Pasadena Health 2019 by Pasadena Magazine

PASADENA HEALTH MAGAZINE

YOUR GUIDE TO HEALTH & WELLNESS

pasadenamag.com 2019

NEW HOME FOR AN OLD DREAM Huntington Medical Research Institutes’ new digs.

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT Medical Apps that help you stay healthy.

BATTLING AGING Healthy tips for all life’s stages.

CBD The promise of medical cannabis.

Excellence in fertil it

When to seek a fertility specialist Women’s fertility begins declining at about 27 years of age and drops significantly at approximately 37 years old. Below are guidelines indicating when to schedule an appointment. • Women over the age of 35, after trying to become pregnant for over 6 months without success. • Women under the age of 35, after trying to become pregnant for over 12 months without success.

World-renowned treatment For decades, our patients have come to us from around the world because they want the best. • High success rates in all categories. • Most advanced IVF laboratory, equipment and techniques. • Convenience in having all treatment provided at one location. • Continually at the forefront of reproductive technologies.

il ity care since 1988.

www.hrcPasadena.com

SPEED

LIFE- CHANGING DISCOVERIES TO LIFE It’s not enough to promise future cures. We have to find them today. This is the passion that drives us. We are City of Hope doctors and researchers, advancing science that saves lives. Our work has led to the development of four of the most widely used cancer-fighting drugs. We’ve pioneered CAR T cell therapy and are turning your immune system into cancer’s worst enemy. We’re making precision medicine a reality by using your genes to determine the best treatment for your cancer. At City of Hope, our patients depend on us for extraordinary answers. That’s why we work like there’s no tomorrow. Find out more at CityofHope.org

Photograph by Ian Dooley

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S : F E AT U R E S

HOW TO BATTLE AGING

48 52 HOW TO BATTLE AGING No matter your age there are things you can do to help you look younger.

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

MAKING BABIES HRC Fertility in Pasadena has been helping people conceive since 1988.

EMERGENCY SERVICES FASTER AND BETTER.

• • • • •

Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics Fast Track for Minor Injuries Heart Attack Receiving Center Comprehensive Stroke Care Top 1% Nationally for Patient Safety

FREE PHYSICIAN REFERRAL 626-790-7299 WWW.METHODISTHOSPITAL.ORG/ER Methodist Hospital of Southern California 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S : D E PA R T M E N T S

IMAGINING THE FUTURE

STRETCH PRO

IMAGINING THE FUTURE Dr. Arthur Riggs, City of Hope’s biotech pioneer.

STRETCH PRO Helping to heal your body after exercise.

BUZZ FREE CURE CBD is proving an effective treatment for pain, anxiety and more.

NEW HOME FOR AN OLD DREAM

JUST FLOAT A ﬂoat in a sensory deprivation tank can be a shortcut to serenity.

BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK Activated charcoal is taking the health and beauty world by storm.

NEW HOME FOR AN OLD DREAM Dr. William Opel’s vision comes together at Huntington Medical Research Institutes.

HOT STUFF Think of Shape House as an urban sweat lodge, without the shaman.

WAKE UP CALL There is more to a good night’s sleep than counting sheep.

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT Health Apps that help you stay well.

NOT SO MODERN MEDICINE The practice of medicine has come a long way since the days of mouse paste.

FACES Our 2018 Top Doctors event at Fenyes Mansion honored the area’s top physicians as chosen by their peers.

For excellent medicine, look for the Huntington cube. It’s a symbol that stands for our commitment to your good health. Whether at our hospital, ambulatory surgery center, cancer center, a doctor’s office or throughout our community, we’re here to care for the physical, mental and social well-being of every person. To find trusted Huntington care, visit www.huntingtonhospital.org/partners

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EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LETTER BY CUYLER GIBBONS

esource allocation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a basic economic activity involving choice. For those of us who lack an endless supply of time and money such choices are inevitable and quotidian. Perhaps nowhere are they at once more vital and more complicated than when we make choices about our personal health and wellness. Whether contemplating joint replacement, or joining a gym, choosing a day spa, or a fertility clinic, when allocating your precious resources

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

you want not only the outcome, but the entire experience to be wholly positive. Fortunately the exceptional quality of health care professionals and service providers in and around Pasadena takes some of the pressure off those decisions. The only challenge is abundance. In fact, it is an abundance so profound that we thought health&wellness needed a magazine of its own to tell the complete story, and how you come to be reading the inaugural edition of Pasadena Health. Intended to be both a resource and an inspiration, the issue is full of ideas about how to improve your general fitness, the health

of your skin, your diet, and your mind. As well as profiles of some of the physicians and institutions that are working to make and keep us well in and around Pasadena. Choosing health is easy, deciding on the best way to go about getting and staying healthy can be more challenging. We hope this issue of Pasadena Health will be an effective tool as you choose how to allocate your own resources in pursuit of personal health and wellness. Thanks for reading, Cuyler

Helping see your best

Providing you with the absolute best in vision care is the singular focus of Doheny Eye Center UCLA. With offices throughout the area, all of our ophthalmologists are full-time UCLA faculty members, which means you have access to the latest advances in vision care. UCLA Stein and Doheny Eye Institutes consistently rank Best in the West and No. 5 in the Nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. Schedule your appointment today and see the difference for yourself. Pasadena Huntington Pavilion 625 S. Fair Oaks Avenue Suite 280 Pasadena, CA 91105 626-817–4747

Arcadia 622 W. Duarte Road Suite 101 Arcadia, CA 91007 626-254–9010

Orange County 18111 Brookhurst Street Suite 6400 Fountain Valley, CA 92708 714-963–1444

For more information, go to uclahealth.org/eye

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Leave a legacy ...

A FUTURE EVERYONE CAN SEE Did you know?

• Supporting vision research today allows future generations the gift of eyesight.

• For over 70 years, estate gifts have enabled Doheny Eye Institute to pioneer revolutionary research of current treatments and cures for eye disease – yet there is more to be done. • An estate gift may entitle you to financial benefits today and allow for a more significant and meaningful impact on our sight-saving work.

Please consider including Doheny in your will or trust, or let us know if you have made a provision for Doheny. For more information on how a legacy gift can beneﬁt you and generations to come, contact our planned giving ofﬁce at (323) 342-7101 or visit our website at doheny.org.

The Joy of Parenthood

is something many people look forward to in their lives. The unfortunate reality is that 1 in 8 couples face difficulties getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. If you are experiencing fertility challenges, you may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure about your next steps. An important starting point is for you and your partner to undergo infertility testing to better understand your circumstances and options. Finding the right fertility center and reproductive specialists to guide you through this process is critical. For more than 20 years, Southern California Reproductive Center (SCRC) has been a leader in assisted reproductive technology. With a renownedÂ team of board-certified reproductive specialists and state-of-the-art facilities, our practice gives our patients the best chances for success in building a family.

Contact us at 866-312-0771 and take the first step in building the family of your dreams. SCRC PASADENA 625 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Ste. 270, 91105 SCRC GLENDALE 240 S Jackson Street, Ste. 109, 91205 SCRCivf.com

Our Pasadena center is led by Dr. Lina Akopians (MD/PhD), a double boardcertified obstetrician/gynecologist and reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) specialist. Dr. Akopians is passionate about helping her patients overcome their fertility challenges and to achieve their dream of parenthood. She sees patients in our Beverly Hills, Glendale, and Pasadena offices. At SCRC, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the gift of parenthood. Our practice is proudly inclusive and supports a diverse patient population.

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

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PASADENA HEALTH 2019

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

IMAGINING THE FUTURE City of Hope’s Dr. Arthur Riggs is creating the future of diabetes and cancer treatments today. by CUYLER GIBBONS images courtesy of CITY OF HOPE

ots of boys grew up reading the science fiction of Robert Heinlein, and many undoubtedly were thus inspired to pursue a career in science. Dr. Arthur Riggs—the director emeritus of the City of Hope Beckman research center,and the Samuel Rahbar chair in Diabetes & Drug Discovery was no different, except perhaps in the pivotal nature of his scientific achievements. While Heinlein was an undisputed master at creating fictional futures, Dr. Riggs has been creating the future of medicine and making it real for nearly 50 years. Long before Riggs finished at San Bernardino High School he was certain that he wanted to be a scientist and his certainty never wavered. A graduate of UC

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

Riverside, with a degree in chemistry—“It was a small school then, and it turned out to be perfect for me,”— Dr. Riggs did his doctoral work at Caltech on the chemistry of DNA, eventually earning a PhD in biochemistry. His thesis explored DNA replication. “Molecular biology was really what it was,” he says. With its proximity to Caltech, an existing research institute with a roster of scientists Riggs respected, City of Hope was a perfect fit, and Riggs signed on in 1969. Studying the question of how a particular protein could recognize the specific gene, out of thousands, that it bound with, led Riggs to a collaboration with Dr. Keiichi Itakura, a specialist in DNA synthesis. Their search for an efficient way to make large amounts of the DNA Riggs was studying led to the synthesis of the human hormone, insulin, the (Continued on page XX)

LOOSEN UP Stretch Pro aims to help you recover from all that getting in shape. by DANIEL TOZIER image courtesy STRETCH PRO

hough fitness trends seem to come and go, exercise and the belief that physical fitness is an important part of our lives is more prevalent than ever. This is the good news. The bad news is all that extra wear and tear on our muscles and joints adds up and, without proper care, can lead to severe and painful injuries. Kesh Hayashi saw the pattern over and over during his time running a physical therapy center in Los Angeles. After years of helping people heal, he wanted to shift his focus to preventing the damage before it happened. In 2017, Hayashi opened Stretch Pro, a wellness center that utilizes assisted stretching to aid in muscle restoration and injury prevention. In April of last year, his Pasadena location opened and already our city’s runners and bicyclists have made it a standard stop on their path to physical fitness. Stretch Pro sets itself apart by requiring their therapists to be licensed as either a massage therapist, physical therapists or exercise specialist. Once hired, they begin an

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additional six-week training course to learn the techniques and best practices of Stretch Pro’s preferred method, Dynamic Integrated Stretching. Like ice baths and compressions sleeves, assisted stretching was first developed for use in professional sports before trickling down to the public. With DIS, each limb is stretched across several five-second successions while a strap across the stomach keeps the client’s body in place. With each repetition the neighboring muscles loosen their resistance until, finally, a full and complete stretch can be achieved. It’s through this process, Hayashi says, that circulation improves, joints are able to recover and the damage done to the muscles can begin to reverse. “Working out is great,” Hayashi says. “It’s good for your heart, it’s good for circulation. But what people don’t realize is that it puts a lot of demand on your joints and tissues and that’s where people are starting to feel it.” Stretch Pro’s focus is on getting the most out of your workouts and doing so as safely as possible by giving your entire body a place

to recover and realign between sessions at the gym, on the court or in the yoga studio. “It’s not a pre or post-workout stretch,” Hayashi explains. “It’s a ‘take a day off and recover’ stretch...The best way to utilize this is to come in every week and reverse everything you’ve done throughout that week so you can refresh and do it all over again.” Stretch Pro doesn’t work exclusively with athletes. Elderly clients have begun frequenting the studio to stay limber and mobile in their later years and office workers come in to undo the strain their neck and back endure sitting at a desk for eight hours a day. Stretch Pro therapists are even trained to help individuals recovering from physical injuries. As we become more active it becomes all the more important to have a place to undo the wear and tear of another week. Everything in our lives requires some measure of maintenance. We update our phones, wind our watches, and take our cars to the mechanics. Maybe it’s time to treat our bodies with the same level of attention. § PASADENA HEALTH 2019

KEEPING YOUR VISION IN FOCUS Your vision is our focus, from routine eye exams to treating the most complex eye conditions. Through an integrative and multidisciplinary approach, our extraordinary team at USC Roski Eye Institute strives to provide exceptional patient care through state-of-the-art diagnostic services and innovative treatments for every age of the spectrum. From first-in-kind stem cell-based therapy clinical trials for dry age-related macular degeneration, to novel ultrasonic diagnostic technology for debilitating eye diseases such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, our vision scientists are leading experts and pioneers in ophthalmology. These advances enable us to move closer to our mission of preventing vision loss and eliminating blindness in our communities and abroad.

