Northridge, California
Urban Community in the Heart of the San Fernando Valley
- Socioeconomic, ethnically, and religiously diverse urban community located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley 30 minutes from the beach and downtown Los Angeles.
- Close to all amenities, including restaurants, shopping malls, amusement parks, Universal Studios and Citywalk, Dodger Stadium, J. Paul Getty Museum, Museum of America West, L.A. Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Griffith Park Observatory, and numerous community parks and recreation centers.
- Residents enjoy an active Southern California lifestyle year-round.
- California State University Northridge, UCLA and USC are all nearby.
Meeting the Needs of the Community
In keeping with the Mission, Vision and Values of Northridge Hospital, the Residency Program seeks to be an integral part of our community members beyond their visits to the Family Practice Center. In an effort to impact the health of these individuals, Residents participate in several Outreach Programs catering to the needs of local school children, the elderly and those who would otherwise be without care.
Community Outreach/Community Involvement
Health Fair
The Family Practice Residency Program, in conjunction with Northridge Hospital Medical Center and the Harold Pump Foundation, have joined hands in the fight against cancer. The Family Practice Residents provide education and free screenings for the non insured and under insured women in the San Fernando Valley at quarterly community health fairs.
“Educating the community about cancer prevention and providing free cancer screenings allows our residents the opportunity to give back to the community in which we serve” says Pamela Davis, MD, Director Family Practice and Residency Program.
Volunteer Medical Staff at Diabetic Youth Services Camp Chinnock
Third year residents can volunteer as medical staff at this summer camp for children with diabetes during their elective rotations. Residents are involved in the day-to-day management of each campers needs as diabetics.
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Annual Holiday Basket Drive
For over 20 years the residents and Family Practice Center staff have organized an Annual Holiday Basket Drive. Hospital departments adopt local underserved families and build gift baskets filled with new toys, clothes, food and gift certificates.
It is obvious that so much thought and love is put into creating a gift filled with everything a family could want or need - from bicycles to new bath towels. It is an extremely rewarding, fun and heartfelt activity.
Northridge Middle School Health Education / AVID Program
Residents and faculty have participated in Ask the Doctor open forums where students get answers to their questions on areas of sexual development, reproduction, STDs and their prevention, and various other health topics. A core component of the Northridge Family Medicine Residency Program is its training in Community-Oriented Primary Care (COPC).
Approaches to health care that empower physicians to make effective use of family and community resources have been demonstrated to result in better health outcomes as well as higher levels of provider satisfaction. Our UCLA affiliated residency program, with the support of Northridge Hospital’s Joseph P. Farivar Foundation grants, supports residents in developing innovative research and community action programs. This year, 3rd year resident Igor Sapozhnikov M.D. (above right) used his interest in nutrition and preventing childhood obesity to develop a project at the Northridge Middle School.
The “Food for Thought” project enlisted the students in an eighth grade class to keep week-long photo diaries of everything they ate and drank. Parents participated by completing questionnaires about family eating patterns before students began their diaries. The project culminated with a meeting bringing parents, students, teachers, and Northridge residents and faculty together for an evening presentation.
The project, which had 100% parent and student involvement, demonstrated that increasing awareness can be a powerful intervention tool. The students were not given any instructions about what to eat, but simply asked to record what they consumed. As one student observed afterwards, “if you had told us what to do, we would have done the opposite. But just using the camera made me a lot more aware of what I ate, and I was a lot more open to your suggestions after we completed the photo diaries.”
Dr. Sapozhnikov added, “it’s really gratifying when we can improve health and prevent disease, not just treat problems after they occur. I'm a product of the LAUSD and I see the schools, parents and health care providers as partners in dealing with the epidemic of childhood obesity.”
Reaching the Adult & Senior Population
Senior Health Screenings
The Residency Program and Family Practice Center partner with local Senior Centers and community agencies to provide health screenings and education presentations for the elderly. The Residents provide screenings and address health care concerns, including blood pressure, hearing, vision, memory, gait and balance, and mobility, at visits to local facilities.
Home Visits
Residents and faculty provide home visits for patients who are chronically ill, have severe physical disabilities or are temporarily home bound.
Skilled Nursing Facility Care
Residents participate in multidisciplinary rounds and care for patients at a skilled nursing facility located within blocks of the hospital, where one of our faculty serves as Medical Director.
