Adventist Health Glendale | Healthline Quarterly | Winter 2019

Eight straight A’s! We’ve done it again! Patient safety organization The Leapfrog Group published its Fall 2018 scorecard, and we are proud to share that Adventist Health Glendale received its eighth consecutive “A” grade. Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Score is calculated by top patient safety experts, who recognize hospitals for their strong commitment to patient safety. “The ‘A’ grade is an achievement made possible by our dedicated team of physicians, clinical staff and associates, who have worked hard to keep patient care, safety and outcomes as our focus for success,” says Alice Issai, president of Adventist Health Glendale. “Earning these recognitions is a representation of the caliber of care we hold ourselves accountable to so we can provide the best care to our community.” Developed under the guidance of an expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign let- ter grades to approximately 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice a year, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. The report is peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Congratulations, Adventist Health Glendale physicians, nurses and associates! First pacemaker implant in Artsakh. From left, Carlos Biaggi, cath lab technician; Gevorg Amirjanyan, MD, Armenia-based physician; Arby Nahapetian, MD, cardiolo- gist, Adventist Health Southern California medical officer. Adventist Health Glendale was voted Best Hospital in the Glendale News-Press Readers’ Choice Survey for 2018. This is the fifth consecutive year the hospital has earned the award. The Glendale News-Press , a Los Angeles Times publication, holds this survey for read- ers and City of Glendale residents to vote for the best organization or service in their community. “To be voted as the Best Hospital by our city is a true honor,” says Alice Issai, president of Adventist Health Glendale. “It’s a testament of our physicians, nurses and associates delivering on our mission of living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. We look forward to continuing to serve our community with the best health care in Glendale.” Great providers too In addition to Best Hospital, select Adventist Health Glendale physicians were voted Glendale’s Best Doc- tors by specialty. Congratulations to Boris Bagdasarian, DO, hematology/oncology, Cancer Committee chair- man; Edmund Lew, MD, family medicine, Adventist Health Home Care Services medical director and Physician Hero 2016; and Philip Shupe, DPM, Ad- ventist Health Glendale Orthopedic Institute. In ad- dition, Cynthia Bitz, RN, medical/surgical, was named the Best Nurse from all three Glendale-area hospitals. Adventist Health Glendale voted the best! Boris Bagdasarian, DO Edmund Lew, MD Philip Shupe, DPM Cynthia Bitz, RN Armenia ‘We made a difference’ One older male was diagnosed with a severe heart condition. His only chance to live was open-heart surgery in Yerevan—a five-hour drive from Artsakh, and the cost would be a devastating $30,000. “We removed the burden from him,” Issai says. Adventist Health Glendale and the Health Ministry of Karabakh covered the cost. “We made a difference in a life, and that’s what matters.” The numbers were impressive for a mission this size. Our volunteer team performed 270 procedures and major surgeries, ranging from total knee replace- ments and hysterectomies to lifesaving cath lab cases in cardiology, neurology and electrophysiology. Another 2,240 visits and consultations were provided for primary care, oncology, gynecology and pediatric patients, both at the two hospi- tals and in the surrounding villages where free prescriptions were also distributed. Every patient came with a story, and the concerns were critical. “The health issues that women live with are heart-wrenching,” says Ramella Markarian, Adventist Health Glendale business development executive. “We did as much as we could to help.” Laurence Spencer-Smith, MD, obstetrics and gynecology, Adventist Health White Memorial, performed numerous surgeries that changed lives forever for women. “With his healing hands, he ended the suffering of those living with uterine and bladder prolapses and disabling gynecologic disorders, which are easily treated in the U.S.,” Markarian adds. Gratitude and hope How did the Armenian people express gratitude? It came in bountiful amounts of tears, hugs and hospitality. A special meeting with Arsen Torosyan, health minis- ter of Armenia, began an important conversation at a higher level. This opportunity to meet with dignitaries speaks volumes about their gratitude toward the missionar- ies for their efforts to create a better Armenia, according to Dr. Nahapetian. The mission concluded with patient visits in the villages of Harav, Shushi and Krasni in Artsakh. A seamless operation included a triage area, primary care physician consults, education and free medication for the villagers. A special tribute was paid to the Baghdassarian family in Krasni, where a community center was made possible by the generosity of Hacop and Hilda Baghdassarian. TO L E A R N MO R E A B O U T A DV E N T I S T H E A LT H G L E N DA L E O R TO F I N D A DO C TO R , V I S I T A DV E N T I S T H E A LT H . O R G / G L E NDA L E 3 QUALITY

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