FALL 2008

BHS 785 Resource Fall 08:Layout 1 8/4/08 10:55 PM Page 2

Calling all superheroes, ghosts, ballerinas andpirates. Grab a parent and come to BaptistChildren’s Hospital’s free Children’s HealthDay. It’s the weekend before Halloween,so come dressed in costume and be prepared for plenty of fun.

It’s all free in tents in front ofBaptist Medical Arts Building, 8950North Kendall Drive. There’s entertainmentand refreshments, and free garage parking. No reservations are necessary. Be sure to bring a camera to capture all the fun, and come rain or shine!

Stitch up yourfavorite doll or

stuffed animal at ourDoll Clinic.

Baptist Health South Florida Chairman of the Board, theRev. David W. Cleeland; President, Brian E. Keeley.Trustees: Tony Alonso, Calvin Babcock, Wendell Beard,George Cadman III, James Carr, the Rev. WilliamChambers III, George Corrigan, William Dickinson, JudgeRobert Dubé, Herbert Greene, M.D., George Harth, JayHershoff, Charles Hood III, the Rev. Dr. Gary Johnson,Norman Kenyon, M.D., the Rev. Richard Ledgister, the Rev.Wilner Maxy, Paul May, Arva Parks McCabe, the Rev. Dr.Marcos Ramos, Aida Shafer, Ronald Shuffield, RobertaStokes, W. Peter Temling, the Rev. Tom Thompson, BillTillett, Scott Weston, the Rev. Dr. William White.

Baptist Hospital of Miami Chairman of the Board,Calvin Babcock; President, Baptist Hospital Medical Staff,Eugene Eisner, M.D.; Chief Executive Officer, BoBoulenger.

South Miami Hospital Chairman of the Board, JudgeRobert Dubé; President, South Miami Hospital MedicalStaff, Jorge Rabaza, M.D.; Chief Executive Officer, JavierHernandez-Lichtl.

Homestead Hospital Chairman of the Board, the Rev.William Chambers III; President, Homestead HospitalMedical Staff, Theodore Evans, M.D.; Chief ExecutiveOfficer, William Duquette.

Mariners Hospital Chairman of the Board, Jay Hershoff;President, Mariners Hospital Medical Staff, Elisa Brown-Soltero, M.D.; Chief Executive Officer, Nelson Lazo.

Doctors Hospital Chairman of the Board, Norman Kenyon,M.D.; President, Doctors Hospital Medical Staff, LuisQuintero, M.D.; Chief Executive Officer, Lincoln Mendez.

Baptist Outpatient Services Chairman of the Board,Tony Alonso; Chief Executive Officer, Patricia Rosello.

Baptist Health Enterprises Chairman of the Board, James Carr; Chief Executive Officer, Ana Lopez-Blazquez.

Baptist Health South Florida Foundation Chairman of theBoard, Bill Tillett; Chief Executive Officer, Robert Baal.

Directors of Affiliated Boards Yvette Aleman, RichardAlger, Dick Anderson, George Aronoff, Orlando Bajos,William Baldwin, James Barker, Yerby Barker, RodneyBarreto, Kerrin Bermont, Robert Berrin, Bonnie Blaire,James Bokor, James Boruszak, Bette Brown, JosephBuchanan, Mita Burke, Oscar Bustillo Jr., Barbara Calev-Moran, Willie Carpenter, James Carr, Susan Carr,Gerald Case, Ray Castellanos, Joe Catarineau, MauricioCayon, Barron Channer, Pat Dahne, Denise Ehrich, Joyce Elam, Allan Feingold, M.D., Maria Garza, AugustoGil, William Gilbert Jr., Robert Gintel, Gretchen Goslin, K. Lawrence Gragg, Michael Graham, M.D., Curtis Gray,David Hallstrand, M.D., Barry Halpern, M.D., Kent Hamill,Barbara Hanck, James Harris, Carol Berry Helms,Elizabeth Hernandez, Agustin Herran, Gerald Hirsch,Nathan Hirsch, M.D., Jacque Huttoe, David Johnson,Lane Jones, S. Lawrence Kahn III, George Kakouris,George Knox, Rudy Kranys, Manuel Lasaga, KatrinaLavene, Maria Camila Leiva, Orlando Leon, M.D., JamesLoewenherz, M.D., Miriam Lopez, John Maas, BruceMacArthur, Joseph McCain, DMD, Derek McDowell,Stanley Margulies, M.D., Joy Martin, Charlie Martinez, Jo McGregor, Hans Mueller, Patricia Mull, Thomas MurphyJr., Ramon Oyarzun, Martha Pantin, Omar Pasalodos,M.D., Johanna Paterson, Ramón Rasco, Charlen Regan,Ian Reiss, M.D., Bonnie Rippingille, Domingo Rodriguez,Gonzalo Sanabria, Steven Sapp, Betty Schilling, I.E. Schilling,Aida Shafer, Emery Sheer, Steve Shiver, Ronald Shuffield,Patricia Stanley, Lee Stapleton, Rene Taylor, JosephTraina, M.D., Sats Tripathy, Wanda Trouba, VictoriaVillalba, Warren Weiser, Lisa White, William Wilson III,Philip Wolman, Leonard Zwerling, M.D.

TO SEND COMMENTS, ADDRESS CHANGES OR TO UNSUBSCRIBE, E-MAIL MyResource @ baptisthealth.net

6855 Red Road, Suite 600,Coral Gables, FL 33143www.baptisthealth.net

EDITOR Jo BaxterCONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sharon Harvey RosenbergART DIRECTOR Elizabeth Lane LawhornWRITERS Amanda Gonzalez, Sheila Konczewski, Martha Martin, Barbara Moore, Elizabeth Rosenthal,Bethany Rundell, Anne Smith, Adrienne Sylver,Phyllis TeitelbaumEDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Georgette Koch, Dee Moustakas,Laura Pincus, Dorothy SteinPHOTOGRAPHY Fareed Al-Mashat, Mabel Rodriguez

8900 North Kendall Drive

Meet McGruff,the Crime Dog,

and get a close-up look atthe D.A.R.E. Car

Learnabout healthand safety

through interactivedisplays.

