Santa Monica City Council
March 22, 2022

1 Vernice Hankins
From: Bruce Yawitz, MD <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 2:42 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Support for Providence Saint John's Health Center

EXTERNAL
My name is Bruce Yawitz, MD, and I am the Medical Director of Imaging at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Tower Saint John’s Imaging, and the President and CEO of Tower Imaging Medical Group. I have been a proud member of the Saint John’s Medical Staff for over 20 years, and a Brentwood resident for 24 years. I have been proud to send my family and friends to Saint John’s for many years, providing an alternative to the very large and often impersonal local medical centers elsewhere in the LA Basin.

While Saint John’s offers world class specialty care comparable to those larger institutions, it does so with a special warmth and care difficult to find in healthcare these days. Many of our Medical Staff have moved to Saint John’s from those larger institutions in order to create a better environment of caring for their patients, and to create a more fulfilling place of practice for themselves.

I have had the good fortune of working at just such a large institution, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York.

While I was always proud to be on staff at such a storied institution, it was always a challenge to create a good patient experience for my patients. Such is not the case at Saint John’s, and I am even more proud of my career here, certainly THE highlight of my professional life.

All 3 of my daughters were born at Saint John’s, both the old building the new Saint John’s where my youngest was born. When my wife was pregnant, and we shared notes with friends delivering elsewhere, nobody was able to match the quality of our birthing experience at Saint John’s.

My wife and I have been benefactors to Saint John’s, and my medical group has donated substantial sums to Saint John’s; in fact, the Oncology Inpatient Unit is named for our group, Tower Imaging Medical Group. I half-jokingly see this as partly paying it forward, and partly a selfish effort to maintain the excellence for which Saint John’s is so well known – I like to say that I want to have my bypass at Saint John’s when the time comes.

I am part owner of a jointly-owned Imaging Center in Santa Monica, proud to have Providence and Saint John’s as my business partners as well. I could not ask for a better team to provide world class compassionate care to the community and beyond.

Providence has expanded tertiary services considerably over the years, and we hope that this trajectory of clinical and service excellence continues for my children and their children. I witness first hand the space constraints at our world class Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Saint John’s Cancer Institute (formerly John Wayne Cancer Institute), and the newly formed Women’s Health Institute and Digestive Health Institute. Future growth of these exceptional community, regional and national assets depends upon additional space.

I hope that my passion for Saint John’s comes through in this brief narrative; there is nowhere else I’d rather practice, and nowhere else I’d rather send my family and friends for care than Saint John’s. Constraining its growth to the existing infrastructure would certainly negatively affect their ability to expand new services to the community, and that would be a tragedy for our beloved city.

Bruce Yawitz, MD
President and CEO, Tower Imaging Medical Group
Medical Director of Imaging, Providence Saint John's Health Center Medical Director, Tower Saint John's Imaging
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From: Mary Flaherty <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 2:28 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Approve Saint John’s Master Plan

EXTERNAL
My name is Mary Flaherty and my husband and I have lived in the Los Angeles/Santa Monica area for over 35 years. I also grew up in the area as the oldest of six children in the 1970s and worked part-time at several Santa Monica businesses during my high school years. My mother and father started volunteering at Saint John’s Hospital during that time, my father Chaired the Saint John’s Foundation 30 years ago.

Having that history of giving back instilled in me and having “grown up” with Saint John’s, I got involved with Saint John’s as well after moving back to the area in 1986 with my husband from back east. I have been a member of the Irene Dunne Guild since 1987 and served as Chair of the Guild from 1989-91 and 1994-96, served on various committee of the Saint John’s Health Center Board of Directors since 2007 and then was elected Chair of the Saint John’s Health Center Board from 2011-2012 (during the change of ownership and the Nursing Union negotiations). I have also been involved with the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation since 1989 and just recently served as Chair of the Foundation from 2018-2021.

Needless to say, Saint John’s Health Center is a high priority to myself and family. I have no regrets having donated thousands of volunteer hours to this incredible gem on the Westside of Los Angeles and will continue to support this fine institution for years to come.

I have also been a patient at Saint John’s as a two-time breast cancer survivor and have had two of our three children born at Saint John’s. The care that is given to the patients at Saint John’s is personalized and world-class and has the benefit of “Bench to Bedside” research and excellent medical care delivery.

I have served on almost every volunteer committee at both the Health Center and the Foundation and have never ceased to be amazed by all of the “good” that is done by Saint John’s for the Santa Monica Community and beyond. A prime example is the (over $6M) in support given to our local community organizations by the Foundation over the past 5 years. Here are some of the organizations:

Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica Safe Parking LA
CLARE/MATRIX Safe Place forYouth/SPY
UCLA/VA Family Resource and Well Being Center
The People Concern
Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services Westside Food Bank
PP Homelessness Task Force Santa Monica Family YMCA
Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center Santa Monica Education Foundation
Providence Saint John’s Cleft Palate Speech Scholarships Claris Health
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3 The Health Center’s Phase II Master Plan will only further the benefit that Saint John’s is to our community. It will allow for expansion of services to patients like myself and others in the community.It will be a beautiful addition to our community with a park-like setting and places for patients and residents alike to enjoy our beautiful weather and city.

As a Community Volunteer, Saint John’s Health Center Board Member, Saint John’s Trustee and community resident, I kindly ask for your support in voting in favor of the Phase II Master Plan. If passed, it will be a “win-win” with the improvements of health services in Santa Monica and the city.

Thank you very much. Mary Flaherty
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From: Bob Levitt <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2022 11:07 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Approve Saint John's Master Plan (Please)

EXTERNAL

To Whom It May Concern:

I am a 30‐year resident of Pacific Palisades and have worked and raised our four adult children in Los Angeles.  I have been very active in my community, including but not limited to President of the Huntington Palisades Property Owners Corporation (HPPOC), raising $1 million for the Pacific Palisades Park field renovation and Board Chair of Village School (10 years).  After witnessing the incredible work of Saint John’s staff directly, I was inspired to get even more involved as a member of the hospital’s Board of Directors so I could help Saint John’s continue its outstanding mission of providing quality care for our community.  In addition, Saint John’s stellar research is changing lives, and is a fantastic source of pride for Santa Monica.

As a new Board member, I have seen our health center’s leadership demonstrate that its Vision of Health for a Better World extends to all patients, especially those who are indigent and vulnerable in our community.  Since first becoming involved at Saint John’s, I have seen the millions of dollars dedicated back to our community through our Community Health Needs Assessment, a commitment that is ongoing and a priority.

I am personally excited about the Phase II Master Plan because it not only enables Saint John's to serve better our patients and community, but also because great care has been taken to balance the physical plant with additional open space for our community.  In my view, approving the Master Plan will both enable Saint John’s to continue its mission to serve our community, including those with limited resources, and continue our world class research to save lives, but importantly open more access to our campus properties for the community with open space.

If approved, the Master Plan would add $10 million for the city’s behavioral health initiatives that could significantly improve organizations that are providing mental health within our community.  The Master Plan also addresses one of the major issues challenging our city (and state): affordable housing. These additional units would provide much needed housing for low‐income residents that are often priced out of Santa Monica’s housing market.  Finally, given that the Master Plan will be rolled out over an extended period of time (20‐25 years), the impact to our neighbors will be minimized.

Please vote in favor of this transformative Master Plan for the health center and our community.

Sincerely,
Robert. J. Levitt

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2 Bob Levitt
Mobile:  310.702.9004
Office: 310.454.4692
[email protected]
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From: Nancy Cronig [email protected]
Subject: Letter of Support for Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan To whom it may concern,
I am writing today to express strong support for the Providence Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan. I have spent the last 30 years volunteering at Saint John’s Health Center and am passionate about helping others and improving our wonderful community.

My time at Saint John’s started at the Child and Family Development Center working for its outpatient mental health program for the deaf and hard of hearing — something I enjoyed doing because I could apply my knowledge of American Sign Language.

After working with the Child and Family Development Center for several years, I moved over to the main hospital to assist in the Surgery Waiting Room. When the opportunity presented itself, I added volunteering on the orthopedics and oncology floors visiting patients on each floor. I loved interacting with the patients and miss that most of all the past two years since we were not allowed to volunteer during the COVID Pandemic.

My time volunteering at Saint John’s has been an incredible experience. As a Santa Monica resident and someone who lives two blocks from Saint John’s, having the opportunity to play a role in the hospital’s healing mission has been fulfilling and a true blessing. I know firsthand that the work being done at Saint John’s is a benefit to our community and it is in our best interest as community members to support the health center.

The possibility of improving the Child and Family Development Center and Cancer Institute is particularly important to me, so I hope you will join me in my support of the Phase II Master Plan.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing your decision on the matter.

Sincerely yours,
Nancy Cronig
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From: carl mckinzie.us <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 10:02 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Support for Saint John’s; ‘Yes’ on Saint John’s Master Plan Attachments: image002.emz
Dear City Council:

My name is Carl McKinzie.  My wife, Rena McKinzie, and I have lived in the same home on 21st Place in Santa Monica since 1971.  During these 51 years, we have raised three sons who went from elementary school through high school in Santa Monica’s public schools and then attend outstanding universities.  Rena was a co‐founder of the Santa Monica High School Alumni Association and has spent many years supporting SAMOHI as the first and long‐time editor of the Alumni Association’s newsletter and serving on SAMOHI’s scholarship committee.

I began practicing corporate law in Los Angeles in 1966 with my dear friend and long‐time law partner Richard Riordan, the 39th Mayor of Los Angeles.  Before its merger into an international law firm, the Riordan & McKinzie firm served as a corporate boutique with approximately 100 lawyers.  Although I no longer actively practice law, I continue to serve on a number of nonprofit and for‐profit boards.

I became a member of the board of directors of Saint John’s Health Center (“Hospital”) in 2001, chaired the board for four years, continued to serve as a director for a number of additional years and now serve as a Senior Advisor to the board.  I also continue to serve on the Saint John’s Foundation  (“Foundation”) Board of Trustees.  I have had the pleasure of being the original chair and then serving for five years as chair of the Foundation’s Donor Advised Fund (known as the Community Impact Fund or “CIF”).  CIF was established by the Foundation to support our local health care partners in improving the health of our community. Over six million dollars have been awarded to our local health care partners and an additional five million dollars have been authorized to deal with COVID issues in our community.

From my long‐time involvement with both the boards for the Hospital and the Foundation, I know that Saint John’s is an absolute community jewel.  It has the unique distinction of being able to provide university quality care in a community hospital setting.  Its reputation for “compassionate care” is well deserved and it has provided the McKinzie family with outstanding care for our medical needs for many years.

It truly has been a pleasure to observe and participate with the leadership of the Hospital and of the Foundation to invest millions of dollars to provide cutting edge medical care.  Many more millions of dollars have been invested pursuant to the Hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment and the Foundation’s CIF.  The Hospital’s service area provides care not only for the Santa Monica community but also many surrounding communities.  A mantra since the founding of the Hospital over 80 years ago as been to provide exceptional care especially for the poor and vulnerable.  The outstanding reputation of our service providers also attracts patients from other parts of the world.  Research done at Saint John’s has improved the quality of care of patients all over the world.

The Providence Saint John’s Health Center is requesting your approval of its Phase II Master Plan.  Implementation of the Phase II Master Plan will permit, improve and enhance the ability of Saint John’s to expand its services and will provide additional benefits to the community that include the development of wellness, outpatient health care, research and ancillary features on the Saint John’s campus.  I wholeheartedly believe that the project and community benefits provided by the Phase II Master Plan will benefit the Santa Monica community for many years to come.  The ten million Item 9.A
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2 dollars contribution to Santa Monica’s mental and behavioral health and provisions for supporting homeless services have particular appeal to me and will provide enormous benefits to our community.

As stated, the Phase II Master Plan provides overwhelming benefits for our community!  I strongly encourage you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan. The improvements will not only help improve health services offered here in Santa Monica, but look to address affordable housing, transportation, on‐site childcare and much more.

Sincerely,
Carl W. McKinzie
527 21st Place
Santa Monica, CA 90402
310‐393‐3692 – home
310‐393‐5619 – home office
213‐509‐1695 – cell
[email protected]
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From: Cary Singleton <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2022 10:18 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: In favor of the Providence Saint John’s Health Center’s Phase II Master Plan

EXTERNAL
In 1998, the City of Santa Monica and Saint John’s entered into a development agreement after the devastating Northridge Earthquake of 1994 to rebuild and provide vested rights for future Phase II expansion.

My parents-in-law, Henry and Caroline Singleton, as Trustees of Saint John's Health Center Foundation, were involved in funding the rebuilding of the hospital after the earthquake and Caroline later underwrote the Mrs. Henry E. Singleton Imaging Center at Saint John's. My husband, Willl Singleton, and I have continued this family tradition of supporting this excellent local hospital that has partnered with world-class medical researchers by our investment in its Pacific Neuroscience Institute's important work of delaying, reversing and eventually eradicating the horrific cognitive disease, Alzheimer's, which affects millions of seniors. And since I've joined the Board of Trustees in 2020, we've become even more aware of and involved in the amazing work Saint John's does for both our community and beyond.

We strongly encourage the City of Santa Monica to approve the Phase II Master Plan, the physical extension of Saint John's mission, providing more resources for all elements of our community. It is this type of facility that will continue to make Santa Monica a world class health center, attracting future businesses and their employees to our area.

Very truly yours,
Cary Singleton
[email protected]
Create Vision > Inspire Action
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From: Grunwald, Tiffany MD <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2022 4:10 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori Subject: Yes on Saint John's Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Dear All,
My name is Tiffany Grunwald; I am a surgeon and the owner of TBG, M.D. Inc., a local surgical practice in Santa Monica. I have been caring for patients in Santa Monica for over 20 years and I am proud to be part of this community. After seeing the work of the staff at Saint John’s Health Center firsthand, I was inspired to get even more involved as a member of the hospital’s Board of Directors so I could play a greater role in the health center’s cutting‐edge and life‐changing work.

As a Board member, I have seen our health center’s leadership prove time and time again that its Vision of Health for a Better World extends to all patients, especially those who are poor and vulnerable in our community. Since my time on the Board, I’ve witnessed Saint John’s reinvest millions of dollars back into the community through our Community Health Needs Assessment, push the boundaries of research through countless clinical trials and provide world‐class care to our residents.

In the Phase II Master Plan, I’m personally most excited about the additional open space, walking paths and bike lanes that will give our residents a safe place to gather in the city. The improvement in campus properties will be a victory for all — especially those who rely on Saint John’s vast web of health services.  I have been involved in a recent collaboration with nursing students at Santa Monica College and the Labor & Delivery floor at Providence Saint John’s.

If approved, the Phase II Master Plan would provide $10 million to the city’s behavioral health initiatives. This funding could dramatically help organizations that are providing mental health, substance abuse and community programs to area residents in need. The Phase II Master Plan also addresses one of the major issues across our state: affordable housing. These additional units will provide much‐needed housing for low‐ income residents and young families who are often priced out of Santa Monica’s market. The Phase II Master Plan will beautify the spaces around the hospital, giving residents and patients a safe and efficient way to reach the hospital from major transportation hubs and Metro stations.

Thank you for the time and attention.  Please vote in favor of this transformative Master Plan for the health center and our community.

Best regards,
Tiffany
_________________
Tiffany B. Grunwald, MD, FACS
Executive Medical Director, Women’s Health Institute
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2 Division Chief, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Providence Saint John's Health Center
[email protected]
1301 20th Street, Ste 430
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-828-4646 office
310-430-4989 cell
This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.

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From: Robertson, John M <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2022 5:11 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Yes on Saint John's Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Providence Saint John’s Master Plan
My name is John M. Robertson, MD. I have been a resident of Santa Monica for 32 years, working, living and raising my two children with my wife in this great and compassionate city. By profession, I am a cardiothoracic surgeon practicing at Saint John’s Health Center and have been for over 35 years. During my tenure, I have served on the Board of the Directors of Saint John’s Health Center and am a former President of the Foundation. Currently, I am a trustee of the Health Center, Chairman of the Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery Department at the Health Center and am the Executive Medical Director of Clinical Surgery. These experiences have given me a unique perspective of the role that Providence Saint John’s Health Center plays in our community.

As to the proposed Phase II Master Plan, I am intimately familiar with Providence Saint John’s Health Center’s Master Plan. Following the devastating 1994 Earthquake, I joined the original development planning team for the Hospital and have remained a constant involved participant in the Master Plan’s implementation. From speaking before the Santa Monica City Council on behalf of the Development Agreement of 1998, to fundraising for the programs addressed in the Master Plan and to attending numerous planning sessions, I am fully committed to this Master Plan. As explained below, I believe as a physician, resident and father that the approval of the Phase II Master Plan will be beneficial to our City, our residents, our neighboring cities and beyond for many years to come.

I personally believe that every city should always strive to support its educational system, religious institutions, and medical facilities because more likely than not at some point each member of the city will need one or all these entities.

In my role as a cardiovascular surgeon, I have seen and operated on thousands of patients throughout my time at the Health Center, including numerous residents of Santa Monica. Throughout my more than three‐decade career with Saint John’s, I have seen firsthand how a state‐of‐the‐art research institute and community health center can work together to provide our patients with excellent outcomes, offer innovative treatment options and ultimately save patients’ lives.

Providence Saint John’s Health Center has been serving the Santa Monica and Westside Los Angeles communities since 1942, and since that time has earned a reputation for clinical excellence and award‐winning care in a compassionate and tranquil healing environment. It is an honor and a privilege to practice at this Health Center.

Today, Providence Saint John’s is a nationally renowned award‐winning 266‐bed hospital with physicians, nurses, volunteers, and support staff who work as a team to provide the best possible medical care to its patients and the community. Our Center provides the latest in diagnostic technology and specialty care with a strong commitment to its core service lines: cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, neurosurgery and women’s health. Providence Saint John’s also is home to the world‐renowned Saint John’s Cancer Institute, dedicated to clinical research and medical advancements in cancer care. The Pacific Brain Tumor and Pituitary Disorders Centers have been part of Saint John’s Health Center and the Saint John’s Cancer Institute since 2007.

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2 Providence Saint John’s reputation for academically based care guided by research and evidence‐based medicine is due to the commitment to excellence by our physicians, nurses and other caregivers. Our cancer surgeons care for patients in the Cancer Center and hold faculty positions at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute and other teaching institutions in the community.

I can think of no clearer example of how beneficial and necessary Providence Saint John’s Health Center is for our city than the recent pandemic. As we enter our third year of the COVID pandemic, our world has drastically changed, and yet I am proud to say that the care, innovation, and results provided at Saint Johns have remained at the highest level.

Having this institution in our city cannot be understated. During the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, the health center and hospital staff responded quickly to help COVID infected individuals. Our research institution was very involved in the early discovery of treatments for this virus. In those early months, we piloted the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) program and helped our surrounding county‐based hospitals address the growing needs of the most critically ill pandemic patients. This program saved the lives of many patients who unequivocally would have died without it. It has become one of the largest ECMO programs in the state of California.

Aside from the Health Center’s ability to respond to and continue to address the ongoing Pandemic, the Health Center’s continuous innovation in all areas of health, including brain health must be mentioned. Recently, a team of multidisciplinary specialists at the Providence Saint John’s Health Center’s Pacific Neuroscience Institute became the first in the nation to treat a patient with recurrent glioblastoma — an aggressive form of cancer in the brain — with electronic intraoperative radiation therapy. Glioblastoma is the cancer that killed U.S. Sen. John McCain (R‐Arizona), U.S.

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D‐Massachusetts) and Beau Biden, son of President Joe Biden. It is the most common and aggressive type of malignant primary brain tumor, with a median survival of 10‐12 months.

I personally watched the development of this world‐renowned neuroscience department. The Health Center’s Pacific Neurosciences Institute’s development and growth has not only led to major innovation in the field of brain health but also set the stage for the Health Center to become a comprehensive stroke center. As the Council members may be aware, when someone has a stroke, every minute counts. Getting the best care in the shortest amount of time is essential to prevent long‐term disability and improve the chances of recovery. Having our Health Center designated as comprehensive stroke center, means we provide the highest level of stroke care available and have the capabilities to treat even the most complex stroke patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is the difference between life and death for many stroke patients.

