december 2012 - global health tribune
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Health Care Newspaper - South FloridaTRANSCRIPT
PRSRT STD U S POSTAGE
PAIDWEST PALM BCH, FLPERMIT NO. 1340
GLOBAL HEALTH TRIBUNEP.O. Box 213424
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421
Global HealthT R I B U N E
Serving: Jupi ter n Palm Beach Gardens n Royal Palm Beach n Well ington n Belle Glade n Lake Worth n Lantana n Boynton n Boca RatonDECEMBER I SSUE - 2 0 1 2 www. g l o b a l h e a l t h t r i bun e . c om
Patricia’sStory of Trustand Faith
P 8
Happy Holidaysif You ManageYour Asthma!
P 13
Are StrokesBecoming MorePrevalent inYounger People? P 14
REAL ESTATE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY IS ALIVE AND VERY WELL P4
Alexander Fernandez.
Meet Congressman-elect
PatrickMurphy
P 10
One-on-onewith EricGoldman,CEO of PalmsWest Hospital
P 6
Good SamaritanMedical CenterWelcomes AlexanderFernandez as ChiefOperating Officer
P14
Patrick Murphy.
Eric Goldman.
Central Palm Beach CountyChamber of CommerceMedical Networking Event
P7
A Holiday Cabaret Gala and Installation P11
AspirinUse Tied to Rare EyeDisorder P2
Dreams DoCome True
The new study, which was published in The Journal of theAmerican Medical Association, found that routinely using aspirindoubled the odds of developing neovascular maculardegeneration, the most severe form of the disease.
“Dreams Come True” was the theme of the 25th anniversary dinnerdance for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wellington, which was heldon December 1 at the Wycliffe Golf and Country Club. P2
The surgical center on the grounds of Wellington Regional MedicalCenter was the place to be as some of the top physicians andexecutives gathered together under one roof.
This year the Kravis Center was the place to be as Dr. Jack Zeltzer washonored as the Palm Beach County Medical Society President 2012 andDr. K. Andrew Larson was welcomed as the President for 2013.
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM2 DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLESU.S. Department of Health andHuman Services, ARA Content,Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, METRO Editorial Services,Family Features
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CONTACT USP.O. Box 213424
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Aspirin Use Tied to Rare Eye Disorder
Dreams Do Come True“Dreams Come True” was thetheme of the 25th anniversarydinner dance for the Boys andGirls Clubs of Wellington,
which was held on December 1 at theWycliffe Golf and Country Club.
Chairing the event were two ofWellington’s most distinguishedresidents, Dr. Edward and Mrs. MariaBecker.
I was fortunate enough to be able totalk with Mrs. Becker that eveningand she discussed what’s to come inthe year ahead. “Not only are wecelebrating the past, but alsocelebrating the future. We have anew club on the horizon in 2013, theNeil S. Hirsch Family Boys & GirlsClub of Wellington. It has 22,000square feet and three times the size ofthe current center. It’s such awonderful thing as the kids inWellington are going to have a greatplace to go after school. They do nothave to be alone as they have a placewhere they can be nurtured and grow.It’s an amazing time for us.”
Regularly taking aspirinmay slightly raise thelikelihood of developing
a degenerative eye condition, anew study found.
Though the increase in the riskof developing the disease, a rareform of macular degeneration,was slight, it may be a potentialconcern because about one infive adults nationwide take lowdoses of aspirin regularly, mostlyto ward off heart disease. Somedoctors have recently startedrecommending aspirin for theprevention of some types ofcancer as well.
The new study, which waspublished in The Journal of theAmerican Medical Association,found that routinely using aspirindoubled the odds of developingneovascular maculardegeneration, the most severeform of the disease. Nonetheless,the condition is rare enough thatthe increase translated into anegligible risk, rising from about1 in 200 among older Americansin general to roughly 1 in 100among older aspirin users.
A major cause of blindness in
people over the age of 50,macular degeneration is a diseaseof the retina that slowly blurscentral vision, making it difficultto read or see fine detail.Neovascular maculardegeneration accounts for about10 percent of cases but causesmost of the vision loss associatedwith the disease.
The authors of the new reportwere quick to point out that formost middle-aged and olderadults, any potential concernsabout visual decline would notbe enough to outweigh the heart-healthy benefits of a dailyaspirin. Instead, it should besomething to keep in mindshould any problems witheyesight start to arise, said Dr.Barbara Klein, the lead author ofthe study and a professor ofophthalmology and visualsciences at the University ofWisconsin, Madison.
“If you’re an aspirin user and yourdoctor put you on it forcardioprotective reasons, this is nota reason to stop it,” she said. “It’sbetter to have blurry vision but stillbe here to complain about it than itis to die of a heart attack.”
Dr. Klein and her colleaguesused data from the long-runningBeaver Dam Eye Study, whichhas followed thousands ofWisconsinites since 1988.Participants in the study, whowere all between the ages of 43and 86, had checkups every fiveyears in which they underwenteye exams and were asked tobring in any medications theywere using. They were also
checked for things that caninfluence the progression of eyedisease, like high blood pressure,heavy alcohol use and diabetes.People who were taking aspirinat least twice a week for morethan three months werecharacterized as regular users.
The study found that how longago a person had started using
aspirin routinely was stronglytied to the risk of maculardegeneration. People whoreported regularly taking aspirin10 years before the eye exam hadan increased risk of the disease,though it was not clear what themechanism behind it might be.
“It may be like smoking andcancer, where some people whohave stopped years and years agothen get cancer,” Dr. Klein said.“It may seem out of the blue, butthere’s something about latentexposure that carries forward.”
The new findings dovetail withthose of a similar studypublished about a year ago. Butin both cases the research wasobservational, so it could be thatother, unknown factors accountfor the association betweenroutine aspirin use and maculardegeneration, said Dr. RobertCykiert, an ophthalmologist atthe New York UniversityLangone Medical Center.
“I would say this brings up aquestion,” he said. “But it by nomeans should serve as a warningto patients to stop takingaspirin.”
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Call to make your appointment(561) 433-5577WEST OFFICE:
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EAST OFFICE:2326 South Congress Ave.
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By Arthur Hansen DPM, M.S.
Poor Circulation
Did you know that thearteries in your feetand legs can developthe same pathologies
that they do around your heart?While the end result of poor cir-culation in the legs and feet isnot a heart attack, it can be dev-astating none the less. Thechance of death increases eachyear following the loss of a leg.
As director of the Diabetic FootClinic at the Wellington RegionalMedical Center Wound CareCenter, I am all too familiar withthe difficulties and devastatingend results of poor circulationnot identified early and/or nottreated.
Poor circulation could be theresult of faulty arteries (vesselsthat deliver blood to the feet) orfaulty veins (vessels that returnblood from the feet to the heart).Indications of poor circulation in
your feet and legs can be assubtle as the loss of hair on yourtoes, swelling of the feet andankles, to something asnoticeable as painful legcramping. In this article I'lldiscuss some of the signs of poorcirculation to the legs and feetfrom the most subtle to the mostnoticeable.
Hair follicles are some of themost sensitive types of cells inthe body and therefore verysusceptible to any changes intheir environment. Withoutappropriate nutrients beingdelivered via blood flow hairfollicles fail to thrive and theresult is a loss of visible hairgrowth. Hair growth on the toesis usually the first area affectedfollowed by the feet and thenyour legs below the knees.
Many of my patients complain ofcold feet and their inability tosleep or go without socks. Coldfeet can be a result of manydifferent physiological processes,but a lack of circulation willdefinitely lower the temperaturegradient of you legs and feet asyou move towards your toes.
Cramping in the calves and eventhe feet with walking and/orexertion is a more noticeablesign of poor circulation. If yourepeatedly notice cramping afterwalking a certain distance, of
which is relieved when you stopand rest for a few minutes, it’slikely that the blood flow to yourmuscles is inadequate. When youexert the muscles in your legsand feet with walking, theyrequire more oxygen andnutrients than if they are resting.If the blood vessels are occludedor are not functioning properlythen the muscles are notreceiving adequate blood flow.
