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Dear Colleagues,I’m happy to share with you that Northridge Hospital Medical Center’s Administration is celebrating our physicians for an entire week in March to show appreciation for the meaningful work you do. Not only do you improve your patients’ health and change their lives, but you also stay true to your commitment to excellence no matter the current challenges we face in health care. The awards, recognitions and honors bestowed upon our hospital are possible because of your steadfast commitment and dedication to be the very best at what you do.Please join us in celebration of our physicians’ dedication, compassion, and support. Northridge Hospital’s Doctor’s Week events will be scheduled from Tuesday, March 25 through Friday, March 29. Watch for details, which will be sent out separately as well as posted in the physician lounges.On behalf of the Hospital’s Administration, happy Doctor’s Week!DIGNITY HEALTH – NORTHRIDGE HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTERKEEPING PHYSICIANS ABREAST OF THE LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATIONMedical DialogueHappy Doctor’s WeekMARCH APRIL Jeremy Grosser, MD Medical Staff PresidentWelcome New Physicians to the Northridge Hospital Medical Center FamilyAnesthesiologySergey Progushev, MDDiagnostic RadiologyDavid Moon, MDRaj Shah, MDEmergency MedicineJasvinder Bawa, MDTaylor Walsh, MDGastroenterologyYvette David, MDGeneral SurgeryStephanie Young, MDOB/GYNCharlotte Conturie, MD, MFMPediatric Hematology/Oncology (Telemedicine)Priyanka Nanjireddy, MDPediatric Infectious Disease (Telemedicine)Sanchi Malhotra, MD
.2 Northridge Hospital Medical DialogueCancer Care CornerNowhere in the San Fernando Valley will you nd more cutting-edge cancer technology and personalized care to achieve optimal wellness than at the Leavey Cancer Center. In honor of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, and Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month in April, we would like to make all of our physicians aware of the advanced treatments and services available to best treat our patients. Colorectal Cancer TreatmentAfshin Safa, MD Medical Director of Radiation OncologyColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly occurring cancers and causes of cancer death. Patients diagnosed with localized cancer have a much higher survival rate compared with those who have metastatic spread at the time of diagnosis. At Northridge Hospital’s Leavey Cancer Center, we emphasize prevention and early detection, especially for high-risk patients who have a family history or other risk factors for the disease. Multiple screening tests are available to detect CRC and adenomatous polyps. A patient with any abnormal screening test for CRC, other than colonoscopy itself, requires a timely colonoscopy to evaluate for adenomas and CRC. Most patients with localized, resectable colon cancer should undergo upfront surgery, followed by adjuvant systemic therapy and/or radiation therapy as clinically indicated. However, it may be appropriate to evaluate selected patients for neoadjuvant therapy, such as those with locally advanced tumors or those with medically inoperable tumors. In those patients, upfront chemotherapy, with or without radiation, may be indicated. For some patients with decient mismatch repair (dMMR), targeted therapy or immunotherapy is an appropriate alternative to chemotherapy (ideally in the context of a clinical trial).Our multidisciplinary team approach oers CRC patients individually focused treatment developed with collective expertise combined with the advantage of the latest scientic research and technology. These techniques are minimally invasive and either supplement current multimodality approaches or replace older, more invasive therapies. Our collaborative approach ensures outstanding care for even rare and more complicated cases.Esophageal Cancer TreatmentSidney Stoll, DO Medical Director of OncologySquamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma account for over 95 percent of esophageal malignant tumors. Smoking and alcohol are major risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma, while Barret’s esophagus with intestinal metaplasia,(a complication of GERD, obesity, and smoking), are the risk factors for adenocarcinoma. Patients with advanced esophageal cancer may present with progressive dysphagia and weight loss. Most early esophageal cancers are detected during screening or surveillance for Barret’s esophagus. Other possible symptoms of esophageal cancer include regurgitation of saliva or food, and hoarseness and cough if the recurrent laryngeal nerve is invaded by the tumor. Iron deciency anemia is also common as a result of blood loss from the cancer. The diagnosis of esophageal cancer requires a biopsy of the tumor tissue. This may be obtained by an endoscopy or by image guided biopsy of a metastatic site. The prognosis of esophageal cancer is strongly associated with disease stage. EUS (endoscopic ultrasound) is the preferred method for locoregional staging. The evaluation of distant metastases includes contrast enhanced CT of the neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis, PET/CT scan, EUS, and sometimes diagnostic laparoscopy.For most patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, concurrent chemotherapy and radiation is recommended for neoadjuvant therapy. This is usually followed by surgery. Non operative management may be preferred for patients who are not able to tolerate surgery due to other continued on next page
