VA Long Beach begins infrastructure upgrades; MemorialCare recognized by Newsweek; Alert Long Beach restored

Several healthcare and public-safety updates this week carry practical implications for Long Beach residents, from hospital infrastructure work to how the city pushes emergency alerts.

Hospitals and clinics

VA Long Beach starts infrastructure work tied to patient-care reliability

VA Long Beach announced Feb. 26 that it has begun infrastructure upgrades intended to support safe, effective patient care. The projects are part of a broader Veterans Health Administration effort funded through a nationwide Non-Recurring Maintenance program, which the agency described as a record $4.8 billion in fiscal year 2026 spending to modernize, repair and improve facilities.

Locally, VA Long Beach said its first-quarter projects include upgrades to the Central Chiller Plant and digital controls, work on a 12KV main primary switchgear upgrade to strengthen power distribution and emergency backup capabilities, and replacement of a domestic water pump and generator. The VA said these improvements are designed to help maintain indoor comfort, improve reliability during outages or maintenance, and support safe, sanitary water conditions for Veteran care facilities.

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center highlighted in Newsweek hospital rankings

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center announced Feb. 25 that it was named to Newsweek’s 2026 Worlds Best Hospitals list for the eighth consecutive year. The medical center said it ranked among the top 100 hospitals nationwide, the top 20 in California and the top five in the region, and described itself as the only hospital in the greater Long Beach region to receive the distinction.

In its announcement, MemorialCare said the Newsweek ranking methodology includes multiple data sources such as hospital quality metrics, recommendations from medical experts, results from patient surveys and a Statista survey related to patient-reported outcome measures. The medical center also said it received an 8-Year Champion and All-Time Winner designation tied to repeated placement on the list.

Public health and emergency readiness

Alert Long Beach emergency notifications restored on a new platform

The City of Long Beach has restored Alert Long Beach, its emergency notification system, and reopened sign-ups. City information published Feb. 26 said the system is designed to deliver localized emergency information directly to subscribers, including evacuation notices and other critical public safety updates.

The city said the service had been suspended after a nationwide cybersecurity incident affected the vendor’s legacy platform, and that the vendor has since decommissioned the older system and migrated users to a newly secured platform. The city also reported that sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers or birth dates was not compromised, and that more than 24,000 existing contacts were transferred to the new platform.

Sources

https://www.va.gov/long-beach-health-care/news-releases/va-long-beach-upgrades-health-care-infrastructure/

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/memorialcare-long-beach-medical-center-named-to-newsweeks-worlds-best-hospitals-list-for-eighth-consecutive-year-302696415.html

https://www.insidelbnews.com/articles/2026/alert-long-beach-restored-and-ready-for-sign-ups

If you have urgent symptoms, seek medical care. For general questions, talk with a licensed clinician.