Notes from the President — Feb. 1

Together was and is better; also, announcing an executive personnel change

I am not sure how many years it takes to create a tradition, but probably more than two. However, we are developing a tradition here at Loma Linda University Health with our second annual One Homecoming, in which all alumni gather to celebrate and reminisce during the same weekend.

One Homecoming starts on Sunday, Feb. 25, at our new San Bernardino campus, where we’ll host a “Community Plant Your Future” event from 1-4 p.m. This will feature vegetarian cooking classes, gardening techniques and other special educational and tasting activities.

The next day, Monday, Feb. 26, will start the 7^th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition. This has become a once-every-five-years event, drawing participants from around the world. From Monday through Wednesday, it will cover the latest research and useful information on a plant-based diet.

Thursday, March 1, will be a full day of interdisciplinary continuing education: Whole Notes Conference: Bridge the Gap — Clinical Communication, followed by continuing education classes starting on Friday, March 2. You can see the variety of topics on our website at llu.edu/homecoming.

Friday also starts the mission-focused Homecoming activities at 7 p.m. in the University Church featuring some of our “Unsung Heroes.” Our alumni and staff do amazing things where they serve, and we have selected just a few of those stories to tell. I won’t spill the beans here, as that would not let them remain “Unsung!” The program will open with music from Kimo Smith on the pipe organ. 

All are welcome Saturday, March 3, in the Drayson Center starting at 9 a.m. Our traditional parade of flags will begin the program, followed by a feature on “Missions is a Family Affair.” The program will feature service in Africa, including stories told by the Netteburg / Bland families about their unique challenges of serving in Bere, Tchad. It demonstrates amazing commitment and sacrifice, surrounded by danger, with rewards that balance things out. We’ll also hear a report about a group of students back from a mission trip to Nigeria. Our church service will be given by Randy Roberts and will be streamed back into the middle service at the University Church for those who remain there.

Sabbath lunch will again be our trademark haystacks in the big tent, where last year we served more than 1,600 people in efficient, record time. The afternoon is a composite of class and school functions, visiting and walking the campus. At 4 p.m. in the University Church, we will have our Mission Vespers, coordinated by the Medical Auxiliary, where more adventures and future plans will be shared by alumni, faculty, residents and students.

Saturday night we’ll be back in Drayson at 7 p.m., with the first half of the program featuring the remarkable talent of our alumni and students. For the second half, we are privileged to have Kevin K.O. Olusola with us from Pentatonix. Kevin’s parents have roots here in Loma Linda and we are delighted they have agreed to come back and share his story and music with us. And for those with energy left, there is a morning 5k run on Sunday, March 4, followed by a pancake breakfast and later more continuing education classes. Several of our schools will have banquets during the weekend, and those times will be announced separately to alumni of those schools. The usual School of Medicine APC Gala will be held Sunday evening.

Last year some worried about crowding and capacity. We did fine and will welcome even more this year. We’re in an age where “tribalism” seems to be invading all cultures, separating us by our differences. It is time for Loma Linda University Health to continue celebrating our common commitment to serving this world. We have done this for 113 years, and people need our brand of caring more than ever before.

I look forward to seeing you here in a few weeks.

Finally, in an organization this large, personnel changes are inevitable, and we are losing one of our valued senior leaders. After 14 years as the CFO of the combined Loma Linda University Health enterprise, Kevin Lang, CPA, MBA, has decided it is time to move on. He would like to spend more time caring for his family businesses after the recent death of his father, relaxing with his new grandson and pursuing other opportunities. Kevin has been an invaluable part of our senior leadership team, pulling all our support services together into Loma Linda University Shared Services, helping to develop and place our bond offerings, and most recently, leading in the Loma Linda Integrated Financial Transformation project, which has unified our various financial systems on campus. Please join me in thanking him for a job very well done. He will be missed.

Our two Senior VP’s for Finance, Angela Lalas and Rod Neal, will carry the workload as we review our structures and conduct a formal search for a new CFO.

We’re off to a great start in 2018. Thank you for what you do to make this place a remarkable institution of teaching and healing.

Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH
President
Loma Linda University Health 

Vision 2020 – The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow