Eisner Health was founded in Los Angeles, CA in March 1920 as the Anita M. Baldwin Hospital for Babies. Anita May Baldwin (1886-1939), from which we were named, was the daughter of Elias “Lucky” Baldwin, a successful business man, investor and real estate owner. Born in 1886 in San Francisco, CA, Anita and her family moved to Rancho Santa Anita near Los Angeles and upon her father’s death inherited his fortune. Anita was as prolific writer, composer and philanthropist, often giving anonymously, who made significant contributions to the lives of all Angelenos.
To honor her generosity, a sculpture of Anita, entitled ‘A Legacy of Charity’ by local artist Alfred Paredes, was reveled on October 25, 2021 in Arcadia, CA. The piece was commissioned by her great-great-granddaughter, Margaux Gibson. The bronze statue includes items on and around Anita that represent significant areas of her life, including a pair of baby shoes. The shoes symbolize her twin boys who died shortly after birth., She took this personal tragedy and dedicated herself to the care of children, establishing the Anita M. Baldwin Hospital for Babies in downtown Los Angeles. Today, over 101 years later, caring for the health and wellness of children is still a core mission of Eisner Health, with children making up over half of our patient population.
Other known charitable gifts provided by Anita were the funds and land for the Santa Anita racetrack, the Parker Lyon’s Pony Express Museum, and the Los Angeles County Arboretum. She was also the President of the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Animals and President of the Humane Society.
In addition to the baby shoes, the statue also contains other items of significance in her life. These items include:
- A Maltese Cross on her lapel, which was the racing emblem for the Baldwin Horse Racing Team,
- An ink well and pen representing her prolific writing, from music to poetry to recipes,
- Sheet music from a song that Anita wrote, entitled ‘The Love’
- Peacock feathers, an animal Anita owned many of and cared for. Her love of peacocks came from her father who credited for bringing peacocks to Arcadia
- Peacock feathers, an animal Anita owned many of and cared for. Her love of peacocks came from her father who credited for bringing peacocks to Arcadia
- Two upturned horse shoes which are a nod to Anita’s famous and storied father,
- A Winged Balloon pin which represents her donation of land to the Army during WWI for the creation of The Ross Balloon school, which stood on grounds of what today is the Santa Anita Racetrack
- Two books, the one towards the front of Anita is a copy of her cookbook “The Pantophagist”, which means one who eats all kinds of food, as well as a book which represents her poetry,
- A wreath, a symbol for the winner’s circle, which represents Anita’s work on building the new track and grandstands, after the original Santa Anita track burned down, and her efforts on getting a racing license for the track after many years of California’s ban on horse racing.
The statue is located on the corner of Huntington Drive and Colorado Place, on the property of the Le Meridien Hotel in Arcadia, CA