Explorethe intriguing

world of medicine.

Pretendyou’re

flying a real helicopter.

Makeyour own

hospital wristband.

Children’s Health DaySunday, October 26, 1-4 p.m.

Practice your surgical skills

in our “operating room.”

It’s notrick. It’s arealtreat!

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R E S O U R C E 3

s a teen, Karen Amar-Saruski experi-enced a loss beyond the usual trau-mas of adolescence. In tenth grade,she lost her 44-year-old mother tobreast cancer. “It was very hard on

my brother and me. And, I worried thatsomeday I might die of breast cancer,”said Dr. Amar-Saruski, now a 40-year-oldchiropractor in Westchester.

With motherhood, she worried about arepeat of family history: an early death of amother from breast cancer would devas-tate school-age children. Ultimately, herdoctor referred Dr. Amar-Saruski to theBaptist-South Miami Regional CancerProgram’s Genetic Risk Education Service.

The service provides personalizedgenetic education to individuals concernedabout their risk for hereditary breast, ovar-ian, colorectal and endometrial cancer andmelanoma. The educational service is freeand genetic testing is available for a fee thatis usually covered by insurance.

“The majority of people referred to meare those with a personal and family his-tory of breast cancer,” said Rae Wruble,R.N., a nurse specially trained in geneticeducation who manages the service.

After reviewing Dr. Amar-Saruski’sfamily history, Ms. Wruble recommendedgenetic testing. Tests revealed a harmfulchange on the BRCA2 gene, one of the twoknown breast and ovarian cancer genes.The presence of a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2gene indicates a substantially higher riskof developing breast and ovarian cancer.

Dr. Amar-Saruski evaluated the options,which included close monitoring andmedication to decrease her chances ofdeveloping breast cancer. After discus-sions with her physicians and her hus-band, she decided to have her healthybreasts removed. At the age of 35, she hada double mastectomy, followed by breastreconstruction. Five years later, she is atpeace with her decision.

“Even though it wasn’t easy to gothrough, I have no regrets and I’m happy,”Dr. Amar-Saruski said. “I plan to have myovaries removed in the near future.”

Last year, Pamela Geier, a 48-year-old

mother of threeadult children, alsofaced difficult choices.A lump was found inher breast during anexam at the GoodHealth Clinic, a Bap-tist Health-supportedclinic in the FloridaKeys for the unin-sured. A biopsy indi-cated breast cancer.Breast surgeon Robert DerHagopian, M.D.,donated his services, as did Baptist Hospi-tal, for Ms. Geier’s breast surgery.

Based on Ms. Geier’s family history of breast and ovarian cancer, Dr. Der-Hagopian also referred her to the GeneticRisk Education Service.

“I wanted genetic testing not only formy sake, but for my kids’ sake, but I could-n’t afford it and I had no insurance,” Ms.Geier said.

Testing was paid for by a grant pro-vided by the local affiliate of Susan G.Komen for the Cure, a national foundationthat awards grants to facilities providingbreast cancer services to low-incomewomen. Tests detected no harmful breastor ovarian cancer gene alterations.

“I was so relieved that my kids wouldhave the information,” Ms. Geier said.

For information or an appointment,call the Genetic Risk Education Service at786-596-2446. —Phyllis Teitelbaum

Tracking family genes

Women & Hea l th

A

BREAST CANCER EVENTSThe 11th Annual Breast CancerSurvivors Celebration is set forThursday, October 2, 6-9 p.m. atSouth Miami Hospital. Breastcancer survivors, their fam-ilies and friends are invit-ed. Hosted by Your BosomBuddies, the free eventfeatures physician speak-ers, exhibits and ahumorous presenta-tion by the Pink Divas.Call 786-596-3815.

Baptist-South Miami RegionalCancer Program is supportingtwo events at Bayfront Park indowntown Miami.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4The American Cancer Society’sMaking Strides Against BreastCancer 5K walk. Registrationbegins at 8:30 a.m.; the 5K walkstarts at 9 a.m. No entry fee, butdonations are accepted. Registerat www.cancer.org/stridesonlineor call 305-779-2848.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 Susan G. Komen Race for theCure. Registration begins at 6a.m.; the 5K run/walk starts at8:30 a.m. Entry fee is $25through October 10; $30 after.Sign up at www.komenmiaftl.org.

Karen Amar-Saruski with sons Justin, 7(left) and Elliott, 10.

Pamela Geier received gene testingcourtesy of a grant.

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4 R E S O U R C E

eonardo da Vinci, the original Renais-sance man, painted the Mona Lisa,studied anatomy and excelled in engi-neering. Around 1495, the artist eveninvented the first robot, a mechanical

knight rigged with cables and pulleys. Centuries later, it’s only fitting that a

robotic system for surgery—available atSouth Miami Hospital—is named afterthat archetype Renaissance artist. The daVinci robot enables surgeons to merge thebest of traditional, open surgery with thetools of minimally invasive surgery,according to physicians at South MiamiHospital. Patients experience less pain,shorter hospital stays, quicker recovery

times and less blood loss, surgeons said.“After prostate surgery, patients are very

happy with the recovery time and theirpostoperative functions. They’re happy tobe leaving the hospital earlier,” said urolo-gist Darren Bruck, M.D.

Avoiding an extended hospital stay wasa top goal for Michelle Corbin, a 45-year-old mother. After being diagnosed with abrain tumor and lung cancer in Decem-ber, Ms. Corbin wanted to spend as muchtime as possible with her husband andnine-year-old son.