In addition to the clear medical benefit of having a world‐class medical center in the heart of our city, there are numerous community benefits that the Health Center provides to Santa Monica. While certainly not an exhaustive list, here are just some of the benefits I am most proud of as a resident of the City of Santa Monica that our city receives from the Health Center.
 The Child and Family Development Center (CFDC): For over 50 years, the Child and Family Development Center at Providence Saint John’s has provided empathetic care to underprivileged families, adolescents and children throughout the Los Angeles area. The CFDC functions as a "clinic without walls," thus services are provided at the center, in homes, schools, preschools, transitional housing sites, community centers and free clinics. CFDC collaborates with over 15 different community partners and utilizes over 10 evidence‐based practice psychotherapy models;
 Grants: Various grants are made by the Health Center to support the wellness of the community and the needs of Santa Monica;
 Homelessness & Underserved: the Health Center provides top level medical care to the underserved, mentally ill, homeless and uninsured in both its Emergency Department and throughout the facility throughout the entire year;
 The Health Center’s Philanthropic Foundation, the Community Impact Fund (CIF): Started in 2015, the Health Center’s Philanthropic Foundation awards CIF grants for health‐related purposes that are managed by the foundation and distributed to community partners serving vulnerable population within the hospital’s service Item 9.A
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3 area of 29 zip codes. Each year, the CIF makes grants of approximately $1.4 million to around 15‐20 various organizations throughout the city sponsoring programs that support the homeless, the mentally ill, the Westside food bank, and countless others.

These are just some of the community benefits the Health Center provides in addition to its world‐class medical care.

The additional benefits that will come from the approval of the master plan would allow us to modernize and expand our facilities with further state‐of‐the‐art lab and clinical space for critically ill patients .

Presently, the approval of this plan would provide approximately $100 million community health investments by Saint John’s into the City of Santa Monica over the next 30 years.

Due to the overwhelming benefits for our patients and the surrounding neighborhoods, I encourage you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan.

Sincerely,
John M. Robertson, M.D.

Chairman, Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery
Executive Medical Director, Clinical Surgery
Providence Saint John’s Health Center
2121 Santa Monica Blvd.

Santa Monica, California 90404
(310) 829‐8618 (O), (310) 829‐8995 (O) Fax (310) 829‐8607 This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.

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From: Nat Trives <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2022 7:15 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Statement in support of the Phase II application by Saint John’s Health Center

EXTERNAL
Dear Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers and Staff:

I write in support of the proposal from Providence Saint John’s Health Center for its Phase II Master Plan. Many of you know me as a resident of Santa Monica for over 70 years, a graduate of Samohi and Santa Monica College, a frontline officer and then supervisor in the Santa Monica Police Department, a city councilmember, mayor, and a lifelong educator and community activist. As such, my experience in the community qualifies me to evaluate community benefits in their own right and also against the backdrop of seven decades of happenings and observations about our community.

There has never been a set of community benefits that is as specific and defined, as robustly supported financially, as informed by professional expertise and well-suited to the experience and core business of the applicant, with everything set forth in a commitment of more than three decades. This is a gift to the community that will certainly keep on giving. And all of this added to what Saint John’s has been providing to our community since the mid-1940s: high-quality, community-sensitive medicine and preventive health care that benefits so many Santa Monicans as individuals and all of us as a community. The initiatives and continuation of services for early identification and intervention in mental and behavioral health, homeless services, affordable housing, open space, community convening space, child care and early childhood development programs are an integral part of the proposal. Let’s take advantage of this rare opportunity.

Saint John’s has a well-deserved reputation for decades of direct support to community-based nonprofit organizations and for providing free medical care to the indigent. It has been a caring and generous institutional neighbor and will continue to be for decades to come. I urge you to approve the proposal.

Sincerely,
Nathaniel Trives
310-399 1788
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From: Frost, Janice M <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 11:22 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Roxanne Tanemori; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; David Martin; David White; Roxanne Tanemori Subject: YES ON SAINT JOHN'S MASTER PLAN

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council Members
I have been a nurse at Saint Johns for over 25 years.   We have grown out of our current space in the cancer clinics and continue to grow.

Without the ability to increase our space for clinic exam rooms and procedure rooms, we will not be able to add additional cancer service lines which will impact the availability of services to our communities.

I fully support the next phase in our master growth and development plan and hope you will too.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Janice Frost BSN, RN, OCN
Director of Outpatient Oncology Services
Providence Saint John’s Health Center
Saint John’s Cancer Institute
2121 Santa Monica Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90404
O 310‐829‐8305
C 818 388 1024
[email protected]
www.providence.org/saintjohns
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2 This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.

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From: Lowe, Bob <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 10:28 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Yes on Saint John's Master Plans

EXTERNAL
Members of the Santa Monica City Council:

I was a member of the Board of Directors of Saint John’s Health Center for several years and I am currently a Special Advisor to the Board. I have been a Trustee of the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation for about twenty years. My two sons and six grandchildren all were born at St. John’s and my family and I have had surgeries and many visits to the emergency room.

During my time on the Board, I watched with pride as the Health Center invested millions of dollars to better serve the needs of all members of our community, to pursue world class research, to attract many of the best doctors in our county and to generally provide world-class care to our residents. We should not take for granted how fortunate we are to have Saint John’s in our community.

I am well aware of the details of the proposed Phase II Master Plan for Saint John’s. It will provide much needed patient care facilities along with world-class research capabilities. This will be accomplished in a landuse plan that adds open space, walking paths and bike lanes which will benefit the community.

The community benefit programs that accompany the Phase II Master Plan respond to some of the most critical needs of our community. The $10 million funding to the city’s behavioral mental health initiatives will be critical. This will enhance mental health, substance abuse and other community programs serving our neighbors. I strongly support the planned additional childcare and day care facilities and programs.

Please, for the long-term benefit to Santa Monica and to our neighbors, vote yes on the Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan. Our children and grandchildren will thank you.

Thank for considering my thoughts,
Robert J. Lowe
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From: Daniel Galamba <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 4:37 PM
To: Daniel Galamba; councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: March 22, 2022 City Council Meeting Item 9.A.-Please Oppose Adoption of Resolutions and Introduction and First Reading to Adopt the Providence Saint John's Development Agreement

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council,
The proposed South Campus additions are about the same size as the proposed Hines Project at the former PaperMate Plant that was ultimately rejected by the City of Santa Monica after a referendum from the voters.

The number of traffic trips generated per day by these additions would probably be about 13,000, the same amount as the proposed Hines Project, if not more.  We cannot handle the existing traffic and congestion already let alone the additional traffic and congestion that these proposed additions would create.  During rush hour traffic is bumper to bumper on Santa Monica Blvd from before 20th Street to Cloverfield Blvd and also on Broadway from before 19th Street to Cloverfield Blvd as well as on Cloverfield Blvd from Santa Monica Blvd to the 10 Freeway.  Both Santa Monica Blvd and Cloverfield Blvd plus Broadway and Cloverfield are choke points for traffic with no relief possible.  The only freeway on and off ramp in the area is at Cloverfield that is already gridlocked and cannot handle existing traffic let alone the additional traffic the South Campus additions would create.  The scope of the proposed South Campus additions is not sustainable in the area.  Also, the plan is to add two new streets but eliminate 21st Street for a net of only one new street.  If the desire is to improve traffic circulation, then eliminating 21st Street does not make sense.

It is recommended that the South Campus additions be similar to those at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara‐two and three story buildings.  If additional space is needed then St John’s could expand outward rather than upward.  This would disperse the traffic and alleviate the traffic and congestion that the proposed South Campus additions would create around Santa Monica Blvd, Broadway, 20th Street and Cloverfield Blvd.

It really is to the benefit of not only St John’s but also to its patients, staff and our community overall if St John’s is more like Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara rather than the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood.  Also, patients prefer St John’s to the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood because St John’s is more human scale with better personal service.

Sincerely,
Dr Daniel Galamba
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From: Florie Brizel <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 1:43 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Support for Providence St. John's Health Center Phase II Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members:

My name is Florie Brizel. I am privileged to work as a consultant in the global healthcare industry, a position that affords me daily access to information about cutting‐edge research and advances in medicine and the delivery of healthcare. However, I write to you as a patient with Ehlers‐Danlos Syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder. I’ve had a lifetime of secondary chronic conditions and I stopped counting after my 25th major surgery, which already was years ago. It is an understatement to say I know the difference between average and excellent healthcare. I can say firsthand and unreservedly that Providence St. John’s Health Center provides the very best. Moreover, I understand the value of having a first‐rate hospital in a local community, as well as the pride that comes from helping it grow, because I watched my father practice medicine for 40 years at what started in 1953 as a small, community‐based hospital in South Florida and today is one of the largest public healthcare systems in the nation.

Just as my father’s hospital increased in size and stature, so, too, can St. John’s grow and become the beating heart of Santa Monica with the approval of this Phase II plan. I love the idea of having a real campus instead of scattershot buildings in the hospital’s vicinity, as well as the plan’s commitment to create a space of real beauty, not just functionality, to enhance the surrounding neighborhood. I’m also impressed with the plan for parking and pedestrian traffic. When I need to see a doctor, and particularly when I’m not feeling well, I just want to get there. I don’t have the energy or patience to drive around looking for a parking spot that I often end up rejecting because it’s located too far from my destination. And the plan for a pedestrian bridge over busy Santa Monica Boulevard just makes good safety sense.

Finally, I’m truly excited by the prospect of more research taking place at St. John’s since research results advance our understanding of science and its applications for healthcare. I’ve taken part in two spine study clinical trials through St. John’s, and the benefits I derived from participation changed my life and continue today. Better opportunities for research can attract better doctors wanting to conduct that research. Breakthroughs in scientific and medical research help mankind to heal the world.

Please accept this letter enthusiastically supporting Providence St. John’s Health Center’s Phase II Master Plan. This plan has the ability to transform the health center and start a positive chain reaction that will be felt throughout Santa Monica for many years to come. Your vote to approve this plan at your next City Council meeting will make you feel better right now.

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3 Sincerely,
Florie Brizel
--
Florie Brizel
Mobile: +1-310-344-6747
Email: [email protected]
www.BrizelMedia.com
"Expressing the Future"
-Consultant, Mobile518: Enhancing Mobile Globally (mobile518.me) -Member, International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth (ISfTeH) -Member, Los Angeles Press Club
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From: Iao Katagiri <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 12:41 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Support for Saint John's Phase II Master Plan

EXTERNAL
March 22, 2022
RE: Support for the Saint John’s Master Plan Phase II
To the Honorable City Council:

I would like to share a few thoughts about the application from PSJHC regarding its Phase II Master Plan, which I strongly support.

I have spent the past three decades promoting the welfare and wellbeing of Santa Monica as a volunteer and activist on behalf of very young children, services and support for our older neighbors, hunger and crisis intervention, economic development, and promoting civic engagement. I have served the Santa Monica’s Early Childhood Task Force for all of that time, and on the boards of Connections for Children, WISE & Healthy Aging (and its predecessors, the Center for Healthy Aging and Senior Health & Peer Counseling), the Westside Food Bank and the American Red Cross, the Chamber of Commerce, the MLK Westside Coalition, and the Human Relations Council. I have served city government on the Arts Commission and on working groups including the Workforce Housing Task Force, the Civic Working Group, and the Downtown Community Plan Advisory Group. I have long been a part of the city’s policy decisions and other organizations’ efforts to support the underserved in our community.

I have a personal debt of gratitude to Saint John’s, as many in Santa Monica do, because it helped me through several health crises, but that is not what motivates my support here. Rather, personal experience generated admiration for both the spirit and practice evident in its dedication to highquality medicine coupled with continuous engagement with the network of community-based nonprofit organizations that provide a continuum of care extending beyond the hospital’s doors.

Taking care of a community’s needs is not limited to a single institution. Rather, it needs sustained partnerships among multiple community organizations that can address different facets of large, long-term problems for the benefit of the entire community.

This is what the community benefits included in the Phase II proposal are all about. They address a slate of long-term needs of the community that require long-term solutions, a lot of hard work, and Item 9.A
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5 continuous collaboration. All of the proposal’s elements are needed and will extend for more than 30 years. I would like to comment specifically on its early childhood component since I work in that space at present and am co-chair of the District Advisory Committee for Early Childhood Development and Learning, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. I believe it serves as an example of long-term complex problems for which a single solution will not have the impact that a collaborative effort encompassing big and small programs, short and long-term, institutional and community-based would have.

The Child & Family Development Center includes onsite child care, but it is much more than that.

For a half century, it has also operated programs that focus on identifying mental health and emotional developmental issues in very young children, working with children and their families to recognize the sources of problems, build resiliency, and develop coping behaviors. Its Therapeutic Preschool is nationally recognized for its early intervention programs. And it doesn’t stop at its own doors. Nearly five years ago, its researchers developed a program to focus on identifying emerging behavioral challenges and early intervention in our public schools with the Pinwheel Program. The research team sought private research foundation support via a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars grant, and the program has provided professional mental health consultation staff to SMMUSD preschools ever since, working with teachers, parents, and the children themselves. By the way, this was obviously not planned, but having this program underway when COVID-19 wreaked havoc on our in-person classrooms was a tremendous advantage for our little ones as they and their families worked to adapt to virtual interactions.

That’s the kind of commitment to the health and wellbeing of Santa Monicans that started well before and will extend well beyond any particular regulatory action. It is part of the DNA of an institution that recognizes the complexity of a community, the need for innovation informed by experience and science, and the need to be part of a long-term network of resources. The Phase II proposal organizes and emphasizes certain key aspects of the health center’s programs. Taken together with its larger portfolio of medical, research, and community health services to the community, it will continue to be a major, sustained resource to Santa Monica.

I hope that you will secure this long-term legacy for the community by joining with the Planning Commission in its earlier support for the Phase II Master Plan.

With respect and appreciation,
Iao Katagiri
[email protected]
(310) 795-3583
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From: Emily McCarron <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 12:23 PM
To: Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; councilmtgitems
Cc: David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Support for PSJ Phase 2

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Himmelrich and City Councilmembers,
I am writing in support of Saint John’s Phase 2 plan.

I am a resident of the mid-city neighborhood and am thrilled that Providence has invested a huge amount of time and resources to think through an expansion plan that meets so many needs right here in 90404 – and beyond.

I am a “constituent” of Saint John’s also. Like many Santa Monicans, I am disabled and have to deal with the issues that sometimes crop up because of that problem. I imagine that I visit the health center more frequently than most people. I don’t drive, so I feel very lucky that a top-notch community health center is located within a 7-minute Lyft ride from my apartment. The care I get is always respectful and excellent.

Aside from my own healthcare experiences, I’d like to focus on a few aspects of the Phase 2 plan you’ll be voting on Tuesday night.

When I’m feeling well, I walk in the mid-city neighborhood. Just from an urban planning and “curb appeal” standpoint, the stretch of sidewalk along Broadway Ave. that borders the Cancer Center parking lot really cries out for improvement. The site plan in the Phase 2 proposal solves that problem beautifully. Opening up the south property between Santa Monica and Broadway to passersby and bike riders will bring Saint John’s into the neighborhood in a tangible way. This will make a massive change in the way the neighbors relate to the health center.

The facilities and community-friendly features that would be created on that property are what makes this ambitious plan so very important. The Cancer Institute comes to mind first. The dedicated people who pioneered sentinel node biopsy and immunotherapy (tools that are in use right now around the world!) – and those who follow who will make incredible advances in our understanding and defeat of cancers – deserve better “digs.” There should be no debate about that. Phase 2 must be approved to allow a new institute to go forward. With cancers among the top ten causes of death in the county, the creation of a new institute is essential.

The Child and Family Development Center is another well-known program that meets a huge need, especially during these traumatic times for our kids and families. CFDC must be able to improve, expand and modernize their space.

This has been a long process, and we’re almost at the finish line. I thank you for the time you’ve spent studying this plan and respectfully ask you for a yes vote.

Sincerely
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Santa Monica
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From: Rae Archibald <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 4:47 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: I Respectfully Request Your Approval of the Providence St.John's Health Center Phase II Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Honorable Members of the Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing to urge you to approve the Providence Saint John’s Health Center Phase II Master Plan.

I first stood before you many years ago when your predecessors approved the Civic Center Specific Plan.  It has taken many years and a few twists and turns for the vision of that plan to come to fruition, but when I look out now I see an award‐winning park, housing, a major research center, a school and childcare center, and yes, green soccer fields.  You have before you now a plan that will provide research facilities, housing, open space, improved circulation and parking, and of course world‐class health care and services facilities.  Along with these community assets many direct community benefits will accrue over time, yielding an unparalleled contribution to our community. Not unlike the Civic Center Specific Plan, this phase of the Master Plan will take years to realize in full, but nothing can move forward to generate the substantial benefits the plan brings to the community without your approval now.

My ties to Saint John’s go back many years.  I served on the local Board of Directors from 1989‐1995 and then again from 2003‐2009, chairing the Board in 2008 and 2009.  I served during the earthquake when we lost a wing of the hospital and at one point chaired the building committee as we provided a state‐of‐the‐art isolation system to help prevent damage from earthquakes.  The then‐new hospital and outpatient services building are an enduring benefit to the community, and the Phase II Master Plan will expand and refine that benefit.

I’ve also served with local social‐service non‐profits in the community and seen the direct effect of contributions in cash and in kind from Saint John’s to our local non‐profit organizations.  As I’m sure you are aware, when sponsorship of the health center changed from the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth to Providence we were able to keep millions of dollars that had been raised by the Saint John’s Health Care Foundation here in the community—and not have it end up out of state.  That money enables us to give direct grants to innovative, local non‐profits in addition to the substantial regular charitable contributions that flow from a large health center operation.  The Phase II Master Plan gives us the opportunity to expand our charitable giving, for example the proposed $10 million allocation to the City’s behavioral health initiatives and the $25 Million allocation to programs serving individuals experiencing homelessness.

Having worked in Santa Monica since 1973 and been associated with Saint John’s since 1989 I’ve been able to observe the dedication of the health center leadership and staff to providing the very best possible service,‐‐competitive with world‐class care yet never losing sight of the mission to serve the local community.  Many, many citizens have had reason to come to Saint John's and never a month goes by when someone doesn’t comment to me about the incredibly great service and care they or their loved ones have received at Saint John’s.  Help us keep it that way and continue to strive to be equal to the very best in country by voting to approve the Providence Saint John’s Health Center Phase II Master Plan.

Respectfully,
Rae W. Archibald
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2 Trustee, Saint John’s Health Center Foundation
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From: Carol Smith <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 4:41 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori Subject: Saint John's Phase II Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Charles F. Smith & Company
March 18, 2022
Dear City Council Members:

My name is Charles Smith. I am a long-time resident of our community (since 1974) and a very active participant in the Santa Monica business community. I worked in investment banking with Charles F. Smith & Company until my retirement in 2019. During that time I also served as a director of several Santa Monica based companies including: First Federal Bank, Logicon, Pinehurst Corporation and The People Concern (an organization working with the poor and the homeless).

I am writing to you as a Trustee of The Saint John’s Hospital Foundation where I have served as a Trustee since 1991. During this 31-year period, I have watched “our hospital” take a national leadership role in providing advanced health services to our community. Saint John’s has invested millions of dollars to build a world-class staff and conduct advanced “state of the art” research and clinical trials to provide the best available medical care to our community.

Now is the time for us to continue this highly successful program – the Phase II Master Plan is on the table. Saint John’s is in a position to complete this Master Plan. The plan calls for an impressive array of personal benefits for our community including safe transportation to the hospital, safe childcare at the hospital, and hospital-based exercise and recreational programs. This plan also calls for a $10 million investment in the city’s behavioral health initiatives which would provide much-needed help in the included areas of mental health, substance abuse and homelessness.

I respectfully ask for your support – to join with us to complete this Phase II Master Plan – for our community.

Sincerely,
/s/ Charles F. Smith
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From: Carol Smith <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2022 10:26 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori Subject: Saint Johns Phase II

EXTERNAL
Date: 3/18/22
Re: Support for Saint John’s; “Yes” on Saint John’s Master Plan My name is Carol Smith. I have been a resident in the Santa Monica area for more than 45 years. In 1987 a support group for the hospital named the Irene Dunne Guild was formed and I became one of the founding members. As an Irene Dunne Guild member, I have seen Saint John’s reinvest millions of dollars back into the community through our Community Health Needs Assessment, push the boundaries of research through countless clinical trials and provide world-class care to our residents.

After being a member of the Irene Dunne Guild for a number of years, I decided to become even more involved in the mission of the hospital by becoming a volunteer. Ultimately I become an Angel of the Emergency Room where I saw our health center’s leadership prove over and over that its vision of health for a better world extends to all patients, especially those who are poor and vulnerable in our community. No one is turned away from Saint John’s.

