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Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines^®–Heart Failure Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation guidelines for heart failure patients.

This marks the sixth consecutive year that Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center has been recognized with a heart failure quality achievement award.

Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure is a quality improvement program that helps hospital teams provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure patients.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include proper use of heart failure medications, including beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists, and diuretics while patients are in the hospital. Before patients are discharged, they also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, as well as referrals for early follow-up.

“Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our heart failure patients, and implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure program helps us to accomplish this goal by tracking and measuring our success in meeting internationally-respected guidelines,” said Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center and co-chief of clinical cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

“We are pleased to recognize Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for their commitment to heart failure care,” said Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines steering committee and Executive Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Studies have shown that hospitals that consistently follow Get With The Guidelines quality improvement measures can reduce patients’ length of stays and 30-day readmission rates and also reduce disparity gaps in care.”

According to the American Heart Association, about 5.1 million people suffer from heart failure.  Each year, 825,000 new cases are diagnosed and more than 275,000 people will die of heart failure. However, many heart failure patients can lead a full life when their condition is managed with proper medications and devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.

About the UCLA Health System

The UCLA Health System has for more than half a century provided the best in health care and the latest in medical technology to the people of Los Angeles and the world. Comprising Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica; the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA; Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA; and the UCLA Medical Group, UCLA Health, with its wide-reaching system of primary care and specialty care offices throughout the region, is among the most comprehensive and advanced health care systems in the world. For information about clinical programs or help in choosing a personal physician, call 800-UCLA-MD1 or visit www.uclahealth.org.

About Get With The Guidelines

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 4 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org/quality or heart.org/myhealthcare.

Choir Director, Ayanna Smith (front, center), poses with the Park Avenue Baptist Church A.M. Simpson and Youth Choir during the Children’s Music Workshop in 2013.

RIVERSIDE, CA- Park Avenue Baptist Church presents it’s “1^st KIDZ Music Camp- Courageous, Contagious Praise!” This extraordinary camp will be held on Saturday, November 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church which is located at 1910 Martin Luther King Blvd, in Riverside.

There will be offering workshops from highly skilled Christian musicians, dance instructors and voice coaches, and Marvina “Cooky” Levy will be making a special visit for the event.

Your children will be learning about basic music theory, liturgical dance, voice as well as how to play various musical instruments.  There will also be a bible class, arts and crafts and games.  This camp will give memories to the kids that will last a lifetime.  It plants seeds and inspires kids to use their music gift for God.  They get hands on experience on the instruments and are able to hear firsthand testimonies from Christian musicians. This will be a unique experience for the children to fellowship, learn and enjoy each other in a Christian environment.

They will culminate the camp with the Courageous, Contagious Praise Concert on Sunday, November 30 at 4 p.m.

“We are excited about what God has in store for this event! We pray that you will come and share in this awesome experience with us,” Ayanna Smith, choir director, said.

In addition to the festivities at Park Avenue, the church will also be celebrating their 99^th Anniversary on Sunday, November 16 at 3 p.m. The festivities for this year’s anniversary will be a lead up to the big centennial celebration which will be held in November 2015. Guests are welcome to bring their family and friends to both the afternoon service and morning service which starts at 10:45 a.m.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Eta Nu Omega Chapter 2014/2015 Debutante Candidates

ONTARIO, CA- On Sunday, November 9, the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Eta Nu Omega Chapter, Annette Weathington (President with The Inland Ivy Foundation), and Joyce Ballard held the “Timeless Elegance Through Timeless Pearlfection Fashion Show and Schloarship Benefit.” The event was held at the newly renovated Radisson Ontario Airport Hotel.

According to Ms. Twillea Evans-Carthen, Co-Chairman of the event, “This was not your typical fashion show! Ms. Kaylin Hart, Chairman along with her mother Ms. Tiena Johnson-Hall, Co-Chairman along with the fashion show committee ensured guests were welcomed with sweets from “Sweet T’s Equisite Candy and Dessert Buffet,” hors d’ oeuvres, door prizes and vendors to enjoy pre-holiday shopping before and after the fashion show presentation by Onlave Signature Productions and Franzine Beauty Management.”

The sorority’s 2014/2015 debutante candidates were on site to lend a helping hand along with students from Emerging Young Leaders (EYL) from Heritage Intermediate School.  Miss Charlisa Kelly, EYL student graced the audience with a musical selection prior to the fashion show. Also, special recognition was presented to the local chapters of The National Council of Negro Women, Option House, Incorporated, The Boys and Girls Club and United Negro College Fund.

Shown left to right are Chancellor Bruce Baron, President of the SBCCD Board of Trustees Donna Ferracone, 45 year employee of SBVC, Angelita Gideon, Dr. Gloria Fisher, interim president of SBVC and Dr. Cheryl Marshall, president of Crafton Hills College.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino Community College District employs more than 1,200 full and part-time employees on multiple sites stretched from the mountains outside Yucaipa to downtown San Bernardino. Last week, they came together to recognize 409 employees who each had worked for the District from 5 to 45 years – a collective total of more than 4,900 years of service to the students of the Inland Empire.

The District recognized 18 employees who have served the District from 30 to 45 years each and 25 who have been with the District for 25 years. Angelita Gideon, recipient of the 45 year award, is a supervisor in the San Bernardino Valley College library who came to the campus as a student, fell in love with the school, and stayed on. She said, “Every day is a wonderful day in the library. I love what I do and the people I work with and the students we serve.”

The San Bernardino Community College District is experiencing significant growth, with enrollment having jumped over 10 percent in the past year. The Board of Trustees for the District voted to fund an increased number of sections above the funding the District receives from the State of California to help meet the demand. They anticipate serving more students than ever before in the next few years.