“I didn’t want any more surgery,” saidMs. Corbin, who underwent brain sur-gery in December. “I wanted to spend

LA Medical Renaissance

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C O V E R S T O R Y

the summer in the Keys with my son.”But her opinion shifted after she read

about Dr. Mark Dylewski’s minimally inva-sive chest surgeries in Resource. After it wasdetermined that the cancer had remainedisolated in her brain and upper lung, Ms.Corbin was scheduled for robot-assistedsurgery.

On June 19, Ms. Corbin underwent athree-hour surgery to remove a tumorfrom her upper lung and chest wall. Threedays later, she was home. And by July 3,Ms. Corbin began an extended campingtrip with her husband and son.

The differences between robot-assistedsurgery and a traditional operation areparticularly noticeable in chest opera-tions, Dr. Dylewski said. Traditional chestsurgery requires the surgeon to open thechest, skin and surrounding tissue withincisions six to 12 inches long. Conven-tional methods may require the physicianto spread, fracture or displace ribs in orderto remove tumors.

“It sounded like a horrendous, horren-dous surgery,” said Ms. Corbin, who hadconsulted several doctors and feared being“laid up in bed for two months” after tradi-tional surgery.

But the smaller incisions involved inrobot-assisted surgery reduce physicaltrauma and provide other quantifiablebenefits to the patient, Dr. Dylewski said.Those benefits include fewer complica-tions and reduced postoperative pain.

Gynecological oncologists RicardoEstape, M.D., and Nicholas Lambrou,M.D., use robotic surgery for hysterec-tomies and other gynecological operations.A patient undergoing a radical hysterec-tomy for cervical cancer can return to workwithin 23 days after robot-assisted surgery,versus 46 days in traditional open surgery.

Here’s how roboticsurgery works: The sur-gical team makes four tosix dime-sized incisionsin the patient’s body.These incisions are calledoperating ports, andslender tubes called tro-cars are inserted intothose small openings.

The robot is wheeledinto position and thefour arms of the robotare docked into individ-ual ports. Surgical toolsare attached to the endof the robot’s arms.

“Those arms are likean extension of our ownhands,” Dr. Lambrou said.

One robotic arm holds a digital cam-era, which provides a three-dimensionalview of the internal organs and tissue.Those images appear on a large screennear the operating table and on a smallconsole, where the surgeon sits during theoperation. While watching a magnified,high-definition image of the patient’sanatomy, the surgeon manipulates theother three arms of the robot by using footpedals and hand controls. And whileseated just a few feet away from the oper-ating table, the doctor cuts tissue andremoves tumors.

Standing by the patient, a second sur-geon works with another port. Throughthat opening, the second surgeon per-forms several manual chores includingsuctioning blood, removing specimensfor biopsies and changing instruments.The tools used for robot-assisted surgerycut and cauterize blood vessels in a singlestep. This multitasking process eliminates

steps and reducesblood loss.

“The robot is atool for the surgeonsto use,” according toAvelino (Andy) Piñon,M.D., a urologist whouses the da Vinci robotto perform prostatesurgery. “It’s just likeanother scalpel.”

The robot is pro-grammed with safe-guards that protectthe patient fromabrupt or uncon-trolled movements.For example, safetymechanisms neu-tralize hand tremors

and sudden jerks that could possibly occurin traditional surgery. In prostate proce-dures, robot-assisted surgery helps to avoiddamaging nerves that are vital to bladderand sexual functions, Dr. Piñon said.

Until recently, minimally invasive sur-gery was not widely used for extremely del-icate or complex surgeries. That’s becausethe equipment designed to operatethrough small incisions included stiffinstruments that resembled knitting nee-dles or chopsticks. Those surgical tools—ideal for some procedures—lacked theflexibility and control of the human wrist.

But the da Vinci technology includesinstruments that move and rotate with theflexibility and range of a human wrist. Thisenables surgeons to carry out complexprocedures (removal of tumors and recon-struction of tissue in the chest, pelvis orabdomen) without making large openingsin the body.

The technology—which includes color

“Prostate surgery patients are very happy withtheir post-operative functions.”

—Darren Bruck, M.D.

This robot was built usingLeonardo da Vinci’s drawingsfrom the late 15th century.

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6 R E S O U R C E

Patient Progress ReportRecovery time is shorter for patients who have robot-assisted surgery, according to a research paper written by Ricardo Estape, M.D. Scheduled for publication in Gynecologic Oncology next spring, the paper compares theexperiences of women who had different types of hysterectomies from February 2007 to April 2008.

TYPE OF SURGERY LENGTH OF RETURN TO WORK LOSS OF BLOOD TIME ON PAIN HOSPITAL STAY MEDICATION

Robot-assisted 2 days 23 days 130 milliliters 10 days

Laparoscopic 2 days 23 days 209 milliliters 12 days

Traditional 4 days 46 days 621 milliliters 29 days(open surgery)

monitors—magnifies the surgical area byover 10 times. That compares to zeromagnification with traditional open sur-gery, which relies only on the human eye.

That additional vision compensatesfor the absence of touch. In open surgery, the surgeon’s hands provideinformation about a tumor and thesurrounding area. “You feel the enlarge-ments of the lymph nodes up against theblood vessels. You can feel where they’rehard,” Dr. Estape said.

In open surgery, that tactile knowl-edge is impor tant because surgeonsoperate in deep areas of the body with limited vision. But robot-assisted surgeries provide a magnified image of

the body.“The visibility

and dexterity are somuch greater withrobot-assisted sur-gery that I don’tmiss the tactile feel.My visual cues havereplaced my tactilecues,” Dr. Estapesaid.

For Ms. Corbin,that robotic tech-nology filtered downto sand between her

toes. Instead of spending the summer inbed, she collected shells on the beachand watched her son ride his bike.

