced heart care and top-rated hospital care,” remarked Carolyn Caldwell, FACHE, Hospital President and CEO. Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 of the most common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to determine top performers in specialty care.

“Healthgrades commends Dignity Health - St. Mary Medical Center for their clear commitment to delivering consistently superior patient outcomes in critical service areas,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. “The hospital’s leadership, expertise and unwavering dedication to clinical excellence set a high mark for specialty care in California and nationwide.”

Bar Association Names Lawyer of the Year

Long Beach attorney Robin D. Perry has been honored by the Long Beach Bar as the 2024 Lawyer of the Year. He will be recognized at the Association’s 108th Annual Installation Dinner & Awards Ceremony on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at the Long Beach Hyatt Regency.

Robin Perry is one of Long Beach’s premier attorneys with a focus on personal injury, criminal defense and business law. For more than 25 years, Perry has owned The Law Offices of Robin D. Perry & Associates, in which he has earned a reputation as a dedicated advocate, providing strategic legal counsel across a broad range of legal matters.

He is a past-president of the Long Beach Bar Association and currently serves on its board of governors. He’s also a past-president of the Long Beach Civil Service Commission and has served in varying capacities for non-profits in and around Long Beach, CA.

Robin and his firm have obtained various seven & eight-figure settlements for individual and corporate clients, such as obtaining a $1.28 million settlement on behalf of the family of a man struck and killed by a truck driver. He also led a team that obtained a $13 million settlement on behalf of the family of a woman killed by a school safety officer in Long Beach.

With his extensive experience, Perry has represented businesses and individuals in complex legal issues, from handling disputes and employment-related matters to defending clients in criminal cases. He is also known for his proactive work advising businesses on legal compliance, risk management and code enforcement challenges.

The Lawyer of the Year award is one of the highest honors given by the Long Beach Bar Association, recognizing an attorney who exemplifies leadership, professionalism and service to the legal profession and the broader community.

In addition to his legal career, Perry actively advocates for criminal justice reform, partnering with the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office to expunge hundreds of criminal convictions. His expertise has been featured in various publications and he was recently hired as a Civil Rights expert for The Nation Magazine.

Dr. Levine Receives 2024 Munzer Family Award

Glenn Levine, M.D., pediatric critical care physician at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, was the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Munzer Family Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research. This award honors Dr. Levine’s exceptional contributions to pediatric critical care and his dedication to advancing education and healthcare quality for future generations of clinicians.

Dr. Levine has been a vital member of Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital since 2004, bringing over two decades of expertise and leadership to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). His commitment to excellence is reflected in his work as chief of staff and director of PICU Residency Education, where he has mentored countless physician trainees, instilling in them the knowledge and compassion needed to provide exceptional care. Dr. Levine’s areas of expertise include pediatric critical care, palliative medicine and healthcare quality improvement.

Dr. Levine is deeply committed to the education of residents and fellows, ensuring they receive world-class training in pediatric critical care. His mentorship has fostered a culture of excellence and innovation, earning him recognition as a leader in medical education.

Established in 1993 by Rudy and Daphne Munzer, the Munzer Family Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research recognizes a physician for their clinical excellence and dedication to medical education. This annual award, supported by the Rudolph J. and Daphne A. Munzer Foundation, includes a $10,000 grant to advance the recipient’s work.

Dr. Levine’s career is distinguished by his involvement in numerous leadership roles serving on key committees, including the Medical Executive Committee, chairperson of Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, chairperson of the MemorialCare System Formulary Committee, chairperson of the Medical Errors Committee and Hospice and Palliative Care Focus Group. In addition, Dr. Levine is a board member of the MemorialCare Physician Society, exemplifying his influence in shaping clinical practice and policy.

The Pediatric Residency Program celebrates the outstanding physician partners at Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital who dedicate themselves to teaching and mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals. The Graduate Medical Education team is instrumental in MemorialCare’s status as a leader in education, paving the way for future clinicians committed to caring for their communities and improving overall health outcomes.

LBS Donates Supplies to Oropeza Elementary

LBS Financial Credit Union delivered thousands of school supplies to Oropeza Elementary in Long Beach on October 23, 2024.

LBS Financial adopts a different school in Long Beach Unified School District every year and partners with the principal to receive a wish list of items needed for students and classrooms.

Oropeza’s wish list included a variety of items like art supplies, binders, backpacks, crayons, erasers, markers, notebooks, toys and more. During August, LBS Financial promoted a school supply drive and shared Oropeza Elementary’s wish list with credit union members and employees at their Long Beach branch locations. The school supply drive was also featured on their social media and company website. Members and employees donated new school supplies during the month and the credit union also purchased thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies to fulfill the list.

“The teachers and staff of Oropeza School are very grateful to LBS Financial for their generous donation of supplies,” said Principal Edward Garcia, Jr. “These supplies will make a positive difference in the lives of our young learners.”

This is LBS Financial’s fourteenth year of adopting a school in Long Beach Unified School District. LBS Financial also adopted two additional schools in ABC Unified School District and Bellflower Unified School District and delivered their school supplies during the months of September and October.