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In this issueAmerica’s 50 Best Hospitals for 6 Years Top CDI Query Response Achievers Physicians in the News Steppin’ Out Raises Over $536,000Holiday Jam Delights Underserved Children Physician Recognition via Patient Praise California Medical Board’s New Requirement for Physicians National Women Physicians Day Understanding Our Journey as a High Reliability Organization Welcome New Physicians to the Northridge Hospital FamilyKEEPING PHYSICIANS ABREAST OF THE LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION AT DIGNITY HEALTH – NORTHRIDGE HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTERJANUARY FEBRUARY Medical DialogueAmerica’s 50 Best Hospitals for 6 YearsJeremy Grosser,MD Medical Sta PresidentI’m pleased to announce that Healthgrades has honored Dignity Health – Northridge Hospital Medical Center with America’s Best Hospitals Award™ for the sixth consecutive year! Northridge Hospital is also nationally recognized in pulmonary care, gastrointestinal surgery, and critical care, and received eight ve-star ratings from Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting doctors and patients. Notably, Northridge Hospital is a recipient of the Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ for the fth consecutive year -, the Gastrointestinal Surgery Excellence Award™ for the fth consecutive year - and the Critical Care Excellence Award™ for the twelfth consecutive year -. To identify top-performing hospitals, Healthgrades evaluated patient mortality and complication rates for of the most common conditions and procedures at nearly hospitals across the country.Below is a complete list of Northridge Hospital’s achievements.•America’s Best Hospitals Award™ Years in a Row -•Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Attack Years in a Row -•Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Failure Years in a Row -•Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment Years in a Row -continued on page Medical Dialogue
2 Northridge Hospital Medical DialogueTop CDI Query Response Achievers High physician response rates help accurately reect patient severity of illness and intensity of service. We thank the following physicians for their diligence and commitment to Northridge Hospital. Criteria for Top Clinical Documentation Improvement CDI Query Response Achievers: Only physicians with three or more queries and an answer rate of – are included. Below are the top achievers for October and November . Congratulations on a job well done!Rahul Ahuja, DO, Family MedicineSarah Albert, DO, Internal Medicine Marta Almli, MD, Internal Medicine Marc Amico, MD, Internal MedicineM. Kevin Ariani, MD, Cardiovascular DiseaseRaluca Arimie, MD, Cardiovascular DiseaseSandeep Chadha, MD, Family MedicinePrathima Charugundla, DO, Family Medicine Christian Chiavetta, DO, Internal MedicineMichael Damavandi, DO, Internal Medicine Ali Daneshvari, MD, Internal MedicineNoah Duncan, MD, Internal MedicineZouheir Elias, MD, Cardiovascular DiseaseMohammed Farooqui, MD, Internal Medicine Samuel Feizi, MD, Internal MedicineDeepa Gupta, MD, Internal Medicine Jennifer Hyer, DO, Internal Medicine Fatima Imtiaz, DO, Internal Medicine Sam Kalioundji, MD, Cardiovascular DiseaseYoko Miyasaki, MD, Infectious DiseaseAnthony Murphy, MD, Internal MedicineAmrita Nensey, MD, Internal MedicineOsezemeghonghon Obilor, MD, Internal MedicineAkinwunmi A. Oni-Orisan, MD, Neurological SurgeryMahdi Paridari, MD, Family Medicine Kalpesh Patel, MD, Nephrology Leo Polosajian, MD, Cardiovascular Disease Lesley Prince, MD, Internal MedicineHamid Sadeghi, MD, NephrologyGuilianne R. Servano, MD, Internal MedicineTigalat Shalita, DO, Family Medicine Shadi Sharif, DO, Internal Medicine Pedram Shirzad, DO, Family Medicine Balbir Singh, MD, NephrologyLiang Wang, MD, NeurologyJerey Wang, DO, Family Medicine Amber Williams, DO, Family Medicine
Northridge Hospital Medical Dialogue 3Physicians in the NewsWe’d like to thank and recognize the following physicians who were recently featured in local media stories.Rishma Chand, MD, Pediatrics, and Northridge Hospital were featured on Good Morning America to speak about the increase in the “Tripledemic” noted by the rise in the number of cases of the u, COVID-, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Dr. Chand was also featured on CBS Channel News and KCAL Channel News in stories about the importance of distinguishing between the symptoms of these three contagious respiratory infections. Mark Dumais, MD, Chief Medical Ocer, was featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal in an article about the level of condence and preparedness that hospitals like NHMC have amid rising cases of contagious respiratory infections, such as RSV.Reyn Higa, MD, Family Medicine, was featured on KKGO FM Radio in a story about how to dierentiate between the common cold, u and COVID-.Marc Kerner, MD, Otolaryngology & Plastic Surgery, was featured in the online publication Eat This, Not That! in a story about actor Val Kilmer’s battle with throat cancer and its warning signs.Edward King, MD, Family Medicine, was featured in multiple media outlets – Spectrum One News, NBC Channel News and the Los Angeles Daily News in a story about the monthly community produce distribution that NHMC hosts in collaboration with the American Heart Association.Diana Lev, MD, Family Medicine, was featured on CBS Channel News, KCAL Channel , and KTLA Channel News in stories about the recent rise in cases of respiratory infections, particularly the common cold, u, COVID- and RSV, and the warning signs and symptoms to look out for.Afshin Safa, MD, Medical Director of Radiation/Oncology, and Suhail Salem, Gastroenterology, MD, were featured on Yahoo News and FOX Channel News in stories about actress Kirstie Alley’s recent