— Sharon Harvey Rosenberg

ROBOTIC ARM AIDS KNEE SURGERYWhile the da Vinci robot performs in South Miami Hospital, a robotic arm pro-vides a surgical tool at Doctors Hospital. Programmed with a global positioningsystem (GPS), the robot enables orthopedic surgeon Richard Levitt, M.D., toperform complex knee surgeries through small incisions.

In a procedure known as partial knee resurfacing, the damaged portion of theknee joint is replaced with a small implant. The robotic arm performs with a com-puter, cameras and GPS tracking information that create real-time, three-dimen-sional images of the patient's bone during surgery. That technology creates arealistic visual guide that allows the surgeon to make incisions and placementsduring surgery. For more information, call 786-596-6557.

Surgeons at South Miami Hospital operate with extra arms—from a robot. From left: Drs. Darren Bruck, Nicholas Lambrou, Mark Dylewski, Ricardo Estape andAvelino Piñon.

The robot’s toolsmimic theflexibility of thehuman wrist.

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Don’t miss the warning signs.Your life could depend on it.

Committed to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellencewww.baptisthealth.net

There may be a gang of silent killers stalking you. A simple,

noninvasive trio of screening tests could alert you to the danger —

in time to save your life.

Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute and

South Miami Heart Center offer screenings for three

potentially life-threatening conditions — at one low price of $99.

Ultrasound technology is used to diagnose an abdominal

aortic aneurysm (abnormal enlargement of the main artery leading

from the heart), carotid artery disease (narrowing of the artery

that supplies blood to the brain) and peripheral artery disease

(blockages in arteries in the legs). Left untreated, these conditions

can lead to rupture of vital arteries, stroke, loss of limbs or death.

Are you at risk? If you smoke, have been diagnosed with or

have a family history of heart disease or diabetes, have high blood

pressure, are over age 50 or have chronic leg pain or leg fatigue,

you should take advantage of these screenings.

To make an appointment, call:

786-596-2700 786-662-4380

CardioScreeningAd-Resource:Layout 1 7/30/08 4:09 PM Page 1

ersephone Taylor Gary, a 28-year-oldmother, has created a currency systemfor her family of five children, whichincludes three foster kids. She awards“incentive points” when her children

(ages 2 through 15) finish extra householdchores or perform “selfless acts of kind-ness.” Each incentive point translates into50 cents. Her goal: to nurture a connectionbetween hard work and reward.

“Kids have to understand that life is notgoing to give them anything,” Ms. Gary said.

Ms. Gary, a public policy and outreachcoordinator for The Children’s Trust,

attended a Baptist Children’s Hospital pro-gram on raising children in an age ofexcess. She heard psychologist GaryLancelotta, Ph.D., offer a sobering pre-scription for busy parents.

“There’s no time for parenting. So weoften feel guilty. We buy things. We thinkthat getting the kids that new Wii system willmake them happier,” Dr. Lancelotta said.

He discussed the emotional and finan-cial side effects of “Affluenza,” a behavioralcondition in which wealth and material-ism disrupt family life. Here are his rec-ommendations for raising children with

healthy attitudes about money, spendingand family values:

• Take charge of your home. Createfamily standards for behavior, gifts,allowances and chores. “We’re the conduc-tors of this train,” Dr. Lancelotta told par-ents.

• Don’t shield children from disap-pointments. It’s important for kids todevelop skills for handling disappoint-ments, boredom and frustration. “Dealingwith disappointments is a huge lesson thatwe all learn along the way,” he said.

• Limit exposure to television, videogames and other forms of electronic enter-tainment. The average child watches 1,500hours of television each year, including30,000 to 40,000 commercials. That expo-sure reduces family time and generatesdemands for advertised merchandise.“Most kids have everything and appreciatevery little,” Dr. Lancelotta said.

• Set a realistic family budget and pro-vide age-appropriate explanations aboutfamily finances for your children.

• Be a financial role model. “Our kidswatch us. They watch our spendinghabits,” Dr. Lancelotta said. Extravagantor careless adult spending sends a nega-tive message to children.

The good news: It’s never too early ortoo late to teach kids about appreciation,delayed gratification and money manage-ment. Even a spoiled 20-year-old can betutored on the art of appreciation, Dr.Lancelotta said. Just be prepared for a lotof whining.

—Sharon Harvey Rosenberg

8 R E S O U R C E

KidStuffFinding the real bottom line

P

For the second year in a row, South Florida Parenting magazine’s annual Kids CrownAwards readers’ survey named Baptist Hospital and South Miami Hospital as Hall of Famewinners in the Best Places to Give Birth category. The Hall of Fame honors “Best of the Best”winners that have received the award at least five times.

Last year, 4,569 babies were born at Baptist Hospital and 4,157 babies were born atSouth Miami Hospital.

Brittnai Gary, 11, earns incentive points by packing a diaper bag for busy mom,Persephone Taylor Gary, who holds 18-month-old “Sassy.”

‘Best of the Best’ for babies

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Join the parenting experts at Baptist Children’s Hospital forenlightening conversation and practical advice. Each programis held in the auditorium at Baptist Hospital and costs $5,unless otherwise noted. You must reserve your space by calling786-596-3812.

WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING CAN TELL YOUWednesday, September 17, 7-9 p.m., at Miami Children’s Museum, 980 MacArthur Causeway.Psychological testing often is recom-mended to help diagnose learning dis-abilities, attention deficit problems,kids who are gifted and more. Psy-chologist Andrew Lagomasino, Psy.D.,helps parents understand the manytests that exist, including their purposeand what they’ll reveal about your child.For parents of toddlers through teens.