Leg cramping can also occurwhen the muscles are resting.This "rest pain" is usually worseat night and relieved if the legsare dangling over the bed. Thepain is usually unsymmetricaland the legs show marked palloron elevation and marked rednesswith dependency.
Another obvious sign of poorcirculation can be an ulceratedsite on the legs, feet and/or toesthat are not healing despitetreatment. These lesions arepainful and those that suffer fromthem usually find the mostcomfort with their legs dangling.They may even prefer to sleep ina chair all night because thisposition allows for optimumblood flow to the extremities.
Symmetrical swelling of feet,ankles and legs can be a sign ofpoor venous circulation. That is,the veins are having troublereturning the blood from the feetand legs to the heart andtherefore, the blood pools in thefeet and ankles and swelling isobvious. However, the swellingis usually less in the morning asyou have not been on your feetwhile sleeping.
Varicose veins, painful or not,are a common finding especiallyamong women, these representfaulty valves in the veins andcould lead to bulging, painfulvaricosities and even toulcerations.
It is important to realize that thesigns and symptoms mentionedabove may or may not be causedby poor circulation. For example,not everyone who lacks hair ontheir feet and toes or who has coldfeet suffers from poor circulation.
However, if any of the signs andsymptoms mentioned above areconsistent and prevent pain-freestanding, ambulation tests to ruleout the poor circulation may beindicated.
There are many clinical tests thatcan be done to determine theexistence and extent ofcirculatory problems. A Doppler,or non-invasive vascular study,can be performed which canverify and sometimes quantifycirculatory disorders.
Once poor circulation isdiagnosed, treatment can begin.Treatment options can rangefrom the most conservative suchas exercise and diet changes toprescription medications topossible surgical intervention.
I cannot stress enough theimportance of early detectionof poor circulation to the feetand legs.
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM4 DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012
What is Select Specialty Hospital?By Mike Corvaia
When people ask me,what is SelectSpecialty Hospital, my
response is always the same.Select Specialty Hospital is themost unique hospital in all ofPalm Beach County.
How so, you might ask?
First off, Select SpecialtyHospital provides acute care likeany other major hospital in thearea, but the key difference isthat Select Specialty does nothave an emergency room. Weoften see patients who have beenadmitted though an ER and havebeen stabilized, yet who are notready to be discharged fromacute care. The vast majority ofour patients are referred to usdirectly from the intensive careunit or ICU. Select SpecialtyHospital is not a short term acutecare hospital, or STACH, eventhough our licensure is the same.Instead, we are considered a longterm acute care hospital orLTACH. In essence, we see thesame patients that require acutecare but we are designed to treatthose medically complex patientsfor a few weeks rather than a fewdays.
So, you’re like a rehabhospital?
No, we are not a rehab hospital,but we do provide extensiverehab with a full staff ofphysical, occupational, andspeech therapy specialists whichare available to every patient.
Well, then you’re like a skillednursing facility, right?
We are actually much more thanthat. Physicians and casemanagers alike are continuallyimpressed with the varyinglevels of acuity we handle here atour facilities. Select SpecialtyHospital is an acute carehospital, and any patientrequiring critical care nursing,intensive respiratory services,and rehabilitation therapy wouldbenefit greatly from our hospital.
A typical patient at SelectSpecialty is one who requiresacute medical care for theirdisease or illness, and who is notmedically stable enough to allowtransfer to a lower level of care,such as a skilled nursing facility,rehab hospital, nursing home, orin-home care.
Make no mistake, our goal at
Select Specialty is to get you oryour loved one to your desireddestination: a stable, healthierlevel of care. We help to fulfillthat goal in a clean, safeenvironment that is fully staffedwith professional healthcareproviders at every level. AtSelect Specialty, we only employhighly trained critical careRegistered Nurses. Our nurse topatient ratio is better than what isoffered at most hospitals and atevery level of lower care such asa skilled nursing facility orrehab, where the ratio is 1:15 ormore. Our ICU is staffed with a2:1 ratio for the sickest patient(s)we admit to our hospital. Wehave physicians in our facilityaround the clock. Respiratorytherapy is available 24 hours of
every day, and pharmacists arepresent seven days a week. Ourstaff features specialistphysicians available for consult,whose areas of medicine includepulmonary, nephrology,cardiology and infectiousdisease, ear-nose and throat,neurology, internal medicine, andpain management. Our staff alsoincludes general and traumasurgeons, as well as a designatedwound care team. In addition tothe more than 150 physicians onstaff at Select Specialty, we alsooffer CT scan, a full rehab gym,an operating room fortracheostomy placement,percutaneous endoscopicgastrostomy or (PEG) placement,complex wound caredebridement and skin grafts to
name just a few procedures, aswell as an intensive care unit.
We encourage you to tour ourfacilities in person, so feel free tocome by for a visit. We arecentrally located in Lake Worth,just minutes from Palms West,St. Mary’s, Palm Beach Gardens,West Palm, and Delray, to namejust a few hospitals within milesof us. Or, if you’d prefer to seeus right now, log on toselectmedical.com, click thelocation icon and type in “LakeWorth, FL” to take a virtual tourof our hospital.
We hope that you and your lovedones won’t require a stay withinany hospital, but should youneed specialized acute care, weat Select Specialty would like toreassure you that we are ahospital with a proven record ofexceptional patient outcomes,with a family of physicians andhealthcare professionals thatgenuinely care about yourwellbeing.
Select Specialty Hospital of Palm Beach
3060 Melaleuca Lane, Lake Worth, FL
561-357-7200 (Main line)www.selectmedical.com
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012 5
Bill Tavernise561-209-8304
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Wishing all our friends Happy Holidays and a Very Successful
New Year 2013!From Bob Wolff and Bill Tavernise
Real Estate in Palm Beach County is alive and very well
I’m told by the banks andmortgage brokers that inter-est rates, though still low,are inching up. The Fed
said they would keep rates asthey are until the unemploymentrate drops to 6-6.5%. Thoughnew jobs are increasing, we havea ways to go.
But I can verify that house pricesare inching up. Arissa Place inWellington, a condo conversionacross Greenview Shores from
Wellington High School, lastyear the 2 Bedroom units wereselling as low as $65,000.Currently these same homes areup to $125,000. That’s a
remarkable increase and shouldbe noted.
Homes in Pinewood are sellingquickly from the mid $400’s towell above $500,000. Clearly,prices are increasing as isdemand. Now is the right time toact as your monthly housingcosts are certain to increase dueto higher mortgage rates andhigher home prices. PalmBeach County is hot and indemand. By Bob Wolff
PALMS WEST HOSPITAL INCLUDED IN “UNIVERSAL DECOLONIZATION” STUDYOF ICU PATIENTS THAT REDUCES BLOODSTREAM INFECTIONS BY 44 PERCENT
Loxahatchee, Florida(November, 2012) – HCA(NYSE:HCA), one of thenation's leading providers ofhealthcare services, announcedthat a comprehensive new study,conducted exclusively at 43HCA-affiliated hospitals, and theonly designated Palm BeachCounty facility being Palms WestHospital, concluded that usingantimicrobial soap and ointmenton intensive care unit patientsreduces bloodstream infections,including Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus Aureus (MRSA),by 44 percent.
The use of antimicrobial agentson an entire patient population isreferred to as universaldecolonization. The study,known as RandomizedEvaluation of DecolonizationVersus Universal Clearance toEliminate (REDUCE) MRSA,was conducted in conjunctionwith investigators at Harvard andseveral other academicinstitutions, and researchprograms at two U.S.Department of Health and
Human Services agencies, theAgency for Healthcare Researchand Quality (AHRQ) and theCenters for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC).
