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Salute to Student Health moves audience, raises awareness
Former L.A. Trust Student Advisory Board member Irma Rosa Viera brought many to tears as she shared, “broken bits and all,” at The L.A. Trust Salute to Student Health.
More than 200 healthcare providers, educators and civic leaders met at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles and online September 30 at The L.A. Trust Salute to Student Health. The gala raised awareness and funds for student health and honored former L.A. Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner and Community Health Director Dr. Margaret Lynn Yonekura of Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center (see story).
Will Grice of Kaiser Permanente, board president of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health, noted that “we meet at a difficult time. But as hard as this pandemic has been on our healthcare workers and educators, it has been even tougher on our children.” Grice said, “The L.A. Trust is the backbone organization that brings all the pieces and all the players together” for student health, and introduced Executive Director Maryjane Puffer, whom he called “the backbone of The L.A. Trust.”
Puffer acknowledged the pandemic’s toll. “Schools were closed, clinics were shuttered, hospitals were overwhelmed and there were long lines at food banks. Twenty-five thousand of our fellow Angelenos died.” She said many nonprofits, including The L.A. Trust, “faced an existential crisis.”
“We persevered,” she said, “knowing the kids needed us more than ever.” She said The L.A. Trust was “stronger than before the pandemic hit,” and noted The L.A. Trust had just welcomed eight new employees. “In the comings months we will impact more students and families, and deliver more policy and programs, than ever before.”
Moving remarks
Rosario Rico, health analyst for L.A. County Public Health and former associate program director at The L.A. Trust, introduced the night’s featured guest speaker, Irma Rosa Viera, an undergraduate at Cal State Northridge and a former member of The L.A. Trust Student Advisory Board at Elizabeth Learning Center.
Rosa Viera said she had “wanted to seem cool, calm and collected” in her remarks, but her work as a Student Advisory Board member had taught her something more important — how to “feel unapologetically me, broken bits and all.”
Rosa Viera then held the audience rapt when she discussed the personal toll COVID-19 had taken on her community, her family and herself.
“On June 15, 2020, I saw my older brother Oscar for the last time as he gasped for air while forcing his body to go to the hospital,” she said. “I just knew he wasn’t coming back.” She said the months that followed his death from COVID have been hard.
“The version of me that finds herself feeling lonely and endlessly crying knows that I have a support system,” she said. “Through learning about the services offered at our Wellness Center in high school, I have been able to use that knowledge and seek therapy, join support groups and understand my grieving process. I have learned that even when times are tough, we are tougher.”
Her emotional remarks brought some to tears and prompted a standing ovation.
Bidding for good
Sponsors for the event included Presenting Sponsor, John and Louise Bryson; Platinum Sponsors, The Anthony & Jeanne Pritkzer Family Foundation and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation; and Gold Sponsors, Kaiser Permanente, Goldman Sachs, and Dr. Margaret Lynn Yonekura.
Silver Sponsors were the California Community Foundation, Delta Dental, William Grice, Jimmy Iovine, L.A. Care, Tangram Interiors, and The Winebaum Family Foundation; and Bronze Sponsors, Anthem Blue Cross, Big Smiles, Jordan B. Keville of Davis Wright Tremain, Drew Hodgson, Health Net and Liberty Dental.
The evening included a Silent Auction and an entertaining Live Auction featuring trips to Africa, Hawaii and Mexico. “Fund-a-need” pledges helped raise thousands of dollars for The L.A. Trust’s student engagement programs. Moved by the evening’s program, Dr. Robert Ross of the California Endowment pledged $10,000.
“We are very grateful for all who came and all who gave,” said Anna Baum, director of development and communications for The L.A. Trust. “Thanks to our sponsors, attendees and bidders, we raised more than $200,000 to fund our programs in the coming year. More important, we brought attention to the need for student healthcare.
“I am especially proud of Irma and the former Student Advisory Board members in our video, who showed everyone what The L.A. Trust mission is all about.”
The L.A. Trust will salute Dr. Yonekura at Sept. 30 gala
Children’s health leader Margaret Lynn Yonekura, M.D., will receive The L.A. Trust Champion award September 30 at our Salute to Student Health gala.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health will present its Champion Award to Margaret Lynn Yonekura, M.D., September 30 at its Salute to Student Health event at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.
Dr. Yonekura, Director of Community Health at Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center, will be honored alongside former L.A. Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner, previously announced.
The gala event will be attended by members of The L.A. Trust community, including educators, healthcare providers and donors. Registration is now open.
”The L.A. Trust is honored to recognize my friend Dr. Yonekura for her leadership and service to our community’s children and families,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust. “Her work on behalf of our students and families has had a significant impact,” Puffer said. “We are particularly grateful for her leadership on the Cultural Trauma and Mental Health Resiliency Project, her past support of our Oral Health Initiative and her service on The L.A. Trust Data xChange Expert Advisory Council, guiding the use of data to advance equity.”
L.A.’s Best Babies Network
Throughout her career Dr. Yonekura has developed comprehensive care programs to address her patients’ complex needs.
These innovative programs include: Options for Recovery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a comprehensive treatment program for pregnant and parenting women with a substance use disorder and their young children; the Hope Street Family Center at CHMC, which promotes the health and welfare of children and families through a variety of private and locally funded initiatives; and the Los Angeles Best Babies Network at CHMC, which oversees and supports perinatal and early childhood home visiting services throughout Los Angeles County.
The L.A. Best Babies Network provides training and technical assistance for over 700 home visitors, data management, facilitation of cross-site peer learning, and coordination and support of communication and messaging efforts. It also runs the L.A. County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visiting Consortium.
Years of service
Dr. Yonekura is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with subspecialty certification in maternal-fetal medicine and a recognized expert in infectious diseases in OB-GYN and perinatal substance abuse. She served on the OB-GYN faculty at LAC-USC Medical Center from 1980-86 and was the chief of obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center from 1986-1992.
Since 1992, she has been based at Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center, a nonprofit public benefit hospital serving Central and South Central Los Angeles. She was director of perinatal services at CHMC until 2000, when she became director of community health. She is also an associate professor at both USC and UCLA Schools of Medicine.
Dr. Yonekura is a member of the Women’s Health Policy Council of L.A. County’s Office of Women’s Health, L.A. County Reproductive Health and the Environment Advisory Committee, L.A. County Diabetes Prevention Program Community Advisory Committee and the Preconception Health Council of California.
The L.A. Trust Salute to Student Health
A magical night, a critical mission
Thursday, September 29 | 6 to 9 pm
Vibiana | 214 S. Main Street | Downtown Los Angeles
Join civic, education and healthcare leaders at The L.A. Trust’s first annual Salute to Student Health, honoring former Superintendent Austin Beutner of Los Angeles Unified and Dr. Margaret Lynn Yonekura of Dignity-California Hospital Medical Center.
Meet your colleagues and support our vision of a world where every student is healthy and successful. Entertainment, a hosted bar and small bites from Michelin-recommended Redbird included. Join us in saluting our two honorees and make a difference in student health.
All sponsors and ticket purchasers will have the option to attend the event virtually through our livestream.
$150 PER PERSON
RSVP NOW
Sponsorship opportunities | Contact Julie Edens for more information.
Silent Auction Preview and Bidding | Silent Auction donations
Honoring
Sponsors
Collage photos by Vibiana and The L.A. Trust.