baptist health - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T15:46:07Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/baptist+healthPhilanthropy Notes: JARC Florida names five new board members, presidenthttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/philanthropy-notes-jarc-florida-names-five-new-board-members-pres2023-08-29T16:29:55.000Z2023-08-29T16:29:55.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p>The Boca Raton-based nonprofit that provides programs and services to educate and empower those with developmental and intellectual disabilities has five fresh faces.</p>
<p>Joining the JARC Florida board of directors are Jay Eisenberg, Marvin Greenberg, Cliff Hark, David Pratt and Richard Steinberg. The organization also named Howard Halpern as president.</p>
<p>“Our new JARC Florida board members and president each have the extensive leadership experience that is immensely important to fueling our future,” JARC Florida CEO Jeffrey Zirulnick said. “As our community needs are growing, our organization's board expertise continues to increase to best serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”</p>
<p>For more information, call 561-558-2550 or visit <a href="http://jarcfl.org">http://jarcfl.org</a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Gulf Stream residents join board of Bethesda Council</span><br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12213448482,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12213448482,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="216" alt="12213448482?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></a>Caron Dockerty and Patrick Donovan have joined the board of Baptist Health Foundation’s Bethesda Hospital Council.</p>
<p>Both are Gulf Stream residents who have supported the foundation and the hospital since 2016.</p>
<p>“I first became involved with Bethesda Hospital through community events many years ago and have been a supporter since,” Dockerty said. “I look forward to making a difference for communities we serve.”</p>
<p>Added Donovan, “I love being a part of this community and now am even more excited to be a part of the Bethesda Hospital Council, which has a great philanthropic impact on delivering world-class care to Palm Beach County and beyond.”</p>
<p>Barbara James, the foundation’s vice president, said the two new forces will bring “great strengths” to the council.</p>
<p>“When we come together as one to actively serve our community, we unlock greater potential and increase philanthropic opportunities,” James said.</p>
<p>For more information, call 561-737-7733, ext. 84445 or visit <a href="https://baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-foundation">https://baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-foundation</a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Community Foundation awards scholarships</span><br /> A total of 116 grants have been given to local college-bound students by a nonprofit that creates partnerships with donors in the community to solve civic and social issues. The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties’ scholarship committee said the average award for each grant was $10,000.</p>
<p>“This year’s scholarship committee had the great opportunity to review a plethora of scholarship applications from many deserving and impressive students in our community,” outgoing Chairwoman Lisa Morgan said. “We are pleased to report that one-third of the scholarship recipients will be the first generation in their families to attend college, and 88% graduated with a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.”</p>
<p>Since 1985, the foundation has offered both need- and merit-based scholarships with an aim to improve access to higher education.</p>
<p>For more information, call 561-659-6800 or visit <a href="https://yourcommunityfoundation.org/about-scholarships">https://yourcommunityfoundation.org/about-scholarships</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12213448878,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12213448878,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="12213448878?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></span><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em>Marta and James Batmasian have given a $1 million gift toward the renovation of Boca Raton Regional Hospital. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">‘Keeping the Promise’ receives $1 million gift</span><br /> James and Marta Batmasian will have an iconic sculpture named in their honor for their generous donation to the Keeping the Promise campaign for the renovation of Boca Raton Regional Hospital.</p>
<p>The piece will be located in the new Hagerty Courtyard and will be titled Drift.</p>
<p>“James and Marta moved to Boca Raton 40 years ago, and we are eternally grateful they made that choice,” hospital CEO Lincoln Mendez said. “We know of their outstanding generosity to so many causes and feel honored and privileged they selected Boca Raton Regional Hospital to be among them.”</p>
<p>Added James Batmasian, “We have said that we pledge to give much of our wealth to community-enrichment causes so that together we can share in leaving the world a better place than when we entered it. This hospital is a great example of an organization enriching a community.”</p>
<p>Keeping the Promise continues to soar thanks to the Batmasians’ pledge, even with the $250 million goal reached.</p>
<p>For more information, call 561-955-4142 or visit <a href="https://donate.brrh.com">https://donate.brrh.com</a>.</p>
<p><em>Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.</em></p>
<p> </p></div>Health & Harmony: As tales of anguish show, hydration is crucial to tolerating heathttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-harmony-as-tales-of-anguish-show-hydration-is-crucial-to-t2023-08-29T15:09:10.000Z2023-08-29T15:09:10.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Jan Engoren</strong></p>
<p>With Palm Beach County temperatures this summer regularly in the 90s and heat indexes well over 100, the question arises: How do you stay hydrated, especially in the relentless Florida sun? </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12213413882,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12213413882,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="102" alt="12213413882?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>“The best medicine is prevention,” says Daniel S. Gutman, assistant professor of medicine at FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine and an internist at Baptist Health in Boynton Beach. An avid cyclist and runner, Gutman will usually mix 20 ounces of water with a sugar-free Gatorade to replace electrolytes lost during sweating.</p>
<p>“There is no magic number of how many glasses of water to drink,” he says. “I advise my patients to listen to their bodies. Drink before you’re thirsty.”</p>
<p>He recommends carrying water with you, exercising early or late in the day and staying on top of hydrating.</p>
<p>“Here in Palm Beach County, we like to remain young forever,” he jokes. “In addition to hydrating, remember to wear a hat, long sleeves and use UV protection.” </p>
<p>Susan Klein Overson, a retired park planner for the National Park Service whose parents lived in Delray Beach, offers one cautionary story. She was hiking in Costa Rica without an adequate water supply.</p>
<p>When she returned home she developed flu-like symptoms.</p>
<p>“I had nausea, a headache and felt weak and tired,” she says. “It can sneak up on you.” </p>
<p>According to the Mayo Clinic, our bodies are composed of 50-70% water and every cell, tissue and organ relies on water to function properly. A lack of adequate water can lead to dehydration, which can lead to serious illness.</p>
<p>Signs of dehydration include weakness, dizziness, sluggishness, fainting or heart palpitations. </p>
<p>Staying hydrated helps the heart more easily pump blood through the vessels to the muscles and helps muscles work efficiently. Dehydration causes the heart to work harder.</p>
<p>The American Heart Association recommends drinking water before, during and after going outside in hot weather.</p>
<p>Like Gutman, the association says if you wait until you’re thirsty, you’ve waited too long.</p>
<p>When you sweat, you lose fluid and electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, phosphate and bicarbonate.</p>
<p>Replacing these fluids and electrolytes is essential. But what is the best method to replace them and how much water should you consume?</p>
<p>The purpose of rehydrating is to put fluid back into your system so your organs can function properly. The amount of fluid you need depends on the climate, the type of clothing worn and the intensity and duration of your exertion. </p>
