Medical News The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 3 www.desertcarenetwork.com/ERcare This year, Alzheimers Coachella Valley (ACV) is recognizing neurologist Esmaeil Sebti, MD, FAAN, as the recipient of its Edie Keller Leadership Award at its fourth annual fundraising event, the “Endless Possibilities” Gala. Each year, the Edie Keller Leadership Award is given to an exceptional individual who contributes significantly to the community by helping those struggling with Alzheimer’s and other dementiarelated illnesses. This year’s honor is appropriately appointed as few have demonstrated the amount of kindness, empathy and genuine care for patients that Dr. Sebti has. For more than 24 years, Sebti has served the Coachella Valley as a physician, educator and advocate who puts his patients above all. I had the unique opportunity of assisting him and his Desert Oasis Healthcare associate Jamie Robinson, DNP, (my mom) at the annual Los Médicos Voladores (Flying Doctors) in September, a volunteer-led event providing free medical, dental and vision care to families in the community. It allowed me to see first-hand the care he puts into his practice, and how thorough and intentionally present he is with each patient. At different times throughout the day, he could be overheard making patients and colleagues laugh and taking the time to get to know each person with whom he was interacting. In addition to his contagious smile, empathy and quick wit, his wealth of knowledge and passion for sharing that knowledge make him an outstanding physician and person. Of Alzheimer’s and dementia, Sebti always tells his patients, colleagues and students to remember the connection between the two: “Dementia is a symptom diagnosed ONLY by getting a complete history of the person. Alzheimer’s is the disease that causes dementia, among many other symptoms. When it comes to dementia, remember three words: Alzheimer, Alzheimer, Alzheimer.” Sebti is also known for often saying, “Focus on the patient, not the scan.” Taking a patient-centered approach in all he does, he leads by example, as both a teacher and lifelong learner, and is truly a treasure to our community. ACV’s “Endless Possibilities” will be held March 27 at the Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Come honor Esmaeil Sebti, MD, while enjoying an evening of dinner, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live and silent auctions to raise funds for ACV’s activities and educational programming. All monies raised stay in the valley to help those in our community affected by cognitive impairment. Wendy Fink is lead editor of Desert Health. For gala tickets and more information, call (760) 776.3100 or visit www.cvalzheimers.org. www.DesertHealthNews.com March/April 2025 Desert Oasis Healthcare Neurologist Esmaeil Sebti, MD Today’s youth face many new and ever-evolving challenges. Ronnie’s House for Hope is a local nonprofit providing free peer support grief services to children, teens, their families and adults in the valley. Through group activities, participants are able to share their experiences and create a sense of community. The organization’s goals are to help clients develop an understanding of grief and its complexities, to garner healthy coping skills and build resiliency. As part of their community outreach, Ronnie’s House is hosting Focus on the Hope, a roundtable discussion for local professionals directly working with youth in our community. Their goal is to offer support in six areas: grief, addiction, LGBTQ+, immigration, mental health and Fentanyl awareness. The event will be held May 17 at The Classic Club from 1 to 4 p.m. “This event is an opportunity for those ‘boots on the ground’ working with community youth to not only garner support and resources, but to share their experiences and insights as well,” says Ronnie’s House for Hope founder Jennifer Loza. Presenters include Tori St. Johns, consultant for Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD), whose 34 years of experience will offer a great deal of insight into how we can best serve our LGBTQ+ youth; and Shannon Brigham, a Student Assist Program therapist conducting the Insight programs in DSUSD which focuses on substance abuse and conflict resolution, who will discuss addiction. TODEC, a program that has been offering legal services and assistance for immigrant families for over 40 years, will speak on immigration, specifically how to support immigrant youth and understand the fears many of them face today. Executive Clinical Director of 417 Recovery Monica PatinoAyala, LMFT, has over a decade of experience in the mental health field and her passion lies in working with adolescents and their families, guiding them on healthy journeys. She will share new ideas for mental health support of our youth. Loza will share information on Fentanyl, how our conversations with our youth on the subject have changed, and how to help someone who has overdosed. All participants will receive Narcan training and leave with Narcan in hand. Ronnie’s House for Hope believes anyone who works with children can benefit from sharing knowledge with others in this ever-changing environment. Loza adds, “Working together to share ideas, and what we see that is and isn’t working, can help us collectively strengthen our youth to face today’s many challenges.” Focus on the Hope Roundtable takes place May 17 at The Classic Club, 75200 Classic Club Blvd. in Palm Desert, from 1 to 4 p.m. For tickets and information, visit www.ronnieshouseforhope.org/events. Support for Those Supporting Children By Lauren Del Sarto www.desertcarenetwork.com/ercare Check in online at DesertCareNetwork.com/ERCare At Desert Care Network • Three Trauma Centers, including the only Level 1 Trauma Center in our Desert • Highest Level NICU for newborns in the Coachella Valley • Only DNV-Accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center • The Comprehensive Cancer Center • Hospitals in Palm Springs, Indio, and Joshua Tree Emergency care, close to home Minutes Matter Check in online at DesertCareNetwork.com/ERCare At Desert Care Network • Three Trauma Centers, including the only Level 1 Trauma Center in our Desert • Highest Level NICU for newborns in the Coachella Valley • Only DNV-Accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center • The Comprehensive Cancer Center • Hospitals in Palm Springs, Indio, and Joshua Tree Emergency care, close to home Minutes Matter Ronnie’s House, which provides grief services for children, is hosting a roundtable event for others who serve our valley youth. A Treasure to Our Community ACV Honors Esmaeil Sebti, MD, FAAN By Wendy Fink
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