Call us today at (323)442-6335 to schedule an appointment e y e . k e c k m e d i c i n e . o r g

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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

BUZZ FREE CURE CBD appears to be a promising natural treatment for pain, anxiety, and other ailments. by CARRIE COLETTE

CHUAN SPA AT LANGHAM HUNTINGTON PASADENA

annabidiol, commonly known as CBD, is emerging as a popular natural treatment for various health conditions, making it an appealing option for those seeking relief from chronic pain, depression, and more. A nonpsychoactive component of the Cannabis Sativa plant, CBD is one of over 100 different chemical compounds known as cannabinoids, and is considered a safer option for those who are concerned about the potential mind-altering effects of other cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). “Unlike other cannabinoids such as THC, CBD does not produce a euphoric ‘high’ or psychoactive effect because it does not affect the same receptors as THC,” says Holly Edgin, Spa Director at the Langham Huntington Pasadena’s Chuan Spa. “The human body is an endocannabinoid system (ECS) that receives and translates signals from cannabinoids. It produces some cannabinoids on its own, which are called

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

endocannabinoids. The ECS helps to regulate functions such as sleep, immune system responses and pain.” CBD oil is extracted from the flowers and leaves of hemp—a Cannabis Sativa plant that only contains trace amounts of THC, and has become a popular ingredient in beauty and wellness products. Hemp remains the primary source for commercial CBD oil for legal reasons, and as of 2019, CBD derived from hemp is legal nationwide. It can be consumed orally, by inhalation, and absorbed through the skin. Over the years, numerous studies have been conducted to highlight CBD’s many potential benefits—it is purported to help ease inflammation, provide antioxidants, relieve pain, reduce stress, improve sleeping disorders, and more. The anti-bacterial quality of CBD can also help reduce the ongoing effects of acne, as well as help to immediately reduce the swelling and discomfort of an active breakout. “CBD oil massage is known to provide excellent

COTE D’AZUR

pain relief and is also shown to be antiinflammatory,” says Deisy Suarez, founder and CEO of DESUAR Spa in Los Angeles. “It’s non-toxic and highly recommended for anyone suffering from chronic pain, arthritis, or other inflammatory diseases. Oil can be used in a targeted way, massaged specifically

DESUAR SPA

into the areas of concern, or for a more generalized benefit, CBD oil can be mixed into lotion and used across the entire body, or poured into a bath.” Edgin and Suarez recommend using highquality CBD care products from a reputable brand such as WELL, which uses zero THC,

is derived from industrial hemp, makes its products in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliant facilities, and is third partytested for efficacy and quality. Choosing the right CBD products will help to extend the benefits obtained in a CBD oil massage and provide ongoing pain-relief at home. §

CBD SPA TREATMENTS These are places that are offering CBD treatments to help relax and heal. CHUAN SPA AT LANGHAM HUNTINGTON PASADENA The spa is offering CBD lotion or oil as an enhancement to any massage in lieu of its signature Chuan oil upon request. 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106

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DESUAR SPA In addition to a CBD oil massage and a CBD-infused facial to treat acne, the spa offers a 25-minute CBD bath soak in a copper tub to help ease pain and discomfort. 220 W. 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

COTE D’AZUR Upon request, CBD oil can be added to any spa massage, body scrub, foot wrap or foot soak. The spa also has an acupuncturist who offers the option of incorporating CBD into treatment sessions. 41 W. Bellevue Dr., Pasadena, CA 91105

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

HUNTINGTON ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE

Pasadena’s Newest and Most Advanced Orthopedic and Spine Institute Regenerative Medicine and Plastic Surgery Opening Summer 2019

e are pleased to announce the completion of our premier state of art patient care and research facilities—the Huntington Orthopedic Institute®, a comprehensive orthopedic and spinal surgical center located in the heart of Pasadena, California. Our 65,000 square foot facilities were built to revolutionize and expedite patient care and experience. Central to our purpose is patients care and comfort while eliminating the costly inefficiencies of emergency rooms and hospitals. Urgent and elective medical and surgical management of all your bone and joint problems will be available by summer 2019. We provide onsite advanced diagnostic imaging and surgical care. Four state of the art surgical suites, a large bore MRI scanner, low radiation digital imaging and extended care suites go well beyond the out-patient setting. Non-surgical and alternative care are essential to our treatment strategy, including comprehensive and non-traditional pain management such as infusion therapy, physical therapy, rehabilitation service, acupuncture and manipulation therapies. State of the art ultrasound or fluoroscopic guided stem cell and PRP therapy will be available as will prolotherapy. Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, gender medicine, wellness, pain management and rejuvenation medicine are new to our practice and we believe will quickly become a significant part of our patients’ experience.

OUR DOCTORS OF DISTINCTION:

VAHE PANOSSIAN, MD Orthopedic Surgeon & Sports Medicine Specialist

WALTER BURNHAM, MD Spine Surgeon

MORT RIZVI, MD Plastic Surgeon & Hand Surgeon

GEORGE TANG, MD Orthopedic Surgeon & Sports Medicine Specialist

THOMAS T ACKERSON, MD Orthopedic Surgeon

EILEEN WONG, MD Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Regenerative Medicine

MARK JO, MD Orthopedic Surgeon, Trauma and Joint Replacement

JAMES REID, MD Orthopedic Surgeon & Foot and Ankle Surgeon

ANDRE ATOIAN, MD, D.ABA, DABAM Pain Management and Addiction Medicine

39 CONGRESS STREET PASADENA, CA 91105 626 795 0282 www.huntingtonorthopedics.com

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

WAKE UP CALL

A good night’s sleep begins with good planning.

by DANIEL TOZIER

n theory, falling asleep should be an effortless task. Lay down in a bed, close your eyes, and just relax. Yet for many, it is anything but that. We toss and turn until two in the morning trying desperately to shut off our minds. For advice on how to get, not just more, but better sleep, we reached out to Dr. Jay Khorsandi of Snore Experts. For the last four years, he’s been helping patients at their Pasadena office overcome a variety of sleep related issues and he was willing to share some of tricks of the trade. If you want a more restful night, you’ll need to develop good ‘sleep hygiene’, a process that, according to Dr. Khorsandi, begins long before your head hits the pillow. The first step is to start going to bed and waking up on a set schedule (yes, even on weekends), as close to sunset and sunrise as possible. Sunlight plays a significant role in dictating our energy levels. When exposed to light, our brains produce the chemical acetylcholine which signal our bodies to wake

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

up and get moving. Likewise, in darkness our brains produce melatonin, putting us in a more restful and tired state. By matching our sleep schedules to the sun, we’re able to use our body’s own systems to get longer and better periods of sleep. In order for this to work though, you need to turn off the ubiquitous screens scattered throughout your home. The tablets, laptops and cell phones we carry to bed beam light into our eyes, confusing our brains into thinking the sun’s out and it’s time wake up. Even with your phone’s night mode, there’s still enough light coming in to throw off melatonin production. Dr. Khorsandi recommends keeping screens away from your bed and keeping your room as dark as possible. Use blackout shades to keep out ambient city light and cover any of your electronic’s LEDs with black electrical tape as even small amounts of light can counteract your brain’s attempts to wind down. But for optimal sleep hygiene you have to

start even earlier, Dr. Khorsandi insists. For instance, getting some sun during the day increases melatonin production at night and exercise in the afternoon helps expend excess energy, priming us for sleep later. Avoiding food for the two hours before bed is vital as digestion inhibits melatonin production and meditating in the evening can help clear your mind and slow your breathing and heart rate. It’s a lot of little things that all add up to good sleep hygiene. We asked Dr. Khorsandi what the biggest obstacle was that most people faced when trying to get better sleep. “Themselves,” he replied almost instantly. “You have to want to get better sleep.” Effortless sleep takes a lot of work and it doesn’t happen overnight. But with effort and commitment to developing good sleep hygiene, it is within our grasp. Putting aside midnight snacks and sleeping in on Saturdays is a lot to ask, but waking up feeling ready to take on the day is more than worth the effort. §

Protect your skin. Go with the beauty you were born with. It looks great on you.

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SENSE

LESS F

Taking a sensory break in a Just Float tank, will leave you feeling energized not deprived. by CUYLER GIBBONS

loating weightless in the soundless dark, counting slowly backwards from 100 and concentrating on nothing but my breathing, I turned my nascent meditative skills toward emptying my mind. While I have some limited experience with meditation, it’s mostly conceptual rather than practiced, but I had heard stories of “sensory deprivation” tanks and the often powerful perceptual impact a session in one can provide. Now, as the boundary between my body and the surrounding environment disappeared, I began to disassociate with my physical self, and became all mind and breath. I’d come to Pasadena’s Just Float, billed as the largest, and most technologically advanced “flotation therapy” facility in the world, to explore the reality of the sensory deprived, flotation experience. As prelude, I met Jim Hefner, who, along with his partner Mike Ruskow, launched Just Float in late 2015. Only three and a handful of years removed from his first float himself, Hefner is a true convert to the cause. The founder of several previous unrelated but successful businesses, Hefner describes himself as a serial entrepreneur. But when it comes to Just Float, he says, “I’m done—this is the last career I’m going to have—floating people.” He’s clearly at the forefront of a concept that’s been around for a while, but is only now beginning to gain ready traction in the burgeoning health and wellness space. While the commercial possibilities tickled Hefner’s well-tuned business sense, the source of his passion is not mercenary but arises from a true belief in the salubrious effects of flotation therapy. “People need to have access,” he says. “I knew from the first day I floated…this tool needed to be everywhere.” Shortly, as I blinked into the pitch darkness, I began to see tiny dots of light, almost like an early night sky, and I got the distinct feeling that I had begun to spin slowly, in flat circles around my navel, though I knew this was not actually possible in the confines of the tank. The star lights soon faded, and after, the seeming rotation slowed until

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

it was almost imperceptible. Then, through my breathing I began to hear the sounds of a Midwestern evening, just after sundown. The unmistakable rhythmic thrum and croak of crickets and frogs on a summer night. It was the sound of my childhood and I marveled at it for what seemed many long minutes. One thing modern society produces in abundance is chronic stress. And modern medicine is only now starting to come to terms with the truly deleterious effects of repeated daily exposure to high stress situations. Chronic stress manifests itself in many ways—depression, anxiety, insomnia even physical pain. When under stress, the body produces a series of physiological changes, originating in the sympathetic nervous system, that are associated with the flight or fight response. Respiration and heart rate increase, circulation constricts, and muscles tighten, our pupils dilate, the immune system mobilizes and adrenalin, norepinephrine and other hormones begin to pump through our body putting us on mental and physical high alert. This hyper vigilant state had distinct advantages when facing the daily existential threats of prehistoric existence. Less so, with most threats we perceive today. On the savannah, the physical act of facing down and mastering those threats also metabolized the stress hormones released and allowed the body to return to a comfortable resting state once the danger had passed. Today, however, modern existence provides plenty of opportunities to ratchet up the stress and initiate a flight or fight response, like heavy traffic or an angry boss, but few situations, like pursuing dinner across the plains or fighting off a predator, where such a response is appropriate. After taking down a wooly mammoth, our bodies were designed, via something called the relaxation response, to return to normal function. Given the chronic stress and lack of real release many experience today however, this return to normal often doesn’t happen, causing actual damage to the body. Hypertension, heart disease and inflammation among other aﬄictions, can all be brought on and exacerbated by stress. This is where floating comes (Continued on page XX)

Photograph by Marco de Waal PASADENAMAG.COM

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK

Activated charcoal’s inky black hue and detoxification properties have made it the hot new health and beauty trend.

by SARA SMOLA

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

one are the trends of cupcakes, cronuts and bacon covered/infused everything, LA is undergoing a massive cleanse, replacing gluten and carbs with kale chips, poke, bone broth, green juice and now charcoal. That’s right. Activated charcoal to be exact.

Not to be confused with the same charcoal you use to fire up the BBQ, activated charcoal is a man-made substance created by applying intense heat to organic materials such as bamboo and coconut husk, resulting in a porous ashy substance that is known for its detoxification properties. No longer exclusively known for its ability to aid in ER overdoses or food poisoning, the potent black powder is becoming a popular household remedy and beauty aid—for teeth whitening to unclogging and minimizing pores. Beauty bloggers have taken to YouTube en masse showing off their jet black caked teeth and skin, promising that you too could experience a whiter, brighter smile or clear complexion. Many are quenching their thirst with these types of detox drinks as activated charcoal’s absorbent properties are said to help bind unwanted toxins (such as chemicals and heavy metals), then flush them out of the body. Some health professionals even claim activated charcoal’s powerful purifying abilities can help rid the body of viral infections and even lower cholesterol. Meanwhile, in the culinary world, activated charcoal is having a hot moment as well— appearing in everything from fresh pressed juices to waﬄes to ice cream, leaving a telltale signature inky hue all over the Los Angeles region. And the taste isn’t bad either. In fact, in Pressed Juicery’s activated charcoal lemonade, with complementary additional ingredients of lavender oil and honey for sweetness, the drink is pretty delicious. But, like most things in life, there can be too much of a good thing. Some doctors recommend that anyone taking medication do so at least two hours apart from ingesting charcoal as it could inhibit absorption. Though the health benefits have yet to be fully proven, cleanse-obsessed Angelinos and Pasadenans seem intent on testing the theory out for themselves, reaching for a detox drink in between yoga classes or after a night of drinking to soothe a hangover. §

CONGRESS COSMETIC MEDICAL CORP.

MARILYN A. MEHLMAUER M.D. SOGOL SAGHARI M.D.