<p>Opinions vary but a rule of thumb is for women to drink 11.5 cups of fluid daily and men to drink 15.5 cups, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic. Of course, if you are exercising in the heat or working outside, you may need to increase these amounts.</p>
<p>Most experts recommend consuming about half your fluid intake in water and the other half in an electrolyte beverage that contains some carbohydrates. But, watch out for excess sugar and artificial sweeteners.</p>
<p>One way to tell if you’re drinking enough is if your urine is clear in color.</p>
<p>Another simple method to stay hydrated is to eat fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, watermelon, grapes, spinach and cantaloupe. Houston-based artist Gregg Optekamp was in South Florida last summer selling his art near the beach. To prepare, he would eat a good breakfast and drink plenty of fluids, including Pedialyte. </p>
<p>When the heat became too intense, he poured ice water over his head, drank a liter of water and found shade to cool down in for 30 minutes.</p>
<p>“Balancing my time in the heat was a matter of survival,” he says. “I had to build stamina to withstand the heat.</p>
<p>“Shade and water are important to avoid overheating,” he says.</p>
<p>He freezes bottles of water and keeps a wet hand towel in a cooler.</p>
<p>Delray Beach artist Ari Hirschman, also a hiker and cyclist, says he has gotten dehydrated so many times “it’s not even funny.” </p>
<p>“But that’s what you get for biking and hiking in the Florida summer,” he says. </p>
<p>He had dry heaves from getting dehydrated and lost as much as 15 pounds after a day of hiking.</p>
<p>Now he drinks an extra two liters of water each day and takes a big plastic cup of water with electrolytes and ice with him to work and drinks another on the way home. He even takes one when he walks the dog. </p>
<p>“I’m not quite made for the Florida heat,” he says, “but I don’t ever stop doing what I love.”</p>
<p><em>Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.</em></p></div>Celebrations: Celebration of Generosity Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Manalapan — Feb. 24https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/celebrations-celebration-of-generosity-eau-palm-beach-resort-spa-2023-03-28T18:14:04.000Z2023-03-28T18:14:04.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11004868666,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11004868666,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="11004868666?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>(l-r) Daniel and Fina Mulvey, Brenda Sands, and Dawn and Larry Edwards.</em></p>
<p>Close to 200 guests attended the benefit for Baptist Health Bethesda Hospital put on by the Baptist Health Foundation. The event honored members of the Giving Society and other donors and featured a cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. Contributions made that evening, which totaled more than $400,000, will help the Bethesda Hospital Emergency Services Campaign to renovate the emergency department at Bethesda Hospital East. <br /><br /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11004869073,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11004869073,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="11004869073?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>(l-r) Baptist Health Foundation CEO Alex Villoch with Julie Shen-Sivitilli and Rob Sivitilli.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11004869300,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11004869300,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="11004869300?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em> (l-r) Herb and Linda Kahlert and Lucy and Mike Brown.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11004870068,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11004870068,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="11004870068?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Dianne and Bill Jayne.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11004870493,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11004870493,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="11004870493?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Barbara and Ben Lucas. <strong>Photos provided by Capehart</strong></em></p></div>Health & Harmony: Take small steps to stick to resolutions, doctors advisehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-harmony-take-small-steps-to-stick-to-resolutions-doctors-a2023-01-03T18:19:54.000Z2023-01-03T18:19:54.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Jan Enorgen</strong></p>
<p>Love ’em or hate ’em, New Year’s resolutions are a long-standing American tradition.<br /> After the decadence of the holiday season, people commit to making changes in their physical, spiritual and mental well-being at the start of a new year.<br /> Quitting smoking, going on a diet, choosing healthier options, heading back to the gym and cutting down on alcohol are among the top New Year’s resolutions.<br /> But, is it a good idea to make these promises to ourselves or are we setting ourselves up for failure?<br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10924308858,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10924308858,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10924308858?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="102" /></a>We asked a couple of experts.<br /> Dr. Ashley Hall, a primary care physician in Boca Raton who specializes in preventive medicine, chronic disease management, obesity medicine and women’s health, sees no reason to wait until Jan. 1 to set goals.<br /> Hall, who practices at Baptist Health Primary Care Boca Raton (Del Mar), advises setting a health or wellness goal once a month.<br /> “Check in with yourself the first of each month to remind yourself of your goals and set manageable, realistic steps to attain them,” she says.<br /> If you’re trying to lose 20 pounds, for example, set incremental goals along the way, she says. If you are trying to get a promotion at work, communicate with your boss in ways that will lead to the desired goal.<br /> Her own goals include spending more time with family and her significant other, Dr. Ionut Albu, also a primary care physician in Baptist Health Medical Group, and better managing her work/life balance.<br /> “My goal is to be more present,” she says.<br /> Dr. Joanna L. Drowos, a professor at FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine, says setting New Year’s goals “is a good idea.”<br /> “Obviously, we can all make changes to make ourselves healthier,” she says. “The new year is a natural trigger to make these changes. Be thoughtful and make sure it’s something within your ability to attain.<br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10924308883,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10924308883,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10924308883?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="105" /></a>“Don’t give up if you’re not perfect each day,” she says.<br /> Drowos practices with FAU’s Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, which uses a holistic approach in making each patient a partner in health outcomes. <br /> Based on the teachings of Dr. Andrew Weil, integrative health services include osteopathic manipulation and massage, yoga, meditation, culinary medicine and nutrition. Aside from the physical concerns, all of that is part of an effort to evaluate and treat the patient’s mental, emotional, functional, social and community health. <br /> Drowos made a number of health-related changes in her personal life during the coronavirus pandemic. <br /> The married mother of two adolescents, Drowos changed to a plant-based diet, installed a gym in her home and invested in a Peloton. She resolved to eat green leafy vegetables more often and to bring salads for lunch. <br /> As a front-line health care worker, she purchased an Oura Ring, originally to flag signs of COVID-19. She now uses it to track her sleep and activity habits.<br /> “It monitors my heart rate variability, body temperature and sends me messages if I sit too long,” she says. “It’s another tool to use in goal-setting for my health.<br /> “It’s important to be a role model for my kids and patients and model good health habits,” says Drowos, who rides her Peloton three or four times each week. “Even though my kids hate it when I blast the music, I enjoy it.” <br /> Drowos says a key component to making and keeping successful New Year’s resolutions is the motivation and “readiness to change.”<br /> According to research, people who successfully change their behavior don’t do it all at once, they go through a series of stages. The first step is to recognize where you are in the cycle of change, so you can set appropriate goals and the steps to achieve them.