Health

CITY HALL — The City Council tonight is expected to approve spending $1.2 million to cover the cost of rising employee health-care costs — a trend that is weighing heavily in contract negotiations as the city continues to grapple with its own budget woes. Each year, the council approves amendments to employee contracts to cover insurance rate adjustments, which have continued to grow. "We've been hitting close to double-digit increases every year for several years now," said City Manager Jim Starbird.

Susanne Whatley and Gregory Zarian were taking turns before a brightly lit mirror to finish any last makeup and wardrobe touches before taping “Healthline.” Minutes later, they would take the stairs to the studio’s second floor to host an episode on disaster preparedness. The show’s guests were Glendale Fire Chief Harold Scoggins and the department’s Public Safety Director Tanya Gregorian. A product of Glendale Adventist Medical Center and the Armenian Media Group of America, Inc., Healthline offers Whatley and Zarian a platform to interview health professionals and explore general wellness and health research within the field.

Some initials get our attention such as FBI or PMS. We automatically know what they mean. Some are not as clear but we get the general idea like NATO or AIDS. Initials can save us time like shooting off a quick e-mail that says ?LOL.? But, the ones that get my attention are the ones printed too small to read on the side of a package representing additives tucked inside a food or beverage I might consume. Butylated hydroxytoluene-no wait, BHT (there, that?s easier) is added to food to preserve color, odor and taste.

Karen S. Kim GLENDALE -- Assemblyman Dario Frommer (D-Glendale) has been named the chairman of the Assembly Health Committee. Frommer said his top priority as chairman will be to control rising HMO premiums and improving the quality of health care. The committee has jurisdiction over all aspects of health issues in California, including HMO reform, Medi-Cal and the Healthy Families program, mental health, licensing of health and health-related professionals and long-term care facilities.

Janine Marnien GLENDALE -- The Verdugo Mental Health Center is holding its second annual Mental Health Fair Saturday at its main facility. The center holds the fair to allow its clients to network and to give them a chance at self-expression, staff member Lisa Raggio said. "We want our clients to feel empowered, and to be able to explore their own creative side," said Raggio, who works in development and philanthropy at the center. Clients of the center wrote and act in a theater piece that will be performed at the fair.

From glucose and bone density screenings to body fat analysis, Verdugo Hills Hospital's "Family Health & Safety Fair" on Saturday, June 2 attracted many community members and their families from throughout various parts of Los Angeles. Community members received free health screenings and had an opportunity to have their test results evaluated by David Han, M.D., MPH, and Hwan Z. Suk, M.D. Participants also received healthcare advice, including information on skincare, fitness and exercise as well as asthma and CPR education.

Gary Moskowitz Norayr Davidyan clearly remembers treating patients in the aftermath of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia as if it were yesterday. Davidyan, who was a physician at the time of the country's devastating earthquake, is the Armenian Minister of Health. On Tuesday, Davidyan spoke with physicians and hospital administrators at Glendale Adventist Medical Center about medicine, technology and health care funding in America and Armenia. Davidyan will meet with physicians at local and area hospitals all week, hoping to learn more about hospital administration and technology in American health care.

Charles Rich TODAY'S GAME WHO: Glendale Community College (0-1) vs. San Diego Mesa College (0-1). WHAT: Nonconference game. WHERE: San Diego Mesa College, 7250 Mesa College Drive. WHEN: 5 p.m. today. DIRECTIONS: Take Golden State (5) Freeway south to Interstate (805) south. Take CA-163 Freeway south toward downtown. Take Interstate (8) east toward Escondido. Take the Mesa College Drive/Kearny Villa Road exit and turn left onto Mesa College Drive.