Daily Business Report: July 3, 2023
California oversight of nursing homes
called ‘befuddling,’ ‘broken’
By Jocelyn Wiener | CalMatters
The virus swept through Country Villa Sheraton nursing home in Los Angeles in 2021, killing 24 residents. Country Villa Rehabilitation Center, also in Los Angeles, and Country Villa Plaza in Santa Ana, lost 13 residents each.
The devastation was by no means unique to this cluster of 18 Southern California-based nursing homes. Across the country, other facilities also have suffered crushing casualties from the pandemic.
What’s different about Country Villa is that its current owner, Los Angeles businessman Shlomo Rechnitz – a controversial figure who runs these 18 homes through a web of companies – isn’t licensed by the state to operate them.
Instead, public health officials have left his application “pending” for years.
Rechnitz and his companies, including Brius Healthcare, have acquired at least 81 facilities with more than 9,000 beds, making him California’s largest nursing home owner. Rechnitz helped build his portfolio by purchasing Country Villa through a 2014 bankruptcy auction.
Nursing homes in San Diego County owned by Los Angeles businessman Shlomo Rechnitz:
Abby Gardens Healthcare Center, 8060 Frost St., San Diego. 99 beds.
Amaya Springs Health Care Center, 8625 Lamar St., Spring Valley. 50 beds.
Brighton Place San Diego, 1350 Euclid Ave., San Diego. 99 beds.
Brighton Place Spring Valley, 9009 Campo Road, Spring Valley. 75 beds.
Granite Hills Healthcare & Wellness Center LP, 1340 E. Madison Ave., El Cajon. 99 beds.
The Pavilion at Ocean Point, 3202 Duke St., San Diego. 133 beds.
Photo: Shlomo Rechnitz through his companies is the state’s largest nursing home owner. (Photo by Paul Kitagaki Jr, Sacramento Bee/ZUMA Wire via Alamy Live News)
Troubled nursing home chain owner gets new
licenses just before state reforms take effect
By Marisa Kendall | CalMatters
The state is moving forward with licensing two dozen nursing homes whose primary owner’s companies have a lengthy track record of problems – as uncovered by a CalMatters investigation – despite a new law designed to provide better oversight of the facilities.
The nursing homes in question are owned by Los Angeles businessman Shlomo Rechnitz, who owns dozens of California facilities through a web of companies.
County breaks ground on three affordable
housing developments in Clairemont
The County of San Diego’s Housing and Community Development Services (HCDS) joined Chelsea Development Corp. and other partners to break ground on the first three of four developments that will be situated on a property in Clairemont.
The three developments will provide more than 300 affordable homes for low-income families, seniors and those with developmentally disabled relatives. The total number of new affordable apartment homes on the site will total more than 400 with the completion of the fourth development.
The Mt. Etna development is located on the property where the county’s former Crime Lab once sat. It is the second county property this year to host an affordable housing groundbreaking. The county invested more than $39 million in land and capital funding in the project.
Mission Hills Library’s historic
designation upheld by City Council
The San Diego City Council voted 5-3 on June 20 to uphold the historic designation of the old Mission Hills Branch Library, ending a long-simmering debate over the fate of the building.
The Library’s historical designation originated from a 2019 nomination by Mission Hills Heritage (MHH), a preservation advocacy group that aims to retain the historic resources of Mission Hills. At the time, the library—an iconic, mid-century modern, civic building located at the gateway of Mission Hills—had been recently vacated. Former Mayor Kevin Faulconer had nominated the site for redevelopment as permanent supportive housing and early proposals included total demolition to create a building with a bigger footprint.
Girl Scout awarded Medal of Honor
for saving the life of her father
Cadette Girl Scout Amelia Umstadter, a seventh grade student, has been honored with the Medal of Honor from Girl Scouts San Diego for saving the life of her father, Karl Umstadter, in an incident in their home.
When Karl Umstadter experienced a choking incident and fall that left him unconscious, Amelia initiated CPR and called for her mother, Anna Umstadter, who dialed 9-1-1. Amelia performed CPR until he resumed breathing and emergency personnel arrived. Her quick actions saved her father’s life and allowed him to walk away from the incident with only minor injuries.