The health center’s Phase II Master Plan builds on this record of care in our community, creating a roadmap for Saint John’s to expand the services it provides to all patients and to benefits to the community. The improvement in campus properties will be a victory for all, especially those who rely on Saint John’s vast web of health services.

In addition, if the Phase II Master Plan is approved, it will provide additional much-needed childcare and day care options to local families.

Due to the overwhelming benefits for our community, I encourage you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan. The improvements will not only help improve health services offered here in Santa Monica, but look to address affordable housing, transportation, on-site childcare and much more.

Sincerely,
Carol Smith
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From: Miriam Kaplan <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2022 4:57 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: David White; David Martin
Subject: Yes on Saint John’s Master Plan!

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council:

My name is Miriam Kaplan and I am writing to ask for your support for the proposed Phase II Master Plan for Providence Saint John’s Health Center.

For the past 30 years we have lived and raised our family in Santa Monica. My husband has been a surgeon in private practice at Saint John’s for more than 35 years and I have been a volunteer in the Animal Therapy Program for the past 5 years. In the time we have been part of the Saint John’s family, we’ve witnessed and actively been part of countless phases in the evolution of the new north campus. As you know, these building and rebuilding efforts took decades to complete, and many improvements were precipitated by circumstances beyond our control.

Nevertheless, the enthusiasm for the project was palpable throughout the city for the duration.

Though the buildings on the south campus have aged well, now it is time to replace them with modern, state-ofthe-art facilities on a newly designed campus as well, in order to meet the needs of a university-level research institution today. Not only does Phase II provide for leading-edge cancer research and health care in it’s facilities plans, this phase includes gardens and wide open spaces for caregivers and visitors to “recharge”, new and improved educational services and meeting spaces, parking access and traffic mitigation plans, and housing accommodations and other social services to serve the needs of our neighbors and the surrounding communities.

In other words, patients, caregivers, visitors and the community as a whole, will benefit from access to the next phase of such a prestigious center of excellence in health care.

Again, I am writing today to express my support for the Saint John’s Health Center Phase II project and to implore you to do the same. Please vote “yes”!
Many thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
Miriam N. Kaplan
151 Hart Avenue
Santa Monica, CA
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From: Clerk Mailbox
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2022 6:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: FW: 9A item for March 3.2022 Request to pull and speak From: Ellen Hannan <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2022 11:34 AM
To: Clerk Mailbox <[email protected]>; David Martin <[email protected]>; David Martin <[email protected]>; Sue Himmelrich <[email protected]>; Phil Brock <[email protected]>; Oscar de la Torre <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Kristin McCowan <[email protected]>; Gleam Davis <[email protected]>
Subject: 9A item for March 3.2022 Request to pull and speak

EXTERNAL
I am requesting this item for St John's benefits be pulled from the agenda scheduled so close to the Planning Commission approval.  The community has not received proper notice or time to review the report by our various commissions and neighborhood and professional groups.

I request to speak at the meeting.

Thank you.

Ellen Hannan
1218 9th St #6
Santa Monica CA 90401
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From: Clerk Mailbox
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2022 6:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: FW: City Council Agenda Item 9 for March22, 2022 conflict of interest From: Ellen Hannan <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2022 12:26 PM
To: Clerk Mailbox <[email protected]>; Attorney Mailbox <[email protected]>; David Martin <[email protected]>; David White <[email protected]>; Council Mailbox <[email protected]>
Subject: City Council Agenda Item 9 for March22, 2022 conflict of interest

EXTERNAL
March 19, 2022
Dear City Attorney:

I am requesting 5 reviews of this item on the agenda for St John's plans for future development. scheduled for March 22, 2022 as Item 9A
1 Timing of the items is too close to the Planning meeting and without decent outreach to the community by staff or St John's to the community.

2. Lana Negrete, City Council Member, personal and family business, 1900 block of Santa Monica Blvd,  is too close to the property and will definitely be affected by the construction noise.

3.  The Social Service Commission report  was not present by City Planning  Staff or St Johns in the presentation to the Planning commission.  I attended that very important hearing held at St Monica's Community Room. The large room was packed.  The Social Service Commission nor SM Mid City Neighbors have had time to review and meet on the Planning Commission findings.  It is important we have time to review the Planning Commission verbal comments and staff written reports as they don't sync up.

4. Adequate health services needed by the community were not addressed in the report such as replacement of 1 North Mental Health inpatient services and adding onsite maternal/child clinics.

Mobility transportation for seniors and handicapped parking arrangements are not addressed.

5.  Ongoing Health Code violation of sewer condition and public nuisance of noxious odors are not addressed nor remedied by St John's or your staff.

Sincerely,
Ellen Hannan
1218 9th St #6
Santa Monica, CA 90401
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From: Merrill, David A <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2022 3:39 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Yes on Saint John’s Master Plan

EXTERNAL
This letter is in support of Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan.

As an adult and geriatric psychiatrist in clinical practice in Santa Monica, and as Director of the Pacific Brain Health Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Saint John’s is an ideal organization to partner with in growing the depth and breadth of behavioral health services available to our local community members. Indeed, LA County Mental Health leaders endorse a multi‐organization, public/private effort to create a comprehensive mental health strategy in Santa Monica.

Saint John’s mental health plan, endorsed by LA County Mental Health and supported by our local psychiatric community, is to focus on Prevention, Early Intervention and Transition to Home following inpatient care by developing Intensive Outpatient Psychiatric (IOP) services and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP). Saint John’s has developed a pathway in partnership with the City and community to realize these services in Santa Monica by first quarter 2023.

IOPs and PHPs are highly effective and can be implemented quickly, with significant impact. Launching IOP/PHP programming is more effective than opening a traditional Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital Unit. This is especially true when done in partnership between private and public organizations, as proposed.

I encourage you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan.

Sincerely,
David Merrill, MD, PhD
Adult and Geriatric Psychiatrist
Pacific Neuroscience Institute
1301 20th St., Suite 150
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310‐582‐7641 office
310‐315‐4069 fax
www.pacificbrainhealth.org
This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.

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Leah FitzGerald, Ph.D.,FNP-BC, FAAN
Dean of Nursing
Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair Community Partnerships
Mount Saint Mary’s University
12001 Chalon Rd,
Los Angeles, CA 90049
March 19, 2022
RE: Approve Saint John’s Master Plan
Phase II Master Plan
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members:

As the Dean of Nursing at Mount Saint Mary’s University (The Mount) in Brentwood, the oldest baccalaureate nursing program in the state of California, I write this letter in full support of Saint John’s Master Plan. During my tenure as the Dean of Nursing and Endowed Chair of Community Partnerships over the past seven years, I have witnessed firsthand the value and impact of Providence Saint John’s Health Center on the health and wellbeing of the community.

The Mount has a long standing academic-service relationship with the Providence Saint John’s Health Center.

Many of our students have the opportunity to work alongside leaders in healthcare during their training and return to serve the community as employees after completing their education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Saint John’s Health Center worked closely with Mount Saint Mary’s leadership to ensure our students were able to continue their clinical training to ensure on time graduation. This is particularly important to note as the nursing workforce has been strained by the pandemic and is desperate need of workforce.

After seeing their commitment to providing evidence-based care, I was inspired to get even more involved as a member of the hospital’s Board Quality and Patient Safety so I could play a greater role in the health center’s work. As a Board member, I have seen the health center’s leadership prove time and time again that its Vision of Health for a Better World extends to all patients, especially those who are poor and vulnerable in our community. Since my time on the Board, I’ve witnessed Saint John’s reinvest millions of dollars back into the community through our Community Health Needs Assessment, push the boundaries of research through countless clinical trials and provide world-class care to our residents.

In the Phase II Master Plan, I’m personally most excited about the additional open space, walking paths and bike lanes that will give our residents a safe place to gather in the city. The improvement in campus properties will be a victory for all — especially those who rely on Saint John’s vast web of health services including the most vulnerable in need of such services. If approved, the Phase II Master Plan would provide $10 million to the city’s behavioral health initiatives. This funding could dramatically help organizations that are providing mental health, substance abuse and community programs to area residents in need.

I respectfully ask you to recommend approval of this comprehensive plan for the transformation of the Saint John’s Campus. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or if you need any additional information @ [email protected]
Sincerely,
Leah FitzGerald, Ph.D.,FNP-BC, FAAN
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To Santa Monica City Council:

My name is Brian Anderson, I’ve worked at Saint John’s Cancer Institute for over 7 years. My passion is cancer research and I’m very proud of the translational and clinical cancer research work that we do. Our focus on opening early phase clinical trials has led to us being the first in the U.S. and in some cases first in the world to offer cutting edge clinical trial options to patients in the Santa Monica community.

In the Phase II Master Plan, I’m personally most excited about the potential to advance our research and continue our health center’s life-changing and lifesaving work. Specifically, our current research facilities are outdated and are limiting our ability to grow programs and accommodate new technology. New facilities would allow us to continue and to expand our research offerings.

Please vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan to allow us to modernize and expand our research facilities with state-of-the-art research laboratory spaces.

Best regards,
Brian Anderson, JD
Administrative Director
Saint John’s Cancer Institute
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March 16, 2022
Dear City Council,
My name is Grenda Pearlman, and I am a Santa Monica resident who has worked at Providence Saint John’s Health Center for 18 years. I am writing to express my strong support for the Providence Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan. I have been a SM resident for 19 years and bought my first home, on 17th Street and Arizona, in July of 2021. I serve the ministry as the Senior Manager of Volunteer Services. I am responsible for all aspects of the volunteer program, including recruitment, screening, training, supervision, and discipline of all our volunteers. Volunteers at Saint John’s range in age from 16 to 106 years of age! They bring their compassion, positive energy, diverse backgrounds and invaluable support to our patients, their families and our caregivers, every day.

Due to COVID, our volunteer program has been suspended for exactly 2 years. In the absence of volunteers, I was understandably concerned about my continued role with the health center. Thankfully, I am blessed to work for Providence Saint John’s. For the past two years I have taken on numerous projects, allowing me to expand my skill set and grow as a leader. I feel a great sense of accomplishment over the events and programs I have led over the past two years and look forward to continuing to grow and learn once our volunteers return. I am profoundly grateful to Saint John’s for the many opportunities it has afforded me over the last 18 years. They genuinely care about their caregivers and provide countless opportunities to grow and advance in our roles.

Saint John’s has treated my entire family. I have had surgery at Saint John’s. My daughter has been treated in the ED far more times than I would like to admit. My father, a Cedars Sinai physician, has been treated in our ED, and my mother spent a lot of time as an inpatient at Saint John’s prior to her passing in 2014. The clinical staff at Saint John’s is exceptional. They deserve facilities that are exceptional.

There are many aspects of the proposed Phase II Master Plan that would enhance my experience at Saint John’s. For example, the open space between Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard will be a lovely place to walk, eat lunch and visit with our therapy dogs when the weather is nice. Now that I live so close, I walk to work every day, but the on-campus parking will be a godsend for many caregivers and my volunteers. By far Item 9.A
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the most exciting piece for me is the addition of new meeting and training facilities. Pre pandemic, we had about 300 active volunteers. Meeting, training, and orientation size has always been dictated by the size of our conference rooms. Our largest room currently holds about 40 people, but if we had the space, we could orient even more! With larger spaces to gather I will be able to schedule regular meetings/trainings with existing volunteers, orient larger groups of new volunteers, hold ceremonies onsite and more. More volunteers mean more supports for our patients and caregivers. It is a win-win for Saint John’s and the community! Another piece of the Phase II Master Plan that excites me is the possibility of enhancing our Day Care Center.

The preschools are in desperate need of an upgrade. My daughter attended the Early Childhood Directions program at Saint John’s until she was school aged, and I’d love to see more outside space, brighter classrooms, updated amenities and more room to play. The ECD program is a jewel in the crown of Saint John’s. I can honestly say that without the onsite daycare, I do not believe I would have been able to adopt my daughter in 2008. As a single parent, knowing that childcare was available at my workplace, for an affordable fee, was a huge factor in my decision to adopt. The caregivers there were amazing and my daughter, now age 14, loved her time there and still wants to visit any chance she gets.

While I serve as the Senior Manager of Volunteer Services, I am also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

It’s no secret that the City of Santa Monica has tremendous mental health needs. Knowing that we will address mental and behavioral health through the Phase II Master Plan is something of which I am enormously proud.

Our Mission is to serve all, especially the poor and vulnerable. The addition of Community Mental Health services, rent controlled apartments, and new spaces for a state-of-the-art Cancer Institute and Acute and Ambulatory Care services will allow us to care for the community in the best possible way, offering enhanced health and healing. The people of Santa Monica deserve personalized care in a community hospital whose core values include compassion, dignity, justice, excellence, and integrity. We stand on the shoulders of the Sisters who built Saint John’s and are dedicated to serving this community.

In addition to living and working in Santa Monica, I have also been a longstanding volunteer in all my daughter’s schools. I’ve been a PTSA board member at Franklin Elementary and Lincoln Middle School and chaired and participated in many committees over the years. Now that she is at SAMOHI, I am a Band parent volunteer and spent much of the first semester of school, traveling to all Marching Band competitions, and helping with uniforms, meals and more. Santa Monica is so blessed to have an excellent school system for our kids. I am proud to be able to volunteer my time to support education for the kids in our community.

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This Phase II Master Plan has been years in the making. When I started at Saint John’s in 2004, the Keck Center and Chan Soon Shiong Center weren’t complete. It’s been a journey watching the old Saint John’s transform into a cutting-edge hospital. It’s time for the rest of the campus to be updated and improved to allow us to provide the best possible care on the Westside for many, many years to come.

Sincerely,
Grenda Pearlman
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From: Tess Csiszar [email protected]
Subject: YES!! For Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
My name is Tess Csiszar, and I have lived adjacent to Santa Monica in Pacific Palisades for 12 years. Prior to that, I lived in Westwood. Whether the Palisades or Westwood or West LA, the place to shop, eat, beach, hike and work for my family has been beautiful Santa Monica! About 11 years ago, I left my work in Hollywood to join the Saint John's Health Center Foundation which I was inspired to do after the exceptional experience I had delivering my children at Saint John's Health Center.

As a member of the Saint John's Foundation team, I've had the privilege of working with some of the most professional and dedicated fundraisers, trustees and executives. I have seen our health center’s leadership prove time and time again that its Vision of Health for a Better World extends to all patients, especially those who are poor and vulnerable in our community. I’ve witnessed Saint John’s reinvest millions of dollars back into the community through our Community Health Needs Assessment, push the boundaries of research through countless clinical trials and provide world-class care to our residents. At the same time, I've witnessed incredible acts of compassion and selflessness by Saint John's staff and administration.

I also have felt the impact of Saint John’s leading-edge care in my own life. After all, Saint John’s is where everyone in my family receives their care. Whether it be for cancer treatment, cardiovascular care or visits to the ER, we wouldn't think of going anywhere else! The health center’s Phase II Master Plan builds on this legacy of care in our community, creating a roadmap for Saint John’s to expand the services it provides to patients like myself and to benefits to the community. I’m personally most excited about the additional open space, walking paths and bike lanes proposed in the Phase II Master Plan that will give our residents a safe place to gather in the city. The improvement in campus properties will be a victory for all — especially those who rely on Saint John’s vast offering of health services.

I have been actively involved in fundraising for the Saint John's Child and Family Development Center. If the Phase II Master Plan is approved, it will provide additional childcare and day care options to local families at the CFDC. As a working Mom, I am very proud of the services Saint John's provides to other working families in our community.

Due to the overwhelming benefits for Santa Monica and the surrounding communities, I strongly encourage you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan. The improvements will not only help improve health services offered here in Santa Monica, but look to address affordable housing, transportation, onsite childcare and much more.

Sincerely,
Tess Csiszar
Director of Strategic Engagement
Saint John's Health Center Foundation
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St John’s family and Child development Center.

To whom it may concern,
I am delighted to write this letter to share with you my experiences with St. Jphn’s Family and Child Development Center.

I am the mother of a 16 year old girl who has been part of this program for over three years. We were initially referred by her school nurse due to my daughter experiencing what she described as panic attacks. She began by having weekly therapy sessions that included both individual and family sessions. where with the support of her great therapist she was able to identify some of her feelings and developed a plan on how to cope with them. After some time, my daughter was referred to a psychiatrist for evaluation and is currently being treated by her.

Furthermore, she has also had a full assessment both physiological and emotionally to learn more about my daughter’s needs.

Her therapist has been in collaboration and connection with her school and present during her IEPs as an advocate to make sure her needs are being met.

I would like to mention that I, myself have benefited from weekly parent therapy as well with a great therapist who has helped and guided me on self care and learning how to cope with my own set of emotions and worries.

I am very grateful to have come across St. John’s Family and Child Development Center program. My daughter’s life and mine have improved so much from what it used to be when we first started three years ago with this program.

I truly believe this program should continue to provide the support many families and individuals need in order to maintain good mental and emotional health at a low or no cost to them.

Much appreciation,
Mrs. Garcia
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Hello, my name in Pete Arbogast, a resident and worker in Santa Monica for many years, and I am also the 35-year radio play-by-play Voice of the USC Trojans.

I have worked as the youth sports coordinator at the Santa Monica YMCA for many years prior to my retirement from that position, although I continue there as a sports referee, youth mentor and overnight residence camp director at YMCA Camp Big Bear.

Also, for many years, I have been a volunteer at St. John’s hospital in their NODA program, the acronym standing for “No One Dies Alone”, where we volunteers sit with dying patients who have no one else in their lives to be with them during their final hours and moments.

I am just one of hundreds of volunteers in so many various capacities at St. John’s as we help to make their jobs easier and the care of patients while at the hospital much more pleasant and convenient.

I am not a practicing religious person of any kind, but I have found St. John’s is anything but an elitist organization: Instead they accept all-comers into their programs with no questions asked. It is a convenient local hospital for everyone from the well-heeled to the homeless community.

Now, St. John’s wants to fix itself up, growing and stretching for more room for their cancer center, their child development center, more temporary housing for families who have loved ones staying at St. John’s, and better meeting rooms which will also be available to the community-at-large. I understand the plan also includes some very nice open-space areas, and underground parking which is sorely needed around the hospital area to relieve congestion.

It's a lovely place to work, with wonderful employees and us volunteers. It’s a staple of our community, and we ought to let them make the most of their space so that it can be used for betterment of all of us in Santa Monica.

Please vote to the affirmative for their proposal.

Thank You,
Pete Arbogast
323-203-8302
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January 20, 2022
To City Council
From: Steaven K. Jones
While not a resident of Santa Monica, I have a long history of involvement with Santa Monica.

I have been a property owner since 1977, and currently own 11 commercial properties in the City. We have over 50 tenants, many of whom are active in the community.

I have also been a Trustee of St. John’s Health Center for 42 years and have served on the Board of The People Concern for 22 years, helping the homeless in our community. Last, two years ago I was honored by DTSM as Citizen of the Year.

I am writing to support St. John’s Phase II expansion. With my long involvement, I have seen firsthand what benefits it is providing our community. The care for its patients is exceptional, and our outstanding doctors are a huge asset.

Phase II will provide $10M to the city’s behavioral health initiatives. It will be a big step for mental health and substance abuse. It will provide day care and child care for local families I encourage you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan Item 9.A
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From: Noa Saadi, [email protected]
Subject: FW: Approve Saint John’s Master Plan
Good morning,
Please see attached letter of support for Saint John's Master Plan.

Thank you,
Noa
Attached Letter
My name is Noa Saadi, and I am the Program Coordinator of the Youth Development Project at PJS-Child and Family Development Center. I began my journey here as a graduate student interning within the Youth Development Project (YDP) – a program that has provided mental health services to some of the most vulnerable, underserved youth and families residing in our community since its inception, in 1995.

I have proudly been the coordinator of this program over the last 13 years.

The Youth Development Project has been partially funded through a Grant from the City of Santa Monica for over twenty years now, which has allowed us to provide free, quality mental health services on various school campuses and to the community at large. It has allowed us to engage in meaningful collaborations and trainings with school staff and to provide expert consultation regarding individual students and their complex mental health needs. In addition, we provide resources and much needed support in times of crisis or loss.

As school and community based mental health clinicians, we provide services to those in our community who are disproportionally impacted by various financial burdens and existing inequities. Our population includes children, youth, and families, who are impacted by complex generational trauma, depression, anxiety, and a myriad of other significant mental health challenges. We are proud that the children and families we serve are able to access quality mental health care through our clinic, a clinic with a longstanding excellent reputation within the City.

