First Shipment of the COVID-19 Vaccine Arrives at the Los Angeles Jewish Home

Home / News & Events / Newsletter

First Shipment of the COVID-19 Vaccine Arrives at the Los Angeles Jewish Home

Jan 6, 2021

Just before the New Year, after months of heartbreak, worry, illness, and even death—stretching across every country and carried there by an unprecedented pandemic—people were finally given the most precious gift of the holiday season: hope. Weeks ago, the long anticipated news came out that there was emergency authorization for vaccines to beat back COVID-19. On December 30, the first shipments of Moderna's vaccine arrived at the Los Angeles Jewish Home.

Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine received emergency authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Federal and state officials have designated long-term care residents and staff of senior living facilities as priority recipients of the vaccine, further indicating that those who reside or work specifically within skilled nursing areas should be first to receive it. All others living and working at the Jewish Home are expected to receive their first dose of the two-dose regimen within the coming weeks.

First shipment of Moderna vaccine arrives at the Jewish Home.

Noah Marco, MD, the Jewish Home's chief medical officer, says the arrival of these vaccines is an extremely positive development that will save lives. "Efficiently progressing with immunizations of residents and the staff who care for them will help protect the seniors in our care," he says. "Now that we have begun receiving shipments, I encourage everyone eligible to receive the vaccine to do so. Receiving the vaccine is is extremely important both for the individual receiving it and for the greater community."

Dr. Marco acknowledges there will be some initial hesitation about taking the vaccine, but stresses that people should have confidence in the FDA approval process. "The FDA's official sanction is recognized around the world as the gold standard," he says. "In addition, the safety of the vaccine is continually being monitored to ensure even very rare side effects are identified."

Boxes of the COVID-19 vaccine are unwrapped.

There are only four medical reasons someone should not get the COVID-19 vaccine: if they have had a severe allergic reaction to components of the vaccine; if they are already actively sick with COVID-19; if they have received monoclonal antibody or convalescent plasma treatment in the last 90 days; or if they have gotten any potential contradicting vaccine in the last 14 days.

For everyone else, Dr. Marco says, the universal benefits of the vaccine are clear. "The bottom line is that the vaccine has been proven to work," he says. "I've heard from some people asking whether it might not be better to get the virus naturally and to build up immunity that way, and the evidence against this is indisputable: The data show that natural immunity is simply not as good as immunity from the vaccine."

There are other, equally compelling, reasons to get the vaccine. "Healthy people die from COVID-19, and survivors can experience serious and life-changing medical complications that can significantly damage their brain, lungs, and heart," Dr. Marco says.

President and Chief Executive Officer Dale Surowitz receives his vaccine at end of the day to encourage others to roll up their sleeves.

Dr. Marco is also emphatic about why getting the vaccine is the responsible thing to do for the broader community. "We all live together in society, and we have a collective responsibility to protect not just our own lives, but also the lives of people we interact with every day," he says. "By getting the vaccine, we dramatically reduce the chances of a person getting the virus and passing it along to someone else. And that means fewer people will die."

As Dr. Marco sees it, this all adds up to one obvious conclusion: getting vaccinated is the right—and best—thing to do. For that reason, he says, he has been repeating the same phrase over and over to anyone who will listen. "It's my new mantra," he says. "Don't hesitate; vaccinate!"

The timeline for administering the vaccine at the Jewish Home is aggressive, and as always, notes Dale Surowitz, the Home's President and CEO, safety and caution are paramount. "We immunized significant numbers of staff and residents over the New Year's holiday, and plan to complete the majority of first phase vaccinations for skilled nursing staff and skilled nursing residents as quickly as possible during January," he says. "Other residents, patients, and staff will be administered the vaccine as soon as the doses are made available, consistent with federal government phasing requirements."

Jewish Home Resident and Holocaust survivor Edith Frankie receives one of the first doses of the Moderna vaccine at the Home

This is exciting news for Jewish Home residents, who have experienced ongoing challenges throughout the past year as a result of important safety precautions that have limited their interactions with others outside of the Home, including direct contact with their own family members. The wait for a vaccine has been long, yet seniors at the Home have borne it with characteristic grace and resilience.

They have also managed to put it all in perspective. Edith Frankie, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps and a resident at the Jewish Home, says, "This shall pass. People don't like restrictions. Me? I'm used to it. Staying in our rooms is not so hard in comparison."