<br /> “In our program, we talk about setting smart objectives,” says Drowos. “Make specific changes. Set a measurable, attainable goal. Strive for something, know what it is you want and recognize when you achieve it.<br /> “This makes it easier to move forward when you stumble,” she says. “Set your goal so you’re still able to move toward it; reward yourself for small goals and realize that it is not all or nothing.”<br /> For example, Drowos says, “if you have a piece of cake, don’t punish yourself. Recognize you’re human. Give yourself space to have that treat and resume your goals the next day.”<br /> Drowos believes in the power of support.<br /> “Don’t go it alone,” she says. “Have other people to support your endeavors. Get your family, spouse, friends and even your physician on board. You can be more successful when you have a team to encourage and back you.”<br /> What does Drowos suggest as ways to stick to your resolutions after January?<br /> “Positive reinforcement such as coaching and support are useful,” she says. “Identify resources to keep you focused. Be aware of the barriers and triggers that will prevent you from being successful and find strategies to navigate them and keep your commitment to yourself.<br /> “Arm yourself with the best resources, be prepared and practice forgiveness,” Drowos says. “If you match your goals to your readiness and stage of change, you will maximize your ability to be successful.”<br /> For more resources, visit <a href="http://www.faumedicine.org">www.faumedicine.org</a> and <a href="https://baptisthealth.net">https://baptisthealth.net</a></p>
<p><em>Jan Enogren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.</em></p></div>Health Notes: Boca Regional Hospital research to focus on treating brain bleedshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-notes-boca-regional-hospital-research-to-focus-on-treating2022-09-27T15:18:42.000Z2022-09-27T15:18:42.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Christine Davis</strong></p>
<p>Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Baptist Health’s Boca Raton Regional Hospital announced a new National Institutes of Health research study to assess a potential treatment for brain bleeds and inflammation from ruptured aneurysms. <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10828879700,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10828879700,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="99" alt="10828879700?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>About 30,000 people in the United States suffer brain aneurysm ruptures each year. A brain aneurysm rupture, which is fatal in about 40% of cases in the United States, is called a subarachnoid hemorrhage. This type of stroke results in a hemorrhage in the area between the brain and the skull, and bleeding may also extend into the brain itself. <br /> Exploring these cases and identifying potential treatments to prevent further brain inflammation and bleeding are key topics of research being led by Khalid A. Hanafy, M.D. at Marcus Neuroscience Institute and professor of neurology at Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine. <br /> For more information, visit <a href="https://baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-news/nih-funded-research-targets-treatment-for-brain-bleeding-inflammation-from-ruptured-aneurysms/">https://baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-news/nih-funded-research-targets-treatment-for-brain-bleeding-inflammation-from-ruptured-aneurysms/</a>.<br /> <br /> <strong>Delray Medical Center’s</strong> new electrophysiology and cardiac suite conducts minimally invasive procedures using the Azurion image-guided therapy system to treat arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation. Benefits of these catheter-based procedures include shorter hospital stays, reduced recovery time without the pain of a large incision and less visible surgical scarring. <br /> <br /><strong>The FAU Division of Research</strong>’s “Research in Action” virtual talk series on Zoom, at 1 p.m. on select Thursdays through Dec. 1, will host experts as they discuss their latest research and take part in Q&A sessions. Events include “Can AI Detect Early-stage Brain Disorders?” on Oct. 20 and “Meet the Creative Mind of James Bond” on Oct. 27. For more information and the Zoom link, visit <a href="http://www.fau.edu/research/community/research-in-action/%C2%A0or">www.fau.edu/research/community/research-in-action/ or</a> email fau.research@fau.edu.</p>
<p><em>Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.</em></p></div>Health & Harmony: Senior wellness series encourages movement, meditationhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-harmony-senior-wellness-series-encourages-movement-meditat2022-09-27T14:46:57.000Z2022-09-27T14:46:57.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10828828091,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10828828091,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10828828091?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong><em>Chair yoga is offered in the 55+ Wellness Series by Baptist Health South Florida through Mind Body Social. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Jan Engoren</strong></p>
<p>All excuses not to exercise are off the table with the 55+ Wellness Series, offered by Baptist Health South Florida through the Baptist Health Foundation in partnership with Mind Body Social. <br /> Founded by two Miami friends, Jose Antonio Hernandez and Luis A. Sanabria, the company partners with hospitals and corporations to offer free classes for people 55 and older.<br /> Classes are held in the Boynton Beach Senior Center, Pompey Park in Delray Beach, Lake Worth Fitness Center and The Village of Palm Springs Community Room.<br /> Virtual classes are also available. <br /> The mission is to inspire well-being, increase awareness, and create and foster a wellness community, Hernandez says.<br /> “We’re doing this for the people in these communities,” he explains. “Classes are free, accessible, and available with the goal of encouraging healthy behavior and fostering preventive care. Our classes inspire people to come together to find common ground. It helps us live our best life.”<br /> The series began with an online-only offering last January and the in-person events kicked off in May with tai chi, fall flow yoga and chair yoga, Jazzercise, mindful movement, dance fitness, Zumba, gold Zumba and barre. <br /> “Our partnership with Mind Body Social has allowed us to serve wellness-minded active adults throughout the Palm Beach County area,” said Lissette Egues, vice president with Baptist Health South Florida. “The physical and mental well-being of our community is the overall goal of the series, so we are pleased with the popularity of this free health and wellness programming made accessible to the residents we serve.” <br />Classes are taught by certified instructors. They include chair yoga instructor Mike Mitchell, 35, who teaches at the Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Palm Springs senior centers; tai chi master Helen Carson, 59, who teaches at the Boynton Beach Senior Center, and Zumba teacher Carmen Ormaeche, 52, of Boynton Beach.<br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10828829689,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10828829689,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="104" alt="10828829689?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Carson’s classes were initially scheduled every other week, but people enjoyed them so much, they requested them weekly. Typically, she gets 12-15 people.<br />“I’m happy to see such a good turnout, especially in the middle of a Florida summer,” says Carson, originally from Finland and certified since 2017 through Paul Lam’s Tai Chi for Health Institute in Australia. <br />The main benefit of tai chi is for stress relief, she says. “It’s meditation or, we say, medication in motion.” <br />Mitchell, who also teaches Thai yoga and martial arts, says chair yoga is good for stress relief and is not only for seniors.<br />“Because you are not using your body weight, chair yoga is great for structure, even for advanced practitioners,” he says.<br />“It can help prevent injuries and helps build muscle memory that allows you to be more stable. We hope to prevent injuries before they happen by increasing balance and stability for our seniors.”<br />Mitchell, who runs a nonprofit called VegFest, an outdoor vegan festival held in Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, says that “it’s good to have a job where people feel good after your classes.” <br />“I love that I'm able to have a positive impact on the community,” he says.<br /> The Peruvian-born Ormaeche says Zumba is all about balance — and the music.