The findings suggest a majorchange in healthcare practice thatcould save lives. HCA is rollingout universal decolonization inits adult intensive care units, andimplementation is expected to becompleted at virtually all HCAaffiliates in early 2013.
“We are thrilled that our hospitalin Western Palm Beach Countywas able to participate on such alarge-scale study, partnering withHarvard Pilgrim’s Health, theCenter for Disease Control, andother HCA sister facilities todemonstrate true improvement inpatient care,” said Silvia Stradi,Chief Nursing Officer. “Ourworld-class staff in our IntensiveCare Unit, Laboratory, andMicrobiology Departmentcollaborated in the study tofurther patient care.
The study, which involved nearly75,000 patients and more than280,000 patient days in 74 adultICUs located in 16 states,
compared the results of threeapproaches in ICUs:
• Screen all patients and isolateMRSA carriers
• Targeted decolonization afterscreening
• Universal decolonization
Investigators found that usinguniversal decolonization reducedthe number of patients harboringMRSA by 37 percent. Patientsharboring MRSA are not sickbecause of it, but they are at riskfor later illness and for spreadingit to others. All bloodstreaminfections decreased by 44percent. The researchers notedthat this trial took place in HCAfacilities, mostly in communityhospitals, rather than academicinstitutions and was conductedby hospital personnel rather thanspecially trained research staff.
Therefore, unlike some clinicalstudies, these results are likely tobe applicable to nearly all U.S.hospitals.
Twelve Healthand Safety Tipsfor the HolidaysGive the gift of health and safety toyourself and others by following theseholiday tips. You can sing along toThe 12 Ways to Health Holiday Song,listen to a holiday health podcast, andsend the song to your friends andfamily in a holiday health-e-card!
1. Wash hands often to keep your-self from spreading germs and get-ting sick. Wash your hands withsoap and clean running water for atleast 20 seconds.
2. Bundle up to stay dry and warm.Wear appropriate outdoor clothing:layers of light, warm clothing; mit-tens; hats; scarves; and waterproofboots.
3. Manage stress. Don't overcommityourself and prevent holiday anxi-ety and pressure. Get enoughsleep.
4. Don't drink and drive or let oth-ers drink and drive. Wheneveranyone drives drunk, they puteveryone on the road in danger.
5. Be smoke-free. Avoid smokingand secondhand smoke. There isNO safe amount of tobacco or sec-ondhand smoke. Breathing even alittle secondhand smoke can bedangerous.
6. Fasten seat belts while driving orriding in a motor vehicle. Alwaysbuckle your child in the car using achild safety seat, booster seat, orseat belt according to his/herheight, weight, and age. Use a seatbelt on every trip, no matter howshort the trip.
7. Get exams and screenings. Askwhat exams you need and when toget them. Update your personaland family history.
8. Get your vaccinations, whichhelp prevent diseases and savelives.
9. Monitor the children. Keep poten-tially dangerous toys, food, drinks,household items, and other objectsout of kids' reach. Dress warmly foroutdoor activities. Develop and re-inforce rules about acceptable andsafe behaviors including electronicmedia.
10. Practice fire safety. Most resi-dential fires occur during the win-ter months, so be careful to neverleave fireplaces, space heaters,stoves, or candles unattended.Have an emergency plan andpractice it regularly.
11. Prepare food safely. Rememberthese simple steps: wash handsand surfaces often, avoid cross-contamination, cook foods toproper temperatures, and refriger-ate promptly.
12. Eat healthy, and get moving.Eat fruits and vegetables. Limityour portion sizes and foods highin fat, salt and sugar. Be active forat least 2½ hours a week andhelp kids and teens be active forat least 1 hour a day.
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM6 DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012
One-on-one with Eric Goldman,CEO of Palms West HospitalBy Deborah Lynn
Ihad the pleasure of sittingdown with Eric Goldman todiscuss his views on thevision for Palms West
Hospital and what’s to comewithin the healthcare industry.Having taken over for Bland Engin March, Eric Goldman hadmoved into the position of CEOof Palms West Hospitalseamlessly.
How has the transition beenfor you?It has been wonderful. Havinglived in South Florida for eightyears while working at theformer Columbia Hospital, nowWest Palm Hospital, I wasthrilled to come back. I had beenin Jacksonville for the pastseveral years and this felt verymuch like coming home. Mywife, Jennifer, is fromHollywood, and while weenjoyed living in the Northernparts of Florida, being closer toher family once again was awonderful bonus.
What immediate changes didyou have to make coming onboard?My predecessor did anoutstanding job and made greatstrides at Palms West, so therewere not a lot of immediatechanges that had to beimplemented when I came onboard. Upon arrival, there was amajor expansion projectunderway that I had to focus on.This is an exciting year forPalms West with this 32-bedexpansion. Expected to becompleted in March, weanticipate the additional bedswill allow us to continue ourgrowth and momentum, servingmore patients in the Westerncommunities.
What do you think aboutHospitalists Programs?Patients’ initial reactioninevitably is, “what do you meanthat the doctor that I have beengoing to for 20 years isn’t goingto follow me in the hospital?”Despite that doubt and fear, theseprograms have helped us to
provide better care becausephysicians can be more focusedon the patient at hand, since theyare not running back to an officefull of patients. Physicians canspend more time offeringspecialized care to the patients.As the government continues toraise the bar and hold hospitalsaccountable for the quality ofcare, I think that it’s nearlyimpossible in this day and age tocontinue without HospitalistPrograms. Additionally at PalmsWest, we have been able to workcollaboratively with thesephysician groups to improve theskills of our nursing staff anddrive the quality outcomes thatthis community deserves.
What are your thoughts on theHealth Care Reform Act?I have mixed emotions, as it istoo early to tell. There arecertain aspects that areabsolutely wonderful. Before thehealth care law, insurancecompanies could removeenrolled children usually at age19, sometimes older for full-timestudents. With as many kids thatare coming out of college andfinding it challenging to get jobsand health benefits, I think it isincredible for them to be able tostay on their parents’ insurancepolicies until they are 26.
Not being able to excludepreexisting conditions is anothernecessary change. I have a tenyear-old niece that wasdiagnosed with juvenile diabetes.My sister-in-law is a schoolteacher and my brother is a smallbusiness owner. If she ever losther job and that clause wasn’t inthere, my brother wouldprobably never be able topurchase insurance because ofher condition.
Certainly there are points that areabsolutely outstanding; however,the challenge continues to behow we are going to pay for it.The direction that things couldgo is really too up in the air atthe moment.
With the recent naturaldisaster in New York, how is
Palms West Hospital preparedfor such an event?What you see on TV washorrific, and our thoughts andprayers go out the people thatwere and continue to be affected.Living in Florida, ourmunicipalities are infinitelybetter equipped for hurricanesfrom the standpoint of water in arelatively short period of time.That being said, I think PalmsWest and other HCA facilitieshave spent a lot investing in ourhospitals after the year we hadFrances, Jean and Wilma. Weare equipped with hurricanewindows and shutters in all ofthe hospitals. In addition, wehave emergency generators thatare equipped with additionalcapabilities to have airconditioning running during astorm so that the patient careexperience is not compromised.
As evidenced by when hurricaneKatrina hit New Orleans, HCAwas uniquely qualified to haveits other sister hospitals help.While aid was scarce for thosesuffering, we had a team ofhelicopters standing by and
flying into the city to not onlyevacuate hospitals that weowned, such as Tulane MedicalCenter, but also other hospitals inthe area. I feel an unparalleledlevel of comfort being anexecutive at Palms WestHospital, knowing that not onlydo we have a facility that hasbeen built to withstand thestorms, but that we have thebackup and supplies needed to beable to ride out the storm as bestwe can in the worst casescenarios.
