October 23, 2019
The Association of California Healthcare Districts (ACHD), which oversees 79 health districts in the state, has named Tom Bakaly from Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) CEO of the Year. Bakaly, who oversees an organization that provides preventive health partnerships, programs and services to 123,000 residents in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, was cited for his leadership and achievements that have positively affected the wellness of the Beach Cities community.
“The ACHD award is a tremendous honor that I share with our hundreds of dedicated volunteers as well as our hard-working, enthusiastic BCHD staff and board who are truly responsible for our organization’s success,” says Bakaly. “Since 1955, BCHD has responded to the evolving health needs of the community to achieve our vision of a healthy beach community. With 80 percent of all illnesses being preventable, our team works diligently to deliver essential health services and education to Beach Cities residents of all ages.”
Under Bakaly’s guidance, BCHD has helped the community save an estimated $3 million annually in direct healthcare costs through education and programs provided to residents; the community recently achieved the third-highest well-being score in the United States; smoking among residents is down 36 percent; and the rate of overweight residents is down 25 percent.
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Since Bakaly joined BCHD in December 2016, BCHD has been recognized for its agency-wide commitment to health and wellness in the marketplace.
BCHD has made Modern Healthcare’s “Top 50 Best Places to Work in Healthcare” list each year since 2013, and under Bakaly has earned additional awards for being a “Millennial-Friendly” workplace in 2018 and the “Family-Friendliest” winner by Modern Healthcare this year. BCHD has also made the “Best Places to Work” lists by Outside magazine and the Los Angeles Business Journal every year in Bakaly’s tenure.
Bakaly also leads by example at BCHD. Since assuming the CEO role nearly three years ago, the southern California native has adopted a regimen of health and wellness, improving his diet, practicing mindfulness and working out daily at the District’s Center for Health and Fitness in Redondo Beach. As a result, he is now 60 pounds lighter than when he joined BCHD.
“Tom Bakaly’s leadership at Beach Cities Health District has made a significant impact on the health of its residents and exemplifies the unique value of health districts to their local communities, which includes responsiveness to community needs, accountability and flexibility to address unique challenges,” said ACHD CEO Ken Cohen. “ACHD is proud to recognize Tom Bakaly as CEO of the Year.”