BCHD Named ‘Healthcare District of the Year’ and a “Best Place to Work”
Association of California Healthcare Districts Honors BCHD for Service to Community
BCHD employees at Volunteer Day in August, 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo courtesy of BCHD)
The Association of California Healthcare Districts (ACHD), which oversees 77 health districts in the state, has named Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Healthcare District of the Year. The announcement came during ACHD’s 69th annual meeting and 2021 awards ceremony last month. The theme of the event was “Recover, Refocus and Adapt” a concept that was cornerstone to BCHD’s COVID-19 response — the campaign that earned BCHD the honor.
BCHD activated its District Operations Center in March 2020 and among other offerings, was able to create a COVID-19 testing site and vaccination site, assist at-risk older adults in the community, offer health and well-being tools to residents and disseminate accurate and timely COVID-19 information to the community.
“We are honored to receive this award—this past year was unprecedented, and we stepped up as an organization to serve our community during this great time of need,” said Beach Cities Health District CEO Tom Bakaly. “I accept this award on behalf of our community, partners, volunteers, Board and staff. It was a collective effort, and we couldn’t have done it without them.”
The Healthcare District of the Year Award honors a healthcare district that implemented one or more initiatives to improve the health and well-being of their community. Honorees were evaluated based on their contributions to the communities they serve including, dedication to both preventive care and crisis response during the COVID-19 pandemic. A panel of outside judges scored all nomination materials.
“Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) exemplifies what it means to put community first,” said Cathy Martin, CEO of the Association of California Healthcare Districts. “From the onset of the pandemic, its comprehensive response to meet the needs of residents and employees is remarkable. During the pandemic, BCHD has and continues to execute a broad strategy that has not only addressed the needs of the most vulnerable populations through safer-at-home programs, but also through providing resources to address the mental health and wellness needs in the communities it serves, all while providing testing and vaccinations. Their dedication is humbling.”
In 2019, BCHD’s CEO Tom Bakaly received ACHD’s CEO of the Year award. In 2014, BCHD also completed ACHD’s Best Practices in Governance certification process. BCHD Board member Vanessa Poster was additionally named ACHD’s 2018 Trustee of the Year and received a distinguished service award for her work on the board from 2002-2008.
BCHD Ranked as One of Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in 2021
Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) has been ranked No. 5 among healthcare providers and insurers in Modern Healthcare’s 2021 Best Places to Work award program, moving up one spot from its 2020 ranking.
BCHD also ranked No. 2 on Modern Healthcare’s list of Family Friendliest workplaces. This is the ninth straight year, and 10th time in 11 years BCHD has made the list.
The complete list of this year’s rankings is available at ModernHealthcare.com/bestplacestowork. Modern Healthcare published a special supplement featuring the ranked list of all winners along with its September 20 edition.
“Our employees have done a tremendous job assisting our community during this pandemic while maintaining the many programs and services BCHD provides,” said Tom Bakaly, CEO of Beach Cities Health District. “Our organization has adapted to provide testing, then vaccines, and we stand ready to assist with vaccinations for children or booster shots for adults as needed. I am very proud of our team for their flexibility, resilience and hard work since the pandemic began.”
Modern Healthcare partnered with the Best Companies Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey. While this program has evolved over the years, its mission remains the same: recognizing workplaces that empower employees to provide patients and customers the best possible care, products and services.
As the healthcare industry sits squarely on the frontlines of this pandemic, the mission of the Best Places to Work program has only become more important. Healthcare leaders have proven that creating nurturing, supportive workplaces for their most valuable asset, their employees, is vital.
“The healthcare workforce has undergone a true test in the past year and a half, oftentimes pitting employees against employers. So how best to keep harmony in a workplace that is inherently stressful? This year’s winners have an easy tip to incorporate: show respect. In high-performing and successful teams, regard for employees’ well-being, acknowledgment of their contributions, and deference to their experience and dedication all helped maintain professionalism and productivity,” said Aurora Aguilar, Editor of Modern Healthcare. “We congratulate all of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for emphasizing that compassion and respect are essential to an engaged and productive workforce.”