What do you want our readersto know about Palms WestHospital, your physicians, andwhy should they choose yourhospital?I believe Palms West has been abit of a hidden gem, certainly notwithin the Western Communities,but in Palm Beach County atlarge. When I first came intotown in 1998, it used to be muchmore challenging to physicallyget to this area. Our location isactually very central to most ofPalm Beach County. A majorfocus is to spread awareness ofwhere we are, and our unique
approach to patient care. We area thriving, comprehensive, acutecare community hospital offeringa full complement of specialtyservices.
With that said, I certainly believethat not just our healthcare, butalso pediatric care is second tonone in all of South Florida. Weare routinely the fifth largestpediatric hospital within theHCA network. What we see nowis that patients are starting torecognize our excellence, and arechoosing us as their choicemedical destination throughoutthe entire county.
Palms West offers exceptionalcare for not just the patients, buttheir families as well. Thepatient experience includes thefamily, the communication aswell as the follow-up care. Westrive to provide an exceptionalexperience to everyone thatwalks through our doors. Inmany situations, our patients areundergoing a difficult time intheir lives and we want to makethem as comfortable as possible.
With the expansion, are youlooking to hire more people, ifso, how can they apply?Certainly, healthcare is veryfluid. We always have a varietyof positions that are open at anypoint in time – both skilled andunskilled. I have been with HCAfor eighteen years and haveexperienced limitlessopportunity, and we are fortunateto offer that same thing to nurses,radiology techs, housekeepers,and so on.
Positions are available on ourwebsite atwww.palmswesthospital.com.We also regularly hold job fairs,and much of what we receive interms of applicants is throughword of mouth from currentemployees. It’s quite interestingthat we find that about a third ofthe people in our orientation areformer employees that haverealized that they cannot getwhat they get at Palms Westelsewhere. We have somethingreally special here.
Good Samaritan Medical Center Appoints Kimberly Elyanow as Chief Financial OfficerWest Palm Beach, FL. (Nov.2012) – Good SamaritanMedical Center is proud toannounce the appointment ofKimberly Elyanow as thehospital’s new Chief FinancialOfficer. In this role, Elyanowwill be responsible foroverseeing the financialoperations of the hospital andall of its departments.
“Ms. Elyanow brings to GoodSamaritan her many years of
experience in healthcare finance,her ability to effective manage inthe very complex insurance andreimbursement environment, herleadership abilities with regardsto manage change, and GoodSamaritan is very fortunate thatshe will be our next CFO,” saysMark Nosacka, chief executiveofficer.
Prior to joining Good SamaritanMedical Center, Elyanow servedas the Chief Financial Officer at
Coral Gables Hospital. She wasresponsible for all daily financialoperations for departmentsincluding finance, materialsmanagement, informationservices, patient access, patientaccounting and case management.Before joining Coral GablesHospital, she served as theAssociate Chief Financial Officerat Palmetto General Hospitalwhere she was responsible forconducting financial andoperational reviews for different
departments to assess financialprocedures. Elyanow began hercareer as a controller, assistantadministrator and accountingmanager within the healthcareindustry.
Elyanow received her Bachelorof Arts in Government fromSmith College. In addition, sheholds a Masters in BusinessAdministration with a dualconcentration in Accountingand Marketing.
Kimberly Elyanow.
Eric Goldman.
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012 7
Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce Medical Networking Event
The surgical center on thegrounds of Wellington Re-gional Medical Center was
the place to be as some of the topphysicians and executives gath-ered together under one roof. Itwas a night of letting go - just abit, while honoring those thathave done such an amazing jobover the past year.
The American Cancer Institute predicts that, despite a healthy lifestyle,
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WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM10 DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012
Meet Congressman-elect Patrick MurphyBy Deborah Lynn
After a contentious cam-paign and subsequentelection ballot debacle,
Patrick Murphy was elected torepresent the 18th district inFlorida defeating incumbent,Allen West. As Florida hasbeen plagued with polling andvoting issues, the one thing thatstood clear is the dignity andclass that Congressman-electMurphy exhibited throughoutthe entire election and continuesto display.
Having met Congressman-electMurphy at an after-electionevent, I quickly learned that he isquite charming, personable, andhas such positive energy thatsurrounds him. When Icontacted his office regarding aninterview, he was happy tooblige. The following is a briefinsight into his thoughts as heembarks on his new role in thepolitical arena.
What made you decide to runfor public office?
Well, I was 27 and tired ofcomplaining. I worked at anaccounting firm and becameincreasingly frustrated by all ofthe excessively burdensomegovernment regulations that Idealt with on a daily basis. Ihave always felt that our leadersshould be doing a better job. So,I started an environmentalcompany, working on the BP oilspill and even went to NewOrleans for six months to helpwith the clean up. That openedmy eyes to the role thegovernment can play in all of ourlives. With my frustrationmounting; I wanted to dosomething. When the tea partycame along and Allen West waselected, I knew I had to dosomething. I thought to myself,who am I to sit here andcomplain and yet not doanything. I felt that I could do abetter job. Our country is inserious debt and our Medicaresystem needs to be strengthenedand improved as those issues willbe affecting my generation moreso than my parents orgrandparents. As an example, Idon’t want my generation to bewithout Medicare when I getolder and therefore decided to bepart of the solution.
What were the first steps thatyou took to begin your politicalaspirations?
Once I knew that I wanted tomake a difference and make thegovernment actually work for thepeople for a change, the firstthing that I did was talk withanother moderate, formerRepublican, Charlie Crist to gethis advice. I also spoke withCongressman Harold Ford, Jr. ofTennessee. After talking withthem, I reached out to others thatwere elected into various officesand got their opinion as well. Iwanted to know the steps I had totake to start making a change.
From my time in the privatesector, I knew that any successfuloperation would require the mostamazing team. The first hire wasEric Johnson who wasrecommended by Charlie Crist.From there, I started to build therest of my team and found suchan incredibly dedicated group ofpeople and I could not have donethis without them.
What are your thoughts on theAffordable Care Act?
It isn’t perfect, but it’s a big stepforward for our country. Whenyou look at it, we basically havepersonal health care which is themost expensive way possiblebecause when people go to theER, we have to treat them.Unfortunately, many people waituntil it’s an emergency to gettreated. Therefore, what wedecided to do was try to come upwith a more complete health careplan – although not universal, itis a step in the right direction.We need to address the costs thatplague healthcare. We spend18% of our GDP (GrossDomestic Product) on healthcare, but yet we rank 35th or36th in the world and that sayssomething. We are not doingsomething right.
Our specialists are the top in theworld and people travel from allover to get treated here and yet,we fall short in key metrics likeaccess to care and minorityhealth disparities. We have toaddress the costs in our country.I believe that we need thegovernment to start negotiatingcosts with pharmaceuticalcompanies, just like the VA(Veterans Administration). Ithink we need to look into thefraudulent and abusive practicesthat plague Medicare andMedicaid. Current studies showthat those abusive behaviorsrepresent 25% of the moneyspent. We need to find a way tonot only eliminate that type ofbehavior, but to also installstricter penalties on those thatcontinue to abuse the system.
When I was an auditor, my jobwas to find waste in Fortune 500companies. I am hopeful that Ican translate that knowledge toour government. It comes downto bringing down our costs incomparison to the rest of theworld and making Medicaremore efficient. And it will take abipartisan solution to resolvesuch an issue. Since there is notone single solution, we will haveto see what happens with theAffordable Care Act and effortsat reducing cost in the system.The Affordable Care Act alreadyadded eight years to Medicare. Alot of that was simply byeliminating overpayments toproviders. The beneficiaries arenot affected at all, but it’s thefraud, waste and abuse that weneed to tackle as we continue togo down that path to lower costs.In a year or two, when we are ina better position to see how thereforms have progressed, we can
sit down and see what works andwhat doesn’t and make thenecessary improvements.
