Fall/Winter 2014 - Valley Presbyterian Hospital

VPH
VA L L E Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N H O S P I TA L N E W S F O R T H E C O M M U N I T Y
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
Restoring Lives
Valley Hip & Knee Institute PAGE 4
Also inside
• A Winning Fitness Strategy
• How to Volunteer
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
1
A Message to
Our Community
Gustavo Valdespino
VPH
Cares
VPH Cares is published quarterly by the
Community and Market Development Department
at Valley Presbyterian Hospital.
TO SUBMIT STORIES OR IDEAS, please contact Jaclyn
This has been an exciting year full of achievement and progress for the
Valley Presbyterian Hospital community.
Thank you to all who attended our recent 2014 Community Health &
Wellness Fair. The event brought the community together, and your participation made it a great success! We are always looking for new ways to
provide you and your family with the information and resources to live a
healthy lifestyle. To learn more about the array of free educational workshops we offer throughout the year, please visit us online at www.valleypres.org under the “Community Education & Special Events” tab.
At Valley Presbyterian Hospital, we are focused on delivering high quality, patient-centered care and we depend on our partners and donors to
help us continue our mission. We’re pleased to announce the award of
major grants from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and The Ahmanson
Foundation to fund the purchase of new cardiac monitors for the Intensive
Care Unit (ICU). This equipment will provide staff with an increased
level of accuracy and insight into the patient’s health status. We also
have secured a grant from the California Community Foundation to fund
the implementation of a medication reconciliation pilot program in the
Emergency Department. This program is designed to increase patient
safety, and reduce the risk of medication order duplications, omissions,
dosage errors and drug interactions.
Our unwavering commitment to quality health care and service excellence
is a reflection of the compassion and dedication we have for our patients
and our community. On this note, I am proud to share with you that our
hospital was voted the “Best Hospital” in the 2014 Los Angeles Daily News
Readers Choice Awards. This is our ninth consecutive year as the Best
Hospital, and on behalf of our Board of Directors, leadership and employees, we are so honored to have the opportunity to support this community.
We are here to meet you and your family’s health care needs with compassion, expertise and excellence.
Giovis, Director of Marketing & Communications, at
818.902.7920 or email [email protected].
Pegi Matsuda PUBLISHER
Senior Vice President, Community and
Market Development
Phone - 818.902.2997
E-Mail - [email protected]
Jaclyn Giovis EDITOR
Director of Marketing & Communications
Phone - 818.902.7920
E-Mail - [email protected]
Ashley Guerrero CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Communications Coordinator
Phone: 818.902.7928
E-Mail: [email protected]
Robin Weisz/ Graphic Design LAYOUT AND DESIGN
DISCLAIMER OF ENDORSEMENT:
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process,
or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise,
does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Valley Presbyterian Hospital. The views
and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state
or reflect those of Valley Presbyterian Hospital, and shall not be
used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
Contents
FALL/WINTER 2014
Messsage to Our
Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
A Winning Fitness Strategy . . . . . 3
Valley Hip and Knee Institute . . . 4
Sincerely,
Health & Wellness Fair. . . . . . . . . 6
Volunteer at VPH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Gustavo Valdespino
President & Chief Executive Officer
2
VA L L E Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N H O S P I TA L N E W S F O R T H E C O M M U N I T Y
Quit Smoking for Good. . . . . . . . . 8
4th Annual Golf Classic . . . . . . . . 10
A Winning
Fitness Strategy
Are you having second thoughts about exercising?
THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT EXERCISE CAN BE THE CRUCIAL FACTOR
IN STICKING WITH YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM.
If you look on it as a disagreeable chore, it becomes one. But if
you develop an image as an active, dynamic person, you’ll be
more likely to stick to your fitness program.
Reward yourself. Complete a half-hour walk five days in a
row? That could mean a trip to the mall to buy some new clothes.
Make something that otherwise could be boring fun instead.
Some exercise advice:
Before your workout, visualize what you’ll be doing. Try
to imagine what you’d look like doing an exercise. It lets you
see in your mind’s eye that exercise is beneficial.
Find an exercise partner. If you work out on your own, you
may end up being less active. If your spouse or a friend goes
with you, you’ll have a commitment to honor. You won’t want
to let the other person down by not exercising.