It is a privilege to work within an agency and program that subscribes to the “whatever it takes” approach, of working diligently to gain the trust of members of our community who have previously had negative experiences within the mental health system. Through these efforts, we have been able to reach and serve thousands of Santa Monica youth and families more equitably.

The Phase II Master Plan will allow us the flexibility to move into a new facility that will help to address many of the barriers our clients face to accessing services – including parking, physical access, and the opportunity to receive quality mental health care.

It is my sincere hope that you will vote ‘yes’ on moving forward with the Phase II Master Plan so that we may have this opportunity to further serve those who are most vulnerable within the Santa Monica community.

Sincerely,
Noa Saadi, LCSW
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Phase II Master Plan
Letter of Support
To: : [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] CC: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Date: 3/19/2022
RE: Support for Saint John’s Master Plan Phase II
My name is Stephanie Weston, and I am the President of the Irene Dunne Guild, a philanthropic organization supporting Providence Saint John’s Health Center. I’ve been a Santa Monica resident for 38 years and have been proud to live and work in this community. In the mid 1980’s, I worked as a per diem audiologist at Saint John’s. About 15 years ago, I decided I wanted to give back to my city in a larger way, so I contacted Providence Saint John’s Health Center about volunteering. The rest is history.

After seeing the work of the hospital’s staff firsthand as an Angel of the ER, I was inspired to get even more involved as a member of the hospital Irene Dunne Guild, so I could play a more significant role in the health center’s cutting-edge and life-changing work.

As an Irene Dunne Guild member, I have seen our health center’s leadership prove time and time again that its Vision of Health for a Better World extends to all patients, especially those who are poor and vulnerable in our community. Since my time in the Guild, I’ve witnessed Saint John’s reinvest millions of dollars back into the community through our Community Health Needs Assessment, push the boundaries of research through countless clinical trials and provide world-class care to our residents.

I also have felt the impact of Saint John’s leading-edge care in my own life. After all, Saint John’s is where one of my granddaughters and a great grandson were born, the place where both my husband and I have had surgeries and where I have brought my husband when he had life threatening infections and COVID. The treatment he received was exemplary. This is our hospital.

The health center’s Phase II Master Plan builds on this record of care in our community, creating a roadmap for Saint John’s to expand the services it provides to patients like myself and to benefits to the community. I’m personally most excited about the additional open space, walking paths and bike lanes proposed in the Phase II Master Plan that will give our residents a safe place to gather in the city. The improvement in campus properties will be a victory for all — especially those who rely on Saint John’s vast web of health services.

In addition, if the Phase II Master Plan is approved, it will provide additional childcare and day care options to local families. I know many families who have benefited from the services of the Child and Family Development Center, and I hope that many more families in our community have the same opportunity.

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Due to the overwhelming benefits for our community, I encourage you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan. The improvements will not only help improve health services offered here in Santa Monica, but look to address affordable housing, transportation, on-site childcare and much more.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Weston
123 Georgina Avenue Unit 7
Santa Monica, CA 90402
310 804-3206
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March 18, 2022
Dear Council Members,
As a psychiatrist who specializes in medically acute patients with psychiatric disease, I have had the opportunity to work in every one of the acute/sub-acute modalities of psychiatric care currently available in our mental health system.

I trained at Cedars Sinai and UCLA. I have been the psychiatrist on a locked inpatient ward, working with those who are the most severely psychiatrically ill. California law makes it difficult to keep patients on inpatient long enough to effect any meaningful change in their psychiatric illness. In the sterile environment of a locked ward, comfort is hard to find. We would do our best to stabilize the acute symptoms, at least dampening the suffering that caused a patient’s world to spin off its axis. Most of the time, our patients left the ward before they were truly stabilized. The lack of close outpatient follow-up often meant they would relapse and bounce back to inpatient.

I have been the ER psychiatrist, treating our community’s most acute and often most disenfranchised patients. I would walk into the ER, to patients who were frightened or angry, screaming, spitting, restrained, throwing belongings (or at the worst, excrement). My job was to approach them with compassion, to use medication and understanding to ease the mental/physical suffering that invariably was at the root of their acute behaviors. It would work, patients would get a little better. But then, my only option was to get them out, send them back out into the hard empty world that drove them to us or send them for a brief stint to a psychiatric ward. No matter how well-intentioned, the fact is that the good care we tried to give them in the ER was only a brief respite. It only served to make these patients more reliant on an ER system that was never built for mental health care.

In almost all cases, an ounce of prevention/early intervention far outweighs the best acute psychiatric treatment. Robust outpatient and partial hospitalization programs that can act as scaffolding when a patient’s life situation or mental state are shaky, are the best way to both treat existing psychiatric issues and prevent the escalations that lead to ER/inpatient admissions. Since joining Providence St.

John’s as the director of Psycho-Oncology, I have seen firsthand the administration’s steady commitment to growing behavioral health programming. We have created a psychiatric clinic for cancer patients, raised funds for free psychosocial support services, and grown support groups and educational programming to help patients live and thrive despite a cancer diagnosis. St. John’s has also committed mental health resources and space in the new Women’s Institute and built a network of collaborative care clinics that serve the mental health needs of primary care, women’s health, pediatric, and cancer patients. I am excited that the plans for the proposed Phase II Master Plan include an increased presence for our already flourishing Child and Family Development services department and also a significant $10 million contribution towards a new comprehensive mental health offering through a private-public partnership led by Saint John’sIOP and PHP programming. These offerings are the programs that will allow us to bridge the gaps in outpatient care and intervene early. Post-pandemic, as the numbers of people with psychiatric need continue to rise, I believe these types of early and more impactful interventions will become central to meaningful care.

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IOP/PHP, that would be ideal. It is what I would wish for my patients. I truly believe that the mental health programs proposed would be a boon to the people of Santa Monica and their mental well-being.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Shanthi Gowrinathan MD
Director of Psycho-Oncology and Cancer Support Services Providence St. John’s Cancer Clinics
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To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] CC: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Date: 3/16/22
My name is Blake Johnson, and I am delighted to write an enthusiastic letter of support for Providence Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan. I am a Santa Monica based entrepreneur who has successfully started and sold a variety of businesses for a combined $1.1 billion. I have been a resident for over 10 years and have been proud to live, work and raise my two children in this community.

My wife and I are most Inspired by Providence Saint John’s Health Center, a community hospital that performs like an academic medical center, while maintaining personalized and compassionate care for its patients. The medical center’s outstanding reputation and forward thinking attracts physician/scientists who are renowned in their areas of expertise. Combine their level of medical talent and innovation with dedicated and compassionate nurses and staff and you have an exceptional health care institution serving the needs of the Santa Monica community and beyond. In partnership with Saint John’s Health Center exists innovative cancer research being conducted at Saint John’s Cancer Institute, and the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, a comprehensive neuroscience institute.

I strongly believe in the mission of Saint John’s Health Center Foundation which provides leadership and philanthropic support to Providence Saint John’s Health Center. To solidify my commitment in supporting the health center’s leading-edge research and innovative programs that seek to improve the patient experience, I joined the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation Board of Trustees.

As a trustee, I have seen our health center’s leadership prove that its Vision of Health for a Better World extends to all patients, especially those who are poor and vulnerable in our community. Since my time as a trustee, I’ve witnessed Saint John’s reinvest millions of dollars back into the community through our Community Health Needs Assessment, push the boundaries of research through countless clinical trials and provide world-class care to our residents.

I also have felt the impact of Saint John’s leading-edge care in my own life as both of my children were born at St John’s and continue to receive medical care with the hospital.

The health center’s Phase II Master Plan builds on this record of care in our community, creating a roadmap for Saint John’s to expand the services it provides to patients like myself and to benefits to the community. I’m personally most excited about the additional open space, walking paths and bike lanes proposed in the Phase II Master Plan that will give our residents a safe place to gather in the city. The improvement in campus properties will be a victory for all — especially those who rely on Saint John’s vast web of health services.

Due to the overwhelming benefits for our community, I encourage you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan. The improvements will not only help improve health services offered here in Santa Monica, but look to address affordable housing, transportation, on-site childcare and much more.

Sincerely,
Blake Johnson
Co-Founder
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From: Dave Hoon, [email protected]
Subject: Support of Saint John’s Phase II Plan
Attached Letter
Santa Monica Mayor and City Council Members,
My name is Dr. Dave S.B. Hoon, Professor, Director of Translational Research and Director of Genome Sequencing at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute (SJCI); I was one of the original founders of SJCI in 1991 and have worked here for the last 31 years. During this time, a significant number of accomplishments have occurred involving maintaining interactions with external universities, industry, government agencies, and international cancer centers to develop innovative cancer clinical and research opportunities giving worldwide recognition to this community in Santa Monica. I have co-authored on over 425 academic peer-reviewed manuscripts, primarily related to oncology of human cancers. I have been recognized worldwide for my contributions to cancer medicine from my work performed at SJCI and feel as though I am an ambassador of the city of Santa Monica in medicine progression and education. We have received worldwide recognition for the excellence in cancer medicine that benefit thousands of patients in the Santa Monica community, California, and worldwide.

I am extremely lucky and proud to have worked for the last 31 years in the heart of the Santa Monica community here at SJCI. My team and I continue to make new developments in early detection of cancer improving morbidity and survival of patients through innovative approaches, that are patented and now utilized worldwide. Since the early 1990’s we have developed molecular genetic diagnostics for early staging of tumor draining sentinel lymph nodes and the classification of human solid tumors in melanoma, gastrointestinal, and breast cancer, pioneered all at SJCI which has changed the field in early diagnosis and treatment of these solid tumor cancers worldwide. This has been a revolutionary change for the practice of cancer medicine, whereby it all took place here in Santa Monica at SJCI and is now recognized internationally and practiced in every continent and major cancer center in the world. I have trained over 100 MD/PhD fellows and over several dozens of students, who have gone on to become leaders and department chairs in their respective clinical departments and institutes. This happened due to the training at SJCI in Santa Monica. No other institute in Santa Monica has made as significant of a clinical and research contribution to the city as SJCI. I have been awarded multiple Federal NIH NCI grants and Foundations in the past 31 years, which is above the means of any professors at neighboring universities. The institute environment and facilities provided us with the opportunity to gain national and international recognition and continue to make contributions that help improve treatment of multiple types of cancers. Despite the initial difficulties faced when working under the dilapidating conditions of a building built in the 1950’s and various adversities such as the major earthquake in the 90’s we have been highly competitive worldwide. In recent years due to the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic we adapted our clinical research to support patients in the community and made major discoveries that were recently published in high impact medical research journals. However, we now need to rebuild the facility to maintain our contributions to the city and the state to attract bright individuals to lead the next generations of this community as I have done for 3 decades.

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I am also responsible for the development of state-of-the art Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) at SJCI that provides cutting edge technology as an Illumina Propel Certified Service Provider-we are one of the few laboratories engaged in a collaborative service partnership with Illumina Inc in the USA. This designation demonstrates proficiency in NGS at the highest industry standard and drive advances in precision molecular cancer medicine. We work with major cancer centers such as MGH/Harvard, MD Anderson, U of Pennsylvania, U. of Keio, U. of Tel Aviv, and others. This demonstrates the trust of our facility worldwide and recognition by other famous cancer institutes.

Although we have made many accomplishments that we should all be proud of I am excited about the potential to continue to advance our research and make more life-changing cancer discoveries that could in turn lead to life-saving work. This will give Santa Monica more recognition and make the community proud of the developments that continue to come from SJCI. Our current research facilities have served us well but they our outdated and have stunted our growth potential recently. We have been waiting for years to rebuild but this has not been our fate. A new research facility would allow for us to become even more cutting-edge and receive increased funding from the Federal government and pharma biotech to allow us to continue to change the course of treatment and survival outcomes for cancer patients. A new facility would be very important to attract clinicians and scientists to Santa Monica and provide advance state-of-the care. This would put Santa Monica on the map as recognized for cancer care. The facility would also attract healthcare related industry and related support groups providing jobs and contributions to improve the city.

I ask that you please take my letter into consideration when deciding on whether to support the Phase II Master Plan and vote in favor of this transformation for our cancer center and our community. This proposed center will be a contribution to improve the cutting-edge healthcare of Santa Monica residents but also a referral center in LA county and California.

Sincerely,
Professor Dave SB Hoon
Director Translational Research SJCI
2200 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica
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To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] CC: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Date: 3/16/22
My name is Scott Cohen, and I am delighted to write an enthusiastic letter of support for Providence Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan. I am a Santa Monica based entrepreneur who has successfully started and sold a variety of businesses for a combined $1.1 billion. I have been a resident for over 10 years and have been proud to live, work and raise my two children in this community.

My wife and I are most Inspired by Providence Saint John’s Health Center, a community hospital that performs like an academic medical center, while maintaining personalized and compassionate care for its patients. The medical center’s outstanding reputation and forward thinking attracts physician/scientists who are renowned in their areas of expertise. Combine their level of medical talent and innovation with dedicated and compassionate nurses and staff and you have an exceptional health care institution serving the needs of the Santa Monica community and beyond. In partnership with Saint John’s Health Center exists innovative cancer research being conducted at Saint John’s Cancer Institute, and the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, a comprehensive neuroscience institute.

I strongly believe in the mission of Saint John’s Health Center Foundation which provides leadership and philanthropic support to Providence Saint John’s Health Center. To solidify my commitment in supporting the health center’s leading-edge research and innovative programs that seek to improve the patient experience, I joined the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation Board of Trustees.

As a trustee, I have seen our health center’s leadership prove that its Vision of Health for a Better World extends to all patients, especially those who are poor and vulnerable in our community. Since my time as a trustee, I’ve witnessed Saint John’s reinvest millions of dollars back into the community through our Community Health Needs Assessment, push the boundaries of research through countless clinical trials and provide world-class care to our residents.

I also have felt the impact of Saint John’s leading-edge care in my own life. I have been a patient, having my appendix removed and other procedures over the years successfully handled by the incredible treatment of the doctors and staff.

The health center’s Phase II Master Plan builds on this record of care in our community, creating a roadmap for Saint John’s to expand the services it provides to patients like myself and to benefits to the community. I’m personally most excited about the additional open space, walking paths and bike lanes proposed in the Phase II Master Plan that will give our residents a safe place to gather in the city. The improvement in campus properties will be a victory for all — especially those who rely on Saint John’s vast web of health services.

Due to the overwhelming benefits for our community, I encourage you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master Plan. The improvements will not only help improve health services offered here in Santa Monica, but look to address affordable housing, transportation, on-site childcare and much more.

Sincerely,
Scott Cohen
Co-Founder
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My name is LeAnn Angelich, and I have lived in West Los Angeles my entire life.

I was born at Saint John’s Hospital, and I delivered both of my children at Saint John’s.

In the Phase II Master Plan, several urgent needs will be addressed. The plan will provide $10 million dollars to improve funding for mental health, substance abuse, and much needed housing for low income families.

If approved, the expanded facilities would also allow for larger and more impactful clinical research to address greatly needed advancements in cancer therapy.

For these reasons, I urge you to vote in favor of this transformative Master Plan for the health center and our community.

Sincerely,
LeAnn Angelich
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Re: Agenda item 9A, Saint John’s Master Plan
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
I am writing to you to express the support of Meals on Wheels West for the proposed Providence Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan.

MOWW has a longstanding history with Providence Saint John’s. In the past four years, we have partnered with the Health Center to address critical challenges in our community and increase engagement with residents:
• Providence and MOW West partnered to provide COVID vaccinations to MOW West clients including seniors, veterans, disabled people and other homebound people. • PSJHC has made numerous referrals of their clients to our Heal Healthy at Home transitional care program that provides nutritious hot meals for patients as they recover. • Christina Crawford, Saint John’s Supervisor of Community Health, has arraigned for Saint John’s staff to volunteer at MOW West to deliver meals and create holiday gifts for our clients. Also, speaking as the Treasurer for the Westside Coalition, it is gratifying to see Ms. Crawford’s frequent attendance at the organization’s virtual meetings, and her active presence in the community. • MOW West is fortunate to have had Saint John’s caregivers and staff serve on our volunteer Board of Directors. Thanks to their time, knowledge and insights, our approach to our most vulnerable clients was greatly enhanced. In addition, Saint John’s staff hands-on involvement in MOW West’s day to day work has been very beneficial.

Providence Saint John’s mission is not conducted solely in their bricks and mortar facilities. The Health Center’s generosity and logistical expertise has been proven in the numerous programs it has provided to our community at large, especially the city’s most vulnerable residents. They will continue to do so under the terms of the Phase II Master Plan.

We are extremely pleased that Providence Saint John’s is planning to meet future community needs in the form of proposed new facilities, new spaces, new partnerships and expanded community programs. Their plan, crafted with the help of the community, will build upon their past achievements.

We wish Providence Saint John’s every success and urge you to vote yes on this beneficial project.

Sincerely,
Executive Director
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From: Russell Kino, [email protected]
Subject: Approve Saint John’s Master Plan
Dear City Council,
My name is Russ Kino MD , and I am the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. I have been at Saint John’s for the past 28 years and have worked in the Emergency Department all of that time.

As such, I have been on the front lines of the many issues impacting the Santa Monica community ranging from the farmers market mass casualty incident, LA Marathon medical contingencies, concerns surrounding Ebola and H1 N1 influenza, to the Covid pandemic we now grapple with. During this time we have treated approximately 30,000 individuals per year, the majority of whom come from the city of Santa Monica.

First and foremost, I’m very proud of the fact that I manage a department that lives and breathes the mission of the hospital - to provide care to the poor and underserved. As such, our daily efforts to care for and manage the homeless and downtrodden citizens of our city is at the center of our operation. We have developed novel approaches to this growing problem through community partnerships with Venice family clinic and Samoshel, as well as pioneering some of our own programs such as the Homeless Care Coordination Program. The Homeless Care Coordination Program was started by Providence Saint John’s Health Center in 2016, in response to a growing number of homeless patients seeking care from the hospital. Two community health workers (CHW’s) have been placed in the PSJHC Emergency Department with a specific focus on serving patients experiencing homelessness. The CHWs see an average of 50 patients a month in the emergency department. This program has been successful in repatriating individuals back to the communities across the United States from where they originally came from. It has also facilitated permanent housing for individuals within the LA area.

By moving forward with this phase 2 master plan it will enable us as an Emergency Department to deepen our offerings to the community with a much wider base of resources. This in turn will allow us to offer better service to our prehospital EMS partners, the Santa Monica community in general, and the poor and underserved in particular.

I urge you in the strongest possible terms for the sake of our Santa Monica community to approve the phase 2 master plan.

Sincere regards,
Russ
Russ Kino MD FACEP FACEM
Medical Director, Emergency Services
Chief Medical Informatics Officer
Saint John’s Health Center
Santa Monica, CA
Cell: 310 6135466
Ofc: 310 5827154
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From: Ruth Canas [email protected]
Subject: Support Saint John’s Master Plan
Hello, everyone.

My name is Ruth Cañas and I work at the Child and Family Development Center at Providence St John's Health Center. I am proud to say that I began working for the organization back in 1996 as a young clinician and I now oversee the clinic. The Child and Family Development Center has had a strong relationship with the City of Santa Monica going back to 1994 when the City began funding our Youth Development Project. Since then, we have provided mental health services to thousands of Santa Monica children and families through our work at the elementary, middle and high schools along with working directly with preschool teachers in 19 Santa Monica preschool classrooms.

I absolutely love working at Saint John’s and feel so proud of the impact we have had on so many Santa Monica residents throughout the years. I have personally been there so long that I have had the pleasure of seeing our former clients now bringing their own children to treatment because of the positive experience they had as children and adolescents and knowing that the Child and Family Development Center is always a place they can go to receive support. It is an honor work for a clinic that is committed to serving the under-resourced families of Santa Monica.

We have become embedded in the Santa Monica community and have become part of the fabric of the Pico Neighborhood to the point that we have had moms walking their friends and neighbors into our building saying, “This is place where you can get the help you need — they will never let you down.” Our therapists serve the community with passion and compassion, and many years later, hear from former clients who reach out to thank them for their work together so many years ago. The work we do is so rewarding that we have employees who have worked at CFDC for over 25 years and one of our staff members just celebrated her 40th anniversary at CFDC.

Unfortunately, under-resourced families often find themselves being serviced in facilities that are subpar to those servicing privately insured patients. Saint John's is looking to change that which is truly exciting.

It is my hope that you will vote ‘yes’ on moving forward with the Phase II Master Plan.