From the business aspect,restaurants and businesses arebeing adversely affected. Smallbusiness owners that I havespoken with and those who havea chain of restaurants may haveto close down their sole businessor a few locations. It doesn’tmake sense to me that businessesneed to close their doors becauseof health care. We need to maketweaks in the laws forrestaurants, small businessowners and hotels that could beadversely affected. Everyemployee should have access toaffordable coverage, but if well-intentioned efforts end up closingbusinesses, everyone loses.
How do you feel about theHealth Care Exchanges?
The health care exchanges havenot been discussed enough. It’s away to create competition andspread the risk. There’s a reasonwhy large companies can offertheir employees insurance at alower cost, as thousands ofemployees absorb the risk. Youcan’t do that on the individualmarket, where insurance hasbecome prohibitively expensivefor the middle class and workingfamilies are priced out of themarket altogether. That’s wherethe exchanges come in. Everystate now will have somethingset up along the lines of a travelwebsite. For example, if youwant to travel from point A topoint B, you can review all thedifferent options. The samething will happen with healthcare. You will have options andbe able to choose between PlanA, B, or C. Plan A may state –here you are 29 years old, yourhistory is such and this is yourcost. It’s more transparent as wecreate more competition amongthe insurance companies andtherefore bring down the cost for
the beneficiaries. As I learned innew member orientation, this isjust like the Members ofCongress get. Private insurancerun through a marketplace forpeople to choose. If this systemis good enough for Congressmenand federal employees, it’s goodenough for all Floridians. It’sstate-to-state and thereforeallows for specific plans thatcater to those individual benefitsthat one state may need andothers don’t. In Florida, we mayhave different needs than thosein Minnesota when it comes tomaintaining the health of ourresidents.
What are your thoughts on theFiscal Cliff?
Some will argue that it’s notreally a cliff, but the expirationof former President Bush’s taxcredits and tax cuts, the AMTand the sequestration, whichbasically takes an axe where weneed a surgical scalpel. Sinceour government couldn’t reach acompromise last year or thisyear, we came up with cutting$500 billion from health,education, research and foodsafety, also known asdiscretionary spending, and $500billion from defense. Congressfigured that such arbitrary anddramatic cuts, combined with a$4 trillion tax hike would leaveno choice but to compromisebefore we actually arrive at thatpoint. Sure enough, Congressdidn’t come up with an answer.So, here we are with 28 days togo and nothing has happened. Tome, it’s laughable and anembarrassment to our country.How could Washington put us insuch a position by not doinganything until the last minute?We have an opportunity now asother countries are slowingdown. Look at Asia and SouthAmerica or even parts of Europe,which are back in a recession.America is still the world’seconomic leader and we have an
incredible opportunity bycontinuing to improve economyand fiscal health, by reducing ourlong-term debt, increaserevenues due to sustainablerecovery and, yes, reach acrossthe aisle and compromise. Idon’t like the Medicare andSocial Security cuts that SpeakerBoehner and some Republicansare pushing, and I don’t like thetax hikes that some Democratsare pushing. But deficitreduction isn’t easy, and theAmerican people expect results.They expect their representativesto make some tough decisionsand compromise. I’m optimisticthat a deal can be reached.
What is the first thing that youwould like to accomplish whilein your new role?
I want to sit down withRepublicans and find somelegislation that we can agree onand create jobs. That is still sucha huge issue. We often talkabout the economy and debt, andhow to keep the economy going.I think the focus should be localto see what we can do for ourresidents. Part of that may be inthe high-tech industries we havehere along the coast, which is inmy district. We need to continueto explore that and find thosehigh paying and long-term jobs.I want to continue that source ofgrowth as we get more of thosecompanies to expand. I havealready had the opportunity todiscuss those issues with otherMembers of Congress and itseems like the rank and filemembers are willing tocompromise, but their parties areholding them back. With thehelp of the other freshmen thatwere elected on the basis ofbipartisanship, I can only hopethat we send a strong message tothe leadership of Congress and toall the people that these existingproblems are not going to besolved unless we work together.You can’t just allow Republicansor Democrats to resolve issues –it needs to be done together!
What would you like for peopleto know about you?
I want to be their voice – itdoesn’t matter if they areRepublican or Democrat,whether they supported me ornot – I am here for them as theirvoice. I am looking forward toworking on their concerns andissues and if they have a questionor concern, they can always callor e-mail me and let me knowwhat’s on their mind. I am hereworking for you.
If you have any questions forCongressman-elect Murphy,please contact his campaignoffice at 561-847-4105 or visithis campaign website atwww.patrickmurphy2012.com.Congressman-elect Murphy willhave updated contactinformation for hisCongressional offices after hisofficial swearing-in on January3, 2013.
Patrick Murphy.
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012 11
Marcy & Jack Zeltzer, M.D.
Ivy and Dr. Andrew Larson. Dr. Maureen Whelihan and Dr. Alan Pillersdorf.
Michael Larson and Dr. Andrew Larson.
Dr. Hatem Abou-Sayed
A Holiday Cabaret Gala and Installation
The Palm Beach County Medical Societyhosted their Annual Installation of thePBCMS leadership at the Kravis Center.Dr. Jack Zeltzer was honored for his out-
standing efforts as the 2012 President and Dr. K.Andrew Larson was welcomed into his new role asthe President for 2013. In addition, Dr. Alan B.Pillersdorf, was also honored by receiving the2012 Excellence in Medicine Award.
Knowing Your Breasts Can Save Your LifeBy Deborah Lynn
In a continuing effort to edu-cate women regarding breastcancer, Dr. Yvette LaClaustra,
a physician whose primary focusis that of treating patients withbreast cancer and other breast re-lated issues, explores the risk fac-tors associated with such a devas-tating disease.In last month’s issue, wediscussed the importance of self-exams, mammograms andultrasounds. Dr. LaClaustra is ahuge advocate of women beingproactive with their health andhas graciously invited everywoman to come into her office asshe will personally show you howto properly examine your breasts. According to Dr. LaClaustra,“every woman should examinetheir breasts after the age of 20.You should do this on a monthlybasis and it’s also important toknow your cycle and thetenderness of your breasts.” “Women are at a greater risk forbreast cancer due to their age andgender. However, if you arediagnosed at a younger age, ingeneral the cancer is going to bemore aggressive.”“Cancer smaller than 1cm islocalized, however, if the tumoris larger than 2cm, that wouldchange your diagnosis fromstage one to stage two.” stated,Dr. LaClaustra. There are several factorsassociated with an increased riskfor breast cancer:- While both men and womencan get breast cancer, it’s more
prevalent in women.- Your family history plays anincreased role in breast cancercases.- As you get older, your risk ofbreast cancer increases. - Certain gene mutations put youat a 10% increase the risk ofbreast cancer that can be passedon from parents to children.The most common mutationsare BRCA1 and BRAC2.Those genes put you at greaterrisk for developing not onlybreast cancer, but other cancersas well. If you feel something that is notquite right, please contact Dr.LaClaustra. If you do not haveinsurance, she will not turn youaway as her focus is on yourhealth and well-being. If in factit’s determined that you havecancer, she will help you find away to afford your treatment.
If you would like to meet withDr. LaClaustra, you can visit heroffice at 3319 State Road 7,Suite 105 in Wellington. Tomake an appointment, pleasecall 561-965-1100.
Dr. Yvette LaClaustra.
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM12 DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012
Testimonials from our patients
Shekhar V. Sharma, M.D.Board Certified in Internal Medicine
Over the years, Dr. Shekhar Sharma hasbeen such an integral part of the westerncommunities. Our practice has garnerednumerous testimonials that are a tribute toDr. Sharma's skills as a highly competentand caring physician by those that havebeen with him through the years - hispatients. Below are just a few of the manythat have been received by our office.
PALM BEACH PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATES, INC.