<br />On a good day, more than 50 seniors come out to exercise to her selection of salsa, meringue, reggaeton, cumbia and samba beats. The mother of two has a full-time job as a cash application specialist and teaches Zumba in Pompey Park as well as at LA Fitness and to low-income kids in Lake Worth Beach.<br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10828830072,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10828830072,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="103" alt="10828830072?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>“I tell them, don’t be intimidated if you don’t know the moves — just try,” says Ormaeche, who took classes for three years before attending a Zumba convention, thus falling in love with the workout. <br />“I knew that this was part of me, a new way to stay fit and help others reach their goals for a better, healthy lifestyle,” she says.<br />Ormaeche coined the acronym SSOH for simple, strong, optimistic and happy to go with her practice.<br /> “I’m very happy that with my passion for Zumba, I touched so many lives,” she says. “No matter how bad your day is, once you enter the room it’s a new world.” <br />One of her students, Boynton Beach resident Sandra Langlois, 62, a retired surgical technician, has been taking classes with Ormaeche for five years.<br /> “I love the music,” she says. “Carmen keeps us moving. After a certain age, you have to keep moving.<br /> “She’s easy to follow and one of the best instructors. We all love Carmen.”<br /><em>For more information visit <a href="http://www.mindbodysocialevents.com">www.mindbodysocialevents.com</a> and follow @mind_body_social on Instagram or @MindBodySocialEvents on Facebook. </em></p>
<p><em>Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.</em></p></div>Health notes: Baptist Health reports decline in people hospitalized with COVIDhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-notes-baptist-health-reports-decline-in-people-hospitalize2022-02-01T16:20:18.000Z2022-02-01T16:20:18.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Christine Davis</strong></p>
<p>Baptist Health, which owns Boca Raton Regional Hospital and the Bethesda hospitals in Boynton Beach, reported encouraging news on the coronavirus in late January.<br />As of Jan. 26, Baptist Health said it had 424 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized across its South Florida entities. This represented a 48% decline from that of two weeks earlier.<br />The hospital adjusts visitor guidelines as necessary. Those guidelines can be found at <a href="https://baptisthealth-coronavirus.com/patients-and-visitors/visitor-guidelines">https://baptisthealth-coronavirus.com/patients-and-visitors/visitor-guidelines</a>.<br />JFK Medical Center in Atlantis reported:<br /> “At this time, we have the bed capacity, equipment and resources needed to care for our community safely and effectively. We continue to monitor the situation closely and respond accordingly with appropriate resources to support changes in patient care demands. <br /> “The majority of COVID-19 patients being treated in our hospitals are unvaccinated. We strongly encourage people in our area to get the vaccine and booster shot if they’re eligible.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">***</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10063085287,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10063085287,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="109" alt="10063085287?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>JFK Medical Center Main and North campuses named Dr. Alex Paya as chief medical officer in January. Paya joins JFK Medical Center from Palms West Hospital, where he served as chief medical officer. <br />He joined HCA Healthcare in 2018 as chief medical officer of the previous University Hospital (now HCA Florida Woodmont Hospital) and Plantation General Hospital.<br /> He earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida International University, cum laude, before pursuing his doctor of osteopathy at Nova Southern University.<br /> Paya did his clinical training at Shands Medical Center and is board certified in internal medicine. He also holds a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of North Carolina.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">***</p>
<p>Delray Medical Center offers the new Ensite X EP System for cardiovascular EP procedures. This technology uses HD images to collect data to give accurate and linear visualization for physicians to map out any area of the heart. Electrophysiologist Dr. Yoel Vivas was the first physician in the county to use this new system at the hospital, according to a news release.<br />Vivas is also the founder of the Arrhythmia Center of South Florida. Learn more at <a href="https://vivasmd.com">https://vivasmd.com</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">***</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10063085857,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10063085857,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="106" alt="10063085857?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Sciences with Schmidt College of Medicine received a three-year, $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for an automated HIV self-testing assay. Another $1.3 million could be awarded after a review of the progress made in phase one. <br /> With this grant, researchers are aiming to further develop an affordable, disposable self-testing HIV-1 chip that can selectively detect HIV from whole blood samples. <br />The chip can be highly sensitive to detect HIV during the acute infection, treatment and viral rebound and be rapid within 40 minutes. It’s highly stable without requiring refrigeration and provides fully automated sample-in/answer-out analyses. <br /> Waseem Asghar, Ph.D., principal investigator and an associate professor at the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, is developing this technology with Massimo Caputi, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical science in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine.<br />Collaborators of the NIH grant include the University of Virginia and University of Pennsylvania.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">***</p>
<p>After training with Dr. Richard E. Busch III, author of Surgery Not Included, Dr. Timothy Kehrig, of Kehrig Family Chiropractic, offers Busch’s DRS protocol, a noninvasive treatment to relieve chronic neck and back pain. The program combines treatments that include spinal decompression, exercise and vitamins. <br />Kehrig Family Chiropractic is at 1815 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. <br />For more info, visit <a href="http://www.chiropractorboynton.com/drs-protocol">www.chiropractorboynton.com/drs-protocol</a> or call 561-737-7787.</p>
<p> </p></div>Health & Harmony: Doctors see wisdom in boosters as immunity from COVID waneshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-harmony-doctors-see-wisdom-in-boosters-as-immunity-from-co2021-11-30T16:10:28.000Z2021-11-30T16:10:28.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Joyce Reingold</strong></p>
<p>There’s a follow-up question to last season’s conversation starter — Pfizer, Moderna or J&J? — on the tip of many tongues: Are you boosted?<br /> Dr. Daniel Goldman is. <br /> “Last Monday, because I’m 68, I got my flu shot in one arm and I got my Moderna booster in the other,” the chief medical officer at Bethesda Hospital, part of Baptist Health, said in early November. <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9865132889,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9865132889,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="104" alt="9865132889?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>He is among the legions of U.S. residents who’ve already rolled up their sleeves for a third time for a dose of Pfizer or Moderna, the mRNA coronavirus vaccines.<br /> Later in November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the pool of people eligible to receive a Pfizer or Moderna booster shot to include everyone 18 and older who received a second dose at least six months before.<br /> The CDC also signed off on a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for adults at least two months after the first dose and said using different vaccines from the original doses is OK.<br />Read much more about eligibility at <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html</a> and consult your doctor if you have concerns.<br /> “I can tell you that boosters are very important,” Goldman said. “One of the early findings of that was from the Israeli experience. They were very aggressive about vaccinating with the Pfizer vaccine. And after about six to eight months, they had an increase in cases. It turned out antibodies were low, and they needed to do the booster. So, they jumped on board actually before most of everybody else.”