END THE HOMEWORK HASSLESThursday, September 25, 7-9 p.m. School’s in full swing and so are yourchild’s homework tantrums. Is there toomuch work? Is it too difficult? Or perhapsyour child is just giving you a hard time.Psychologist Albert Zbik, Ph.D., shares tips and techniques to help avoid home-work hassles. For parents of school-agechildren.

CHILDREN’S HEALTH DAY Sunday, October 26, 1-4 p.m.,lakeside at Baptist Hospital. Bring your little ghostsand goblins for a frightfully fun day of health andlearning. Free for parents and kids of all ages. NoRSVP necessary. See page 2 for more information.

PARENTING: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIESThursday, November 13, 7-9 p.m. Is your toddler testing you with tempertantrums? Is bedtime a nightly battle?Are your teens breaking curfew ortalking back? Psychologist RichardToister, Ph.D., offers tips on managingthe daily challenges of parenthood. For parents of children of all ages.

All about kids

8900 North Kendall Drive

For parents, doctors and nurses, the journey from intensivecare to intensive smiles leads to a special reunion. Each year, theNeonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) at South Miami Hospitaland Baptist Children’s Hospital throw a free party for formerpatients and their families. It’s a celebration of life and health,and a chance for kids and parents to visit with the doctors,nurses and others who cared for them. Together, about 1,000people attend the reunions each year.

South Miami Hospital’s NICU reunion will be held Sunday,September 14, from 1 to 4 p.m. Call 786-662-4295 to RSVP.

At Baptist Children’s Hospital, the 16th annual reunion of theGeorge Batchelor/Gloria Vasta Lewis Neonatal Intensive Care Unitwill be held by the lake in front of the hospital on Saturday,November 8, from 1 to 4 p.m. Clowns, games and face-paintingwill keep the kids entertained. For reservations, call 786-596-2810.

Extended families reunite

Physical therapist Deborah Saltzman is thrilled to see JeanCarlos Fernandez, 8 months, at Baptist Children’s Hospital’sNICU reunion last year. Jean Carlos, the son of NancyGutierrez and Arnaldo Fernandez, spent the first threemonths of his life in the NICU following stomach surgery.

A GUIDE TO RAISING KIDS Parents are invited toattend a free program about child development atHomestead Hospital at 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 30.Pediatrician Dorsey Goosby, M.D., will discuss “RaisingKids: A Grownup’s Guide to Child Development.” Formore information, call 786-596-3812.

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Senior{Focus

oon after Frances Bauta, 84, took herblood pressure medication, shebecame so dizzy that she had to call911. A trip to the hospital resulted inanother prescription, this time for ver-

tigo. But a later talk with her doctorrevealed what she suspected all along—that she had overdosed on her blood pres-sure drugs because she didn’t realize shehad to space out the timing of the pills.

Ms. Bauta’s experience is a commonone, especially for seniors. A recent studyby the National Safety Council showed thatunintentional poisoning deaths from over-the-counter and prescription drugs are onthe rise, tripling in the past 20 years. It’snow the second leading cause of accidentaldeaths after car crashes. Adults, particularlyolder adults, are the most affected.

“We have a significant number ofadmissions to the hospital because ofunintentional overdoses,” said JohnBraden, M.D., medical director of SouthMiami Hospital’s Emergency Center. “It’seasy for people to forget what they’vetaken or when they’ve taken it or to mixup medications.” Sometimes, he said, con-fusion or what may appear to be senility isthe result of over-medication. When drugsare discontinued, the person’s mind clears.

Paul Gluck, M.D., an ob/gyn at BaptistHospital and past chairman of the NationalPatient Safety Foundation, agreed that thereasons for medication errors are varied.“The elderly tend to be on more medica-tions, which can be confusing. Often, theysee multiple doctors. There may be a lack

of coordination between the doctors.Patients also forget to inform their doctorsof all the medications they are taking.”

Even before her “horrific experience,”Ms. Bauta, who is on many medicationsfor high blood pressure, diabetes and otherhealth problems, had developed a routineto help ensure she didn’t make a mistake.“First, I ask lots of questions. When I go tomy doctors, I write everything down.”

Next, she enters the information intoher computer. “I have a chart of all mymedicines. I take it with me everywhere.”Finally, Ms. Bauta uses a pill organizer.“When the little box is empty, I know I tookmy pills,” she said. Her mistake taught her,however, to ask her doctors even morequestions, such as when she can takeanother dose of a medication if onedoesn’t appear to be working.

Ms. Bauta is on the right track, expertsagree. Drs. Braden and Gluck also advisepatients to:

• Get rid of old medications. “I’ve hadpatients come into the E.R. because theyrun out of a medication, and, in a panic,take something old,” Dr. Braden said. “Whatthey didn’t realize was that it wasn’t the samemedication and that it wasn’t compatiblewith something else they were taking.”

• Take a family member or friend to thedoctor with you. Two heads are often bet-ter than one when it comes to remember-ing instructions.

• Don’t share medications. “Too often, afriend will say, ‘You’re having chest pain?Take one of my heart pills,’” Dr. Braden

said. “You don’t really know what you’retaking. That can be very dangerous.”

• Don’t split or cut pills unless your doc-tor gives you the OK. Many medicationswon’t work properly or provide the properdosage if split.

• Save the information sheet that comeswith your medication from the pharmacy,especially if it’s a drug you’ll be taking for along time. “Read the potential side effects,”Dr. Gluck said. “That way, if you experiencesomething like diarrhea and you see that itcan be a common side effect of the med-ication, you don’t have to call the doctorunless it continues or worsens.”

While a certain amount of responsibil-ity lies with the patient, doctors and hospi-tals are also working to improve safety.Baptist Health hospitals, for example, haveprocedures in place regarding medicationreconciliation. When a patient comes intothe hospital, is moved within the hospital,or leaves, medications are reviewed eachtime and any changes are explained to thepatient. And, the hospital pharmacies havecomplex computer programs that look forpotential drug interactions.

