Patrons

TORRANCE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

DARRIN AND MICHELLE DEL CONTE

Supporting Torrance Memorial is a family affair

“CARRYING MORE” WITH PURPOSE

WHY TORRANCE MEMORIAL MATTERS TO ME

WRITTEN BY SAM SHETH

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHEAL NEVEUX

My father and mother used to tell me, “If God gives you broader shoulders, you get to carry more.” They believed that with good fortune comes a responsibility to uplift others. For those of us in the amazing South Bay, one of our greatest privileges is ensuring continued access to world-class medical care. Not just to treat illness, but to cultivate enhanced wellness in our community.

My brother and I were born at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, which was a small community hospital at the time and has now grown into a nationally ranked, world-class regional medical center. Over the years I’ve experienced the emergency care firsthand—after sports injuries, a car accident and an encounter with a plate glass window in high school. Each time, I was reminded how fortunate we are to have some of the best emergency care professionals in the world right here in our backyard.

The emergency department (ED) was originally built to serve 50,000 patients annually and has been stretched beyond its intended capacity—last year treating more than 113,000 patients. Recognizing this, the Torrance Memorial Foundation launched a successful, multimillion-dollar campaign to significantly upgrade and modernize the ED. Once completed, it will be the only twostory ED in California and a vital investment in the health and safety of our growing community.

My involvement with the Torrance Memorial Foundation began in 2010, when my good friend Michael Zislis introduced me to Judith Gassner and Laura Schenasi. Shortly after, my parents, Harshad and Bharti Sheth, became Patrons. They had long admired the leadership and staff at the hospital and felt it was time to give back. Their connection became even more personal in 2012, when my

father was diagnosed with cancer. The compassionate, expert care he received at Torrance Memorial during that difficult time was so meaningful to him and to our family. We will never forget the dignity and grace with which my dad was treated in his final days.

Inspired by my father’s exceptional care, my wife, Kay, and I felt compelled to do our part. We became Patrons, and in 2017 I joined the board of the Torrance Memorial Foundation.

It is privilege to serve on the board alongside a group of dedicated and visionary individuals committed to advancing the mission of Torrance Memorial. Since its inception in 1980, the Foundation has raised more than $458 million for the hospital. Today Torrance Memorial is ranked #3 in California and #8 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. This is an astonishing accomplishment and we should all be proud!

It is my heartfelt hope that those with “broad shoulders” will continue to carry more, ensuring exceptional and compassionate care remain at the heart of our South Bay community for many generations to come. •

Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MARK LURIE, MD, PRESIDENT

Retired, Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute

PHIL PAVESI, VICE PRESIDENT

Retired Aerospace Executive, TRW

GREG GEIGER, TREASURER

Principal, Westport Capital Partners, LLC

HEIDI HOFFMAN, MD, SECRETARY

Radiology, Torrance Memorial Medical Center

JOSEPH HOHM, CPA/JD, OFFICER

Medical Accounting Service, Inc.

PATRICK THEODORA, OFFICER

Co-founder & Chairman, DocMagic

MICHAEL ZISLIS, OFFICER

Owner, The Zislis Group

BOARD MEMBERS

CHRISTY ABRAHAM

Community Volunteer

JOHN G. BAKER

Founding Partner, The Brickstone Companies

NADINE BOBIT

Community Volunteer

HARV DANIELS

Retired Airline Executive

LUKE DAUCHOT

Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

THYRA ENDICOTT, MD

Radiation Oncology, Torrance Memorial Medical Center

PAUL G. GIULIANO

President, Integrated Food Service

ALAN GOLDSTEIN

First Vice President, PVG Group, RBC Wealth Management

RICK HIGGINS

Retired Technology Management Professional

GINA KIRKPATRICK

Community Volunteer

SONG CHO KLEIN

Community Volunteer

CONNIE LAI, ESQ.

Board Chair, JI REN Primary School, Former Litigator, Musick Peeler

CRAIG LEACH

Retired President/CEO, Torrance Memorial Medical Center

RICHARD E. LUCY

Principal, Calstan Capital, Inc.

LAURIE MCCARTHY

Retired Investment Banker

W. DAVID MCKINNIE, III

Consultant, McKinnie Consulting

ERIC C. NAKKIM, MD

Emergency Medicine, Torrance Memorial Medical Center

TOM O’HERN

Retired CEO & Director, The Macerich Company

SEJAL PENKAR

Director, Capital Group

MICHAEL ROUSE

Retired VP Philanthropy and Community Affairs, Toyota Motor Sales

PATRICIA SACKS, MD

Retired, Radiologist, The Vasek & Anna Maria

Polak Breast Diagnostic Center

ANDREW SCHUMACHER, MD

Clinical Director, Radiation Oncology, Torrance Memorial Medical Center

ALEXANDER SHEN, MD

Medical Director, Torrance Memorial Hospitalists Associates

SAM SHETH

Cofounder & Senior Managing Director, VerityPoint

JANICE TECIMER

Community Volunteer

RUSSELL VARON

Owner, Morgan’s Jewelers

ROBERT A. YOUNG

Retired Director Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc.

Torrance Memorial Medical Center treats all people equally without regard to race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability. The section 504 coordinator can be reached at 310-784-4894. If you do not wish to receive this publication, please contact marketing communications at 310-517-4706.

A Publication of the Torrance Memorial Foundation

EDITOR

Julie Taylor

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MARKETING

Erin Fiorito

PUBLISHER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Vincent Rios

COPY EDITOR

Laura L. Watts

CONTRIBUTORS

Lisa Buffington

John Ferrari

Diane Krieger

Kevin Herrera

Connie Senner

Nancy Sokoler Steiner

Laura Roe Stevens

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Philicia Endelman

Ed McClure

Micheal Neveux

Vincent Rios

Wendy Saade

Published by

VINCENT RIOS CREATIVE, INC.

VincentRiosCreative.com

©2025 Torrance Memorial Medical Center. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

TORRANCE MEMORIAL CELEBRATES 42ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOLIDAY FESTIVAL

Find themed holiday trees, the South Bay’s largest holiday boutique and live entertainment—all under the big white tent December 2–7.

PUBLIC EXHIBIT AND BOUTIQUE SHOPPING HOURS

Tuesday, December 2

1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, December 3

10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – open to the public

Senior Day #1

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thursday, December 4

10 a.m. to 8 p.m. – open to the public

Senior Day #2

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friday, December 5 Closed to the public

Saturday, December 6

10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday, December 7

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SPECIAL EVENTS

FESTIVAL FASHION SHOW

Tuesday, December 2

10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

$275 per person

FESTIVAL GALA

Friday, December 5 6 to 11 p.m.

$450 per person

All activities are located at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, 3330 Lomita Boulevard in Torrance. In honor of our Centennial Celebration, admission is free for all public hours! For general recorded information call 310-517-4606. To purchase special event tickets visit TorranceMemorial.org/ holidayfestival or call 310-517-4703.

GIVING OPPORTUNITY

Honor a hero in your life—physician, nurse, staff member, department, patient or community member—with recognition at the 12-foot decorated Heroes Tree in the Grand Lobby of the Lundquist Tower.

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT TORRANCE MEMORIAL’S EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT EXPANSION.

Donation levels:

$5,000 $2,500 $1,000 $500 $250 $100

IN HONOR OF OUR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION ADMISSION IS FREE FOR ALL PUBLIC HOURS

On the Cover Darrin and Michelle Del Conte have deep roots in the South Bay community.

BY

PHOTOGRAPHED

MICHEAL NEVEUX

Cover Story

26 Darrin and Michelle Del Conte prioritize, family, philanthropy and Torrance Memorial.

Every Donation Counts

10 “Stuffies” donations from the Schenasi family for pediatric patients, Novas graduating seniors, treat bags for oncology patients from Victor Elementary, LA Philharmonic and LAFC tickets, Paul Guiliano’s gift from the garden.

Progress Notes

12 Centennial celebrations with donors, staff and the community.

14 Torrance Memorial family members Connie Senner and Wanda Weimer share their health and wellness stories.

18 Torrance Memorial Physician Network partners with local occupational centers.

20 ED progress report; Q&A with ED physician and Ambassador member Elisa Anhalt, MD.

Clinical Spotlight

22 A closer look at the culture of nursing excellence and the crucial role of patientcentered care at Torrance Memorial.

Future focus

32 Elaine Booth-Carnegis and the uplifting power of trust, faith and service.

33 How to make a bequest.

34 Co-director of emergency medicine Kurt Hansen, MD, and Erin Hansen prioritize helping others.

In Your community

Denim and

Supporters

50 Torrance Memorial gives special thanks to our many supporters. Patrons magazine welcomes your feedback at patronsmagazine@tmmc.com.

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT 2025–2026

Torrance Memorial Medical Center has again been recognized as a Best Hospital for 2025–2026 for the 14th year by U.S. News & World Report This year our rankings moved up to the 8th highest ranking hospital for overall hospital quality in California and 3rd in the Los Angeles and Orange County regions. We are nationally ranked in orthopedics, OB-GYN and geriatrics and high-performing in seven specialties. We also rank “high performing” in 18 common conditions and procedures areas.

2025–2026

HIGH PERFORMING SPECIALTIES

• Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery

• Gastroenterology & GI Surgery

• Geriatrics – #50 in the nation NEW

• OB-GYN – #42 in the nation

• Orthopedics – #35 in the nation

• Pulmonology & Lung Surgery

• Urology

2025–2026 HIGH PERFORMING IN 18 CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES

• Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion)

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

• Colon Cancer Surgery

• Diabetes

• Gynecological Cancer Surgery

• Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma

• Heart Arrhythmia NEW

• Heart Attack

• Heart Failure

• Hip Fracture

• Hip Replacement

• Kidney Failure

• Knee Replacement

• Lung Cancer Surgery

• Pacemaker Implementation NEW

• Pneumonia

• Prostate Cancer Surgery

• Stroke

Ranking in the top 3% shows that we are delivering on our vision to provide patient-centered care with the highest level of quality and service to the community. It means we are honoring our promise to deliver our core values of Service, Excellence, Knowledge, Stability and Community.

SILVER LEVEL ECMO

CENTER PATHWAY TO EXCELLENCE AND ED RECOGNITION

Torrance Memorial Medical Center is now one of only six adult ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) centers in Los Angeles County—bringing cutting-edge resuscitation care closer to South Bay residents. As of July 1, Torrance Memorial’s emergency department has officially joined the county’s ECPR (extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation) program—a revolutionary initiative that uses ECMO technology to save lives in cases of cardiac arrest.

SOUTH BAY’S BEST 2025

We are honored our community has once again voted Torrance Memorial Medical Center as the BEST hospital in the South Bay. Readers also voted us BEST: Cancer Treatment Center, Medical and Hospital Groups, and El Segundo Primary Care.

We were also voted FAVORITE: Knee Center, Urgent Care, Physical Therapy Center, Medical Supply Store (HealthLinks), local Outpatient Pharmacy and Workplace.

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION GET WITH THE GUIDELINES AWARDS 2025

Torrance Memorial Medical Center has received American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

According to the American Heart Association 2025 statistical update, heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States. Torrance Memorial physicians, nurses and staff are committed to providing quality care and studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines. We are proud to be recognized for Get With The Guidelines® in these areas:

• Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

• Heart Failure Gold Plus with Target: Heart Failure Optimal and with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

• Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

• Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Silver Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

NEWSWEEK’S AMERICA’S BEST MATERNITY HOSPITAL 2025

Torrance Memorial Medical Center has been recognized as part of Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2025. Highquality maternity care, provided from pregnancy through birth and postpartum, is key to the long-term health of newborns and women who give birth, and we are honored and proud to receive this accomplishment.

Newsweek and Statista have partnered to identify this elite group of only 444 leading hospitals in the field of maternity. The list is based on three pillars of a nationwide online survey from doctors, health care professionals and hospital managers, results from patient experience surveys and hospital quality metrics.

HEALTHGRADES OUTSTANDING PATIENT SAFETY EXCELLENCE AND PATIENT EXPERIENCE AWARDS 2025

Healthgrades, a nationwide hospital evaluation organization, has once again recognized Torrance Memorial as a top in the nation hospital for providing Patient Safety Excellence by preventing infections, medical errors and other preventable complications. Torrance Memorial was also recognized by Healthgrades for Outstanding Patient Experience based on nine measures related to doctor and nurse communication, hospital cleanliness and noise levels, as well as medication and post-discharge care instructions.

METABOLIC AND BARIATRIC SURGERY ACCREDITATION AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Torrance Memorial has been designated as an Accredited Center by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery through August 2027. American College of Surgeons Quality Programs use the best data, expert input and proven processes to help surgical care teams deliver the highest quality care.

STUFFIES DONATION

The Schenasi family has found a special way to bring comfort and joy to young patients at Torrance Memorial. They generously donate stuffed animals—affectionately known as “stuffies”—to children visiting the emergency, central tower surgery and pediatrics departments.

These cuddly companions help ease anxiety, provide reassurance and remind families that they are both loved and cared for during difficult moments.

“These small gifts offer our young patients comfort, reassurance and even smiles. These small gestures have a lasting impact, and your support truly helps us provide holistic, compassionate care,” says emergency nurse Cynthia Libertini, Emergency Department Specialty Care Coordinator.

LAFC & GALAXY TICKET DONATIONS

We are thankful to the Los Angeles Football Club for their thoughtful donation of tickets, helping our Torrance Memorial community enjoy professional soccer. These special experiences go beyond the game. They bring joy, connection and lasting memories for our employees, their families and soccer supporters. We are truly grateful for LAFC’s partnership and generosity.

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC TICKET DONATION

The Los Angeles Philharmonic continues its generous support of Torrance Memorial by sharing access to worldclass performances. Most recently the LA Phil provided tickets to Haim Leads Handel & Bach, offering our community the opportunity to enjoy an extraordinary evening of music while deepening the connection between the arts and health care. We are grateful for their ongoing partnership and commitment to enriching the lives of our patients, donors and friends.

