ABOUT US

Our Organization
Board
Staff Team
Advisory Board
Collaborators
Financials
Policies

Our Organization

The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles is leading the fight to END EPILEPSY and overcome challenges created by seizures by focusing on Care, Advocacy, Research and Education. Through these areas of focus, we offer a range of services and programs to help, support, advocate for, and empower those who are affected by epilepsy and their caregivers. We also support research to accelerate cures for the epilepsies, support the training and work of new pediatric epilepsy specialists, and also seek to educate the general public to better understand epilepsy/seizure disorders, and fight to END EPILEPSY.

Who We Serve

We serve individuals and families affected by epilepsy/seizure disorders. Our primary areas of service include the Counties of Los Angeles (10.14 million), Orange (3.1 million), San Bernardino (2.1 million) and Ventura (0.85 million). The estimated combined population of our territory is over 16 million. At least 1% of the population has epilepsy/seizure disorders. Thus, in the four Counties we serve, almost 160,000 people have epilepsy. However, many more are significantly impacted by epilepsy in their daily lives when you include family members, caregivers, and friends in the total.

What We Do

We are here for you, as we have been for more than 61 years. As your local Epilepsy Foundation affiliate, the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles is the only non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated solely to serving people affected by epilepsy in this entire region. Our tax ID is 95-2046033. Though we are an independent non-profit organization, we have chosen to affiliate with the national Epilepsy Foundation in Landover, Maryland.

With a combined total of >60 years of service, our board is more inspired than ever to lead the fight to End Epilepsy.

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Board

Shannon Abdulwahab
Member at Large of Executive Committee
Diane Crea-Hamilton
Member
Steven Baum
Member
Mark Borman
Member at Large of Executive Committee
Matt Edelman
Member, Secretary
Tracy Estrada-Hiett
Member
Azita Fatheree
Member, President
Ellen Greenfield
Member
Andrew Gumpert
Member at Large of Executive Committee
Martha Haight
Member
Matthew Howley
Member, Treasurer
Adam Kaller
Member, Assistant Secretary
Samuel Koh
Member
Thomas Minahan
Member
Jolie Nelson
Member
David A. Parker
Member
Steve Smith
Member
Bethany Stevens
Member
Loren Zitomersky
Member, Vice President

Our staff team has a combined total of >90 years with our organization, and we are more inspired than ever by your stories.

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Staff Team

Susan Pietsch-Escueta, MPH
Executive Director
Rebekkah Halliwell
Assistant Director
Don Nose
Chief Development Officer
Julie Paletta
Finance Director
Patricia Leyva
Program Manager
Lupe Martinez
Program Coordinator + Administrative Assistant
Michelle Bareng
Project Coordinator
Nathan Jones
Project Coordinator
Rebecca Doyle
Administrative Assistant

We recognize our advisors
and their affiliated institutions.

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Advisory Board

Kara Barton, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapy, Specializing in Chronic Neurological Conditions
Christine Baca, MD, MSHS

Asst Professor, UCLA Department of Neurology; Staff Physician, VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Epilepsy Center of Excellence
Jeffrey Chung, MD

Director, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Division of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Richard Daims, PhD

Neuropsychologist, Private Practice
Christopher DeGiorgio, MD

Professor, UCLA Department of Neurology
Sunita Dergalust, PharmD

Clinical Pharmacist in Neurology and Neurosurgery; Director, PGY-2 Neurology Pharmacy Residency Program, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Sandra Dewar, RN, MS/CNS

Clinical Nurse Specialist and Clinical Director, Seizure Disorder Center, UCLA
Surisham Dhillon, MD
Reyna Duron, MD

Clínica de Especialidades y Neurocentro, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Dawn Eliashiv, MD, FAAN

Co-Director, UCLA Seizure Disorder Center; Professor of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Bill Feeman, RN, CDDN

Director of Client Services, Westside Regional Center
Andres A. Gonzalez, MD

Director, Surgical Neurophysiology Program, LAC+ USC Medical Center; Asst Professor of Neurology, Keck Medical Center of USC
Jeff Gordon, Esq.

