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Young & Healthy’s Oktoberfest Gala Is Oct. 2

Photo by Keira Wight / OUTLOOK
Young & Healthy Board President Sandy Roberts, Executive Director Mary Donnelly-Crocker, 2020 honoree Allison Dietrick and Carrie Walker are pictured at last year’s Young & Healthy gala. This year’s annual fundraiser, a virtual event, will be livestreamed on Friday, Oct. 2.

Young & Healthy, the Pasadena-area nonprofit, is putting a German twist on its gala. The annual fundraiser on Friday evening, Oct. 2, will have an Oktoberfest theme.
“We have reimagined our event, which will consist of contact-free delivery of a delicious German dinner and a virtual family-friendly, livestreamed fundraising program to enjoy in the comfort of your home,” an event spokesperson said.
Young & Healthy’s mission is to provide access to high-quality health care for uninsured and underserved children and families, and to improve the quality of life for all children in the Greater Pasadena area through prevention, education and enhanced health care services. Since the organization’s founding in 1989, Young & Healthy has provided $22,087,680 in volunteer medical services, cared for 27,702 patients, and currently boasts 330 volunteer medical professionals.
Continue reading “Young & Healthy’s Oktoberfest Gala Is Oct. 2”

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Huntington Hospital CEO Addresses Community

Dr. Lori J. Morgan

By Dr. Lori J. Morgan
Special to the Outlook

Given all that our community – and state, nation and world – has been through over the past couple of months, I wanted to share some of the remarkable stories about Huntington and our greater community that have emerged from everyone’s heroic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I also want to highlight some of what we are planning in the future. While this pandemic continues to impact the hospital, the health of our community and our daily lives, I want to assure everyone that Huntington Hospital is well prepared to serve all of you safely through these challenging times. Continue reading “Huntington Hospital CEO Addresses Community”

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Fighting Pandemic ‘What We Signed Up For’

San Marino resident Dr. Madhu Anvekar, second from right, leads Huntington Hospital’s medical and administrative response to the COVID pandemic. Dhilan Anvekar (from left), Dr. Alexis Anvekar, Jayan Anvekar, Dr. Madhu Anvekar and Leela Anvekar.

These days, Dr. Madhu Anvekar spends about as much time at Huntington Hospital as he does in his San Marino home.
Even when he is able to get a few hours away from the hospital, that doesn’t mean he can spend substantial time with his family.
“Actually, this last week is the first time in quite a while that I have been able to see them,” said Anvekar, as he prepared for another in an endless line of shifts.
Trained in internal medicine, Anvekar is director of the hospital medicine program at Huntington, where he and his team of 12 are charged with caring for every COVID-19 patient in the hospital, excepting those in the intensive care unit. Concurrently, he serves on the COVID-19 response team, assisting in devising strategies to implement the massive administrative changes and planning necessary to address the pandemic. Continue reading “Fighting Pandemic ‘What We Signed Up For’”

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Local Business Pair Donate $50k, Urge Others to Join Effort

As the grim reality of an unraveling economy begins to grip Pasadena, with nearly 20 million Americans filing for unemployment aid since coronavirus precautions have shut down businesses, many local nonprofit organizations have been scrambling to put emergency services into place and ramp up operations to meet the rise in needs, from food insecurity to homelessness to social services.
Continue reading “Local Business Pair Donate $50k, Urge Others to Join Effort”

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City Urges Face Masks, Social Distancing as COVID-19 Cases Grow

With a dramatic rise among Pasadena residents testing positive for COVID-19 this week — totaling 179 cases and 12 deaths associated with the disease as of Tuesday — city officials said they are monitoring social distancing and the use of face masks to try and slow the spread of the virus, as well as continuing to plan for alternate care sites if necessary.
About 47.5% of the confirmed COVID-19 cases were among Pasadena residents 60 years and younger. All the fatalities were of people between 49 and 93 years old, and were associated with long-term care facilities as residents or employees, and had underlying health conditions, the city said in a statement.
Continue reading “City Urges Face Masks, Social Distancing as COVID-19 Cases Grow”

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Restaurants Help ‘Food For First Responders’ Deliver Meals to Urgent Care Workers

The Food for First Responders Program bought lunch from Pasadena Sandwich Company for Exer Urgent Care’s staff.