<br /> Goldman says the delta variant surge in the U.S. telegraphed the need for a booster: “Most of the patients we saw were unvaccinated. But there were patients that were vaccinated who got it, particularly older patients and some immunocompromised. So, that was the trigger that maybe we needed to do something, too.”<br /> Dr. Rosa Marin, who practices internal medicine in Boynton Beach, says her older patients are “very willing” to be vaccinated and many have headed straight to their pharmacies for boosters as the CDC now recommends for people 50 and older. <br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9865126486,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9865126486,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="102" alt="9865126486?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>But with some patients who haven’t received boosters, Marin has taken a different approach. For those who originally received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, she offers a blood test introduced by Quest Diagnostics in February to measure antibodies to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.<br /> She uses the results to help gauge patients’ potential post-vaccination immunity status.<br />“When I found out that you could do the IgG (Immuno-globulin G) titer for the spike protein, I said, well, let me try it with some patients and see what happens after they get vaccinated. And I can tell you, as the months progress since the last dose, they do drop immunity. <br /> “And so, depending on how much it has dropped, I will tell the patients to go and get a booster,” she said. <br /> Marin explained that test results fall on a numerical scale: “From 0 to 1, there is no immunity but from 1 to 20, a person is partially immune.” She said she might advise a patient with a reading at the higher end of the scale to wait a month or two before getting the booster. <br /> Though she and other health care providers are offering this test, Marin points out that the CDC does not sanction its use for this purpose. <br /> In a May 19 statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said, “While a positive antibody test result can be used to help identify people who may have had a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, more research is needed in people who have received a COVID-19 vaccination.”<br /> But what they do know for sure is that the vaccines are working, the doctors said.<br /> “Let me tell you, I really recommend the vaccinations because I’ve had patients with breakthrough COVID and they have done very well,” Marin said. “Some of them have not even required monoclonal antibody treatment. I’ve only had one patient who required it.”<br /> In early November, there were five COVID patients at Bethesda, a dramatic and hopeful drop after delta’s surge. But Goldman said that “we shouldn’t relax.”<br /> “I think we have a lot going on. We have flu season coming and they’re predicting a hard flu season. I would encourage everybody to get their flu shot as well as their booster.<br /> “We all pay attention to the science, and the University of Miami team that has predicted all these surges is actually predicting another surge in early December. And we’ve seen surges after the holidays,” Goldman said. “But even if you get vaccinated, even if you get boostered, you still need to mask and do social distancing and be responsible.”</p>
<p><em>Joyce Reingold writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to joyce.reingold@yahoo.com.</em></p></div>Health News: Lynn Cancer Institute opens at Bethesdahttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-news-lynn-cancer-institute-opens-at-bethesda2021-08-03T16:24:42.000Z2021-08-03T16:24:42.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9351976053,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9351976053,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="9351976053?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Delray Medical Center recently honored its first two graduates from the Florida Atlantic University Cardiovascular Fellowship at the center: Dr. Priya Bansal and Dr. Haider Al Taii. Under the leadership of Dr. Brij Maini, national and Florida medical director for cardiology for Tenet Healthcare and fellowship director of cardiovascular diseases for the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at FAU, the fellows trained with Delray physicians and nursing staff. ABOVE (l-r): Maini with Al Taii, cardiologist Dr. Houman Khalili, Bansal, and Maggie Gill, CEO of Delray Medical Center. </em><strong>Photo provided</strong></p>
<p><strong>By Christine Davis</strong></p>
<p>The Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital has opened the Lynn Cancer Institute at Bethesda — Radiation Oncology, at Bethesda Health City, 10301 Hagen Ranch Road, Boynton Beach. <br /> Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital West are all part of Baptist Health South Florida. The institute will be under the direction of Michael Kasper, M.D., medical director of radiation oncology at Lynn Cancer Institute.<br /> “We look forward to this partnership that will help us bring state-of-the-art comprehensive oncology care closer to our patients and community,” said Nelson Lazo, CEO of Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital West. <br /> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9352068488,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9352068488,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="98" alt="9352068488?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>*</p>
<p>Haroula Protopapadakis Norden was appointed chief operating officer of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida. Protopapadakis Norden is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and served as the 2020 president of the South Florida chapter’s board of directors. She comes to Boca Regional from Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, where she was associate administrator.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">*<a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9352065868,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9352065868,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="99" alt="9352065868?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a></p>
<p>Cardiac and thoracic surgeon Ahmad Hamzah, M.D., has joined Baptist Health Medical Group North. Previously, he worked at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Hudson. Hamzah will see patients at Boca Raton Regional Hospital and Bethesda Hospital East.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">*</p>
<p>Seif Elbualy, M.D., has joined Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, as the director of interventional pain management. Previously, Elbualy was director at the Comprehensive Center for Pain Management at Boca Regional. He will see patients at 800 Meadows Road in Boca Raton.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">*</p>
<p>Mary Elizabeth “Libby” Flippo is now a member of the Florida Board of Nursing, as appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The board has 13 members. It licenses, monitors, disciplines and educates licensees. Flippo is the chief nursing officer for the Palm Beach Health Network, which includes Delray Medical Center, Good Samaritan Medical Center, Palm Beach Children’s Hospital, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;">*</p>
<p>Dr. Erica R. Podolsky, a general surgeon with expertise in bariatric and minimally invasive surgery, recently performed her 500th robotic surgery with the da Vinci robot at Delray Medical Center.<br /> Podolsky is the medical director of the Surgical Weight Loss Program at Delray Medical Center, where she specializes in robotic laparoscopic abdominal surgery. She also serves as the chair of quality and patient safety on Delray Medical Center’s Medical Executive Committee.<br /> Podolsky’s office is at 4600 Linton Blvd., Suite 340, Delray Beach. Visit DrEricaPodolsky.com or call her office at 561-939-0455 for more information. <br /> For more information about Delray Medical Center’s bariatric and robotic services, call 844-474-8378 or go to <a href="http://www.delraymedicalctr.com">www.delraymedicalctr.com</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">*</p>
<p>In May, JFK Medical Center North campus began performing joint replacement surgery using the Mako robot, which allows surgeons to perform a more customized joint replacement surgery.<br /> “The 3D CT allows me to create a personalized surgical plan based on each patient’s unique anatomy,” said Dr. Lyall Ashberg, orthopedic surgeon at JFK Medical Center North. “During surgery, I can validate the plan and make any necessary adjustments. This allows me to execute the procedure with the highest degree of precision and accuracy.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">*</p>
