Long Beach
I’ve been writing about the Community Hospital Long Beach Foundation for 30 years — pretty much since I arrived in Long Beach in 1992.
On Friday, Sept. 30, the foundation closed the doors of its office on hospital property and has hired an attorney to help wrap things up. More on that in a minute.
The foundation has always been, at least in my experience, a sincere, grassroots organization more interested in the good of the community (see what I did there?) then the profile of the foundation. No pretension here, even if one of the auxiliaries has the fancy name of Las Damas de la Plaza.
Back in the day, when Community Hospital was still a full-service acute care hospital with a heart care department, the Grunion was a direct contributor to the foundation. We gave them (and heart programs at St. Mary and Memorial medical centers) the proceeds from our Valentine Date Night — a hormone-filled singles party that raised tens of thousands of dollars each year for nearly a decade.
That’s where I first got to know the amazing Pam Dingwell. She has been a rock for the foundation for years, and I’m proud to call her friend. More on her in a minute, too.
A foundation, by definition, is a support group, and that’s what the CHLB Foundation has been. When the hospital closed in 2000, the foundation was the fulcrum used by doctors and residents to resurrect the facility.
When the hospital closed again in 2018, the foundation stood ready and willing to help John Molina and his Molina, Wu, Network restart the hospital on the hill. Need a study for what it would take to complete a seismic retrofit? Here’s $1 million to get it done. Need equipment to reopen part of the medical wing? Here’s $750,000.
I can’t imagine anyone more disappointed than the foundation leaders when the hospital closed again in November. I could hear the pain in Diane deWalsche’s voice when we talked. She’s been a part of Community Hospital for decades, and is now president of the foundation board.
But, as always, the group is trying to move on and do good. They are in the process of transferring assets to the Community Foundation of Long Beach, creating a donor-advised fund to provide grants to similar community health-oriented efforts.
Speaking of assets, deWalsche said Molina has agreed to repay the foundation for the money spent in the last reopening effort.
“A subcommittee of the Foundation Board recently met with John Molina,” she wrote me. “We requested $1 million that the Foundation spent on seismic plans be returned to the CHLB Foundation.
“John stated that he plans to honor this request. The purchase of additional equipment deemed necessary for the hospital to reopen, which the Foundation purchased in good faith with donor dollars, is being identified and located. The Foundation is requesting those items be returned to the Foundation in order for the Foundation to donate this equipment to a nonprofit hospital. At this point, John Molina seems agreeable to honoring these requests.”
Sounds good. I have no reason to think Mr. Molina would back away from these commitments — he’s made good on others over the years.
And, at least for now, the CHLB Foundation will remain as an entity, even without a hospital to support. Dingwell will keep working, just from her home (sound familiar?), at least until there’s no more business to handle. The board will work reviewing grant requests and getting that equipment to where it can do some good.
For more about the foundation as it wraps things up, check the website at chlbfoundation.org. deWalsche said she’d be happy to talk to supporters, but I’ll let you dig up her number instead of putting it out there for the world.
I’d ask that you take a moment to think about all the good the CHLB Foundation has done over the years, and say a silent prayer of thanks. I don’t think the Big Guy would mind if I say to them, “Well done, good and faithful servants.”