Operation Walk’s Global Work Puts Lives Back in Stride
La Cañada Flintridge residents Dr. Paul Gilbert (right) and his wife, Cindy, a registered nurse, visit a patient during a medical mission to Havana. Gilbert is the medical director for Operation Walk and an orthopedic surgeon at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.
The moment a physically disabled patient can stand and walk for the first time without pain is one that Dr. Lawrence Dorr never tires of witnessing. As an international leader in the field of orthopedics, Dorr has sought to give that gift of mobility and hope to as many as possible, including those who otherwise would never be able to afford it, in some of the most remote places of the world. Through Operation Walk, the former longtime La Cañada Flintridge resident found the vehicle that would take him around the globe and change lives — not just of those able to walk again, but of everyone who shares in the experience.
“The smiles that spread across their faces are something you never forget — their whole face just lights up,” said Dorr, who founded the organization in 1994 with just a small medical team to perform free knee and hip replacements. “For a person who goes from being completely dependent on others to having that independence again, it’s an incredibly uplifting thing.”
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VHH’s Bond With USC Just What Doctor Ordered
At a lunch with hospital employees last week, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital CEO Keith Hobbs celebrates the five-year anniversary of Keck Medicine of USC’s acquisition.
When Verdugo Hills Hospital added USC to its name five years ago, Keck Medicine of USC made some ambitious promises about its plans for the facility, long considered something of a local treasure. Continue reading “VHH’s Bond With USC Just What Doctor Ordered”
USC-VHH Women’s Council Hosts Luncheon
USC-VHH Golf Tournament Raises $300K
YMCA Opens Registration for Fiesta Days Run
The YMCA of the Foothills will host the 43rd annual Fiesta Days Run, presented by USC Verdugo Hills Hospital on Memorial Day, May 28. This event is part of Fiesta Days, the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce’s Memorial Day Celebration.
Participants can choose from a beautiful 1-mile family fun run/walk, 5K and 10K held at Descanso Gardens. All proceeds benefit the Y’s Healthy Aging Inititave, empowering seniors through balance and strength programs. One in three seniors experiences a serious fall so this life-saving initiative helps keep seniors on their feet.
Sign ups and more information is available on the website at ymcafoothills.org/fiesta-days. Registration fees include race entry, chip timing, goody bag, YMCA Fiesta Days Run T-shirt, refreshments and awards and raffle prizes from local businesses.
Early bird discounts are available until April 30. Team discounts are available for teams of four or more. There will be a grand prize awarded to the school with the most participants. (Check the registration page for your school’s name when registering.)
USC-VHH CEO Honored
Keith Hobbs, the CEO at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, was honored as CEO of the Year at the recent Glendale Chamber of Commerce Awards Luncheon.
Hobbs, who also serves as a member of the Health System Board at USC, “provides leadership for inpatient, ancillary and allied health facilities by promoting teamwork, fostering efficiency, enhancing communication and establishing clearly defined goals and measurements,” according to an event spokesperson. “In just over a year at the helm at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, Keith and his administrative team have had great success in growing the hospital’s clinical infrastructure, patient volume and reputation in the community.”
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USC-VHH Hosts Stroke Info Seminar
May is American Stroke Awareness Month, an occasion that USC Verdugo Hills Hospital will use to educate the public about how to treat strokes — and more importantly, how to prevent them.
“People don’t realize that 80% of strokes are preventable,” Dr. Nerses Sanossian said by phone. “And the way to prevent them is by educating and empowering people to make lifestyle changes before a stroke occurs.
“No matter how good we are at treating strokes, a stroke averted is the best way to treat a stroke.” Continue reading “USC-VHH Hosts Stroke Info Seminar”
Choi, Davitt, Markgraf and Multari Are Les Tupper Honorees in 2018
The 54th annual Les Tupper Community Service Awards will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 16, at Von Kármán Auditorium at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Soo Kim Choi, Michael Davitt, Katherine Markgraf and Ellen Multari will be honored with individual Community Service Awards; Courtney Johnson and Naomi Stephen will receive Student Service Awards and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital volunteers will be recognized with the Special Service Award.
Community members are invited to attend as the LCF Coordinating Council distributes the awards, which annually recognize individuals and groups for their outstanding service to the community. Continue reading “Choi, Davitt, Markgraf and Multari Are Les Tupper Honorees in 2018”
Teen Vaping is a Growing Concern
Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Matejka offers a lesson on fast-moving vaping trends at the YMCA’s Strategic Partners Network meeting last week at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.
Deputy Eric Matejka said he was stunned that so many parents at a recent La Cañada Unified School Board meeting were unfamiliar with the concept of “Juuling,” and unaware of how hot a trend vaping — e-cigarette smoking — has become.
“I haven’t caught a kid with a cigarette in years,” said Matejka, the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’ Station’s dedicated resource officer, who spends a lot of time at La Cañada High School. “But the Juuls and the vapes have gotten really big.” Continue reading “Teen Vaping is a Growing Concern”