KPSOM Hosts Pasadena’s State of the City Address

Mayor Victor Gordo outlines 2023 goals in speech on school’s campus

February 24, 2023

The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine welcomed more than 100 local government officials, dignitaries, citizens, educators, and students on the evening of February 23 for Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo’s 2023 State of the City address.

Gordo chose the KPSOM campus as the site of the annual speech—in which the sitting mayor outlines municipal priorities for economic growth, public safety, housing, public health, and more—because of what it symbolizes for the local community.

“This space and this school represent so much of Pasadena’s fabric,” Gordo said before taking the podium. “It’s a beautiful space filled with people who are looking to improve themselves as they look to improve the lives of others. I’m so grateful that Kaiser Permanente established its school, to train tomorrow’s doctors, right here in Pasadena.”

Pasadena State of the City official logo

The event served to highlight how KPSOM has engaged with the community and forged partnerships with educational and scientific institutions and other local organizations since the school opened in 2020 and welcomed its first class of incoming students.

“It means a lot to us that Mayor Gordo, when he was considering where to discuss the future of Pasadena, chose our school,” said Founding Dean and CEO Mark Schuster, MD, PhD, in remarks before the Mayor’s address. “Ever since we opened, our community has made this city our home and has sought to take full advantage of all it has to offer.”

Schuster noted the local attractions and events that school community members have experienced, from local restaurants and shops to hiking trails, farmer’s markets, live theater, and the annual Tournament of Roses Parade. He also noted the support of City Council members and the city’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, who helped the school open safely during the pandemic and also appeared as part of the KPSOM Guest Speaker series.

“It’s not just the famous attractions that Pasadena offers the students, faculty, and staff,” he said. “It’s the day-to-day support. City officials have been accessible and welcoming through every stage of our journey—whether we were making plans for the building, welcoming our students for the first time, or pursuing accreditation … You’ve made this city feel like a home, and for that, we are all so grateful.”

The event also featured remarks by KPSOM student Noah Contreras, who gave a brief overview of some of KPSOM’s defining features, including the three foundations of clinical, biomedical, and health systems science; the school’s flipped-classroom model and emphasis on active learning via small-group sessions; and the four curricular threads of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Health Promotion; Advocacy and Leadership and working with physician-coaches; and Interprofessional Collaboration that teaches working alongside other healthcare professionals such as pharmacists and nurses.

Contreras told of attending the Rose Parade on a family vacation as a young child, and never imagining that one day he would attend a “then non-existent medical school” just down the street. “I’m grateful to the school for all it has provided me so far, and to the Pasadena community that has accepted it with open arms,” he said.

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KPSOM Hosts Pasadena’s State of the City Address

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