Courtesy of Catalina Island Health
Catalina Island Health and Leo’s Catalina Drug Store have announced the retirement of Sue Ponce after 28 years as Avalon’s pharmacist. Her impact on the community was evident during a recent retirement gathering.
For nearly three decades Ponce worked at Leo’s Catalina Drug Store providing medication for the residents and visitors of Avalon. As a model of competency and consistency, Ponce consistently showed a level of care and commitment that is rare in today’s world. Demonstrating the highest standards of pharmacy practice, Ponce was able to maneuver the complexities of dispensing medication on an island and in California’s regulatory environment.
“Sue can not only recall every patient but their medical conditions and current medications,” said Bryce Noll, Catalina Island Health’s assistant hospital administrator. “For perspective Leo’s Catalina Drug Store dispenses roughly 23,000 prescriptions annually. Our estimates are that she has filled close to 600,000 prescriptions in her tenure.”
Ponce received a bachelor’s degree in medical microbiology and bacteriology from Cal State Long Beach and finished her doctorate at University of California San Francisco. She has been married for 31 years to husband Richie. They have two adult children, David and Russel. Richie drove tour buses in Avalon until his retirement, David is a Catalina Express boat captain and Russel is a commercial pilot. She is an avid volunteer and was recently the chair of the Catalina Island Women’s Forum.
“On behalf of Catalina Island Health, we are indebted to her career furthering the health and wellness of our community,” said Noll. “She will be missed but we are excited to watch her “cruise” into retirement!”
About Catalina Island Health
Catalina Island Health’s primary care physicians and family nurse practitioners provide the island community with a solid foundation of care. The medical clinic is located at 100 Falls Canyon Road, Avalon, CA, up the street from Avalon’s City Hall on the bottom level of the hospital. Its hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Visit CatalinaIslandHealth.org or call 310-510-0096 for more information or to make an appointment. The emergency room is staffed 24/7 with a UC Irvine Emergency Medicine Physician and supported by the CI Health’s laboratory and diagnostic imaging departments to meet the acute medical needs of Catalina Island’s residents and visitors. With the use of patient satisfaction surveys, patients consistently rank CI Health’s emergency services as one of the best in the nation. The hospital’s main number is 310-510-0700. For more information, visit CatalinaIslandHealth.org.