<p>Heartland Health Care & Rehabilitation Center of Boca Raton, 7225 Boca Del Mar Drive, was recognized as a 2021 recipient of the Silver — Achievement to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. The distinction is the second of three progressive award levels that honor association members across the country that have demonstrated their commitment to improving quality of care for seniors and people with disabilities. The awards will be presented during American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living’s 72nd convention and expo in National Harbor, Maryland, in October.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">*</p>
<p>Hanley Foundation is offering a series of training at 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 25. Free and open to the public, the Recovery Leadership Institute Summer Advocacy Training was designed to produce equitable outcomes for people impacted by substance use disorder, including recovery and addiction specialists and leaders, families of people with addiction disorders, people in recovery, and families who have had life-adjusting experiences related to addiction.<br /> The workshops have in-person and online attendance options, and the members of the public can choose which ones they want to attend. All presentation recordings will be made available Sept. 1 in honor of the start of National Recovery Month. <br /> Participants are encouraged to join the livestream or in-person sessions as these sessions are interactive, led by credentialed volunteer instructors. In-person presentations take place at the Palm Beach County HUB at 2120 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. <br /> To view the remaining workshops and to register, visit Hanleyfoundation.org/public-policy/recovery-leadership-institute/ or contact Clarice Redding Louis, Hanley Foundation’s chief recovery community officer, at Clarice@HanleyFoundation.org. </p>
<p><em>Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.</em></p></div>Groundbreaking ceremony: Boca Raton Regional Hospital — April 23https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/groundbreaking-ceremony-boca-raton-regional-hospital-april-232021-04-29T17:55:03.000Z2021-04-29T17:55:03.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8872043300,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8872043300,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="8872043300?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Philanthropists Leon and Toby Cooperman stand in front of a rendering that provided a backdrop for a ceremonial groundbreaking on the campus of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health. The Coopermans are donating $25 million to build a freestanding facility to house medical specialty clinics and physician offices along with an ambulatory surgery center and orthopedics program. Part of the ‘Keeping the Promise’ campaign, the donation brings the total raised to nearly $200 million in the past few years. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p></div>Along the Coast: Bethesda nurse grateful to get vaccine at end of ‘brutal year’https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-bethesda-nurse-grateful-to-get-vaccine-at-end-of-2020-12-30T16:35:34.000Z2020-12-30T16:35:34.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8365746253,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8365746253,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="665" alt="8365746253?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong><em>Christine Cummings, a registered nurse who works at Bethesda East, was the among the first local frontline workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, from Katie Van Lennep, director of professional development at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Charles Elmore</strong></p>
<p>The struggle against COVID-19 is far from over, but the prick of a vaccine needle in her arm delivered a dose of relief and hope for registered nurse Christine Cummings. </p>
<p>“It feels good to be reaching this milestone,” said Cummings, who works with coronavirus patients at Bethesda East Hospital in Boynton Beach. “It was a brutal year.”</p>
<p>Her shot on Dec. 28 put her among the first of about 1,600 vaccinations expected over the course of a week for employees at Boca Raton Regional and Bethesda hospitals, both part of the Baptist Health system.</p>
<p>For nearly a year, such workers have lived with the risk they might get sick, and infect others around them, as they provide frontline care. More than 1,700 U.S. health care workers have died from the coronavirus, according to a nurses union’s report in September. Polls show close to half of Americans express reluctance to stand at the front of the line to receive vaccines, but Cummings said she was ready for a chance to help bring the virus under control.</p>
<p>Think about what that would mean, she said.</p>
<p>“We can all hug our grandparents again,” she said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Senior facilities next up</strong></p>
<p>Residents in long-term care centers are getting priority attention too. As the shots become available to more people, health officials are grappling with public apprehension about vaccines that arrived in the fast lane by historical standards. Take the fear that the vaccine itself can spread the virus.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8365740893,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8365740893,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="208" height="208" alt="8365740893?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a>“The vaccine cannot give you COVID-19,” said Sara Elizabeth Hamm, who lives in Highland Beach and is chief clinical and public health officer for Lifespace Communities. She has been talking to residents in several of the company’s communities, including Harbour’s Edge in Delray Beach.</p>
<p>Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines give “our cells instructions for how to make a harmless protein that is unique to the virus,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is designed to spur the body to make antibodies to fight the virus. Trials found both vaccines effective 94% to 95% of the time.</p>
<p>In the meantime, measures such as masks, distancing and hand-washing will still be needed for months to come, until enough people get vaccinated, Hamm said.</p>
<p>She acknowledges some “vaccine hesitation” out there as the fast-tracked program rolls out in a bid to stop the worst pandemic in a century and end the loneliness of protective isolation for many seniors.</p>
<p>About 44% of Americans responding to an ABC News/Ipsos poll in December said they would prefer not to get the shot until more is known about safety and effectiveness; 15% said they’d refuse it entirely.</p>
<p>Ron Schwartz, president of the resident council at Harbour’s Edge, said he believes most of his neighbors are ready to embrace the shots.</p>
<p>“Most of us wish there had been more testing and experience with the vaccines,” Schwartz said. “But we think the benefits will outweigh the risks.”</p>
<p>The rollout has been hampered by delivery delays, but at least a portion of the more than 300 residents at Harbour’s Edge are expected to be offered shots in January.</p>
<p>At Abbey Delray, a senior community of 245 residents, shots were initially scheduled to begin Dec. 22 for some residents receiving care in health centers, administrators said. That was pushed back by more than a week. </p>
<p>More than 850 people in Palm Beach County received at least the first of two vaccination shots by Dec. 21, joining more than 43,000 across Florida, state records show.</p>
<p>Trials showed side effects common to many vaccines, including fatigue, headache, chills, fever and pain and redness in the injection area, Hamm said. But they tend to last only a day or two, she said.</p>
<p>“Side effects mean the vaccine is doing its job, and the body is making antibodies,” she said in a presentation based on information from the Society for Post-Acute Care and Long-Term Care Medicine. She called such effects “normal, common and expected.”</p>
<p>She directly addressed worries that the first people receiving vaccinations are “guinea pigs” and the process was “rushed.”</p>
<p>She said “emergency use authorization” did speed up the usual timetable to make vaccines available the same year the pandemic started, but “no steps were skipped” in developing and testing. </p>
<p>More than 335,000 deaths nationally have been attributed to COVID-19, including more than 1,800 in Palm Beach County. About 42% of the county’s deaths have occurred among residents and staff at long-term care facilities. That is why such residents are so high on the priority list for shots now.</p>