Break it up and set attainable goals. Cruise through a short
jog, for instance, instead of struggling to run three miles. Too often, people starting a fitness program set unrealistic goals. They
build in failure because they have expectations that are too large.
Realize that only you can control your well-being and
your destiny. The best way to change your attitude about exercise is to just do it. Do something a little more each time and
recognize that you accomplished something, something to feel
pleased about. You build on your accomplishments. You feel
pleased with every little step.
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
3
WHAT DR. HUDDLESTON
HAS DONE FOR ME IS TRULY
INCREDIBLE. HE’S REALLY
GIVEN ME MY LIFE BACK.
­—Steve Bloch
Valley Hip & Knee Instute patient
Restoring Lives
Valley Hip & Knee Institute:
Expert, comprehensive, compassionate care
4
VA L L E Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N H O S P I TA L N E W S F O R T H E C O M M U N I T Y
S
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR HIP OR KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY
IS TO PROVIDE RELIEF FROM SEVERE JOINT PAIN OR OTHER DISORDERS
THAT LIMIT A PERSON’S MOBILITY OR NEGATIVELY IMPACT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
teve Bloch plays tennis at least two days
week and competes in local matches on the weekends. He says
he is living the retirement lifestyle he always imagined thanks
to the medical expertise available at the Valley Hip & Knee
Institute, an outpatient service of Valley Presbyterian Hospital.
Like many active adults, Bloch, age 72, of Calabasas is no
stranger to joint pain. He struggled with severe knee pain for
several years before visiting the Valley Hip & Knee Institute in
2009 and deciding on a double knee replacement procedure
for treatment. The surgery helped him to regain the active lifestyle he had all but lost. Then hip pain started interfering with
his tennis game, and he turned to the experts at the Valley
Hip & Knee Institute again last year — for a right total hip
replacement.
“Now my knees and hips are the only parts that don’t ache after
playing a round of tennis!” Mr. Bloch said.
The Valley Hip & Knee Institute, located in Tarzana, specializes
in the latest joint replacement techniques and minimally invasive procedures. The Institute’s board-certified orthopedic surgeons —Herbert D. Huddleston, MD, Medical Director, and Erik
N. Zeegen, MD, Associate Medical Director — have decades of
combined experience and have performed thousands of procedures to treat patients suffering from debilitating joint pain.
Added Dr. Zeegen: “We work to ensure the best outcomes for
all our patients, and to improve the overall quality of their lives.”
The Valley Hip & Knee Institute’s care team also includes physician assistants, medical assistants, x-ray technicians, surgery
schedulers, and receptionists — each with specialized training
and expertise. The goal is always to provide patients with expert, comprehensive, and compassionate care.
The Valley Hip & Knee Institute also partners with the Valley
Rehabilitation Center, conveniently located in the Valley
Presbyterian Hospital facility, for post treatment rehabilitation
services including physical therapy.
With help from both the Valley Hip & Knee Institute and the
Valley Rehabilitation Center, Mr. Bloch says he is back in full
swing on the tennis court. Last year, he and his tennis team
won the championship in a United States Tennis Association
(USTA) tournament.
“What Dr. Huddleston has done for me is truly incredible,” Mr.
Bloch said. “He’s really given me my life back.”
“I felt comfortable and secure at Valley Hip & Knee Institute,”
Mr. Bloch said. “Dr. Huddleston reviewed the operation and
recovery process with me in detail, and I found his expertise
and experience to be very reassuring.”
One of the most common reasons for hip or knee replacement
surgery is to provide relief from severe joint pain or other disorders that limit a person’s mobility or negatively impact their
quality of life. In such cases, usually the pain has not improved
in response to other non-surgical treatment options.
“We are dedicated to using the most current medical knowledge and technology to treat our patients’ hip or knee conditions,” Dr. Huddleston said.
TO SCHEDULE A PHYSICIAN CONSULTATION AT THE VALLEY HIP & KNEE INSTITUTE,
OR TO FIND OUT IF SURGERY IS RIGHT FOR YOU, CALL 818.708.9090 OR VISIT
WWW.VALLEYHIPANDKNEE.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION.