Dr. Sharma is a Board certified Internist that has been in practice for the past 19 years. His office is accepting new patients:
Palomino Park, 3347 State Road 7 Suite 200, Wellington, FL 33449 and for an appointment please call (561) 795-9087
Dr. Sharma's office in Belle Glade is at 1200 South Main Street, Suite 100 (opposite the Old Glades General Hospital). He will be seeing
patients at this location along with Ebonee Johnson ARNP. He is currently accepting New Patients and the office accepts
most insurances. We accept Florida MedicaidCall561-996-7742 for an appointment.
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012 13
West Palm Beach (December 12,2012) – Palm Beach CountyMedical Society Servicesrecently announced its call fornominations for the 2013 Heroesin Medicine Awards. Finalistswill be recognized at the 10thAnnual Heroes in MedicineAwards luncheon on Thursday,May 9th at the Kravis Center inWest Palm Beach.
The 2013 Heroes in Medicinecategories are: CommunityOutreach Hero, Bruce RendinaProfessional Hero, Health CareProvider Hero (Non-Physician),Physician Hero (Local/National),Physician Hero (International),Student Hero, Health CareEducator Hero and Health CareInnovation Hero. Descriptionsof the awards categories areavailable on Palm Beach CountyMedical Society’s website,www.pbcms.org/heroes. Anyonein the community can nominatean individual, group ororganization. The deadline fornominations is February 14,2013 at 3pm.
“Heroes put the needs of othersbefore themselves, and PalmBeach County has no shortage ofindividuals, groups andorganizations that have done somuch for this community andbeyond,” said Chairwoman SallyD. Chester, RN. “Now is thetime to shine on them.”
Proceeds from Heroes inMedicine benefit Project Access,a community-based program toincrease access to health care forthe uninsured.
To nominate a Hero or to learnmore about sponsorship, visitwww.pbcms.org/heroes or call561-433-3940.
CALL FORNOMINATIONS
FOR 2013 HEROESIN MEDICINE:
10th Annual Awards Luncheonto Be Held on May 9th
Stress, DepressionLinked to RaisedStroke Risk in Seniors
Stressed out? A new studysuggests that learning to dealeffectively with life's challengesmay help you reduce your risk ofstroke, especially as you age.Researchers found that peopleover 65 with the highest levels ofpsychosocial distress -- includingdepression, a negative outlookand dissatisfaction with life --had triple the risk of death fromstroke as compared with thosewho had lower levels of stress.According to the U.S. Centersfor Disease Control andPrevention, stroke is the fourthleading cause of death in theUnited States and a leading causeof long-term disability.
Happy Holidays if You Manage Your Asthma!
Many happy thingshappen during thewinter holiday sea-son. There is family
to visit, parties to attend, andbaking and decorating to bedone. However, if you suffer
from Asthma, the holiday seasoncan bring increased triggers andbreathing difficulties. To mini-mize such problems and truly en-joy the holidays, management ofyour Asthma is a must. Now isnot the time to “forget” to takeyour medicine. Following aresome tips for minimizing triggersand managing an effective medi-cine schedule.
If a live tree is to be decorated inyour home some preparation willhelp eliminate mold and pollenassociated with pine and cedartrees. While the tree is stilloutside and away from the home,wipe the trunk thoroughly with asolution of luke warm water anddiluted bleach (1 part bleach to20 parts water). This willeliminate any mold on the tree.Then, either leave the treeoutside (in water) for a few daysto dry out the boughs or blow itoff with a leaf blower. This willremove any pollen grains still onthe tree. Some evergreenspollinate even in the winter,especially Junipers and Cedars.An artificial tree can be a goodsubstitute for a live tree, but mustnot have sprayed-on snow orcontain pine-scented oils or othersuch additions. Also, artificialtrees can gather dust and moldwhile stored, therefore clean and
Sheryl Gilman has been practic-
ing respiratory care for 14 years
in Palm Beach County. For the
last 5 years she has been the
Clinical Supervisor of the Car-
diopulmonary Department at
Lakeside Medical Center, the
hospital in Belle Glade serving
the residents of the Western
Communities. She has specialty
certifications in Neonatal and
Pediatric care, Pulmonary Func-
tion Testing, and is a Certified
Tobacco Cessation Specialist as
well as having a Bachelor de-
gree in Health Care Services
Management.
shake or blow off trees wellaway from the house beforedecorating.
When decorating the home (andtree) use plastic, metal, or glassdecorations that cannot trap dustmites. If fabric decorations mustbe used, wash them first in hotsoapy water before displaying. Ifartificial snow is to be sprayed
on windows or other surfaces,follow directions on thecontainer and wear a mask easilyobtained from a local home andgarden center. These sprays canirritate your lungs if they areinhaled especially if your lungsare already irritated fromAsthma. Also, you may wish toeliminate scented candles,potpourri, air fresheners,aromatic plants and even holidaybaking with its strong odors
which can cause discomfort forpeople with Asthma. Although a happy time of year,there can still be much stress invisiting relatives and friends.Even happy stress can trigger anAsthma attack. Excitement,crying, laughing, and anger cantrigger an Asthma attack.Practice deep breathing to helpreduce stress and excitement.
Stick to your regular exerciseroutine, eat healthy, and getplenty of rest. Take yourbreathing medication beforevisiting friends and family whomay have decorated with Asthmatriggering items. Also bringalong your rescue medicationand the equipment needed todeliver it. If your stay is to beextended bring any medicationsthat are timed to be deliveredwhile you are gone from home.
Asthma attacks during theholidays can range from mildlyirritating to life threatening. Bytaking precautions, such attackscan be minimized greatly andallow everyone in the family tofully enjoy the holiday season.For more tips, contact theAmerican Lung Association orgo online to their website. Mayyour holiday season be merryand bright… and safe!
Keep Your Dog Safe During Hectic Holiday Season: ExpertChristmas can be a stressful anddangerous time for dogs,according to the AmericanKennel Club.
The holidays are also not a goodtime to bring a puppy into yourhome. In fact, many responsiblebreeders do not breed litters witha Christmas delivery date,according to one expert."Bringing a puppy into your life
dog toys or supplies such as aleash or food bowl to symbolizethe gift of a puppy to come,"AKC spokesperson Lisa Petersonsaid in a club news release.The AKC offered some tips tokeep your dogs safe and happyduring the holidays:
• Make sure that visitors knowto keep doors closed to preventdogs from escaping.
• Don't use food such aspopcorn or cranberry strandswhen decorating yourChristmas tree or home. Ifdogs eat them, they can causeblockages that may requiresurgery to remove.
• Place anything shiny -- such asornaments, tinsel, glass bulbs -- higher up on your tree whereyour dog can't reach them.
in the 'off-season' is a saferalternative than exposing a newpuppy to holiday dangers in thehome. Consider gift wrapping
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM14 DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012
Dear Deborah is a monthly advice column written by Deborah Lynn with a common sense approach to dating. If you have any questions orcomments, please forward them to: [email protected] as we would love to help.
DEAR DEBORAH:I met the nicest man at a localestablishment a few months ago.We spoke on the phone, whichled to going out on a couple ofdates. We both enjoyed the timewe spent together and hementioned that he would like tocontinue dating me. Theproblem is, he doesn’t contactme on his own, however, he doesrespond when I text or call him.I really like this man and amhoping for a relationship. I knowthat he is busy with work andother obligations, but I amfeeling slighted. What could I doto make him contact me moreoften?- I Want More
Dear I Want More:First of all, you cannot forcesomeone to contact you moreoften. Second, you have to stopmaking excuses for him. Nomatter how busy a man is - if heis truly interested in you, he willcontact you. It’s just thatsimple!!! He really has nothinginvested and is apparently justbeing nice by returning yourcalls or text messages. Take astep back and stop putting
feelings into something that youmay be trying to create – arelationship in your mind.Women tend to “feel” andbecome emotionally attached soquickly without using logic andcommon sense. I recommendthat you not contact him andallow him to reach out to you. Ifhe is really interested – he willcontact you. Remember, youcannot force someone into arelationship.
