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V A 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

VPHValley Hip & Knee Institute PAGE 4

Restoring LivesAlso inside

• A Winning Fitness Strategy• How to Volunteer

V A 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 Y2

Gustavo Valdespino

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 par-ticipation 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 work-shops we offer throughout the year, please visit us online at www.valley-pres.org under the “Community Education & Special Events” tab.

At Valley Presbyterian Hospital, we are focused on delivering high qual-ity, 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 employ-ees, 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 compas-sion, expertise and excellence.

Sincerely,

Gustavo Valdespino President & Chief Executive Officer

A Message to Our Community

Messsage to Our Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

A Winning Fitness Strategy . . . . 3

Valley Hip and Knee Institute . . . 4

Health & Wellness Fair . . . . . . . . . 6

Volunteer at VPH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Quit Smoking for Good . . . . . . . . . 8

4th Annual Golf Classic . . . . . . . 10

FALL/WINTER 2014

VPHCares

Contents

Pegi Matsuda PUBLISHER

Senior Vice President, Community and

Market Development

Phone - 818.902.2997

E-Mail - Pegi.Matsuda@valleypres.org

Jaclyn Giovis EDITOR

Director of Marketing & Communications

Phone - 818.902.7920

E-Mail - Jaclyn.Giovis@valleypres.org

Ashley Guerrero CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Communications Coordinator

Phone: 818.902.7928

E-Mail: Ashley.Guerrero@valleypres.org

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, recom-

mendation, 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.

VPH Cares is published quarterly by the

Community and Market Development Department

at Valley Presbyterian Hospital.

TO SUBMIT STORIES OR IDEAS, please contact Jaclyn

Giovis, Director of Marketing & Communications, at

818.902.7920 or email Jaclyn.Giovis@valleypres.org.

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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.

Some exercise advice:

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 of-ten, people starting a fitness program set unrealistic goals. They build in failure because they have expectations that are too large.

A WinningFitness StrategyAre you having second thoughts about exercising?

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.

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.

Realize that only you can control your well-being and your destiny. The best way to change your attitude about ex-ercise 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.

THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT EXERCISE CAN BE THE CRUCIAL FACTOR IN STICKING WITH YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM .

V A 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 Y4

Valley Hip & Knee Institute:

Restoring Lives

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

Expert, comprehensive, compassionate care

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S 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 life-style 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 inva-sive procedures. The Institute’s board-certified orthopedic sur-geons —Herbert D. Huddleston, MD, Medical Director, and Erik N. Zeegen, MD, Associate Medical Director — have decades of combined experience and have performed thousands of proce-dures to treat patients suffering from debilitating joint pain.

“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 dis-orders 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 knowl-edge and technology to treat our patients’ hip or knee condi-tions,” Dr. Huddleston said.

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 .

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 .

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 phy-sician assistants, medical assistants, x-ray technicians, surgery schedulers, and receptionists — each with specialized training and expertise. The goal is always to provide patients with ex-pert, 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.”

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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

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

2014 Health & Wellness Community Fair

the Nurturing

Community

Attendees receive valuable health care information from community organizations.

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, cook-ing demonstrations and activities for children.

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Volunteer at VPH!

Help Make a Difference

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 pow-er to touch the lives of patients and their families in immea-surable ways. Our volunteers provide assistance and support services to staff, patients and visitors across departments.

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) 902-2932 or virginia.napoles@valleypres.org.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTSff 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.

Community

Live steel drum band entertains attendees.

Fairgoers were invited to shop in the complimentary

Farmers Market.

Gloria Huerta of Food for Life demonstrates healthy,

plant-based cooking.

V A 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 Y8

Quit Smokingfor Good

How to overcome the obstacles

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 cardio-vascular 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 re-lated 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, includ-ing 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.

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 pressureff Causes immediate and long-term increases in heart rateff Reduces cardiac output and coronary blood flowff Reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the body’s tissuesff Changes the properties of blood vessels and blood cells, al-lowing cholesterol and other fatty substances to build upff Contributes to higher blood pressure and increased risk for blood clot formationff Damages blood vesselsff Doubles the risk for ischemic stroke (reduced blood flow to the brain)ff Stimulates the blood clotting processff 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 pri-mary 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.

Importance of quitting smoking

Quitting smoking is a mental and a physical undertak-ing. Mentally, you should be ready and relatively stress-free. Physically, you need to commit to exercising daily and get-ting 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 us-ers quit using tobacco products:ff Think about why you want to quitff Pick a stress-free time to quitff Ask for support and encouragement from family and friendsff Start a daily exercise or activity to relieve stress and improve your healthff Get plenty of restff Eat a balanced dietff 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.

ALMOST ONE-THIRD OF ALL CANCERS ARE RELATED TO SMOKING .

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We are becoming entirely smoke-free in 2015!

15107 Vanowen Street | Van Nuys, CA 91405 | 818.782.6600 | valleypres.org

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.

Breathe Easy.

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.

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Last year, more than 60,000 patients sought care at Valley Presbyterian Hospital’s Emergency Department, which is spe-cially 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.

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.

Todd Dixon and Brian Severin of

Mutual of America, Golf Classic Title

Sponsor.

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.

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.

EVENT SPONSORS INCLUDED MUTUAL OF AMERICA,

PREFERRED PARTNERS INSURANCE AGENCY,

HEALTHCARE FINANCE GROUP, LLC, EMERGENT

MEDICAL ASSOCIATES, RENAISSANCE IMAGING MEDICAL

ASSOCIATES AND COMMUNITY BANK .

4Golf ClassicTH ANNUAL

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V A 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 Y1 2

15107 VANOWEN STREET VAN NUYS, CA 91405

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE PAIDVAN NUYS, CAPERMIT NO. 163

Honored to serve you

Excellence in all we do

2006 - 2014

15107 Vanowen Street | Van Nuys, CA 91405 | 818.782.6600 | valleypres.org

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 sta� 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.