NOVAS CLASS OF 2025 RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE

Congratulations to the 12 graduating seniors from the Novas of Torrance Memorial Medical Center, recognized for their incredible service. The Novas, part of a volunteer group founded in 1990, unite high school students and their mothers to support the hospital through service and donations. Celebrating their 35th anniversary, they have contributed over $543,000 and countless hours. This year’s seniors alone dedicated more than 10,000 hours, uplifting patients and supporting hospital staff with baked goods, care packages, handmade blankets and decorations. Their compassion continues a proud tradition of service at Torrance Memorial.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DEBORA

LEM

VICTOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

When Cheryl Rosenthal was diagnosed with the BRCA gene, she elected to have a preventive double mastectomy at Torrance Memorial, where her doctors found cancer. Grateful for her care, she wanted to support local organizations in her community. Cheryl is a teacher at Victor Elementary, and her students and colleagues rallied around her—raising funds through T-shirts, bracelets and pins. They also created treat bags for chemotherapy patients of David Chan, MD, and nurse practitioner Susan Starr, giving the patients comfort and encouragement during treatment.

TOMATO DONATION

Every donation counts, whether large or small, monetary or otherwise. Recently our emergency department physicians’ lounge was brightened by a generous gift from Patron Paul Guiliano, who shared the bounty of his home garden. Vine-ripened heirloom and cherry tomatoes of all shapes and sizes were enjoyed, along with a colorful assortment of peppers to add a little extra spice. This thoughtful gesture reminds us that every contribution makes a difference.

Left to right: Madison Hironaka, Rylee Woodward, Trinity McKenny, Mia Constantino, Emma Pusavat, Jacob Ma, Kelly Hironaka, Nicole Huang, Gianna Villa, Jason Lee, Aaron Monzon, Daniel Huang

CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF CARE

PLANNED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, TORRANCE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER’S CENTENNIAL WEEKEND FINALLY ARRIVED IN APRIL.

Torrance Memorial’s Denim and Diamonds celebration kicked off the hospital’s Centennial weekend in dazzling style on Friday, April 25. More than 300 guests gathered under the big white tent for an evening filled with dining, dancing and entertainment as the community celebrated 100 years of exceptional care. President and CEO Keith Hobbs shared heartfelt remarks, followed by a short video showcasing Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s rich history, extraordinary growth and the bright future that lies ahead.

On Saturday evening, Torrance Memorial honored the incredible staff that has shaped the hospital over the past century. The celebration began at the Centennial Exhibit entrance, where cheers rang out as leaders formed a welcome tunnel, applauding employees and their guests like VIPs. Inside, the energy was electric. Laughter echoed, DJ Dizz kept the

dance floor alive, and when the Cupid Shuffle began, a spontaneous dance tunnel formed with employees joyfully showing off their moves.

COMMUNITY DAYS

More than 2,000 community members attended the Community Days Centennial Celebration on April 26–27 in the hospital’s 16,000-square-foot event tent. The weekend featured historical exhibits, health screenings, technology demonstrations and familyfriendly activities. Displays honored founder Jared Sidney Torrance and his wife, Helena Childs Torrance, who realized his vision after his passing.

Guests enjoyed free screenings, live ultrasound demos, a “hospital” for stuffed animals and crafts for kids. Pet therapy dogs, clowns and interactive stations created smiles and lasting memories for visitors of all ages.

Bedazzled Torrance Memorial leadership gets in the spirit and celebrates the Centennial in style.

COMMEMORATIVE CENTENNIAL WALL

A ribbon-cutting ceremony unveiled the new Torrance Memorial History Wall, located in the hallway by the Outpatient Center along Medical Center Drive. This vibrant, permanent exhibit was made possible by the generous donation of Michelle and Hangup Moon. It highlights the hospital’s milestones and celebrates its five pillars: Service, Excellence, Knowledge, Stability and Community. Visitors are

invited to stop by and explore this reimagined tribute to Torrance Memorial’s legacy.

LOOKING TO THE NEXT CENTURY

From honoring the people who have built the hospital’s legacy to welcoming the community we serve, the centennial festivities reflected a century of care and also the promise for the next hundred years of compassion, innovation and service. •

WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT

THE

DIRECTOR OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION GETS A NEW VIEW OF THE HOSPITAL AS A PATIENT.

WRITTEN BY JOHN FERRARI | PHOTOGRAPHED BY WENDY SAADE

At Torrance Memorial, emergencies are normal. Hospitals treat emergencies, after all. But even people who work at Torrance Memorial every day can see it in a different light when they experience the hospital during their own emergency.

That was the case for Connie Senner, Torrance Memorial’s director of design and construction, one Monday in January. Her emergency had been building since the previous Thursday, when she woke up winded, with an elevated heart rate and blood pressure.

Later, interventional radiologist George So, MD, would say that even then, Senner was exhibiting the symptoms of a potentially fatal condition. Her lethargy continued through the weekend. On Monday she felt worse, so she called her cardiologist, Brenton Bauer, MD, who convinced her to go to Torrance Memorial’s emergency department.

For Senner, who works nearby, that’s usually a short walk. That afternoon, though, she felt so weak that her colleagues drove her in a golf cart. “I could barely walk, I felt so weak,” she remembers.

Torrance Memorial’s ED physicians soon had a diagnosis. A CT scan revealed a pulmonary embolism—a blood clot in one of the arteries in her lungs. Tests also showed she had right heart strain; that is, her right ventricle was under excessive pressure.

“That’s not a good sign; it’s quite serious,” says Dr. So, who was on his way home at the time. “I had already left the hospital when I got a call telling me there was an emergency case. I turned right around. No one told me it was Connie, but when I saw her, I knew immediately.”

Senner and Dr. So work together closely at the hospital.

“She helped me build Torrance Memorial’s new $5.1 million interventional suite, so she understands what the environment is like,” the doctor shares. “It’s different being a patient, though, and in a case like Connie’s we know that if we don’t intervene in a timely manner, there will be a bad outcome. We knew we had to perform a procedure the same night.”

The procedure was an emergency thrombectomy to remove the

blood clot that was placing such strain on Senner’s heart. Her right ventricle had dilated to twice its normal size due to high resistance affecting blood flow through the lungs.

“Connie’s condition was serious but treatable,” Dr. So says. “Our team is very experienced, and we have state-of-the-art technology. I knew we would be able to take care of her.”

“I was moved to the interventional radiology suite in Lundquist Tower,” Senner remembers. “I helped design that room, but I can tell you, I’ve never looked at the ceiling quite the way I did that afternoon. A wonderful set of familiar faces gave me a lot of comfort, including Dr. So.”

Thrombectomies are minimally invasive procedures. “We use blood veins as a highway,” Dr. So explains. A thin, flexible catheter is inserted into the femoral vein at the groin and guided up toward the location of the thrombus, or clot, in the pulmonary arteries. At the catheter’s tip, specialized tools can break up the clot or suction it out. The procedure takes about an hour.

“Previously, we put patients on blood thinners or anticoagulants, which can cause internal bleeding,” Dr. So says. “The minimally invasive procedure has completely changed how we manage patients. Removing the clot is a much more certain treatment, and even though the technology outlay is expensive, ultimately it’s less expensive and more efficient because patients recover more quickly.”

Because general anesthesia can cause the heart rate and blood pressure to drop—worsening the condition—patients remain awake throughout the procedure. Senner turned to meditation techniques to remain calm.

“I was conscious, so I could listen to everything happening,” she says. “I marveled at the teamwork and humble approach Dr. So had toward the entire process. I felt really zen; in my mind I was someplace else relaxing.”

The thrombectomy was effective immediately. “When they finished the procedure and I took a deep breath, it was as if a

switch had been flipped,” Senner says. “For the first time in days, I could take a full and deep breath.”

She was out of the hospital four days later. “There was no physical therapy or rehab. I took it easy for a couple of weeks, but now I’m back to 100% with my physical activities: walking, hiking, cycling and golfing.”

Senner is taking blood thinners to prevent the formation of additional clots, but her prognosis is excellent, says Dr. So. “We’ve performed a lot of these procedures, and the outcomes are fabulous. Torrance Memorial has a reputation in this area, and we’re now part of a national project to evaluate a next-generation device for the procedure. We’re always looking for better ways and better technology to take better care of our patients.”

Senner, who has worked at Torrance Memorial for 34 years, came away from the experience with a new perspective. “I received a lot of personal validation that we made great design decisions,” she reflects about the hospital’s Lundquist Tower. “We develop our design decisions based on input we get from frontline staff to help workflow and patient-care objectives. To feel that we hit the mark from the patient perspective was very gratifying for me. I found that in the details, like stations allowing nurses to work at a patient’s bedside, or lighting design that isn’t blazing bright at night.

Senner is excited about the emergency department expansion. “They do an excellent job. Just the thought of doubling their capacity is exciting!” •

A team of skilled technicians in the hospital’s new $5.1 million interventional radiology suite, made possible through a generous gift from the Turpanjian family. L to R: Justin Ronda, RN, Steve Yoo, technologist, Gabby Rios, technologist, Jocelyn Tobias, RN, David Constantine, technologist, George So, MD

Dr. George So shows Connie Senner a visual image of her pulmonary embolism CT scan following her recovery.

HOW A TORRANCE MEMORIAL THERAPIST’S RESEARCH IS CHANGING BREAST CANCER RECOVERY

WRITTEN BY KEVIN HERRERA

For many breast cancer survivors, treatment doesn’t end after surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Hormone therapy drugs such as aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are commonly prescribed to postmenopausal patients with estrogen-positive breast cancer to reduce estrogen levels. They reduce the chance of cancer recurrence or spread by up to 65% when taken consistently.

However, these lifesaving medications can come with a difficult side effect: debilitating hand and wrist pain. This is something that Wanda Weimer, a certified hand therapist and occupational therapist at Torrance Memorial, understands firsthand—not just as a specialist but as a breast cancer survivor herself.

GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH

Diagnosed at 43, Weimer faced a new reality. While her treatment was working, the medications meant to keep her cancer from returning were causing unexpected pain in her hands— affecting everything from her work to daily activities.

“I had that moment of, ‘What’s going on?’” Weimer recalls. “I started looking into the side effects and realized this was a very common problem—but there was hardly anything in therapy research about it.”

Determined to fill this gap, Weimer launched a groundbreaking, multiyear research study to examine how hand therapy could help breast cancer patients experiencing similar symptoms. Originally conceived in 2018 and published in the Journal of Hand Therapy in January 2025, her study, “The Effectiveness of Hand Therapy for Breast Cancer Survivors Experiencing Aromatase InhibitorAssociated Musculoskeletal Syndrome in the Hands and Wrists,” revealed that participants experienced:

• Significantly less pain in their hands and wrists.

• Significantly improved upper extremity function, making daily tasks easier to perform.

• Improved grip strength, though the most notable improvement was in pain reduction.

• Improved health-related quality of life, with benefits extending beyond hand function to overall well-being.

Physicians knew their patients were struggling but weren’t sure where to refer them,” Weimer says. “Now we have initial evidence that hand therapy can help.”

The study was a collaborative effort supported by Torrance Memorial’s Nursing Research Committee and guided by esteemed colleagues, including co-author and retired cancer survivorship coordinator Miriam Sleven, RN, who has research experience, and the late Dr. Linda Lillington, RN, who provided invaluable statistical analysis and guidance.

“The support I received from Torrance Memorial was invaluable,” Weimer says. “I truly hope others with a similar interest to study a topic they are interested in pursue it, because they will find there are so many tremendous people here willing to help.”

COMPREHENSIVE CARE

Weimer’s findings are significant. Hand therapy—including exercises, education and specialized equipment—can effectively reduce pain and improve function for women suffering from hand and wrist pain due to their cancer medication. But perhaps more importantly, her work can encourage more physicians and nurses to recognize these symptoms and refer patients for therapy.

David Chan, MD, director of Torrance Memorial’s breast program and author of Breast Cancer: Real Questions/Real Answers, has seen firsthand how Wanda’s work has transformed care for his patients.

“Wanda was one of the pioneers in developing hand and finger exercise programs to combat these side effects, and I have to say, a large majority of the patients I refer to her report significant improvement,” he says. “Her work has helped many women

Wanda Weimer

“HER WORK HAS HELPED MANY WOMEN COMPLETE THEIR TREATMENT, AND THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS SURVIVAL RATES.”

— David Chan, MD, director of Torrance Memorial’s breast program

complete their treatment, and that directly impacts survival rates.”

Dr. Chan emphasized that AIs are most effective when taken for five to 10 years, but musculoskeletal side effects often lead women to stop early. “These medications don’t necessarily cause arthritis, but they can make underlying issues feel worse. Suddenly things like typing, opening jars, painting or gardening become difficult. For some women, it’s just too uncomfortable to continue.”

He emphasized that while symptoms often peak around the sixmonth mark and may improve with time or activity, that doesn’t make them any less disruptive. “This isn’t like taking an antibiotic for a week. These are long-term medications, and if joint pain becomes too disruptive, patients stop. What Wanda has done isn’t just helping patients here. Her work has national relevance. It’s going to translate to care in other states and likely other countries. She’s really making an impact.”

EMPOWERING WOMEN

Beyond raising awareness in the medical community, Weimer hopes her research empowers breast cancer survivors to advocate for themselves. “A lot of women ‘power through’ because they feel grateful to be alive. But survivorship is a journey. If your hands hurt every single day, you don’t have to just live with it. Talk to your doctor, ask about occupational therapy, and get the help you need.”

For many survivors, small modifications can make a big difference. Whether it’s using an electric jar opener instead of struggling with lids or getting more help around the house, hand therapy isn’t just about exercises. It’s about making life better.

CHANGING LIVES

With nearly 30 years at Torrance Memorial, Weimer has dedicated her career to helping people regain function and independence. But this study is more than just research. It’s deeply personal.

“I love working one-on-one with patients, building relationships and helping them feel better,” she says. “Knowing that this study might lead to more women getting the help they need—that’s incredibly rewarding.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing hand and wrist pain due to breast cancer medications, talk to your doctor about occupational therapy. Help is available—you don’t have to go through it alone. •

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY

THE HAND THERAPY RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED BY WANDA WEIMER AND MIRIAM SLEVEN, BOTH AFFILIATED WITH TORRANCE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER.

Who Was Studied?

• 32 women who survived breast cancer and were taking a medication called an aromatase inhibitor, which can cause pain and stiffness, especially in the hands and wrists.

Why Was This Studied?

• Many women experience hand and wrist pain from these medications, but little research has been done on how hand therapy can help.

• The goal was to see if therapy could reduce pain, improve grip strength, improve upper extremity function and improve health-related quality of life.