“I learned first aid skills during a class at school and with Encinitas Junior Lifeguards,” said Amelia. “After going through this, my mom and I took the Girl Scouts San Diego First Aid course and are now CPR certified. I told my troop to also take the class, and I want to encourage everyone to become educated on basic life-saving procedures and what to do in an emergency.”
Amelia is only the fourth Girl Scout from San Diego and Imperial counties to earn this honor in the last decade.
OHM Fitness is coming to San Marcos
The first OHM Fitness location in California is coming to The Grand Plaza in San Marcos, operated by Danielle Conklin. A San Marcos resident, Conklin purchased the OHM Fitness rights to the San Diego territory and has plans to open 16 locations throughout San Diego County. She will open several herself and award other franchise licenses to other.
OHM Fitness offers a high-tech, high-energy electro-muscle stimulation (EMS) fitness experience that packs the benefits of an intense two-hour workout into a low-impact, 25-minute session.
The San Marcos location is slated to open in late summer and is currently offering pre-sale special pricing on memberships. In addition, several “pop-up” events will be going on during construction so people can experience the work out firsthand.
The address is 137 S. Las Posas Road, Suite 253.
Scenthound dog grooming
franchise opens in Carmel Valley
Scenthound, a premier national membership-based dog grooming franchise, announced the opening of the first location in San Diego. The new store and innovative concept, located at 3840 Valley Centre Drive in Carmel Valley, will offer wellness-focused grooming services that cater to the unique needs of dogs, making it easier than ever for pet owners to maintain their furry friends’ hygiene and overall health. This will also be the first San Diego location for the business and will be owned and operated by Talmage, Calif. residents Percy Palomar and Cara Sun.
Scenthound is a revolutionary concept that provides a personalized grooming experience for every dog. With a focus on health and wellness, Scenthound’s trained groomers provide a range of services, including assessments of the dog’s skin, coat, ear, nails, and teeth. Scenthound’s “Basic Hygiene” package includes services that focus on all these needs ensuring that every dog leaves cleaner, healthier, and happier.
Sandra Kerl retires as general manager
of the San Diego County Water Authority
Sandra L. Kerl has retired as general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority after more than 40 years of public service. Deputy General Manager Dan Denham is acting GM until the board of directors permanently fills the position.
Kerl’s tenure at the Water Authority included 10 years as deputy general manager and four years as the agency’s top staff member.
As general manager, Kerl launched an era of increased engagement with the Water Authority’s 24 member agencies and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. She took a similar approach with staff, issuing the first agency-wide employee engagement survey and using the results to focus on areas of improvement.
Career highlights for Kerl also include playing pivotal role in securing financing for the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant, which started commercial operations in Carlsbad in 2015 and produces approximately 50 million gallons of water a day for the San Diego region.
JMI Sports bolsters leadership team
JMI Sports,a leading media rights and venue development company announced two key appointments to its multimedia rights leadership team, Senior Vice President Peter Thuresson, and Vice President Adam Donaldson. Both will report to JMIS Properties President Paul Archey.
Thuresson will lead national brand sales and oversee all Western properties, including San Diego State University and the Mountain West Conference. He comes to JMI Sports from KORE, where he was head of brand revenue at the sports data and intelligence company
Donaldson will be responsible for JMI Sports’ business development and oversee the company’s Northeast properties, including the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Harvard University, the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Ivy League and the Patriot League.
Transdev workers end strike,
ratify contract in San Diego
SAN DIEGO — Transdev workers represented by Teamsters Local 542 at Copley Park Place in San Diego have voted to ratify a strong contract, ending their strike. These bus workers provide paratransit services for the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The three-year contract includes a $2,000 signing bonus, guaranteed hours, increased wages, and defined language on breaks during shifts. Teamsters Local 542 represents workers throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties, and Yuma, Ariz. For more information, go to teamsters542.org.
UC San Diego named 5-star college by Money
SAN DIEGO— The University of California San Diego has earned 5 stars–the highest rating available–in Money’s Best Colleges in America 2023 list. The outlet, which annually recognizes colleges that combine quality and affordability, named UC San Diego one of only 13 public universities in the nation to receive a 5-star rating. This year, Money’s analysis of four-year colleges was redesigned to place colleges into one of five star ratings rather than in a numbered ranking. The new list evaluated more than 700 four-year colleges, assigning a 5-star rating to only 34 colleges in the country.
