The Shortest Distance Between Two Points

Home / News & Events / Newsletter

The Shortest Distance Between Two Points

Mar 2, 2015

Prior to 1816, it was common practice for doctors to place their ears to the chests of patients to detect the workings of hearts, lungs, and other organs. That year, French physician Dr. Rene Laennec, who was uncomfortable placing his ear against the chest of a young female patient, invented the first stethoscope. Laennec's stethoscope was around 12 inches long, but over time, the instrument's tubing grew in length. In the 1830's the flexible monaural stethoscope was introduced. It was around 16 inches long. Then in 1852, George Camman introduced the first binaural (for two ears) stethoscope, which was around 20 inches. Today's stethoscopes are up to 30 inches long. Born of one physician's modesty, the most widely-used medical instrument has become symbolic of the increasing distance between patients and their doctors.

In the 20th century, many other tools were created to help clinicians assess the workings of their patients' internal organs without having to be near them — cardiac rhythm monitors, echocardiograms, CT, and MRI machines, to name a few. Now, in the 21st century, doctors and nurses routinely obtain data on their patients via the Internet, and can do so from virtually anywhere in the world.

The words medical professionals use also reflect the diminishing connection between patients and their caregivers. The comedian George Carlin made this issue the focus of a popular routine. He noted that, in WWI, we used the words "Shell Shock" to describe traumatic reaction to the experience of battle. In WWII, the condition came to be called "Combat Fatigue." In the Korean Conflict, it was known as "Operational Exhaustion." Most recently, as a result of the war in Vietnam, the same phenomenon is called "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Each of the phrases described the same condition. With time, however, they grew longer and more clinical, eventually becoming utterly devoid of emotional content. The increase in syllables had the effect of insulating caregivers and other civilians from the unpleasant reality of our soliders' suffering, but the result has been to put more distance between clinicians and the people who need their help.

The gap between patients' expectations and the care they receive is also growing, as is the difference between the ideals of health care professionals and the reality of day-to-day practice.

One remedy for the disturbing trend we've identified is for clinicians and their patients to take every opportunity in their interactions to close the space that's grown between them.

We can all reduce that space — physically, verbally and figuratively. Figuratively speaking, we can bring our ears closer to each other's chests so that we may hear each other's "hearts." Doctors can do that by taking the time to listen to patients' concerns and personal stories, any one of which may contribute significantly to their current condition. Listening to patients and their families can help guide clinicians to more successful decisions and long-term outcomes. Therefore, it is important for patients and their families to share their stories and what is important to them with their doctors and nurses.

Sometimes the origin of a word or a literal translation can lead us to surprising insights and metaphorical wisdom. The word stethoscope comes from the Greek "stethos" or breast, and "scope," to look at or see, which taken together can be interpreted as, "I see your heart." This simple phrase is the core of all successful medicine and a wonderful prescription for wise care amid the rapidly evolving world of medical science and caregiving.

In the months ahead, I look forward to sharing some of the remarkable stories I've heard from the community that is the Los Angeles Jewish Home. In doing so, I hope to make it easier for you to see the hearts of the dedicated professionals who have been entrusted with the care of a remarkable group of people who are the residents of the Home.

