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MAY / JUNE 2023KEEPING PHYSICIANS ABREAST OF THE LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION AT DIGNITY HEALTH – GLENDALE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CENTERMedical DialogueSEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2024.Betsy Hart New Hospital PresidentWe are pleased to announce Betsy Hart is the new Hospital President & CEO for Glendale Memorial Hospital & Health Center. Betsy comes to us after serving as the Chief Operating Ocer at Northridge Hospital Medical Center since 2019. She is a dedicated leader with more than 15 years of experience in hospital and clinical operations, nancial management, quality outcomes, strategic planning and growth. She has a proven track record of creating eective and cohesive teams, oering guidance and support to leaders, and embodying a transformational leadership approach.As the Chief Operating Ocer at Northridge Hospital, Betsy oversaw daily operations across procedural, inpatient, ancillary and ambulatory services. She played a key role in strategic planning and decision-making for all service lines, with a particular focus on ambulatory growth to address community needs while maintaining nancial responsibility. Betsy led operational responses during the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheaded various construction projects at the hospital, including expanding the Emergency Department and establishing a new urgent care center. Prior to joining Dignity Health, she served as the Chief Nursing Ocer at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, bringing valuable market knowledge to this role at Glendale Memorial Hospital.With her clinical background as an ICU nurse, Betsy has demonstrated exceptional leadership in both clinical and executive roles. She holds an MBA and an MSN from Walden University in Minnesota and is an active member of the Hospital Association of Southern California and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Additionally, Betsy serves as the Chair of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Campaign.Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Betsy to Glendale Memorial Hospital.See Page 2 for Medical Staff Officer Update and ElectionsWelcome New Physicians to the Glendale Memorial HospitalFamily PracticeAraz Melkonian, MDInternal Medicine/HospitalistMichael Ibrahim, MDPulmonary MedicineJulian Reese, DORadiology/Interventional RadiologyLeonard Dalag, MDRadiation OncologyJason Liu, MDTeleradiologyNaser Rahbar, MD
Medical Sta Ocer Update and ElectionsCongratulations to AnaMaria McElrath-Garza, MD, who was elected by the Active Sta to ll the vacancy in the Medical Sta Secretary/Treasurer position for the remainder of 2024. In accordance with the Medical Sta Bylaws, when Vigen Khojayan, MD, completes his term as Chief of Sta on December 31, 2024, the Chief of Sta-Elect, Emily Ryan, MD, will advance to the Chief of Sta position for 2025–2026. In addition, Dr. McElrath-Garza, Secretary/Treasurer,, will advance to the Chief of Sta-Elect position for 2025-2026. Secretary/Treasurer Election Begins Sept. 23The Leadership Development and Nominating Committee has announced the names of the two candidates for the 2025–2026 Oce of Secretary/Treasurer: John Cabrera, MD and Sarkis Kaakijian, MD. The Active Sta will begin receiving electronic ballots on September 23, 2024 until the election closes on October 7, 2024. The winner will be announced at the October 14 Quarterly General Sta meeting. If you are an Active Sta member, your participation in the election process would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact Deborah Connors-Moore, Medical Sta Director, at (818) 502-2317.John Cabrera, MD Sarkis Kaakijian, MD50-Plus Lecture Opportunity Glendale Memorial Hospital helps the community live a healthy lifestyle through our free 50-Plus program. The program offers a senior lunch/lecture series, which are held in the John Stauffer Auditorium at Glendale Memorial Hospital. The success of our 50-Plus Program events is partly due to our knowledgeable guest lecturers. We’d like to thank our June presenter, Nick Ghazarian, DO, for providing an educational presentation that addressed cervical spine disorders, including symptoms, causes and available treatments.If you would like to give back to the community by presenting a senior educational lecture, please contact Pamela Flores by phone (818) 409-7705 or email pamela.ores@commonspirit.org. Please note, dates are reserved on a rst-come, rst-serve basis. Also, lectures are limited to one per calendar year per physician.2 Glendale Memorial Medical DialogueBaby NewsCynthia Deveikis, DO, and her spouse, Jeremy Vargo, announced the birth of their son, Liam, in June. Congratulations to the family!
