Long Beach officially opened the renamed Ronald R. Arias Health Equity Center in North Long Beach on Monday, April 4.
In September of last year, the Long Beach City Council voted unanimously to rename the facility after Arias. Arias worked for the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services for 22 years starting in 1990—serving 12 of those years as the department’s director.
“I am humbled and honored to have such a great recognition bestowed upon me and the work of the Long Beach Public Health Department,” Arias said during a speech at the opening.
He got his start while studying at California State University, Long Beach and bringing together Latino students to form the United Mexican-American Students.
“You [Arias] have contributed so much to Long Beach and around health equity,” said Director of Health and Human Services Kelly Colopy, noting that Arias’s presence as a Latino leader “has been incredibly important as we progress towards health equity in brown and Black communities throughout Long Beach.”
While working as the director Arias developed and opened the Miller Family Health Education Center and was about to obtain a $1 million grant for North Long Beach from Kaiser Permanente through its Healthy Eating, Active Living Zone Initiative.
“You know, the building is one thing, but it is what’s happening inside the building that is particularly special,” said Vice Mayor Rex Richardson during the grand opening ceremony.
The center was previously renovated last year and will now provide clinical services, including HIV support, family planning, immunizations and the City’s Black Health Equity Program.
Other non-health services will also operate out of the building including workforce reentry programs, community safety programs, violence prevention, rental assistance and youth mentorship programs.
Funds from Measure A, the State and the City’s general capital improvement fund paid for the center’s $5 million renovations.
Much of those funds were used to modernize the center to be more energy efficient with upgraded heating and cooling systems and new lighting to improve the experience of tenants inside the facility.
“A few years ago, it reached the point where the HVAC was no longer working and couldn’t be fixed,” Colopy said. “The staff, they were here every day with hats on, mittens and heaters just to make sure that they were providing services [to residents],”
The facility is located on the northeast corner of Houghton Park in North Long Beach near Jordan High School.
“Today, when I look up and see my name on this building, I can only thank all of the people and amazing colleagues who worked with me at the Health Department,” Arias said. “This building is our building.”