Noah Marco, M.D.
CMO
Los Angeles Jewish Home

Prev Page Next Page

Share

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

First Name

Last Name

Email

Recent Articles

Aug 6

Los Angeles Jewish Health Welcomes Rabbi Marc Kraus

For new Los Angeles Jewish Health rabbi Marc Kraus, there’s something special about working in a residential community.“So many rabbis only have a chance to engage with their communities weekly, monthly, or even annually when they come to synagogue. But, at Los Angeles Jewish Health, I get to see people every day and to develop deep pastoral connections with them,” he says. “Finding this job was a dream come true.”Rabbi Kraus arrived at LAJH this summer as campus rabbi for Eisenberg Village, joining Rabbi Karen Bender, who serves as the organization’s chief mission officer. In his brief tenure, he has already gotten the flavor of what makes LAJH’s community unique.“It’s so wonderful to be part of this huge village in the middle of Reseda,” he says. “I’ve been breaking bread with residents at every meal, getting to know them and seeing just how beautiful Jewish life here really is. I feel so incredibly welcomed.”Rabbi Marc KrausA native of London, Rabbi Kraus has been in the U.S. since 2010. After completing his undergraduate degree in Hebrew literature at Oxford, he received his rabbinic ordination from American Jewish University and a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from William & Mary. Over the course of his professional career, Rabbi Kraus has served as both a pulpit rabbi and a licensed marriage and family therapist.“I’m a spiritual seeker, an academic, and a therapist,” he says. “I believe my diverse experience—whether it was facilitating Orthodox Jewish holiday services in England as a teenager, spending time at an egalitarian yeshiva in Jerusalem, tending to a Conservative synagogue congregation in Virginia, or logging thousands of hours as a marriage and family counselor—has prepared me well to provide LAJH residents with pastoral services that help them find meaning in their everyday lives.”Avoiding denominational labels is central to Rabbi Kraus’ rabbinic approach. “I see myself as a facilitator of people’s Jewish journeys, no matter where they’re coming from,” he says. “I think there is a lot of wisdom in every denomination, and my goal is to meet LAJH residents where they are—recognizing where they’re coming from and adapting accordingly. Ultimately, I want to help people connect with their spirituality in whatever way is most resonant for them.”Singing is another of Rabbi Kraus’ key areas of focus. “Music is such a powerful way to bring people together. As a vocalist, I feel being able to sing is a gift—and being able to share that gift with others is blessing,” he says.Rabbi Bender notes that the many blessings Rabbi Kraus brings are being felt by LAJH residents far and wide. “It is a mitzvah to ‘find yourself a rabbi,’ and we feel truly blessed to have found Rabbi Kraus—and even more so that he has chosen to join the LAJH family,” she says. “He is a gifted scholar, a soulful singer, and a deeply compassionate pastoral presence. In just his first month, he has already inspired minds and touched hearts across our community. We are profoundly grateful to welcome him as the rabbi for both Eisenberg Village and Fountainview at Eisenberg Village.”In the coming weeks and months, Rabbi Kraus looks forward to meeting as many members of the LAJH family as possible. His energy and enthusiasm are nothing short of infectious.“I was overjoyed on the day I started at LAJH,” he says, “and my excitement has only grown every day since.”Rabbi Kraus speaks to residents of the Newman Building

