Annual Mardi Gras on Saturday, May 15

Annual Mardi Gras on Saturday, May 15

Features a Unique and Fun Drive-Thru Food Fest

ARCADIA, Calif. (May 6, 2021) -- The 26th annual Mardi Gras benefitting the USC Arcadia Hospital will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 15 and will be staged as a fun-filled drive-thru event to keep attendees safe while obeying COVID-19 restrictions on community gatherings.

“After a challenging year like 2020, we need a fun event like Mardi Gras even in a drive-thru format,” said Mike Driebe, President, USC Arcadia Hospital Foundation. “We’ll still have local restaurants offering favorite menu items as well as drinks and libations. A fun evening is guaranteed from the safety of your vehicle. Don’t forget to wear your Mardi Gras beads!”

Mardi Gras will take place at the Hale Medical Building Parking Lot across the street from the hospital where guests will enter through Gate 5 at the Santa Anita Park Race Track. The event will include a drive-thru parade celebration as well as music. Plans also include an exciting silent auction and raffle boxes.

“Infectious disease specialist Hua Jiang, MD, will serve as the Honorary King of Mardi Gras this year,” Mike said. “Dr. Jiang is being honored for going well above the call of duty during the past year as one of our leading physicians treating COVID-19 patients, as well as his numerous lectures and news interviews which helped to educate the community on this topic.”

Dr. Jiang says he was astonished at being selected as the King of Mardi Gras.

“I was genuinely surprised by the news and completely humbled by the honor,” said Dr. Jiang, who has been a member of the hospital medical staff for 22 years. “There are so many more deserving people other than myself. I only did what I should do in my role as a physician serving the community. I would like to dedicate this honor to my patients, all my colleagues, and especially, to our nursing staff.”

Proceeds from the Mardi Gras Food Fest 2021celebration will be used for the purchase of a state-of-the-art, 320-slice CT Scanner to expand Methodist Hospital’s ability to quickly diagnose and treat heart and stroke patients, as well as a variety of non-emergent conditions.

A computed tomography scan, better known as a CT scan, is a diagnostic test using powerful X-rays to create detailed pictures of the inside the body and can be especially helpful with diagnosing stroke and heart patients in emergency situations.

The new scanner for the hospital will feature:

· Integrated, fast, anatomically optimized 3D images of the body

· Improved high contrast spatial resolution

· Natural looking image quality with targeted anatomical modelling

· Radiation dose reduction

USC Arcadia Hospital holds a Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification from independent rating agency DNV GL and is designated by Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services as one of only 18 comprehensive stroke centers serving the region. This designation as a comprehensive stroke center is a huge accomplishment and demonstrates that USC Arcadia Hospital’s standards and care are equal to much larger stroke centers in the region. The hospital is also designated as a heart attack (STEMI) receiving center.

“Our ability to provide state-of-the-art care has earned Methodist Hospital major recognition from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association as a center of excellence for both cardiac care and stroke care multiple times during the past decade,” says Hospital President and CEO Dan Ausman.

“We know it’s been an extremely difficult year for us all as we battled together against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dan said. “We extend sincere thanks and appreciation to all of our Mardi Gras participants and donors, and thank you for your continued support of USC Arcadia Hospital. We also share our very special thanks and appreciation to our doctors, nurses and staff for their dedication to our patients and to providing high quality, compassionate care to every day.”

For more information about Mardi Gras, please contact the USC Arcadia Hospital Foundation at 626-898-8888 or at www.mardigrasfoodfest.org or email mardigras@methodisthospital.org.

Media Contact: Brian Greene, 626-354-1484

Brian.Greene@methodisthospital.org