What Happened in the Study?

• 29 women completed the study, which included painreducing modalities, exercises, education on reducing stress on the hands, adaptive equipment and custom splints.

• They were tested before and after therapy on pain levels, grip strength, functional levels and a health-related quality of life questionnaire.

The Results:

• Less pain: Women reported significantly less pain in their hands and wrists.

• Better function: They could use their hands more easily for daily tasks.

• Slightly stronger grip: While their grip strength improved, it was not as significant.

• Improved health-related quality of life: Women felt better overall, not just in their hands but in their daily well-being.

Other Important Findings

• Aromatase Inhibitor medications: anastrozole (brand name Arimidex), letrozole (brand name Femara), exemestane (brand name Aromasin)

• More than 60% of participants had trigger finger, a painful condition where fingers get stuck in a bent position.

• Health care providers can prescreen women for preexisting hand problems and educate them to watch for hand and wrist symptoms. Most participants had an improvement in 12 or fewer therapy sessions.

Torrance Memorial Physician Network medical assistant externship cohort class attends an orientation session before working in various office locations.

CHAMPIONING COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE

THE TORRANCE MEMORIAL PHYSICIAN NETWORK MEDICAL ASSISTANT EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM INSPIRES FUTURE MEDICAL CAREERS—AND BENEFITS PHYSICIAN OFFICES.

WRITTEN

BY

LAURA ROE STEVENS

What do you get when you combine excellent teaching programs with practical, real-life experience? In one word, preparation. But the Torrance Memorial Physician Network medical assistant (MA) externship program does so much more. This unique partnership with MA programs at Southern California Regional Occupational Center (SCROC) and Harbor Occupational Center (HOC) fosters community support, inspires the next generation in medical careers, and benefits Torrance Memorial physician offices and the South Bay families they serve.

The Torrance Memorial Physician Network was formed in 2012 to serve primary care offices and simplify the complexities of office management so both senior and new physicians could focus on medicine—not administration. The network has grown exponentially to strategically optimize patient care and growth by including many specialties like pulmonology, OB-GYN, pediatrics, cardiology, endocrinology, rheumatology and urgent care. This growth has led to the demand for increasing support staff and the need for medical assistants.

HOW IT WORKS

After completing 720 classroom training hours and 160 hours of unpaid practicum hours, MA students are offered an “externship” opportunity to complete their practicum hours in Torrance Memorial Physician Network offices. These externships can be in primary care or specialty offices. The externship provides valuable real-life experience that MA students need to be fully prepared, says Donald Legg, senior director of primary care operations for the Torrance Memorial Physician Network.

“It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. The MA students are well trained; however, an externship provides essential on-the-job experience,” Legg explains. “It also allows staff and physicians to assess a potential hire’s professional communication skills and patient interactions. These skills are critical but aren’t easy to teach outside of real-life experience.”

Torrance Memorial Physician Network staff dedicate time to mentor and train externs, thus helping the future MAs bolster confidence and competency and master office protocol, expectations and technology/systems necessary for the job.

Medical assistants participating in the externship program receive hands-on experience and training.

Because of this valuable experience, many externs receive job offers too. In fact, nine out of 10 externs from the 2024 and 2025 cohorts were hired after completing externships and passing national certification exams.

For instance, HOC MA graduates Jennifer Chavez and Karen Rodriguez were hired after their recent externships, says Teresa Morales, MA instructor at HOC. Chavez now works at the Manhattan Beach primary care offices, while Rodriguez works at the Hermosa Beach primary care location. SCROC MA graduate Ruth De Los Santos now works at Hermosa Beach pediatrics offices and is considering nursing school.

ASSISTING DIFFERENT LEARNERS

As a medical assistant instructor for 25 years, Melissa Moore knows that students benefit from on-the-job experience. While MA students are taught, tested and provided role-play simulation within the SCROC and HOC programs, externships can be especially helpful for students who naturally do well in a medical setting but may not test well.

“There are different learners. Some can ace a test no problem, but applying it in the real world is hard. Others excel smoothly with patients but have difficulty with testing. This is a great opportunity for our students and for the community,” explains Moore. “It’s an absolute gem to have this partnership with the Torrance Memorial Physician Network.”

Morales, who became an MA at age 18 and worked

for 10 years until becoming an HOC MA instructor, agrees with Moore. Morales urges all those interested in a medical career to reach out and explore the programs available at their local occupational centers. Students may be eligible for assistance, so if taking time off from work to attend training is daunting, inquire to see what is available.

INSPIRING MEDICAL CAREERS

The next cohort of externs includes 25 MA students from both centers. It is the largest (and first simultaneous) externship cohort to be placed in Torrance Memorial Physician Network offices. This shows the success of the program and growing interest within the community, says Marcia Garcia, director of operations at Torrance Memorial Physician Network.

Garcia started her career in 1999 as an MA graduate from SCROC. She is a living testament to how valuable these MA programs can be—and that numerous opportunities can await students once they begin their medical career.

After six years as an MA, Garcia was promoted to lead MA, then supervisor and then clinical coordinator. In 2013 she was hired as Torrance Memorial Physician Network’s manager of operations and was recently promoted to director of operations for the network.

“It’s super rewarding to help others on a similar path. When I do weekly site visits and check in with MA students, it’s like coming full circle. I can share my experience and let them know I was there, in their shoes, and know how they feel. I can answer questions and let them know I’m here for them,” says Garcia.

Today many high school graduates often delay college due to increasing costs. Attending medical or nursing schools can feel like impossible goals.

MA programs at SCROC and HOC—with externship opportunities—provide an affordable pathway into a medical career. They spark hope, mentorship and opportunities for our next generation of dedicated medical professionals. •

TO LEARN MORE:

• Torrance Memorial Physician Network: tmphysiciannetwork.org

• Southern California Regional Occupational Center: scroc.com/course-offerings/health-sciences

• Harbor Occupational Center: harboroccupational.lausd.org/apps/pages/ medassistant

ED PROGRESS REPORT

THE FIRST PHASE OF THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT EXPANSION PROJECT IS COMPLETE!

REPORTED BY CONNIE SENNER, DIRECTOR OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

We’ve officially wrapped up the first phase of the emergency department expansion project! The temporary triage space is complete and opened to the public on Sunday, September 14. Construction has started on the first-floor triage phase II portion of the project, which will be the permanent home for ED triage. We expect this construction to be completed around April 2026, providing four fully equipped triage bays for patient assessment. This project also creates a new, updated look at the front door of the ED with an expanded reception desk. The second floor of the ED expansion is also moving along. We received approval and permits from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information and began the buildout in September. •

Rendering of the new temporary triage area, in use until April 2026. Expected ED completion date is early 2027.

CENTRAL TOWER PROJECT

We’re making steady progress on the Central Tower seismic compliance project. Our team is working closely with the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) as we continue developing the construction documents. The meetings with the seismic compliance unit in Sacramento have been productive, and we’re seeing positive momentum. We’ve gone through many exercises to prove our seismic design for compliance meets the HCAI’s standards and our current state matches the original construction documents from 1968. This has included scanning existing structures and even chipping away existing concrete to check its strength and confirm the rebar placement. To take it a step further, we’re building a mockup of the Central Tower’s columns and beams for additional testing, inspection and approval.

A mock column being built in the Lomita employee parking lot for seismic testing

Q&A WITH DR. ANHALT

INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVE ON THE NEW ED

Elisa Anhalt, MD, is a Southern California native whose career reflects both compassion and determination. After graduating from Mount St. Mary’s University, she pursued medicine at UCLA, completing her degree, residency and service as chief resident. A board-certified emergency physician, Dr. Anhalt has been caring for patients in Torrance Memorial’s emergency department since 1999 and served as chief of the ED from 2015 to 2018.

Dr. Anhalt’s commitment to service extends beyond the hospital. She has held leadership roles with the Lunada Bay Elementary and Palos Verdes Intermediate PTAs, the Palos Verdes Junior Women’s Club and the Peninsula Chapter of National Charity League. Married with two children, she values time with family and friends, traveling and skiing.

A founding physician member of the Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance, Dr. Anhalt joined the Ambassadors in 2020. She has become a strong supporter of Torrance Memorial fundraising efforts—whether attending the Fashion Show with ED colleagues or opening her home for a Chef Sam dinner with staff. She looks forward to the Holiday Festival each year as a signature celebration of philanthropy.

For Dr. Anhalt, being an Ambassador member means advancing innovative, accessible health programs that strengthen the South Bay community.

What does the emergency department expansion mean for the South Bay community?

Our current emergency department has served the community well, but we have outgrown its capacity. The increasing demand for emergency services has highlighted the need for a larger, more modern space to accommodate our patients and staff effectively. The new, state-of-the-art facility will provide expanded treatment areas, enhanced privacy and a more comfortable environment for patients and their families. With this additional space and advanced design, we will be better equipped to deliver timely, compassionate and high-quality care to everyone who turns to us in their moment of need.

How will the new space be different for physicians, nurses, staff, patients and families?

The open design of the new emergency department will foster collaboration, communication and efficiency among staff and physicians. By providing clear lines of sight across key patient care areas, clinicians will be able to monitor patients more effectively and respond swiftly to changes in their condition. The layout will promote teamwork by allowing staff to share information easily and coordinate care in real time. Centralized workstations and strategically placed support areas will reduce unnecessary movement and streamline access to essential resources, enabling physicians and nurses to focus more time on direct patient care. This thoughtful, open configuration will enhance both operational flow and the overall quality of care delivered to our patients.

Why Ambassadors?

It is truly remarkable how deeply our community supports Torrance Memorial Medical Center. The fact that the emergency department expansion will be fully funded through community contributions is a powerful reflection of that commitment. I am profoundly proud to have spent my entire career at Torrance Memorial, working alongside dedicated colleagues who share a passion for excellence in patient care. As we continue to grow and serve, I am honored to give back through annual giving in the Ambassador Program—supporting the hospital that has given me so much and ensuring that future generations will continue to benefit from its outstanding care. •

A Culture of

HOW NURSES MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT TORRANCE MEMORIAL

WRITTEN

BY

LISA BUFFINGTON & JULIE TAYLOR

PHOTOGRAPHED BY WENDY SAADE

Nurses are making a difference across the entire Torrance Memorial Health system. Comprising 28% of the hospital’s workforce—the largest percentage among all job classifications—nurses can be found at the bedside and beyond, including in outpatient clinics, operating rooms, specialized care settings and administrative offices. Here’s a closer look at what it means to be a nurse at Torrance Memorial and the crucial role nurses play in providing patient-centered care.

Nursing by the Numbers

85% 56% 95 100% 100%

of clinical nurses have BSN/ MSN/DNP/PhD of nurse leaders have BSN/ MSN/DNP/PhD of nurse leaders have national certification of nurses have national certification new nurse graduates welcomed in 2024

Where Our Nurses Work

Torrance Memorial’s highly educated and expertly trained nurses contribute to outstanding specialized care delivery in numerous settings across the system.

Outpatient/

Community Support

Outpatient nurses care for patients who do not require hospital admission. Specialized roles include:

Nursing Across the Network

With nearly 50 specialized roles across the Torrance Memorial system, nurses support patients in a range of care and hold advanced degrees—demonstrating their personal, educational and professional commitment to excellence in nursing.

“Our nurses are lifelong learners, and 85% hold a BSN degree or higher,” says Mary Wright, RN, MSN, CENP, senior vice president of patient services and chief nursing officer at Torrance Memorial. “We support a culture of continuous learning by creating educational pathways for our nurses—including partial tuition assistance for RNs with associate’s degrees who choose to pursue a BSN, or BSN-prepared nurses who choose to pursue a MSN or another type of advanced degree or certification.”

Inpatient/ Hospital-Based Care

Inpatient nurses work inside the hospital to support patients during their stay. Specialized roles include:

• Burn/Wound

• Cardiovascular

• Case Management & Utilization Review

• Critical Care – ICU

• Emergency Services

• Labor & Delivery

• Medical Surgical

• Mother/Baby

• Neonatal ICU

• Neuro/Medical Surgical

• Oncology

• Pediatrics

• Progressive Care/Telemetry

• Transitional Care Unit – TCU

• Behavioral Health

• Cardiac Rehab & Diabetes

• Health Education/Community Outreach

• Home Health

• Hospice

• Short Stay & Infusion

Procedural Care

Procedural care nurses care for patients who need a medical procedure. Specialized roles include:

• Cardiac Cath Lab

• Cardiac Rehab & Diabetes

• Cardiothoracic Imaging

• Electrophysiology

• Endoscopy Center

• Interventional Radiology

• Kidney Dialysis

• Operating Room

• Peri-Anesthesia

• Radiology Diagnostics

Nursing

Advanced Practice

Advanced practice nurses provide patient care in a variety of settings. Roles include:

• Clinical Nurse Specialist

• Nurse Practitioner

Programmatic Specialist

Nursing programmatic specialists care for patients who need specialized treatment. Roles include:

• Bariatric

• Burn/Wound/Ostomy Care

• Eating Disorders

• ECMO

• Heart Failure

• Infection Prevention

• Orthopedics

• Palliative Care

• Stroke

• Structural Heart

• Quality & Accreditation

Nursing

Leadership

Nurse leaders have advanced degrees and may specialize in:

• Administration

• Education

• Informatics

• Research

Pathways for Professional Growth

From new graduates to long-time nurses, Torrance Memorial supports nurses throughout their career journey. According to vice president of nursing Shanna Hall, nursing is constantly evolving—which means today’s nurses need to be committed to staying current on research-based best practices while staying motivated to learn and grow.

“It’s all connected to helping patients,” says Hall. “Research shows when nurses participate in professional development, they experience greater job satisfaction and patient outcomes improve.”

Advanced Nursing Degrees

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – A four-year undergraduate degree for RNs.

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – An advanced degree for RNs preparing them for advanced practice and leadership roles.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – Along with a PhD in nursing, DNP degrees represent the highest level of education for nurses, preparing them for executive leadership and advanced practice clinical roles.

Doctorate in Nursing (PhD) – Along with a DNP in nursing, a PhD in nursing prepares nurses for research, quality improvement and system leadership roles.

Partial Tuition Assistance for Professional Development

Torrance Memorial encourages nurses to pursue advanced BSN/MSN/DNP degrees, as well as professional certifications in specialty care areas. The hospital offers a partial tuition assistance program for nurses who choose to continue their education.