Community Research Foundation
reports data security incident
SAN DIEGO — Community Research Foundation (CRF), experienced a data security incident that may have involved personal and protected health information belonging to individuals who sought medical services through various medical and/or social service programs that CRF supports. CRF has sent notification of this incident by way of the United States Postal Service to potentially impacted individuals and provided resources to assist them.
Power Digital announces Jeff Mason
as its new chief executive officer
SAN DIEGO — Power Digital, a leading tech-enabled full-service digital marketing firm that utilizes data, analytics, and proprietary technology to drive growth for brands, announced the promotion of Jeff Mason as Power Digital’s next chief executive officer, who previously held the president position. Founder and now former CEO Grayson Lafrenz will become chairman of the company. As CEO, Mason will oversee the rapidly growing team of industry experts, who has consistently maintained a 91percent client retention rate and 95 percent employee retention rate.
Sony Electronics launches mobile
motion capture system ‘mocopi’
SAN DIEGO — Sony Electronics Inc. announced the launch of mobile motion capture system “mocopi” (QM-SS1) in the U.S. market. “mocopi,” with its six small and lightweight sensors and a dedicated smartphone app available for iOS and Android, enables full-body motion tracking using Sony’s proprietary technologies. Creators can capture their motion data or video of their avatars in motion with the mobile app or send motion data to compatible third-party software in real time, providing users with a new way to interact within virtual reality (VR).
Sempra commemorates 25 years of service
SAN DIEGO — Sempra has begun its 25th year of business, marking a quarter century of continued performance and progress toward its mission to be North America’s premier energy infrastructure company. To commemorate the anniversary, company leadership participated in the ringing of the New York Stock Exchange opening bell in New York last week, initiating company-wide celebrations from coast to coast. Sempra was formed on June 29, 1998, from a merger between two century-old utilities: Pacific Enterprises and Enova Corporation, the parent companies of Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric Co., respectively
TuSimple to explore strategic
alternatives for its U.S.-based operations
SAN DIEGO —TuSimple, a global autonomous driving technology company, announced that it is evaluating strategic alternatives for its U.S. business with a goal to maximize shareholder value. With the unanimous support of the TuSimple Board of Directors, the company has engaged Perella Weinberg Partners as a financial adviser to explore possible transactions for the U.S.-based portion of its business. Founded in 2015, TuSimple is developing a commercial-ready, fully autonomous (SAE Level 4) driving solution for long-haul heavy-duty trucks.
General Atomics completes flight
demo of REAP pod on a drone
SAN DIEGO — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA‑ASI) successfully completed a flight demonstration of the Rosetta Echo Advanced Payloads (REAP) Pod on an MQ-9A Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). During natural disasters, it’s fairly common for first responders and residents of affected areas to lose cellular communications due to downed infrastructure. The REAP Pod provides potentially lifesaving communications infrastructure from an aircraft, ensuring lines of communication remain open between providers of emergency services and those desperately needing assistance.
Aromi Italian Restaurant to hold
ribbon cutting on Aug. 9
LA MESA — La Mesa residents and visitors can welcome Aromi Italian Restaurant to the business community with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 9. Located at 7200 Parkway Drive, the restaurant will have its official ribbon cutting at 6 p.m. The evening mixer will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. La Mesa Chamber of Commerce will be on hand to host the event, which will highlight the recent remodel of the once vacant location. The event is free to chamber members and $15 per person for all guests.
Birch Aquarium reports record scholarship year
Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography is closing out the 2022/23 school year having distributed more than $375,000 in scholarships, an all-time record for the organization which has served more than 41,000 Pre-K-12 students since September.
From onsite programs such as Discovery Labs and Beach Teaches to Aquarium Express Outreaches in schools and self guided field trips, more than 22,000 students received financial support thanks to generous donors. This year’s major donors include Dr. Seuss Foundation, Illumina Corporate Foundation, The JEMProject, the Pincus Family Foundation, Price Philanthropies, SDG&E Foundation, U.S. Bank Foundation, Hervey Family Fund, and Dr. Charles F. Kennel and Dr. Ellen J. Lehman.
