LONG BEACH – YOKKAICHI PHYSICIANS VISIT

During the period February 7 – 21, 2009 Long Beach hosted four physicians from our Yokkaichi Sister City. The four physicians; Yuri Aimi, M.D. – Neurosurgeon, Shogo Hasegawa, D.D.S. – Maxillofacial Oral Surgeon, Takayuki Yamamoto, M.D. – General & Transplant Surgeon and Reona Asada, M.D. – General Surgeon, E.R. & Trama, arrived at LAX on Saturday morning direct from Narita.  On Saturday evening we hosted a potluck dinner for our guests which was highlighted by “karaoke” singing by most attendees. Sunday our guests were hosted to many events at the Long Beach Japanese Cultural Center and a tour of Long Beach in preparation for work on Monday.

On Monday Drs. Mizuguchi & Kashiwabara escorted our guests to Memorial Medical Center to meet with association member Bruce Easley, R.N. for a briefing and introduction/check-in at the Medical Center along with a meeting with Diana Hendel, CEO of Memorial Medical Center. In the afternoon the physicians were introduced to their professional hosts during their visit.  Dr. Yuri Aimi met with Dr. Hooshang Pak, M.D., Neurosurgeon and Dr. Shogo Hasegawa met with Ronald Kaminshi, DDS Maxillofacial Oral Surgeon. Drs. Reona Asada and Takayuki Yamamoto were taken to St. Mary Medical Center and introduced to Maurice “Mo” Heilbron, Sr., M.D., General & Trauma Surgeon and Stephen Shea, M.D., Director of the Emergency Room.  Each of the Yokkaichi Physicians was instructed to generally work out their next ten days’ schedule with their local host physician.

During the ensuing ten days the Yokkaichi Physicians had the opportunity to witness various surgeries, office patient consultations, emergency room procedures and technologies used in our local hospitals and physicians offices.  On their final day they were all invited to observe Dr. Daniel Bethencourt perform robotic heart surgery and view the procedure in 3-D on the monitor used during the surgery.

All Physicians were also on an active social schedule which included sampling local fare at various restaurants and a weekend trip to Las Vegas, NV. They also met with and had pictures taken with Governor George & Mrs. Gloria Deukmejian who discussed health care systems and technologies used in Japan.

After attending a farewell dinner on Friday evening, March 21 with members of the Yokkaichi Sister City Program the physicians were taken to LAX on Saturday morning for their return trip to Yokkaichi via Narita. It was a pleasure and honor for us to host these excellent young physicians from our sister city.