Executive Director Dede Rossi To Leave Belmont Shore Business Association

Dede Rossi, who has served as executive director of the Belmont Shore Business Association for a decade, announced Tuesday that she will be leaving her position at the head of the business improvement district. “Making this decision has been difficult, as working in Belmont Shore has been a fun, positive and rewarding experience,” she said in a statement announcing her departure. “I have gained much here and have enjoyed working with all of you, but you will see me often as I will be in the shore as a customer for a long time.” Rossi noted that she will be assisting the association in its search for her replacement.

 

Long Beach Health Department Monitoring Coronavirus Outbreak

Following the first identified case of a new coronavirus in the U.S., the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it is “closely monitoring” the outbreak. Termed 2019-nCov, the virus originated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, with the country reporting hundreds of cases since December, including six deaths. On Tuesday, the first U.S. case was reported in Washington State. Coronaviruses affect the respiratory system and may cause fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, according to HHS. Severe cases may lead to pneumonia and – in rare cases – death, the department added. There is currently no treatment for coronaviruses. Transmission occurs through coughing and sneezing, close contact with an infected person, or touching surfaces or objects recently touched by an infected person. “While the threat of 2019-nCoV in Long Beach remains low, [HSS] is closely monitoring the situation and is in constant communication with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, local hospital emergency departments, urgent care centers and local providers to obtain and provide the most updated guidance,” the department stated.

 

Long Beach Medical Center Recruits World-Renowned Heart Surgeons

MemorialCare has recruited two renowned cardiovascular surgeons to join the healthcare provider’s heart and vascular institutes at Long Beach Medical Center and Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills. Dr. Marc Sakwa was hired as the system chief of cardiovascular surgery for the Long Beach Medical Center Heart & Vascular Institute. He will also serve as medical director of adult cardiovascular surgery at the hospital. Dr. Jeffrey Altshuler joins Dr. Sakwa in performing surgeries at Long Beach Medical Center, but will also serve as medical director of cardiovascular surgery at Saddleback Medical Center. “Dr. Sakwa and Dr. Altshuler are globally recognized for performing thousands of minimally invasive open-heart valve surgeries – among the largest number of these advanced procedures available only at a limited number of hospitals,” the press release noted. After adding the two specialists to its team of surgeons, MemorialCare will now be able to offer aortic and mitral valve heart surgery with two- to three-inch incisions in the chest instead of the six- to eight-inch wider incisions through the breastbone required with traditional open-heart surgery. “The addition of minimally invasive heart valve surgery without the need to open up the sternum means younger patients with valve disease may now be treated at an earlier age and elderly patients considered high-surgical risks for heart surgery can also take advantage of less invasive techniques,” Dr. Altshuler explained.

 

Long Beach Among Most Diverse Large Cities In U.S., Study Says

Long Beach ranks as the 5th-most diverse of the 66 largest cities in the United States, according to a study by U.S. News & World Report. Using U.S. census data, the study examined cities with populations of 300,000 or more using a diversity score developed by Philip Meyer of the University of North Carolina and Shawn McIntosh of USA Today in 1991. Stockton, Oakland, Sacramento and New York City where the only cities to surpass Long Beach in the ranking. California dominated the top 10, claiming seven slots, including San Jose in 6th, Los Angeles in 8th and Fresno in 9th position. The other top cities are Houston and Chicago. According to the report, 70% of cities had a higher diversity index score in 2018 than in 2010. “The U.S. is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, and those patterns tend to be magnified in cities,” Mark Mather, a demographer with the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau, said. The least racially diverse cities include El Paso; Detroit; Lexington, Kentucky; Portland; Louisville; Pittsburg; Omaha; Memphis; Colorado Springs; and Corpus Christi, Texas.