DEAR DEBORAH:Since I don’t cook, I frequent aneighborhood restaurant a lot.There are two waitresses thatwork the same shift, that give meextra attention. I am single andwould like to ask one of them outto dinner, but I am not sure if Ishould pick one over the other.It’s obvious that they both likeme and both are equally as niceand attractive. How do I decidewhich one to ask out, or should Ijust ask them both out?- Like Them Both
Dear Like Them Both:You basically have two choices.First, you can ask them both ifthey would like to go out with
you as friends, therefore all threeof you would be together. Indoing so, you can see how yourelate to both of them anddetermine if you would like tocontinue to see them as friendsor are more interested in oneover the other. Your other choiceis to simply not ask either ofthem out. Since they worktogether and are both interestedin you, by asking one of themout it may cause tension with theother. You have to remember,you are a patron of a restaurantwhere they both work and that istheir source of income.
DEAR DEBORAH:With the holiday season rightaround the corner, I have beeninvited to several dinners, partiesand events. When the event is ata private residence, I like tobring the hostess a gift. While itis generally customary to bring abottle of wine, this year a few ofthe homes are alcohol free.What do you recommend that Ibring to those events?- No Alcohol Home
Dear NoAlcoholHome:What awonderfultime of yearto spend withfamily andfriends. I am a firm believer inbringing a gift to a host orhostess, especially if it’s thefirst time that you are visitingtheir home. As for gifts in adry home, you can bring aplant, flowers, or even a fooditem to be enjoyed later(chocolates or a pre-wrappedgift box). If it’s a dinner party,I would not recommendbringing something that youprepare – such as an appetizeror dessert. The reason for thisis that the host would feelobligated to put your creationout and as the menu isgenerally set, it could disrupttheir plan. If you are visiting afamily member’s home, youcan bring them something a bitmore personal and in that case– perhaps a prepared item.
Dear Deborah
Are Strokes Becoming More Prevalent in Younger People?immediately looked up thesymptoms on WebMD andinformed her she was having astroke.
The paramedics arrived and tookher to a local hospital. Themedical staff eventually askedher husband if they had a priest.There was also discussion oftransferring her to a nursinghome as she was in a vegetablestate.
According to Beth, “the standardof care for people that havemassive strokes is to do nothing,
to simply let that person die.That was just not acceptable tome. To leave my son without amother. To leave my husband. Ilost 90% of the blood flow to mybrain for three days. Like I said,they said to just let her die – thatwas their answer.”
Beth’s break came when the headof neurology knew Dr. Ali Malekat St. Mary’s Medical Center inWest Palm Beach. Dr. Malek isthe head of the neurologydepartment and truly a pioneer interms of the latest technology
By Deborah Lynn
Actor Frankie Muniz recentlymade headlines, but not for anew movie role or his bandgoing on tour. At 27, the actorand musician recently suffered amini stroke.
Although this may seem strangeto most, according to TheCenters for Disease Control andPrevention, in 2010approximately 664,000Americans between the ages of18 and 44 have suffered strokes.
Equally as interesting, in theApril 2009 issue of NeurologyToday, younger stroke victimsare often misdiagnosed.Unfortunately, when someonearrives in the emergency roomafter having a stroke, there is athree-hour treatment windowwhich quickly fades as they areoften thought to have vertigo,alcohol intoxication orsomething else other than astroke.
Take Elizabeth (Beth) Farrara, alocal woman who suffered astroke at the age of 50, of whichis still considered young for astroke victim. As an avidswimmer, she swam a mile a day,every day, as well as walk fourmiles a day. Her blood pressureand cholesterol were bothnormal. She had no familyhistory of stroke and appeared tobe in perfect health.
On March 4, 2012, she awoke at2:00am as she was feeling a bitnauseous. When she tried to goto the bathroom, she fell on thefloor and could not get up. Herhusband recalls that she had feltlike dead weight. He
and advances in neurology. Shewas transported to St. Mary’s.
Beth recalls, “I was in a placewhere I was kind of aware, butnot really aware. I was in a greatplace. I had no knowledge, noanxiety and was put in anambulance and didn’t care. I feltas though I was at peace andnothing bothered me. It wasvery cerebral. I was not awarethat I was so ill. My familydidn’t tell me.”
Dr. Malek explained, “Beth isnot your typical case. Her case
was very unique as she came inwith an abnormality of the bloodvessel. For an unknown reasonboth of her main arteries wereseverely blocked. We had to bevery aggressive. We took somepretty big risks when trying torepair her carotid arteries.”
“The most important thing toknow is that there are somethings that we can control andthere are some things we cannot.We can’t control our gender, wecan’t control our age and wecan’t control our family history.
The things that we can controland focus on are the things thatwe can change, like our lifestyleand blood pressure” continued,Dr. Malek.
Having been away from homefor 35 days, Beth realizes justhow lucky she is to have beentransferred to St. Mary’s and intothe more than capable hands ofDr. Malek. Had she stayed at theother hospital, perhaps I wouldnot have had the good fortune ofmeeting and interviewing herand in doing so, seeing what alovely woman she truly is.
Although she is on a lot ofmedication to keep the bloodflowing and every day is alearning experience. She iscurrently retraining her right sideafter being paralyzed after thestroke. She has had to learn howto walk all over again and alsolost part of her brain function.
Having gone through such atraumatic experience, Beth has anew look on life. “Dr. Maleksaid that I had a better chance ofgetting struck by lightning, sonow I walk outside in the rainbecause I am not worried aboutgetting struck. I know one thingfor sure; God left me behind fora reason.”
St. Mary’s Hospital is on thecutting edge of technology andtreatment in their stroke center.They continue to strive to be theleader in technological advancesthrough their educationalprograms and neurology strokecenter. If you would likeadditional information regardingSt. Mary’s Medical Center, youcan visit their website atwww.stmarysmc.com.
Good SamaritanMedical CenterWelcomesAlexanderFernandez as ChiefOperating OfficerWest Palm Beach, FL. (Nov.2012) – Good Samaritan MedicalCenter is proud to announce theappointment of AlexanderFernandez as the hospital’s newChief Operating Officer. AsChief Operating Officer,Fernandez will be responsible foroverseeing the daily operationsof the hospital, direction ofoperations for ancillarydepartments, the development ofhospital service lines andensuring compliance of allpolicies and procedures.
“Alex is an operational leaderwith a strong financebackground, and as we moveinto the new healthcare with allof the changes to our
reimbursements, Alex’sknowledge and leadership skillswill be vital to our ability tocontinue to raise our quality ofservice, improve patientoutcomes and drive healthcareefficiencies,” said ChiefExecutive Officer MarkNosacka. “With his strongleadership and track record ofsuccess, Alex is a wonderfuladdition to our team.”
Prior to his appointment as COOat Good Samaritan MedicalCenter, Fernandez most recentlyserved as the CFO of NorthShore Medical Center in Miamiwhere he oversaw all thefinancial operations of thehospital. Fernandez has a richhistory with Tenet. He started hiscareer at St. Mary’s MedicalCenter as a staff accountant,which was followed by apromotion to assistant controllerat Good Samaritan MedicalCenter before becoming a CFOat North Shore.
Fernandez has been recognizedin Becker’s Hospital Review Listof 25 Healthcare Leaders Under40 in acknowledgment of hisaccomplishments and was namedone of the 2012 ModernHealthcare’s Up and Comers.
Fernandez received his Bachelorof Science in Finance andMultinational Business fromFlorida State University. Hecontinued his education atFlorida Atlantic Universitywhere he received his Master ofBusiness Administration. He is amember of Alpha Kappa Psi.
Dr. Ali Malek and Elizabeth Farrara.
Alexander Fernandez.