passing due to colon cancer, and the importance of getting regular screenings for prevention and early detection.Sidney Stoll, DO, Oncology, was featured in the online publication Eat This, Not That! in a story about football legend Terry Bradshaw’s recent battles with bladder and skin cancer, and the warning signs to watch for. Dr. Stoll was also featured in the publication’s story about actress Blythe Danner’s battle with a rare form of oral cancer known as adenoid cystic carcinoma and its warning signs.Parham Yashar, MD, Neurosurgery, Medical Director, Neurology Program, was featured in the online publication Eat This Not That! in an article about the warning signs and risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease, and the preventive measures that can be taken to minimize the risk of diseases aecting the brain.How to Respond to Media RequestsOur Public Relations team helps to ensure all media and social media mentions reflect our hospital’s mission, vision, and values. If you are contacted by the media to speak on behalf of Northridge Hospital Medical Center, please be sure to first contact Christina Zicklin, External Communications Director, at 310.922.8522 to discuss the request. All media requests involving Dignity Health SoCal hospitals must first be approved by Christina Zicklin and Administration. Thank you.
4 Northridge Hospital Medical DialogueSteppin’ Out Raises Over $536,000Brian Hammel President, Northridge Hospital FoundationThanks to all of our physicians who came to support Northridge Hospital Foundation’s signature event, Steppin’ Out this past October. This year was very special as we honored our sta and physicians for their dedication throughout COVID, and we also recognized Pamela Davis, MD, for her dedication and leadership in our community for the last years.I’m pleased to share that your support helped us to raise over , which will go toward the launch of our Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ECMO system, making Northridge Hospital one of ve hospitals in Los Angeles to oer this service. The ECMO is similar to the heart-lung bypass machine used in open-heart surgery. It pumps and oxygenates a patient’s blood outside the body to give the heart and lungs a time to heal. “This state of the art piece of equipment will help us stand out as a leading hospital and help to save so many lives,” says Jahandar Saleh, MD.The Northridge Hospital Foundation extends a huge thank you to our amazing physicians, donors and supporters who helped us surpass our goal for . We look forward to seeing everyone again in .Moufid Nemeh, MD, Past Medical Sta President (right), and Jahandar Saleh, MD, Immediate Past Medical Sta President accept the Celebration of Hope Award on behalf of the entire Medical Sta.Mark Amico, MD, congratulates Pam Davis, MD, the 2022 recipient of the Grace Leland Physician Appreciation Award.Holiday Jam Delights Underserved ChildrenThis past December, the Northridge Hospital Foundation hosted its nd Annual Helping Hands Holiday Jam. The event brought together over underserved children from local schools who may otherwise have gone without a holiday celebration. Children were treated to the arrival of Santa on a re truck, carnival games, arts and crafts, a photo and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a bag of gifts to take home for the holidays. Multiple media outlets covered the Holiday Jam, including CBS Channel News, NBC Channel News, KTLA Channel News, KCAL Channel News, KMEX Univision , KRCA Channel Estrella TV and the Los Angeles Daily News.
Northridge Hospital Medical Dialogue 5Physician Recognition via Patient PraiseCongratulations to physicians who recently received Class Actor nominations, or recognition in complimentary letters to our hospital administration.Ted Kokosinski, DO, Emergency Medicine – “He led the Sepsis Team to exceptional success in saving the lives of our sepsis patients while facilitating our CMS & CommonSpirit Health Sepsis Quality PI initiative.” Eric Gama, MD, Family Medicine, Roya Maani, MD, Anesthesiology, and Diana Tran, MD, Obstetrics & Gynecology – “Each one of these physicians came together to show exceptional teamwork and collaboration in an emergent situation, which led to a positive patient outcome.”Skawki Saad, MD, Vascular Surgeon, and Pedram Shirzad, DO, Family Medicine – “I would like to recognize and thank these doctors for providing wonderful treatment. I very much appreciate their kindness, patience, support, and compassionate attention.”Shadi Sharif, DO, Internal Medicine – “He is very kind, helpful, compassionate, and always took the time to update me and answer any questions.” •Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ Years in a Row -•Named Among the Top in the Nation for Overall Pulmonary Services for Years in a Row -•Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Years in a Row -•Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Pneumonia Years in a Row -•Gastrointestinal Surgery Excellence Award™ Years in a Row -•Named Among the Top in the Nation for Gastrointestinal Surgery for Years in a Row -•Five-Star Recipient for Colorectal Surgeries Years in a Row -•Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Bowel Obstruction Years in a Row -•Critical Care Excellence Award™ Years in a Row -•Named Among the Top in the Nation for Critical Care for Years in a Row -•Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis Years in a Row -Thank you to all of our physicians for your commitment to providing the exceptional care that made these awards possible.Best Hospitals continued from page 1