<p>Many of those residents have lived through some of the toughest challenges the world can throw at them, said Schwartz from Harbour’s Edge. </p>
<p>“Our residents have been through wars, personal tragedies and many stressful events,” he said. “The result is that they have learned to roll with the punches.”</p>
<p>Some are in their 70s, 80s or 90s, with a few older than 100, he said. The virus has been “scary and upsetting” to many, he said, and his sense is most are prepared to do what it takes for a chance to end the pandemic.</p>
<p>“I think most residents are anxiously awaiting the vaccine,” Schwartz said. “I would be surprised if many of our residents will pass on the chance to be vaccinated.”</p>
<p>One frustration seniors have aired is that even with the virus surging, many people still seem to have no urgency about wearing masks or practicing social distancing to control the spread until vaccines have a chance to work.</p>
<p>“Quite a few residents expressed concern about the lack of enforcement regarding wearing masks,” Schwartz said. “I know of no resident here who would leave their apartment unmasked, so we are shocked and frightened when we have to leave our community for necessary appointments.”</p>
<p>That threatens to prolong the suffering for everybody, he said.</p>
<p>“We are looking forward to once again meeting our friends and family without restrictions,” Schwartz said.</p>
<p>Hamm said, “The more people we vaccinate, the less likely we are to continue this vicious cycle and finally begin to establish our ‘new normal’ in the United States.” </p>
<p>To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines: <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/how-they-work.html">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/how-they-work.html</a>.</p></div>Health Notes: Hospitals share strategies for handling rise in COVID-19 caseshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-notes-hospitals-share-strategies-for-handling-rise-in-covi2020-12-01T21:25:49.000Z2020-12-01T21:25:49.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Christine Davis</strong></p>
<p>The rate of COVID-19 infections is on the rise, and following are statements from county hospitals in late November.</p>
<p>Palm Beach Health Network, which includes Delray Medical Center: “We continue to closely monitor the situation, and our hospitals have plans in place to continue providing care safely. We have the appropriate supplies, PPE and the ability to operationalize additional beds within the hospitals to increase our capacity, if needed. </p>
<p>“We encourage our community not to delay care for new or chronic conditions requiring medical attention, which can lead to life-threatening illnesses, and we have taken the appropriate steps and implemented protocols to continue to provide safe care. We remind everyone that it is important to continue to adhere to safe personal practices, masking, social distancing and frequent hand washing.”</p>
<p>JFK Medical Center: “Early in the pandemic, JFK Medical Center and JFK Medical Center North Campus implemented a number of enhanced safety measures — including universal masking, touchless temperature checks, elevated sanitation practices and modified visitation hours. Our hospitals have the bed capacity, staff, supplies and equipment we need at this time. We are prepared to access the resources, support and best practices across our hospitals, should the need arise, to help ensure that we are able to meet the needs of the communities we serve as the situation continues to evolve. </p>
<p>“It is important for our community to remain vigilant in wearing masks, practicing social distancing when possible and washing hands frequently to help slow the spread of COVID-19.”</p>
<p>Baptist Health, which includes Boca Raton Regional Hospital and the Bethesda hospitals in Boynton Beach: “The number of COVID-19-related admissions across Baptist Health has gradually increased in the past couple of weeks, but remains manageable. However, as we see COVID-19 cases increase locally and nationally, we continue to work with the Florida Department of Health and monitor trends so that we can plan for the possibility of an increased number of patients with COVID-19 at our facilities. We have ICU and regular acute care bed capacity across our system and have the ability to increase capacity at our hospitals based on our surge plan as needed. </p>
<p>“We are providing a safe environment for patients and staff with everything from mandatory mask use and temperature checks to social distancing in common areas and Plexiglas dividers.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Baptist Health notes</strong></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8237898285,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8237898285,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="96" alt="8237898285?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Vascular surgeon Aidan Hamm, M.D., recently joined Bethesda Health Physician Group, a part of Baptist Health South Florida.</p>
<p>Hamm specializes in vascular surgery, general surgery, endovascular and open aortic surgery. Previously, he was with Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hamm earned his medical degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, completed a general surgery residency at the University of Colorado and a vascular surgery fellowship at Carolinas Medical Center, part of Atrium Health. He sees patients at 2800 S. Seacrest Blvd., Suite 200, Boynton Beach.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>• Orthopedic surgeon Alexander D. Gaukhman, M.D., M.S., joined BocaCare Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, a part of Baptist Health South Florida, in <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8237919899,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8237919899,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="93" alt="8237919899?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>October. Gaukhman specializes in total joint replacement surgery. </p>
<p>He arrived from the NYU Langone Medical Center/Hospital for Joint Diseases and the Insall Scott Kelly Institute, where he completed his adult reconstruction fellowship. He earned his medical degree from Florida State University College of Medicine. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Boston University. </p>
<p>He sees patients at 3313 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Suite 202, Deerfield Beach, and 670 Glades Road, Suite 300, Boca Raton. </p>
<p>• In November, vascular surgeon Eileen de Grandis, M.D., RPVI, FACS, joined BocaCare Vascular Surgery, a part of Baptist Health South Florida. De Grandis specializes in the <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8237902671,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8237902671,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="97" alt="8237902671?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>diagnosis and management of aortic disease, peripheral artery disease for limb salvage, cerebrovascular disease, and hemodialysis access, as well as comprehensive venous and lymphatic treatment. </p>
<p>She earned her bachelor’s from the University of Pennsylvania and her medical degree from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia. She completed a general surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and a vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota. </p>
<p>She sees patients at 670 Glades Road, Suite 100, Boca Raton. </p>
<p>• Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Marcus Neuroscience Institute has a new advanced neuro-interventional suite, with technology to provide minimally invasive treatments that offer patients faster, more precise care when facing conditions such as stroke and brain aneurysms. It offers Siemens Artis Icono Biplane, an imaging system that gives physicians views of the brain on two planes. It also has the Corindus CorPath GRX Robotic System, which allows physicians to perform complex vascular procedures.</p>
<p>• To treat cancer patients, the Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute at Boca Regional now offers the noninvasive Radixact System, which provides continuous delivery of radiation from 360 degrees around the patient. It increases the control doctors have in getting radiation where it needs to be and helps to decrease damage to surrounding healthy tissue and organs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Palm Beach Health notes</strong></p>
<p>In October, the Palm Beach Health Network and Delray Medical Center appointed Michelle Cartwright, CPA, as chief financial officer. Cartwright was the CFO of Tenet sister hospitals St. Mary’s Medical Center and the Palm Beach Children’s Hospital. Cartwright received her B.A. from Palm Beach Atlantic University, and went on to earn her master’s in accounting from Nova Southeastern University. </p>