Associate, Yoka & Smith, LLP
Laurette Hayden, LMFT

Licensed Psychotherapist
Christianne Heck, MD, MMM

Medical Director, USC Comprehensive Epilepsy Center; Co-Director, USC Center for Neurorestoration Keck School of Medicine, USC
Deborah Holder, MD

Director, Epilepsy Program, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and EEG Lab, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Shaun Hussain, MD

Pediatric Neurologist, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Mattel Childrens Hospital UCLA
Laura Kalayjian, MD

Assistant Professor of Neurology, Chief of Neurology, LAC+USC Medical Center, Keck USC School of Medicine
Linda Kaplan, MD

Professor of Clinical Neurology, UCI; Private Practice
David Y. Ko, MD

Associate Professor of Neurology, Keck USC School of Medicine
Jason Lerner, MD

Asst Professor, Director, Pediatric Neurophysiology Lab; Director of Training, Pediatric Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA
Travis Losey, MD

Medical Director, Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Loma Linda University Medical Center
Jesus Machado-Salas, PhD, MD

CEO, Brain and Epilepsy Center, Tijuana, Mexico; Researcher, VA Greater LA Healthcare System
Joyce Matsumoto, MD

Asst Clinical Professor of Pediatric Neurology, Medical Director, Ketogenic Diet Program, UCLA
Marco Medina, MD

Professor of Neurology, National Autonomous University of Honduras
David Millett, MD

Director, Epilepsy Program, Hoag Presbyterian Hospital; Co-Director, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Rancho Los Amigos NRC; Adj. Asst. Clin Professor of Neurology, USC
Wendy Mitchell, MD

Acting Head, Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Lora Morn, RN, MSN

Nurse Coordinator, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
Arthur Partikian, MD

Asst Professor, Director, Division of Child Neurology, LAC+USC Medical Center
Irene Ruzin, Esq

Attorney, Law Office of Irene Ruzin
Kiarash Sadrieh, MD

Director, Pediatric Neurology, White Memorial Med Center; Asst Professor of Pediatrics, Loma Linda Univ School of Medicine
Raman Sankar, MD, PhD

Professor and Chief, Rubin Brown Distinguished Chair, Division of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA
Cliff Segil, DO

Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology
Diane Stein, MD

Neurologist and President, Stein Life Neurology Medical Specialists, Inc.
John Stern, MD

Seizure Disorder Program, UCLA Medical Center
William Sutherling, MD

Medical Director, Epilepsy and Brain Mapping Program, Huntington Memorial Medical Center
Lori Uber-Zak, MD

Loma Linda Medical Center
Barbara J. Wilson

Coordinator, Educational Programs, LA County Office of Education
Sumeet Vadera, MD

Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Irvine
Mary Zupanc, MD

Professor, Department of Neurology & Pediatrics; Chief, Pediatric Neurology; Director, Pediatric Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Orange County

We thank our partners, collaborators
and corporate sponsors.

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Collaborators

Program Partners

Important financial and policy information…

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Financials

These are the required financial reports for the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles

Form 990

Audited Financial Statements

6.30.17 Financial Statements

6.30.16 Financial Statements

6.30.15 Financial Statements

6.30.14 Financial Statements

6.30.13 Financial Statements

Where do donations go?

EEP_PieChart4

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Policies

Privacy Policy

The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles respects your privacy. Our goal in expanding and clarifying our procedures for the collection and use of data is to ensure the highest level of confidentiality and security.

When you provide your personal information (name, address, phone number, or donation information) to the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles, we will not give or sell your individual information to any outside company for its use in marketing or solicitation. We will maintain the confidentiality of your personal information and it will be used only to support your relationship with the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles and our shared goal to END EPILEPSY®.

At the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles we are helping you maintain control over your personal data while fostering the growth of a more interactive online environment. Our intention is to only send e-mail to consumers or to friends of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles whom we believe have chosen to receive such transmissions. At any time you have the right to ‘opt out’ of receiving future communications.

The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles also cares about consumer privacy. Information that we collect about our consumers is private. Many of our funding sources require that we collect data. Your information will remain confidential in our records and will in no way affect the services you receive. Only people who have both the need and the legal right may see consumer information. Unless a consumer gives us permission in writing, we will only disclose information for the purposes of payment, business operations or when we are required by law to do so. This website is public domain and, therefore, does not contain any private consumer information.

Disclaimer

Professional healthcare providers should be consulted before changing or adding any treatment based on the information on the website of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by your physician. The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles and website programmers and hosts do not warrant that the information contained herein is in every respect accurate or complete, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information contained herein with other sources. The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles and website programmers and hosts make no representations or warranties with respect to any treatment, action, or application of medication or preparation by any person following the information offered or provided within or through this website and will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages arising there from.