Mike Mussallem says the coronavirus is everywhere, and he should know: his $45 billion-valued company’s doctor-patient network extends about everywhere, notes our Rick Reiff, whose feature on how COVID-19 has impacted OC’s largest public company is on the front page of this edition. More from Reiff:
Mussallem, CEO of Irvine-based heart valve maker Edwards Lifesciences, said the severity of the pandemic has varied greatly: “It really depends on where you are around the world.” New York City was “like a war zone” last month, he said. “It was very different than in the Central Valley or Canada or Israel.”
Mussallem has heard all of the questions about America’s response to the virus—Why didn’t we act sooner? Why weren’t we better prepared? Have we overreacted? Is China to blame?
“There’s going to be a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking,” Mussallem said, while suggesting that it’s not yet Monday. He did say, “What we knew in January is much different than what we know in April.”
Edwards’ “China team” saw the onset of the pandemic up close, and donated resources to the stricken area at the start of the year.
In terms of government action, “What [China] did with the lockdown was impressive,” Mussallem said.
“It’s not what a lot of countries could have done or would have done, but it was stunning. And now they’re opening things up.”
As for the U.S., “We will emerge strong from this global crisis,” he said.
Christopher Trela details the efforts of numerous area eateries to keep the lights on, while also serving the community, in this week’s expansive Executive Dining column, which starts on page 18.
One more name worth a nod, according to Trela: Chef Bruno Serato at the Anaheim White House restaurant.
His nonprofit entity, Catarina’s Club, has a history of feeding thousands of at-risk kids and families pasta meals every week.
Serato has increased his already sizeable efforts during the pandemic, by several times over.
In the past six weeks, Serato—author of the book “The Power of Pasta”—has served nearly half a million meals to those in need, reports Trela.
More on food, and giving:
The Balboa Peninsula outpost of Avila’s El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant makes a mean chile relleno, although you can’t go wrong with the chicken enchilada with beans and rice either, notes David Pyle, founder and CEO of American Career College and West Coast University, which offer nursing and other healthcare-related degrees.
His family clearly are generous tippers. In recent weeks they’ve given some $450,000 in gift cards, at $1,000 per employee, to all the workers at some of their favorite area restaurants to help them during the pandemic.
Along with El Ranchito, other five-star restaurants on the Pyle family’s recipient list include Sapori Ristorante, CdM Restaurant, Plums Café and A Restaurant.