It is this kind of strong determination that has been on display at the Jewish Home throughout the pandemic. As always, our residents are setting an example for everyone to follow.

Prev Page Next Page

Share

Sign up for the Los Angeles Jewish Health newsletter, Connections.

First Name

Last Name

Email

Recent Articles

Jun 3

Los Angeles Jewish Health Receives Prestigious Certification from the American Heart Association

As the largest single-source senior care provider in the area, Los Angeles Jewish Health is recognized as a distinguished leader in the field committed to making a positive difference in seniors’ lives. The American Heart Association (AHA) recently recognized the quality of care at Los Angeles Jewish Health by awarding the organization its Skilled Nursing Facility Heart Failure Certification. Fewer than 1 percent of nursing facilities nationwide hold this distinction.LAJH is one of the first Jewish facilities to receive this certification, and the first outside New York and New Jersey.“This prestigious recognition reflects the dedication of our healthcare team, who have provided exceptional care for more than 114 years since LAJH’s founding,” says Dale Surowitz, chief executive officer and president of LAJH. “As seniors live longer and their medical challenges grow in complexity, we are proud to be keeping pace, setting national standards for excellence in cardiac care, and in geriatric care more broadly, that are enabling seniors to make the most of their later years.”The certification provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating skilled nursing facilities against the AHA’s rigorous requirements for heart failure care including program management, patient and caregiver education and support, care coordination, clinical management, and clinical improvement.CHF Certification TeamNoah Marco, MD, CMD, LAJH’s chief medical officer, says the organization’s state-of-the-art heart failure management unit continues to demonstrate transformative approaches to care.“Twenty percent of heart failure patients admitted to the hospital are brought back to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. But our unit, by preserving patients’ independence, managing their multiple chronic conditions, and empowering those we serve to meet their goals, has a readmission rate of under 2%,” Dr. Marco says. “The AHA’s certification is a meaningful endorsement of our approach and our impact across Southern California.”Mark Taper Building Administrator Charlette Ofrecio notes that a wide range of factors drive the unit’s success, among them its focus on coordinated compassionate care.“Each of our residents in the unit benefits from a deeply collaborative team including a cardiologist who oversees the program and regularly reviews each resident’s clinical status with our interdisciplinary staff,” Ofrecio says. “Through the combined expertise of pharmacy, dietary, and nursing, along with innovative, noninvasive monitoring technology, we’re able to proactively manage heart failure and provide meaningful education to residents and families for success at home.”Dr. Marco says that, while an unplanned hospitalization is an extremely stressful event in the lives of older adults and their families, LAJH’s heart failure management unit can offer critical peace of mind.“Our staff have the knowledge and expertise necessary to address one of the most challenging chronic diseases that older adults can face,” he says. “Heart failure patients who come to us can rest assured that there is literally nowhere else in our community better equipped to provide the specialized care they need.”

