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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 honors Beutner and Dr. Yonekura at gala
Austin Beutner received The L.A. Trust Visionary Award from Dr. Robert K. Ross of the California Endowment (left) and Maryjane Puffer of The L.A. Trust at the Salute to Student Health. Photo by Rinzi Ruiz.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health honored former Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner and Dr. Margaret Lynn Yonekura of Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center at its first-ever Salute to Student Health September 30, 2021. More than 200 educators, healthcare professionals, civic leaders and donors attended the gala online and in person at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.
“This pandemic has made the need for student health more apparent — and more urgent — than ever,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust. “Our mission is to bridge health and education to achieve student wellness,” she said. “I cannot think of two individuals who have done more to achieve this than our two honorees.”
Beutner received The L.A. Trust Visionary Award from Dr. Robert K. Ross, CEO and president of The California Endowment. Ross said, “If you wanted to pick a three-year period to be superintendent, you would not have picked the past three years.” He said, “Austin brought clear-eyed vision — and steely leadership — to one of the most extraordinary moments in our nation’s history.”
Bringing the help to schools
Beutner accepted his award “on behalf of the 86,000 L.A. Unified teachers and staff who work tirelessly every day.” He thanked Puffer, The L.A. Trust Board and staff, and gave “a special shout out” to the evening’s sponsors, including John and Louise Bryson, Shari Davis and Michael Dubin.
Beutner said, “COVID, if nothing else, has proven the importance of serving children and families, no questions asked.” He pointed to the district’s food program, which served 140 million meals, its computer and internet assistance, and massive COVID testing and vaccination operations, among the largest in the nation.
“If there is a theme here, it’s maybe The L.A. Trust was born a little bit before its time,” Beutner said. “The brave pioneers, Maryjane Puffer, your board and staff, were probably shouting into the wilderness 20 years ago, because people weren’t with you yet. I think we’ve shown in COVID that the best place to provide help to those who need it – the children who are the future of Los Angeles, who are in our public schools every day – is at their local neighborhood schools.”
Broadening the definition
Maryjane Puffer presented The L.A. Trust Champion Award to Dr. Margaret Lynn Yonekura, director of community health at Dignity Health-CHMC, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and “the architect of critically needed community health programs, the L.A. Best Babies Network at CMHC, the L.A. County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visiting Consortium, the Hope Street Margolis Family Center, the Preconception Health Care Council and Options for Recovery and numerous initiatives at The L.A. Trust.
“I have spent the majority of my working life in Los Angeles providing OB care for high-risk, impoverished and often marginalized women – both mother and fetus,” she said. “When I joined California Hospital Medical Center in 1992 my work began to broaden.
“I asked my patients what they needed; they said they wanted to learn to English, the language of success in America. So we added ESL to prenatal class. Fast forward and Hope Street now provides a wide range of family services,” including Early Head Start, childcare, family literacy, afterschool activities, mentoring, homework help, college prep, family preservation and behavioral health at nearby L.A. Unified sites.
Yonekura said, “I have lived a truly blessed life.” She said her parents left American internment camps at the end of WWII with just a hundred dollars and a train ticket. Her mother and father took jobs as domestics and worked tirelessly to get her the college education they never got. As a child, she told a nurse she wanted to be a nurse too, “but the nurse said, ‘No, be a doctor because doctors give the orders.’”
An interest-free loan from her father’s employer enabled her family to move into the middle class and get her into private school, college and eventually become a doctor. “That is why I try to pay it forward,” she said. “That is why I dedicate this award to those students who dare to dream.”
“The L.A. Trust was proud to be part of the coalition encouraging voluntary vaccinations this summer” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health. “But now our effort to protect our students and families enters a new phase as Los Angeles Unified mandates vaccinations for all students 12 and older by January 10, 2022, unless they have a medical or other exemption.”
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.
The L.A. Trust will honor Austin Beutner at Sept. 30 gala
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner will be honored by The L.A. Trust at its Salute to Student Health event. LAUSD photo.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health will present its first-ever Visionary Award to L.A. Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner, September 30 at its Salute to Student Health event at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.
The gala will be attended by members of The L.A. Trust community, including educators, healthcare providers and donors. Registration for the event will open soon.
Learn more, become a sponsor
“We are proud to present this award to Superintendent Beutner,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust. “We honor his innovation, his hard work and his leadership in seeing the school community through the COVID-19 crisis.”