A Calling and a Career

For many nurses, caring for others in their most vulnerable moments is a calling they feel early in life.

“Nurses have a deep commitment to advocacy, service and high-quality patient care,” says Shanna Hall, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, vice president of nursing at Torrance Memorial. “It’s more than just a job, because those who are called to the nursing profession want to add value to the patient care experience.”

In addition to improving patient outcomes and experiences, nurses guide patients and families through life’s most challenging circumstances—from birth to death and many milestones in between.

“We receive letters and hear stories from our patients about the profound impact our nurses have when carrying them through a crisis — and it all starts with a calling and a sense of purpose,” says Hall.

Programs that support nursing career development include:

New Graduate RN Residency Program

Draft Days

Draft Days are virtual events that allow experienced nurses to connect with nursing leaders from other units and departments—providing opportunities for nurses to make internal job changes and improving retention. Nurse leaders also offer in-house specialty training programs in oncology, perioperative care, critical care, NICU, maternal-child care and more. “We encourage internal movement and want our nurses to be able to pursue their goals and passions while remaining a part of the Torrance Memorial family,” says Maricarmen Luhrsen, DNP, RN, NE-BC, Magnet Program director at Torrance Memorial. “Our leaders work together to plan for internal transfers to other specialties by experienced RNs. This planning enables leaders to anticipate open positions that provide new graduate nurses an opportunity to join the Torrance Memorial team.”

In 2006 Torrance Memorial launched the New Graduate RN Residency Program—one of the first programs of its kind in southern Los Angeles County—to support nurses during their first six months of professional practice. The program holds an Accreditation with Distinction through the American Nurses Credentialing Center Practice Transition Accreditation Program—the highest recognition a transition program can receive that is held by select programs nationwide. Created by nurses for nurses, the program receives nearly 1,000 applications each year for 100 open spots, helping the hospital attract and retain the best nursing candidates.

Clinical Practice Pathway Program (CP3)

The CP3 program has helped more than 400 nurses develop their skills since its inception in 2017. As part of the program, eligible nurses enroll in the program offered three times per year and submit clinical narratives describing their practice—including clinical decision-making skills, patient advocacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration—that are evaluated during an interview by a panel of their peers. With the approval of the panel, nurses advance from novice to expert status following Benner’s model of clinical competence, an educational model describing the progression through five stages as nurses work to enhance their skills.

Stages include:

• Novice (Level 1 – New Graduate RN Residents) –No prior experience; relies on rules and guidelines.

• Advanced beginner (Level 2 – New Graduate RNs with less than two years of experience) – Some experience; can identify patterns and apply basic rules to situations.

• Competent (Level 3 – minimum of 2 to 3 years of nursing experience) – Can plan and prioritize some tasks with less flexibility and speed than expert nurses.

• Proficient (Level 4 – minimum of 3 years of nursing experience) – Able to analyze situations, make decisions, and adapt based on experience.

• Expert (Level 5 – 5 or more years of experience) – Deep understanding of complex clinical situations with advanced decision-making, assessment, and response capabilities.

Darrin and Michelle aren’t alone in wanting to preserve the Del Conte family legacy. A quartercentury later, fans continue to post nostalgic photos and appreciations of Del Conte’s Restaurant in online communities.

SMILE AND SAY “CHEESE SPREAD”

FOR DARRIN AND MICHELLE DEL CONTE, SUPPORTING TORRANCE MEMORIAL IS A FAMILY AFFAIR THAT HARKS BACK TO CHERISHED MEMORIES OF DEL CONTE’S RESTAURANT.

WRITTEN BY DIANE KRIEGER | PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHEAL NEVEUX

Attention, Torrance Memorial anesthesiologists! One lucky doc can lay claim to an authentic jar of Del Conte’s Restaurant’s famous garlic cheese spread. That’s pretty remarkable, considering the beloved Torrance establishment closed its doors in 1999.

But foodies with long memories still crave the killer garlic toast topper served by owner Gerry Del Conte. And one of those foodies happened to attend the birth of baby Serena Sasso, Gerry’s great-granddaughter.

The Del Conte garlic cheese spread recipe is a closely guarded secret. When Gerry passed away in 2012, he bequeathed it to his son, Darrin. “We keep it under lock and key,” he says.

Many have tried to reverse-engineer it, and a few have claimed success on social media. The Daily Breeze published a contender in 2017, but Darrin’s wife, Michelle, says emphatically: “Nope, that’s not it.”

Fast-forward to 2022, when the Del Contes’ daughter Andrea Sasso was in labor at Torrance Memorial Medical Center with her first baby. The attending anesthesiologist noticed her maiden name and inquired if she was related to Gerry Del Conte.

“That was my grandfather,” Andrea replied, between contractions. The anesthesiologist proceeded to rave about the amazing cheese spread at Del Conte’s, and Andrea offered him a jar from her mom’s next batch. But in the chaos and excitement of delivery, she didn’t write down his name.

That was three years ago, and “I’m embarrassed to say we never followed through,” Michelle says. Mystery anesthesiologist, there’s your cue to step forward!

Michelle whips up a batch of Del Conte’s famous cheese spread every year around the holidays—enough to share with family and special friends. The holidays are coming soon!

FAMILY TIES

The Del Conte family’s ties to Torrance Memorial reach back three generations.

“When my brother, Chris and I were kids,” says Darrin, “that was the hospital mom would take us to when we got hurt.”

“Darrin and I delivered our babies there,” Michelle adds, referring to the births of Andrea, now 32, and Allison, 31. The latest family member to come through Torrance Memorial is Andrea’s second daughter, baby Scarlett, born in July.

Michelle and Darrin, along with Andrea and her husband Marc Sasso, are all Torrance Memorial Patrons. So are many of their childhood friends.

The Del Contes started supporting Torrance Memorial with a 2003 gift to the West Tower campaign. They’ve continued gifting, most recently in their support of the emergency department campaign. Michelle’s sister and brother-in-law, Laura and Joe Gregorio, are also Patrons

and longtime supporters of Torrance Memorial. They credit the Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute with saving Joe’s life after surgeons performed an emergency coronary artery bypass graft in 2018.

Joe Gregorio isn’t just Darrin’s brotherin-law. They have been close friends for over 40 years. Darrin has worked for Joe at Pacific Crane Maintenance Company for more than three decades. Joe is the founder and CEO of the Long Beach

maritime business, which employs nearly 1,000 longshoremen responsible for moving cargo across the West Coast. Darrin is chief commercial officer, overseeing corporate, customer and labor relations.

FLYING HIGH

For 30 years Del Conte’s Restaurant was a treasured part of the Torrance social scene. It hosted wedding receptions, surprise parties and milestone

anniversaries. The dimly lit steakhouse had a comfortable, old-fashioned atmosphere with dark wooden tables and vinyl booths. Its horseshoe-shaped bar attracted a regular crowd of barflies and businesspeople.

At its peak, the restaurant—known for huge steaks, lobster tails and king crabs, as well as the amazing garlic cheese bread and green goddess salad—served 500 dinners a night. A car dealership now sits

on the former site at 2900 Pacific Coast Highway. Gerry and Sandy Del Conte opened their eponymous restaurant in 1969 and operated it until their retirement in 1999. It was an all-consuming enterprise. “Dad worked seven days a week. He spent many, many, hours down there. But he also had fun. He loved to fly. He had a pilot’s license and a plane across the street at Zamperini Field. Throughout the week, he would take an hour here, an hour there,

and go up and fly,” recalls Darrin who was a frequent passenger.

Despite the many hours at the restaurant, Gerry always found time to attend any of his sons’ school and athletic events with pride. Father and sons would also play golf together. For many years, they had a standing Saturday game until Gerry was no longer able to play.

Yet Darrin was never tempted to take over the family business. “Dad worked too hard,” he says. Instead, he went into the maritime trade.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Michelle, Darrin’s wife of 35 years, comes from a long line of Croatian American fishermen and longshoremen (the Trutanich family). She spent her early years in San Pedro, and when she was age 11, her family moved to Rancho Palos Verdes. Michelle met Darrin during her freshman year at Miraleste High School. He finished his bachelor’s degree in economics as a commuter student at UC Irvine while Michelle studied business administration at Loyola Marymount University. They dated for five years before tying the knot.

Daughters Allison and Andrea with their young families: Allison, Reese, Clay and Cormac Carey; Serena, Marc, Andrea and baby Scarlett Sasso

Clockwise from left: Michelle and Darrin Del Conte soak in the splendor of newborn Scarlett Sasso with beloved Teddy keeping a careful watch.

After college, Darrin briefly worked for a real estate developer. He switched to the Korean shipping company Hanjin before beginning his career with Pacific Crane Maintenance Company.

Michelle got her real estate license but quickly realized she wanted to stay home to raise her daughters. She continues to use her license occasionally, helping friends and family. As the girls grew older, Darrin made time to coach their sports teams, and Michelle threw herself into school-related volunteer and charity work.

Allison Carey now lives in Northern California with her husband, Clay, and their sons, Cormac, 2, and Reese, 9

months. She is a Bay Area-based clinical psychologist, and Clay is the co-founder of a virtual financial services start-up for small businesses.

Andrea was an associate regional director for a New York-based art appraisal and advisory firm before stepping back to raise her children. Like her parents, she and Marc started as high school sweethearts. Marc is now a finance director at a distribution company in Torrance. They live in Rancho Palos Verdes with daughters Serena, 3, and baby Scarlett.

At 59, Darrin works almost as many hours as his father once did. It turns out the maritime industry is nearly as

all-consuming as running a restaurant.

“It’s a 24/7 industry,” Darrin says.

“Except for the five days of the year when the harbors shut down, we’re never off.”

To decompress, he and Michelle retreat to their happy place: Hawaii. “We play cards and cribbage, drink mai tais and take naps. It’s the best,” Michelle says.

An impediment to such travel is Teddy, their beloved pit-lab-rottweiler mix. The pup they rescued almost 10 years ago has become a “huge” part of their life. (Darrin calls him “a big beast,” as Teddy weighs 112 pounds.) Only trouble is, “Teddy hates it when he sees the suitcases come out,” Michelle says.

The Del Conte family ties reach back many generations, and Michelle and Darrin celebrate with their daughters and their growing families. L to R: Andrea with baby bump Scarlett, Serena, Marc, Michelle, Darrin, Allison, Reese, and Clay holding Cormac

Closer to home, the Del Contes enjoy unwinding with a weekend round of golf, pickleball with high school friends, and family dinners with the kids and grandbabies. Darrin is a two-term past president of Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, and Michelle has played Marine League tennis at the Jack Kramer Club in Rolling Hills Estates for over 25 years.

There are no equestrians in the Del Conte family, but for many years Michelle has devoted herself to the Peninsula Committee Children’s Hospital (PCCH), which organizes the Portuguese Bend National Horse Show, a three-day, allvolunteer run event every September. Since its inception in 1957, PCCH has raised over $21 million for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles through the horse show and other fundraising events.

“This is my 17th show,” Michelle says. In 2024, she served as chair, which she found to be very rewarding. It’s an all-hands-ondeck weekend for PCCH families, but Darrin admits, “The women do all the real work. Everyone is jumping in for the right cause.”

“I’m very grateful to have had two healthy children,” says Michelle, so PCCH is one way of giving back.”

Darrin feels the same way about supporting Torrance Memorial. “We’re giving back to the hospital where we had our babies and where one of our daughters had her babies,” he says. “It feels good to know we’re helping Torrance Memorial advance and do good things for our community.”

PRESERVING THE PAST

Michelle and Darrin are thinking more about things like preserving legacy and building out the future. In early October they traveled to Southern Italy to uncover lost Del Conte roots.

While in Corato, Darrin enlisted the aid of a local tour guide, who researched

and shared information on his ancestors. Darrin was very close to his paternal grandparents, Frank and Angelina (Lena). Lena immigrated from Corato as a girl, and Frank’s parents and oldest brother also immigrated from Corato.

Michelle and Darrin aren’t alone in wanting to preserve the Del Conte legacy.

A quarter-century later, fans continue to post nostalgic photos and appreciations of Del Conte’s Restaurant in online communities.

“People still ask about the Garlic Cheese Bread and the green goddess dressing,” Darrin says. “We get requests all the time.”

Alas, the green goddess recipe is lost.

But for Andrea’s mystery anesthesiologist, the cheese spread is his for the asking. •

Clockwise from left: Michelle and Darrin find time to relax and take in the sunset in Hawaii.

Gerry Del Conte in front of the infamous family restaurant circa 1972. Vintage glassware from Del Conte’s Restaurant.

THE UPLIFTING POWER OF TRUST, FAITH & SERVICE

WRITTEN BY LAURA ROE STEVENS

As I walked into The Healing Garden at Torrance Memorial Medical Center to meet Elaine Booth-Carnegis, I approached a woman with an inviting smile, a friendly demeanor ... and a little sparkle. Dressed in summer navy and white, Elaine wore elegant jewelry that perfectly matched her outfit, accompanied by white athletic shoes studded with faux diamonds.

The former nurse and Torrance Memorial volunteer for 20 years exudes fun, positivity and fashion— something I didn’t anticipate, considering all she has endured. Yet Elaine would likely tell you that everything in her life—the good and the challenging times—has been a gift from God.

“I have a plaque at my house from a friend I adore. It says, ‘I trust the next chapter because I know who the author is.’ That’s exactly how I feel,” Elaine shares with a smile.

A two-time cancer patient, Elaine lost her husband, George Carnegis, in 2019 and has a daughter who battles leukemia. Even though Elaine survived breast cancer and was diagnosed with and receives treatment for neuroendocrine cancer, she lives life on her own terms. In fact, the day we met, Elaine was preparing to leave for “a bucket-list trip” with a friend to visit Calgary and Banff, Canada.

While Elaine has lived in Rancho Palos Verdes for 40 years, she was born in Philadelphia, raised in Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University. She proudly tells anyone: “I’m a Buckeye!”

GRATITUDE & GIVING

George died on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in 2019 and was buried on George Washington’s birthday— something Elaine finds fitting for a man who loved history and engineering. In fact, George played a role in U.S. history by being on the design team for the Surveyor 1 spacecraft, which made the first American lunar landing on June 2, 1966.

