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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Action Among Partnerships, Local Health Care Leadership

The healthcare scene in the Valley is abuzz with activity. New board chairs of organizations have been named, and new technology has been adopted at local hospitals. Meanwhile, a physicians’ collective has opened an office here, and a statewide collective has brokered a partnership with a local foundation. And that’s not all. An area hospital has been honored on the heels of its parent company making a multimillion dollar investment in a local physician management company. Bridge Steps Up There’s change in store for prominent CPA Michael P. Bridge. Via Valley Community Clinic, Bridge will step into a new role. Last month the clinic, a private nonprofit and low-cost healthcare provider, named the Kirsch, Kohn & Bridge partner its newest board chair. Bridge has more than 25 years of public accounting experience, with an emphasis in healthcare. He has served on the clinic’s board for five years. On the other hand, Valley Community Clinic has provided free and low-cost health outreach services to low-income and uninsured residents of the San Fernando Valley for more than 37 years. Spine Surgery Breakthrough Over at West Hills Hospital & Medical Center, there is much excitement about a new minimally-invasive neurosurgical technique used for conditions such as recurrent disc herniation and degenerative scoliosis. The approach allows the West Hills Regional Neurosurgical & Spine Institute at the hospital to perform spine surgeries laterally, or from the side of the patient, rather than from the back or the front. The lateral approach to the spine allows surgeons access to disc space without disturbing the tissue normally disrupted in traditional approaches. Accordingly, patients spend less time in surgery, have less pain and scarring and less potential for nerve damage. The technique also allows for faster recovery and lower costs for surgery. “Patients want to get back to their daily routines as quickly and painlessly as possible, and our commitment to mastering techniques like this makes sure our patients are able to do that,” stated Dr. Michael Schneier, who recently performed the procedure at West Hills. New Glendale Provider A new healthcare provider has opened its doors in Glendale. California Health First recently had a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its launch at 501 N. Orange Ave. Dr. John P. Keats serves as president and medical director of the provider, which prides itself on having medical staff that are either board-certified or board-eligible in their respective specialties. Moreover, CHF said that it strives to take advantage of the latest in electronic medical record technology and patient information systems in its offices, which it describes as “well-equipped.” Senior Services Partnership Partners in Care Foundation, a nonprofit healthcare and social services organization in San Fernando, has announced that it will partner with the California Association of Physician Groups to expand the Healthier Living program, which provides self-management strategies for elderly people with chronic conditions. Funded by the National Council on Aging and Atlantic Philanthropies, Healthier Living consists of workshops presented over six weeks by two trained leaders. The program addresses issues such as managing medications, isolation and depression, exercise regimens and communication with physicians. The three-year initiative will launch with the creation of five “mini networks” comprised of California community college older adult programs, physician groups and county public health departments, according to Partners in Care. “The goal of Healthier Living is to offer older Americans, who often suffer chronic health conditions, an opportunity to take control of their health through behavior changes that have proven effective in reducing the effects of disease and disability,” stated Jennifer Wieckowski of Partners in Care. “Unfortunately, many people with chronic conditions feel they lack the skills to effectively manage their illness. Healthier Living is designed to educate and support older adults to make behavior changes, so they can lead more active and satisfying lives.” The goal is to have 9,525 enrollees in Healthier Living by 2011. Five Star Provider For its treatment of the obese, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank received five stars from HealthGrades at the end of July. This marks the third consecutive year the independent healthcare ratings organization has given St. Joseph’s surgical weight loss program a top ranking. The weight-loss surgeries offered at St. Joseph include laparoscopic gastric bypass and lap bands, and the program itself also has the distinction of being one of about a dozen nationwide certified by both the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. In awarding St. Joseph its highest ranking, HealthGrades analyzed bariatric programs at hospitals in 17 states, analyzing the outcomes of nearly155,000 bariatric inpatient surgeries. Hospitals that received five stars from HealthGrades performed almost twice the volume of procedures compared to one-star-rated hospitals. Moreover, top-rated hospitals had an average 65 percent lower chance of having major complications than poor-performing hospitals. Dr. Philippe J. Quilici, medical director of bariatrics and minimally invasive surgery at St. Joseph, credited hospital staff for scoring the top HealthGrades ranking. Providence Invests in Lakeside Prior to St. Joseph announcing its honor from HealthGrades, the hospital’s parent company, Providence Health & Services, announced that its California unit was making a multimillion dollar investment in Lakeside Systems Inc. in Glendale. This is the first such investment Providence has made. The healthcare company’s decision to invest in Lakeside, which provides management services for about 1,600 physicians, stems from the fact that Lakeside doctors serve a large number of patients in the San Fernando Valley, where both Providence St. Joseph and Providence Holy Cross are located. According to Lakeside co-founder Keith Richman, Providence’s stake in the company will help it expand clinic sites, information technology and additional services. Staff Reporter Nadra Kareem can be reached at (818) 316-3124 or at [email protected] .

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