Beutner said, “I am a product of public schools, and I wouldn’t be here today but for my great public education. I have committed myself to making sure children in our community have the same opportunities I was provided with, including quality healthcare.”
Record of achievement
Austin Beutner is a civic leader and public servant who has worked for the last decade to make Los Angeles a stronger community. He was appointed superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest, in May 2018.
Under Beutner’s leadership Los Angeles Unified has led the nation in responding to the crisis in public schools created by COVID-19. The school district has provided more than 135 million meals along with 40 million items of needed supplies to the communities it serves, made sure all students have a computer and free internet access to remain connected with their school and to continue learning, and has provided COVID-19 tests and vaccinations to students, staff and community members at schools.
During his tenure, Los Angeles Unified was transformed from a top-down, one-size-fits-all bureaucracy into an organization led by 44 nimble, local teams dedicated to each of the communities it serves. Students, in particular students of color, have made significant progress in early literary and math. High school graduates are provided with jobs while they attend local colleges, and students have the opportunity to participate in an extraordinary set of new classes and programs. One example is a program created with Fender Guitar, where 5,000 middle-school students received a free guitar to participate in teacher-led music classes.
Civic leadership
Beutner has served as first deputy mayor of Los Angeles, publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union Tribune, and co-chair of the LA 2020 Commission and the L.A. Unified Advisory Task Force.
At age 29, Beutner became the youngest partner at The Blackstone Group. He left Blackstone to serve in the U.S. government, where he led a portion of U.S. efforts to help Russia transition to a market economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He went on to found Evercore Partners and as president and co-CEO helped build it into one of the leading independent investment firms in the world.
Beutner holds a degree in economics from Dartmouth College and has taught courses in ethics, leadership and effective government at Harvard Business School, the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy, the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and California State University Northridge.
Beutner currently serves on the board of the National Park Foundation, is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He founded Vision To Learn, a non-profit organization that has provided free eye exams and glasses to more than 250,000 children at schools in low-income communities across the country.
Teachers and safety protocols greet returning L.A. students
L.A. Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner greets returning students this week at Maurice Sendak Elementary School in North Hollywood.
Thirteen months after the start of the coronavirus quarantine, L.A. Unified students are starting to return to campus this week, and other local districts are following suit. But it will take a big commitment, and a big investment, to get schools and students back on track, according to Austin Beutner, superintendent of Los Angeles Unified.
“Reopening of schools is not a simple exercise,” Beutner said. “COVID safety protocols and testing, class schedules and lesson plans, after-school programs, transportation, meals and much more all need to come together.”
“It’s heartening to see our students back on campus after this difficult quarantine,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health. ”We must do everything we can to help them recover what they’ve lost in academics and healthcare.”
This week 72 early education and elementary schools are re-opening for families who have selected in-person learning. The remaining early education and elementary schools will open next week, and middle and high schools will reopen the week of April 26.
Students and staff are required to take a COVID test before returning to school. L.A. Unified provides testing sites and locations for students and families to obtain a test. The testing hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until April 25. Visit the testing website or call the Family Hotline at 213-443-1300 to schedule an appointment.
Closing opportunity gaps
“The opportunity gaps for students from families who are struggling to get by will only worsen if they’re not back in schools with their peers from more affluent neighborhoods,” Beutner said in a video update to the LAUSD community.
“It’s simple enough to see the solution — providing vaccinations for families with children in schools is the single most important thing we can do to get more children back in school classrooms.” L.A. Unified has partnered with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and Northeast Community Clinics to provide 25 school-based vaccination centers.
Unprecedented investment
An unprecedented investment from the state and federal governments in public schools are invested in services for mental, student disabilities, and proper sterilization of LAUSD campuses for the 2021-22 school year, the superintendent reported.
Beutner said, “$170 million will provide more mental health counselors at schools to help students process the anxiety and trauma of the past year… $140 million investment will update Individualized Education Programs and provide more direct services to students. To help keep schools clean and safe, we’ll invest an additional $220 million in custodial staff, cleaning supplies, upgraded facilities and COVID testing.”
One challenge: While L.A. Unified saw the same proportion of graduates enrolling in four-year colleges, there was a 9% drop in those who enrolled in two-year colleges. This issue is most acute in lower-income communities.
COVID testing key to L.A. Unified’s return-to-school strategy
L.A. Unified return-to-school plan encompasses testing and tracing for nearly 800,000 students and employees.