—Adrienne Sylver

Guard against accidental overdose

S

Frances Bauta keeps a computerizedrecord of her prescriptions.

10 R E S O U R C E

FREE HEALTH PASSPORT

Baptist Health has developed a small pamphlet called the Health Passport,where you may record your medications and dosages. You are encouragedto bring it to doctor appointments and hospital visits.

To obtain the free Health Passport, go to www.baptisthealth.net and inthe search box, type in “health passport.” Click on “Patient Safety Tips” andscroll down to the Medication Safety section. Click on the blue type thatsays “Health Passport” and print out your own copy. If you don’t haveaccess to a computer, you may send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:Baptist Health, 6855 Red Road, Marketing & Public Relations, Coral Gables,FL 33143-3632. We will mail you a copy.

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Baptist Medical Plaza at Doral9915 NW 41 Street, Suite 210Health Resource Center

Total Knee and Hip Replacement, Tues-day, Sept. 9, 7-8 p.m., Dr. Francisco Borja,orthopedic surgeon.

Loud and Clear: Solutions for HearingLoss (in Spanish), Wednesday, Sept. 24, 7-8 p.m., Dr. Alberto Fernandez,otolaryngologist.

Balance Disorders andDizziness, Thursday, Oct. 30, 7-8 p.m., physical therapists FlavioLeite and Jussara Fleury.

Insomnia: Get a BetterNight’s Sleep (in Spanish),Monday, Nov. 17, 7-8 p.m.,Dr. Carlos Ramirez-Mejia,neurologist.

Baptist Health Resource Center at Informed Families2490 Coral Way, 2nd Floor

The Latest Treatment Options for Glaucoma (in Spanish), Friday, Sept. 5, 1-2 p.m., Dr. Lourdes Casuso, ophthal-mologist.

Cholesterol: It’s More than Just a Number, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 7-8 p.m.,Dr. Leonard Zwerling, cardiologist.

Healthy Eating: Latin the Lite Way (in Spanish), Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7-8 p.m.,Paola Lancho, registered dietitian.

Aging and Spirituality (in Spanish), Friday, Nov. 7, 1-2 p.m., ChaplainGuillermo Escalona.

Strike Back Against Stroke, Wednesday,Nov. 19, 7-8 p.m., Dr. Paul Damski, neurologist.

Baptist Medical Plaza atWestchester8820 Bird Road, Suite 400Health Resource Center

Exercise: AHealthy Habitto Start at AnyAge, Wednes-day, Sept. 3,10:30-11:30 a.m.,Scott Saxon, exer-cise physiologist.

Strike Back Against Stroke (in Spanish),Tuesday, Sept. 16, 7-8 p.m., Dr. JorgePardo, neurologist.

Breakthrough Techniques for Overcom-ing Stress, Anxiety and Depression,Tuesday, Oct. 7, 7-8 p.m., Dr. Teresa Iribarren, internal medicine.

Solutions for Snoring (in Spanish),Tuesday, Oct. 14, 7-8 p.m., Dr. AgustinArrieta, otolaryngologist.

The Last Word on GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) (in Spanish),Monday, Nov. 3, 7-8 p.m., Dr. AlfredoRabassa, gastroenterologist.

Doctors Hospital5000 University Drive

Custom Chemotherapy: A New Treat-ment for Cancer, Thursday, Sept. 18, 7-8p.m., Dr. Manuel Penalver, gynecologicaloncologist.

Homestead HospitalCampbell Drive & SW 147 Avenue

Breast Health: What Every Woman Needsto Know, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 7-8:30 p.m.,Dr. George Tershakovec, general surgeon,and Dr. Maria Martinez, radiologist.

Can Diabetes Be Reversed or Prevented?Thursday, Nov. 6, 7-8 p.m., Auditorium,Lois Exelbert, R.N., director of the Diabetes Care Center.

Homestead Senior Center43 NE 16 Street

Strengthening Tips: Avoiding Falls,Wednesday, Oct. 22, 10:30-11:30 a.m.,Ian Henry, physical therapist.

Coping with Grief, Wednesday,Nov. 12, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Chaplain Gregorio Marin.

Women’s Health ResourceCenter8950 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 105

Advice and Tips for Managing the Issuesof Aging Parents (in Spanish), Tuesday,Sept. 23, 7-8 p.m., Sahily de Castro, socialworker.

Healthy Eating that Puts on the Pounds,Monday, Sept. 29, 7-8 p.m., Natalie Romero,registered dietitian.

Prevent Heart Attackand Stroke: The 10-Step Approach,Wednesday, Oct. 29, 7-8p.m., Dr. MichaelOzner, cardiologist.

Facts About Diabetes Management,Monday, Nov. 10, 7-8 p.m., Debbie Gillman, R.N., and Mercy Molina, R.N.,certified diabetes educators.

Ongoing ProgramsSHINE. Get help with Medicare andother insurance concerns. Free. Call 305-670-6500, Ext. 270, for an appointmentwith a bilingual counselor.

AARP Driver Safety Program. Fee $10.Call 305-382-5331.

September, October & NovemberIf you’re 55 or older, take advantage of the programs and health screenings offered by Baptist Health. While most programs are $5, people55 and older attend free, unless otherwise noted. Registration is required for all programs, including those that are free. Call 786-596-3812.For Spanish programs, call 786-596-3814. For more information on other Baptist Health programs, visit www.baptisthealth.net.

SeniorCalendar

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12 R E S O U R C E

Here & There

aptist Health hospitals have earned high marks in patientsatisfaction, according to a national survey conducted for thefederal government. Baptist Health’s five hospitals wereamong the six top-ranked hospitals in Miami-Dade andMonroe Counties in the government survey.