Breaking New Ground On Safe and Effective Reductions in Medication Use

Each year, millions of people in this country are helped by psychotropic medications—drugs that affect the mind, emotions, and behavior and that can play an important positive role in regulating mental health. These medications can be life-changing. They also carry serious risks and dangerous consequences, particularly for older adults.Despite their potential danger, psychotropic drugs (including a class known as anti-psychotics) are often prescribed for older adults, including those residing in long-term care facilities and especially those with dementia. Government and other health regulators require nursing homes to report data on the number of residents they serve that are on anti-psychotics, and the numbers in many facilities across the county show widespread use.An important initiative at Los Angeles Jewish Health is addressing this issue head-on and is implementing innovative ways to reduce seniors on psychotropic drugs while improving their overall health. Thanks to a close collaboration between doctors with expertise in geriatrics, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers at LAJH, residents are increasingly showing dramatic health improvements—and even thriving—without these risky medications.“The use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes in the U.S. is a significant problem,” says Noah Marco, MD, CMD, LAJH’s chief medical officer. “For residents with dementia, the instinct to prescribe the drugs is perhaps understandable: They often exhibit behaviors that are difficult to manage with non-medication treatments, a challenge complicated by the lack of FDA- and insurance-approved medications for the agitation caused by Alzheimer’s dementia.”Aida Oganesyan. Dr. Noah Marco, Ilana SpringerTo address this challenge, LAJH has created a new process, bringing an interdisciplinary team together on a monthly basis to review the cases of residents who are on psychotropics and to identify safe and effective ways to reduce or eliminate the use of the drugs for those individuals. The protocol is yielding impressive results.“Thanks to the dedicated and compassionate clinicians and staff at LAJH, we’ve achieved a 49% reduction of anti-psychotic medication use from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2025,” Dr. Marco says. “The new numbers put us well below the state average for usage rates—and we accomplished this without increasing prescriptions of other psychotropic medications.”The LAJH teams’ strategy has been driven by a focus on seeking alternate treatments tailored to the individual needs of each specific resident.“We’re working to put gradual dose reductions in place, prioritizing non-pharmacological interventions to support residents’ wellbeing instead of medications,” says Ilana Springer, LAJH’s senior vice president of In-Residence Services. “Often, that translates to learning what kind of activities might prove triggering to a resident and then finding other, more soothing activities to help them feel better.”According to Aida Oganesyan, director of the LAJH pharmacy, this kind of customized care has been critical to the new initiative’s success.“We reduce anti-psychotic medications on a case-by-case basis—and we only do it in concert with providing substantial support for each resident,” Aida says. “By being extremely measured in our approach and providing patient-centered care, we ensure that we’re only tapering residents from these drugs when they truly don’t need them.”Of course, this level of individualized care comes at a cost—one that is made manageable thanks to support from LAJH’s generous donor community.“We could not be doing this without help from our donors, whose contributions allow us to have a higher nurse-to-resident ratio than many nursing homes,” Dr. Marco says. “The additional staff—as well as the many volunteers, residents’ paid companions, and family members who sit with our dementia residents and keep them safe and calm—are far more effective than any medication.”

Los Angeles Jewish Health Welcomes New Chief Information Officer

Rey Lopez brings experience and community commitment to improving local seniorsʼ lives (RESEDA, CA – July 8, 2025) Los Angeles Jewish Health announced the appointment of Rey Lopez as its chief information officer. Lopez arrives at LAJH with two decades of experience strengthening information technology (IT) infrastructure in the medical field to enhance the delivery of high-quality patient care. Central to Lopezʼs portfolio at LAJH is building technology and business solutions to help the organization grow, to assist its employees to be more efficient in their jobs, and to safeguard residentsʼ health and wellbeing by protecting their sensitive personal health information and data.“Whether itʼs securing electronic health records, streamlining our payroll systems, or reducing cost and boosting the performance of our data reporting systems, there are so many ways we can harness technology to be more nimble and to provide LAJH stakeholders with new pathways to success,” Lopez said. LAJH Chief Information Officer Rey LopezLopez joins the LAJH leadership team at a critical time in the healthcare industry, as emerging technologies play a growing role in the provision of vital care and as concerns around protecting data privacy continue to require best practices in the field. His knowledge and expertise will help drive LAJHʼs strategic approach to effective data management. “We are pleased to welcome Rey as a member of the LAJH family,” said Dale Surowitz, LAJH CEO and president. “His commitment to safeguarding the health and privacy of our residents makes him a perfect addition to our leadership team.” Lopez arrives at LAJH after a long tenure as CIO at Kern Medical in Bakersfield and, before that, as Director of Information Systems, St. Joseph Medical Center at Providence Health & Services in Burbank. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, he attended California State University, Northridge, graduating with a degree in business administration and management information systems. It was as a small business owner in the late 1990s—based in Encino, he consulted on issues related to workerʼs compensation—that Lopez developed an interest in pursuing a healthcare career. His new position at LAJH further deepens his connection to the San Fernando Valley, where he currently resides. “Iʼm so happy to be working in the Valley again, contributing to the community that I love,” Rey says. “Through LAJH, I look forward to helping make it an even better—and healthier—place to live.”