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Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
My name is Darci Niva; I am the Executive Director of the Westside Coalition. On behalf of the Board of Directors for the Westside Coalition we would like to express our support for Providence St. John’s Health Center’s Phase II Master Plan. St. John’s has been a member of the Westside Coalition (WC) for many years and we are proud of our partnership with this impressive organization. WC is an alliance of 70 organizations on the Westside, many of which are in Santa Monica. Our members are committed to working collaboratively on issue of housing, hunger and health. We are passionate about supporting St. John’s because of their incredible contribution to our community and the populations that we collectively serve.

St. John’s has proven time after time that their Mission to care for the poor and vulnerable extends well beyond the confines of the hospital. We are particularly proud of the support that we receive from St. John’s to produce the annual Celebrating Success Breakfast. This important event highlights the incredible work of our member agencies in addressing homelessness. St. John’s is also a partner in Project Connect events in the Winter Shelter. They are tireless in their support and compassion for those that need their help the most.

We are particularly impressed with the Phase II Master Plan’s commitment to mental and behavioral health, homeless services and space for educational events for the community, things that we are involved in and partner together with St. John’s Health Center. If approved, the Phase II Master Plan would provide $10 million to the city’s behavioral health initiatives. This funding could dramatically help organizations, like ours and our members, that are providing mental health, substance abuse and community programs to local residents in need.

Please recommend approval of this Phase II Master Plan that will help expand what can be accomplished with community partners like us through enhanced services and properties.

Very Sincerely,
The Westside Coalition Board of Directors and staff
1343 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405 Phone:(310) 314-0071 www.westsidecoalitionla.org Item 9.A
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Westside Coalition Board of Directors:

Rev. Eric Shafer - Chair
Mt. Olive Lutheran Church- Senior Pastor
Jocelyn Cortese- Secretary
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Parish - Board Member and Outreach Commission Chris Baca- Treasurer
Meals on Wheels West- Executive Director
Achee Stevenson
St. Joseph Center- Senior Director of Programs
Bianca Smith
Chrysalis - Assistant Vice President, Program Operations Dr. Frances Rosenau
Culver City Presbyterian Church- Senior Pastor
Haley Fuselier
PATH- Senior Director
Julie Kirk
Westside Family Health Center-Director of Community Outreach and Education Lori Bowe
The People Concern- Project Director of Turning Point Interim Housing Rev. Mark Jones
Westwood Presbyterian Church- Director of Mission & Outreach and Pastoral Care Rachel Stich
Safe Place for Youth- Deputy Executive Director
Theresa White
Mt. Olive Representative/ Gap Executive
1343 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405 Phone:(310) 314-0071 www.westsidecoalitionla.org Item 9.A
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Dear City Council:

My name is Adam Cortez, and I am a licensed therapist at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center. I began my journey here as a graduate student intern working on the Youth Development Project (YDP) – one of the many teams here at our agency – and where I currently work as a full-time therapist. From my very first experiences here, it was clear to me that each clinician works so wholeheartedly to serve the needs of youth and families in our Santa Monica community.

As mental health therapists, it is not uncommon for us to encounter a broad range of intersected clinical and case management needs among the vulnerable clients we serve – these needs can include depression, anxiety, substance use, traumatic stress, housing, legal counsel, food access, and transportation. These needs tend to be exacerbated by complex and systematic issues, including community financial hardship, challenges with resource allocation amongst neighborhoods, cultural stigma towards mental health, and other barriers, such as access to affordable parking and transportation. The intersection of such complex barriers can make the navigation and access to mental wellbeing much more difficult to begin – yet alone achieve.

Cognizant of these barriers in my service delivery, I find it of utmost value to work under an organization that has made concerted efforts to provide access to quality mental health services to some of the most vulnerable populations in our Santa Monica community. As part of its mission to work towards health equity, Providence Saint John’s and our Child and Family Development Center have taken actionable steps such as onboarding ethnically diverse and linguistically responsive staff, conducting community needs assessments, and establishing programs (such as our Youth Development Project) that extend our presence in the community, thus extending a more equitable opportunity for our more vulnerable families to access mental health services. Through these efforts, we have been able to reach and serve thousands of Santa Monica youth and families more equitably.

Our efforts in health equity align directly with the value and initiatives the city of Santa Monica has taken to advance equity and inclusion and foster a more balanced community for all its residents. That is the goal we are hoping to achieve with the passing of the Phase II Master Plan – to be able to deliver our health care services in a manner that contributes to a more balanced community. The Phase II Master Plan will allow us the flexibility to move into a new facility that will help to address many of the barriers our clients face to accessing services – including parking, physical access, and historical stigma. It is my sincere hope that you will vote ‘yes’ on moving forward with the Phase II Master Plan so that we may have this opportunity to further serve the Santa Monica community.

Sincerely,
Adam Cortez, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Lead Therapist Youth Development Project
Providence Saint John’s Health Center
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From: O'Dea, Carol <Carol.O'[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 12:16 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Support for Saint John's Phase II Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council Members,
Saint John’s Health Center has been a beacon of hope for the Santa Monica/Westside community for 80 years. From its inception Saint John’s Health Center has been intertwined with the community and that bond continues to this day. I know this to be true because for the last 9.5 years, I have had the privilege of serving as the quality executive at Saint John’s. The culture of an organization is paramount to how it is perceived, and the culture of Saint John’s is one of excellence and compassion. I felt it the first time I came through the doors and despite the myriad of changes in the healthcare arena as well as the challenges Saint John’s has experienced‐‐ from the Northridge earthquake through re‐ sponsorship from Sisters of Charity to Providence; that sense of who we are and what we do has never wavered.

The care that we provide today will only be strengthened with the approval of Phase II of the Master Plan. We will be able to expand on our vision of university care within a community hospital setting by enhancing the Saint John’s Cancer Institute, the Pacific Neurosciences Institute and fully actualizing the Cardiovascular, Women’s Health, Digestive Health and Orthopedics Institutes. Today we are centers of excellence for our Stoke Program, which has been nationally recognized as well as for Joint Replacements to name just a few. With expanded capacity and resources, there is so much more we will offer the Santa Monica community while well as increasing the reputation of Santa Monica as the home of an elite hospital.

Our close identification with the Santa Monica area reaches far and wide. We provide care and support for the most vulnerable of our population. Several years ago, we invested in a homeless program and have coordinators who work with our community partners to safely discharge and provide on‐going services for these patients. The Child and Family Development Center works exclusively with underserved children and their families by offering a developmental preschool, individual educational and psychological sessions. How wonderful it will be to provide them with a state‐of‐ the‐art facility, slated for the South Campus.

You may expect that due to my position, I would naturally say these things about Saint John’s, but it is important you know that my husband and I chose Saint John’s for our care before I came to work here and know from personal experience that excellence and compassion are synonymous with its care. I have not been asked or encouraged to write to you. Instead, it is my personal choice as I believe in Saint John’s and the work we do.

While many of us will be retired by the time Phase II is completed, it will be the legacy of this team that will be remembered as not only having had the vision but the dedication to see it through.

Thank you.

Carol
Carol O’Dea, RN, MN, Ed.D
Quality Executive Director
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2 2121 Santa Monica Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90404
310.829.8291
carol.o’[email protected]
This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.

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From: Yun, Andrew G <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 12:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori; Ricks, Michael R Subject: Support for Saint John’s; ‘Yes’ on Saint John’s Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
My name is Dr. Andrew Yun and I am an Orthopaedic Surgeon and Board Member at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. Saint John’s has always been a vital part of the community. The master plan is an incredible opportunity for the hospital to increase its level of service for Santa Monica and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Of course, this effort will require extensive budgeting, planning, and time, but it is also clear that this effort should go forward. Just like the community from 20 years ago built the current Saint John’s, we also share the same responsibility to plan ahead. The work and planning we do now will be a gift for future generations.

Please vote for this measure.

Sincerely,
Andrew Yun MD, MBA
Director of Joint Replacement Services
This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.

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From: MICHAEL GRUNING <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 11:48 AM
To: Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; councilmtgitems
Cc: David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Item 9-A - PSJ Phase II approval

EXTERNAL
Dear City Councilmembers,
I am joining fellow community members in supporting the Providence Phase II Plan, which will be before you on Tuesday night. The approval of Phase II will transform the health center, and indeed Santa Monica’s entire healthcare community.

Saint John’s – now Providence Saint John’s – has operated as a non-profit hospital in Santa Monica for 80 years. That operation has been continuous, except for a brief period after the disastrous Northridge Earthquake, when the hospital sustained extensive damage. After the quake, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Kansas made the bold and wellreasoned decision to rebuild, investing tremendous time and resources in a new Saint John’s, which was planned to anticipate the healthcare demands of the 21st century. The “new” Saint John’s serves countless community members every year.

Once again, Saint John’s, under the leadership of Providence Health and Services, has elected to move forward with much-needed new facilities and a truly unprecedented benefits package that will meet the community’s needs in decades to come.

The proposed plan includes features that I endorse wholeheartedly:
 A new Saint John’s Cancer Institute
The former John Wayne Cancer Institute is a world-renowned facility that boasts world-class researchers, leading edge science and a record of breakthroughs in the detection and treatment of cancers such as melanoma and breast cancer. It currently operates in a less-than-adequate facility. A new Cancer Institute facility is essential. It is a prominent feature of the Phase II plan.
 Mental and Behavioral Health
Saint John’s will make a whopping $10 million contribution to the city’s behavioral health initiatives and a commitment to fund and operate the Child and Youth Development Project through 2052.  Temporary Housing
Visiting Cancer Institute faculty and families of critically ill patients will have a place for short-term stays when travel is burdensome.
 Community Open Space
The Phase II plan sets aside open space for use by caregivers, community members, patients and their families to enjoy gardens and sunlight. The open space will also provide a safe pedestrian connection from Broadway Avenue to Santa Monica Boulevard.
 Education and Conference Center
The Phase II plan provides for world-class space for medical, patient, health care and community events. Modern meeting and conference facilities are badly needed in Santa Monica.  Parking
Phase II provides a solution to the health center’s parking issues, accommodating vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian circulation and parking.
 On-Site Childcare
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5 Phase II will Increase childcare spaces and tuition subsidies, with preference given to hard-working Saint John's employees and residents of Santa Monica.

Providence Saint John’s Phase II has given the health center an opportunity to demonstrate its focus on the Santa Monica community, and a responsiveness to its needs. I urge you to reflect on what Phase II will bring to your constituents and vote yes on this plan.

Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Gruning
Mike Gruning | Pence Hathorn Silver
310.741.1713 | www.phsrealty.com
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. 1333 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403
***WIRE FRAUD IS REAL***

ALWAYS CALL THE SENDER AT A KNOWN NUMBER TO VERIFY ACCOUNT INFORMATION Item 9.A
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From: Jerry Rubin <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 10:41 AM
To: [email protected]
Cc: Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori; councilmtgitems Subject: Supporting Saint John's Hospital Phase II Plan (City Council meeting Tuesday, March 22 agenda Item # 9-A)

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members:

I am sending you this email in full support of the Saint Johns Hospital Phase II plan on your Tuesday, March 22 agenda (Item # 9‐A).

I support the proposed new childcare facilities, affordable housing and a new cancer center.

I’ve been a patient at Saint John's a number of times and received excellent and compassionate care.

I especially remember the amazing help I got at their Emergency Ward and as an in‐patient for 3 days 25 years ago after I collapsed during a 26‐day water‐only environmental hunger strike.

Please always remember: We’re talking about a hospital not a fast‐food mall! And an excellent hospital at that, a hospital that has served Santa Monica well for many decades! I hope to be able to speak during the Tuesday meeting if your meeting doesn’t go too long into the night.

Thank you so very much!
Peace and gratitude,
Jerry Rubin
Santa Monica resident
310‐399‐1000
L.A. Times Photo of me getting needed help at Saint John's Hospital in mid‐March,1997 Item 9.A
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From: Nishikubo, Carol Y <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 9:50 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Yes on Saint John's Master Plan

EXTERNAL
March 21, 2022
Dear Members of the Santa Monica City Council:

I am writing in support of the Phase II Master Plan being presented at your upcoming meeting, being put forth by Providence Saint John’s Health Center.  The plan provides direct benefits in terms of funding to help improve mental health care available to the Santa Monica Community and to help address the homelessness crisis that is affecting our community.  In addition to that, however, as a medical oncologist who has practiced in Santa Monica and at Saint John’s for over 20 years, I also want to highlight the benefits of the plan in terms of advancing health care and providing the community with access to ground breaking new therapies and surgical techniques.

Investigators at the Cancer Institute at Saint John’s have revolutionized care for thousands of people with cancer, most notably in melanoma and breast cancer, but those therapies have in turn, advanced care in other diseases as well.  The development of the sentinel node technique in identifying tumor involvement or lack of involvement in the first lymph nodes draining a tumor has spared thousands of patients from more extensive surgery that could cause loss of function of a limb and allowed those patients to continue to work and care for their families.  These techniques were developed here in Santa Monica at Saint John’s and provided early access to patients participating in those studies.  Moreover, the sentinel node sampling technique has become the standard of care nationwide and now benefits men and women across the country.  Likewise, some of the early studies of immunotherapies for melanoma were conducted here at Saint John’s and have rapidly become one of the leading ways we treat a multitude of cancers, saving thousands of lives nationally and internationally.   The Master Plan allows for this type of research to continue and to expand.  It allows the Santa Monica Community access to cutting edge therapies and techniques as well as researching methods for early detection to hopefully be able to prevent disease in the future.

I would respectfully request your support of the proposed plan to be able to allow this important work to continue and expand.

Sincerely,
Carol Nishikubo, MD
This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.

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From: Samo Mama <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 7:53 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support Saint John’s Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Dear Honorable Mayor and City Council Members,
I am writing to express my whole-hearted support of Providence Saint John's Child and Family Development Center’s (CFDC) facility expansion project.

When I say that therapist Juliane Da Silva Vitolo and the Perinatal Wellness Program at CFDC saved my life, I am writing without hyperbole. Approval of this agenda item is critical to insure that crucial mental health services reach a greater number of Santa Monica families.

At my son’s 4-week checkup, his pediatrician announced that she was referring us to a pediatric neurologist. Stunned, I found myself questioning my baby’s every movement—frightened, Googling. It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and, triggered by my son’s condition, I found myself feeling anxious, isolated, and overwhelmed. This is certainly not a singular experience—a large part of our communities’ collective journey during these challenging times relates to mental health—however, my particular circumstance is further distinguished by a surprise pregnancy and finding myself both unhoused and unemployed in the wake of a break up.

CFDC’s Perinatal Wellness Program (PWP) is more than just in-home mental health counseling for new parents—it is about promoting the infant-parent bond, providing advice on child development, insuring the family’s essential needs are being met (e.g. food, housing, diapers, etc.), and matching families with key partner programs and resources in the greater Santa Monica community, including, in my case, MyLA311, the Santa Monica Housing Authority, Early Head Start, Westside Regional Center, and the Well Baby Center.

Because it is not a one-size-fits-all program, it is hard to describe the multifaceted impact of PWP. Here are a few snapshots of what care looked like for me:
ꞏ It’s Friday. I leave a frazzled message. I have just been accepted to the PWP and the baby has his first outpatient neurology appointment on Monday. I’m disorganized, frightened, frayed. Within 24 hours Juliane calls me back for an impromptu session and we spend an hour discussing my game plan—everything from how to navigate Los Angeles Children’s Hospital while taking COVID precautions, to how I can best communicate my questions to the clinician.
ꞏ My child seems different from other babies. He doesn’t seem to make eye contact, he rarely vocalizes unless he is hungry. Of course, most of this is conjecture because in-person baby groups have been suspended due to COVID—What do I know about babies? Over Zoom, Juliane and I discuss the week’s goings on and my apprehensions. While we speak, she carefully observes the interaction between myself and my child. Gently bringing my attention back to the baby, Juliane notes he is closely tracking my finger movements. I change his diaper while Juliane explains different infant temperaments and modes of communication. ꞏ The baby is rejecting his bottle. He just won’t suckle. It’s going to be weeks, if not months, before our insurance approves an occupational therapist. Juliane gives me the name and number of a registered lactation consultant—we connect just days later.
ꞏ Julianne calls me from outside my mother’s home, she’s just dropped off a bag of baby supplies outside the gate. Following social distance protocols, we wave at each other from afar. I give her the thumbs up as I close the gate.

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3 ꞏ We meet in Clover Park, my son is taking his very first steps and we have graduated from park blankets to a bench near the play structure. Juliane and I sit and discuss my job prospects while my toddler inspects the park flora and fauna enjoying his newfound liberty.

Today, I feel fully connected to my child. I am confident in my role as a mother. I have a balanced perspective of my strengths and weaknesses as a parent and a clear directive. At 17 months, my son still hasn’t said his first word, but thanks to Juliane, I sincerely cherish our non-verbal communication based on looks, gestures, and basic sign language. He is receiving support for development delays from Westside Regional Center and Early Head Start. I’m not in a state of constant anxiety about the future because I have made provisions for my son and I know how to advocate for his needs. It is a delight to be his steward. Do we still have bad days? Yes. But this is part of what I have learned from Juliane, how to take setbacks in stride and to have empathy for myself and my child in challenging moments.

As city councilors, you have been tasked with the all-important duties of dictating the policies, priorities, and budget for our community. Your choices and leadership define the future of Santa Monica. Today, you have the opportunity to provide support for CFDC, an establishment that serves some of your youngest and most vulnerable constituents—members of some of Santa Monica’s most vulnerable families. I hope you will keep in mind PWP’s positive impact on under-resourced infants and their families—those of us facing poverty, domestic violence, mental health and substance abuse challenges—when deliberating on the future of Providence St. John's Child and Family Development Center.

Thank you for your service, time, and consideration.

Sincerely,
A Santa Monica Mother*
*In order to be entirely candid about mental health treatment, I am writing this semi-anonymously, however, I would welcome a private audience with individuals on the council to discuss my experience with CFCD in depth and in person. Please feel to email, or contact:

Ms. Juliane Da Silva Vitolo, LMFT, APCC
In-Home Therapist, Perinatal Wellness Program
Child and Family Development Center
Providence Saint John’s Health Center
[email protected]

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From: Pam O'Connor <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 3:51 AM
To: Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Christine Parra; Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; councilmtgitems
Cc: David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Item 9A

EXTERNAL
Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing to voice strong support for Providence Saint John's Phase II Master Plan.

I served on the City Council from 1994 to 2018. During my first term on Council, I worked with my fellow Councilmembers, City Staff, County and State agencies to bring our community back from the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake. Many Santa Monica residents and businesses experienced significant disruption of their lives and livelihoods and damage to their property.

Alarmingly, Santa Monica’s hospitals, our “lifeboats” in times of disaster, sustained major damage.

Saint John’s elected to rebuild its acute care facility to be in conformance with the requirements of SB 1953 and to deliver on its original commitment to the people of Santa Monica.

We have benefited greatly from their decision to rebuild in Santa Monica. St. John’s Hospital, Providence Health and Services has continued to provide leading edge care to our community, while expanding its partnerships with local non-profits whose missions extend Saint John’s reach into our diverse community – and vice-versa.

On Tuesday night you will be tasked with reviewing and voting on the Phase II Master Plan, the product of a years-long effort by the Providence Saint John's Phase II team and City Staff, including community input and float-ups at Planning Commission and City Council. The process has produced an outstanding plan, which includes significant contributions to mental and behavioral health initiatives, generous cash grants and in-kind services to homeless services, replacement of 10 vacant, rent-controlled apartments with 10 deed-restricted affordable units, community open space, a much-needed education and conference center space for medical, patient, health care and community uses, expanded on-site childcare and tuition subsidies serving Saint John’s employees and Santa Monica families. Transportation initiatives and improvements include enhanced transportation management to accommodate vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian circulation and parking.

In addition, the Phase II plan will allow for a new Saint John’s Cancer Institute where the groundbreaking work of its world-class clinicians and researchers will continue to narrow the gap between disease and cure.

This is a major plan. When it is fully implemented, it will be transformative, responding in new ways to our community’s healthcare needs, integrating 5+ acres of underutilized property into the surrounding neighborhood, and demonstrating once more that a community hospital founded by nuns in 1942 remains relevant, in fact essential, to our city.

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2 I urge you to support the exhaustive planning and negotiation process and approve Staff’s recommendation.