The survey provides a national benchmark that reflectspatients’ perspectives on hospital care. As part of the process,300 or more patients—discharged from October 2006 throughJune 2007—were surveyed from each hospital. Nearly 4,000 hos-pitals nationwide participated in the process.

Using 10 measures on a range of topics—from pain control tonoise—the survey examined patients’ perceptions of their hospi-tal stays. Patients were asked, for example, to give their hospitalan overall grade on a scale of zero to 10, with 10 representing the

highest grade. Led by Mariners and Baptist, all Baptist Healthhospitals scored above the national and regional averages.Another key question involved whether or not patients wouldrecommend the hospital. Once again, every Baptist Health hos-pital topped national and regional scores. Baptist Health hospitalsscored higher than most U.S. News & World Report Honor Rollhospitals (see graph).

“All employees in the hospital have a role in creating a caringexperience for our patients and their families. This is not oneperson’s job, but everyone’s,” said Thinh Tran, M.D., chief qualityofficer at Baptist Health.

The federal government plans to publish patient satisfactiondata on a quarterly basis and results will be provided at www.hos-pitalcompare.hhs.gov.

B

Patients who rated the hospital a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey. For more information, go to www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

Tops among patients

Construction will beginon the new West KendallBaptist Hospital, SW 96Street and 162 Avenue,in September, if allapprovals are received.A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduledfor 10 a.m. Saturday, September 13. WestKendall residents shouldwatch their mail for aninvitation to the event.

West Kendall Baptist to break ground

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R E S O U R C E 13

WIRED AGAIN!Being “wired”isn’t such agreat thing if it’sdue to caffeine.But in the case of Baptist Health, being “wired” is greatnews. For the eighth time, Baptist Healthhas been recognized for its use of technol-ogy. It was named to the nation’s list of100 Most Wired healthcare organizationsby Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

“There is a direct correlation betweentechnology and superior patient outcomesand quality,” said Brian E. Keeley, presi-dent and CEO of Baptist Health. “We arecommitted to offering our community themost advanced and safe care possible.The use of technology helps make thatcommitment a reality.”

In addition to state-of-the-art equip-ment, Baptist Health uses electronic med-ical records, drug bar-coding systems andcomputerized physician order entry toimprove quality and care. The eICU, whichlets doctors and nurses act as an extra setof eyes to the ICU staff by electronicallymonitoring critically ill patients, is avail-able at all Baptist Health hospitals.National data show that critical carepatients who were monitored at 156 hos-pitals using an electronic ICU system were30 percent less likely to die than the aver-age ICU patient.

WALK/RUN FOR WELLNESSMariners Hospital will hold its GordonPresent 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, December 6. Registration begins at 7 a.m.at Treasure Village Montessori School,MM 86.9, Islamorada. Race participantswill be bused to the starting line at CoralShores High School. The race starts at 8 a.m. and will benefit the Mariners Hospi-tal Center for Excellence in Nursing. To register, call 305-434-1111, or e-mailjamien@ baptisthealth.net. Cost is $20prior to the race; $25 on race day.

Learn about a little-known diseaseIn the United States, nearly 10 million people suffer from peripheral artery disease,which is hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) in the legs. Unfortunately, thedisease is largely unknown and often goes undetected. The most common symp-tom is leg pain when walking.

Particularly at risk are people over 50 years old, especially African Americans;anyone over 40 with one or more risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressureor high cholesterol; people who smoke or have smoked; and those with a personalor family history of vascular disease, heart attack or stroke.

You are invited to learn more about peripheral artery disease and how you candecrease your risk for serious complications such as heart attack and stroke.South Miami Heart Center physicians will present a free program on Monday,September 22, 5:30-9 p.m., at South Miami Hospital’s Clarke Education Center.If you’re at risk or have symptoms of leg pain when walking, you can get screened forperipheral artery disease at the event. To reserve a seat, call 786-662-5050. A light dinner will be served.

Sleep Center to open in Miami LakesSleep disorders are associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditionssuch as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression—leading todiminished health and a lower quality of life.

The Sleep Diagnostic Center at Baptist Medical Plaza at Miami Lakes will openin early September to provide advanced monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such assleep apnea, insomnia andnarcolepsy. The new SleepCenter, at 14701 NW 77Ave., will be staffed withlicensed sleep medicinetechnologists and physi-cians who specialize insleep medicine.

The facility—designedto make patients feel likeguests at a top-quality hotel—is wired with the mostadvanced sleep diagnos-tics equipment. All roomsare private with full bathrooms and feature flat-screen TVs and Internet access. Aguest bed for a family member also is available inside the room.

“Our goal was to merge a sophisticated testing environment with all the com-forts you’d expect from a nice hotel,” said David Wagner, administrative director.

Baptist Health also operates sleep centers at Baptist, South Miami, Homesteadand Mariners Hospitals. For more information about the Sleep Diagnostic Centerat Baptist Medical Plaza at Miami Lakes, call 786-662-0740 or visit www.bap-tisthealth.net.

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14 R E S O U R C E

Here & There

ifteen South Floridayouths have a lot tosmile about, thanksto Baptist Chil-dren’s Hospital’s

Day of Smiles. Doc-tors, nurses, technolo-gists and other staffvolunteered their tal-ents to provide free cor-rective facial surgeries tochildren whose families couldnot afford to pay for them.

Although the surgeries to repair cleftlips and palates, burns, scars and severalear abnormalities took only hours to com-plete, the results will be life-altering for theyoung patients.