WHERE TO TRY THE TREND Again Café x Chibiscus Ramen serves up tasty activated charcoal breakfast waffles with both sweet (mixed Berries, hand-whipped cream and maple syrup) and savory (poached egg and thick cut bacon) topping options. 132 W. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91105 Indiana Colony’s Pressed Juicery quenches shoppers’ thirst along Colorado Boulevard with its refreshing activated charcoal lavender lemonade, sweetened with honey. 59 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105 Little Damages offers a “gothfriendly” alternative to vanilla ice cream and rainbow sprinkles with its almond-charcoal flavored soft serve ice cream (that comes in a complementary charcoal cone). 700 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90014 Over on the Westside, grill house Charcoal Venice offers up a Charcoal Benedict featuring grilled Ham, tomato compote, poached egg, topped off with a creamy charcoalinfused jet black hollandaise. 425 Washington Blvd., Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 Origins charcoal mask helps control oil and acne with bamboo charcoal which “acts like a magnet to draw out deep-dwelling pore-cloggers.” 15 Douglas Alley, Pasadena, CA 91103 Lush’s “Dark Angels” scrubby black sugar and charcoal soothing cleanser exfoliates skin, leaving it soft, smooth and bright. For a full on charcoal beauty regime, check out “Coalface,” a charcoal facial soap (with a subtle licorice scent) that gets rid of excess oil to keep acne at bay. 24 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105

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SERVICES: Adult & Pediatric Dermatology Skin Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment PRP for Hair Loss / Microneedling Dysport, Botox Juvederm, Restylane, Voluma, Sculptra Fraxel or Aff irm Laser (Skin Rejuvenation) Laser for Hair Removal, Red & Brown Spots Kybella for Double Chin Hand Rejuvenation SURGICAL SERVICES: Liposuction Neck Rejuvenation Eyelid Surgery Mini Lifts Please Call For Current Specials We are Anthem, Medicare and Blue Shield insurance providers 10 Congress St., Ste. 320 Pasadena, CA 91105 626-585-9474 | www.mehlmauer.com

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A NEW HOME FOR AN OLD DREAM

The Huntington Medical Research Institutes facility—where Pasadena’s scientific community can work together to make life-saving advances in technology and medicine, was very much a product of Dr. William Opel’s vision. by DANIEL TOZIER rendering courtesy HUNTINGTON MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES

pel is a storyteller. A question asked is a fuse lit, setting off a molasses-like explosion of dates and names, memories from long ago, recalled as he leans back in his chair, hands folded atop his stomach. His easy-going

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demeanor and pushed back gray hair conjures comparisons to a kind grandfather—an image only ever fractured by the occasional swear word. As he tells of his role in forming and, for 40 years leading HMRI, he does so in a vivid and entertaining narrative. Since its conception, the Huntington Medical Research Institutes has been a humble, but significant, organization

in Pasadena. Its discoveries in the fields of cancer and neurological diseases, and breakthroughs in early MRI technology have made it an icon in the national medical community. In February 2018 the titular institutes, once spread out over Pasadena, will unite under one roof; a brand new research facility located on South Fair Oaks and Congress Street. It’s an exciting time for the

organization, but for Opel the road to this ribbon cutting was a long one and it begins in our own backyard. Born in Pasadena, Opel lived with his grandmother until his father came back from the war and moved the family east to Duarte. It was there that his fascination with science began. Returning from recess one afternoon, Opel and his friends found a wooden box sitting at the back of their sixth grade classroom. The top, stamped with the bright yellow words, read “SCIENCE KIT.” A polished brass latch opened to reveal beakers, magnets, litmus paper and other various equipment, but no instructions. Opel and his friends were entranced. When they asked their teacher what it was all for, she looked down and said, “Well, why don’t you figure it out.” And they did. Over the course of the next few months PASADENAMAG.COM

they began learning what each component was for, fiddling with magnets and combining various acids and bases in the provided beakers (aided by a book Opel had found in the East Pasadena Library titled Simple Chemistry Experiments). Eventually they acquired some recipes for rocket fuel from a friend’s uncle, a JPL employee. Opel’s mother drove them down to the C. F. Braun Company, which housed an open stockroom offering a wide array of chemicals for sale. The group of 12-year-olds handed an employee the list of chemicals they needed. He dutifully gathered the bottles, but sprouting a concerned expression, asked to speak with Opel’s mother, who was waiting outside in her car. “Ma’am you should know these boys, well, they have the kind of chemicals to create an explosion,” he told her. His mother leaned

over and peered out at him through the passenger window. “Well, I sure hope they do,” she replied. The man loaded their supplies and they drove off. Opel’s interest in science only grew from there, leading him to a biology degree at Pepperdine along with several chemistry courses at Pasadena City College. In 1961, he found a summer job listed in the newspaper cleaning test tubes for a dollar an hour at the Pasadena Foundation for Medical Research. Eventually he began working with tissue cultures and by the end of the summer he had found his calling. 17 years and several promotions later, Opel’s work caught the eyes of administrators at The Huntington Institute of Applied Medical Research who offered him a job doing similar work. Opel had a better idea. “I told them, ‘Let’s just make in one institution,’” he says. “So, we merged Huntington Institute of Applied Medical Research into the Pasadena Foundation for Medical Research and changed the name to Huntington Medical Research Institutes.” And with that, HMRI was born. Other institutes later joined HMRI, but physically they stayed in their separate geographical locations making any form of collaboration difficult. By the late 1980s, Opel was planning a new home for HMRI—a single location where Pasadena’s scientific community could work together to make lifesaving advances in technology and medicine. Opel knew exactly where he wanted the new building, but without the help of eminent domain laws, he would have to convince individual property owners to sell him their puzzle piece of the land. And so he set out on what became a decades long quest to acquire HMRI’s two and a half acres. After countless fruit baskets and years of phone calls and general sweet talking, Opel finally had the deeds to every square inch of land he needed and in November 2015 HMRI officially broke ground. The 31.5 million dollar building, striking and dynamic by design, boasts 35,000 square feet of state of the art laboratories, staffed by scientists and doctors ready to continue the work to which they’ve committed their careers. When asked what it’s like to see his vision finally come to fruition, Opel takes a breath. “It’s good,” he says. “I’m really happy to see it. It’s a long time coming.” Since leaving his position at HMRI, Opel has joined the board at Pasadena City College, begun writing and traveled across India with his wife. Opel speaks highly of those who have taken the reins to lead HMRI into the future (Dr. Marie Csete and presently Frank Davis). Although not be at the helm of the new facility as it began operations this winter, Opel’s influence and his legacy will be hard to miss. § PASADENA HEALTH 2019

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HOT STUFF At Shape House, you can work up a sweat without working out.

by CUYLER GIBBONS image by PAUL MOWRY kay, I admit it. I had to cheat. But only a little. I let my hand, and then most of my arm linger outside the bag at the water bottle, savoring the relief, for long seconds at a time. I know I wasn’t entirely maximizing the promised efficacious effects, but otherwise I’d have been clawing at the Velcro seams and crying out for assistance. Welcome to the Shape House, an urban sweat lodge. This is the second iteration of the successful model first launched in Larchmont Village by lifestyle sage Sophie Chiche, who wanted to create “an oasis in the middle of

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the city” because, as she says, “I know just how much of an impact sweating can have on people’s daily lives.” Not only just an opportunity to relax and wind down, Shape House is an update on the thousands year old tradition that purports to provide the ideal therapeutic sweat. While the ancient sweat lodges of indigenous Americans and more recent “New Age” sweat lodges were and are intended to provide a mystical experience perhaps more than any therapeutic benefit, the urban sweat lodge is a more secular affair, meant to impart specific efficacious physical rewards. And, at least in the case of Shape House, do so in a spotless, relaxing spa-like environment—no mud

skin that healthy glow. The infrared heat opens your pores allowing your body to flush out your skin, while increasing blood flow and bringing important nutrients to the dermal layer. Yet most exciting to me perhaps was the idea that the sustained elevated heart rate achieved via a 55 minute sweat, as your body works diligently to cool itself, could have the same beneficial cardiovascular effects as a 10 mile run. While lying down, no less. A workout without the work? Let’s get to it! Sophia led me first to the locker room where I changed into my Shape House provided sweating clothes—all cotton long sleeve shirt, sweat pants and socks. Somewhat disconcertingly, the shirt was exactly the same color orange as a Guantanamo Bay prison jumpsuit. I simply trusted that this was coincidence and not indicative of the experience to come. From there, I was led back to the sweating rooms: small (but not claustrophobic), private, dimly lit rooms with a bed and a wall mounted TV. I

“Most people find the first 20 minutes relaxing, but the last 20 or so can be quite challenging.” —SOPHIE CHICHE floor, steaming rocks and smoke, or chanting shamans required. The day I visited, I was greeted by Sophia, who handed me a bottle of water. Special, branded, mineral-rich alkaline water, I was told. As I filled out some brief paperwork, absolving responsibility should I expire, or perhaps just melt away like the Wicked Witch of the West, Sophia explained what to expect, both in terms of the experience and what I might gain…or lose. The bed, she said, would be heated to 150 degrees Fahrenheit using an infrared heat system that penetrates through skin and muscle, and would remain at that temperature for the duration of my 55-minute sweat. “Most people find the first 20 minutes relaxing, but the last 20 or so can be quite challenging,” she explained. It’s over that last stretch however, she told me, that you begin to reap the rewards PASADENAMAG.COM

you’re body worked toward over the first 20 minutes, including ultimately burning some 800 to 1,600 calories (Approximately the equivalent of a 5 to 10 mile run, depending on your weight and speed.). It seems this impressive caloric shedding is due to the up to 36 hour “metabolic boost” the sweat produces. Although there was one catch. I was told to avoid showering for a couple hours after my sweat, as precipitously cooling my body would slow my metabolism and negate “the boost.” While any weight loss immediately achieved is obviously easily replaced water weight, the sweating process also purports to not only shed your body of unwanted toxins, but, in conjunction with proper nutrition, over time a regular sweat also helps you to jettison unwanted fat. But that’s not all. It seems sweating is a major contributor when it comes to giving your

climbed onto, or rather, into the bed, and what seemed to be essentially a rubber Velcro-fastened sleeping bag lined with a sort of saran-wrap material. Once fastened in, only my head was exposed (An ancillary benefit of this treatment versus a traditional steam room is the fact that your lungs are not adversely effected breathing super heated air.). I quickly located the hole through which I could reach my water bottle and the TV remote, as well as satisfying myself that I was easily capable of escaping should the need arise. “We’ll visit you at the 20 minute mark,” Sophia said, “and at 40 minutes, we’ll bring you a cool towel for your forehead for the home stretch. Choose something engaging on the TV.” And with that we were off. I chose a TED Talk from a channel selection far superior to (Continued on page XX) PASADENA HEALTH 2019

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AN APP WITH HEART Heart health is no game, but a new app being developed at Caltech turns the average smart phone into a potentially life-saving medical device. by DANIEL TOZIER image courtesy of CALTECH

he modern cell phone has revolutionized our lives, allowing us to FaceTime with friends, hail rides from thin air and find the best pad Thai within a five-mile radius. But in the labs of Caltech, Dr. Mory Gharib and his team are pushing this not-so-humble device to do something even more amazing: save lives. Dr. Gharib has spent the last three years of his career developing an app called Vivio that allows the average smartphone to peer into the human heart. The entire process takes less than two minutes and requires minimal training. Once the app is installed, the phone is held against the patient’s neck as the camera records minute movements of the skin caused by blood

rushing beneath the surface. This might not sound like much, but it’s enough information for Vivio to detect heart valve failure, track vascular aging and even spot signs of prestage diabetes, all with accuracy matching, and sometimes surpassing, traditional testing methods. The app is already being put to use at City of Hope, where doctors are using Vivio to prevent permanent damage to the hearts of children undergoing chemotherapy by monitoring the effects of each dose. Dr. Gharib will also take the app to Africa next year where local doctors will perform a series of large scale screenings. The Caltech team is on track to have an FDA-approved version of Vivio released to the public by summer of 2018. §

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT These health-centric apps will help keep your mind and body strong. compiled by DONNA LUGO and SARA SMOLA NIKE TRAINING CLUB Looking for the best way to kick start your work out via smartphone? NTC generates work outs based on your skill level so even if you’re a little rusty, the app will take it slow. The club feature helps you ﬁnd free, in person events in your area led by Nike trainers. The work out tracker logs your progress, future work outs and other activities. It also features athlete and celebrity guided work outs available for download like the effective yet hilarious upper body work out with tennis ace Serena Williams and comedian Kevin Hart.

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HEAL For anyone who doesn’t have the time to sit in a crowded (and germ-filled) doctor’s waiting room, Heal’s ondemand doctor visits to your very own home—or wherever you are. Think UberEats for doctors! Heal allows you to access to licensed, highlyqualified physicians wherever you are. The wide-range team of doctors are board-certified medical professionals who are vetted by Heal to ensure they provide the best quality, inhome service.

SLEEP CYCLE ALARM Considered by some as a bedtime essential, this smart alarm analyzes your sleep pattern waking you up during your lightest sleep phase leaving you feeling more alert and refreshed throughout the day. Using the microphone on your device, Sleep Cycle monitors your movements in bed and determines the best time to wake you within a half hour period as preset by the user. After all, beauty sleep is everything.

CALM Meditation made easy! Calm is the #1 app for meditation and mindfulness with over 26 million downloads and is designed to help you ﬁnd peace of mind. Enjoy 100+ guided meditations to help you manage anxiety, lower stress, and sleep better. Calm is the perfect mindfulness app for beginners, and also includes hundreds of programs for intermediate and advanced users.

