Boca Raton Regional Hospital is paying homage to its founder by naming its existing inpatient facility the Gloria Drummond Patient Tower. The action was taken in response to a $25 million gift from philanthropist Elaine J. Wold and the Bay Branch Foundation in April. Wold requested that a new seven-story patient tower, which is part of the hospital’s proposed $260 million expansion and renovation, carry the name of Drummond, Boca Regional’s founder and Wold’s lifelong friend.
While the structure, when completed, will reflect that name, it was thought that Wold’s largesse should be immediately recognized.
“With the magnitude of Elaine’s gift and her material and long-standing support of our hospital in other areas such as our Wold Family Center for Emergency Medicine and the Gloria Drummond Physical Rehabilitation Institute, we thought it most fitting to have her request realized now and affix Gloria’s name to the present-day hospital as well,” said Mark Larkin, president of Boca Regional’s Foundation.
Boca Raton Regional Hospital has begun offering regenerative medicine therapy for orthopedic patients undergoing rehabilitation for conditions of the tendons, bone and peripheral joints as well as osteoarthritis of the knee. The treatment uses the body’s natural healing process to stimulate healing, diminish pain and restore natural function in the affected areas.
Joshua Rothenberg, D.O. and director of regenerative medicine at the hospital, notes that the therapies often help patients recover quicker and obtain better pain relief.
“I employ regenerative medicine as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program that is focused on the strengthening of the musculoskeletal system,” he said. “While the field is still relatively new, we know that the body has an inherent ability to heal itself from injury.”
The mainstays of the therapy include the use of platelet-rich plasma as well as new regenerative cellular treatments, which contain a patient’s own mesenchymal stem cells.
The Kathy Krickstein Pressel MammoVan arrived at Boca Raton Regional Hospital in June, showing off a new design. The van, which travels to South Florida community events, businesses and health fairs, has customized mammography and exam suites, a waiting area, new awning and wheelchair lift. It also offers the more comfortable Senographe Pristina 3-D Mammography. The Kathy Krickstein Pressel MammoVan is financed with contributions from Boca Raton resident Morgan Pressel Bush, the Morgan Pressel Foundation and the St. Andrews Country Club.
The Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital has begun to offer Saturday appointments for mammograms, breast ultrasounds and bone density on the first Saturday of each month. Major insurances are accepted and financial assistance is available for those without coverage who qualify. Appointments can be made by calling 955-4700.
Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing received a $2.8 million grant from the federal Health Resources & Services Administration for a four-year project, “Caring-based Academic Partnerships in Excellence, RNs in Primary Care.” It aims to recruit and prepare nursing students and registered nurses to practice in community-based primary care teams. Awarded to the college for three consecutive years, the grant totals $6.4 million.
“The overarching goal of our project is to create healthier communities in rural and underserved populations,” said Karethy A. Edwards, project director, associate dean of academic programs and a professor in FAU’s College of Nursing. “With this latest grant, we will educate and provide clinical training to establish a primary care workforce of students with a bachelor of science in nursing degree who are practice-ready and willing to serve our veterans and patients in rural and underserved communities.”
Some good news in the fight against strokes: Delray Medical Center is offering a new procedure, transcarotid artery revascularization, to treat carotid artery disease and prevent strokes. It’s clinically proven, minimally invasive and a safe approach for high surgical-risk patients who need carotid artery treatment.
“TCAR is an important new option in the fight against stroke and is particularly suited for the large portion of patients we see who are at higher risk of complications from carotid surgery due to age, anatomy or other medical conditions,” said Dr. Joseph Ricotta, medical director of vascular surgery and endovascular therapy at Tenet Healthcare, who performed the procedure at Delray Medical Center.
The new procedure is unique in that blood flow is temporarily reversed so that any small bits of plaque that may break off are diverted away from the brain, preventing a stroke from happening. A stent is then placed inside the artery to stabilize the plaque, minimizing the risk of a future stroke. For more information or for a free physician referral, call 800-897-9789 or visit delraymedicalctr.com.
Summer mornings are looking brighter for many people who are food-deprived. Delray Medical Center, Good Samaritan Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center donated more than 71,000 servings of cereal to local food banks in Palm Beach County during their Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive, which ran in the first week of June.
“The donations we collected will help provide local children and adults struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer, and I am so grateful for the support of our staff and community in this effort,” said Mark Bryan, chief executive officer of Tenet’s Palm Beach County hospitals. “Good nutrition is essential to good health, and we wanted to help lead the fight against hunger in Palm Beach County.”
The hospitals partnered and donated to the following local organizations: 7,000 servings from Delray Medical Center to CROS Ministries' Food Pantry; 2,749 servings from Good Samaritan Medical Center to Feeding South Florida; 8,432 servings from Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center to Feeding South Florida; 4,721 servings from St. Mary’s Medical Center to Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County; and 8,190 servings from West Boca Medical Center to Boca Helping Hands.
Wendy Lo, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens’ curator of education, has received the Health Care Innovation Award for her work on the Stroll for Well-Being Program at the gardens. The award was presented at the Palm Beach County Medical Society Services’ annual luncheon and awards ceremony at the Kravis Center.
The Stroll for Wellness benefits include the enhancement of mental and physical wellness, and mitigating symptoms of depression. Lo has represented the program for nine years at national garden conferences, inspiring others to launch similar walking initiatives, including San Diego’s Japanese Friendship Garden and the Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson. For more information, call 495-0233 or visit morikami.org/for-adults/special-programs/stroll-for-well-being/.
The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is at 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach.
Abbey Delray South senior living community has a new executive director, Rachel Blumberg.
“Rachel has the background, experience and leadership skills necessary to lead Abbey Delray South to continued growth and success,” said Sloan Bentley, president and CEO of Lifespace, which owns and operates Abbey Delray South. Blumberg has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Florida State University as well as a master’s degree in health service administration from Florida International University. She’s also a Florida State Humanitarian of the Year award winner, recognizing her hospice-related volunteer efforts.
Nominations are open for the Susan G. Komen South Florida Race for the Cure 2019 Florida Warriors in Pink breast cancer survivors. Each year, eight Warriors are selected and recognized for their fight against breast cancer to shine a light on advancements in breast cancer survival and to help others through their journeys. Tell a breast cancer survival story in writing or on video about your mother, sister, best friend or yourself. Send nominations to info@komensouthflorida.org. To download the nomination form, visit komensouthflorida.org/2019-warriors-in-pink/.
Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.
Comments