Panel discussion at Glendale YWCA to kick off new health initiative
Glendale community leaders and business owners will kick off a new initiative next week, starting with a panel discussion about the health of Glendale residents.
The effort behind the initiative, called, “We Own the Health of Our Community,” aims to address the health problems facing local residents.
The event, which is open to the public, comes after the Glendale Healthier Community Coalition screened 700 residents and half of them showed a high risk for diabetes.
“It raises the eyebrows because diabetes is more often than not related to heart disease and cancer,” said city spokesman Tom Lorenz, who will moderate next week’s panel discussion.
The talk will bring civic leaders, health professionals and business owners together to discuss how they may be able to create an action plan to address Glendale residents’ health problems.
Another 20% of residents screened by the coalition, so far, are at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease, Lorenz added.
The leading cause of death for Glendale residents is a heart attack, followed by lung cancer and stroke, said Sharon Townsend, chief executive of Glendale Healthy Kids, who is chairing the discussion.
“What we will do with this impact initiative is we will work together to change the trajectory of health in our city,” she said.
Glendale school officials are also planning to participate in the discussion, along with the chief executives from Glendale’s three hospitals.
Kelly King, assistant superintendent of the Glendale Unified School District, said school officials will examine what is currently being done within the district to work to improve the health of the 26,000 students enrolled, as well as its employees. Glendale Unified is one of the city’s largest employers.
“It’s a campaign to create behavioral changes,” Lorenz said. “We need to be healthy.”
The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Regency Room of the Glendale YWCA, 735 E. Lexington Drive.
For more information, call the Glendale Healthier Community Coalition at (818) 241-8040.
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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