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THAT OLD TIME MEDICINE Medical techniques and treatments are continuously evolving. From ancient times until the advent of modern science-based healthcare, the practice of medicine was often more offensive or dangerous than the condition being treated. by CUYLER GIBBONS and SARA SMOLA HAIR “POMADE” While not technically an illness, for those in ancient (and perhaps current) times, male pattern baldness was a dire crisis. Hippocrates, a Greek physician, known as the father of medicine, attempted to stop his hair from falling out by concocting a potion consisting of spices, opium, beetroot and pigeon droppings that was meant to be slathered over the balding spots. Not surprisingly, he was left disappointed when the repugnant mixture did nothing but befoul his scalp. Notable historical figure Julius Caesar is also said to have tried to hide his hair loss (his vanity perhaps proving a fatal distraction), at first with a sovereign

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comb-over. Then, at the suggestion of Cleopatra, he used a mix reminiscent of Hippocrates’s, employing ground mice, bear grease and horse teeth. The mixture was both as foul and effective as the Greek physician’s, leaving Caesar with nothing but a laurel wreath to cover his head. LAUDANUM This powerful opiate drug ruled the Victorian era—it was cheap (a boon to the working class) and, like many of the “remedies” of the time, doctors prescribed it for a host of often unrelated ailments— insomnia, pain relief, headaches, menstrual cramps and tuberculosis. Eventually, the

drug reached the upper echelon of society where women used it to recreate the “tuberculosis look”—a coveted pale and sickly complexion. Laudanum was also a rumored recreational choice for poets like Lord Byron, John Keats and Percy Shelley. Highly addictive, the drug still finds limited, though tightly regulated use today in the treatment of pain relief and withdrawal from other drugs like heroin. ARSENIC Arsenic can be found among the pages of many murder mysteries with a reputation for being the go-to chemical for poisoners. However, before the truth about

the toxic substance came about, it was used as medicine (and as a cosmetic for women to keep their complexions pale), specifically targeting malaria and syphilis, as well as an early form of chemotherapy. When used in small doses, it was believed to kill off cancerous cells and other bacteria—a bit of intuition with a grain of truth since the toxin was poisonous to cancer cells as well. LEECHES Leeches have been used for over 2,000 years in the practice of bloodletting. Ironically, this ancient and rather crude practice is making something of a comeback today. Before modern science intervened, bloodletting was used for nearly any illness—from acne to plague to indigestion. Drawing blood from already weakened patients was of course usually exactly the wrong course of action, and was often the proximate cause of death. Nowadays however, leeches are considered an affordable form of treatment after amputation and reattachment. After reattachment, the blood pools and causes the reattached body part, like a finger, to swell up with blood. The finger needs to be drained—but not too quickly or you risk PASADENAMAG.COM

permanent amputation with no chance of reattachment. Because of a leech’s ability to suck blood slowly, there’s a higher chance the reattachment will be successful. TONGUE “REDUCTIONS” Did the cat get your tongue? For those with a stuttering speech impediment, what better way to cure a stutter than by cutting out a segment of the stutterer’s tongue? At least that was the theory. Removing part of the tongue, without the use of aesthesia, might have sometimes been “successful,” but was also like throwing the baby out with the bathwater since in many cases, the stutterer was never to stutter or utter a word again, as there was a high risk of patients bleeding to death. Which could also explain why the same “healing treatment” was also used as a form of torture in the Middle Ages. Ironically, a hemiglossectomy, or surgical removal of part of the tongue, is still used today for those with oral cancer (but done with surgical precision and including proper sedatives and pain medication for the patient). POWDER OF SYMPATHY Back in the 17th century, Sir Kenelm

Digby was credited for discovering a powder concoction that was said to heal wounds, specifically a weapon wound (such as a rapier) by “sympathetic magic.” The ingredient list of the Powder of Sympathy included the less than hygienic pig brains, mummified corpses and earthworms that were ground into a magical powder that was believed to coerce the wound to heal itself. Like most cures of its day, the only thing magical was the thinking behind it’s supposed effectiveness, and the Powder of Sympathy could offer none, much less an actual cure. COCAINE Now highly regulated, first extracted from cocoa in 1860, cocaine was a popular ingredient in a number of patent medicines, and throughout the Victorian era cocaine lozenges were recommended for coughs, colds and toothaches. It was sometimes used as an anesthetic and in the treatment of indigestion and melancholia. Most famously the original recipe for Coca-Cola was said to contain cocaine. The drug’s ability to numb tissue and restrict blood fl ow (particularly in the eye), as well as (at least initially), its ability to promote general goodwill, resulted in a number of medical (Continued on page XX) PASADENA HEALTH 2019

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1. Chris and Dino Clarizio 2. Richard and Claudia Boles 3. John Compoginis, Diana Baker, Brandon Lew 4. Steven Rosen, Warren C. Stout, Annette Ermshar, Adrienne Meier 5. Peck and Angel Ong 6. Jane Ledbetter, Katherine Reverdo, Francisco Navarro, Michelle Banzet, Iris Navarro, Aurelia Rickettes 7. Josette Mittica, Jacquieline Ness 8. Julia and Jonathan Chang s 9. John Vartanian 10. Mark Odgen, Courtney White, Brad Froehle 11. Cisco Home Staff 12. Great Maple team 13. Martin and Joanna O’Toole

PASADENA MAGAZINE TOP DOCTOR CELEBRATION Pasadena Magazine, with City of Hope, hosted their 2018 annual Top Doctor Celebration at Cisco Home. Guests mixed and mingled while viewing the latest models courtesy of BMW of Monrovia, and sampled bites from Stonefire Grill, Great Maple, and Colette’s Catering. Edwin Mills by Equator crafted a signature cocktail for sipping. Flowers were provided by Jacob Maarse and decadent desserts were provided by Nothing Bundt Cakes. Entertainment included the Dan Olivo Band, who provided tunes for the evening, a caricaturist, and a photo booth courtesy of Viral Booth.

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P O T

A N E D H A T S L PA HEA NE ZI A G A M

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TOP DOCS

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ew decisions seem as consequential as those surrounding your health and that of your loved ones. When it comes to choosing the best medical professionals to address whatever it is that ails you itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfectly natural that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d need some assistance navigating the myriad, and often confusing choices before you. Pasadena Health Magazine is here to help. Our 2018 Top Doctors list identifies the Top Doctors in Pasadena and the surrounding area as chosen by their peers. Who better to recognize a Top Doc than another doctor? Should you find yourself in need of a medical professional we hope this list, arranged by medical specialty, will be a valued and trusted resource in your search. Through our 3rd party partner Professional Research Services we solicited nominations from physicians throughout Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. PRS analyzed the results and vetted all nominated physicians. Those physicians receiving the most votes from their peers, and with an active license and unblemished record, are chosen Pasadena Health Magazine Top Doctors.

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TOP DOCS ADDICTION MEDICINE Focuses on care of patients who are in the adolescent period of development. James Gagne David Koroshec Inna Lamport Kevin Li Edward A. Moore Christian B. Rutland Walter Spears ADOLESCENT MEDICINE Chester B. Abbott Marvin Belzer Claudia Borzutzky Johanna Olson-Kennedy Michele Roland Diane Tanaka ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY Allergists and immunologists treat disorders that attack the immune system and people who suffer adverse reactions to food. Melinda Braskett Reyneiro Castro Joseph Church Marine Demirjian Ronald Ferdman Alan R. Green Yu-Luen Hsu Marion S. Johnson Michael Stuart Kaplan Peck Ong Sonal Ramesha Patel Guadalupe Pedrano Javed Sheikh Flora A. Vardanian Karl Von Tiehl Stephen Wong ANESTHESIOLOGY Anesthesiologists are responsible for monitoring and stabilizing vital signs while administering drugs that will keep patients unconscious during an operation. Evon S. Cadogan Tiffany Frazee Andrew T. Leitner Rebecca Margolis Jonathan D. Maskin Peter John Roffey Patrick Ross Bradley Schmidt

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Shihab H. Sugeir Matthew B. Tash Duraiyah Thangathurai Christopher Tirce BREAST SURGERY Specializes in surgery to remove breast cancer. Laura Kruper John H. Yim Deanna Attai Maria E. Nelson Jeannie Shen CARDIAC SURGERY Specializes in the surgical treatment of the heart. Winfield Wells CARDIOLOGY Cardiologists specialize in the study of disorders and treatment of the heart. Raed Bargout Steven Burstein Christakis Christodoulou Gary L. Conrad Azhil Durairaj W. Allen Edmiston Gregory M. Giesler Luanda Grazette Arsen Hovanesyan Michael B. Jorgensen Faye Lee Michael Q. Luu Paul D. Maher Ray V. Matthews Guy S. Mayeda Vyshali S. Rao Mayer Y. Rashtian R. Fernando Roth Leslie A. Saxon Naveen Sharma David M. Shavelle Milton P. Smith Helga Van Herle Andrew J. Yoon CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY The field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of organs inside the thorax (the chest) generally treatment of conditions of the heart (heart disease) and lungs (lung disease). Craig J. Baker Amy Hackmann Cynthia Herrington Richard W. Kim

Vaughn A. Starnes Winfield Wells COLON AND RECTAL SURGERY Doctors who specialize inperforming surgery in the colon and rectal regions ofthe body. Gabriel Akopian Kyle Graham Cologne Carmen Ruiz Stephen M. Sentovich Joongho Shin Petar Vukasin Robert G. Yavrouian CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE AND PULMONARY DISEASE Doctors who specialize in the treatment of crisis and unstable health conditions. Alex A. Balekian Manmohan Singh Biring Peter Browne Brooke B. Chandrasoma Ching-Fei Chang Michael J. Gurevitch Ricardo H. Juarez D. Mark Kroe Janice M. Liebler Ramyar Mahdavi Rajiv T. Philip Pratap Saraf Curtis Colin Sather DERMATOLOGY Dermatologists treat problems of the skin. Jeff L. Ashley Heather Butler Patricia A. Cavender Rachael Cayce Tommy H. Chen Shirley Chi Ashley B. Crew Janice L. Davolio Brittney K. DeClerck David Denenholz Rebecca Fitzgerald Sara Gaspard Christiaan P. Hallman Christopher Ho Han Lee Ivy Lee Phillip H. A. Lee Minnelly Luu Paul J. McAndrews Gabriel Pai David Peng Christiane Querfeld

Karen Sherwood Thomas Su Stefani R. Takahashi Khasha Touloei Seth A. Vaccaro David A. Voron Jane S. Wada James Y. Wang Narineh Zohrabian DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY Imaging experts with specialized training in obtaining and interpreting medical images obtained by using x-rays, radioactive substances (nuclear medicine), or by other means such as sound waves (ultrasound) or the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural magnetism (MRI). William D. Boswell EMERGENCY MEDICINE Doctors treat patients with acute illnesses or injuries which require immediate medical attention. Solomon M. Behar Carl Richard Chudnofsky Bradley Kent Gerberich Harlan Gibbs Robert Goldweber Marlowe Majoewsky Alan L. Nager Paul Rhee Stuart Swadron David Ulick ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES, AND METABOLISM Endocrinologists treat glandular and hormonal problems such as diabetes and thyroid disorders. Nirmal K. Banskota John David Carmichael Lynda K. Fisher Mitchell Geffner Fouad R. Kandeel Francine Kaufman Michael W. Lin Joshua Allen May Roshanak Monzavi Pisit Pitukcheewanont Charles F. Sharp Yang Shen Nalini Singh Dorothea Spambalg Hussein Yassine

FAMILY MEDICINE Doctors offer comprehensive health care for patients of all ages. N. Arr Alinsod Armaity Austin Evlyn Avanessian Sandra G. Avila Annie A. Barseghian Dino Clarizio Joanne R. Daly Katherine Gibson Nathan Hashimoto Thomas L. Horowitz Craig R. Johnson Kelly Jones Hector Llenderrozos Nalini Mattai Jamie McKinney Laura Mosqueda Reena R. Patel Jo Marie Reilly Gary Seto Rose Taroyan Kristine Tatosyan-Jones My-Linh Truong GASTROENTEROLOGY Gastroenterologists treat problems of the digestive system. Zaree Babakhanian Isaac A. Bartley Ihab Beblawi Vrinda Bhardwaj Tanaz Farzan Danialifar Kalman Edelman Benedict Garrett Caroline Hwang Glenn Littenberg Quin Liu Richard E. Nickowitz Steven J. Petit Peter M. Rosenberg Ara Sahakian Anisa Shaker Waleed W. Shindy Edy Soffer Sassan Soltani-Nassab Daniel Thomas Jacques Van Dam Julie Yang GENERAL SURGERY These doctors perform operations to treat a wide variety of injuries and conditions which require incision. David Albin Michael Albin Samuel H. Carvajal

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David G. Davtyan Asok Doraiswamy Terrence J. Fitzgibbons Allen Ghlandian Tracy Grikscheit Caitlin Carmody Houghton Grace H. Jeon John C. Lipham David J. LouriĂŠ Jose Perez Wes J. Powell Kulmeet Sandhu Jeannie Shen Raymond A. Shofler GENETICS Genetic medicine is a newer term for medical genetics and incorporates areas such as gene therapy, personalized medicine, and the rapidly emerging new medical specialty, predictive medicine. Richard G. Boles Ora K. Gordon Linda Randolph Jeffrey Weitzel GERIATRIC MEDICINE These doctors specialize in the care and treatment of conditions associated with old age. Spasoje M. Neskovic GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY Doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of female cancers. Allison Axtell Thanh H. Dellinger Ernest S. Han Mehdi M. Kebria Stephen J. Lee Paul Lin Laila I. Muderspach Huyen Q. Pham Lynda D. Roman Alan C. Schlaerth Mark Wakabayashi Annie A. Yessaian HAND SURGERY The field of hand surgery deals with both surgical and non-surgical treatment of conditions and problems that may take place in the hand or upper extremity including injury and infection.