Sincerely,
Pam O’Connor
Former Mayor and City Councilmember
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From: Kate underwood <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2022 2:32 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Yes on Saint John’s Master Plan

EXTERNAL
My name is Kate Underwood and I am a Physician Assistant at a family medicine clinic in Downtown LA, called Los Angeles Christian Health Center and I am a Pacific Palisades resident, former Santa Monica resident. I delivered my fourth child at Saint John’s in 2019. I was hoping to voice my support for Saint John’s Master Plan and explain why.

As part of the plan, I believe that the Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) will be an enormous asset to the community. As I’m sure you know, the demand for mental health services during Covid19 and as a result of Covid19 are immense. There is a critical shortage of mental health resources and the mental health resources that the CFHC will provide will be invaluable. Also, the many community partners and non‐profit affiliations that will collaborate through this plan is a highly effective way to provide comprehensive care to patients. As a result, not only will patients seek out Saint Johns as their home healthcare providers, but healthcare workers will want to work for Saint Johns because their patient outcomes will be more successful.

I also am in support of the Phase II plan because, as a Board member of Harvest Home, a nonprofit organization that serves women in our community who are homeless and pregnant, our clients have started to utilize programs at the Child and Family Decelopment Center that helps them have mentorship, child care, parenting classes etc. Expanding these resources would be such a benefit for our clients who we hope will leave our home and be constructive and healthy members of our community.

The Phase II Master Plan, if it passes, will be such a benefit to our community and I hope you would vote in favor of this plan.

Thank you for your consideration,
Kate Underwood
213‐215‐2804

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From: Stephanie Ayers <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2022 8:51 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Yes on Saint John’s Master Plan
Attachments: Support for Saint John's Phase II Master Plan.docx

EXTERNAL
To: Santa Monica City Council
I have been a nurse for 5 years and have been working in health care for 15 years. It is a true joy to be a part of Providence Saint John’s Health Center and I look forward to what the future may hold.

I am writing today in support of the Phase II plan to further the amazing services I witness daily through our organization.

For Saint John’s I am the registered nurse sepsis program coordinator and witness our incredible critical care programs daily. I am also a certified public health nurse and have a passion for the health and wellness of our community.

I believe it is vital to the health and wellness of populations to focus on preventative health care and education. These types of programs are what allow people to thrive daily and can reduce suffering from chronic conditions and hospitalizations. In my role in the hospital, I see the need for greater focus on community education and ambulatory care. There are far too many patients whose admissions to the hospital may have been prevented if they had more support in managing a chronic illness and more education on signs and symptoms to manage them before they become critical issues.

I see the Phase II Plan at Saint John’s as part of the solution to allow for more access to excellent outpatient health care, preventative medicine and health education. I know I would personally utilize the education and conference facilities to provide community education and resources on sepsis and infection prevention to better equip the community. The plans for the beautiful campus and facilities will only facilitate outreach to community members to engage in and prioritize their health.

Additionally, I am an active member of Vintage Church in Santa Monica and know our congregation would love to partner with Saint John’s on this mission to enhance health and wellness. We are particularly in support of the investment in mental health services, child and family development services, improved bike and walk spaces, among others. Many members of our church love and utilize Saint John’s as their primary location for health care and are thrilled to hear of potential growth and development.

Thank you for your support of health care workers and the investment of health in the community.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Ayers RN
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Santa Monica City Council
City Hall
1685 Main Street, Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
RE: Providence Saint John’s Health Center Phase Two Master Plan, Development Agreement Amendment
Dear Mayor Himmelrich and Councilmembers,
The Social Services Commission (SSC) wants to thank everyone at Providence St.

John’s Health Center for their tremendous dedication and sacrifice to our community during the on-going COVID-19 crisis. We also thank Providence St.

John’s Health Center for their on-going commitment and generosity to the Santa Monica community.

As our community moves out from the global pandemic, the need for Providence St.

John’s leadership and generosity is still sorely needed to help reduce our continuing crisis of homelessness and mental illness.

The City of Santa Monica currently has ZERO psychiatric beds. The Social Service Commission and community activists have made it abundantly clear that psychiatric beds are our number one request. However, in the spirit of compromise the Commission recognizes that to ask Providence St. John’s alone to shoulder the financial burden for psychiatric beds is unreasonable. Additionally, the SSC recognizes there are other types of mental health interventions needed in our community, including supportive housing, preventive services, and a wide range of aftercare services.

We urge the City Council to ask Providence St. John’s to continue their support to our community by doubling their commitment to the City’s behavioral health initiative. We recommend $20 million in total with $15 million to be used as seed money to leverage additional providers in the City of Santa Monica and the public sector to help build a robust behavioral health center for our community. We also ask the City Council to use the remaining $5 million on mental health services for our unhoused immediately through expanded services.

We also want to provide an updated list of community needs we included within our original letter to Providence St. John’s.
• We request Providence St. John’s Health Center directly fund and expand the Preserve Our Diversity program that keeps low-income seniors at risk of losing their housing in their homes and off our streets. Preventing new people from losing their housing is vital addressing the homelessness crisis.

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• We would like Providence St. John’s Medical Center to provide and staff a monthly mobile van to do health screenings for individuals experiencing homelessness (for example typhus screenings and treatment). • The Commission appreciates the dedication to a homeless navigator, however, we would like Providence St. John’s to add 24-hour social workers in the emergency room to work with multiple needs such as homelessness and victims of crime.
• We request a minimum of one-third of the slots at the new daycare center for Santa Monica residents who are not employed by Providence St. John's and low-income.
• We request bi-monthly health clinics for Santa Monica College students who are experiencing homelessness or food insecurity.
• We request that the new conference center be available at least four times a month for community groups to use for free.
• Finally, we ask Providence St. John’s Medical Center to offer wellness programs such as one for children to combat obesity and diabetes, and other targeted age groups such as certificates for youth participating in sports programs.

We need all our institutions to help solve this homelessness crisis and better meet the behavioral health needs of the whole community. Only together, can we get people off our streets and back on their feet. The burden must not just be taxpayers, but every institution in our great city.

Sincerely,
City of Santa Monica Social Services Commission
Kay Ambriz
Cindy Akin
Tamara Kagel
Marie Manvel
Bill Parent
Ellen Sloan
Brian Stedge-Stroud, Vice Chair
Winnie Wechsler, Chair
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From: Ernie Powell <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 3:15 PM
To: Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; councilmtgitems
Cc: David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Providence St. Johns PHASE 2 YES!

EXTERNAL
Good afternoon,
As most of you know, I continue to follow issues in Santa Monica. I do so because through the years, Santa Monica has always been a place of progressive ideas and open, vibrant citizen engagement.

I know St. Johns. Furthermore, I was there the night when the great Jack Sikking passed away in 1981 from Cancer. Jack was the architect, leader and organize of the movement that saved our much beloved Santa Monica Pier.

I took a fall one afternoon while visiting one of your wonderful restaurants. A friend surmised that I should have someone check me out, as the fall was pretty harsh. We went to St. John's and within minutes all was fine.

St John's is a community hospital. It is a great asset to your fine city and our entire region. There are more stories I could share, but bottom line, the Phase 2 project (with the housing also to be built) should be approved without hesitation.

Thank you,
Ernie Powell
* * * * * * * *
Ernie Powell
Campaigns, Organizing and Public Policy
3355 Wilshire Blvd. #1014
Social Security Works California
Los Angeles, California 90010
(916) 761-5718
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Dr. David Agus
111 Esparta Way
Santa Monica, California 90402
March 21, 2022
Santa Monica City Council
City Hall
1685 Main Street, Room 209
Santa Monica, California 90401

VIA EMAIL
Re: Support for Providence Saint John’s Health Center’s Phase II Master Plan Dear Mayor Himmelrich and City Councilmembers,
As a resident of Santa Monica and a physician affiliate of Providence Saint John’s Physician Partners, I am requesting the Council’s support of the Providence Saint John’s Health Center’s Phase II Master Plan.

I have been affiliated with Providence Saint John’s Physician Partners and Providence Saint John’s Health Center since May of 2021. During this time, my staff and I have partnered with the Saint John’s Cancer Institute to offer clinical trial participation to our cancer patients. This partnership not only improves our ability to conduct scientifically rigorous clinical studies, it also helps ensure that our research always centers on patient benefit, providing them with the best options available for treatment. This partnership and the critical care it allows us to provide to area cancer patients would only be enhanced by the Phase II Master Plan before you today.

Through improvements to existing facilities and the addition of dedicated space for education and conference areas, the Phase II Master Plan would help expand these clinical trials and the ongoing research that helps us improve patient care and treatment daily. It would modernize and build out research facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, allowing Providence Saint John’s Health Center to expand upon their top tier staff and bring in the best-of-the-best in terms of medical and research talent to care for our community.

A health care facility like Providence Saint John’s Health Center is an invaluable benefit and partner for a city. I ask that you prove their value to our community by supporting their efforts to expand upon and modernize their services through their Phase II Master Plan.

Sincerely,
David Agus, M.D.

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From: Paul Makarewicz [email protected]
Subject: Approve Saint John’s Master Plan
Dear City Council,
My name is Paul Makarewicz. I have served as the Chief Mission Integration Officer of Providence Saint John’s for the last four years and have also been a resident in Santa Monica during this period. It is an honor for me to be a part of Providence Saint John’s because of our commitment to a faith-based Mission that has served this community for 80 years in the care of all, but especially those who are poor and vulnerable. The founding Sisters had a commitment of service to this community and reminded us to always “respond to the changing times.” As a community hospital providing university-level care and research, we seek to respond to these changing times through our Phase II Master Plan so that we can continue our Mission of service.

I am proud about the ways that we live our Mission in the hospital but also through our commitment to the community. We bring compassionate care to vulnerable patients and families. We also live our Mission for those in need through partnerships with many Westside nonprofits who deliver vital services for the most vulnerable. I am honored to be on the advisory committee of the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation’s Community Impact Fund that distributes millions of dollars to community organizations in support of their Missions to serve those in need.

In the Phase II Master Plan, I am personally very excited about several of the community benefits that will be provided to address areas of Mental and Behavioral Health, Homeless Services, and Community Housing. These were some of the priority health needs identified in our Community Needs Assessment that will continue to be addressed through collaborative partnerships within the Master Plan.

Once approved, I believe that the Phase II Master plan will provide future opportunities to better integrate Providence Saint John’s campus within the community we serve. It will sustain our Mission of caring for the most vulnerable through expanded clinical and community services.

I ask you to vote in favor of the Phase II Master plan so that we may continue to live our Mission for the benefit of our patients and the surrounding community we serve.

Sincerely,
Paul Makarewicz
Providence Saint John’s Health Center
Chief Mission Integration Officer
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From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 11:20 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Christine Parra; Gleam Davis; Kristin McCowan; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; Sue Himmelrich; David White
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council 3/22/22 agenda item 9-A -- Real community benefits

EXTERNAL
March 21, 2022
To: Mayor Himmelrich and City Council members
From: Zina Josephs
RE: 3/22/22 agenda item 9-A: Providence St. John's development agreement I urge the City Council to include the following in the St. John's DA:

1. Provide a minimum of 50 mental health beds for short-term inpatient care.

2. Provide a Mental Health Urgent Care Center (up to 24-hour care)

3. Provide a wellness program for SMMUSD students to combat obesity and diabetes and for targeted age groups, such as those who need health certificates in order to participate in youth sports programs.

4. Make the new conference center available at least four times a month for community groups to use for free.

5. Any funding for homeless services to community groups be given through an independent "board" or group so that it is not simply targeted to those who already receive funding from the City grants programs. Any funding set aside for community benefits should to have an outside group monitor how it is spent and report to Providence St. John's and the City Council on the expenditure of funds. This could be the "We Are Santa Monica Board" or another administrative group. Funds should not be put into the Santa Monica general fund pots, such as child care, or the housing trust fund.

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From: Elizabeth Van Denburgh <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 11:08 PM
To: Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Gleam Davis; councilmtgitems
Cc: David White; Susan Cline; Anuj Gupta
Subject: 3/22/22-City Cnl. Mtg. - Item 9.A - OPPOSE adoption of St. John's Development Agreement

EXTERNAL
Mayor Himmelrich and Council Members,
The St. John's‐Providence proposal for community benefits needs to be reviewed with a fine‐tooth comb to ensure real community benefits are being provided and monitored with the DA expansion.  The following points address where St.

John is window dressing its community benefits, not specifically defining what the benefit is, not providing the 50 psychiatric beds which is a standard for the housed and unhoused of Santa Monica and how the city should focus greater transparency and accountability of associated monies from the DA.

Many Proposed Community Benefits for DA Expansion are Already Required and are Not an Increase Which is Required with the DA Expansion
St John's‐Providence reports many stated "community benefits" which are already required by regulation and law and would be provided whether or not the DA was being expanded.  These are not " benefits" for this project, they are required.  These include:
 Child Care provisions ‐ are not aimed to provide significant increases in the number of slots but more an incentive for the employment of hospital staff.  The new facility does not provide commensurate slots for the additional development that is being proposed
 Health Assessment ‐ this is a documented exercise that must be done to be a hospital system in the state Open Space Definition and Accessibility is NOT Clearly Defined In the staff report there is a reference to 35% open space on the south campus.  In the community benefit section it refers to "publicly‐accessible open space".  What percentage of the 35% open space is public open space?  How do these two converge?
Barriers with Mental Health and Homelessness Funds being Used for Most Important Services and Selecting Most Effective Providers
 The mental health dollars are not what the community needs nor what the Rand report suggested.  The Rand report (2021) called for 50 beds for every 100,000 in population.  Today we have zero psychiatric beds in Santa Monica, and none are planned.  The closest psychiatric beds will be the 100+ bed that UCLA will build at the Olympia Hospital site at Olympic and Fairfax.  This is too far and will be inadequate for the westside that it seeks to serve.  Santa Monia needs psychiatric beds now, for Santa Monica's housed and unhoused population.  These beds are needed not just for our unhoused population but for our residents as well.  I understand that there is a current discussion with others in the mental health arena regarding a counseling center and an urgent behavioral health center on the expanded campus.  These may be part of a system of service but they must be secondary to the bed need.  The Audit Subcommittee is currently having a Homelessness report conducted and a key aspect is "identifying unmet needs and gaps" as requested by the Social Services Commission.  WHAT could be more important in terms of "unmet needs and gaps" than having appropriate psychiatric beds for Santa Monica's housed and unhoused residents? Item 9.A
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2  Currently the city has established a condition that the distribution of cash grants must be to organizations that have been city funded (via the Human Services Grant program) within the last three years.  There should be an independent review and application process for these grants including an RFP process and an independent decision‐making body to select and monitor these grants.  The We are Santa Monica fund, a separate advisory board with grants finalized through the California Community Foundation, is an example of such a board.

Stewardship, Transparency and Effective Use of Development Agreement Funds The In Lieu Funds, part of the "Community Benefits" are placed in multiple funds including: housing trust fund, recreation and parks, child care and arts fund.  There is NO accountability to the public or City officials as to how staff might budget, allocate or spend these funds.  If a project, such as St John's‐Providence DA expansion does not meet the water neutraily standard (and I still don't understand how this is calculated or decided) then in lieu funds are made.  Who determines how much and where the funds go, much less how these funds are spent and then reported? This is the largest DA the city has seen and needs to be scrutinized carefully to ensure the "community benefits" are received by the residents and the city to address our "unmet needs and gaps" and mitigate the 20 years of construction and the doubling of St. John's.  The St. John's that never built their parking structure from the first phase of their rebuild.

Thank‐you,
Elizabeth Van Denburgh
Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont)
Chair
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Lisa Flashner
211 Mills Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
March 21, 2022
Santa Monica City Council
1685 Main Street, Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Re: Providence Saint John’s Health Center – Support for Phase II Master Plan Mayor and Santa Monica City Councilmembers,
I am writing to you today to voice my support for the Providence Saint John’s Health Center Phase II Master Plan that is currently under consideration by the Council.

I am a Santa Monica resident, and I fully support this project and the immediate and long term benefits our community will reap from it. These benefits will have a positive impact on a wide array of issues we are focused on as a community, including the City’s behavioral health initiatives, funding and services for people experiencing homelessness, and the creation of additional community open space.

Additionally, the project will upgrade many of Providence Saint John’s Health Center’s existing facilities and create new education and conference center space. These improvements and additions will serve to attract top tier medical talent to our area to care for our community, as well as to promote ongoing research that furthers health care both locally and globally.

Providence Saint John’s Health Center has been a proven health care provider and partner for the Santa Monica community for more than 75 years. I ask that you support all their efforts to implement improvements that will allow them to continue providing a high standard of care in our community for many years to come.

Respectfully,
Lisa Flashner
Santa Monica Resident
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Valerie Griffin
Santa Monica, CA 90403
March 22, 2022
City Council
Agenda Item 9-A
St. John’s
I’ve written and spoken about St. John’s development on prior occasions, not always supporting their position.

Today, I essentially support the proposed development.

There are excellent community benefits that truly bring the hospital complex into the neighborhood. Having open spaces that are inviting to members of the community as well as people associated with the hospital complex allow this world-class medical resource be part of a real Santa Monica neighborhood. For me, the Child and Family Development Center is an essential component. We need affordable, high-quality daycare. We also need community mental health care that makes seeing a mental health practitioner every bit as normal as getting health care for a broken arm.

I had a challenging childhood. I was fortunate enough to go away to school where I had access to on-campus mental health care to help me recover from this childhood and to deal with the fact that my career choice, while rewarding, would always be associated with significant gender bias. The on-campus practitioner referred me to a mental health center that was part of a hospital complex that was walking distance from campus. Having this service available has made my life much easier and more successful, professionally and as a human being. In addition to being part of a family-centric center, community mental health outreach should include populations going through life-stage challenges such as those associated with high school, college, retirement, and others where there may not be any available family component.

Another aspect of the development I believe is critical is that it is not all specified. Instead, it can be influenced by evolving changes in medical care and in the community itself, including our response to climate change. This approach helps future-proof the development.

Valerie Griffin
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Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
My name is Christina Crawford and I am the Supervisor for the Community Health Department at Providence Saint John’s. I oversee our Homeless Navigation Program in the Emergency Department where our two Care Coordinators work together with local organizations, such as the St. Joseph Center and the People Concern, to get those individuals experiencing homelessness connected and placed in a form of housing. In addition to this, our department offers health education classes, as well as CalFresh application assistance to provide food security, at no cost to members of the community.

The Phase II Master Plan will continue to provide support to the community outside of the hospital walls and expand the level of support and good work Providence Saint John’s can provide. Every Tuesday a member of the Saint John’s team is at Virginia Avenue Park helping individuals apply for food assistance. So far this year we helped 27 families apply for CalFresh in effort to put healthy food on the table. I am writing today to share the impact that has made on the daily lives of some citizens of Santa Monica, who have asked to pass along their testimonies in support of the Phase II Master Plan. These testimonies are in regards to the CalFresh application assistance that they received.

Please see the testimonies below.

Many Blessings,
Christina Crawford
Supervisor, Community Health, Providence Saint John’s Health Center Testimony 1 (See Translation Below)
To Providence Health and Services,
Yo Mara Guzman, primeramente le doy gracias a Dios por los servicios que ofrece el Hospital Providence en Santa Monica.

Los beneficios de CalFresh han sido de mucha ayuda para mi y para mi hijo. Puedo traer a nuestra mesa comida saludable.

Cuando hago mis compras, escogo los alimentos mas saludables como carne, pollo, frutas, verduras y leche.

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Tengo un nino con el sindrome de down y problemas de tiroides de la clase que hace que mi hijo suba de peso y con los beneficios
de CalFresh puedo comprar alimentos para prepararle comidas saludables y de esa manera evitar que mi hijo suba mas de peso
Ahora mismo todos los alimentos estan muy caros y los beneficios de CalFresh han impactado la vida de mi familia grandemente.

Tambien quiero tomar esta oportundad para darle las gracias a Judith Ramos por ayudarme a llenar el formulairo de renovacion para
mis beneficios de CalFresh y enviarlos a Departamento de Servicios Publicos para que mis beneficios fuesen aprovados nuevamente.

En escala de 1 al 10, le doy un 10 a Judith por su excelente service. En Anos pasados mis servicios fueron cancelados por que no tenia
a alquien que me ayudara a enviar la recertifcacion. Gracias Providence por sus trabajadores comunitarios son de gran ayuda para nosotros.

Soy muy bendecida con los servicios que he recibido, Dios los bendiga, ustedes valen oro.

Sinceramente,
Maria Guzman
Translated Version
To Providence Health and Services,
I, Maria Guzman, would like to thank God for the services offered by Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.

