Local hospitals and health care professionals agree they need to better integrate mental and physical care to address Glendale’s most pressing health needs.
For the Community Health Needs Assessment focus group, which meets once every three years, the most pressing public health issues affecting Glendale include obesity, smoking cessation, high blood pressure and diabetes.
At a meeting Mondayof more than 30 representatives from local stakeholders — including Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Glendale Memorial Hospital and the Verdugo Hills Hospital — the city’s most urgent health problems were discussed in terms of integrating services to have the highest impact.
“I think we need to target those things that are most prevalent in community….so we get the most bang for our buck,” said Dr. Manuel Momjian, who serves on the Armenian American Medical Society’s board.
Glendale’s dense population increased the sort of risk factors the prevalent health problems, said Glendale Fire Battalion Chief Greg Fish, which meant organizations had to do a better job with preventive care instead of waiting for a “crisis point.”