Annette Billings Cathleen Godzik Nina Lightdale-Miric Kenneth R. Sabbag HEMATOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY The diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of blood diseases and cancer. Mojtaba Akhtari Joseph Alvarnas Steven Applebaum Boris Bagdasarian Maurice J. Berkowitz Deepa Bhojwani Weber Chen Samuel W. Chung Tanya Dorff Anthony B. El-Khoueiry Stephen J. Forman Thomas Hofstra Syma Iqbal Amrita Krishnan Cynthia L. Martel Kevin J. McDonnell William D. McIntyre Mark V. McNamara Ann F. Mohrbacher Auayporn Nademanee Margaret R. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell Sumanta K. Pal Caroline Piatek Leslie L. Popplewell Roberto Rodriguez Steven Rosen Ravi M. Shankar David S. Snyder Darcy V. Spicer Anthony S. Stein Daphne B. Stewart Henry Wang Ilene C. Weitz Christina H. Yeon HEPATOLOGY Hepatologists are experts regarading the study and treatment of the liver. Saro Khemichian Liyun Yuan INFECTIOUS DISEASE Treatment of communicable diseases. Jeffrey M. Bender Emily Blodget Arbi Khodadadi David G. Man Neha Nanda Paul H. Nieberg Lawrence Ross

Kimberly A. Shriner INTERNAL MEDICINE Internists diagnose and treat disorders involving internal organs. Alipasha Adrangui Wafaa Alrashid Elisa Alvarado Alexis Anvekar Donald W. Barber Jasmine A. Berookim Deborah Beutler Dennis Bleakley Cindy Carson Jeffrey Denham Leslie A. Dudley Chien Fang Casey S. Fu Lusanik Galustanian Kurt Hong Arek A. Jibilian Mohamed Latif Frederick O. Lee Michael W. Lin Marina Manvelyan Jennifer R. Marks Mark E. Miller Stuart C. Miller Andrew N. Muller Ronald P. Olah Gregor Paronian David D. Pinsky Daniel Rowady Joshua Sapkin Amy Savagian Charles F. Sharp Francis Te Carol J. Thrun Narbeh Tovmassian Stanley Tu Todd R. Turner Mabel Vasquez Carrie Ward Elijah R. Wasson Christine K. Won Andrew Young Hany Zaki Richard Zeiss MATERNAL AND FETAL MEDICINE Focuses on managing health concerns of the mother and fetus prior to birth. Richard M. Benoit Ramen H. Chmait Greggory R. DeVore Marc H. Incerpi Richard H. Lee David A. Miller

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TOP DOCS Patrick M. Mullin Joseph G. Ouzounian Giuliana S. Songster Lili Sheibani Wei NEONATAL AND PERINATAL MEDICINE This medical subspecialty is concerned with the maintenance of health and long-term development of the fetus, neonate, and infant. Rachel Chapman Philippe Friedlich Theodora Stavroudis NEPHROLOGY A nephrologist specializes in kidney care and treating diseases of the kidneys. Rouzbeh Afsari Syeda M. Ali Sevag Balikian Bruce Greenfield Bruce Greenfield Haresh M. Khilnani Michael M. Levine Michael S. Linsey Ilian O. Marquez Leon Rovner K. Edmund Tse Michel Zakari NEUROLOGY This branch of medicine deals with the anatomy, functions, and organic disorders of nerves and the nervous system. Rami Apelian Helena Chang Chui Benjamin Aaron Emanuel Philip M. Girard Grigor M. Harutunian Christianne N. Heck Deborah Holder May A. Kim-Tenser Reed L. Levine Arbi G. Ohanian Tena Rosser Nerses Sanossian Richard Shubin Richard A. Spitzer NEUROSURGERY Neurosurgeons specialize in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system including congenital anomalies,

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

trauma, tumors, vascular disorders, infections of the brain or spine, stroke, or degenerative diseases of the spine. Arun Paul Amar Behnam Badie Mike Y. Chen Igor Fineman Lance E. Gravely Mark D. Krieger John Liu William J. Mack Ian B. Ross Gabriel Zada NUCLEAR MEDICINE Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and determine the severity of or treat a variety of diseases. Kaveh Soleimanpour OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY A branch of medicine that specializes in the care of women during pregnancy and childbirth, and in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the female reproductive organs. David Ahdoot Ebenezer Ajilore Margaret Bates Della Fong Melissa Grier Brendan Grubbs W. James Henneberg Janet Horenstein Jennifer J. Israel Beth Julian-Wang James A. Macer Bhuvan Martin Michael S. Mitri Natalie Catherine Moniaga Patrick Mullin Valerie P. Myers Joseph G. Ouzounian Begum Ozel Christopher Pearson Kevin Phung Meaghan Pinheiro Alyssa Quimby Liliana Reynoso Joana Tamayo Claire Templeman Sara Twogood Kathy N. Walker

Richard Williams Joanna Y. Woo Deborah A. Yu OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE Occupational medicine is focused on the treatment of work-related injuries and illnesses. Bhavesh Robert J. Pandya OPHTHALMOLOGY An ophthalmologist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the eye. Hossein Ameri Alan Berg Jesse L. Berry Benjamin B. Bert Mark S. Borchert David S. Boyer Vikas Chopra Pouya N. Dayani Robert Feinfield Walter M. Fierson Brian A. Francis Kimberly Gokoffski Jeffrey C. Hong Hugo Y. Hsu Mark S. Humayun John A. Irvine Michael Javaheri Amir H. Kashani Jonathan Kim Tali Kolin Linda Lam Thomas C. Lee Alan I. Mandelberg Helen A. Merritt Karen S. Morgan Arlanna Moshfeghi Roger L. Novack Peter A. Quiros J. Bradley Randleman Marta Recasens Bibiana J. Reiser David Richardson Grace M. Richter Damien Craig Rodger Alfredo A. Sadun Warren C. Stout Mehran Taban Suhas Tuli Rohit Varma Neil Mahesh Vyas ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY An orthopedic surgeon is devoted to the diagnosis,

treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of injuries, disorders, and diseases of the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musculoskeletal system. Gregory J. Adamson Lindsay Andras Robert H. Cho Seth Gamradt Rishi Garg Alidad Ghiassi Paul Gilbert George F. Hatch Gregory T. Heinen Robert Kay Jay R. Lieberman Nina Lightdale-Miric James V. Luck Geoffrey S. Marecek Lawrence R. Menendez Philip O. Merritt Gary M. Moscarello Donald Norquist Reza Omid Brad L. Penenberg Raymond B. Raven Kenneth R. Sabbag Jonathan R. Saluta Marc A. Samson James Shankwiler David L. Skaggs Glenn Takei George Tang Vernon Tolo Curtis VandenBerg C. Thomas Vangsness Alexander E. Weber Shahan V. Yacoubian Lacey K. Zack OTOLARYNGOLOGY These doctors treat ear, nose, and throat problems including head and neck cancers. Steven A. Battaglia Tamara Brown Debra M. Don John House Michael Johns Eric J. Kezirian Jeffrey Koempel Niels C. Kokot Warren S. Line Catherine Louise Louden Dennis Maceri Ellie G. Maghami Alexander Markarian Jill Mazza Karla Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell John S. Oghalai Lindsay Reder

Jahangir Sharifi Ted Shen Uttam Sinha William H. Slattery Geoffrey Barrett Trenkle Bozena B. Wrobel David K. Yun PAIN MEDICINE The branch of medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach to easing the suffering and improving the quality of life of those living with pain. Hilary J. Fausett Kevin Li Maxim Moradian Muhammad Nasir Matthew Root John A. Villanueva PATHOLOGY The branch of medical science that is responsible for running tests that lead to diagnosis. Yanling Ma PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY A pediatrician who has received extensive training in diagnosing and treating children’s cardiac (heart) problems. Joseph Ahdoot Sarah Badran Yaniv Bar-Cohen Lennis P. Burke Elizabeth R. De Oliveira Timothy Lindell Degner Jon Detterich Jondavid Menteer Jay Pruetz Ronald Rosengart Arash Sabati John Wood PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE Diagnosis and treatment of children with a serious, life threatening condition. Sylvia Del Castillo Robinder Khemani Barry Markovitz PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY A doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment

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of children with diseases of the endocrine system. Juliana Austin Lily Chao Clement Cheung Lynda K. Fisher Mitchell Geffner Mimi Kim Joshua Allen May Cedric Ng Pisit Pitukcheewanont

PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE Doctors who assess, diagnose, and treat children and teenagers who have infectious diseases or serious infections. Jeffrey M. Bender Jill Hoffman Michael Neely Pia Pannaraj

PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY Physicians who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the digestive system in children. Vrinda Bhardwaj Gilberto Bultron Brynie Slome Collins Harry Cynamon Tanaz Farzan Danialifar Rula Harb Rohit Kohli Russell Merritt Hillel Naon Frederick Daniel Watanabe Ardath Yamaga

PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY Provides care for children and adolescents with kidney disorders and conditions. Carl Grushkin Beatriz D. Kuizon Kevin V. Lemley Gary Lerner

PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY Pediatric oncologists possess knowledge of the unique nature of care of children or teens with cancer. Etai Adam Clarke Anderson Saro H. Armenian Shahab Asgharzadeh Jerry C. Cheng Thomas Coates Robert M. Cooper Girish Dhall David Freyer Paul Gaynon Thomas C. Hofstra Rima Jubran Neena Kapoor Araz Marachelian Ashley Margol Leo Mascarenhas Fariba Navid Chintan Parekh Michael Pulsipher Nathan Robison Joseph Rosenthal Alan S. Wayne Kenneth Wong

PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY Physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the brain and nervous system in children. Matt Lallas Wendy Mitchell Douglas Nordli Leigh Maria Ramos-Platt R. Aaron Robison Tena Rosser Kiarash Sadrieh PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGERY A subspecialty of neurosurgery which treats children with operable neurological disorders. Mark D. Krieger R. Aaron Robison PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY Pediatric pulmonologists diagnose and treat children with breathing and lung diseases. Manvi Bansal Roberta Kato Thomas Keens Sally Ward PEDIATRIC SURGERY Pediatric surgeons operate on children whose development ranges from the newborn stage through

the teenage years. Dean Anselmo David Bliss Henri R. Ford Christopher Gayer Tracy Grikscheit Eugene S. Kim Nam X. Nguyen Donald B. Shaul Cathy Shin James Stein Jeffrey S. Upperman Kasper S. Wang PEDIATRIC UROLOGY Specializes in disorders of children’s genitourinary systems. Roger De Filippo Paul Kokorowski PEDIATRICS (GENERAL) Pediatricians treat children for a wide variety of illnesses. Alice Abrahamian Robert Adler Mary L. Ashford Joanne T. Asuncion Padma Bala Eyal Ben-Isaac Gilberto Bultron Bradley M. Bursch Kristin B. Chapman Amelia Fan Richard H. Feuille Marianne C. Finerman Maria Gokey Yvonne Gutierrez Priya Harder Jennifer A. Hartstein James C. Henry Karen Kay Imagawa Peter J. Jackson Matthew Keefer Michelle Kolsi Shirley Lee John E. Legault John J. Mangoni Shakeh Mazmanian Mary Ellen McCormick Cathy L. McElveen Richard Menendez Mark Powell Audrey Y. Reid Francisco Rivera Sarah Salamon Glenn S. Schlundt Michelle Thompson Vasanti Voleti Cynthia Wong

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TOP DOCS Susan Wu Allison R. Yim PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION Doctors treat a wide variety of medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Hasan Badday H. Raffi Balian Kevan Craig Lisa B. Firestone Charles A. Gordon Sunil K. Hegde Jorge D. Minor Jared Myers Daniel Paveloff Maria Sulindro Ma John A. Villanueva Mauro W. Zappaterra PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY Surgeons who specialize in the augmentation or reconstruction of the patient’s appearance. Omar Ahmed Samer Alnajjar James S. Andersen Kamran Azad Regina Y. Baker Jen Chow John M. Compoginis Brian Cox Nayiri Doudikian-Scaff Warren L. Garner Timothy Justin Gillenwater Vladimir Grigoryants Jeffrey Hammoudeh Lori Howell Eric Hu Vincent C. Hung Shankar Lakshman Lily Lee Max R. Lehfeldt Jacques Alan Machol William Magee Nima Naghshineh Martin A. O’Toole Ketan M. Patel Mort Rizvi Jeffrey Rosenberg Kevin M. Ruhge Gordon H. Sasaki Warren C. Stout Mark C. Tan Arvin Taneja