The Los Angeles Unified School District has begun an unprecedented coronavirus testing program, part of its developing return-to-school plan for nearly 800,000 students and employees
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner said, “Health practices are in place. Classrooms and facilities have been electrostatically cleaned top to bottom, air-conditioning systems have been upgraded with the equivalent of N-95 filters, personal protective equipment is provided to all individuals on campus, and classrooms and facilities have been reconfigured to keep all at a school a safer distance apart.
“When students do return to schools, they’ll be kept in small cohorts to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. And as we learn of other ways to enhance health practices, we’ll incorporate them as quickly as possible.”
‘Taking the lead’
“Once again, LAUSD is taking the lead nationwide in protecting our students, teachers, staff and community members,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health. “It is essential that we open our schools as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Beutner added, “While unprecedented, the virus testing, community engagement and contact-tracing program is necessary and appropriate as we must do everything we can to protect the health and safety of all in the school community.”
Among those collaborating on the program are UCLA, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, Anthem Blue Cross, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Health Net.
The L.A. Trust and L.A. Unified put focus on student oral health
Program Manager Esther Yepez, Executive Director Maryjane Puffer and Associate Program Director Stella Kim distributed hundreds of free toothbrushes at Los Angeles Unified’s Grab & Go Food Center at Manual Arts Senior High School June 9.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health has joined forces with America’s Tooth Fairy, the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Unified School District to raise oral health awareness and distribute more than 50,000 toothbrushes at Los Angeles Unified Grab & Go Food Centers.
“Healthy children are ready to learn, and The L.A. Trust has worked with us for years to promote the health and wellbeing of our students,” Superintendent Austin Beutner said. “Children may find it difficult to visit a dentist, so making sure kids practice good oral health habits like brushing their teeth is more important now than ever.”
L.A. Tooth Fairy Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust, thanked Los Angeles Unified and sponsors of Operation Tooth Fairy, including America’s Tooth Fairy and USC. “We even got an anonymous donation of 1,500 wrapped toothbrushes – every little bit helps.”
Puffer noted that “children with poor oral health are nearly three times more likely to miss school and perform poorly.” Past screenings of elementary school students in Los Angeles found that 66% of children had active dental disease, 27% had visible tooth decay and 6% required emergency care.
Since 2013, The L.A. Trust has worked to improve student oral health by coordinating free Kindergarten Oral Health Assessments in Los Angeles Unified schools.
Puffer said replacing toothbrushes frequently and not sharing brushes is especially important during this pandemic. Children should floss daily and brush twice a day. They should also keep wearing their braces and dental appliances.
“Many dentists and dental clinics are re-opening, and you should always see a dentist if it’s an emergency,” Puffer said. This includes oral pain, infection, trauma or damage. Many Student Health and Wellness Centers are open for restorative care, and you can also ask if your dentist offers tele-dentistry to get a remote assessment.
Thanks from Board
School Board members thanked The L.A. Trust for supporting students while school facilities are closed.
“I am grateful to The L.A. Trust for helping us fulfill our commitment to support the whole child,” Board Vice President Jackie Goldberg said.
“I salute The L.A. Trust and their continued commitment to promoting and educating our children on the importance of oral health,” Board Member Dr. George J. McKenna III said.
“Thanks to The L.A. Trust, America’s Tooth Fairy and the University of Southern California for your partnership and support for our students and families,” Board Member Mónica García said. “The health of our students is a strong indicator of their ability to achieve academically. I am grateful for all those involved in the effort to bridge the gap between education and health.”
“As a retired teacher and principal, I know that our children’s health and wellbeing are critical for effective teaching and learning,” Board Member Scott M. Schmerelson said. “Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, many parents have lost jobs and cannot afford to buy the necessary supplies or pay for dental treatments. Now more than ever, we must continue to provide needed support so our students can remain healthy. I thank The L.A. Trust and our community partners for their generous contributions and continued support.”
“We are grateful to The L.A. Trust and all the partners working to mitigate the unfortunate side effects of our current public health crisis and the existing crises that our kids face every day by not having adequate access to basic health care,” Board Member Nick Melvoin said. “That’s why I brought, and the Board passed, a resolution earlier this year to make it easier for partners like The L.A. Trust to provide these basic health services to our students, and why it’s so important that we uphold this commitment to meet the needs of our kids and families.”
“Along with our partner, The L.A. Trust, we are dedicated to promoting our students’ health,” Board Member Kelly Gonez said. “This latest distribution of toothbrushes at our Grab & Go Food Centers will support student wellbeing and allow them to focus on their learning.”