CalFresh benefits have been very helpful to me and my son. It has given me the opportunity to bring healthy food to our table. When I shop, I choose the healthiest fruits and vegetables.

I have a child with down syndrome and thyroid problems which has my son gain weight and with the benefits from CalFresh I can buy food to prepare healthy meals and thus prevent my son from gaining more weight. Right now, all food is very expensive and CalFresh benefits have impacted my family's life for the better.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Judith Ramos for helping me fill out the renewal form for my CalFresh benefits and sending my application to the Department of Public Services to have my benefits re-approved.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give Judith a 10 for her excellent service. In past years my benefits were canceled because I did not have someone to help me send the recertification. Thank you, Providence St. John Health Center for your community workers because they are a great help to us.

I am very blessed with the services I have received; God bless you, you are worth gold.

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Regards,
Maria Guzman
Testimony 2
To Providence Health and Services,
I, Ana Castillo would like to thank God for all the services Providence provides, especially the CalFresh Program.

My CalFresh benefit is a blessing to my life. I can purchase healthy meals, fruits, and vegetables. I can also buy a
descent meal from restaurants that accept EBT cards. I am very grateful for my CalFresh benefits.

Also, I’d like to thank Judith Ramos for helping me fill out my CalFresh application and submitting all documents required by
the Department of Public Social Services. I really appreciate her excellent service.

Thank you Providence, God bless you.

Sincerely,
Ana Castillo
Testimony 3
To Providence Health and Services
I Juan Carlos Chairez want to let Providence know that my family and I are very happy with our CalFresh benefits.

We are able to put fresh food such us chicken and meat and fresh fruits and vegetables on our table.

We purchase healthy products to prepare healthy meals.

The CalFresh benefits has been a great help to me and my family. Thank you so much for your help.

We really appreciate all the help that providence provides on behalf of the Community Health Workers.

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I would like to thank Judith Ramos for helping me fill out my CalFresh application and submitting all the documents required to the Department of Public Social Services for my CalFresh benefits to be approved.

Thank you so much for all your help and services,
Sincerely,
Juan Carlos Chairez
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Jan. 24, 2022
RE: Saint John’s Phase II Master Plan
Dear Planning Commissioners:

As Superintendent of the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), I recognize the essential need for our students, faculty and staff to have extraordinary partners in our communities. For many years, Saint John’s has been one of those extraordinary community partners providing:
• Services to children and families impacted by community violence, family discord, poverty, substance abuse and/or trauma.
• Individual and family therapy, group therapy, case management, parent training and teacher consultations.
• Mental/behavioral health services to students who may be at risk of school dropout, gang involvement, peer isolation and communication issues with adults and authority figures. • Additional services to students experiencing behavioral and emotional issues such as anxiety, disruptive behaviors, depression and trauma.

Most recently, Saint John’s has been an invaluable partner by providing vaccines and boosters to many of our faculty, staff and students.

I understand Saint John’s is bringing forward a Phase II Master Plan to the Planning Commission that would expand its healthcare services and provide an astonishing $100M community benefit’s package, a portion of which will be an investment in the youth of Santa Monica over the next 30 years.

I urge you to promptly approve this Phase II Master Plan and allow Saint John’s to move forward in its campus development and renewed commitment to the youth of our city.

Respectfully,
Ben Drati, EdD
Superintendent
Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District
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Michael Fiore
1626 Lincoln Blvd #505
Santa Monica, CA 90404
21 March 2021
Providence Health and Services
To whom this may concern:

In December 2021, Judith Ramos Albeno of Providence Health and Services assisted my wife and myself in our application for CalFresh awards. Judith helped us fill out the necessary forms, forwarded all pertinent documentation to DPSS, and followed up both with us and with DPSS to see that our application was processed.

In fact, if it had not been for Providence’s community outreach, my wife and I would not have known that we might be eligible for CalFresh assistance. Then, after the initial application, when further information was required by DPSS, Judith explained how we were to acquire this information and forwarded it to the correct case workers at DPSS for us.

The assistance we receive from CalFresh has substantially benefited our two-person household by putting food on our table and easing our monthly cash outlay for these necessary expenses.

We express our gratitude to Judith and Providence for offering their helpful service, and our hope that they may continue to extend this, and similar services, to those in need in our community.

Sincerely,
Michael Fiore
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2121 Santa Monica Boulevard
Santa Monica, California 90404
310-582-7340
providence.org
Santa Monica City Council
Planning Commission
22 MARCH 2022

LETTER OF SUPPORT
To the Planning Commission:

I have lived and worked in Santa Monica since September 2015, having moved here from San Diego because of the promise that was the Saint John’s Cancer Institute. I am an oncology nurse, a nurse scientist, and an Air Force reservist. A physician I worked with in San Diego asked if I would be willing to relocate to help establish a brain tumor program in Los Angeles. I said yes even if Los Angeles was not on my short list of preferred cities to live or work in.

As it turns out, moving to Santa Monica (not Los Angeles but Santa Monica), was one of the best decisions I made for my career. I love being able to claim that I work at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute, which changed the surgical management of patients with skin cancer forever by developing the sentinel lymph node biopsy technique, now a standard globally. Saint John’s has been a pioneer in medical innovations- and dare I say, Saint John’s is to Santa Monica, as UCLA is to Westwood, or NIH is to Bethesda.

The past two years, during the pandemic, I saw first-hand the contributions of Saint John’s to the community. We opened COVID vaccine and booster clinics for city employees, school districts within and in the immediate vicinity of the city, Santa Monica Police and Fire Departments, the archdiocese of Los Angeles. I lost count of the number of retired priests who told me they appreciated returning to Saint John’s where they were born.

The promise that is the Saint John’s Cancer Institute continues to instill hope. Just last month, a press release announced that Saint John’s was the first in the nation to treat glioblastoma patient with revolutionary radiation therapy. Strong clinical and research program brings key thought leaders to Santa Monica- physicians, scientists, investor, not to mention patients.

I want to bring nurses and even service members to train with us but we do not have the facilities for instruction. I have seen many of them walk through the doors of Saint John’s, the hospital, and gasp at how nice the lobby is. The reaction is even more profound during the Christmas season. Then they walk over to the Cancer Institute, a brick building that was painted over with gray paint. I’m not going to describe their reaction. I guess my point is, we need to update our campus and I am hoping that the commission will help Saint John’s so Saint John’s can continue to help the community of Santa Monica.

Sincerely,
Marlon Garzo Saria, PhD, RN, AOCNS, NEA, BC, NPD-BC, FAAN Director | Nursing Professional Practice | Providence Saint John’s Health Center Assistant Professor | Saint John’s Cancer Institute
Nurse Scientist | Center for Quality and Outcomes Research | Pacific Neuroscience Institute Item 9.A
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Bethany Proctor
My name is Bethany Proctor. I spoke in favor of St. John's Phase II a few years ago at the Planning Commission and City Council float-up hearings. I don’t think I can be at the Tuesday night hearing, so I am sending an email instead.

I want to express my support one more time. I’m asking you to vote YES for a plan that will serve my generation and our children and grandchildren to come. St. John’s incredible generosity of resources and energy and spirit is a gift to our community. As City Council members and our representatives, the community needs you to acknowledge that St.

John’s will be meeting the people of this city more than halfway in the plan that the hospital has sent to you. Let’s all of us give them a green light to move forward. My support is based on how I see the future of wellness in Santa Monica and on my own personal experience.

My relationship with St. John’s starts at the beginning – my beginning. I was born prematurely at St. John’s 14 days before the Northridge earthquake. I was in the NICU when the quake hit. Obviously, I don't remember the evacuation of the hospital, which was horribly damaged, but everyone in my neighborhood has a story about that day and how my mid-city neighborhood was impacted. The staff of St. John’s went into action and safely evacuated and relocated everyone at St. John’s. Those people are still serving Santa Monica through crises both personal and regional.

Coming into the world very prematurely can present challenges. When I was in elementary school, I was assessed at the St. John’s Child and Family Development Center, and a plan of care was set into motion. The issues I faced were thank goodness temporary, thanks in part to intervention by the expert staff. The CFDC is a reminder of how broad the health center’s mission really is. A new and improved CFDC will make a huge difference in kids’ and families’ lives.

I didn’t really interact with St. John’s again until six years ago, when my mom was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. After surgical treatment at another hospital, she found fellowship in an online support group where patients discussed treatment options, clinical trials, and ways to cope with everyday challenges. As my mom tried to understand her illness and envision a path forward in terms of life-extending treatment, the convener of the support group suggested that since my mom lived in Santa Monica, she should go to where the research is and get a consultation. Of course, the convener meant the John Wayne Cancer Institute (now renamed as St. John’s Cancer Institute). My mom quickly connected with a world-famous researcher/surgeon there who happened to have expertise in this kind of cancer. He was incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, and best of all, totally honest with her about her prognosis when she asked. The prognosis was hard for my mom, but she was a person of faith, and she shared with him her concern about the people she met in the support group who were struggling with this cancer.

The doctor said to her help is on the way. Help in the form of life-saving research that could someday turn into effective treatments available to patients in other communities across the country.

We lost her four years ago, but we are incredibly thankful for the doctors and scientists at the Cancer Institute and for the incredible work they do.

Everyone knows that the Cancer Institute needs a new facility to continue that work, but it can’t even be designed until Phase II is approved. I know that Phase II is basically a zoning and legal issue, but I ask you, when you vote, to remember the actual people who work at St. John’s and SJCI who welcome new lives and save others, and remember the people of this city who will count on this great health center throughout their lives. We will all benefit from your YES vote.

Thank you for reading my email.

Bethany Proctor
Santa Monica, CA
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From: Zachary Gaidzik <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 12:08 PM
To: Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; councilmtgitems
Cc: David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Item 9-A - support

EXTERNAL
City Councilmembers,
I am Zachary Gaidzik, and I serve as West/Metro LA Field Deputy for County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, sit on the Board of Ocean Park Association, and Climate Action Santa Monica. However, I am writing as an individual Santa Monica resident only.

I urge you to vote affirmatively on the incredibly important Phase II Plan. It will complete the Development Agreement process that actually started decades ago after the Northridge Quake and the assessment of critical care facilities and mandates of our State Senate. We now have a critical care facility that can withstand a strong seismic event and continue to function.

Moreover, I strongly support the presence of a community hospital in Santa Monica, one that can deliver high-touch and high-tech care to the people we love. I believe Saint John’s must continue to evolve with community need and make the most of the property it already owns in a thoughtful and practical way. This plan exemplifies those objectives. That is why approval of Phase II is essential.

I have a personal connection to Providence Saint John’s. I was born and raised in Santa Monica and have been a patient at Saint John’s numerous times. My aunt received emergency care at Saint John’s on more than one occasion for serious cardiac events. But what left the deepest impression for me was the care given to my grandfather who was a patient at the hospital at the end of his life. My family and I feel very strongly that the care that doctors, nurses, and other staff has been exemplary.

The Phase II Plan before you tomorrow night is future-focused. It updates the healing mission of the health center, providing improved and/or brand-new critical community-serving facilities such as the Cancer Institute and CFDC. New proposed uses, including outpatient facilities, will meet a critical need in the local healthcare space. A conference center that meets 21st century communications demands will aid the research and clinical staff and will provide a welcome addition to meeting room stock available to our engaged community. On-site parking for all will be a game-changer for the Mid-City neighborhood and visitors, and the generous open space element on the south property will be a huge bonus and obvious benefit to our community. The same goes for the deed-restricted affordable housing.

Finally, the community benefits attached to the Phase II Plan are, I believe, precedent breaking. It is extraordinary that a not-for-profit health center will devote significant dollars and in-kind services to meet the needs of Santa Monicans, while still providing excellent healthcare and research services to the community. I commend Providence Saint John’s for its vision and generosity of spirit and resources, and again ask you to vote yes on this truly important plan. ‐‐
Sincerely
Zachary Gaidzik
310-422-3435
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From: Julie Thompson <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 12:01 PM
To: Oscar de la Torre; councilmtgitems; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete
Subject: ITEM 9A Support

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council People:

As longtime Santa Monica residents (40 years and counting) we have utilized and benefited from the excellent services of St. John's hospital and have met countless doctors and researchers who work to provide Santa Monica residents (and way beyond) with advanced and sometimes leading edge health care. With their Phase II Building Plan we know they would be able to greatly expand the breadth of research and medical services to our beloved community. We hope you will partner with them in approving support for the Phase II Building Plan so they can move ahead.

Thanks for all the good work you do for Santa Monica.

Best Regards,
Julie M. Thompson
Brogan T. de Paor
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From: Tricia Crane <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 12:01 PM
To: Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Gleam Davis; councilmtgitems; David White; Susan Cline; Anuj Gupta Subject: The Board of Northeast Neighbors OPPOSE the proposed Community Benefits in Agenda Item 9.A

EXTERNAL
To: City Council
From: The Board of Northeast Neighbors
Re: OPPOSE adoption of St. John's Development Agreement – Agenda Item 9.A March 22, 2022
The Board of Northeast Neighbors agrees with the chairs of Friends of Sunset Park and Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition and support the recommendations in both of their letters to Council (embedded below) that the proposed Community Benefits for the St. John’s-Providence DA must be revised to include meaningful specificity and monitoring.

Thank you.
##
Mayor Himmelrich and Council Members,
The St. John's-Providence proposal for community benefits needs to be reviewed with a fine-tooth comb to ensure real community benefits are being provided and monitored with the DA expansion. The following points address where St. John is window dressing its community benefits, not specifically defining what the benefit is, not providing the 50 psychiatric beds which is a standard for the housed and unhoused of Santa Monica and how the city should focus greater transparency and accountability of associated monies from the DA.

Many Proposed Community Benefits for DA Expansion are Already Required and are Not an Increase Which is Required with the DA Expansion
St John's-Providence reports many stated "community benefits" which are already required by regulation and law and would be provided whether or not the DA was being expanded. These are not " benefits" for this project, they are required. These include:
 Child Care provisions - are not aimed to provide significant increases in the number of slots but more an incentive for the employment of hospital staff. The new facility does not provide commensurate slots for the additional development that is being proposed
 Health Assessment - this is a documented exercise that must be done to be a hospital system in the state
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4 Open Space Definition and Accessibility is NOT Clearly Defined In the staff report there is a reference to 35% open space on the south campus. In the community benefit section it refers to "publicly-accessible open space". What percentage of the 35% open space is public open space? How do these two converge?
Barriers with Mental Health and Homelessness Funds being Used for Most Important Services and Selecting Most Effective Providers
 The mental health dollars are not what the community needs nor what the Rand report suggested. The Rand report (2021) called for 50 beds for every 100,000 in population. Today we have zero psychiatric beds in Santa Monica, and none are planned. The closest psychiatric beds will be the 100+ bed that UCLA will build at the Olympia Hospital site at Olympic and Fairfax. This is too far and will be inadequate for the westside that it seeks to serve. Santa Monia needs psychiatric beds now, for Santa Monica's housed and unhoused population. These beds are needed not just for our unhoused population but for our residents as well. I understand that there is a current discussion with others in the mental health arena regarding a counseling center and an urgent behavioral health center on the expanded campus. These may be part of a system of service but they must be secondary to the bed need. The Audit Subcommittee is currently having a Homelessness report conducted and a key aspect is "identifying unmet needs and gaps" as requested by the Social Services Commission. WHAT could be more important in terms of "unmet needs and gaps" than having appropriate psychiatric beds for Santa Monica's housed and unhoused residents?  Currently the city has established a condition that the distribution of cash grants must be to organizations that have been city funded (via the Human Services Grant program) within the last three years. There should be an independent review and application process for these grants including an RFP process and an independent decision-making body to select and monitor these grants. The We are Santa Monica fund, a separate advisory board with grants finalized through the California Community Foundation, is an example of such a board.

Stewardship, Transparency and Effective Use of Development Agreement Funds The In Lieu Funds, part of the "Community Benefits" are placed in multiple funds including: housing trust fund, recreation and parks, child care and arts fund. There is NO accountability to the public or City officials as to how staff might budget, allocate or spend these funds. If a project, such as St John's-Providence DA expansion does not meet the water neutrality standard (and I still don't understand how this is calculated or decided) then in lieu funds are made. Who determines how much and where the funds go, much less how these funds are spent and then reported? This is the largest DA the city has seen and needs to be scrutinized to ensure the "community benefits" are received by the residents and the city to address our "unmet needs and gaps" and mitigate the 20 years of construction and the doubling of St. John's. St. John's never built their parking structure from the first phase of their rebuild.

Thank-you,
Elizabeth Van Denburgh
Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont)
Chair
##
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5 March 21, 2022
To: Mayor Himmelrich and City Council members
From: Zina Josephs
RE: 3/22/22 agenda item 9-A: Providence St. John's development agreement I urge the City Council to include the following in the St. John's DA:

1. Provide a minimum of 50 mental health beds for short-term inpatient care.

2. Provide a Mental Health Urgent Care Center (up to 24-hour care)

3. Provide a wellness program for SMMUSD students to combat obesity and diabetes and for targeted age groups, such as those who need health certificates to participate in youth sports programs.

4. Make the new conference center available at least four times a month for community groups to use for free.

5. Any funding for homeless services to community groups should be given through an independent "board" or group so that it is not simply targeted to those who already receive funding from the City grants programs. Any funding set aside for community benefits should have an outside group monitor how it is spent and report to Providence St. John's and the City Council on the expenditure of funds. This could be the "We Are Santa Monica Board" or another administrative group. Funds should not be put into the Santa Monica general fund pots, such as childcare, or the housing trust fund.

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6 Vernice Hankins
From: Nanci Linke-Ellis <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 11:55 AM
To: Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council Meeting 3/22/2022 St. John's Redevelopment Phase II

EXTERNAL
March 22, 2022
Dear City Council members,
As a 27‐year resident of Mid City, and current Vice President of the Hearing Loss Association of America, California Association (HLAA‐CA), and serving on the Santa Monica Disabilities Commission. I am also a Deaf woman who has been blessed as a bi‐lateral cochlear implant recipient since 1994.  Since my first implant, I have spent my life working with companies, organizations and government agencies to help them understand the imperative need for clear communication and ease of accommodations.

I support the Phase Two Redevelopment of Providence St. John’s and encourage you to include as many accommodations as possible.  Many require little or no funding.  There are products and apps that have been created by Apple, Google, Microsoft and Zoom that are provided without cost. Low‐cost tablets\ smartphones apps can be utilized, as well.

We are very fortunate to live in a time of exceptional technology that has been created to be user friendly to both people with hearing loss and those they deal with that have normal hearing.

For the purposes of this council meeting, however, I would like to list some accessibility issues that should be included.  The American Disability Act was written as a minimum standard, not the maximum. At the time that the ADA was signed into law, most of the technology that Deaf and hard of hearing people currently use did not yet exist.

Conceptually, if you can hear it, they need to see it.

Some crucial areas to be addressed:

In general:

(1) wherever there is audio amplification, there should be some form of speech to text access.

(2) all videos, speeches, and other events should have captions. (3) televisions should have captions activated at all times.

(4) staff should be trained to use tablets with transcription speech to text apps (such as Google Live Transcribe for Android and Otter Voice, or Ava for iOS); these are all AI driven.

(5) there should be appropriate accessible\captions signage. (6) advertisements should list available accommodations.

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7 (7) staff should receive sensitivity training on how to accommodate Deaf patrons.

(8) patient advocates need to be available to patients for appointments and prior to hospital admission. These are specifically trained people who can navigate the process and ensure that both medical staff and patients understand what is going on.

Lobbies: If there is an audio announcement system in a lobby, all public area television sets should have captions activated.

Public Event Spaces: All conference and meeting rooms with an audio system (including the proposed Education and Conference Center) include some form of speech to text capability. Communication access real‐time translation (CART), also called open captioning or real‐time stenography, or simply real‐time captioning, is the general name of the system that court reporters, closed captioners and voice writers, and others use to convert speech to text. This should be available for events open to the public and can be done on‐site or remotely.

Restaurants: Servers should have access to a tablet with transcription speech to text apps and all staff should be trained in its use. If the restaurant has an audio system or will be used for meetings or other events, it should have captioning capability. If the restaurant has a television, it should have captions activated at all times.

Medical Offices: tablets with transcription speech to text apps should be available.

All Telehealth applications must be required to include captioning capability.

PPE for staff that enables deaf and hard of hearing to understand caretakers and other staff.

There are many economical and effective tools already in existence for the use of Providence St. John's staff and patients.