Nichole Nordeman

LOMA LINDA, CA- This year’s seventh annual “ThankSharing” concert and food drive, sponsored by Loma Linda University Medical Center, will take place at the Packinghouse in Redlands on Friday, Nov. 14, beginning at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Award winning Christian music artist Nichole Nordeman will be the featured entertainer.  Her best-known songs include “Holy,” “Legacy,” “Brave” and “What If?”  In addition to her music career, Nordeman is also a recently published author.  Her book is entitled, “Love Story,” exploring pivotal moments of Scriptural characters.

The program will also feature local artists Roxie Jane and Khari Washington, as well as a 40-person youth choir, KAY-C. Details can be found at thanksharing.org.

Admission is free with donation of any non-perishable goods.

The Packinghouse is at 27165 W. San Bernardino Avenue in Redlands.  From I-10, take the Alabama Street exit north to San Bernardino Avenue and turn west. The church is on the left.

In addition to the food collected at the November 14 event, there are currently over 20 additional sites for donations. Donations will benefit the community through the ministry of three local food banks. For more information on the food drive and donations, contact Kathy McMillan at kmcmillan@llu.edu. Also find more information at www.thanksharing.org.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- For one day only, students can save a little extra change by riding OmniTrans for free on November 15. Download and print the pass below.

Omni Trans Free Pass

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- In appreciation for the contributions of the men and women who have served in our nation’s armed forces, Omnitrans is offering free bus rides to US military veterans on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11.

Veterans simply need to show retired military ID when boarding any Omnitrans route including the sbX rapid line, 215 freeway express, 25 local bus routes, or 5 OmniGo community shuttle routes. Acceptable veteran IDs include those issued by the US Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, and San Bernardino County Veterans Affairs.

Approximately 79,000 veterans reside in the Omnitrans service area of the San Bernardino Valley, stretching from Yucaipa in the east to the LA County line in the west. On January 5, 2015, Omnitrans will introduce a new reduced fare category for veterans.  “As part of our Veterans Day free ride offer, we hope to build awareness for the new fare and encourage veterans to get a retired military ID, if they don’t have one already,” said Omnitrans spokesperson Wendy Williams.

“Our veterans ID cards are offered to veterans with honorable military service at no charge and can be used to earn veteran discounts at over 1,000 local businesses,” said Bill J. Moseley, Director of San Bernardino County Veterans Affairs.  ID application information at http://hss.sbcounty.gov/va or 866-4SB-VETS (866-472-8387). Personalized trip planning assistance is available through the Omnitrans information center, at 800-9-OMNIBUS (800-966-6428), or online at www.omnitrans.org.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The 15th annual Cruizin E Street Veterans Day Parade and Car Show will be held Saturday, November 8. Activities take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are free to the public.

The event includes a parade, a classic car show, exhibits and demonstrations, museum tours, musical entertainment, and food and merchandise vendors. The parade includes marching bands, vintage military vehicles, military marching units, classic cars and more. The Grand Marshall is Sgt. Pete Martinez, a Korean War combat veteran. Highlights of the parade are the beautifully restored military vehicles courtesy of the Inland Empire Military Vehicles Preservation Association.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. at San Bernardino High School, 1850 N. E St., and proceeds south on E Street, ending up at the site of the original McDonald’s located at 1398 N. E. Street in San Bernardino. There are two museums on the property: the Inland Empire Military Museum and the unofficial McDonald’s /Route 66 Museum.

Veteran organizations in the parade include The Catholic War Veterans Post 762, IE Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 47, Military Order of the Purple Heart and other VFW and American Legion Posts in the area. Following the parade, Veterans from all branches of the service who are present at Cruizin E will be honored.

More than 500,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Riverside and San Bernardino counties will have an additional option for accessing health care services. As of January 1, 2015, Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans will be able to choose Loma Linda University Health as their primary and specialty care medical group. In 2015, UnitedHealthcare will be the only Medicare Advantage plan contracted with Loma Linda University Health, which provides access to hundreds of primary care physicians and specialists with expertise in a full spectrum of specialties at Loma Linda University Medical Center, as well as its centers of excellence, including the Proton Treatment Center, the Cancer Center and the International Heart Institute.

UnitedHealthcare members with questions about how this change affects them are advised to call the number on their member ID card. Beneficiaries can make changes to their Medicare coverage during the Open Enrollment Period, which began October 15 and ends December 7. (News report submitted by Casey Anderson on behalf of UnitedHealthcare).

LOS ANGELES, CA- The Westside’s original high intensity interval training (HIIT) studio, Burn 60, in partnership with Reimagine, the other half of cancer care, is bringing back the 2^nd Annual “Bro 60” charity event on Wednesday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. at their Brentwood location located at 159 S. Barrington Place in Brentwood (90049) to help educate and raise awareness about men’s cancer.

Unless you’re living on a deserted island, we all know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, but most are unaware that November is Men’s Cancer Awareness month, or “Movember”, a movement where men grow a moustache for 30 days to spark conversation and raise awareness for men’s health issues.  Statistics show that 1 out of every 3 people will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime, and men have an even higher occurrence than women. This event helps participants emerge from their cancer journey feeling empowered, self-aware, connected to their loved ones and reengaged in life.

To support this amazing cause, all men are invited to the “Bro 60” event.  There will be a trifecta workout taught by three of Los Angeles’ most sought after and committed trainers which include Liam Glennon, Nick Malizia and Kris Cueva.  Class space is limited to 24 participants.  To sign up, log on to www.burn60.com while spaces last.  All proceeds benefit Reimagine’s nonprofit arm, the Pillars4Life foundation. For additional information, please contact brentwood@burn60.com. To learn more about Reimagine please visit: www.reimagine.me.