“He was my knight in shining armor,” Elaine says proudly of George, who went in for a checkup. because he was feeling a bit tired. That’s when interventional cardiologist James Matchison, MD, and Matthew Ostrom, MD, an electrophysiologist in cardiology, ran tests and learned that George had

Elaine BoothCarnegis in the healing garden next to The Healer’s Touch statue.

“I TRUST THE NEXT CHAPTER BECAUSE I KNOW WHO THE AUTHOR IS.”

experienced a heart attack six days earlier. If they had not discovered this, he might not have received the proper care or lived five additional years—giving him valuable time to spend with family.

“I’m so appreciative to all who cared for him at Torrance Memorial,” says Elaine. “We were able to share even more special moments with our daughter, Cara Genberg, an operating room nurse at Miller Children’s Hospital of Long Beach, and her husband, Bob Genberg, a retired firefighter paramedic, and our granddaughters, Sarah Raasch and Kelly Genberg.”

Elaine became a member of the Heritage Society to honor

HOW TO MAKE A BEQUEST

Making a bequest through your will or living trust is the easiest of planned gifts. With simple language within your will or trust, you can support Torrance Memorial upon your death, and your heirs also enjoy a tax benefit. Contact your estate planning attorney for guidance in reviewing and updating your will or trust, or reach out to Torrance Memorial’s Office of Planned Giving. Please let us know if you have included the hospital in your estate plan so we can acknowledge your advance planning and include you in our Heritage Society.

For more information on ways to give, please visit TorranceMemorial.myplannedgift.org or scan the QR code.

her husband and chose to include Torrance Memorial in her estate planning as part of the hospital’s Planned Giving Program. This initiative allows individuals to create a legacy through wills, trusts or other planned gifts, ensuring future generations receive the same compassionate care both she and George received. These gifts not only support vital hospital programs and advancements but can also provide financial benefits to donors, such as tax advantages and income during retirement.

“The care I received for both my cancer treatments—and that George benefited from—was tremendous,” she says. “I am forever grateful.” •

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Nadia Antii, CRPC

Beti Tsai Bergman, Esq. (Co-Chair)

Stephanie Bezner, Esq.

Kevin Bidenkap, CFP®, ChFC, CLU, CEPA

Gene Brown, CLPF

Yvonne Chavez, CLPF

Chris Cordoba, CFP®

Claire Durand, CFP®

Nancy Gragg, CWS (Co-Chair)

Suzanne Grudnitski, CLPF

Eric Harris, Esq.

Brandon Hohm, CPA

Carol Kulencavich, CPA

Angela Park Sheldon, CFP®, AEP

Karen Pryor, CRMP

Gregory Schill, CFP®

F. Thomas Schlappatha, CFP®

Grace Greer St. Clair, Esq.

Larry Takahashi, CFP®

Tiana Takenaga

Sylvia Thompson

Mark Tsujimoto

Stuart Tsujimoto, CFP®

Abby Waddell

DOING WELL BY DOING GOOD

DR. KURT HANSEN AND ERIN HANSEN PRIORITIZE HELPING OTHERS

WRITTEN BY NANCY SOKOLER STEINER

PHOTOGRAPHED BY WENDY

SAADE

Volunteering comes naturally to Kurt Hansen, MD, and his wife, Erin Hansen, who have devoted themselves to helping others since their teens. In fact, that’s how they met. Both were high school

student volunteers at Rising Above Disabilities Camp for children and adults with developmental disabilities. They spent the week paired up with a special needs “buddy,” providing care and assistance.

When Kurt and Erin Hansen met while volunteering at a summer camp for children and adults with developmental disabilities, their connection was immediate.

The Orange County camp enables buddies to enjoy activities that might not otherwise be available to them, while their caregivers receive a week of respite.

After spending a day together with their buddy at Disneyland, the connection between Erin and Kurt was immediate. “He asked for my number, and the rest is history,” Erin says. That was in 2005.

Fast-forward to today, and the Hansens remain involved with the camp. They have also chosen to support Torrance Memorial Medical Center as members of Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance (YPPA). The group brings together doctors, business professionals and community leaders who enjoy social gatherings for causes that blend community, impact and philanthropy. YPPA’s mission is to support the medical center’s high-level expert care in the South Bay.

Dr. Hansen is an emergency department physician and co-director of emergency medicine at Torrance Memorial. As parents of three boys, ages 7, 11 and 13, he and Erin have busy schedules. But they make time to attend YPPA events because of the benefits they’ve reaped.

“It’s been an amazing experience for us to meet other members of the community—even the physicians I know on the medical side—in a social context,” Kurt says.

Erin agrees: “We’ve made a lot of new friends and connections, especially as parents.”

The couple has attended Casino Nights, St. Patrick’s Day at Hennessey’s, and family-centered activities such as barbecues and picnics. Dr. Hansen has also represented YPPA at some events.

He says participating in YPPA has enhanced his relationship with colleagues. For example, he and orthopedic surgeon John Andrawis, MD, and their wives bonded over their mutual experience of having three children. They’ve seen each other socially as a result.

Dr. Hansen had an affinity for the sciences since he was in high school. As a senior he broke his hand playing football, and his orthopedist made a big impression.

“It blew me away that he knew so much about something under the skin. I thought his knowledge was incredible,” he shares of the doctor’s impact, which along with Dr. Hansen’s interests in both science and sports reinforced his inclination to explore the medical field. He thought he might like to work in orthopedics or surgery.

While an undergraduate at UCLA, he worked as a transporter for the radiology department at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, taking patients to get ultrasounds and CT scans. He then transitioned to working as a physical therapy aide. He enjoyed the interaction with patients and enrolled in medical school at UC Davis.

His preference of specialty changed when he did his emergency department rotation. “It just fit: the people, the pace of work, the patients. The choice was obvious for me.”

Kurt and Erin, who married while he was in medical school, were thrilled when he matched with Torrance Memorial. He marked his eighth year here in September. Working as an emergency department physician has both challenges and rewards. There’s no way to control the volume or flow of patients, Dr. Hansen notes. For example, the emergency department saw 363 patients the day after Labor Day—an extremely high number.

In addition, “You never know what’s going to come through the door, so you have to be prepared for everything,” he says.

At the same time, “It’s so rewarding to use your knowledge, hard work and skills to really have an impact on someone else’s life. People come in scared and in pain, and it’s gratifying to provide answers and peace of mind—to take someone in a terrible state mentally, physically and medically and quickly help them.”

Erin, who grew up in Fullerton, majored in criminal justice at San Diego State University and worked to support her husband while he attended medical school. The Hansens agreed that Erin would stay home when the couple’s first child Eli was born in 2011. A second child Leo, came along two years later, and Jack their third arrived soon after Dr. Hansen started at Torrance Memorial.

Erin has remained involved with RAD Camp since high school. A previous volunteer with Special Olympics, she learned about the camp from a teacher at school. “It was really eye-opening,” she says. “As much as we were helping our buddies, we got so much love and understanding in return from them as well.”

Today she coordinates schedules for the camp kitchen volunteers and helps in any way she can, whether in the classroom or with a buddy. Dr. Hansen took a break during medical school but now serves on the camp’s board of directors. He also helped them form a medical board and serves as the camp physician.

The Hansens like to stay active. Erin is a long-time runner, and Dr. Hansen ran his first half-marathon with her in Nashville earlier this year. Dr. Hansen is also an avid golfer. Their boys play baseball and soccer, and the Hansens are big Dodgers fans.

Nevertheless, “I think some of our most enjoyable days are just being at home together,” he says.

The Hansens clearly find giving back to be a fulfilling and worthy part of their busy lives. They encourage others to consider joining YPPA.

“You can’t imagine the people you’re going to meet and how those relationships will impact your future, the way you see the world and the opportunities you’ll have,” says Dr. Hansen. “We’ve had some of the most interesting conversations and friendships come out of YPPA. When it’s rooted in your own community, it’s an investment in your stake in the South Bay.” •

L to R: The Hansen family—Kurt, Jack, Leo, Erin and Eli

DENIM AND DIAMONDS CELEBRATION

Torrance Memorial’s Denim and Diamonds celebration kicked off the hospital’s Centennial Celebration weekend in sparkling style. Held under the big white tent, the evening brought together more than 300 guests. The event sparkled with festive energy as guests dined, danced and celebrated a remarkable 100 years of exceptional care and community.

1. Tim Stratton, Michele Stratton

2. Vimal Murthy, MD, Madeline Schumacher

3. Craig Leach, George So, MD, Judy Leach

4. Roy Fu, MD, Peter Weinstein, Tracy Bercu, MD, Ally Shen, Alex Shen, MD

5. Keith Hobbs, Merilee Hobbs, Jen Croft, Bryan Croft

6. Mary Ford, Bharti Sheth, Judy Gassner, Jennifer Hennessey

7. Karen Pryor, Jim Sala, Andrea Sala, Sophia Neveu

8. Saxon Nowotka, Priscilla Hunt, Wes Kauble, Juan Pablo Di Pace

9. Jerry Marcil, Laura Schenasi, Pat Theodora

10. Dave Klein, Dan Finnegan, Alex Schumacher

11. Nicholas Maddox, Erin Fiorito, Davy Cohen, MD

12. Marilyn MacLeod, Tracy Bracken

13. Front: Beatrice Sheng, Mimi Liu, Bob Liu, May Su; Back: Michael Tung, Betty Tung, Lynn Shih, Peter Shen, Nancy Shen, Allison Shen, Alex Shen, MD, Lee Su

14. Greg Halvorsen, Laurie Inadomi-Halvorsen, Ryan Halvorsen

15. Roy Melendez, MD, Sunny Melendez, MD, Jackelyn So, MD

16. Eric Nakkim, MD, Lisa Nakkim, Marc Schenasi

17. Anthony Chen, MD, Jennifer Chen, Tracy Rogers, Chris Rogers

18. Michaela Andrawis, John Andrawis, MD

19. Brenda Nowotka, Judy Leach, Priscilla Hunt, Craig Leach

20. Stephanie Tang, DO, Gretchen Lent, MD

21. Luke Dauchot, Jackie Geiger, Greg Geiger

22. Rebecca Philipson, MD, Daniel Philipson, MD, Wade Welch, Thyra Endicott, MD, Susan Welch, Jonathan Chute

23. Regina Finnegan, Song Klein, Caitie Cleeland, Helaine Lopes

Richard Lundquist, Nancy Pasquali, Cindy Valleriano, Melanie Lundquist, Janet Esposito

25. Todd Schenasi, Amanda Schenasi, Joanne Chang, Stanley Chang, MD

26. Jeff Neu, Tiffany Neu, Andrea Zislis, Michael Zislis

27. May Su, Betty Tung, Mimi Liu, Joanne Chang, Beatrice Sheng

28. Mark Lurie, MD, Lisa Humphreys, MD, Barbara Demming-Lurie

29. Tim Reid, Bernie Reid, Gerhard Eberhart, Heidi Assigal, Shanna Hall, Jack Hall, Mary Wright, Steve Wright

24.

GOLF TOURNAMENT

The 39th annual Torrance Memorial Foundation Golf Tournament was a sold-out success, with proceeds supporting the Lundquist Leach Emergency Department campaign. On June 2, 136 golfers enjoyed a beautiful day at the Palos Verdes Golf Club, beginning with a stampede putting contest and ending with a cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner and awards presentation. City National Bank proudly continued its sponsorship of the tournament under the leadership of tournament chair Rick Higgins.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ED MCCLURE

1. Nancy Anantavara, Keith Hobbs

2. Scott Rouse, Mark Rouse, Jarrett Rouse, Chris Profeta

3. Twanna Rogers, Nancy Anantavara

4. Tim Rogers, Nick Battaglia

5. Andy Johnson, Virgina Brown, Eric Chessmore, Cameron Kilar

6. Nick Burdiak, Elizabeth Adlam, Chris Adlam, Zach Matos

Allan Delman, Alan Goldstein, Jeffrey Parker, Michael Goldstein

8. Tom McCarthy, Greg Davis, John Mavredakis, Sam Sheth

9. Adam Congdon, Jordan Lopez, Keith Hobbs, Brian Matthews

10. Daniel Leach, Craig Leach, David Leach, Paul Leach

11. Liz Benardo, Janet Ma, Veann Bracken, Song Klein, Stephanie Mancia

12. Kurt Hansen, MD, Adam Goodman, MD, Michael Fiore, PA, David Oliver, MD

13. Armon Wright, Brian Wright, Mary Wright, Steve Wright

7.

14. Steve Lopes, Helaine Lopes, Lowell Hill

15. Mike Klein, Sam Carmack, John Katnik, Scott Stone

16. Jon Lund, Tracy Bracken

17. Marc Schenasi, Madeline Schumacher, Alex Schumacher, Damon Hoover

18. Rob Young, Satish Joshi, Teri Young, Marzi Mistry

19. Lowell Hill, John Moody, Keith Hall, Pete Ricci

20. Erik Higgins, Jeff Higgins, Rick Higgins, Ted Fisher

21. Steve Calvillo, Hudson Meyer, Harrison Kerscher, Jon Lund

22. Dave Klein, Steve Lopes, Dan Finnegan, John Kirk

23. Daniel Scriba, Aaron McGuiness, Jerry Soldner, Jim Scriba

24. Kurt Hansen, MD, Laura Schenasi

25. Martin Byum, Brian Kim, Andy Han, William Lee

26. Ken Baronsky, Lisa Baronsky, Erin Sloves, Andrew Sloves

YPPA TRIVIA NIGHT

Victory belongs to the wise! Vimal Murthy, MD, was the quizmaster at the Young Physicians and Professionals Alliance Trivia Night at The Brews Hall in Torrance, held June 12. The evening was filled with friendly competition, laughter and community. This brain-energy event highlighted the camaraderie and engagement of local professionals and physicians.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ED MCCLURE

7.

8.

