Hoag Hospital Foundation: RAJ Swim Partners with Hoag During COVID-19

https://www.hoaghospitalfoundation.org/raj-swim-partners-with-hoag-during-covid-19.html

The COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to stop, pivot and readjust to a temporary, new way of life.

RAJ Swim, an award-winning full-service swim, beachwear and active wear company located in Tustin, turned on a dime. The nearly 50-year-old, family-owned company had employees who would be out of work for an undetermined number of weeks, possibly months. They had the fabric, systems and the skilled personnel to make face masks and quickly pivoted to answer the urgent need from the community.

“Our people went to work, and we kept the lights on,” says Marta Bhathal who, with her husband Raj, grew the company to a multimillion-dollar business. Grateful for the success they experienced through hard work, today, they dedicate their time to volunteer leadership and philanthropy to Chapman University, University of California at Irvine and Segerstrom Center for the Arts. They are very proud that their son and daughter, Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Vogel, took the reins of RAJ Swim ten years ago, keeping it in the family.

The Perfect Deal

When the Center for Disease Control required all health care personnel in clinical areas, even those not seeing patients, to wear cloth masks, Hoag mobilized to quickly equip staff. They found the perfect partner in RAJ Swim, which agreed to sell masks to Hoag at a reduced cost.

For Marta and Raj, it was a perfect deal. Both of their children were born at Hoag, Marta has been an avid player at the Hoag Classic Pro-Am, they enjoy celebrating the holidays at the annual Christmas Carol Ball and she and her husband recently became Hoag Benefactors.

“My dad impressed on me that when you become successful, you give back to the community,” she says. “Raj and I share that value, and we believe in education, cultural arts and health care.”

A Happy Outcome

Just as RAJ Swim was there for its employees and the community, Hoag was there for Raj when he needed urgent medical attention during the pandemic.

“Hoag and the Benefactor team were there for us in the middle of all this,” Marta recalled. “I can’t say enough about the service and attention we received during that time.”

Raj was impressed by the Hoag nurses who took care of him. “They were kind, experienced and very skilled,” he says.

Together, they are looking forward to getting back to their normal activities. “We can’t wait to get out into the community and talk to everyone we know about Hoag,” Marta says. “Hoag’s reputation speaks for itself, but we need to support it.”