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
5
FUN FACTS
1,634
free produce items were
distributed at our Farmers
Market including apples,
bananas, carrots, potatoes
and more
1,304
free health screenings
were conducted
490
community members
attended including 370 adults
and 120 children
317
people received at least
one of several free health
screenings, including
cholesterol, glucose, foot and
carotid artery screenings
Nurturing
the Community
2014 Health & Wellness Community Fair
Valley Presbyterian Hospital is proud to give back to the San Fernando Valley
community. We hosted our annual Health & Wellness Community Fair on
October 11, and welcomed individuals and families to visit our campus and
learn about healthy living. The event offered free food, live Caribbean-style
music, health screenings, stroke and diabetes education presentations, cooking demonstrations and activities for children.
247
free flu shots were
administered
130
teddy bears were given to
children as part of a “Teddy
Bear” clinic learning laboratory
86
employees and volunteers
participated in the event
6
Attendees receive valuable health care information from community organizations.
VA L L E Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N H O S P I TA L N E W S F O R T H E C O M M U N I T Y
Help Make a Difference
Volunteer at VPH!
Delivering service excellence would not be possible without
the help of our valuable volunteers. Being a part of the Valley
Presbyterian Hospital community means we all have the power to touch the lives of patients and their families in immeasurable ways. Our volunteers provide assistance and support
services to staff, patients and visitors across departments.
Live steel drum band entertains attendees.
In 2013 alone, our volunteers contributed a total of 79,842 hours
across 52 departments. The Volunteer Escort/Dispatch Office
responded to 58,138 task requests.
If you’d like to join our volunteer team, or would
like more information, please contact Director of
Volunteer Services Virginia Napoles at (818) 9022932 or [email protected].
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Fairgoers were invited to shop in the complimentary
Farmers Market.
Gloria Huerta of Food for Life demonstrates healthy,
plant-based cooking.
ff
All applicants must be at least 14 years of age or older.
ff
We ask that you commit to a regular volunteer schedule
of at least four hours a week for a minimum of 120 hours
of volunteer service.
ff
Complete a volunteer packet, which includes an application
and a health clearance form, for which you will provide proof
of a current tuberculosis (TB) test, flu shot during the flu
season, and a measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine.
ff
Read the volunteer handbook.
ff
Abide by all Valley Presbyterian Hospital policies and
procedures.
ff
Adults must also consent to a security background check.
Giving back: Meyer and Anita Schulman have been
volunteering at Valley Presbyterian Hospital for more than
20 years. They say they love volunteering because they
know their services make a difference in the community.
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
7
How to overcome the obstacles
Quit Smoking
for Good
According to the American Heart Association, diseases caused
by smoking kill more than 440,000 people in the United States
each year; of that number, more than 135,000 deaths are cardiovascular related. Even with antismoking campaigns and medical
disclaimers in place, many people continue to smoke or start
smoking every year. One out of five deaths of Americans is related to smoking, and it kills more Americans each year than
suicides, homicides, AIDS, and car accidents combined.
Smokers not only have increased risk for lung disease, including lung cancer and emphysema, but also have increased risk
for heart disease, stroke, and oral cancer. Almost one-third of
all cancers are related to smoking.
ALMOST ONE-THIRD OF ALL CANCERS
ARE RELATED TO SMOKING.
How does smoking affect the cardiovascular system?
In posing health risks on the body’s cardiovascular system,
smoking:
ff
Causes immediate and long-term increases in blood pressure
ff
Causes immediate and long-term increases in heart rate
ff
Reduces cardiac output and coronary blood flow
ff
Reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the body’s
tissues
ff
Changes the properties of blood vessels and blood cells, allowing cholesterol and other fatty substances to build up
ff
Contributes to higher blood pressure and increased risk
for blood clot formation
ff
Damages blood vessels
ff
Doubles the risk for ischemic stroke (reduced blood flow
to the brain)
ff
Stimulates the blood clotting process
ff
In addition, smoking has been associated with depression
and psychological distress.
Smoking and cardiovascular disease
Smoking, in addition to high cholesterol, high blood pressure,
physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes, tops the list as a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In fact, smoking
has been classified as the single most preventable cause of
premature death in the U.S. According to the American Heart
Association, eliminating smoking not only reduces the risk for
coronary heart disease, but also reduces the risk for repeat
heart attacks and death by heart disease by 50 percent.
8
VA L L E Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N H O S P I TA L N E W S F O R T H E C O M M U N I T Y
Importance of quitting smoking
Quitting smoking is a mental and a physical undertaking. Mentally, you should be ready and relatively stress-free.