New Sculpture Honors Beloved Los Angeles Jewish Health Donor

When Dr. Rosalyn Heyman passed away in 2021, Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) lost a staunch supporter and dear friend. But she remained dedicated to the organization to the end, leaving a significant bequest to continue advancing its vital mission. To recognize Heyman’s generosity, LAJH commissioned a sculpture in her honor, unveiling the piece last month in a dedication ceremony that celebrated her enduring legacy.The sculpture, entitled “Tanya’s Gift,” is the work of noted local artist Jonathan Bickart, whose installations are on display at UCLA, Griffith Park, and other locations across Los Angeles. Featured prominently on LAJH’s Grancell Village campus between the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center, the Mark Taper Building, and the Schulman Medical Building, the sculpture depicts a young girl sitting atop a stack of books—a tribute to Heyman’s distinguished career as a pioneering figure in the L.A. education landscape.“Rosalyn was an amazing person who made an incredible impact on her community,” says Aaron Levinson, LAJH’s vice president for planned giving. “She started out as a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District, then became one of the district’s first female principals [of Berendo Junior High], and ultimately rose to serve as the district’s assistant superintendent of secondary education.”Levinson says Heyman’s stories of her time at LAUSD were larger than life.“Rosalyn was unbelievably bold and seriously funny,” he recalls. “She used to tell me she wanted to write her memoir and call it Bad Things I Did With Good Results. For instance, when she took over at Berendo, it was the worst-performing school in the district, and there was significant gang activity, with kids storing knives and guns in their lockers. One day, she started cracking down by opening up every locker and confiscating all the weapons. She knew she’d never get official permission to do it, but went ahead anyway, and when I asked her about whether she was worried she would get in trouble, she said, ‘What were the kids or their parents going to say to me: Someone came in and stole my gun?’ Her plan went off without a hitch, and she ended up turning the school around.”Heyman’s professional success was mirrored by her philanthropic achievements. She was involved with numerous charitable causes, but, says her friend and estate attorney, Chuck Tigerman, she had a special affection for Los Angeles Jewish Health.“Rosalyn was a devout agnostic, but she was culturally very Jewish, and proudly so. She lived for a time at Fountainview at Eisenberg Village, and later in her life, as her health deteriorated, she moved to the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center for skilled nursing assistance. She had the resources to go anywhere, but she chose LAJH,” Tigerman said.Following Heyman’s death, LAJH staff commissioned the sculpture in her honor, selecting Bickart and fellow artist Tanya Ragir for the work.“Tanya had a tragic ending because she received an unexpected brain cancer diagnosis, so she wasn’t able to do much on the sculpture, but I discussed it with her and showed her my progress until her death,” Bickart says. “When it was finished, we decided to name the sculpture ‘Tanya’s Gift’ in her memory.”Given Heyman’s passion for education and learning, Bickart incorporated space for a small lending library at the base of the statue, allowing passersby to leave a book for others or to take one for themselves. With a wink to Heyman, Bickart also gave one of the books in the sculpture itself the title she had selected for her own memoir, Bad Things I Did With Good Results.“The sculpture is really beautiful, but more importantly, it captures the spirit of a truly special person,” Levinson says. “We were truly fortunate to have Rosalyn Heyman in our orbit.”To learn more about making bequests to Los Angeles Jewish Health, contact Aaron Levinson at (818) 757-4416 or [email protected].

Los Angeles Jewish Health Earns Rare American Heart Association Certification for Excellence in Heart Failure Care

LAJH is among fewer than 1% of nursing facilities nationwide to earn this designation, and the first Jewish facility outside of NY or NJ LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) has received the American Heart Association’s Skilled Nursing Facility Heart Failure Certification, a distinction held by fewer than 1% of nursing facilities nationwide recognized for excellence in evidence-based heart failure care. LAJH is one of the first Jewish facilities to receive this certification, and the first outside of New York or New Jersey.LAJH is the largest single-source senior care provider in Los Angeles. Across the organization, LAJH serves more than 4,000 seniors each year, including those in skilled nursing facilities who receive 24/7 specialized heart failure care.The certification provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating skilled nursing facilities against the American Heart Association’s rigorous requirements for heart failure care, including program management, patient and caregiver education and support, care coordination, clinical management, and quality improvement.“This prestigious recognition reflects the dedication of our healthcare team, who have provided exceptional care for more than 114 years since LAJH’s founding,” said Dale Surowitz, Chief Executive Officer and President of Los Angeles Jewish Health. “Amid the challenge of a growing number of seniors, we are committed to delivering comprehensive care for all, rooted in our Jewish values.”“Participation in this certification benefits the patient and the facility by standardizing care practices,” said Cory Woods, DNP, MHA, MSN, RN, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association’s Quality Certification Business Management Committee and assistant chief clinical officer at Rockport Healthcare Services in Los Angeles. “When there are clear processes during every phase of care, patients have the best opportunity for positive outcomes.”Dr. Noah Marco, Chief Medical Officer of Los Angeles Jewish Health, added, “Patients with heart failure require specialized, closely coordinated support, and we are proud of the systems we’ve built to provide care that is both effective and compassionate. As our team helps seniors navigate a wide range of cardiac conditions, we continue to innovate and adopt best practices to strengthen patient outcomes. The AHA’s certification is a meaningful endorsement of our approach and our impact across Southern California.” ### Founded in 1912, Los Angeles Jewish Health (formerly Los Angeles Jewish Home) is the largest non-profit, single-source provider of comprehensive senior healthcare services in the Los Angeles area, serving nearly 4,000 people each year. At Los Angeles Jewish Health, thousands of seniors benefit from community-based and in-residence care and services. Programs include independent living; assisted living; senior behavioral health; short-term rehabilitation; skilled nursing; Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE; and geriatric and memory care. Los Angeles Jewish Health is also home to the Annenberg School of Nursing.