But what is the outcome?

On Friday, May 3rd, 2019, we met at UCLA Health. "Mitch Katz Rides On" was the title for an attempt to facilitate healthy transportation programming around medical providers in Los Angeles. It is part of a larger vision of medical providers playing an active role in reducing unhealthy modes of transport. Because as you drive more, obesity becomes a problem. And the more your use actives modes (transit, cycling, walking), obesity and all its side-effects declines. Look here:

This graph gives us the big picture. It was the center of our conversation. The first installment of a good and important conversation. But what precisely was the outcome?

We understand the need for the community benefits teams to learn more about the METRO Best program which provides community based bicycle education and encouragement. We invited Indu Sanwal from the UCLA Health community benefits team, but she cancelled on the day of the meeting. We invited Cindy Levey from the Cedars Sinai community benefits team, but she had a conflict. We invited Katrina Bada from the Good Samaritan Hospital community benefits team. This hospital conducts an annual Blessing of the Bicycles, but she could not come. We invited Justin Joe from Providence, who is in charge for community benefits for a number of Providence hospitals. In his place Paul Makarewicz, Director of Mission Leadership from Santa Monica, joined us. We are very grateful for that. We invited Nancy Clifton-Hawkins from the City of Hope community benefits team, but she had a prior engagement. We invited Celia Brugman from the community benefits team at Kaiser Permanente in West LA, but she could not come, and neither could her deputy. We also invited Melissa Biel, whose firm Biel Consulting contracts with many hospitals to conduct Community Health Needs Assessments. She thought it was an important topic, but she was not available.

Mind you, we were able to make our pitch on the phone, sometimes more than once, and a very useful time on the phone it was, for which we are grateful. But when it comes to a better understanding to how healthy transportation programming could be implemented at UCLA Health, at Cedars Sinai, at Good Samaritan Hospital, at Providence, at City of Hope, at Kaiser Permanente in West LA, we were not really able to share our message and advice. What kind of format would be suitable? What kind of obstacles should we expect? How to advertise, whom to include, how to connect with related efforts. It was a important conversation to have, highlighting the need for such programming, and highlighting the need to build bridges between the domains of transportation and health, referring occasionally to the long list inspiring precedents here. And acknowledging, more than once, the work done by Prof Richard Jackson of Designing Healthy Communities, whose work has left a deep impact at UCLA and elsewhere.

Click to enlarge

From left to right: Eli Kaufman (LACBC), James Evans (UCLA Health, Sustainability), Linda Khamoushian (CALBike), Jean Armbruster (LA County Public Health, Place Program), Jimmy Tran (UCLA Transportation), Karen Miotto (UCLA Health Physician Wellness), Richard Azar (COO UCLA Health), Gustavo Friederichsen (CEO LA County Medical Association), Michael Cahn (Bicycle Academy). Not pictured: Jim Shanman (Walk 'n Rollers), Paul Makarewicz (Providence Saint Johns). Present by implication: Richard Jackson.


Yes, it was a good meeting to have. We are grateful for those who attended, and for those who had time for us on the phone. We learned that the LA County Medical Association is a strong ally for healthy communities. We argued that bike advocacy is health advocacy for everybody, not a special service to a few bicycle enthusiasts. We agreed that the Metro BEST program now offers a very special opportunity for health providers: Too good to be missed. We said that hospitals will soon come to recognize the tremendous health benefits of active transportation. In Los Angeles - where else?

The work continues. At the next round all the community benefits teams will be in attendance. Hopefully.