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Christopher K. Tiner Mark Urata Stewart Wang PODIATRY Podiatrists study, diagnose, and treat ailments of the lower leg, ankle, and foot. Michael A. Avakian Charles Blaine Claire Futenma Chugo Rinoie Orlando E. Zorrilla PSYCHIATRY Psychiatrists are physicians who prescribe appropriate medication to treat a variety of conditions. Howard L. Askins Alexander M. Beebee Carlotta Freeman Howard Greils Daniel Holschneider John Jimenez Steve Khachi Francisco Navarro Duc T. Nguyen Katherine M. Revoredo Stuart Shipko Christopher Edward Snowdy Susan Turkel Calvin T. Yang RADIATION ONCOLOGY Radiation oncologists treat cancer patients primarily through radiation therapy. Leslie Ballas Eric Chang Yi-Jen Chen Richard L. Jennelle Ramona M. Kyaw Kenneth M. Lam Sagus Sampath Mona V. Sanghani Ruth C. Williamson Jeffrey Y.C. Wong Jason Ye RADIOLOGY Doctors in this field use radioactive equipment to diagnose and treat diseases and injuries. Shahram Bonyadlou Corinne Deurdulian Vicente Gilsanz Fariba Goodarzian Andrew B. Harris Cameron Hassani

Sean L. Johnston Christopher Lee Ana M. Maliglig George R. Matcuk Pulin Sheth Alison Gerard Wilcox REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY / INFERTILITY A surgical subspecialty of obstetrics and gynecology that trains physicians in reproductive medicine addressing hormonal functioning as it pertains to reproduction as well as the issue of infertility. Kristin Bendikson Karine Chung Sami Jabara Bradford A. Kolb John Kuo Jeffrey R. Nelson Richard J. Paulson Vicken Sepilian John G. Wilcox RHEUMATOLOGY Rheumatologists treat disorders of the muscles, joints, and related tissues. Stanley Alexander In Chang Kim Phot Luisiri Dean T. Noritake Vickram Singh Reehal Andreas Reiff Bracha Shaham Massoud Soleimani Darice Tang-Jou Yang SPORTS MEDICINE Sports medicine focuses on the treatment and prevention of sports-related injuries. Gregory J. Adamson Bianca Edison Gregory D. Northrop Vahe Panossian Marc A. Samson Tracy L. Zaslow SURGICAL ONCOLOGY Surgical oncologists use surgery in conjunction with chemotherapy. Yuman Fong Laura L. Kruper I. Benjamin Paz Gagandeep Singh

THORACIC SURGERY Thoracic surgeons are concerned with the treatment of organs within the chest. Andrew Hurwitz Jae Y. Kim Richard W. Kim Daniel S. Oh TRANSGENDER HEALTH Specializes in the care of transgender youth, nonconforming youth, gender variant children, and youth. Johanna Olson-Kennedy UROLOGY Urologists treat patients with urinary tract problems. Kevin Chan Andy Chang Gary W. Chien Siamak Daneshmand Roger De Filippo Hooman Djaladat Kamyar Yehudah Ebrahimi John W. Edwards Gerhard J. Fuchs Martin K. Gelbard Inderbir S. Gill Ramin Khalili Clayton S. Lau Mike M. Nguyen Charles E. Shapiro Rene Sotelo Philip Weintraub VASCULAR / INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY A medical subspecialty of radiology utilizing minimallyinvasive image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat diseases in nearly every organ system. Christopher G. Hedley Kok Chye Tan VASCULAR SURGERY A specialty of surgery which targets diseases of the vascular system. Joseph Ibrahim Abu-Dalu Sukgu M. Han Jeffrey Kronson William M. Lee Sasan Najibi Vincent L. Rowe Fred A. Weaver

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

DOCTOR PROFILES

ANNETTE ERMSHAR, PH.D., ABPP,

DR. ERMSHAR & ASSOCIATES, SPECIALIZED PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES PRINCIPAL/CEO

Dr. Adrienne Meier, Dr. Annette Ermshar, Dr. Kimberly Freeman

SPECIALTY: Neuropsychological and Psychological Assessment/Diagnosis and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Autism-Spectrum, and Learning Disorders; Neurofeedback; Psycholegal Evaluations

ABOUT: Dr. Ermshar & Associates is a group practice specializing in comprehensive concierge mental health services for children, adolescents, and adults, including individual, family, and couples psychotherapy, neurofeedback, assessment, substance abuse treatment, and coaching and companion services. Our team consists of licensed clinical psychologists, licensed psychological assistants, and masters level service providers. Dr. Ermshar specializes in assessment and psychotherapy with adolescents and adults and sees clients both outpatient and inpatient (Las Encinas Hospital), working collaboratively with psychiatrists and medical specialists. Dr. Ermshar received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology, a Postdoctoral Masters degree in Clinical Psychopharmacology, and Board Certiﬁcation through ABPP. She has 15-plus years of experience and is sought after for her psychiatric treatment and assessment expertise in complicated psychiatric diagnostic and neuropsychological evaluations, with added specialization in forensic assessment. Dr. Ermshar has been an expert witness in numerous legal cases and serves as an expert consultant in television/media. She is also very involved in supporting the arts and is on the Board of Directors for several non-proﬁt organizations. BEST ADVICE: “The greatest act of courage is to be and to own all of who you are, without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth.” — D. Ford. ADDRESS: 2400 Mission St., San Marino PHONE: 626.405.0521 ONLINE: drermshar.com EMAIL: aermshar@drermshar.com

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PASADENA HEALTH 2019

H O S P I TA L G U I D E

LOCAL HOSPITAL GUIDE When it comes to hospitals, it’s an embarrassment of riches. ADVENTIST HEALTH GLENDALE Comprised of leading physicians, surgeons, nurses, and other medical and administrative staff, Adventist Health Glendale offers the best in healthcare and has been recognized at state and national levels. Inspired and motivated to serve by their Seventh-day Adventist faith, Adventist Health Glendale incorporates spirituality into our services to provide comprehensive care for physical, emotional, and spiritual health. 1509 Wilson Terrace, Glendale 818-409-8000

ADVENTIST HEALTH WHITE MEMORIAL As the region’s leading faith-based, nonprofit teaching hospital, Adventist Health White Memorial strives to inspire wellness and treat medical conditions using the latest technology, equipment and techniques. 1720 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles 323-268-5000

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is one of America’s premier teaching hospitals, affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) and pairs award-winning compassionate care with a time-tested model comprehensive approach to care that consistently delivers the best health outcomes. A leader in national leader in pediatric research, their researchers and physician-researchers are dedicated to constantly improving patient care by bringing the best ideas from research labs to clinic and hospital rooms, advancing diagnosis and treatment options for children. 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles 323-660-2450 Patient Login

CITY OF HOPE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER City of Hope is one of only 49 comprehensive cancer centers in the nation, as designated by the National Cancer Institute. City of Hope is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people with cancer, diabetes, and other serious illnesses. Their mission is to transform the future of health care by turning science into a practical benefit, hope into reality and accomplish this by providing outstanding care, conducting innovative research and offering vital education programs focused on eliminating these diseases. 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte 626-256-4673

HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Huntington Memorial Hospital is a 619-bed not-for-profit independent hospital committed to providing the highest quality care

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for every person in the community. Huntington Memorial Hospital is the largest level II trauma center in the San Gabriel Valley and has been named among America’s Magnet® designated in nursing and nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the 5th best hospital in Los Angeles, and among the top 10 in California. 100 W. California Blvd., Pasadena 626-397-5000

KECK HOSPITAL OF UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Every day at Keck Hospital of USC, physicians, nurses and staff go beyond the science of exceptional medicine to bring patients breakthroughs in the art of caring. Keck Hospital of USC, a 401-bed acute care hospital, is part of Keck Medicine of USC, the University of Southern California’s medical enterprise. Its internationally renowned physicians care for patients, teach and conduct research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the region’s first medical school. 1500 San Pablo St., Los Angeles 800-872-2273

KAISER PERMANENTE PASADENA MEDICAL OFFICES Kaiser’s physicians and researchers have developed innovative programs that are being used every day in hospitals and clinics across the country. Kaiser’s research in important areas such as colon cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease, and immunizations has led to new ways of screening and treating both Kaiser Permanente members and others in the communities they serve. 3280 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena 800-954-8000

METHODIST HOSPITAL Methodist Hospital is a full-service hospital, providing medical services for virtually any condition. Methodist Hospital has been designated a center of excellence for our stroke care, joint and knee replacement, weight loss surgery services, heart care, and more. 300 Huntington Dr., Arcadia 626-898-8000

RONALD REAGAN UCLA MEDICAL CENTER Founded in 1955, UCLA Medical Center became Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in 2008, reopening in a new 10-story structure that takes hospital design to a new level. The latest medical advances are provided in a welcoming environment that is filled with light and open spaces to enhance a sense of wellness and promote healing. 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles 310-825-9111

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER San Gabriel Valley Medical Center is a 270-bed acute care hospital that focuses on serving the health care needs of the community. Established in 1960, the hospital provides care services for patients through experienced physicians and support professionals 438 W. Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel 626-800-4948

SHRINERS FOR CHILDREN MEDICAL CENTER Shriners Hospitals for Children has a mission to provide the highest quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries, and other special healthcare needs within a compassionate, family-centered and collaborative care environment. 909 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena 626-389-9300

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S MORE IMAGINING THE FUTURE... first laboratory production DNA technology. For Riggs, the real eureka moment happened when they found the amount of DNA they could make chemically in a test tube was insufficient for their purpose. Working with Herbert Boyer and a recombinant DNA technology he had developed, the team figured out how to coax bacteria into making large numbers of copies of the DNA they required, in effect turning the bacteria into a microscopic DNA factory. As Riggs points out, “It’s important for the lay person to understand. Up to this point, human insulin was not available (insulin then in use came from cows and pigs). We didn’t copy the natural gene. We made our own. We made a gene, that we designed so that when it was placed in bacteria it would command that bacteria to make human insulin.” Helping to create the first source of human insulin is itself an historic achievement, but as he explains the creation of Genentech, which originated around the development of this technology, Riggs leans forward and provides the real larger context, “What you’re hearing is the beginning of biotech,” he says. Insulin, of course, is vital to the treatment and management of diabetes but Riggs’ work on cancer has been equally groundbreaking. His efforts to improve antibodies and their anticancer effect have resulted in the development of treatments effective at fighting many cancers including types affecting the breast, colon and blood. No less an authority than Dr. Steven Rosen, provost and Chief Scientific Officer at City of Hope, and the man responsible for guiding the institution’s research agenda says, “Art is a giant in cancer research whose pioneering investigations have provided meaningful advances that benefit all of humanity.” Riggs is now the director of the City of Hope Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institutes, and diabetes is the disease he has focused on for the last decade. But when it comes to diabetes and cancer, it doesn’t have to be one or the other says Dr. Riggs. They are related. “The connection is metabolism,” he says. “That’s why we have the Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute.” He goes on, “Cancer cells have altered metabolism and diabetes is also disturbed metabolism. Approximately 20 percent of all cancer can be thought of as being caused by obesity, which causes inflammation… inflammation changes the metabolism. In our diabetes institute I think I’m not exaggerating to say about 90 percent of our facility are also working on at least one type of cancer. And if we go outside the group, perhaps 1/3 of cancer researchers are also doing work that is connected to diabetes.” This focus on the interface between diabetes and cancer may be unique to the institute Riggs has built at City of Hope. As he says, “I think I can say correctly, without any caveats, I’m not aware of any other medical center where there is a deliberate focus on the cancer and diabetes connection.” Clearly Dr. Riggs’ association with the City of Hope, its rare culture, unparalleled facilities and matchless personnel has proven a truly serendipitous connection. As Riggs says, “It’s not enough to have the idea, you have to be in a