New Study: Avoid Contamination in Robotic ArthroplastyIn our eorts to remain steadfast to our commitment to patient safety, we’d like to share with you the ndings of a recent study highlighted in the American Journal of Infection Control regarding contamination in robot-assisted total joint arthroplasty (robotic-TJA). The objective was to determine if contamination occurs from the robotic arm, which enters in and out of the surgical eld during a procedure, or another surgical instrument. The study was conducted at a single facility (outside of CommonSpirit Health) with one surgeon and included 103 robotic-TJAs. Of them, • Contamination resulted from 10% of robotic-TJA cases. • The scalpel was found to be the most common site of contamination (8%).• Contamination occurring from the robotic arm was less (2%). As always, it’s crucial to clean, sterilize, and follow the manufacturers’ instructions for use for each and every surgical instrument. Thank you for adhering to our safety procedures and practices to continue preventing infections. Reminder: Video Recording PolicyAt Dignity Health, we prioritize patient privacy and condentiality. As a reminder, all video recording at our facilities must rst be approved by hospital administration to ensure we adhere to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Rule as well as our internal policies on videotaping within the hospital. HIPAA states that health care providers, including hospitals and doctors’ oces, may only allow lm crews access to their facilities if they obtain written authorization from patients. Authorizations must also be signed by visitors and employees being recorded. Thank you for respecting the privacy rights of others and maintaining a safe environment. You can read CommonSpirit Health’s Photography, Video- and Audio-Recording Policy by clicking or scanning the QR code.Obtaining ApprovalRequests to record video must be approved by both Amy Henderson, Corporate Responsibility Ocer, at (760) 377-6080, and by Christina Zicklin, CA Region Director of External Communications at (310) 922-8522. Glendale Memorial Medical Dialogue 3Top 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 Glendale Memorial Hospital. Criteria for Top Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Query Response Achievers: Only physicians with three or more queries and an answer rate of 90–100% are included. Below are the top achievers for June and July. Congratulations on a job well done!Zulqar Ahmed, MDNarine Arutyounian, MDArgin Baghramian, MDDuc Bui, MDDennis Chang, DO Garen Derhartunian, MDAnna Galfaian, MDMarco Gomez-Garcia, MDElizabeth Grigoryan, MDMichael Habashy, MDKrikor Kalindjian, MDVigen Khojayan, MDHaig Laan, DOMoses Lee, DOWilson Liu, DOArazin Minasian, MD Baminihannadige Peiris, MDSera Ramadan, DOHelen Rostamloo, MDErik Sitker, MDHwan Suk, MDTeresa Swida, DOLim Taw, MDTigran Tiraturyan, MDNarbeh Tovmassian, MDArman Uzunyan, MDAntonio Zamorano, DO
4 Glendale Memorial Medical DialogueCALL FOR ARTICLES: We encourage members of the Glendale Memorial Hospital staff to submit information or articles for publication. We welcome your input! Email: tracie.cheesemangipson@commonspirit.org EDITORIAL TEAMWilliam Wang, MD, CMO Medical Editorial AdvisorDeborah Connors-Moore Director, Medical Staff ServicesChristina ZicklinEditorial DirectorTracie GipsonEditor.Physicians in the NewsWe’d like to thank and recognize the following physicians who were recently featured in the local media.Dr. Yaser Badr, Neurosurgeon, was featured on KTLA Channel 5 News in a story about Nick Reed, a Chaplain from Burbank, who suered a stroke and underwent three brain surgeries. Dr. Badr focused on stroke prevention, risk factors, symptoms, and recovery, while stressing the importance of immediate medical attention to minimize damage and improve outcomes.Dr. Raed Bargout, Chief of Cardiology, was featured in Shefinds.com in an article about foods that can significantly increase the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular events.DEI RecognitionGlendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center (GMMHC), and Jill Welton, Market President, Southern California, were featured in the Crescenta Valley Weekly in a story about GMHHC being recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2024 Healthcare Equality Index.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 Glendale Memorial Hospital, please be sure to first contact Christina Zicklin, CA Region Director of External Communications, 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.