Legacy Wall inductee, Eugene Temkin, M.D. (far right), stands with his family in front of the display showcasing this year’s Legacy Wall award recipients.
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, members of the Long Beach community and distinguished Community Hospital Long Beach (CHLB) staff came together to celebrate the 2013 Legacy Wall Ceremony. Every year CHLB recognizes outstanding individuals for their continued service to the hospital and honors them by adding them to their Legacy Wall.
This year’s list of inductees included the late Harald Arndt, M.D., Linda Basile, R.N., Suzanne Nosworthy and Eugene Temkin, M.D. In addition to the award and permanent place on the Legacy Wall, each inductee was awarded with a certificate of recognition from Long Beach Councilman Gary DeLong, as well as another certificate of recognition from Los Angeles Supervisor Don Knabe.
The CHLB Legacy Wall was created to honor those who maintain the “community spirit” aspect that has been the driving force within the hospital since opening in 1924. The award celebrates employees, volunteers, physicians and community members with a minimum of 12 years of service, who embody the spirit of the hospital. Inductees are selected each year to honor their commitment and dedication to the patients and families they serve whether through years of service, philanthropic efforts or volunteer hours given back.
“When you hear the word ‘legacy’ you know that there are people in this community, in this hospital, that deserve to be on that wall,” says Krikor Jansezian, PhD, administrator, CHLB. “Walking down our hallways you can see and feel the legacy they are leaving behind. Through their years of service, they have made a lasting impression on this hospital for the better.”
Ceremony attendees were given a glimpse into the past of CHLB and just how far the hospital has come in the past nine decades. From the moving tribute to Dr. Arndt given by his colleague and friend Dennis Parmer, M.D., to the detailed stories of the early cardiology department told by Dr.Temkin, everyone in the audience could feel just how much these awards meant to the recipients.
“Community Hospital Long Beach has truly been my family for many, many years,” says Suzanne Nosworthy, 2013 Legacy Wall inductee. “It’s the culture here. We’re a family of physicians, staff and volunteers. The excellence of this hospital goes without saying, and I hope that I can always be a part of this family.”
Now in its third year, the CHLB Legacy Wall is nowhere near reaching a shortage of deserving recipients. As anyone at the hospital will tell you, the Legacy Wall is essential to honor the service that those associated with CHLB have provided. Looking to the future and keeping in touch with the past has been essential to keeping the “community spirit” thriving.
Above, left: Suzanne Nosworthy, Legacy Wall inductee, tells the story of her first time visiting Community Hospital Long Beach at the age of 5-years-old. Above, right: Linda Basile, R.N. (far left), celebrates with her family after being inducted into this year’s Legacy Wall.
E. Mike C. Vasilomanolakis, M.D., chief of staff, Community Hospital Long Beach, addresses the crowd of onlookers that came out to show support and help honor the 2013 Legacy Wall inductees.