“It’s a wonderful day for all of us, and agreat way to give back to the community,”said plastic surgeon Jhonny Salomon,M.D., who has been involved with Day ofSmiles since it began in 1999. In additionto Dr. Salomon, other physicians whodonated their services were surgeons Joel Levin, M.D., Rafael Gottenger, M.D.,

Felix Freshwater, M.D.,Michael Kelly, M.D.,Andres Bustillo-Lopez,M.D., oral surgeon Ramon

Perez, DMD, and anesthe-siologists Martin McCarthy,

M.D., Martin Moliver, M.D.,Steven Bukowski, M.D., and Fer-

gus MacMahon, M.D. More than 50

staff members also volunteered their time.“Baptist Children’s Hospital is commit-

ted to providing exceptional, compassion-ate care for children and families in ourcommunity,” said Randall Lee, adminis-trator. “Touching a child’s life in this waybrings tremendous satisfaction to every-one involved.”

—Barbara Moore

DayofSmiles

F

Joseph Velez Sr., the baby’s father, is overcome with emotion when he sees his sonimmediately after surgery. At right, four weeks after his surgery, Joseph beams.

Nurse anesthetist Alyshia Kendon tries to coax a smile from Joseph Velezbefore the baby’s cleft palate surgery. Holding little Joseph (inset) isplastic surgeon Rafael Gottenger, M.D.

BHS 785 Resource Fall 08:Layout 1 8/4/08 10:49 PM Page 15

U.S. 1 and SW 62 AvenueCommitted to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence

Robotic surgery is a fasci-

nating concept. But watch-

ing a robotic surgical procedure

live is an experience you won’t

want to miss.

Watch gynecological oncol-

ogists Ricardo Estape, M.D., and

Nicholas Lambrou, M.D., use the

da Vinci robot at South Miami

Hospital to perform a hysterectomy.

Dr. Estape will perform the surgery

while Dr. Lambrou describes

the procedure. The webcast will

be simultaneously broadcast in

Spanish.

Of course, robotic surgery

is more than just an interesting

event. It’s less invasive and

involves less recovery time than

traditional surgical techniques.

That means patients can get

back to work and resume their

lives much faster.

Join the live webcast and

see it all for yourself. This is as

real as it gets.

Watch as Ricardo Estape, M.D., left, and Nicholas Lambrou, M.D., perform a hysterectomy live.

See a real reality show.Real surgery. Real robot. Real time.

Wednesday, October 15, 4 p.m.www.baptisthealth.net

RoboticWebcast-Resource:Layout 1 8/1/08 10:39 AM Page 1

hen 65-year-old Elias Salgado had anunbearable, knife-like pain in thecenter of his chest, he asked a co-worker to call 911.

Within minutes of that phone call,paramedics from Coral Gables Fire Rescuesent Mr. Salgado’s electrocardiogram, orEKG, wirelessly and simultaneously to thecell phones of two of South Miami Hospital’sEmergency Center physicians, three nursesand an on-call cardiologist. While the para-medics drove Mr. Salgado to the hospital afew miles away, the doctors and nurses acti-vated the hospital’s heart team. Forty-twominutes after Mr. Salgado arrived at the hos-pital, doctors used a balloon catheter toopen his clogged artery, preventing damageto the heart muscle.

“This case, and many others played outaround the country, shows how quickaction on the part of paramedics and hos-pitals can save heart muscle and lives,”said Armando Garcia, M.D., medical direc-tor of South Miami Hospital’s Heart AttackUnit. “Research shows that survivabilityincreases when the time between a heartattack’s onset and when the blocked vesselis opened is less than 60 minutes.”

In fact, guidelines from the AmericanCollege of Cardiology and the American

Heart Association recommend that hospi-tals strive to open blocked blood vesselsin heart attack patients within 90 minutes.South Miami and Baptist Hospitals’ HeartAttack Units, since their creation threeyears ago, have decreased their averagedoor-to-balloon times to less than 60 min-utes, beating the standard. The hospitalsperform in the top 10 percent of hospitalsnationwide and lead South Florida hospi-tals in treating heart attack patients within90 minutes of their arrival in the emer-gency room, according to the U.S. Depart-ment of Health & Human Services.

Ignacio Pla Sr. believes that time wason his side. He was dancing with hisgranddaughters at his son’s wedding whenhe began to sweat profusely. His daughter,a nurse, told him to put water on his face.Within seconds, he collapsed.

“All I remember is hearing my daughtercalling for the paramedics,” Mr. Pla said.

Mr. Pla’s son said the family immedi-ately stopped his wedding reception andrushed to Baptist Hospital. “By the timewe arrived, my father had already beentreated,” he said. “It was pretty darn fast,how quickly they helped my dad.”

According to cardiologist Dean Heller,M.D., who treated him, cases like Mr. Pla’s

typically end in death. Instead, he’ll get toenjoy more happy moments with his family.

As for Mr. Salgado, he doesn’t care thathis life-saving catheterization beat nationalstandards for speed. “I’m just happy to bealive,” he said.

— Bethany Rundell and Anne Smith

Saving minutes, saving lives

NON-PROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. PostagePAID

Permit No. 6813Miami, FL

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6855 Red Road, Suite 600, Coral Gables, FL 33143

Health Scan

Resource is printed on recycled paper.

COPYRIGHT © 2008 Baptist Health South Florida. All rights reserved.None of the contents of this publication may be reproduced ortransmitted without the prior written permission of the publisher.However, in most cases we’re happy to approve the noncommer-cial use of this educational information.

Elias Salgado is back at work at GulliverAcademy.

Ignacio Pla Sr. (left) with his son, shortlybefore Mr. Pla’s heart attack.

HEART WALK OCTOBER 11

South Miami Heart Center has teamed up with the AmericanHeart Association as a sponsor of the 2008 Start! Miami-DadeHeart Walk. South Miami Hospital CEO Javier Hernandez-Lichtlchairs this year’s walk, which takes place Saturday, October 11, atTropical Park. Registration opens at 8 a.m., and the walk begins at 9 a.m.Join a Baptist Health team of walkers and raise money to fight heart diseaseand stroke. To register, log on to www.miamiheartwalk.kintera.org andchoose Baptist Health South Florida from the list of teams.

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