March 13, 2023

Beach Cities Community Forum on Fentanyl

On February 9, the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth Coalition organized the first community discussion on fentanyl amongst the three Beach Cities as part of the preventive attention needed to swiftly respond to the state and county public health alerts issued this past fall regarding illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF). During the event, there was a viewing of the movie "Dead on Arrival", a fentanyl documentary by Dominic Tierno and Christine Wood, followed by a panel discussion with:

• Dr. Moe Gelbert, Executive Director at Thelma McMillen Center and Director of Behavioral Health at Torrance Memorial 
• Paul LeBaron, Police Chief at Hermosa Beach Police Department
• Sebastian Martin, Director of Recovery at New Life House

The in-person Beach Cities Community Forum on Fentanyl leveraged our partnerships with the school districts of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach as well as South Bay Families Connected to provide students and their families with critical information and a deeper understanding of fentanyl’s life-threatening dangers. Nearly 150 participants were in attendance including youth, parents, city elected officials, school administrators, health professionals, emergency responders, BCHD Board Members and other community leaders. For more information, visit http://bchd.org/fentanyl

Los Angeles County Aligns with State on New COVID-19 Guidelines; Local Orders Will Address Enhanced Protections in High-Risk Settings

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced on March 10, 2023 that the County will align with the following new guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH):

• Masking – With current COVID-19 case and hospitalization levels, masking for the general public is based on individual preference. Vulnerable populations, including people who are elderly, immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions, and those who have contact with them should consider masking in indoor public spaces.
• Vaccination – On April 3, CDPH will rescind COVID-19 vaccination orders for workers at correctional, detention and adult care facilities.
• Isolation – Starting March 13, individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 should continue to isolate (stay home) for 5 days and may leave isolation after day 5, as long as they have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicines) and they either have no symptoms or their symptoms are mild and improving. A negative COVID-19 test is no longer required to leave isolation between days 6-10. The Department of Public Health strongly recommends that people test negative prior to leaving isolation between days 6-10.
• Quarantine – Starting March 13, it is strongly recommended but not required that a person who is a close contact to a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19 wears a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings or when near those who are at high risk for severe illness. It is recommended that close contact tests as soon as possible to determine infection status and then, if negative, test again within 3-5 days after the last known exposure.

Take a look back at Beach Cities Health District's testing and vaccine efforts.

Q&A About the Healthy Living Campus Project

Q: Has BCHD released a construction schedule for the Healthy Living Campus?

A: No. A draft version of a construction schedule was made public by the City of Redondo Beach in response to a Public Records Act request. In February 2023, prior to its release, BCHD issued the following statement: “Any comments or information provided based on this schedule being made public is speculative.” As predicted, our opponent is taking this information as if it were finalized, when in fact it was a draft and subject to change.

The schedule was provided to the City as a courtesy for use by consultants hired to review documents related to the project. The cover note from our consultant, Nick Biro of Blue Mountain Development, speaks for itself: “this draft schedule… includes items that have not been fully worked out.” 

Q: Are seismic repairs required?

A: As of now, seismic updates are not required, but are a prudent move given the performance of non-ductile concrete buildings in recent earthquakes. A seismic report of the building can be found here: Nabih Youssef Seismic Evaluation

The Redondo Beach General Plan suggests non-ductile concrete frame buildings, such as 514 Prospect, should ultimately be "upgraded, relocated or phased out."

Related to this, on February 28, 2023, L.A. County supervisors took the first step toward approving mandatory earthquake retrofitting on certain older concrete buildings that include a defect discovered in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake that can lead to a catastrophic collapse. The measure targets "non-ductile" concrete buildings owned by the county and those located in unincorporated areas and calls upon officials to prepare new rules for such a mandate. The city of Los Angeles approved a similar retrofit requirement in 2015.

You can find more questions and answers about the project at https://www.bchdcampus.org/faq . We understand there can be misinformation about a public project as complex as the Healthy Living Campus, and we encourage the community to visit our website for accurate information and facts about the project.

We Want your Feedback

Use this page to find information about and share your thoughts on the project approval process. You can share your thoughts by completing the poll below.

Fewer Units & Less Construction Time 

Residential Care for the Elderly units dropped from 420 to 217 and active construction time is shortened from nine years to five years in two phases instead of three.

Acres of Open Space

The revitalization will replace acres of asphalt with approximately two soccer fields of open, programmable open space. The campus will also feature a demonstration garden for our LiveWell Kids trainings and a walking path for visitors. 

For our Community

The new campus will be home to BCHD’s 40+ programs and services, including allcove Beach Cities. Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and Residential Care for the Elderly (RCFE) will also anchor BCHD's new campus.

March is Social Workers Month

Social Work Month is a time to celebrate the great profession of social work. The theme for 2023 is "Social Work Breaks Barriers". During Social Work Month take time to learn more about the many positive contributions of the profession and those we serve.

Hybrid Board of Directors Meetings

BCHD holds public board meetings every month. Residents are encouraged to attend board meetings either via Zoom or at 1200 Del Amo Street. You may also contact board members directly with questions or comments, and/or call 310-374-3426, ext. 8213.

Regular Board Meeting

Wednesday, March 22

6:30 p.m.

Connect with a Moai



A Moai (pronounced “Mo Eye”) is a group of people meeting for a common purpose and can include activities like walking, purpose discussions and potluck meals. The word “Moai” comes from Okinawa, Japan, where neighbors use Moais as support systems. Based on this tradition, Moai groups are considered just as important to a person’s health as the benefits of being active, healthy eating and finding a purpose.

Now Accepting Applications for 2023-2024 allcove Beach Cities Youth Advisory Group

To ensure that youth voices continue to be at the forefront of the allcove Beach Cities center experience, BCHD is selecting the next group of young leaders ages 16-25 who represent the diversity of the Beach Cities and surrounding communities across race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, lived experience, ability and socio-economic status.

Youth Advisory Group members help allcove Beach Cities gain a better understanding of young peoples’ needs and opinions to provide them with relevant and effective services. The Youth Advisory Group is comprised of up to 15 young people from the local community of the Beach Cities and throughout Service Planning Area (SPA) 8.

Applications are due Saturday, April 2, 2023.

For more information regarding Youth Advisory Group, please contact Amanda VerWys, allcove Clinical Coordinator, at allcovebeachcities@bchd.org or by phone at (310) 374-5706.

BCHD Power of Purpose Workshop & Volunteer Fair

Join Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) for our Blue Zones Project Power of Purpose Workshop & Volunteer Fair. Purpose is your reason for getting up each morning. Discover how to align your gifts, talents and interests to create purpose in daily life in our workshop facilitated by Kathleen Terry. 

Saturday, April 15 | 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Manhattan Beach Community Church

303 S. Peck Ave, Manhattan Beach 90266

AdventurePlex

Where kids and families play their way to good health

• Summer camp
• Drop-in play
• Birthday parties
• Supervised weekend play so parents can have a night out
• Special events
• ToddlerTown play area
• 5-level play structure
• Programs for ages 0-12



Center for Health & Fitness

Our comprehensive fitness center in Redondo Beach

• Cycling, Zumba, yoga, Pilates, strength & other exercise classes
• Online exercise classes
• Classes for older adults
• Programs for chronic conditions
• Access to trainers
• Massage
• Nutrition consultation
• Access to state-of-the-art gym equipment