1. Sarah Wohn, PsyD, Stanley Chang, MD, Michael Chang, Joanne Chang, Matthew Chang

2. Brandon Hohm, Nadine Bobit, Ty Bobit, Christy Abraham, Elisa Anhalt, MD, Sunil Hebbar, MD

3. Sophia Neveu, Andie Self, Stephanie Mancia, Alda Mancia, Nicholas Maddox

4. Greg Brown, Vimal Murthy, MD, Robert Cerami

5. Amit Pandit, Kate Madorin, MD, Swati Sikaria, MD, Brian Miura, MD

6. Mario Reyes, MD, Aashini Shah, MD, Swetha Vakkalanka, MD, Annsley Marshall, Matthew Marshall, Swati Sikaria, MD, Amit Pandit

Jaime McKinnell, MD, John Mackenbach, Susie Rossick, Heidi Makenbach,David Mackenbach, Lisa Taft

Brian Miura, MD, Brandy Van Zitter, Danielle Boujikian, Sherry Hechanova, Stephanie Bezner

WINE PROCUREMENT PARTY

Guests gathered with wine donations in hand on Sunday, August 17, at the home of Song Klein and David Klein to launch the support of Torrance Memorial’s Holiday Festival. More than 100 bottles were collected to donate to the live and silent auctions at the Gala, which is scheduled for December 5. The party provided a fun atmosphere with cocktails, heavy appetizers and music by Jam Sessions Live.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ED MCCLURE

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. Wine donations

6. Angela Furkioti, Kate Cocke, Laura Schenasi, Christy Abraham, Janice Tecimer

7. David Stocke, Holly

8.

Song Klein, Dave Klein

Allyson Shen, Alex Shen, MD

Justin Holcher, Allison Holcher

Doreen Myhre, Helen Hitzel, Michelle Gavin

Stocke

Dan Finnegan, Regina Finnegan

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT SALON

On September 14, physicians, community members and Torrance Memorial board members came together at the Palos Verdes home of Allyson Shen and Alex Shen, MD, for an engaging afternoon in support of the Lundquist Leach Emergency Department Campaign. The program celebrated the community’s generosity and reinforced how the emergency department expansion will benefit everyone in the South Bay. Guests were inspired by remarks from Eric Nakkim, MD, emergency medicine, who traced the history of Torrance Memorial’s role as an early adopter of emergency medicine and shared how the hospital is now creating space for the future of 24/7/365 care.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ED MCCLURE

1. Ally Shen, Alex Shen, MD

2. Janice Tecimer, Timur Tecimer

3. Alan Goldstein, Mark Lurie, MD, Ty Bobit

4. Sam Sheth, Barbara Demming-Lurie

5. Craig Leach, Judy Leach, Song Klein, Dave Klein

6. Jenny Luo, MD, Brian Miura, MD, Dana Kennedy, MD

7. Lori O’Hern, Christy Abraham

8. Michelle Wroan, Doug Wroan, Keith Hobbs, Merilee Hobbs

9. Janette Mandema, Jaap Mandema

10. Tony Lee, MD, Tom O’Hern, Doug Laurin, Bryce Fukunaga, MD, Allan Goldstein, Nicholas Maddox

11. Darrin Del Conte, Andy Gregorio, Justine Gregorio, Alex Schumacher

12. Nadine Bobit, Kurt Hansen, MD, Erin Hansen

13. David Bentley, Laura Schenasi, Barbara Bentley, Jerry Marcil, Carol Marcil

14. David Bentley, Barbara Bentley

15. Tonny Lee, MD, Lisa Nakkim, Eric Nakkim, MD

16. Noelle Giuliano, Madeline Schumacher, Michelle Del Conte, Ally Shen

17. Gretchen Lent, MD, Jenny Luo, MD, Dana Kennedy, MD, Alex Shen, MD, Brian Miura, MD, Amanda Clauson, MD, Stephanie Tang, DO, Elisa Anhalt, MD, Kurt Hansen, MD, Eric Nakkim, MD

HERITAGE SOCIETY LUNCHEON

Torrance Memorial Heritage Society members were acknowledged for their visionary giving at the annual luncheon at Palos Verdes Golf Club on June 19. They were joined by donors who have contributed annually for 10 or more consecutive years. Jamie McKinnell, MD, infectious disease specialist, spoke about “Understanding Vaccine Risks.” Heritage Society members have designated Torrance Memorial with a gift in their estate plan.

1. Rick Rounsavelle, DDS, Kirsten Wagner, DDS

2. Karen Mohr, Karen Gottlieb

3. Marilou Lieman, Henry Frankenberg, Stuart Tsujimoto, Rita Meistrell, Joe Meistrell

4. Enda Campbell, Carol Brown

5. Elisa Anhalt, MD, Brian Miura, MD

6. Sandra Sanders, Keith Hobbs, Julie Sanders

7. Jamie McKinnell, MD

8. Cheryl Gutierrez, Hector Gutierrez

9. Carol Kulencavich, Dan Hovenstine, MD, Cheryl Melville

10. Michael Stull, Pat Brewster

11. Frances Fleming, Donna Helstrom

12. Gayle Brierly, Robert Brierly

13. Elisa Anhalt, MD, Mark Lurie, MD

14. Song Klein, Stephanie Bezner, Laura Schenasi

15. Karen Gottlieb, Karen Pryor, Karen Mohr, Larry Takahashi, Tiana Takenaga

16. PAC Advisory Board: Suzanne Grudnitski, Tiana Takenaga, Yvonne Chavez, Beti Bergman, Stuart Tsujimoto, Grace St. Clair, Carol Kulencavich, Nicholas Maddox, Kevin Bidenkap, Karen Pryor, Nadia Antii, Larry Takahashi, Gregory Shill, Abby Waddell

TORRANCE MEMORIAL GIVES SPECIAL THANKS FOR OUR MANY DONORS

GIFTS FROM MARCH 1 – AUGUST 31, 2025

$16,000,000

O. Allen Alpay

$5,000,000

United States Charitable Gift Trust

$4,000,000

Melanie and Richard Lundquist

$1,000,000

Priscilla Hunt

TF Educational Foundation

$300,000–$500,000

Henry and Jessica Chen

Janice and Timur Tecimer

$250,000+

Anonymous Donor

Madhavi and Kamlesh Doshi

Gail and Timothy Lappen

Robert and Mimi Liu

Judy Ryan

Cindy and Craig Waldman

$100,000+

Michelle and Darrin Del Conte

Clair Eitel

Al Hill†

Lisa and Robert Margolis, MD

Susann Norton

Carleen and Paul Schwartz

Kinecta Community Foundation

$50,000+

Louise Bahar

Linda and Zan Calhoun

Coull Foundation

Linda and Don Griffith

Peggy and Pei Huang

Sandy and Karl Jackson

Kala and Surendra Jain, MD

Lori and Art Kaiser, DDS

Evelyn D. Lapham

Scott Lasky

Caren and Jordan Libit

Cathy and Major Lin

Ben and Jeannine Lochtenberg

Lori and Joel Marfield

Laurie and Thomas McCarthy

McMillen Family Foundation

Jane and Ajay Mehra

Denise and Michael Mileski

Terrie and David Mileski

Thipnongnuch and Larry Miller

Susan Frances Moley

Doris and Gregory Morton

Phyllis Pelezzare

Tamara Ritchey Powers

Lynn and Richard Shih

Michele and Steven Snyder

Ellen and Charlie Steinmetz

Torrance Memorial Medical Staff

Lynda and Paul Yonamine

$25,000+

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

City National Bank

Herbert Clarkson

Employee Ambassador Program

Donna Helstrom

Jody and Eric Jonsson

Timothy Keenan

Norm Koutek

Audrey Reynolds-Lowman

Carol McCully

Lisa and Chuck Noski

Sejal and Maneesh Penkar, MD

Susan Greenberg Rudich and

Howard Rudich

Janet and Ian Teague

$15,000+

Steve Booth

Edna Campbell

Terry and Joe Hohm

Pat and Richard Lucy

Payden and Rygel

South Bay Hyundai

Torrance Emergency Physicians

Grace Yuan

$10,000+

Luminaries of Torrance Memorial

Sandy Behrens

Louise and John Bretney

Kristen Brosseau and Oliver Mindur

Elwin Chin

Vicki and Michael Curran

Randy and Luke Dauchot

Reza Ghanian, MD

Eve and Rick Higgins

Dora Hsu, MD

Millie Kruger

Miller Environmental Inc.

Patricia and William Nault

Optum Services Inc.

Laura and Marc Schenasi

Erin and Andrew Sloves

Solid Rock Structural Solutions, Inc.

James Yukevich

$5,000+

Valerie and Chris Adlam

Anonymous Donor

Arroyo Insurance Services –

John Moody

Ayne and Jack Baker

Lisa and Ken Baronsky

James Camel

Chevron U.S.A.

Nancy Peterson and Dick Chun

CSI Electrical Contractors

Jan and Cliff d’Autremont

Ofelia and Emmanuel David

EMCOR Services Mesa Energy

Regina and Dan Finnegan

Melanie Friedlander, MD

George and Reva Graziadio Foundation

Ronnie and Alan Goldstein

Carol H. Griest

Keenan and Associates

William E. Kim, MD, and Kay Kim

Judy and Craig Leach

Mascari Dinh Architects

McCarthy Building Companies

David McGowan

Rita and Joe Meistrell

Karen and Michael Melideo

Eric and Anna Mellor, MD

Nagamani and Rama Nadella

Lori and Tom O’Hern

Christina and Phil Pavesi

Twanna and Tim Rogers

James Scriba

Torrance Pathology Group/Torrance

Memorial Medical Center

Torrance Radiation Oncology Associates

Torrance Radiology Medical Group

Triton Pacific Construction Group

West Coast University Inc.

Kathleen Whiting

$2,500+

Michaela and John Andrawis, MD

Angel Care Health Network, LLC

Nadia Antii

Tortuga Wealth Management -

Kevin Bidenkap

Joanne and Stanley Chang, MD

Moya and Peter Collins

Karla Burns and Brett Dillenberg

Bruce Goodman

Bruce Hoerning

Ron Howell

Jen and John Katnik

Jackie and Vince Kelly

Juhye Kim

Patricia Kromka

Tracy and Andy Livian

Heidi and John Mackenbach

Mockett, Inc.

MS Rouse Company

Paris and Veronica Nourafchan

Kimberly Po

Porsche South Bay

Marge Schugt

Sam and Kay Sheth

Running Point Tax and Consulting, LLC –

Marty and Brooke Sigler

Jim Specht

Michele† and Tim Stratton

Lisa and Mike Wilson

Mary and Steve Wright

YPPA of Torrance Memorial

Medical Accounting Service –

Brandon Hohm

Ann and Gary Zimmerman

$1,000+

Gina Albi

Elisa I. Anhalt, MD and Douglas Laurin

Robert F. Appell, PharmD

Kathie and Randy Avakian

Peggy and Cliff Berwald

Stephanie and Brian Bezner

William Brewer

Alida and Stevan Calvillo

Priscilla and Frank Clark

Pam Crane

Disney Matching Gift Program

Suzann and Don Douthwright

Mariann and Matt Fragner

Elaine and Byron Gee

Teresa Gordon

Karen Gottlieb

Green Hills Memorial Park

Merilee and Keith Hobbs

Erin Hoffman and Heidi Hoffman, MD

Jenn and Brandon Hohm

Valerie and Edward Kelly

Savannah Kimball, MD and Wayne Jr. Kimball

Song and David Klein

Gigi and David Kramer

Patricia and Thomas LaGrelius, MD

Linda Lee

Charlotte and Russ Lesser

Helaine and Steve Lopes

Mona Madani, MD

Erik Milanez

Karen and Gene Naftulin, MD

Warren Oda and Juliet Chang

Karen and John Odom

Maureen and Mario Palladini

Nancy and Larry Pasquali

Karen and Dan Pryor

Donna Schauwecker

Stephanie and Brad Sherman

Phyllis and Steven Spierer

Spierer, Woodward, Corbalis and Goldberg

Rose and Patrick Straub

Michael Arriola and Gina Sulmeyer, MD

Teletracking Technologies Inc.

Irene Terrell

Torrance Anesthesia Medical Group

Mary Jo and Jerome Unatin, MD

Russell Varon

Victor Elementary School

Patricia and Richard Vincent

Susan Walker

Stan Wong

$500+

Christy and Jay Abraham

Martin Adler

Kartik Ananth, MD

Heidi Assigal and Gerhard Eberhart

Marcia and Lawrence August, MD

Cindy and Matt Bandy

Barbara and David Bentley

Tracy E. Bercu, MD, and Peter Weinstein

Karen S. Black, MD, and James Black, MD

Paula and Edward Bold, MD

Elena and Larry Bruns

Supporters

Laurie and John Bucher

Rex Chang, MD, and Thuy-Chung Nguyen, MD

Cody Charnell

Julie Che Potter and Josh Potter

Eugene Cheng

Young and Christy Cheng

Lisa Cook, MD

Harv and Ruth Daniels

Sara and Omer Deen, MD

Sally and Mike Eberhard

Carissa and Benjamin Ellis

Jeannine and Dennis Frandsen

Karen and John Freeman

Deborah and Moe Gelbart, PhD

Laurie Glover

Meredith Graham

Violette Gray, MD, and Zachary Gray, MD

Cindy and Bill Hagelstein

Shanna and Jack Hall

Redondo Van & Storage –

Laurie Inadomi-Halvorsen and

Greg Halvorsen

Erin and Kurt Hansen, MD

Amelia Sulkowski and Bruce Harvey

Nancy and Keith Hauge

Edward Haus

Jennifer and Paul Hennessey

Carole Hoffman

Kalpana Hool, MD, and Hugo Hool, MD

Richard Bruno and Daniel R. Hovenstine, MD

Richard Huynh, MD

Lindsay and Peter Imwalle

Satish and Shima Joshi

Junior Steel Co.