6 Northridge Hospital Medical DialogueCalifornia Medical Board’s New Requirement for Physicians Please be advised that the Medical Board of California announced new language that physicians need to post in their oces as of January , .The Medical Board’s Notice to Consumers states: A medical doctor licensee engaged in the practice of medicine shall provide notice to each patient of the fact that the licensee is licensed and regulated by the board, and the license can be checked and complaints against the licensee can be made through the board’s website or by contacting the board. The notice shall include a quick response QR code that leads to the board’s Notice to Consumer webpage at www.mbc.ca.gov/licensing/Notice-to-Consumers.aspx, and shall contain the following statement and information:NOTICE TO PATIENTSMedical doctors are licensed and regulated by the Medical Board of California. To check up on a license or to le a complaint go to www.mbc.ca.gov, email licensecheck@mbc.ca.gov, or call -.The notice required by this section shall be provided by one of the following methods: . Prominently posting the notice in an area visible to patients on the premises where the licensee provides the licensed services, in which case the notice shall be in at least -point type in Arial font.. Including the notice and an acknowledgement of receipt and understanding in a written statement in a language understood by the patient or patient representative, signed and dated by the patient or the patient representative and retained in that patient’s medical records. The notice and acknowledgement of receipt and understanding may be provided and maintained in an electronic format.. Including the notice in a language understood by the patient or patient representative in a statement on letterhead, discharge instructions, or other document given to a patient or the patient representative, where the notice is placed immediately above the signature line for the patient in at least -point type. National Women Physicians DayOn February , Dignity Health joins others across the country in recognition of the contributions women have made to the eld of medicine. National Women Physicians Day marks the birthday of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the rst woman to receive a medical degree in the U.S. in . We wish we could include a photo of every woman physician we have at Northridge Hospital, but please know that today we’re celebrating you and all that you do to help our patients, their loved ones, and our sta. Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell
Northridge Hospital Medical Dialogue 7Understanding Our Journey as a High Reliability OrganizationNicholas Testa, MD Chief Physician Executive Southern California DivisionWe are all working together to become a High Reliability Organization, one which prioritizes patient safety in our ever changing environment, but many may still ask ‘what does High Reliability really mean?’ A High Reliability Organization or HRO has fewer than its share of errors and events by prioritizing safety and adopting a culture where we consistently do the right thing for our patients and sta. We empower our people to ask questions, we organize our leadership around safety activities, and we all commit to studying and improving our processes to become safer. Other organizations, such as the airline industry, that have become HROs by having every member of the team adopt safety as their number one priority. It is not enough for us to say we are going to be safe. Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we all must align around it to truly advance our culture.To date, the progress we have made is nothing short of inspiring. Our HRO initiative, Safety by Choice, Not by Chance, is being rolled out at all of our Southern California Division hospitals and while hospitals are at various stages of implementation, we are seeing a growing focus around safety. On a daily basis, we exemplify an increased mindfulness on patient safety, a closer collaboration across disciplines, and an atmosphere of trust that heightens our day-to-day sensitivity to operations. To continue on our journey to high reliability, we are aiming to have every physician participate in High Reliability behaviors and tools training. For some this will be the rst time they are seeing this material and for others this will be a refresh of training they did years ago, but for all of us, it will be yet another important step forward towards creating a consistent culture of safety. Simultaneously, we are regularly sharing stories that prioritize safety and rolling out leader tools that augment our team safety huddles and rounds. I am grateful for your partnership and enthusiasm. I believe our collective commitment will lead to our long-term success, as we strive to make our division’s hospitals the safest in the nation by consciously practicing High Reliability practices and encouraging our teams to do the same. Thank you for doing your part on our journey to becoming highly reliable.IntegrityExcellenceCompassionInclusionCollaboration
8 Northridge Hospital Medical Dialogue18300 Roscoe Boulevard, Northridge, CA 91325CALL FOR ARTICLES: We encourage members of the Northridge Hospital Medical Sta to submit information or articles for publication in the Medical Dialogue. Please contact Tracie Gipson, Editor, at 818.522.4574 or Tracie.Gipson@CommonSpirit.org.MEDICAL STAFF OFFICERSJeremy Grosser, MDMedical Sta PresidentUthaiah Kokkalera, MDPresident-ElectLeo Kassabian, MDSecretaryAdel Jabour, MDTreasurerEDITORIAL TEAMMark Dumais, MD, MBA, FACPChief Medical OcerNina HirschDirector, Medical Sta ServicesTracie GipsonMedical Dialogue EditorDesiree GarciaMarket Development RepresentativePriscilla BourbonnaisMarket Development RepresentativeWelcome New Physicians to the Northridge Hospital FamilyGastroenterologyDaniel Eshaghian, DOTova Sofer, MDInternal MedicineJatin Chhabra, MDPhysical Medicine/RehabilitationChristo Arbonies, MDRadiologyAlexander Le, MDLucas Payor, MDSarah Raza, DOJerey Zuckerman, MD