Mitch Katz Rides On

The UCLA Bicycle Academy will hold a round table meeting to bring together hospital executives, community benefits managers, and bicycle advocates on 3 May 2019 at 11:00 (Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles 90095, Conference Room 6-6234) We are natural allies, both focused on healthy communities, but we have not been speaking much to each other in the past. We are grateful to the former head of LA County Public Health department who has kindly allowed us to call this conversation "Mitch Katz Rides On". Gustavo Friederichsen of the LA County Medical Association has been the main midwife for this effort. UCLA Health kindly provided a conference room. Paul Watkins, CEO of Northridge Dignity Health and previously sustainability champion at UCLA Santa Monica hospital will join us, Linda Khamoushian from CALbike in Sacramento, Eli Kaufman from the LA County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC), Vanessa Gray from C.I.C.L.E., Jim Shanman from Walk 'n Rollers and a number of Community Benefits managers. The scope of the meeting is to learn how bicycle advocates and medical providers can work together to advance a common agenda for better health in our communities. 

"Mitch Katz Rides On" will share best practices by bicycle friendly providers, which include

• Hospital based safe cycling education provided by certified coaches. Exciting opportunities through the Metro BEST program
• Health providers increasing their support for active commuting choices for staff and facilitate Bicycle User Groups
• Wayfinding for locations and appointments should no longer reproduce the notion that everybody drives in LA (include transit and bicycle access in appointment reminders)
• Make sure leases for medical offices do not include bundled parking
• Improved stairways in medical offices
• Enhanced bike parking racks that carry a health message like "The Chief Medical Officer has determined that cycling and walking is good for your health"
• Hospitals to be League certified as bicycle friendly business 
• Community Benefits Programs which support active and healthy transportation, Safe Routes to School
• Hospital based Blessing of the Bicycles, etc

There are a huge number of medical practitioners throughout LA who personally have discovered the pleasures of two-wheeled transport. They are waiting for the right signal from the leadership and are ready to become champions of such an agenda. 

If you want to be involved in the event, please get in touch. Bike advocacy is health advocacy. And it is urgent.