Vicki and Jeff Kern

Anne Kienberger and Michael Schenauer

Lynn Kim

Cenna and Jeffrey Kim, MD

Stanley Klein, MD

Susan and Lawrence Kneisley, MD

Pooja Kumar, MD

Joseph Lanphen

Paula and Bill Larson

Kathryn Lee

Gretchen Lent, MD

Martha and David Leveille, MD

Barbara Demming Lurie and Mark Lurie, MD

Marilyn MacLeod

Lisa and Christopher Martz

Del McCulloch

Kak and David McKinnie

Sunny Y. Melendez, MD, and Ron Melendez, MD

Julie Meyer Silvino

Marzi Mistry

Hasham and Shireen Mukadam

Lisa and Eric Nakkim, MD

Mary and Dennis Noble

Katy Orr

Kelli and Edward Piken, MD

Michelle and David Rand, MD

Bernie and Timothy Reid

Debbie and Rolly Reyes

Martin Richards

Melanie Lundquist and Gretchen Lent, MD

Vincent Rios

Kelly and Chris Rogers

Nancy and Michael Rouse

Andrea and Jim Sala

Cheryl Sanders, MD

Sandra Sanders

Kathy and Romolo Santarosa

Denise Scarpetti

Marcia and Michael Schoettle

Angela and Hank Sheldon

Allyson and Alex Shen, MD

Sam and Monica Sim

Laura and Tom Simko, MD

Monty Ahlawalia and Deepjot Singh, MD

Grace and Greg St. Clair

Lynda Stoodley

Liz and Arnie Streland

Rita Tenenbaum, MD

Marta and Mike Thomas

Torrance Chamber of Commerce

Michelle Nguyen and Nhat Tran, MD

Shiela and Mark Tsujimoto

Jan and Don Van Buren

Terri and Dennis Cammarano

Patrick Wecker

Cyn and David Weitzel

Susan and Wade Welch

Gina and Bill Whittlesey

Kathy and David Willock

Yungcheng Yu

$250+

Susan Alexander

Melissa Andrus

Lauren Bauer

Susan and Derek Berz

Heather Burt and Donald Legg

Ingrid Cobb

Lindsay Colker

Sapna Dangaran

Heather Davis

Seema Dhir

Linda Dobie

Dunn and Associates

Janet Esposito

Kimberly Flores

Roy C. Fu, MD and Denise Fu

Aziz Ghaly, MD

Michelle L. Holman

Deborah and John Jones

Donna LaMont

Estela Levin

Mahsa Madani, MD

Annsley and Matthew Marshall

Vimal Murthy, MD

Jeanell Novak

William Oberholzer

Susan Osa

Brandon Parise

Angela Park

Lizzette Perdue

Alberta Prager

Iris Reekie

Mary and Timothy Richardson

Suzanne Rowland

Adele Ruxton

Nicholas Sanders

Barbara L. Schulz, MD

Phyllis and René Scribe

Uma Sethi

Heather and John Shay

Bharti Sheth

Garrick Chak and Jessica Siak, MD

Jatin Singh

Kay and Chuck Song, MD

Cassie Parra and Jeffrey Su

Jacqueline Sussman

Majd Tarakji

Liji Thomas

Tiffany T. Trinh, MD

Julie Valentine

Neal Verga

Nancy Weisel

Robyn Westfall

Sarah Wohn, PsyD

Tram and Oren Zaidel, MD

$100+

Yomi Arokoyo

Lindsay Ashcraft

Susan and Alan Atlas

Elizabeth Bamgbose

Carol A. Beecher

Marla Berkey

Ruth V. Borges

Danielle Boujikian

Beth Bowen

Kathy Braasch

Brian Burke

Jamie Calvert

Josephine Chan

Irene and Nick Chipeska

Kristen and Drew Damon

Anne and Ray Destabelle

Cheryl Ely

Marissa Farol

Friday Nite Live

Frontstream SPV, LLC

Terry and Pat Furey

John Genter

John Giurini

Pooja Goel

Eve and Rener Gracie

Chih-Ming and Shirley Ho

Vivian Holmes

David and Tracy Isenberg

Shi Johnson

Brian Kavanaugh

Lisa Kido

Kent Komae

Karina Kraines

Sherry and Ian Kramer, MD

Debbie Landes

Lavender Blue, Inc.

Keith Lee

Alicia and John Maniatakis

Patty and Jacob Mathew

Jeffrey Mihovilovich

Moonlite

Eva Muchnick

Sophia and Philippe Neveu

Karol and Bob Plocky

Sweet Sugar Bath

Trudi and Timothy Tessalone

The Treasured Accessory

Eleanor Thompson

Judith and George Unrine

Carol Wexler

Heather Woolard

Boyang Zhou

AMBASSADORS

VISIONARY

Sandy Behrens

Louise and John Bretney

Timme and Kurt Gunderlock

Cindy and Bill Hagelstein

Nancy and Steve Novokmet

Jonathan Po, MD, and Harriet Po

Celia and Robert Rothman

Elaine Scott

Liz and Rich Umbrell

Diane and Bill Wingerning

PREMIER

Valerie and Chris Adlam

Jan and Cliff d’Autremont

Jean Breedlove

Susan and David Chan, MD

Diane Liebenson and Thomas Duralde, MD

Patricia and Paul Francis

Melanie Friedlander, MD

William E. Kim, MD, and Kay Kim

Mansour Family Foundation

Marilyn and Frank Miles

Jacquelyne and Steven Miller

Christina and Phil Pavesi

Mary and Timothy Richardson

Terry and Jim Witte

PLATINUM

Kathleen and Milton Campbell

Patricia and Dick Carlson

Jim and Julie Chen

David S. Chung, MD, and Shannon Chung

Nancy Combs

Alyson and Dean Decker

Juli and Michael DiLustro

Donna and R. Stephen Doan

Dorothy and Bill Farris

Ann and George Hartmann Jr.

Lindsay Heaphy

Eve and Rick Higgins

Stan and Barbara Levine

Trish and John Peterson

Robert Stephenson

Ellen and Pat Theodora

Jan and Doug Van Riper

Gina and Bill Whittlesey

Lisa and Mike Wilson

Dwight and Kay Yamada

GOLD

Peggy and Morton Bauchman

Peggy and Cliff Berwald

John D. Blakey, MD

Trudy Brown

Elena and Larry Bruns

Jim Cabaniss

Vinh Cam, MD, and Judy Nei

Edna Campbell

Priscilla and Frank Clark

Pam Crane

Don Culler

Judy Dabinett

Marina D’Souza, MD

Cindy and Steve Dennis

James C. Ding, MD, and

Marcia Ding, MD

Suzann and Don Douthwright

Mariann and Matt Fragner

Jeannine and Dennis Frandsen

Angela and Dean Furkioti, DDS

Judith Gassner

Karen Gottlieb

Christine Hanson

Donna Helstrom

Merilee and Keith Hobbs

Erin Hoffman and Heidi Hoffman, MD

Kalpana Hool, MD, and Hugo Hool, MD

Kim and Donald Inadomi, MD

Sandy and Karl Jackson

John Johnson, MD

Rachel A. Knopoff, MD, and

Russell Dickerson, MD

Harold and Linda Koletsky

Gigi and Ian Kramer, MD

Patricia Kromka

Patricia and Thomas LaGrelius, MD

Monica K. Lee, MD and Ernest Kwok

George and Christina Legg

Charlotte and Russ Lesser

Tracy and Andy Livian

Laurie and Steve Love

Sudy and Bud Mayo

Sunny Y. Melendez, MD, and Ron Melendez, MD

Karen and Gene Naftulin, MD

Warren Oda and Juliet Chang

Karen and John Odom

Melanie R. O’Regan

Phyllis Pelezzare

John and Theresa Pujol

Laura and Marc Schenasi

Marlene Schultz and Philip Walent

Fay and Mitchell Sklar, MD

George J. So, MD and Hsin-Yi Lee, MD

Ruth Sve

Irene Terrell

Charles Turek, MD

Mary Jo and Jerome Unatin, MD

Karen Varon

Susan Walker

Susan and Wade Welch

Brigid and James Wethe, MD

Susan and Matthew Whelan

Cynthia L. Williams, MD, and Alan Gahleb

Peter and Monica Wong

SILVER

Christy and Jay Abraham

Michaela and John Andrawis, MD

Robert F. Appell, PharmD

Marcia and Lawrence August, MD

Cindy and Matt Bandy

Michele and Robert Bell

Diana and George Brandt

Anita Canfield

Ittie and Warren Cutting, DDS

Farnaz and Lawrence Flechner, MD

Karen and John Freeman

Elaine and Byron Gee

Deborah and Moe Gelbart, PhD

Nancy and Keith Hauge

Chih-Ming and Shirley Ho

Daniel R. Hovenstine, MD, and Richard Bruno

Lindsay and Peter Imwalle

Susan and Lawrence Kneisley, MD

David S. Kim, MD

Donna LaMont

Martha and David Leveille, MD

Andrea and Jaime Lewis, MD

Kenneth Libkin

Marjory McKeeve

Vicky and Winston Mar

Lisa and Christopher Martz

Ann and Daniel Miller

Roxanne and Ramin Mirhashemi, MD

Joanne and Marc Moser

Ann and Daniel Mueller

Vimal Murthy, MD

Elizabeth Paul, MD

Robyn and Al Peacock III

Candace and Larry Poindexter

Alfons and Louise Ribitsch

Janette and Russ-Roberts

Kathy and Romolo Santarosa

Suellen and Abraham Santiago Jr.

Carmen and Gordon Schaye, MD

Marcia and Michael Schoettle

Barbara L. Schulz, MD

Carol and John Stratton, MD

Elliot T. Sumi, MD and Nani Sumi

William Tarng, MD

Robyn Westfall

Mary and Scott Wheatley

Kathy and David Willock

Ann and Gary Zimmerman

LIFETIME

Gail and Doug Allen

Achara and Thomas† Cowell, MD

Virginia and Dennis Fitzgerald

Sherry and Thomas Gossett, MD

Patti and Al Hermann

Carole Hoffman

Terry and Joe Hohm

Kathleen and Richard Krauthamer, MD

Sylvia and Robert Laxineta, DDS

Judy and Craig Leach

Pat and Rich Lucy

Carol Magee

Allison and Rick Mayer

Cheryl Melville

Genevieve and Hugh Muller

Robin and Norman Panitch, MD

Ellen and Fraser Perkins, MD

Kelli and Edward Piken, MD

Carlene and Edward Reuscher

Patricia Sacks, MD

Song Klein, Barbara Bentley, Janice Tecimer

Beya and Robert Schaeffer Jr., MD

Laura and Tom Simko

Kimberly and David Stone, MD

Tina and Peter Vasillion

Erin and Patrick Yeh, MD

Andrea and Michael Zislis

YOUNG PHYSICIANS & PROFESSIONALS ALLIANCE (YPPA)

Christy and Jay Abraham

Charlotte Adlam and Zach Matos

Michaela and John Andrawis, MD

Elisa Anhalt, MD, and Doug Laurin

Nadia Antii

Melanie and Benjamin Archer

Alejandra Arrendondo

Liz Bamgbose, PhD

Cindy and Matt Bandy

Megan and Andrew Bark

Bret Barrett

Dawn Barry

Lauren Bauer

Stephanie Bezner and Brian Bezner

Tasneem Bholat, MD, and Sam Alherech

Sophia Neveu, Stephanie Bezner, Nadine Bobit, John Andrawis, MD, Vimal Murthy, MD, Nadia Antii, Kevin Bidenkap

