Adventist Health Glendale | Healthline Quarterly | Fall 2018

Welcome reception with community members and physicians. Top, from left, are Vrej Aghajanian, Alice Issai, Ara Najarian and the Archpriest Fr. Vazken Atmajian. Bottom, from left, are Vahe Akopian, MD; Simon Keushkerian, MD; Lance Lee, MD; Alice Issai; and Michele Cosgrove, MD. To our beloved community Dear Community Members, I am deeply honored to serve as your new president of Adventist Health Glendale—and what a privilege to return to this outstanding organization where I began my career nearly 40 years ago! In 1979, my husband, Robert, and I settled in Glendale, raised our two children here and con- tinue to call this place home. Although my career led me to positions in major hospitals throughout Southern California, Glendale has always been “my community.” So you can imagine how energized I feel about the oppor- tunity to lead a hospital with 113 years of history, highly skilled physicians and nurses, compassionate associates, and services recognized for excellence. What first captured my attention about Adventist Health Glendale was its mission of “Living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope.” Our mission is who we are and how we care for you, our patients. It puts you at the center of all we do to provide you with what you need. I’m often asked about my vision for the hospital. I believe we have tremendous potential for our future. There are opportunities to become a major destination hospital to serve Los Angeles with an advanced level of care— so patients can have access to a world-class facility in all specialties. During this journey of advancement, earning your trust will be my top priority as you place your life and the lives of your loved ones in our hands each and every day. In closing, I want to inform you of some recent exciting news about Adventist Health Glendale. First, we were recertified as a comprehensive stroke center by DNV GL, an international ac- crediting organization. This means that we have met the high- est possible standards for the fast treatment and care of stroke patients. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report has recognized Adventist Health Glendale as one of the best hospitals for 2018–19, ranking us 15 out of 133 hospitals in the Los Angeles metro area and 28 out of 414 hospitals in all of California. These accomplishments underline our commitment to you, our beloved Glendale community, and to our goal to provide the best care. I look forward to learning more about your needs and what it means for you to live well—so we can be well, together. Your partner in care, Alice Issai, President Adventist Health Glendale Getting to know Alice Issai Alice Issai’s experience in health care administration spans nearly four de- cades, most recently as chief operating officer at USC-Keck Medical Center & Norris Cancer Hospital (2015–18). Previously, she held similar positions in operations and finance at UC Irvine Health, Kaiser Permanente-Los Angeles Metro, and City of Hope. Alice recalls her first job in health care, beginning in 1979, as a finan- cial analyst at Glendale Adventist Medical Center (known today as Adventist Health Glendale). She and her husband, Robert, had just gradu- ated from Andrews University in Michigan. The couple set their sights on moving to California, and Alice started making contacts for jobs. “Glendale Adventist hired me over the phone!” she remembers, with a smile. “We love this community—why would we ever leave?” Our mission is who we are and how we care for you, our patients. It puts you at the center of all we do to provide you with what you need. TO L E A R N MO R E A B O U T A D V E N T I S T H E A LT H G L E N D A L E O R TO F I N D A D O C TO R , V I S I T A D V E N T I S T H E A LT H G L E N D A L E . O R G 3 COMMUNITY HEALTH