13th Annual Glendale Health Festival
Interview with
Melanya Garibyan, OD
Armond Kotikian, DDS, MD, FACS
Dr. Melanya Garibyan graduated from UCLA with honors in biochemistry, obtained her Doctor of Optometry from Southern California College of Optometry, and became a TPA-certified Optometrist in 2004. She received comprehensive clinical experience in general family eye care, complex contact lens fits, low vision services, and ocular disease management during her training and subsequent work experiences. After obtaining extensive clinical experience in a fast-paced non-profit clinic where she treated over 30 patients daily, in 2006, she transitioned to her current private practice in Burbank. She enjoys practicing in a smaller, more personal atmosphere where she can provide thorough care, the latest technology, and creative solutions to individual vision needs. The Glendale Health Festival is quite important to her since she has been involved with its predecessors in whatever form AAMS has since she was a high school student in Glendale in 1995 when she started volunteering in the basement of St Mary’s Church.
Dr. Armond Kotikian is a Board Certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon. He is an active member of the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS), holding multiple leadership positions, including serving as the president in 2018 and 2019. He completed dental school at UCLA, then served a one-year residency in hospital dentistry at the Long Beach Veterans Administration Hospital. Subsequently, he pursued a residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Kotikian earned his MD from Wayne State School of Medicine, followed by two years of general surgery training, and completed his oral and maxillofacial Surgery residency at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2009. He is in private practice in Glendale and is also an assistant professor at USC in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He specializes in complicated dental implant cases, wisdom tooth extraction, and office anesthesia. In the hospital setting, he performs facial trauma reconstruction, orthognathic surgery and treats patients with obstructive sleep apnea and oral pathology lesions. Dr. Kotikian is a member of numerous organizations, including the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the Southern California Orofacial Academy. In addition, he routinely lectures on subjects related to his field at local and national levels. He has been featured in the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Glendale Newspress, and other local publications for his work in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Dr. Kotikian has also been featured on CNN Headline News local edition, ABC 7 in LA, and the Diane Sawyer nightly news on ABC.
Dr. Vicken Sepilian is a Reproductive Medicine specialist and is the founder and director of American Fertility Specialists Medical Group. He is double board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Sepilian has been an active member of the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS) holding multiple leadership positions, including serving as the President from 2009 to 2013. Dr. Sepilian served as the Chairman of the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress and currently is the President of the Armenian Medical International Congress (AMIC), a nonprofit organization with chapters all over the world, with the aim of coordinating global efforts in improving healthcare in Armenia. Passionate about community education, in 2008, Dr. Sepilian launched the “Your Health” educational TV program aimed at sharing with the community the latest and most important healthcare topics. Since 2008, the show has been making house calls to tens of thousands of viewers helping educate them on preventative care and healthy lifestyles. In 2010, Dr. Sepilian, alongside other civic leaders and the former Mayor of the City of Glendale co-founded the Glendale Health Festival. Dr. Sepilian worked closely with city and state officials and local hospitals to organize this large-scale event with the aim to improve the health of the community. Dr. Sepilian is a strong believer that success and wealth are measured by life’s experiences and human interactions and that true happiness and purpose are achieved by giving. Cherished memories include debates about life and death with Dr. Jack Kevorkian, delivering pens to students in villages in Sri Lanka and teaching chess to orphans in Nepal.