A contingent of popular Pasadena restaurants are providing food in supporting workers on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 in the Chamber of Commerce’s Food For First Responders Program.
“Through the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Foundation, we have raised money to deliver food to Exer Urgent Care in East Pasadena and have arranged for some of our local restaurants to provide take-out for critical care workers assisting COVID-19 patients at Huntington Hospital,” said Pasadena Chamber CEO Paul Little. “We are happy to do a little something for the healthcare workers who do so much to keep us all safe and healthy.”
Beginning two weeks ago, Pasadena Sandwich Company and Raffi’s Catering and Banquet began delivering food to Exer Urgent Care. Exer works with Huntington Hospital to relieve the strain on emergency room personnel by providing non-life threatening urgent care services.
This past weekend, Food For First Responders is beginning the take-out program for Huntington Hospital’s critical care workers in partnership with Parkway Grill, Mijares Mexican Restaurant, Mi Piace, Green Street Restaurant, El Portal and Bistro 45.
“People and organizations in the Pasadena area are incredibly generous,” Little said. “They want to provide help and support for the people doing the front-line work and this was one way they could help. They also want to support our local restaurants as they struggle to remain open. We’re very grateful to all the donors and will continue the effort until the ‘Safer at Home’ orders are lifted and our critical care workers and first responders are no longer dealing with coronavirus patients.”

Huntington Hospital critical care workers receive take-out meals at Mi Piace courtesy of Food for First Responders.

To donate, visit pasadenayouthworks.org and click on the link to donate to Food for First Responders. People can also send check to Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Foundation at 44 North Mentor Avenue, Pasadena, 91106. “One hundred percent of money collected will be used to purchase and deliver food to local emergency rooms as well as first responders and those staffing urgent care centers here in Pasadena,” Little said. “We encourage people to donate as much or as little as they can afford.”

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Schiff Honors LCF’s Weber as Woman of the Year

OUTLOOK file photo
Congressman Adam Schiff recently named Barbara Weber, shown with her husband, Bill, as one of the 2020 Women of the Year honorees.

Congressman Adam Schiff has named La Cañada Flintridge resident Barbara Weber as one of the “2020 Women of the Year,” an annual tradition to recognize inspiring women throughout local communities in the 28th Congressional District during Women’s History Month in March.
Weber was one of 15 women honored for her extensive volunteer work in the community, including serving on the boards of several La Cañada Flintridge Parent-Teacher Associations, as well as a classroom volunteer at Paradise Canyon Elementary School. She also has actively volunteered at Huntington Hospital, the Assistance League of Flintridge, and Caltech Women’s Club.
Typically, the women are honored with a celebratory luncheon, but due to the coronavirus pandemic this year, Schiff gave an online Facebook speech to sing their praises.
“Every year in March, in honor of Women’s History Month, my office hosts an event to honor our district’s Women of the Year,” Schiff said. “Unfortunately, we had to postpone our celebration due to coronavirus, but I wanted to make sure these outstanding women get the recognition they deserve. They are all pillars of our communities and I thank them for their invaluable service.”

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City Preps For Possible COVID-19 Surge Amid Somber Meeting

The city of Pasadena, in partnership with Huntington Hospital and the Pasadena Convention Center, launched an alternate medical care facility recently to be used only if the hospital surpasses capacity for COVID-19 patients.

Pasadena officials convened the special City Council meeting this week in somber recognition of the growing personal toll on the community as confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue rising at an alarming rate.
Mayor Terry Tornek initiated a moment of silence after officials recited the customary Pledge of Allegiance.
“I ask that we all take a moment to reflect on the extraordinarily difficult circumstances that we are facing as a community today,” he said. “Also, that we share the grief and the pain that we have suffered due to death and illness in Pasadena and our nation and around the world. Please call upon whatever spiritual strength you can summon to comfort and support others and to hope for an early end to this terrible time.” Continue reading “City Preps For Possible COVID-19 Surge Amid Somber Meeting”