Physically, you need to commit to exercising daily and getting plenty of sleep. A person trying to quit must overcome
two obstacles: a physical addiction to nicotine and a habit. The
National Cancer Institute offers the following tips to help users quit using tobacco products:
ff
Think about why you want to quit
ff
Pick a stress-free time to quit
ff
Ask for support and encouragement from family and
friends
ff
Start a daily exercise or activity to relieve stress and
improve your health
ff
Get plenty of rest
ff
Eat a balanced diet
ff
Join a smoking cessation program or other support group
In some cases, smokers benefit from nicotine replacement
products— such as nicotine chewing gum or a nicotine patch—
to help break their smoking habit. These products continue to
give smokers nicotine to meet their nicotine craving. However,
they eliminate tars and poisonous gases that cigarettes emit.
Non-nicotine options to quit smoking include prescription
drugs such as Zyban (bupropion) and Chantix (varenicline).
Consult your health care provider for more information on the
options that are safe for you.
Breathe Easy.
We are becoming entirely
smoke-free in 2015!
As of January, 2015, Valley Presbyterian Hospital will be completely smoke-free.
There will be no pipe, cigar or cigarette (including e-cigarette) smoking of any kind
permitted anywhere on campus. We appreciate your cooperation as we take this
important step to improve the health of the Valley community.
It is Valley Presbyterian Hospital policy to provide a safe, healthful and comfortable work
environment for all patients, visitors and employees by prohibiting smoking on ur campus.
A smoke-free policy supports VPH’s mission and contributes to employee wellness and
productivity.
15107 Vanowen Street | Van Nuys, CA 91405 | 818.782.6600 | valleypres.org
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
9
Todd Dixon and Brian Severin of
Mutual of America, Golf Classic Title
Sponsor.
4
TH ANNUAL
Golf Classic
From left to right: Darrin Sennott and
Josh Schimmels of the Los Angeles
Business Journal, and Dario Serna of
Community Bank with Pegi Matsuda of
Valley Presbyterian Hospital.
Valley Presbyterian Hospital recently hosted its 4th Annual Golf Classic
on September 29, raising funds to support upgrade projects for the
Emergency Services Department. The event was the highest earning
Golf Classic yet. More than 115 golfers teed off at North Ranch Country
Club and enjoyed a full day of golfing games and competitions, food
and drinks, and raffle drawings.
Last year, more than 60,000 patients sought care at Valley
Presbyterian Hospital’s Emergency Department, which is specially certified to treat pediatric, stroke and heart attack patients.
A vital resource for Van Nuys and the surrounding community,
the hospital caters to all walks of life. Many patients who visit
the Emergency Department depend on the emergency room as
their primary access point for health care services.
EVENT SPONSORS INCLUDED MUTUAL OF AMERICA,
PREFERRED PARTNERS INSURANCE AGENCY,
First Place Low Gross Team from left to right: Mo Anwar, MD,
Marco Hernandez, MD, Emergent Medical Associates; Gus
Valdespino, Valley Presbyterian Hospital; Ken Rivers, Hollywood
Presbyterian Medical Center, and Mark Bell, MD, Emergent
Medical Associates.
10
VA L L E Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N H O S P I TA L N E W S F O R T H E C O M M U N I T Y
HEALTHCARE FINANCE GROUP, LLC, EMERGENT
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES, RENAISSANCE IMAGING MEDICAL
ASSOCIATES AND COMMUNITY BANK.
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
11
NONPROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
VAN NUYS, CA
PERMIT NO. 163
15107 VANOWEN STREET VAN NUYS, CA 91405
Honored to serve you
2006 - 2014
Since 1958, Valley Presbyterian Hospital has been committed to providing the highest
quality of care to our patients. So we are especially honored to win the Los Angeles Daily News'
Readers Choice Award for Best Hospital for the ninth consecutive year. At VPH, ensuring
the health of our community is our central focus. Thank you for recognizing the exceptional
level of care our physicians and staff provide. While we are honored to win this award for
the ninth year running, our greatest reward is simply having satisfied patients.
For more information, or for career opportunities, visit valleypres.org.
Excellence in all we do
15107 Vanowen Street | Van Nuys, CA 91405 | 818.782.6600 | valleypres.org
12
VA L L E Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N H O S P I TA L N E W S F O R T H E C O M M U N I T Y