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Narine Arutyounian, MD
Philip Merritt, MD
Lance Lee, MD
HEALING HANDS: Fernando Vazquez offering clinical massage therapy.
N E W S , V I E W S & T I P S
H E A L T H T A L K
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e Joint Commission awards GAMC again!
Physician
community
educator at
GAMC
Glendale Adventist Medical Center
appointed Narine Arutyounian, MD,
as community educator medical di-
rector. In her role, Dr. Arutyounian
will oversee television and commu-
nity outreach programs to educate
the community about services offered
by GAMC.
Her medical show is designed to
help viewers learn about various health
issues, diseases and treatment options
available at GAMC. Viewers will also
have an opportunity to meet different
board-certified GAMC physicians, who
will be interviewed on the show about
health issues from orthopedics to cardi-
ology and everything in between!
Catch Dr. Arutyounian the second
Sunday of each month from : to PM
on the following channels:
●
Charter Communications channels
, and .
●
Time Warner channel .
●
Cox Communications channel .
●
Globecast channel .
While in the community, Dr.
Arutyounian attends health fairs,
makes TV or media appearances rep-
resenting GAMC, attends hospital and
health-related events, takes part in
hospital or marketing campaigns, and is
always available for community health-
related events with GAMC’s partner
organizations.
Dr. Arutyounian’s collaboration with
GAMC and the community helps put our
hospital in the forefront of patient care.
Her commitment to educating our Glen-
dale community for the past years is
a testament of her passion and desire
to keep our patients and their families
educated and healthy.
Thank you, Dr. Arutyounian!
Massage therapy brings healing touch
When a patient at Glendale Adventist
Medical Center (GAMC) is feeling a
little anxious or worried or experienc-
ing discomfort as a side effect of their
treatment, Fernando Vazquez is often the
first to be called. As a certified clinical
massage therapist, Vazquez knows that
intense surgeries, radiation and medica-
tions—as well as the effects of the disease
itself—can take a toll on an individual,
both physically and psychologically.
Currently, the hospital has integrated
massage therapy as an addition to the
physician’s treatment plan. In order to
see a patient, a massage therapist must
receive a physician referral. This ensures
that the patient is a good candidate for
the treatment.
Hands-on treatment
Massage therapy
is an increasingly important tool in as-
sisting with traditional medicine, and the
benefits are very apparent to therapists
seeing clients. Massage is known to re-
duce stress, bolster the immune system,
help remove toxins, and restore energy
and circulation. A massage therapist’s
knowledge of anatomy, physiology and
pathology proves to be a benefit to work-
ing with a team in the hospital.
“When I get that referral, I make sure
to read through the patient’s history and
medical background,” says Vazquez. “I
then consult with the disease handbook
of massage therapy and begin planning
a safe and effective treatment plan for
each patient.”
Massage therapy takes many years
of clinical training and must be accom-
panied by specialized certification and
degrees.
“They ask me: Don’t you get tired?”
Vazquez says. “Don’t your hands hurt?
No, I don’t feel like I am working.
This is my calling, my passion and mis-
sion. Oncology massage has become one
of my favorite ways to help cancer pa-
tients. The acknowledgment from patients
and growing acceptance from medical
professionals has been extremely
satisfying.”
For more information, call Fer-
nando Vazquez at
( )
-
.
Glendale Adventist Medical Center is
proud to announce that the hospital once
again earned The Gold Seal of Approval
®
fromThe Joint Commission for Advanced
Primary Stroke Centers. GAMC’s joint
replacement program is also pleased to
be re-certified and recognized for ongo-
ing dedication to continuous compliance
with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-
art standards. The hospital earned both
recertification distinctions after The Joint
Commission conducted an on-site review
in September.
“In achieving Joint Commission ad-
vanced re-certification, GAMC has demon-
strated its commitment to the highest level
of care for its stroke patients and its joint
replacement patients,” says Jean Range,
executive director of disease-specific care
certification at The Joint Commission.
“Certification is a voluntary process, and
The Joint Commission commends the
hospital for successfully undertaking this
challenge to elevate its standard of care
and instill confidence in the community
it serves.”
“Our commitment to providing our
patients the highest-quality stroke care is
centered on current scientific research and
best practices,” says Lance Lee, MD, medi-
cal director of the Neuroscience Institute
at GAMC. “We are very proud to say that
we are the only hospital in Glendale that
has earned the prestigious The Gold Seal
of Approval
®
fromThe Joint Commission.”
“Joint Commission certification helps
support our culture of excellence,” says
Philip Merritt, MD, medical director of
the Orthopedic Institute at GAMC. “We’re
honored to be awarded this Joint Commis-
sion re-certification because it is another
external endorsement of our commitment
to improve health care for our patients
through quality care based on the best
medical evidence available.”