Puffer thanked the School Board, Los Angeles Unified and Operation Tooth Fairy partners, and urged other organizations and individual to join the effort. She said Operation Tooth Fairy is seeking donations of wrapped children’s and adult toothbrushes plus items like toothpaste and dental floss. “These may seem like small things,” she said, “but they can make a big difference in the oral health of a child or adolescent in this quarantine and recession.”
LAUSD and health officials plan for coronavirus
The COVID-19 outbreak is serious and the situation is changing fast. Experts say don’t panic, stay informed — and wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds.
The Los Angeles Unified School Angeles District and public health agencies are addressing the rapidly changing global coronavirus outbreak with contingency plans and public information.
LAUSD officials are getting updates daily at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. from The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and Superintendent Austin Beutner is posting Twitter updates twice a day. The LAUSD has also opened a hotline (213 443-1300) Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is updating its website daily with news on the virus. The California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control are also providing real-time updates.
“It’s too soon to know where this epidemic is headed,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust and a former pediatric nurse with a master’s degree in public health. “There are a relatively small number of cases in the County today, but that could change rapidly. The most important thing is to stay informed and use the same hygiene precautions you use for the flu.”
Hygiene is key
LAUSD has released a video on the outbreak emphasizing the importance of frequent and thorough handwashing. The Los Angeles County of Department Health recommends these precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus and flu:
Have provisions that will last a few days (water, food, essential hygiene, etc.)
Get immunized against the flu. This will relieve what could be a highly impacted healthcare system
Stay home when you’re sick (don’t wait until you are very sick)
Make sure you are using a robust, regular cleaning schedule for frequently touched surfaces
Wash your hands frequently (for at least 20 seconds)
Check out their website for the most accurate information at publichealth.lacounty.gov
What to tell students
“Be informed and honest about the virus, but avoid anything that might stress your students or family members,” Puffer said. “And remember, kids are good at reading emotions.”
“You can be frank with adolescents — they may know more than you. With younger kids, it’s important to listen and hear what their concerns are,” Puffer said. “Emphasize that the risk of getting sick is low and you will take them to the doctor should the need arise.”
“On behalf of The L.A. Trust I want to thank the healthcare professionals who are working locally and worldwide — often at risk to their own health — to address this outbreak,” she added.
As vaping epidemic grows, educators and healthcare providers join forces
LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner appeared with students and educators outside Federal Court to announce a class-action vaping lawsuit.
L.A. School Superintendent Austin Beutner stood on the courthouse steps in downtown Los Angeles October 29, 2019 to declare war on vaping. Flanked by educators, students and community leaders, Beutner announced a class-action lawsuit to hold industry-leading vape-pen manufacturer Juul “accountable for the role it has played in creating an epidemic that affects the health of our students, disrupts student learning and is taking money away from our core mission—educating students.”
“We are here to join others in the cause to stop this epidemic,” Beutner said. “The money we are spending to deal with the trauma vaping is bringing into our schools is money not spent on instruction.”
Tobacco use prevention and education (TUPE) is one of the top missions of The L.A. Trust, which brings the worlds of education and healthcare together to tackle urgent challenges facing more than 600,000 students in the LAUSD.
The crisis is urgent, Renteria said. Student cigarette smoking has declined sharply in the past few decades, but total tobacco use — driven by vaping — is on the rise. A federal survey shows 27.5% of high school students have used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days.
Vaping 101
Dozens of school-based health professionals joined The L.A. Trust and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles November 13 for its latest outreach, a webinar called “Vaping 101” hosted by L.A. Trust Program Manager Robert Renteria and featuring Stephan Lambert, prevention education coordinator for the Orange County Department of Education. It’s the first in a series of three Wellness & Adolescent Substance Use Prevention (WASUP) webinars hosted by Children’s Hospital and The L.A.Trust.
Watch the webinar now
As of November 13, health officials in 49 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have 2,172 cases of vaping-related lung illness. Forty-two deaths have been reported from 24 states and the District of Columbia.
The L.A. Trust works with the LAUSD’s Beyond the Bell Branch on vaping abatement programs that give students facts about the health dangers of vaping, and resources to foster peer-to-peer conversations that promote cessation. The L.A. Trust also works with Student Advisory Board members, adult allies and staff at LAUSD Wellness Centers to coordinate education, train advocates, provide treatment referrals, sponsor outreach events and publicize the dangers of cigarette smoking and vaping in social media.