I am more than happy to discuss this at further length and provide research and data for your perusal.

Thank you for your time and interest.

Nanci Linke Ellis
3207 Colorado Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310.829.3884 main
310.922.3884 mobile
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From: Andrew Hoyer <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 11:43 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Clerk Mailbox; Clerk Mailbox
Subject: St John's DA 3-22-22 Item 9A

EXTERNAL
City Councilmembers,
Santa Monica Mid City Neighbors has a long history dealing with the impacts that Providence St John’s Medical Center has had upon our community. Every community needs hospitals, especially in these dire times. And our community does appreciate the services that are currently provided by our hospitals. But there are some services that are not being provided by either of them.

For the past ten years or more St John’s has come to us when they are petitioning the city for something. And every time they have heard that the community wants mental health services, including beds for 72-hour holds. Every Time.

Over a ten-year span, they did not even consider the idea that our city government might request this of them. And they stand before you now asking for permission to disrupt our community with construction for the next twentyfive years. Many of us work from home now and “Construction Noise in the Background” will be our new nemesis.

St. John’s came to our December meeting with this latest plan and our President, Jen Regan put together a document for our members to submit their thoughts on. We have more concerns than just mental health. Closing off 21st and moving a light closer to 20th sounds disastrous. We’d like a path through the North Campus to break up the super block they have created. And of course, there will be more traffic with no shuttle to the Metro station as requested numerous times. Does the city still intend to activate Colorado into a business district? You will find our community’s input below. We respectfully request that you include them in your negotiations with St John’s.

Andrew Hoyer
SMMCN Board Secretary & Govt Affairs Officer
Santa Monica Mid City Neighbors Board & Members
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2 Mental Health & Other Services:
 Provide the in- and out-patient services our community needs, at a location to be proposed by the Hospital, somewhere on the campus.
o Mental Health Beds at a minimum of 50 beds.
o Mental Health Urgent Care Center (23 hr. 59 min open per day) similar to https://www.wellnesscenteroc.com
o Bi-Monthly Health Clinic for Santa Monica College students experiencing homelessness or who are nutritionally compromised.
o A Wellness Program for Santa Monica public school students to combat obesity and diabetes and to provide targeted age groups such as those who need health certificates in order to participate in youth sports programs.  Embrace the recommendations provided by the city’s own Social Services Commission
 Any funding for homeless services to community groups should be administered through an independent board so that it is not just targeted to those who already receive funding from the city grant programs.
 Any funding set aside for community benefits must have an outside group monitor how it is spent and report to the Medical Center and the City Council on the expenditure of funds. This could be the "We are Santa Monica Board" or another administrative group. Funds should not be put into the Santa Monica general fund pots such as childcare or housing trust fund.  The new conference center should be made available at least four times a month for community groups to use for free.

Vehicular Circulation & Traffic Concerns
 The existing vehicular function of 21st St. is benign: Maintain the existing 21st St. as a through street from Santa Monica Bl. to Broadway to avoid creating a super-block effect and worsening traffic on 20th St.
 Maintain the full-function traffic signal at the existing 21st St. alignment on Santa Monica Bl.: The proposed move to the west would make the signal too close to 20th St., creating stacking problems;
 Move, if necessary, the 22nd St. signal for best pedestrian convenience, and change its function from full function to pedestrian, with red light flashing, to reduce the traffic snarling created by excessive signals between 20th and Cloverfield. There would be no impact to the Hospital: the intersection is in-only, and right-turn-out function could be added, if desired, without need for a signal.

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3 Healthy Transportation, Pedestrian Access, Safety:
 As a non-profit hospital you have an obligation to conduct Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) to retain your tax-exempt status. There is a clear community need for healthy transportation: Ways of getting around without a car, without poisoning the planet, without adding to the obesity and diabetes crisis. The current designs fail to make the connection between the health mission of St Johns and the continuing problems of car-based transport which affect personal and planetary health:
 The North Campus superblock creates a real obstacle to pedestrians and people on bikes. An attractively landscaped walkway and bikeway adjacent to the proposed fire lane at the 21st St. alignment could correct the problem of an arduous hike via 20th or 23rd Streets. Alternatively, the proposed fire lane could be upgraded to a street with public vehicular access and sidewalk.
 A range of programming should be implemented to bring healthy transportation to St Johns. You should implement real incentives for staff to use healthy modes, create safe and attractive bicycle parking and routes. The hospital leadership should publicly advocate for better infrastructure for healthy modes. The position of a commute coordinator (last held by Bonnie Halwey) must be filled again to facilitate less driving for staff and doctors. Patient appointments, scripts, and communications should include public transit options and bike routes, given your vicinity to bus stops and the Expo Bike Lane. Your chief executive (Marcel Loh) should be riding his bike to work from his home in Santa Monica for Bike to Work Day, and the Blessing of the Bicycles, last conducted in 2016, should become an annual event. Community health programming should offer safe cycling education for staff, patients and the local community, diabetes prevention programming (DPP) should also include hands-on access to active modes.  It is truly vexing that St John’s has so little capacity to consider the synergies between health and transportation. The benefits of connecting these silos have a rich evidence basis and have been proven in many places. Yet this hospital system is still stuck in the car and the unhealthy horizon of automobilitis.

Women’s Health Services:
 Some members in our community have serious concerns over Women’s Health Options and women represent half of the city’s citizenry. While they understand the principles of freedom of religion, they also believe that contraception is a legal right.

Some General Comments on Traffic and Expansion:

The proposed South Campus additions are about the same size as the proposed Hines Project at the former PaperMate Plant that was ultimately rejected by the Item 9.A
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4 City of Santa Monica. The number of traffic trips generated per day by these additions would probably be about 13,000, the same amount as the proposed Hines Project, if not more. We cannot handle the existing traffic and congestion already let alone the additional traffic and congestion that these proposed additions would create. During rush hour, traffic is bumper to bumper on Santa Monica Blvd from before 20th Street to Cloverfield Blvd and also on Broadway from before 19th Street to Cloverfield Blvd as well as on Cloverfield Blvd from Santa Monica Blvd to the 10 Freeway. Both Santa Monica Blvd and Cloverfield Blvd plus Broadway and Cloverfield are choke points for traffic with no relief possible. The only freeway on and off ramp in the area is at Cloverfield that is already gridlocked and cannot handle existing traffic let alone the additional traffic the South Campus additions would create. The scope of the proposed South Campus additions is not sustainable in the area.

It is recommended that the South Campus additions be similar to those at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara-two- and three-story buildings. If additional space is needed, then St John’s could expand outward rather than upward. This would disperse the traffic and alleviate the traffic and congestion that the proposed South Campus additions would create around Santa Monica Blvd, Broadway, 20th Street and Cloverfield Blvd. It really is to the benefit of not only St John’s but also to its patients, staff and our community overall if St John’s is more like Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara rather than the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. Also patients prefer St John’s to the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood because St John’s is more human scale with better personal service.

There is only one moment in time when it is essential to awaken. That moment is now. - Buddha
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From: Council Mailbox
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 10:12 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: FW: Item: 9a
‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐
From: Louise Steiner <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 3:59 PM
To: Council Mailbox <[email protected]>
Subject: Item: 9a

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,  I am voicing my support for the St John’s phase 2 expansion only if the large mental health facilities they propose are included and built.

Thank you.  Louise Steiner
Resident of Santa Monica
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From: Donna Schweers <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 10:11 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Approve Saint John's Master Plan

EXTERNAL
My name is Donna Schweers and I am writing you today to encourage you to vote “YES” on the Providence Saint John’s Health Center Phase II Master Plan and to express to you my sincere enthusiasm for all that this plan represents for our entire community.

I am a retired healthcare consultant with thirty‐five plus years experience working with physicians, hospitals, insurance companies and investors in designing and implementing integrated health care programs and institutions.  When our family relocated from San Francisco to Santa Monica shortly after the 1994 earthquake, Saint John’s Health Center, the gem of a community hospital that I had heard about so often in my career, was closed for reconstruction and we had to seek and establish a hospital relationship outside of our community.  Realizing just how critical having a world class hospital and research institute within our community is,  I vowed to become more involved with the hospital upon its reopening.  I joined the Irene Dunne Guild, a women’s support group to help raise money and awareness of the wonderful, first class services provided by Saint John’s to our community.  Shortly after that time, I became a Trustee of the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation, serving as the Chair of the Trustee Board from 2015 ‐2017 and am currently serving my seventh year as a member of the Health Center’s Board of Directors.  I also volunteer at the hospital serving as a member of the “No One Dies Alone” program.

I see every day the importance of access to cutting edge, critical health care services and research to everyone in our community, including those who are poor and most vulnerable.  While serving as Treasurer of the hospital Board and as a member of the Foundation’s Community Inpact Fund Committee, I have witnessed first hand the investment of millions of dollars back into the community not only to provide comprehensive, vital services directly but also to invest in our community partners who work tirelessly to provide food, shelter, education and mental health services to our most vulnerable neighbors.  If approved, the Phase II Master Plan will allow Saint John's to expand upon our work and partnerships to provide $10 million to the city’s behavioral health initiatives, dramatically assisting organizations providing mental health, substance abuse and community programs to residents.  The Plan also helps to address affordable housing by providing much‐needed housing for low‐income residents as well as additional childcare and day care options for our local families.

Given my background in healthcare, I understand just how critical it is to have a cutting edge research facility within our local health center.  In order for Saint John's to compete in the Los Angeles healthcare market place and have the ability to recruit the world class physicians and providers that our community citizens deserve, it is critical that the hospital maintain and support a leading research facility that helps expedite the transformational care that everyone in our community deserves.  The expanded and updated research facility provided by the Phase II Master Plan, will provide the sorely needed space and upgrade necessary for our research to push the boundaries of medical treatments through countless clinical trials and original research.  Our entire community deserves and expects first rate medical care from Saint John's.

The overwhelming benefits to our community provided by the Phase II Master Plan are critical and obvious.   I strongly encourage you to support our entire community and vote “YES” on this transformative and comprehensive plan for the Item 9.A
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3 Saint John's campus.  I am so excited to see what lies ahead for our neighbors and community as we see the “power of partnership” presented in this Plan unfold.

Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Donna Schweers
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From: Mina Kang <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 9:28 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: YES on Saint John’s Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Dear Esteemed Members of the Santa Monica City Council, My name is Mina Kang, MD and I have been a practicing physician at Saint John's Health Center for over 10 years. I have volunteered my clinical services at Venice Family Clinic and student‐run homeless clinics to help provide low‐cost health services to members of the Santa Monica and West LA community. These experiences have given me a unique perspective of the role that Providence Saint John's Health Center plays in our community. I have 2 children who have attended the Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) Day Care on the Saint John’s campus starting at 3 months of age and both have graduated to attend elementary school in Santa Monica. I am also a patient at Saint John’s along with my parents and children. Not too long ago a father of a close friend of ours had life‐saving emergency open‐heart surgery at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. These experiences have given me a unique perspective of the role that Providence Saint John's Health Center has in our community. As a physician, mother, patient, and community member, I have seen first‐hand how a state‐of‐the‐art research institute and community health center can work together to improve patient lives and offer innovative treatment options to save lives.

I am most proud to be able to practice with and refer my family and friends to some of the best physicians and surgeons in the world here in our own city. These new facilities would allow us to continue our mission of world class care in a friendly and personable community setting. Additionally, if it wasn’t for the CFDC, I would not have been able to practice medicine full‐time and provide care to all the patients I have had the privilege to care for over the past 10 years. I know that this is true for many of my colleagues as well. Therefore, I’m excited that this plan includes expansion of childcare facilities and subsidies to support future generations of physicians and nurses.

I urge you to vote in favor of this transformative Master Plan.

Sincerely,
Mina Kang, MD
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From: Krasne, David MD <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 9:00 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Support Saint John's Phase II Master Plan

EXTERNAL
March 22, 2022
Santa Monica City Counsel:

My name is Dr. David Krasne.  I’m a pathologist practicing at Saint John’s since 1990.  During that time I’ve lived in Santa Monica twice, I currently live in Venice and commute to the Hospital daily on bicycle.  On a general level, as a local resident and commuting cyclist, the image of Saint John’s completed campus as presented in the Phase II Master Plan, in my mind’s eye, is a welcome burst of open space and green landscape, life and activity, and wonderful modern architecture indicative of investment in this City, all things which add value for me as a resident.

I want to provide a brief inside look at the mission the Phase II Master Plan endeavors to perpetuate.  In the mid‐1990s, amazingly the largest physician NIH research grant in the United States was at held at Saint John’s, by a well‐known melanoma surgeon.  At the time one of his younger colleagues, a breast surgeon, and I adapted one of the senior surgeon’s experimental melanoma techniques to the treatment of breast cancer, and that procedure, originated at Saint John’s is now standard surgery throughout the world for both melanoma and breast cancer.

Today at Saint John’s I work alongside physicians in fields of brain tumors, joint replacements, heart diseases, prostate and colon cancers who are internationally recognized thought leaders in their fields.  They’re here because Saint John’s supports innovation and cutting‐edge health care so rarely possible outside of huge academic centers in the kind of small compassionate environment of Saint John's, not to mention in one of the loveliest cities anywhere.  Patients fly in from far away for what Saint John’s does, and Santa Monica residents have this as their norm.  The development plan at issue tonight is about keeping this going.

On mental health in Santa Monica, I cannot speak for Saint John’s, but I believe their $10 million commitment towards behavioral health initiatives is only the beginning.  Providence, the parent company, has a significant history of prioritizing mental health, so Providence Saint John’s stands to be a major partner with the City of Santa Monica in its efforts against mental illness, homelessness, and addiction.  And the more successful Saint John’s is, the stronger and more able partner they will be with the City in its work around mental illness.  Another reason why it is so important that Santa Monica enable Saint John’s to be the best they can be.

Please vote to support the Phase II Master Plan.

Thank you
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2 David L. Krasne, M.D.| Medical Director, Pathology Department and Clinical Laboratory Saint John’s Health Center
Providence Health and Services
Office: 310.829.8101 | Fax: 310.829.6509
2121 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA  90404
www.providence.org/saintjohns
Creating healthier communities, together
This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.

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From: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 8:55 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori Subject: Saint Johns Phase II Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Hello,
My name is Robert Wollman, MD I am the Vice-President of the Medical Staff at St. John's, and I have been the Medical Director of the Radiation Oncology Department since 1998.

I am writing to whole-heartedly support approval of the Saint John's Phase II Master Plan.

Saint John's is a vital part of Santa Monica, providing incredible care to our patients and serving the community in a multitude of ways - research, health care, education, charity and emergency preparedness.

As part of the cancer program specifically the amount of outstanding clinical care and research that goes on here is truly breathtaking for a community hospital of this size, and can only get better with the proposed Master Plan. In order to further our mission(s) we are desperately in need of more space -- and more modern space -- as well as improved access to parking and mass transit. Our patients come from all over the city/region/country for specialized care, in an accessible humane environment that St. Johns provides better than our nearby rivals. These rivals are also growing and would like nothing better than to swallow us whole, which would be a huge loss for Santa Monica and beyond. Without the proposed upgrades of the Master Plan we would be at a severe -- and growing - - disadvantage with regards to competing for the best scientists, doctors, nurses, staff, clinical and research programs. We are breaking ground in so many ways in the realm of cancer. From much shorter and convenient courses of radiation therapy for breast cancer (often done at the same time as surgery - something no other hospital in the LA region is doing nearly as much as we are) to fantastically innovative programs for treating brain tumors of all kinds at Pacific Neurosciences Institute.

My family and patients always tell me what a breath of fresh air it is to come and get world class treatment at St John's. They are truly blown away by the way they are treated and cared for here. It is a very special place and it can only stay that way if we renovate, grow and innovate.

Our ability to maintain and deepen our personal goals and institutional mandate to be the leader in the future of health care for our patients and our community depends on approval of the Phase II Master Plan and I urge you to vote in favor of it.

Sincerely,
Robert Wollman, MD
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From: Thomas Geiser <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 9:01 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Approve Saint John's Health Center Master Plan

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council Members,
My name is Thomas Geiser and I am writing to you to express my unequivocal support for the approval of the Saint John’s Health Center Phase II Master Plan.  I urge you to vote in favor of the Plan, which has been developed after exhaustive efforts by representatives of Saint John’s and extensive review and input by City of Santa Monica staff and the Planning Commission.

I served on the Providence Saint John’s Health Center Board of Directors from 2014 through 2021 and served as the Chair of that Board from 2016 to 2018. I became a Board member because I believe in the power of local governance of a health care facility that is of such critical importance to our local community.  I have been consistently impressed by the passion and caring of the men and women who deliver the fabulous care that is available at Saint John’s.

The Master Plan reflects the legacy and unique place that Saint John’s occupies in Santa Monica.  Since opening in the 1930’s, Saint John’s has served as a lynchpin for the care of Santa Monica residents and it is beloved by our community.

This was never more firmly on display than after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, when Saint John’s was severely damaged and forced to close down.  The community rallied in support of the institution and raised the funding to re‐ build the hospital, which led to the Development Agreement with the City that in turn led to the Phase II Master Plan that is currently under consideration by the City Council.  That Master Plan is hugely thoughtful and the product of extensive interaction with and input from the many affected constituencies in the City.  As a Board member, I can tell you that this Master Plan is essential to Saint John’s fulfilling its mission going forward in ways that will help and support the City and its residents.

The Master Plan provides needed space for the hospital’s critical clinical and research programs, allowing it to further its unique place in the local healthcare ecosystem as a facility which offers university hospital quality of care but with the compassion and personal touch of a small, community hospital. I want to call out as well the Plan’s focus on behavioral health and providing resources to the community which has been a focus of the City in considering the Master Plan.  It goes without saying that added resources are required to address the behavioral health needs of so many in our community.  The Master Plan admirably devotes significant resources to that effort, as well as homelessness.  The Master Plan further makes available child care and urgently needed housing resources to our community, while also ensuring appropriate access to open space.

I urge you to approve the Phase II Master Plan and make its significant benefits to our community a reality.  Thank you, Thomas Geiser
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From: Krasne, David MD <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 9:05 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Roxanne Tanemori
Subject: Support Saint John's Phase II Master Plan: CORRECTED LETTER

EXTERNAL
March 22, 2022
Santa Monica City Council:

My name is Dr. David Krasne.  I’m a pathologist practicing at Saint John’s since 1990.  During that time I’ve lived in Santa Monica twice, I currently live in Venice and commute to the Hospital daily on bicycle.  On a general level, as a local resident and commuting cyclist, the image of Saint John’s completed campus as presented in the Phase II Master Plan, in my mind’s eye, is a welcome burst of open space and green landscape, life and activity, and wonderful modern architecture indicative of investment in this City, all things which add value for me as a resident.

I want to provide a brief inside look at the mission the Phase II Master Plan endeavors to perpetuate.  In the mid‐1990s, amazingly the largest physician NIH research grant in the United States was at held at Saint John’s, by a well‐known melanoma surgeon.  At the time one of his younger colleagues, a breast surgeon, and I adapted one of the senior surgeon’s experimental melanoma techniques to the treatment of breast cancer, and that procedure, originated at Saint John’s is now standard surgery throughout the world for both melanoma and breast cancer.

Today at Saint John’s I work alongside physicians in fields of brain tumors, joint replacements, heart diseases, prostate and colon cancers who are internationally recognized thought leaders in their fields.  They’re here because Saint John’s supports innovation and cutting‐edge health care so rarely possible outside of huge academic centers in the kind of small compassionate environment of Saint John's, not to mention in one of the loveliest cities anywhere.  Patients fly in from far away for what Saint John’s does, and Santa Monica residents have this as their norm.  The development plan at issue tonight is about keeping this going.

On mental health in Santa Monica, I cannot speak for Saint John’s, but I believe their $10 million commitment towards behavioral health initiatives is only the beginning.  Providence, the parent company, has a significant history of prioritizing mental health, so Providence Saint John’s stands to be a major partner with the City of Santa Monica in its efforts against mental illness, homelessness, and addiction.  And the more successful Saint John’s is, the stronger and more able partner they will be with the City in its work around mental illness.  Another reason why it is so important that Santa Monica enable Saint John’s to be the best they can be.

Please vote to support the Phase II Master Plan.

Thank you
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6 David L. Krasne, M.D.| Medical Director, Pathology Department and Clinical Laboratory Saint John’s Health Center
Providence Health and Services
Office: 310.829.8101 | Fax: 310.829.6509
2121 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA  90404
www.providence.org/saintjohns
Creating healthier communities, together
This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.

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