Helping Seniors and Communities Thrive

Jan 18, 2023

Compassionate senior care is key at Los Angeles Jewish Health, where caring healthcare teams keep communities happy, healthy, and well.

Having the right help is crucial when caring for older adults, ensuring each individual is treated with compassion and respect. That’s why Los Angeles Jewish Health’s top-tier healthcare professionals treat our seniors like family.

Formerly the Los Angeles Jewish Home, Los Angeles Jewish Health was founded over a century ago on a simple act of care and compassion. “Our story began in 1912 when a small group of neighbors gave shelter to five homeless Jewish men during Passover holiday,” says Dale Surowitz, CEO and president. “Our founder Simon Lewis recognized a vital opportunity to provide respite and resources to the community, and that remains our commitment today.”

Now the largest nonprofit, single-source senior healthcare provider in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Jewish Health is a leading name in comprehensive senior living and care. From adult day care activities and residential living to short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing, the award-winning organization serves more than 4,000 seniors throughout Greater Los Angeles.

“I’m proud of the best-in-class care we provide to the community. Without organizations like ours, we know many seniors would go without,” Surowitz says. “We have a long-standing reputation of delivering excellence in care and services for vulnerable members of the community who need us the most, especially seniors living near or below the poverty line.”

The nonprofit is funded in part with government support as well as a dynamic network of support groups, individuals, corporations, and foundations. Los Angeles Jewish Health is a vital community resource for all, rooted in Jewish values. Charity, quality, dignity, and fiscal responsibility drive programs and care designed to help seniors thrive.

“We take a holistic approach to healthy aging focused on mind, body, and spirit,” says Surowitz. “That starts with comprehensive care tailored to support seniors’ physical and mental health.”

Enhancing Health and Longevity
“Many seniors live in settings that don’t offer the socialization they need,” Surowitz says. “Caring for psychological needs is an important part of helping seniors keep happy, healthy, and well, so we offer a variety of programs that do just that.”

Among those are music therapy, pet therapy, and intergenerational volunteer programming that brings children and seniors together. With a growing list of activities, classes, and clubs, there’s something for everyone at Los Angeles Jewish Health.

“Our responsibility goes beyond just providing care. We’re committed to providing every senior their highest quality of life possible,” says Surowitz.

At Los Angeles Jewish Health, a broad spectrum of in-residence and community-based services ensure healthcare needs are met and help patients remain independent and active for as long as possible. Across the campuses, compassionate physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and therapists deliver personalized care that supports the individualized needs of those they care for each day.

“We’re there each step of the way as care needs increase, whether patients reside at home or on one of our campuses,” Surowitz says. With two independent living campuses, state-of-the-art assisted living centers, and multiple skilled nursing facilities, Los Angeles Jewish Health provides in-residence options that meet the diverse needs of residents and patients.

“Other vital services that reach out to the community include palliative medicine, hospice, dementia care, and short-term rehabilitation. Additionally, the all-inclusive Brandman Centers for Senior Care provide a myriad of coordinated services and care management to our participants, all designed to enhance longevity and quality of life,” adds Surowitz.

“From senior housing to short-term nursing facilities, we care for over 1,000 adults on-site. Now, we’re expanding our services throughout the community to help seniors stay safe, productive, and happy at home, which remarkably reduces hospitalizations,” he continues.

That’s one reason why the health system recently rebranded to Los Angeles Jewish Health, a name that better reflects its broad spectrum of senior healthcare services. And with the senior population anticipated to double over the next two decades, the timing couldn’t be better.

“Our goal is to continue providing outstanding services across our campuses while reaching deeper into our communities,” Surowitz says. “Many seniors want to enjoy their golden years at home, and our programs allow them to age in place while enhancing their quality of life with services designed to keep them healthy.”

Compassionate Care and Respect
Behind Los Angeles Jewish Health’s centurylong legacy is a tenured team committed to compassionate patient care. “The word ‘mitzvah’ in Hebrew represents a responsibility to care for others, and we take that very seriously,” says Surowitz. “As seniors age, they aren’t always afforded the dignity and respect they deserve. We bend over backward to provide that. It really is heartening to see our staff treat residents like family.”

Located at Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Hirsch Family Campus, the Annenberg School of Nursing instills that passion in the next generation of healthcare providers. At this
award-winning nursing school, the one-of-a kind program combines a comprehensive curriculum with hands-on clinical experience. Altogether, the school graduates roughly 150 vocational nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, and home health aides each year and often hires alums to work across Los Angeles Jewish Health’s campuses.

