Long Beach Clinic Celebrates Grand Opening: Focus on Women’s and Children’s Health
LONG BEACH — The healthcare landscape is changing on the Long Beach Peninsula.
On Aug. 27, Ocean Beach Health joined with community partners, boosters and elected officials and representatives from every level of government to celebrate the grand opening of the public hospital district’s women and children’s health clinic in Long Beach.
“This is a major milestone for Ocean Beach Health and the Long Beach community,” said Merry-Ann Keane, CEO of OBH. “This clinic…is truly an investment. It’s an investment not only in the building — which is really nice — but it’s an investment in the future of our community, our families, our children, and a realization of the district and board’s vision.”
About 60 people attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including OBH board members, executives, providers and staff. OBH Foundation trustees, donors and community partners were also on hand, as were local, regional and state elected officials and representatives. Attendees were able to receive a tour of the new clinic following the ribbon cutting.
The clinic’s focus on women’s and children’s health came after residents frequently mentioned the desire for more of those services in OBH’s community health needs assessments.
“This is the beginning of making that vision a reality,” said Keane, who credited OBH’s facilities team for finishing the project on time and under budget. “This [clinic] is for women of all ages, from birth to death, and all of the children that are in this community.”
Strategic Planning
OBH board chair Nancy Gorshe said the project represents “many years of strategic planning.”
“We’re trying to continually obtain input from the community about our needs. Some of that comes directly from fellow board members — we all walk in this community, and in different parts of it,” said Gorshe.
“We’re also really dedicated to trying to understand better who the underserved are. We know in those communities that we are not doing our best, but we are continually trying to learn new ways. We’re also really trying to seek ways to provide and improve care close to home. Obviously a lot of us have had to experience travel distances for specialty care, and sometimes just for even closer care across the river. But it all can be quite inconvenient.”