ARMENIAN-SPEAKING DOCTORS ARE AT CLINIC.Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer GLENDALE - Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. opened a special clinic Thursday in which four Armenian-speaking doctors will focus on the health needs of Glendale's large Armenian population. A pediatrician, two family practice physicians and one internal medicine physician will staff the Armenian Service Center at 444 Glenoaks Blvd. ``The end goal is to have Armenian-speaking staff that will accommodate patients from the point of entrance through the door or on the phone, until we complete their care,'' said Krikor Deramerian, a pediatrician for the new center. Kaiser officials pursued the idea of a special center after they saw a discrepancy between the number of Armenian patients at the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Medical Center on Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades. - a component of Southern California Kaiser - and the large Armenian population in the Glendale and Hollywood areas. Armenians constituted as much as 45 percent of Glendale's population but only about 3 percent of Kaiser's patients were Armenian, Deramerian said. ``We realize that the clinic is in the middle of one of the most densely population Armenian communities, but something was impeding them from getting access to us or we are not accessible to them,'' Deramerian said. ``So we figure we're not doing something wrong.'' Deramerian said the language barrier made it difficult for many Armenians to access their services - a problem that seemed to lessen when more Armenian physicians were added to the staff. Kaiser Permanente has two other clinics in the Los Angeles area that target ethnic groups - an East Los Angeles East Los Angeles, uninc. city (1990 pop. 126,379), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles, in an industrial area. It has a large Mexican-American population. There is a performing arts center and a cultural center. A junior college is there. office to meet the needs of the Latino population and one in Montebello that is focuses on Chinese-speaking members. The special clinics are aimed at meeting cultural needs as well as ethnic group-specific illnesses. Armenians, because of their diets and lifestyles, are at a very high risk of cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Mentioned in: Lipoproteins Test cardiovascular disease , diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol Cholesterol, High Definition Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in animal tissue and is an important component to the human body. It is manufactured in the liver and carried throughout the body in the bloodstream. . ``I think it will help tremendously in helping the Armenian community,'' said Nova Hindoyan, president of the Armenian Relief Society The Armenian Relief Society, A.R.S or H.O.M (Armenian: Հ.Օ.Մ., Հայ Օգնութիան Միութիւն Western Region. ``Most Armenian patients who don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. the language, they get intimidated and don't want to go to non-Armenian places.'' The Armenian-staffed center will eliminate the intimidation factor, supporters said. ``Armenians prefer Armenian-speaking doctors and hospitals,'' Hindoyan said. ``Now they will come forward with their pains and they won't hold it off.'' Naush Boghossian, (818) 546-3306 naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com |
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