Northridge Hospital Medical Dialogue 3Leap Year BabyMeet baby Laila - welcomed into the world on Leap Day morning at Northridge Hospital. Thanks to our incredible Maternity and Labor & Delivery teams – including Dr. Eric Gama, Dr. Daniel Quan (pictured l-r) and Dr. Diana Lev (not pictured) – for delivering this healthy bundle of joy with humankindness!Physician Recognition and Patient PraiseCongratulations to physicians who recently received Class Actor nominations, or recognition in complimentary letters to our hospital administration.Jacob Poulose, MD, Internal Medicine/Nephrology – “I wanted to personally thank him for taking time out of his busy day to check on me often and treat me with respect. He is a true example of someone with integrity and compassion.”Balbir Singh, MD, Internal Medicine/Nephrology – “He went above and beyond with excellent care that is rated 10 out of 10.”comorbidities. Although only 30 to 40% of patients have potentially resectable disease at presentation, surgery has been the standard treatment for early-stage esophageal cancer. Unfortunately, locally advanced, unresectable, or inoperable esophageal cancer is incurable in the majority of patients. A major goal of treatment is improvement in quality of life by restoring and maintaining the ability to swallow. At the Leavey Cancer Center, we use a multidisciplinary approach to organize and plan the treatment for patients with esophageal cancer on an individual basis. If you have a patient who would benet from these services, please call the appropriate number below.Medical Oncology -Radiation Oncology -Physicians in the NewsWe’d like to thank and recognize the following physicians who were recently featured in local media stories.Sasha Haddad, DO, Family Medicine, was featured on NBC Channel 4 News in a story about National Green Juice Day, intended to raise awareness about the benets of incorporating leafy greens into your diet. Diana Lev, MD, Family Medicine, was featured on KNX 1070 Newsradio in a story about the asthma drug known as Xolair, which is now approved to treat severe food allergies.Jahandar Saleh, MD, Director of Advanced Cardiac Care Programs, Structural Heart and Mechanical Circulatory Support, and Betsy Hart, NHMC Chief Operating Ocer, were featured in multiple news outlets for National Wear Red Day – CBS Channel 2 News, KCAL Channel 9 News and Spectrum One News. Dr. Saleh was also featured in a Spectrum One News story where he conducted a stress test to demonstrate the importance of cardiac health.5 Things to Know about the Leavey Cancer Center •Award Winning Care Encompassing Medical Oncology, Hematology Care & Radiation Oncology•Navigator Services to Guide Patients Through Treatment•Committed Team Dedicated to High Quality Care•Tailor Made Therapies•Support Care Services including: Massage Therapy Services, Transportation Services, & Home Care Support Scan or click the QR code to learn more.
4 Northridge Hospital Medical Dialogue18300 Roscoe Boulevard, Northridge, CA 91325CALL FOR ARTICLES: We encourage members of the Northridge Hospital Medical Staff to submit information or articles for publication in the Medical Dialogue. Please contact Tracie Gipson, Editor, at (818) 522-4574 or Tracie.Cheesemangipson@CommonSpirit.org.MEDICAL STAFF OFFICERSJeremy Grosser, MDMedical Staff PresidentUthaiah Kokkalera, MDPresident-ElectLeo Kassabian, MDSecretaryMichael Damavandi, DOTreasurerEDITORIAL TEAMDonna PonoDirector, Medical Staff ServicesChristina ZicklinMedical Dialogue Executive EditorTracie GipsonMedical Dialogue EditorDesiree GarciaMarket Development RepresentativePriscilla BourbonnaisMarket Development RepresentativeVictory for Victims 5K/10K Kids Fun Run & 1-Mile Canines for C•A•T•S Friendly Dog WalkFor the past 21 years, thousands of participants have supported the Annual C∙A∙T∙S Walk/Run, raising money to support NHMC’s Center for Assault Treatment Services (C∙A∙T∙S) program. C.A.T.S. is the only 24/7/365 days a year immediate response program in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys providing forensic medical evidentiary examinations and interviews at no cost to victims of sexual assault, human tracking and domestic violence.We hope that you will join us in this movement, and help put a stop to victims of domestic and sexual violence. There are many ways to get involved - become a sponsor and/or a participant today and help create justice, hope, healing and VICTORY.22nd Annual Victory for Victims Walk/Run Saturday, April 13, 2024Hansen Dam, Lake View Terrace, CAOne hundred percent of funds raised from this year’s event will go directly toward supporting C∙A∙T∙S and our Medical Safe Haven program, which supports our human tracking initiative.For more information on how to register or host a booth at our event, please call (818) 885-5341, ext 2, or email marsha.salazar@commonspirit.org.Join Us at the 34th Annual Golf ClassicSpring is near and the Northridge Hospital Foundation is excited to see everyone again for a beautiful day for our annual Golf Classic.We have many opportunities for you to get involved. For more information, please call (818) 885-5341, ext 2, or email marsha.salazar@commonspirit.org.Golf Classic TournamentMonday, May 13, 2024Spanish Hills Country Club Camarillo, CA