<p>• Mahdi Taha, DO, FACOI, FACP, is now medical director of medical oncology at Delray Medical Center. Taha specializes in head and neck cancers as well as skin cancers.</p>
<p>Previously, Taha worked for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Newman, Georgia. He earned his medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. </p>
<p>After completing his residency in internal medicine at the Oklahoma State University Medical Center in Tulsa, he was awarded a fellowship at Cancer Treatment Centers of America through Oklahoma State University. He received his B.A. in biology from Kean University, Union, New Jersey, where he graduated magna cum laude. </p>
<p>His office is at 5130 Linton Blvd., Suite B-4, Delray Beach. </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8237929868,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8237929868,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="97" alt="8237929868?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>• Delray Medical Center’s bariatric dietitian for its surgical weight loss program, Samantha Barone, R.D., recently became a certified specialist in obesity and weight management.</p>
<p>As such, she helps patients manage their weight through nutritional, physical, psychological, behavioral, medical and/or surgical interventions. For more information, call 561-495-3022. </p>
<p>• Delray Medical Center was named among the top 5% in the nation for stroke care, according to new research by Healthgrades. “I want to encourage our community not to delay care in the event of a medical emergency. We have the appropriate supplies and protocols in place to provide care safely,” said Maggie Gill, CEO of the Palm Beach Health Network and Delray Medical.</p>
<p>• Delray Medical Center is using the new 64-wire cobalt chromium Surpass Evolve flow diverter, which redirects blood flow and promotes aneurysm healing. “Surpass Evolve is a cutting-edge technology that is advancing the frontiers of patient care in aneurysm treatment,” said Dr. Dennys Reyes, who practices neurointervention at the medical center. “Treating at-risk intracranial aneurysms before they rupture is a focus of our stroke program that can help save lives and provide some of the best care in the community.”</p>
<p>• Delray Medical Center now offers the Watchman FLX for patients who have a high risk of stroke with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. “People with atrial fibrillation are at an increased risk of stroke if they are not on blood thinners, which can also increase the risk of bleeding. This can often result in higher mortality and disability rates because of an injury to the brain or other affected areas,” said Dr. Martin Kloosterman, electrophysiologist at the center. </p>
<p>The design lets doctors safely enter and maneuver within the left atrial appendage. <br /> <br /><em>Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com. </em> </p></div>Along the Coast: Bethesda merging with Baptist Health systemhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-bethesda-merging-with-baptist-health-system2015-11-04T20:00:00.000Z2015-11-04T20:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Mary Hladky</strong><br /> <br /> After about two years of exploratory talks, Boynton Beach-based Bethesda Health and Coral Gables-based Baptist Health South Florida have agreed to merge.<br /> The agreement, announced on Oct. 2, calls for a two-year transition period. But even before the merger is completed on Sept. 30, 2017, Palm Beach County residents could see changes, including new outpatient and urgent care facilities.<br /> Both hospital systems stand to benefit by combining forces. The merger will allow highly regarded Baptist Health, the largest hospital system in Miami-Dade County with six hospitals there and one in Monroe County, to expand into Palm Beach County.<br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960610669,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960610669,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="201" alt="7960610669?profile=original" /></a>Bethesda Health, which operates Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital West, will gain by being able to tap into Baptist’s experience in establishing outpatient and urgent care facilities. Bethesda also will become part of a larger organization that has the heft to recruit high quality physicians and to negotiate better contracts for goods and services.<br /> Like Bethesda, Baptist is “not-for-profit and committed to quality. That is the model Bethesda has been built on. We felt they would be a good partner,” said Roger Kirk, president and CEO of Bethesda Health.<br /> “Baptist has been looking at expansion opportunities in northern Broward and southern Palm Beach (counties),” said Wayne Brackin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Baptist Health. “Bethesda has strategies around outpatient expansion. We are talking about how to get those things in sync and accelerate everyone’s plans.”<br /> Both Kirk and Brackin said the two hospital systems are merging assets and no money is changing hands.<br /> Bethesda’s executive team and board will remain unchanged, as will the names of the two hospitals. The Bethesda Hospital Foundation also will stay in place, and money it raises through fundraising will continue to go to the two Bethesda hospitals, Kirk said.<br /> The merger comes at a time of huge changes in health care that, among many other things, are pushing hospitals to consolidation, greater efficiencies and an emphasis on coordination of care and reducing the cost of care. That, in turn, increases the need to expand into outpatient and urgent care centers where care is less costly than in hospitals.<br /> Most hospitals in Palm Beach County are part of the HCA Holdings Inc. or Tenet Healthcare Corp. hospital chain. Bethesda was one of the few that remained a stand-alone.<br /> “As the industry changes, it is moving health care to an outpatient basis and one based on ease of access,” Kirk said. “We know we have got to grow, expand our services and put our services in the backyard of our community. We have to make our services and programs easily accessible.”<br /> Baptist’s nearly 50 outpatient and urgent care facilities in Miami-Dade, Monroe and Broward provide a model for Bethesda, he said.<br /> Brackin said Baptist has opened three diagnostic centers and five urgent care centers in Broward. “People in northern Broward who we are taking care of as outpatients may choose Bethesda for in-patient needs,” he said.<br /> He said it is likely that Bethesda’s expansion into outpatient facilities could begin during the two-year transition period. Also underway already are efforts such as coordination of equipment purchases, merger of information technology systems and strategic planning for medical staff.<br /> Baptist is developing the $430 million Miami Cancer Institute scheduled to open next year at the Baptist Hospital campus. Brackin expects Bethesda’s cancer care physicians will become part of that institute and will take part in the clinical trials that will be made available to Palm Beach County residents.<br /> Linda Quick, president of the South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association (a non-profit alliance of South Florida hospitals, medical centers and educational institutions), said it makes sense for Baptist and Bethesda to merge. “Baptist has already found that with its hospital system, it is able to be more efficient than any one (hospital) had been by itself,” she said. “For Bethesda, being part of a larger system … is a good reason to have come to this engagement party.”<br /> Bethesda Health has 670 physicians and more than 2,500 employees. It includes Bethesda Health Physician Group, Bethesda Heart Hospital, Bethesda Orthopaedics Institute, Cornell Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine, the Center for Women and Children, Bethesda College of Health Sciences and accredited centers for stroke, chest pain and heart failure.<br /> Among its recognitions, Bethesda Hospital East was listed by Becker’s Hospital Review as among the top 50 hospitals nationwide for the lowest proportion of serious medical complication rates for patients and received a “A” rating by the National Leapfrog Group for Safety and Quality in 2014.<br /> Baptist Health has 2,200 affiliated physicians and about 16,000 employees. It includes Baptist Health Medical Group and Baptist Outpatient Services. Its hospitals are Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital in Miami-Dade and Mariners Hospital in Monroe.<br /> Baptist Health hospitals consistently do well in annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report. This year, Baptist Hospital ranked No. 1 in South Florida and Homestead Hospital ranked No. 7. <br /></p></div>