“Many of our students come from underprivileged backgrounds,” Surowitz says. “Our programs provide the education they need to advance while also providing vital medical care throughout underserved communities.”

As Los Angeles Jewish Health evolves, the organization plans to expand educational opportunities and programs, yet its dedication to patients remains unchanged. “We’re committed to continuing to deliver the high level of care and services the community has come to know us for, especially as we grow,” says Surowitz. “That’s our hallmark. It’s who we are—and who we’ll always be.”

Los Angeles Jewish Health Article in Good Housekeeping

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Latest News

Jun 3

Los Angeles Jewish Health Awarded $28 Million From California Department of Health Care Services

Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) has long worked in close partnership with the state of California in helping to set the standard for comprehensive senior care. This spring, California Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced an extension of this work by awarding LAJH $28 million to support the expansion of inpatient behavioral health services.The grant is funded through Proposition 1, a bond initiative passed by voters in 2024 to establish the state’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP). The award to LAJH is a vital step in addressing California’s growing senior behavioral health crisis at a time of intensifying need: California’ senior population is projected to double by 2040, and with it, the number of older adults experiencing behavioral health challenges (particularly those who are low-income, medically complex, or socially isolated) is rising sharply.This funding will support the expansion of inpatient behavioral health services for seniors“This grant is a transformational investment in improving the mental health of our community’s seniors, empowering us to expand access to high-quality, compassionate inpatient care for seniors in acute psychiatric distress,” said LAJH President and CEO Dale Surowitz. “We are tremendously proud of our past successes meeting seniors’ most critical healthcare needs, and we look forward to extending that track record of achievement in ways that will strengthen the fabric of our entire community.”Governor Newsom underscored the importance of Proposition 1 in his remarks announcing the awards.“Californians demanded swift action to address our state’s behavioral health crisis when they voted for Prop 1 in March 2024…and we’re delivering our biggest win yet,” he said. “Whether it’s crisis stabilization, inpatient services, or long-term treatment, we’re ensuring that individuals can access the right care at the right time.”This funding is part of California’s broader strategy to modernize the behavioral health system—increasing transparency, broadening access, and building the infrastructure necessary to provide a full continuum of care for individuals living with mental illness and substance use disorders. Through Proposition 1 and BHCIP, the state aims to create more than 6,800 new residential treatment beds and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots, addressing urgent gaps in care across every region of California.“Our seniors require the very best mental health care possible,” Dale said, “and this new grant helps ensure we will continue to deliver the care and compassion they deserve.”The expansion will take place in the Mark Taper Building on the Grancell Village campus

Los Angeles Jewish Health Teams With USC on Groundbreaking New Study Featuring the Popular Mediterranean Diet