Kevin Bidenkap

Nadine and Ty Bobit

Danielle Boujikian

Dani Rodriguez-Brindicci and Ricc Brindicci

Tuscan Butardo

John Campo, MD

Erin and Quint Carroll

Joanne and Stanley Chang, MD

Rex Chang, MD, and TC Nguyen, MD

Rosalyn Chapman

Cody Charnell

Pam Chitamitara, MD, and Dana Kennedy, MD

Christine Chui

Amanda Clauson, MD, and Sanjay

Arora, MD

Lisa Cook, MD

Susanna Wolfe-Corpus and Ronald Corpus

William and Josh Cunningham-Corso

Shoshana and Phillip V. Cutler

Kristen and Drew Damon

Heather Davis

Sara Deen, DDS, and Omer Deen, MD

Angela and Eric von Detten

Ujjwala Dheeriya, MD

Alice Diego-Malit, MD

Donna and R. Stephen Doan

Carissa and Benjamin Ellis

Kang Family

Joseph Friedrich, MD

Denise and Roy Fu, MD

Aziz Ghaly, MD

Laurie Glover

Teresa Gordon

Justine and Andrew Gregorio

Lori and Jerome Haig

Ryan Halvorsen

Erin and Kurt Hansen, MD

Charlie Hargraves and Jennifer Irwin

Edward Haus

Erin Hoffman and Heidi Hoffman, MD

Jenn and Brandon Hohm

Michaelle Luna Holman

Richard Huynh, MD

Surja and Sushan Joshi, MD

Kathleen Jucar

Jennifer and John Katnik

Lynn Kim

Terrence Kim, MD

Savannah Kimball, MD and Wayne Jr. Kimball

Chiaki and Aaron Klapper

Pooja Kumar, MD

Connie and Jeffrey Lai, MD

Gretchen Lent, MD

Kathy Levy

Catherine and Stephen Leys

Cynthia Libertini and Federico Libertini

Jeffrey Love

Beth Lowerison

Jenny Luo, MD, and Bryce Fukunaga, MD

David Mackenbach

Heidi and John Mackenbach

Mona Madani, MD

Courtney and Ryan Mansour

Annsley and Matthew Marshall

Colleen and James McKinnell, MD

Lisa Humphreys, MD, and John McNamara, MD

Kimberly McNeil

Chaitali and Akshay Mehta, MD

Maki and Clark Michel

Kristen and Oliver Mindur

Brian Miura, MD

Katy and Samuel Morris

Vimal Murthy, MD

Nadav Nahumi, MD

Sophia and Philippe Neveu

Lisa and Dan Nguyen

Jeanell Novak

Walter Nunez

HERITAGE SOCIETY

Georgina Albi

James Andrews

Karen† and Robert Armstrong

Ayne and Jack Baker

Lenore Bemis

Elaine Booth-Carnegis

Maria Olton and Dru Olton

Sarina Pai, DO

Jennifer and Victor Pan

Francine Park, MD

Sejal and Maneesh Penkar, MD

Luis Peralta

Lizzette Perdue

William Rehrig

Vincent and Juliana Rios

Maggie Rodriguez

Nick Sanders

Maria Sass Goldstein and Jared Goldstein

Andrea and Marc Sasso

Andrew Schumacher, MD

Madeline and Alex Schumacher

Angela Park-Sheldon and Hank Sheldon

Allyson and Alexander Shen, MD

Stephanie and Brad Sherman

Karen Shum

Brooke Sigler and Marty Sigler

Julie Meyer Silvino

Julie Sim, MD

Kristin and Baker Smith

Cyndy and Joseph Spierer

Cassie Parra and Jeffrey Su

Gina Sulmeyer, MD, and Michael Arriola

Stephanie Tang, DO

William Tarng, MD

Natalie Thorpe and Dave Thorpe

Wynne Torqueza

Shelly Trites

Brandy VanZitter

Meg and Anthony Walker

Colleen and Jim Watson

Dave Weitzel

Cyn and David Weitzel

Mollie Williams

Sarah Wohn, PsyD

Terri Zajec

Jan and Virgil Bourgon

Lucy Bradley

Robert† and Patricia Brewster

Gail and Robert Brierley

Mimi Brody†

Maria Buechler

James Philip Burt

James R. Cabaniss

Marie† and James Campbell

Janet and Arun Chaudhuri

Kim McCarthy and

Benjamin Cheng

Francine and Phillip Cook

Melody and Gary Cooper

Vicki and Michael Curran

Joyce and Robert Daniels

Ruth and Harv Daniels

Manjri and Rajendra Dhami

Ginny Dixon and John Dixon

Sheri and Casey Dodge

Arlene and Dale† Dorman

Thyra Endicott, MD, and

Jonathan Chute

Judy English and William Crudup, MD†

Janet Esposito

Jack Feldman and Darla Valliant

Rose and Sam Feng

Frances and Harry Fleming

Myrna Frame

Jeanina and Herbert Franck

Henry Frankenberg

Judith and Robert Frinier

Sidney Gamber

Susan Glessner

Elaine Booth-Carnegis, Tim Richardson, Mary Richardson

Rebecca Gonzales and James Ng

Susan Goodlerner, MD, and Edward Wolfman

Karen Gottlieb

Patricia Hansen

Patricia and Gary Hathaway, MD

Donna Helstrom

Patricia and David Hempel

Joan Henderson

Eve and Rick Higgins

Kitty† and Alfred† Hill

Keiko and Allen Hochstein

Carole Hoffman

Daniel Hovenstine, MD

Donald† and Priscilla Hunt

Gary Hunter

Maude Infantino

David and Tracy Isenberg

June Kaneoka

Ronna and Robert† Katz

Amy Kim

Robert Koch

Micki and Norman Lasky, MD

Scott Lasky

Judy and Craig Leach

Irving Levine

Ian and Cynthia Logan

Hilary Lord

Patricia and Richard Lucy

Melanie and Richard Lundquist

Barbara Demming-Lurie and Mark Lurie, MD

Judith Maizlish

Larry Maizlish

Franceen† and Michael McClung

Del McCulloch

Carol McCully

Kak and W. David McKinnie

Sandra and Kenneth McKivett

Linda Severy McMahon and

Jerold McMahon

Carol and Karl† McMillen

Rita and Joseph Meistrell

Catherine Melton

Cheryl Melville

Richard Meyer, DDS

EMPLOYEE AMBASSADORS

PREMIER $1,000+

Heidi Assigal

Dan Bauman

Mary Bradfield-Smith

Jessica Burkle

Shannon Cabrera

Zenaida Carrillo-Ramo

Dolores Cellier

Robert Clayton

Peggy Crabtree

Mary Ford

Debbie Griffin

Shanna Hall

Christina Hicks

Rickell Howard

Naiwai Hsu

Paul Kantor

Dennis Kikuno

Wilfred Jay Lazarte

Wildredo Lazarte

Nicholas Maddox

Mary Matson

David Rand

Chris Rogers

Laura Schenasi

April Shirakawa

Gina Sulmeyer, MD

Julie Taylor

Mary Wright

BENEFACTOR $500+

Catherine Agpaoa

Melissa Andrus

Cecilia Ani

Kathie Avakian

Aley Arredondo

Cecilia Banania

Bret Barrett

Luise and Myron Miller

Evie Perrone Mitchell

Doris and Gregory Morton

Steve Nash

Susann Norton

Colleen O’Neill

Kenneth O’Rourke

Lore and Marvin Patrick

Christina and Phillip Pavesi

Nancy Peterson and Richard Chun

Fran and Rod Peveler

Judy and Daniel Platus

Donna and John† Prysi

Deborah and Rolly Reyes

Mary and Timothy Richardson

Betty Jane and Ernest Rivera

Karen and Tom Roa

Lavonne and Jerome† Rodstein

Kristen Wagner, DDS, and Richard Rounsavelle, DDS

Laura and Marc Schenasi

Diane and Eric Schott

Barbara Schulz, MD

Lance Bommelje

Joy Burkhardt

Heather Burt

Agnes Butardo

Tuscan Butardo

Alan Chung

Phil Cutler

Sandra E. Daos

Josefina David-Engel

Elaine Dawson

Tami and Tanu DeVine

Jann and Dan Dickson

Mary E. Espinoza

Don Florentino Estrada

Justin Ficke

Erin Fiorito

Kimberly Flores

Tammy Ginder

Herna Joy Gonzalez

John Harber

Elaine and David Scott, MD†

René and Phyllis Scribe

John Sealy, MD

Steve and Christine Sheng

Judith and Sherrill† Sipes

Joan F. Stahura

Joan and Herbert Stark

Deborah and Donald Stewart

Thelma† and Phil Steinberg

Michael Stull

Nancy and Douglas Teulie

Inge Thompson

Frances and Stuart Tsujimoto

Carolyn† and Charles Turek, MD

Sandy VandenBerge

Marcela and John Vanhara

Susan Warner

Lily Weckerly

Nancy Weisel

Carol A. Wharton

Lois and Richard Winters

Teri and Rob Young

Frances and Stanley Zee

Jeremiah Hargrave

Keith Hobbs

Linda Howard

Barbara Jane Ignacio

Carolyn Ito

Mike and Janet Johnson

Anne Kienberger

Carrie Kikuno

Daniel Klein

Alicia Kosmides

Min Min Kyaw

Steve Lantz

Bill Larson

Donald Legg

Fernando and Eva Sophia

Magdaleno

Patricia Mann

Cindy Manson

Wei Q. Mao

Marguerite McCormick

Supporters

Elaine McRae

Maria L. Mendoza

Melany Merryman

René Miller

Anne Milliken

Rhoda M. Newman

Young Oh

Ronald Padilla

Rose Pavlick

Marissa Peate

Ann Raljevich

Bernadette Reid

Addy Rodriguez

Shayeste Rodriguez

Susan Santos

Catherine Sarcona

Amanda Schenasi

Connie Senner

Heather Shay

Michael R. Steele

Devi Sutrisna

Natalie Thorpe

Veronica Urbano

Arce Villalobos

Patrick Wecker

Betty Wilber

Sean Yokoe

Joanne Yoshida

SPONSOR $250+

Mary Ann J. Alvarez

Gwendolyn Bailey

Lisa Bargar

Irene L. Bayan

Jennis Belen

Susan Castillo

Changrong Cheng

Heidi (Hae) Chong

Danielle Cosgrove

Jeanette M. Cutuli

Lety De La Torre

Carla Duhovic

Maria Eclevia

Cheryl Ely

Carlos Fernandez

Alfrenda Gonzales

Kathy Hagemeier

Natalie Hassoldt

Debbie Hoagland

Rosario Jarquin

Changkyun Kim

Susan Koch

Julie A. Krueger

John Kumashiro

Esther Lopez

Maricarmen Luhrsen

Patrick Matteo

Anne McCormick

Pamela Michael

Janice Miyashiro

Glenda M. Moore

Mary Ong

Shirley Rose Pasion (Maderazo)

Paty Pearce

Vilma Plagata

Armando and Faye Ramos

Debbie Reyes

Sam Rodriguez

Arceli Salanguit

Susan Sions

William Soto

Kelie Wu Tabangay

Dianna Tyndall

Aileen N. Ungab

Maria Valdivia

Larry Villalba, Jr.

Lori Woodman

Philip and Sylvia Yim

Richard and Martha Lopez

Rosie Zamora

DONORS $100+

Susie Kim Adams

Tomoko Akazawa

Bibi Ali

Maria Arteaga

Jose Albert Rey Asis

Sara K. Avakian

Mary Beehler

Melissa Benoit

Maricela Bordenave

Carly Brandt

Liliana Brankovic

Evelyn Calip

Crystal Castillo

Rosalinda Catamisan

Julie Che-Potter

Ingrid Cobb

Coral Cortez

Carolyn Cruz

Mina Dastgheib

Geraldine De La Cruz

Heather Dixon

Linda Dobie

Kimberley Duarte

Margaret J. Doran

Mary J. Eddy

Juliana S. Enge

Ana Maria Espejo

Helen Flores

Tom Fox

Carol E. Fukuchi

Jill Golden

Zorayda Gozun

Cathy Guthrie

Michael Harada

Jacqueline Hemmah

Mary Hersh

Bruce A. Hershberger

Vickie Hershberger

Nathan Higashigawa

Suellen G. Hosino

Lisa G. Hughes

Keisha Idago

Valerie Ishihara

Cynthia Keus

Freda Khan

Cassandra Krutsinger

Chance Krutsinger

Jenna Krynen

Gerald and Trisha Lanphen

Judy Grace Lebrillo

Kristina Lenehan

Chi Leung

Mary Jane and Nolan Lew

Liki Lima

Christine Lopez

Elizabeth Lowerison

Elizabeth Marquez

Karla Marmol

Johnny Medina

Lauren Mitchell

Rosalyn Modeliste

Allisha Nazareth

Edward Nazareth

Maricel Olvera

Doris Paloma

Michele Palombo

Maria Wendy Pangindian

Winston Pascual

Donna Patch

Jennifer Patten

Jaquelina Patti

Marco Pech, Jr.

Patricia Perez

David Phung

Gigi C. Portugal

Karen Provin

Felicia Quintana

Sherry L. Rafters

Christopher Rama

Denzil Ramdhanie

Laura Renfro

Dottie Rudinica

Ana Salinas

Angela Salva

Isabelo Salva

Alia Schiltgen

Ernesto Segura

Christine Serra-Harris

John Singh

Lorraine Smith

Madhu Subherwal

Lisa Takata

Remer Tangoan

Keith Tate, III

Steven Thompson

Wynne and Alan Torqueza

Mei Tsai

Vivian Tsang-Harada

Cesar Valle

Tara E. Victoria

Wendy Vilca

Bao Vu

Lani Walker

Yasmin Yap-Mariano

Tiffani Zanelli

FRIEND $50+

Alicia Alcazar

Mei Amano

Kent Amano

Arlene Amigable

Ashley Archuleta

Aley Arredondo

Jacqueline Ayres

Dawn Barry

Lauren Bauer

Marnie Bay

Marisa Bay

Kyomi Bolender

Josephine Boyon

Caroline Cabilogan

Felicidad Cabuena

Cathrine Cainglet

Thelma Carbonell

Luzviminda B. Cartera

Yan C. Bobbie

Arliene P. Chang

Elizabeth Cinco

Linda Diaz

Ian Dickson

Priscilla Ednilao

Lauren Epstein

Tiffany Finau

Maria D. Gonzalez

Michael Hanson

Corrine Hidalgo

Tokiko Imai

Nirachorn Intaruk

Lynn Jagger

Blanca Lardizabal

Vivian Lee

Devi Legaspi

Susan Lieu

IN-KIND DONATIONS

Christy and Jay Abraham

Valerie and Chris Adlam

Val and Chris Adlam

Anette and John Aguirre

Lori and Dave Baldwin

Maria Ballinger

Leslie and Sean Bennett

Stephanie Bezner

Veann and Tracy Bracken

Heather and Glenn Burr

Frederique and Doug Popovich Carver

Jennifer and Anthony Chen, MD

Amie and Erik Chessmore

Kate and David Cocke

Randy and Luke Dauchot

Inge and Duane Davis

Patti and Steve Delcarson

Gayle and Richard Devirian

Eric Dickerson

Michael Emenhiser

Vanessa and Chris Farentinos

Regina and Dan Finnegan

Bob and Amber Fullerton

Angela and Dean Furkioti, DDS

Liza Lumanlan-Domingo

Erica J. McClister

Matthew Morales

Sanjeshni Murphy

Nooshin Naghsheh

Sophia Neveu

Sue-Ann Nouchi

Eliza Oliveros

Melissa O’Malley

Randy Patman

Pat Quan

Sophia Ramirez

Maria D. Rangel

Laura Tweedt Roybal

Anna Salas

Amanda San Clemente

Judith Gassner

Michelle and Kevin Gavin

Giuliano’s Delicatessen and Bakery

Kathy and Rich Goldstein

Jackie and Craig Halverson

Erin and Kurt Hansen, MD

Eve and Rick Higgins

Helen and Dave Hitzel

Carole Hoffman

Allison and Justin Holcher

Karen and Chris Hutchinson

Kathy and Kirk Johnson

Michelle and John Katnik

Song and David Klein

Rachel and Steve Larkin

Judy and Craig Leach

Tracy and Andy Livian

Helaine and Steve Lopes

Rich and Pat Lucy

Carra Graziadio and Jonathen Lund

Barbara Demming Lurie and Mark Lurie, MD

Patti and Brian Lynch

Judy and Gene Matsuda

May Santos

Rinnah T. Sapitanan

Vilma H. Sapitanan

Jamie Schneider

Khalid Shariff

Manette Sinkus

Richard Tejada

Shelly Trites

Bertha Turk

RETIREE

Betsy Biggins

Kathryn Braasch

Sandra Nazareth

Bert Stewart

Karen and Mike Melideo

Cessie and John Moody

MS Rouse Company

Erlend and Doreen Myhre

Lisa and Gerry Van Nortwick

Colleen and Craig Quinn

Chris Riegel

Laura and Marc Schenasi

Patti and Rich Severa

Allyson and Alex Shen, MD

Kay and Sam Sheth

Terrie and Steve Solomon

South Coast Botanic Garden

Holly and David Stocke

Janice and Timur Tecimer

Neal Verga

Susan and Wade Welch

Elaine McRae

Kathleen and Chris Wilson

Elizabeth Winston

Ann and Gary Zimmerman

Deceased †

Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this Honor Roll of Philanthropy. Please contact the Torrance Memorial Foundation at 310-517-4703 with any questions.

“IN EVERY PATIENT INTERACTION, THERE IS A STORY OF SURVIVAL. IN EVERY ACT OF COMPASSION, A REMINDER THAT HEALING BEGINS NOT IN MEDICINE ALONE BUT IN THE RECOGNITION THAT WE ALL ARE CONNECTED BY A SHARED HUMANITY.”

Rashaan Ali-Jones, MD

DECEMBER