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position to prove feasibility, and that means you have to have the right setting. For me, City of Hope was always the right setting.” Like the science ﬁction authors he read as a child, Arthur Riggs will continue to imagine the future. And City of Hope will continue to facilitate that vision and help Dr. Riggs to make it real. § MORE SENSE LESS... in. Our brains produce four types of brain waves, of differing frequencies, and generally associated with relative levels of consciousness. High frequency Beta waves are produced when you’re conscious and active. At progressively lower frequencies are Alpha, Theta and finally Delta waves, produced in deep sleep. For most of us theta wave states are difficult to achieve except when we are sleeping as well. And it is in theta wave states where true, therapeutic relaxation occurs. EEG studies have shown that certain monks routinely achieve theta brain-wave states while meditating. Those monks also often live in isolation and have spent many years in singularly dedicated meditative practice. Hefner, Just Float’s founder, cites new EEG studies that have shown floating might be able to save you some time however. In a floatation tank the external stimuli that normally keeps our brain active is removed, and with nothing to process, we can more easily enter a kind of waking dream where theta brain waves are produced. And as Hefner elaborates, “What we’re seeing is that the brain wave signatures after just a few floats are on a par with those we see in people who have been mediating for years.” If not quite a monk’s serenity in a bottle, at least a potential short cut to the proven benefits of repeated meditation, without the years of practice. When the lights, and soft music returned, signaling the end of my hour, I had no conception of time passed. I emerged from the tank a bit disoriented, as if I needed a few moments to reboot. As I showered it seemed as if all my systems were gradually blinking back on-line and sputtering to life, after a thorough cleaning and maintenance routine. Then, fully alert, I dressed and retired to the “recovery room” to reflect with a cup of tea. I was wrapped in a soothing endorphin embrace. I was tension free, and my personal idle had been turned way down low. Soon enough, however, reality beckoned. I was loath to return to “life speed,” but with a well-rested brain I felt more than up to the challenge. Besides, I knew I’d be back. § MORE HOT STUFF... my choices at home, then settled in. I could hear nothing but the sound from my headphones, the muted lighting was indeed soothing and the heat, though noticeable, was not at all uncomfortable. Within about 10 minutes however, I was having trouble concentrating on whatever the TED talker was talking about, and wondering where the hell my 20 minute check up was. But I forced my self to relax, downed some water and when the 20 minute check up did arrive, I was relaxed and ready for the rest. At this point, I had begun to sweat copiously and could feel my cotton garments growing damp. Soon enough my confidence dissipated and I can only describe the remaining time as a test of wills

between an uncaring infrared cocoon and me. I was determined to persevere, but began to wish mightily for the company of an actual living, chanting shaman. One who could provide the necessary distraction, because the nattering on TV was providing no mental relief at all at this point. Mercifully, my second check up arrived with a lavender scented cold wet cloth for my head. It felt like cool moist heaven and proved the necessary relief to get me to the finish line. With my 55 minutes complete, I was ushered to the recovery room where I was served oranges and tea in the company of two other recent sweaters. Both said they were “regulars” and big fans, attending a couple times a month to once a week depending on their schedules. “It definitely gets easier to tolerate the more you do it,” local stand up comic, Matt Wyatt told me. “I feel like I glow a little bit more. For me, it’s not a weight thing, it’s more a feeling of a clean slate. “ At rest now myself, I could understand very well what he was saying. I was definitely on an endorphin high, just as if I’d run 5k (about as far as I go) minus any residual soreness. I maintained this “post workout” sensation for the rest of the day, as well as continuing to pour sweat to some distraction, until I succumbed and took a shower two hours later. Most propitiously, I enjoyed a pronounced feeling of wellness and relaxation until I fell peacefully asleep that night. While I can’t testify to any lasting therapeutic effects, I’d definitely explore more regular sweats. Except I’m thinking of bringing along my own shaman, for a more personally effective distraction. § MORE THAT OLD TIME MEDICINE... applications, with famous champions such as Sigmund Freud. Use was widespread. By the late 1800s, the dangers were clear however —Freud himself suffered a grave addiction, but it wasn’t until 1914 that cocaine became a controlled substance in the United States. TREPANNING Evidence for the practice of trepanning, or the drilling of holes in the skull, goes back farther than writing. 10,000-year-old skulls found in France bare evidence of trepanation. Hippocrates recommended it in the case of skull fractures. Trepanning was regularly employed throughout the Middle Ages on people believed to be exhibiting irregular behavior (i.e. the mentally ill or people suffering from seizures) in an effort to release the spirits adversely affecting their behavior. While today trepanning is sometimes used in the case of traumatic head injuries, there are still “voluntary trepanners” who believe an extra hole in your head is the key to higher consciousness. MOUSE PASTE Mouse paste was a particularly popular cure for toothaches in Ancient Egypt. Typically, a dead (and often festering) mouse was ground to a paste that was applied directly to the impacted tooth. How this could have possibly been less offensive than the tooth is difficult to imagine. In Victorian England, mice were believed to be a cure for warts. Rather than a paste however, the rodent was cut in half and applied to the effected area. Fortunately for us, use of a convenient dead mouse has no similar modern analog. §

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

H OW TO B AT T L E A G I N G

N YOUR 20s

Regardless of how old (or young) you are, taking care of the skin you’re in is a lifelong process. by SARA SMOLA

The challenges: Acne, sun exposure Solutions: Wear an SPF of at least 30, drink plenty of water, wash off makeup before going to bed “Most patients who come to see us are having a problem related to their age and lifestyle,” explains dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi, founder of ZO Skin Health and ZO Skin Centre Pasadena, “When they are in their teens, most women and men come for a problem with acne. After age 20, usually the patient complains of skin sensitivity. Skin care benefits men, women, teenagers, and even young children. There are many environmental damaging factors that affect all ages.” One of the environmental factors is sun exposure. Since incidental sun exposure is always present, make sure to apply an SPF of at least 30 year-round. If there’s a specific skin-related concern you’re looking to address, skin care expert Kathy Oyler of Pasadena’s Sasaki Advanced Aesthetic Medical Center recommends scheduling a skin consultation with a professional before you start any serious regime, saying “The information you get from one appointment can save you time, money, and heartache, while helping you reach your skin care goals.” An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; Oyler advises that everything starts to slow down in your twenties and it’s never too early to begin battling the signs of aging.

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IN YOUR 30s

The challenges: Collagen breakdown Solutions: Exfoliate, be mindful of what products you’re using on your skin According to Dr. Obagi, “Skin aging effects start to appear on the face around age 30 because most of the cells that produce collagen stop working. Women and men start to lose collagen and elastin without a replacement. I invented the only approach to skin where we can go to those cells that became inactive and wake them up using certain topical agents. Once the cells’ activity is restored, then the production of collagen and elastin has the ability to renew itself.” With cell turnover slowing down, facial scrubs can refresh skin by polishing away dry cells on the skin’s surface. While a DIY sugar scrub on Pinterest isn’t necessarily a bad idea, those in their 30s may want something that packs a more powerful punch—like using an exfoliating acid serum. An exfoliating acid (such a glycolic, lactic, or salicylic) can help refine large pores as well keep skin looking smooth and even-toned. Always be mindful of what products you’re using and if they’re working effectively. Expensive products may not necessarily be better and the same chemically-laden products you used in your 20s may be too harsh and drying. Look for a sulfate-free cleanser so your skin is not being stripped of (much-needed) moisture.

Photograph by Jessica Felicio

HOW TO BATTLE AGING IN YOUR 20S, 30S, 40S, 50S, 60S AND BEYOND

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H OW TO B AT T L E A G I N G

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IN YOUR 40s

The challenges: Wrinkles, dull skin, dark under eye circles and puffy eye bags Solutions: Relax your facial muscles (stop squinting at the computer screen or smart device!), sleep on your back, wear sunglasses when outside With your skin losing collagen, facial lines that were once dynamic (meaning only visible when you smiled or frowned) are now becoming visible permanently. If you’re seeking to eliminate the dreaded “furrow,” heavy hitter Botox is an option. But if you don’t want to take such drastic measures (or spend a dime), simply relaxing your facial muscles can help—especially when you’re staring at a screen such as on your phone or computer, as we tend to (unknowingly) squint. Repetitive facial movement is known for causing wrinkles and signs of aging are highly visible in the eye area. To minimize dark circles or puffy bags, then you’ll need the additional firepower of targeted ingredients. Puffiness comes from fluid that accumulates under the eyes, and a caffeine-based eye cream helps eliminate it. Sleeping on your back (as opposed to your stomach) is said to help “depuff” your eyes as the position keeps fluid from pooling.

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50s, 60s, AND BEYOND

The challenges: Sagging, dry and flaky skin, lines and wrinkles deepen Solutions: Look for a serum rich in antioxidants, like vitamin C or E, and products that help stimulate collagen production As signs of aging become more noticeable, it’s easy to pin your hopes on a $300 “miracle cream” but Dr. Obagi warns against buying products based on marketing alone. “People have a tendency to blindly buy products from department stores where the marketing and advertisements have convinced them that they need to use moisturizers to keep their skin youthful looking.” Instead, look for products that help stimulate collagen production, beneath the skin’s surface. There’s no “one size fits all” to skincare regime. “We need to encourage people to follow a scientific-care approach, based on [their] skin type,” says Dr. Obagi. “Most skin products available now, from cosmetic to medical, only address the skin surface. If you only address the skin surface, that means that the improvements are very limited and sometimes inadequate. Our skin care restoration and rejuvenation treatments [at ZO Skin Centre Pasadena] are light-years ahead of any other system on the market. The ZO-formulated programs give the best results because we address the skin in totality. Skin is a living organ. You have to keep that living organ active, strong, healthy, and able to defend itself and protect the body.” §

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HRC FERTILIT Y

MAKING BABIES Pasadena fertility clinic leads the nation in the development of effective Artificial Reproductive Technology. by CUYLER GIBBONS

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HRC FERTILIT Y

arved over 22,000 years ago the Venus of Willendorf is a voluptuous, female, stonefigurine of obviously abundant fecundity. While the specific purpose of the relic is lost to time, the figurine is an ample expression of fertility, and mirrors later representations of mother or fertility goddesses produced by better understood, yet still ancient, civilizations. Nerthus, Danu, Aphrodite, Ashtart, Isis…. For thousands of years, and under many names, people have invoked assistance from fertility deities when they struggled to conceive. For thousands of years this was the most efficacious “treatment” available. Even into the late 1800’s infertility was blamed on such specious causes as too much schooling (it taxed the brain and harmed other organs), but by the 1920’s science was beginning to prevail, and common causes of female infertility such as blocked fallopian tubes, the source of 20-percent of all female infertility, were being identified. In 1934 male fertility was linked to sperm count and mobility and that same year saw the first baby born via donor insemination. By the 1960’s ovarian stimulation drugs such as Clomid, still in use today, were beginning to be tested and successfully employed. Fertilization, however, still required a healthy womb. Then, 35 years ago, in the fall of 1978, Dr. Robert Edwards implanted an embryo that had been fertilized outside the womb, into the uterus of Leslie Brown, a young woman from Bristol England. This embryo would be born healthy (and remain healthy), thereby becoming the world’s first test tube baby. “Test Tube” babies were in fact, always much more “petri-dish” babies anyway, but in the 35 years since the birth of Louise Joy Brown, the first live baby conceived outside the womb, infertility treatment options have expanded well beyond those early efforts. Much of the progress in infertility research and treatment has been led by the cutting edge practice at Pasadena’s own Huntington Reproductive Center. Established in 1988, HRC has grown to become one of the largest advanced reproductive care facilities in the US, encompassing nine other locations across the Southland. HRC Pasadena itself has four dedicated physicians with expertise in the latest innovative infertility treatments. Assisted Reproductive Technology, or ART, is the term assigned to advanced fertility techniques that require that both the sperm and eggs be handled. Since 1992, Congress has mandated that all clinics in the US performing ART procedures must report annually on

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the results of those procedures. In that time, according to the CDC, the number of babies born each year as a result of ART procedures have more than doubled to over 65,000 (2012 data), while the percentage of live births per egg retrieval has steadily risen as well, from 23- to 30-percent across all age groups and types of ART. With a focus on introducing and perfecting new ART procedures and techniques, HRC has pioneered treatments that have reduced multiple births, enhanced safety and consistently delivered conception rates superior to the CDC averages. Developing and perfecting a full spectrum of ART treatments including IVF, egg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy, HRC Pasadena achieved the first successful pregnancy on the West Coast using ICSI, Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. Unlike simple IVF, where egg and semen are mixed and fertilize in a dish, in this pioneering treatment, a single sperm is injected directly into the egg to begin the fertilization process. This has proven invaluable in the treatment of male infertility resulting from low sperm count or mobility, and sexual dysfunction resulting from illness or injury. HRC is also at the forefront in the development and implementation of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This pre-implantation embryo “profiling” allows the identification of numerous genetic disorders, as well as the sex of the embryo and the diagnosis of sex based disorders. Particularly for parents at known risk for carrying a genetic abnormality that may be passed on to their offspring, the ability to screen the embryo for such problems prior to implantation removes the possibility of an often difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy when the prenatal diagnosis is unfavorable. Advances in fertility treatments now allow not only for techniques intended to result in an immediate pregnancy for women otherwise unable to conceive, but provide ways to address the anticipation of future fertility problems in currently healthy women, in order to make conception possible at a later date, even years into the future. Freezing embryos for later implantation has been possible for a couple of decades, but improved cryogenic techniques have increased embryo viability after longer and longer storage periods. In fact, HRC has achieved live, healthy births with embryos frozen as long as 15 years. Unfertilized eggs, which had previously been too fragile to freeze, can now be frozen and stored indefinitely for later fertilization. The ability to freeze unfertilized eggs has proven beneficial to a variety of constituencies. For women, the

ability to conceive declines markedly with age, but a frozen egg remains physiologically the same age as the day it was frozen. This allows a young woman to postpone motherhood, without the worry of age diminishing her reproductive ability. The technique is also a godsend for women who must undergo radiation treatment and chemotherapy, or other therapies that could damage or destroy what is a finite supply of eggs. By freezing eggs prior to treatment you can ensure that you will still have a supply of eggs as healthy as you are, following successful treatment of your disease. The CDC estimates that 1.7% of infants born in the US each year are conceived using ART, allowing thousands of individuals to share in the joys of parenthood who would otherwise be unable. And not just traditional families have benefited. Single individuals without a partner with which to conceive, as well as gay and lesbian couples who can not conceive naturally but nevertheless harbor an innate and powerful desire for children are able, through these advanced reproductive techniques, to create a family of their own. Conception occurring in these nontraditional family structures has raised ethical and moral concerns in many quarters. Nevertheless, society is learning that raising happy, well-adjusted children is a function of the love and support available to those children, rather than of their family structure. In fact, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine has found “no persuasive evidence that children are harmed or disadvantaged by being raised by single parents, unmarried parents, or homosexual parents.” So, whatever your family structure, if you’re hoping to conceive but have so far been unable, you could go to the Norton Simon Museum and call on one of their 2,000 year old fertility totems, or you could greatly improve your chances of success and take advantage of the recent advancements in reproductive technology available here in Pasadena. § PASADENAMAG.COM

