Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Board Member Robert Grossman, M.D. – a lifelong advocate for public health and well-respected cardiologist – died at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center today, July 23, 2015, from injuries sustained in an accidental fall two weeks ago. At the time of his accident and death, he was serving a four-year term on BCHD’s publicly elected board. He was 67.
“Robert Grossman played a leading role in improving the health of our community for decades – both as a talented physician and on our board,” said Susan Burden, Beach Cities Health District CEO. “Most notably, he helped champion nutrition programs that lowered childhood obesity rates in Redondo Beach schools by 11 percent; he was a staunch advocate for our community’s older adult population; and he was an integral part of bringing Blue Zones Project to the Beach Cities.
A longtime resident of Hermosa Beach, Dr. Grossman served eight years on the BCHD Board of Directors – in addition to his roles as chair of the Community Health and Property committees. Dr. Grossman was also a current board member for the Association of California Health Districts and the Associate Medical Director for MedSolutions at the time of his death.
Prior to joining the BCHD board in 2008, Dr. Grossman worked in private practice as a cardiologist in the South Bay from 1983 to 2006. He was the former Chair of the Cardiology Department at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Chief Medical QM of Little Company of Mary Medical Center, Chief of the Department of Medicine of South Bay Medical Center and Chief of Staff at Memorial Hospital of Gardena.
Dr. Grossman attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine –Yeshiva University, where he received his Doctorate of Medicine. He completed post-graduate training in cardiology at UCLA Center for Health Sciences and completed his residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin. Later, he returned to school and earned his Master of Public Health from UCLA, with a concentration in policy and management.
Dr. Grossman was a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, with special certifications in Cardiovascular Diseases, Interventional Cardiology and Special Competency in Cardiac Pacing, Cardioversion and Defibrillation.
An avid outdoor enthusiast, Dr. Grossman was a member of the Lanakila Outrigger Canoe Club in Redondo Beach. He is survived by his two children, Garbo and Miles Grossman, his sister Carol Weiss-Fleischer and her husband Michael Fleischer.
At the family's request, contributions in Dr. Grossman's name may be made to Beach Cities Health District’s LiveWell Kids childhood obesity program.
About Beach Cities Health District
Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) is among the largest preventive health agencies in the nation and has served the communities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach since 1955. As a public agency, it offers an extensive range of dynamic health and wellness programs, with innovative services and facilities to promote health and prevent diseases in every lifespan. BCHD operates AdventurePlex, a health and fitness center where kids play their way to good health, and the Center for Health & Fitness, a comprehensive, medically based fitness center. Visit www.bchd.org or call (310) 374-3426 for more information.
Contact: Eric Garner, Beach Cities Health District – (541) 413-2880; eric.garner@bchd.org