WWW.GLOBALHEALTHTRIBUNE.COM DECEMBER ISSUE • 2012 15
DECEMBER 29
Red Cross Beach Bash. Beach Club in Palm Beach. Foradditional information, contact Alison Freeman at 561-650-9133or e-mail her at [email protected].
JANUARY 5
Palm Beach Police Foundation. Eighth Annual Policemen’sBall. Mar-a-Lago Club, Palm Beach. Tickets are $500.00 perperson. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] 561-820-8118. Or, to purchase tickets, visitwww.palmbeachpolicefoundation.org.
JANUARY 9
Mental Society of Palm Beach County. Annual Bell SocietyDinner. The Colony Hotel in the Royal Room Cabaret, PalmBeach. Individual tickets are $500.00. For additionalinformation, please contact Maryann at 561-832-3755 or e-mailat [email protected].
JANUARY 11
Caron Hanley Treatment Center. Annual Gala at TheBreakers, Palm Beach. Individual tickets are $500.00 or $250.00for a junior ticket (under 40). For additional information, contactKelly Colamarino at 561-841-1048 or visitwww.hanleycenter.org.
JANUARY 12
Komen for the Cure. Third annual Perfect Pink Party- AWalk in the Park. Mar-a-Lago Club, Palm Beach. Foradditional information, contact Donna Ross Dodson at 561-307-8000 or e-mail her at [email protected].
JANUARY 17
Palm Beach Police Foundation Tennis Tournament. BreakersTennis Center in Palm Beach. For additional information,contact [email protected] or visit their website atwww.palmbeachpolicefoundation.org.
JANUARY 19
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Annual Gala, Cirque duPalm Beach II – Encore! The Mar-a-Lago Club, Palm Beach.Individual tickets are $650.00 or a junior ticket for $400.00(under 40). For additional information, contact Nancy Klein at561-775-9954 or visit the website at www.LLScirquegala.com.
JANUARY 20
Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast MDA MuscularDystrophy Association (MDA) Muscle Walk and 5k Run. Thewalk takes place at The Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach andregistration begins at 8:00 am. The 5k run takes place at DreherPark in West Palm Beach and registration begins at 6:30 am. Foradditional information, contact 561-742-3748 or [email protected]. Visit their website atwww.mda.org/palmbeachfl.
JANUARY 24
Food for the Poor. Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures. The Mar-a-Lago Club, Palm Beach. Individual tickets are $450.00. Foradditional information, contact Carol Collins at 954-427-2222,ext. 6585 or by e-mail to [email protected].
JANUARY 26
March of Dimes. 75th Anniversary Gala. Mar-a-Lago Club,Palm Beach. For additional information, call 561-290-0905 or e-mail [email protected].
JANUARY 27
Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation. Eighth Annual DinnerDance. Club-Colette, Palm Beach. For additional information,call Liz Kores, (888) 944-4408 or visit questforthetest.org.
H.O.W. Hearing the Ovarian Cancer Whisper. Time is of theEssence Luncheon & Lecture. Flagler Museum, Palm Beach.Individual tickets are $325.00 and a junior ticket is $150.00(under 40). To make reservations or for additional information,please contact 561-837-2285 or e-mail [email protected].
Please e-mail us at [email protected] if you would like to have your event listed in our Upcoming
Events section.
Upcoming Charity and Medical Fundraising Events December 20, 2012 – January 31, 2013
Santa Claus came to town to bring joyto local kids battling childhood cancer
More than 300 local chil-dren battling cancerand their families were
be treated to a visit from SantaClaus on Saturday, December15th at the South Florida Fair-grounds from 9:30 am to 12:30pm. This annual event was spon-sored by the Kids Cancer Foun-dation and was a very festive andfun event for all thanks to thesuccessful toy and gift carddrives organized by many localbenefactors including; AngryMoon Cigars, Inc., Aeropostale,Bonefish Mac’s, Guanabanas,Rotary International of RoyalPalm Beach, American HeritageHigh School’s Medical Magnetstudents, Everglades ElementarySchool, IBM Credit Union,Morikami Park ElementarySchool, Ruth’s Chris SteakHouse, Wellington High School
Cheerleaders, Woodlands MiddleSchool’s Medical Academy, anumber of generous individualsand the continued annual supportof the Professional Firefightersand Paramedics of Palm BeachCounty and the Fraternal Orderof Leatherheads Society(FOOLS).Families were treated to abreakfast buffet made possibleby Once A Month Charities andStarbucks of Wellington. Everyone had the opportunity to
have their picture taken withSanta, make a special holidaycraft sponsored by Home Depotof Royal Palm Beach, decorategingerbread men, see Santa ridein on the fire truck and best of allenjoy a morning far removedfrom the doctor’s office and thehospital. In addition, to everychild receiving an AeropostaleBear from Santa, each familyalso received gift cards and a bagfilled with age-appropriate toysand games for their children.
Free Arthritis Support/Education Groups2013 Schedule: Evening Meetings:
Monthly EVENING meetings are held on the Third Tuesday of t he month.
Tuesdays at 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. (Please arrive by 6:45 pm.) January 15th, February 19th, March 19th, April 16th, May 21st, June 18th, July 16th, August 20th, Sept. 17th,
Oct. 15th, Nov. 19th, Dec. 17th
Where: Fair Oaks Pavilion5440 Linton Blvd. (just west of Military Trail) in Delray Beach. Fair Oaks is located
to the rear of Delray Medical in the 1st Floor Conf/Classroom. Meetings sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation & Delray Medical Center
Free Arthritis Support & Education GroupsDAYTIME MEETINGS
Meeting always held on Wednesdays. Time: 2:30 to 4:00 pm
2013 Dates: January 23rd, Feb. 27th,March 20th (Note: 3rd Wed of month due to Passover)
April 24th, May 22nd, June 26th, July 24th, August 28th September 25th, October 23rd,November 20th, (3rd Wed of month due to Thanksgiving)December 18thth (3rd Wed. of Month due to Christmas)
Where: Weisman Community Center7091 West Atlantic Ave (just west of Jog Rd, next to Temple Anshei Shalom ) in Delray Beach.
INFO: Ms. Terry Fleishman 561-742-5805 (Please call between 10 am and 7 pm, Mon – Sat. or send e-mail to [email protected])
Coping with Stress
The Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC) would liketo provide the followinginformation to help cope withstress following a traumatic event.Strong emotions like fear,sadness, or other symptoms ofdepression are normal, as long asthey are temporary and don’tinterfere with daily activities. Ifthese emotions last too long orcause other problems, it’s adifferent story.
Symptoms of StressCommon reactions to a stressfulevent include:
• Disbelief and shock• Tension and irritability• Fear and anxiety about thefuture
• Difficulty making decisions• Being numb to one’s feelings• Loss of interest in normalactivities
sympathetic, listening ear andsharing about your problemsand stress really can lighten theburden.
• Connect socially.After astressful event, it is easy isolateyourself. Make sure that youare spending time with lovedones. Consider planning funactivities with your partner,children, or friends.
• Take care of yourself.- Eat a healthy, well-balanceddiet- Exercise regularly- Get plenty of sleep- Give yourself a break if youfeel stressed out—for example,treat yourself to a therapeuticmassage- Maintain a normal routine
• Stay active.You can take yourmind off your problems by -giving— helping a neighbor,volunteering in the community,even taking the dog on a longwalk. These can be positiveways to channel your feelings.
• Loss of appetite• Nightmares and recurringthoughts about the event
• Anger• Increased use of alcohol anddrugs
• Sadness and other symptomsof depression
• Feeling powerless• Crying• Sleep problems• Headaches, back pains, andstomach problems
• Trouble concentrating
Tips for Self-CareThe best ways to manage stressin hard times are through self-care:
• Avoid drugs and alcohol.They may seem to be atemporary fix to feel better, butin the long run they can createmore problems and add to yourstress—instead of take it away.
• Find support. Seek help froma partner, family member,friend, counselor, doctor, orclergyperson. Having a
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