Extensive scientific research continues to demonstrate the medical benefits of healthy eating. A new collaboration between Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) and the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology (USC) is deepening that body of evidence with a study looking at the effects of diet on older adults who reside in a senior living facility.USC Associate Professor Roberto Vicinanza, MD, PhD, a noted specialist in geriatric medicine, led the eight-week study, which was designed to gauge the impact of a modified Mediterranean diet on LAJH residents’ health. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based, whole foods, including those from all five food groups. Featured in the diet are select fruits and vegetables; fish, lentils, and beans for protein, while limiting red meat and poultry; nuts and olive oil, which provide healthy fats; and opting for whole versus refined grains. “The Mediterranean diet and its health effects are well documented, but older adults are often overlooked,” Dr. Vicinanza says. “To design this dietary intervention, I was inspired by the traditional eating habits of a long-lived community in southern Italy known as Cilento—a longevity hotspot that I have explored extensively in the last three years. Based on this experience, in our study we adjusted the Mediterranean diet to meet the unique needs and limitations of older adults, many of whom experience challenges in the digestion of certain foods.”LAJH residents enrolled in the study ate their meals together to help foster a sense of community. In addition, they increased their physical exercise, incorporating activities like walking into their daily routines.LAJH Residents Participated in the Mediterranean Diet StudyAccording to Noah Marco, MD, LAJH’s chief medical officer and executive director of the Brandman Research Institute, researchers evaluated study participants based on three core components measured prior to the introduction of the diet: their ability to walk, their muscle strength, and their biological markers of health as indicated through blood tests. Results are still pending, but Dr. Marco notes that preliminary data are highly encouraging.“We wanted to know, going into the study, whether someone in their later stages of life could, by modifying their diet and adding a little exercise, change markers of longevity, frailty, and health, even in a short period of time,” Dr. Marco says. “Based on our findings, the answer is clearly ‘yes!’”He points to one example as anecdotal evidence of the study’s success.“We had a participant who has been diabetic most of her adult life; for 20 years, she was on three different medications. As a result of this study, she now has better control of her disease and is down to one medicine,” he says. “We saw lots of things like this: improvement in people’s cholesterol and blood sugar levels, significant weight loss, weight gain in one instance where the resident needed it. The benefits were clear.”Some of these benefits seem to have stemmed from the study’s social aspects, Dr. Vicinanza says.“Seniors sometimes feel isolated and lonely,” he says. “But we saw something amazing during the study, which was that participants were supporting and encouraging each other, which provided a sense of community and purpose—both things that have been associated with longevity.”LAJH resident Marcia Mass, 83, was one of the study’s enthusiastic participants. She says it has transformed her physical health.“I’ve lost weight, and I feel better—more energized and alert,” she says. “I play a word game on the computer, and before the diet, I was getting to level 15 or 20. Now, I’m at level 64! Everything seems easier.”LAJH resident Marcia Mass (center) receives a certificate of completion, with Noah Marco, MD (left), LAJH Chief Medical Officer, and USC Associate Professor Roberto Vicinanza, MD, PhDThe study was made possible through generous funding from the Anita and William Jeung Estate Research Grant and the Simon Nutrition and Alzheimer’s Research Fund.In addition to Dr. Marco and Dr. Vicinanza, other key investigators from the USC School of Gerontology included Pinchas Cohen, MD, dean of the school, for the aging biomarkers; Cary Kreutzer, EdD, RDN, who played a critical role in developing tools to improve diet adherence; Julie Pollard, a part-time lecturer, who helped establish protocols for physical activity; and Adam Hughes, Shirley Liu, and Chiara Pomari—students from USC’s Master of Science in Nutrition, Healthspan, and Longevity Program—who served as study coordinators.Once the study’s results have been finalized, Dr. Marco and Dr. Vicinanza hope to replicate it with a larger cohort of residents.“We’ll be applying for a grant from the National Institutes of Health, and we think this falls directly in line with its priorities: leveraging lifestyle changes to increase health dramatically among seniors while potentially reducing costs,” Dr. Marco says. “It’s win-win!” Sample food eaten during studyDuring the study, residents complete a form following mealsUSC and LAJH worked together to complete the studyResearchers made sure residents were well informed during the study

Los Angeles Jewish Health Awarded $28 Million from California Department of Health Care Services

Major Investment Will Dramatically Expand Inpatient Mental Health Services for Seniors in Need (LOS ANGELES, CA – May 15, 2025) — As one of California’s leading providers of coordinated senior health services, Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJHealth) is proud to announce it has been awarded $28 million by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) as part of Proposition 1’s Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 1: Launch Ready initiative. The funding, announced by Governor Gavin Newsom, is part of an historic $3.3 billion investment in behavioral health infrastructure, supporting 124 projects statewide.At LAJHealth, this funding will support the expansion of inpatient behavioral health services for seniors, a critical step in addressing California’s growing senior behavioral health crisis. This expansion comes at a time of intensifying need. California’s senior population is projected to double by 2040, and with it, the number of older adults experiencing behavioral health challenges—particularly those who are low-income, medically complex, or socially isolated—is rising sharply.“California is facing a senior behavioral health crisis,” said Dale Surowitz, President and CEO of Los Angeles Jewish Health. “This transformative investment allows us to act urgently and proactively by expanding access to high-quality, compassionate inpatient care for seniors in acute psychiatric distress. We are deeply grateful to Governor Newsom and DHCS for recognizing the urgency of this need and investing in a more sustainable, responsive future for our aging population.”Governor Newsom underscored the importance of Proposition 1 in his remarks announcing the awards:“Californians demanded swift action to address our state’s behavioral health crisis when they voted for Prop 1 in March 2024. Today, we’re delivering our biggest win yet. Whether it’s crisis stabilization, inpatient services, or long-term treatment, we’re ensuring that individuals can access the right care at the right time.”This funding is part of California’s broader strategy to modernize the behavioral health system—increasing transparency, expanding access, and building the infrastructure necessary to provide a full continuum of care for individuals living with mental illness and substance use disorders.Through Proposition 1 and BHCIP, the state aims to create more than 6,800 new residential treatment beds and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots, addressing urgent gaps in care across every region of California.