October 6, 2022

National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month 

October is National Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Month. As a recipient of the Drug-Free Communities grant, the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth Coalition seeks to raise awareness throughout the month with information and resources that will educate our students, families and school community.

With the recent alerts released by the California Department of Public Health on rainbow Fentanyl and the Los Angeles Department of Public Health regarding local overdose deaths caused by counterfeit narcotic pills, Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) and the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth Coalition would like to encourage parents and guardians to use the attached factsheet from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and resources provided below to engage in open conversations with adolescents about the rise of this concerning trend. 

Resources 

1. Visit www.bchd.org/resources for health-related information and referrals or call BCHD’s Youth Wellbeing Line at (310) 374-3426 and press option 2, Monday – Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 
2. South Bay Families Connected: The South Bay Families Connected Opioid Awareness project, launched in 2017, aims to reduce the stigma that surrounds opioid addiction by increasing community-wide awareness that opioid abuse, addiction and accidental overdose can happen even in the most supportive families, and to the most loved and inspiring youth. In 2020, the project expanded to include Fentanyl overdose and poisoning education and prevention.
3. Teen Program: Torrance Memorial’s Thelma McMillen center offers an affordable, comprehensive and personalized outpatient program for teens ages 13 to 17. 
4. Partnership to End Addiction: The nation’s leading organization dedicated to addiction prevention, treatment and recovery. 
5. Freedom4U: Freedom4U helps identify, develop and release the potential of youth into their life purpose by offering peer-driven healthy activities such as creative arts, life skills, service projects and leadership opportunities to youth in the South Bay/Harbor Area of L.A.   
6. Connecting to Opportunities for Recovery and Engagement (CORE) Center - Community space where everyone can come to get information and resources about how to prevent alcohol and drug use, learn more about substance use disorders (also known as addictions) and find out where to go for free or low-cost treatment services.   
7. California Department of Public Health – Overdose Prevention Initiative: What is Fentanyl? 
8. California Department of Public Health – Overdose Prevention Initiative: Resources – Adult Role Models 
9. Drug Enforcement Administration – What Every Parent and Caregiver Needs to Know About FAKE PILLS 

Walk & Roll To School Day

Join us Wednesday, October 12 for Walk & Roll to School Day! Start the day off with an enjoyable walk to school! Contact your school for site-specific meet-up locations. Share photos of your walk on social media and use #WalktoSchoolDay!

Walk & Roll to School Day benefits students by building community and connectivity, teaching proper traffic safety rules, and by having students learn safe routes to school. The event also introduces concepts of environmental conservation and health consciousness at a young age in a fun and interactive way. 

Walking to school itself can ingrain a healthy lifestyle and routine for years to come as walking is shown to be just as good as jogging with less of the strain or difficulty. Walk & Roll to School Day also helps parents by decreasing traffic and helping them save on gasoline in a time where prices have been surging. 

Community Health Report: Substance Use

Substance use is one of BCHD’s four health priorities for 2022-2025, as outlined in our new Community Health Report. The Community Health Report will guide our programming over the next three years and identifies areas of concern that have been organized into our new health priorities.

Click the video below to hear from BCHD's Chief Medical Advisor, William Kim, M.D., to learn more about one of our health priorities: substance use. 

Beach Cities Health District Ranked as One of

Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in 2022

Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) has been ranked No. 3 among healthcare providers and insurers in Modern Healthcare’s 2022 Best Places to Work award program, moving up two spots from its 2021 ranking. The complete list of this year’s winner rankings is available at ModernHealthcare.com/bestplacestowork. Modern Healthcare will publish a special supplement featuring the ranked list of all winners along with the October 3rd issue of MH magazine.

To read more, click here.

Riviera Mexican Grill – The Beach Cities’ Newest

Blue Zones Project Approved™ Restaurant

Riviera Mexican Grill is the newest designated Blue Zones Project Approved™ Restaurant. “Being a Blue Zones Project Approved™ restaurant lets our customers know that we care about their well-being. We want to help promote a healthy lifestyle and Riviera Mexican Grill loves the community,” says Manager Martin Ramirez. Click below to find out what makes Riviera Mexican Grill Blue Zones Project Approved™.

COVID-19 Treatment Options

If you have COVID-19, have symptoms and are at higher risk of getting very sick, you can get medicines that treat COVID-19 and help keep you out of the hospital. Get tested right away if you are at higher risk and have symptoms, even if they are mild. If you test positive, ask for treatment right away. Treatment should start as soon as possible.

Who may be eligible for treatment:

People with symptoms and a positive COVID-19 test who are: age 65 and older OR any age upon advice of a provider.

There are oral medicines (Paxlovid and Molnupiravir) and injectable medicines (Bebtelovimab and Remdesivir). For more information on treatments and where to get them, visit bchd.org/covidtreatment. 

Public Health Expands Monkeypox Vaccination Eligibility

September 29, Public Health expanded eligibility to the monkeypox vaccine to closely align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent expansion, which includes persons in select occupational groups whose jobs may expose them to orthopoxviruses (such as monkeypox). You can read the news release here.

For more information, visit bchd.org/monkeypox.

BCHD Board OKs Contract with Developer/Operator

for Healthy Living Campus Project

Wednesday night, Sept. 28, the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Board of Directors approved the land lease agreement for WRC PMB Redondo Beach, the joint venture between PMB and Watermark for developing and operating BCHD’s proposed Healthy Living Campus.

The Board voted 3-0 to approve the 3-acre land lease with the developer, operator and design/build team for the proposed Healthy Living Campus (two board members were unable to attend the meeting). The agreement is for a 65-year term, with two potential 15-year extensions.

To read more, click here.

FOR OUR YOUTH. 

Introducing allcove Beach Cities - a youth mental health center designed with, by and for youth that will reduce stigma, embrace mental wellness, increase community connection and provide access to services.

Led by a team of Youth Advisory Group members, and supported by Stanford University's Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing and a team of local experts.

Learn More

FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 

The new campus will be home to BCHD's 40+ programs and services, including Information & Referrals and care management.

The revitalization will replace acres of asphalt with approximately two soccer fields of open, programmable open space. The campus will also feature a demonstration garden for our LiveWell Kids trainings and a walking path for visitors. 

FOR OUR OLDER ADULTS

Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and Residential Care for the Elderly (RCFE) will also anchor BCHD's new campus. 

PACE is a Medicare/ Medicaid program for people 55 and older who require nursing home level care and provides medical and social services. 

RCFE features assisted living and memory care units.

AdventurePlex

Where kids and families play their way to good health

• Summer camp
• Drop-in play
• Birthday parties
• Supervised weekend play so parents can have a night out
• Special events
• ToddlerTown play area
• 5-level play structure
• Programs for ages 0-12

Center for Health & Fitness

Our comprehensive fitness center in Redondo Beach

• Cycling, Zumba, yoga, Pilates, strength & other exercise classes
• Online exercise classes
• Classes for older adults
• Programs for chronic conditions
• Access to trainers
• Massage
• Nutrition consultation
• Access to state-of-the-art gym equipment