INFERTILITY A once taboo topic infertility affects approximately 10% of the population. There’s no “type” for those dealing with it, as it impacts people of all socioeconomic levels and has no regard for race, ethnicity, or religion. In fact, it’s highly likely that a friend, relative, or neighbor in your community (or perhaps yourself) is attempting to cope with the medical and emotional aspects of infertility. 7.4 million womem or 11.9% of women, have ever received any infertility services in their lifetime. About 6% of married women (aged 15 to 44 years) in the US are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying. Infertility isn’t exclusively a female condition. In about 8% of couples with infertility, a male factor is the only identifiable cause. More women are waiting until their 30s and 40s to have children. About 20% of the women in the US have their first child after age 35. Female fertility is known to decline with: Age Smoking Excessive alcohol use Extreme weight gain or loss Excessive physical or emotional stress Source: cdc.gov

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PASSIONATE ABOUT MEDICINE COMPASSIONATE ABOUT PATIENTS

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NEUROPSYCHIATRY CENTER • General Psychiatry • Substance Use Recovery • Dementia Care • Post Partum Depression

TORIE S. SEPAH, MD

595 E Colorado Blvd. Suite 311 Pasadena, CA 91101

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Office: (626) 675-7604

Diplamate, AMERICAN BOARD OF PSYCHIATRY & NEUROLOGY

Assistant Clinical Professor, USC Keck School of Medicine, Dept of Psychiatry

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Great health is worth celebrating. How is Keck Medicine of USC different from other health systems? Our performance speaks for itself. We are nationally ranked in nine specialties and our system includes the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which is ranked No. 1 in cancer outcomes in California. Our expert care helps more patients live longer, healthier and happier.

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HOW TO BATTLE AGING

48 52 HOW TO BATTLE AGING No matter your age there are things you can do to help you look younger.

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MAKING BABIES HRC Fertility in Pasadena has been helping people conceive since 1988.

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Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics Fast Track for Minor Injuries Heart Attack Receiving Center Comprehensive Stroke Care Top 1% Nationally for Patient Safety

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IMAGINING THE FUTURE

STRETCH PRO

IMAGINING THE FUTURE Dr. Arthur Riggs, City of Hope’s biotech pioneer.

STRETCH PRO Helping to heal your body after exercise.

BUZZ FREE CURE CBD is proving an effective treatment for pain, anxiety and more.

NEW HOME FOR AN OLD DREAM

JUST FLOAT A float in a sensory deprivation tank can be a shortcut to serenity.

BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK Activated charcoal is taking the health and beauty world by storm.

NEW HOME FOR AN OLD DREAM Dr. William Opel’s vision comes together at Huntington Medical Research Institutes.

HOT STUFF Think of Shape House as an urban sweat lodge, without the shaman.

WAKE UP CALL There is more to a good night’s sleep than counting sheep.

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THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT Health Apps that help you stay well.

NOT SO MODERN MEDICINE The practice of medicine has come a long way since the days of mouse paste.

FACES Our 2018 Top Doctors event at Fenyes Mansion honored the area’s top physicians as chosen by their peers.

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A FUTURE EVERYONE CAN SEE Did you know?

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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

IMAGINING THE FUTURE City of Hope’s Dr. Arthur Riggs is creating the future of diabetes and cancer treatments today. by CUYLER GIBBONS images courtesy of CITY OF HOPE

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LOOSEN UP Stretch Pro aims to help you recover from all that getting in shape. by DANIEL TOZIER image courtesy STRETCH PRO

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BUZZ FREE CURE CBD appears to be a promising natural treatment for pain, anxiety, and other ailments. by CARRIE COLETTE

CHUAN SPA AT LANGHAM HUNTINGTON PASADENA

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HUNTINGTON ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE

Pasadena’s Newest and Most Advanced Orthopedic and Spine Institute Regenerative Medicine and Plastic Surgery Opening Summer 2019

OUR DOCTORS OF DISTINCTION:

VAHE PANOSSIAN, MD Orthopedic Surgeon & Sports Medicine Specialist

WALTER BURNHAM, MD Spine Surgeon

MORT RIZVI, MD Plastic Surgeon & Hand Surgeon

GEORGE TANG, MD Orthopedic Surgeon & Sports Medicine Specialist

THOMAS T ACKERSON, MD Orthopedic Surgeon

EILEEN WONG, MD Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Regenerative Medicine

MARK JO, MD Orthopedic Surgeon, Trauma and Joint Replacement

JAMES REID, MD Orthopedic Surgeon & Foot and Ankle Surgeon

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39 CONGRESS STREET PASADENA, CA 91105 626 795 0282 www.huntingtonorthopedics.com

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WAKE UP CALL

A good night’s sleep begins with good planning.

by DANIEL TOZIER

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SENSE

LESS F

Taking a sensory break in a Just Float tank, will leave you feeling energized not deprived. by CUYLER GIBBONS

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it was almost imperceptible. Then, through my breathing I began to hear the sounds of a Midwestern evening, just after sundown. The unmistakable rhythmic thrum and croak of crickets and frogs on a summer night. It was the sound of my childhood and I marveled at it for what seemed many long minutes. One thing modern society produces in abundance is chronic stress. And modern medicine is only now starting to come to terms with the truly deleterious effects of repeated daily exposure to high stress situations. Chronic stress manifests itself in many ways—depression, anxiety, insomnia even physical pain. When under stress, the body produces a series of physiological changes, originating in the sympathetic nervous system, that are associated with the flight or fight response. Respiration and heart rate increase, circulation constricts, and muscles tighten, our pupils dilate, the immune system mobilizes and adrenalin, norepinephrine and other hormones begin to pump through our body putting us on mental and physical high alert. This hyper vigilant state had distinct advantages when facing the daily existential threats of prehistoric existence. Less so, with most threats we perceive today. On the savannah, the physical act of facing down and mastering those threats also metabolized the stress hormones released and allowed the body to return to a comfortable resting state once the danger had passed. Today, however, modern existence provides plenty of opportunities to ratchet up the stress and initiate a flight or fight response, like heavy traffic or an angry boss, but few situations, like pursuing dinner across the plains or fighting off a predator, where such a response is appropriate. After taking down a wooly mammoth, our bodies were designed, via something called the relaxation response, to return to normal function. Given the chronic stress and lack of real release many experience today however, this return to normal often doesn’t happen, causing actual damage to the body. Hypertension, heart disease and inflammation among other afflictions, can all be brought on and exacerbated by stress. This is where floating comes (Continued on page XX)

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BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK

Activated charcoal’s inky black hue and detoxification properties have made it the hot new health and beauty trend.

by SARA SMOLA

PASADENA HEALTH 2019

Not to be confused with the same charcoal you use to fire up the BBQ, activated charcoal is a man-made substance created by applying intense heat to organic materials such as bamboo and coconut husk, resulting in a porous ashy substance that is known for its detoxification properties. No longer exclusively known for its ability to aid in ER overdoses or food poisoning, the potent black powder is becoming a popular household remedy and beauty aid—for teeth whitening to unclogging and minimizing pores. Beauty bloggers have taken to YouTube en masse showing off their jet black caked teeth and skin, promising that you too could experience a whiter, brighter smile or clear complexion. Many are quenching their thirst with these types of detox drinks as activated charcoal’s absorbent properties are said to help bind unwanted toxins (such as chemicals and heavy metals), then flush them out of the body. Some health professionals even claim activated charcoal’s powerful purifying abilities can help rid the body of viral infections and even lower cholesterol. Meanwhile, in the culinary world, activated charcoal is having a hot moment as well— appearing in everything from fresh pressed juices to waffles to ice cream, leaving a telltale signature inky hue all over the Los Angeles region. And the taste isn’t bad either. In fact, in Pressed Juicery’s activated charcoal lemonade, with complementary additional ingredients of lavender oil and honey for sweetness, the drink is pretty delicious. But, like most things in life, there can be too much of a good thing. Some doctors recommend that anyone taking medication do so at least two hours apart from ingesting charcoal as it could inhibit absorption. Though the health benefits have yet to be fully proven, cleanse-obsessed Angelinos and Pasadenans seem intent on testing the theory out for themselves, reaching for a detox drink in between yoga classes or after a night of drinking to soothe a hangover. §

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A NEW HOME FOR AN OLD DREAM

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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

HOT STUFF At Shape House, you can work up a sweat without working out.

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THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT These health-centric apps will help keep your mind and body strong. compiled by DONNA LUGO and SARA SMOLA NIKE TRAINING CLUB Looking for the best way to kick start your work out via smartphone? NTC generates work outs based on your skill level so even if you’re a little rusty, the app will take it slow. The club feature helps you find free, in person events in your area led by Nike trainers. The work out tracker logs your progress, future work outs and other activities. It also features athlete and celebrity guided work outs available for download like the effective yet hilarious upper body work out with tennis ace Serena Williams and comedian Kevin Hart.

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HEAL For anyone who doesn’t have the time to sit in a crowded (and germ-filled) doctor’s waiting room, Heal’s ondemand doctor visits to your very own home—or wherever you are. Think UberEats for doctors! Heal allows you to access to licensed, highlyqualified physicians wherever you are. The wide-range team of doctors are board-certified medical professionals who are vetted by Heal to ensure they provide the best quality, inhome service.

CALM Meditation made easy! Calm is the #1 app for meditation and mindfulness with over 26 million downloads and is designed to help you find peace of mind. Enjoy 100+ guided meditations to help you manage anxiety, lower stress, and sleep better. Calm is the perfect mindfulness app for beginners, and also includes hundreds of programs for intermediate and advanced users.

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of children with diseases of the endocrine system. Juliana Austin Lily Chao Clement Cheung Lynda K. Fisher Mitchell Geffner Mimi Kim Joshua Allen May Cedric Ng Pisit Pitukcheewanont

PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY Provides care for children and adolescents with kidney disorders and conditions. Carl Grushkin Beatriz D. Kuizon Kevin V. Lemley Gary Lerner

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ANNETTE ERMSHAR, PH.D., ABPP,

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Dr. Adrienne Meier, Dr. Annette Ermshar, Dr. Kimberly Freeman

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H O S P I TA L G U I D E

HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Huntington Memorial Hospital is a 619-bed not-for-profit independent hospital committed to providing the highest quality care

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H OW TO B AT T L E A G I N G

N YOUR 20s

Regardless of how old (or young) you are, taking care of the skin you’re in is a lifelong process. by SARA SMOLA

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IN YOUR 30s

Photograph by Jessica Felicio

HOW TO BATTLE AGING IN YOUR 20S, 30S, 40S, 50S, 60S AND BEYOND

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IN YOUR 40s

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50s, 60s, AND BEYOND

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HRC FERTILIT Y

MAKING BABIES Pasadena fertility clinic leads the nation in the development of effective Artificial Reproductive Technology. by CUYLER GIBBONS

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Photograph by Janko Ferlic PASADENAMAG.COM

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B A C K PA G E

Stethoscope set.

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PASSIONATE ABOUT MEDICINE COMPASSIONATE ABOUT PATIENTS

Pasadena

NEUROPSYCHIATRY CENTER • General Psychiatry • Substance Use Recovery • Dementia Care • Post Partum Depression

TORIE S. SEPAH, MD

595 E Colorado Blvd. Suite 311 Pasadena, CA 91101

Medical Director, Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Imperial Health Holdings Medical Group Pasadena, CA

Office: (626) 675-7604

Diplamate, AMERICAN BOARD OF PSYCHIATRY & NEUROLOGY

Assistant Clinical Professor, USC Keck School of Medicine, Dept of Psychiatry

www.toriesepahmd.com

THE KECK EFFECT

KeckMedicine.org/beyond | (800) USC-CARE

ÂŠ 2019 Keck Medicine of USC

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