hospital - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T06:34:12Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/hospitalAlong the Coast: History in the makinghttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-history-in-the-making2020-07-01T14:51:57.000Z2020-07-01T14:51:57.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960948892,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960948892,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960948892?profile=original" /></a><em>Members of the staff of Cornell Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine at Bethesda Hospital in Boynton Beach. <strong>Photos provided</strong></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:18pt;"><strong>Stories from pandemic are being preserved for posterity</strong></span></p>
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<p><strong>By Ron Hayes</strong></p>
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<p>On July 3, 1918, a Boca Raton pioneer named Frank Chesebro made a brief notation in his diary: “Got out egg plant seed,” he wrote. “Buried a boy named Rogers in cemetery.”<br /> Three days later, he made another notation:<br /> “Buried second Rogers boy. Got out pepper seed. Picked pines.”<br /> The cemetery was a single acre then, situated at what is now an entrance to the Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, just across the roundabout from the Boca Raton Resort & Club.<br /> We know Frank Chesebro had donated that acre in 1916. We know John E. Rogers was only 10 years old when he died, and we know his brother, Jasper H., was 8.<br /> But we don’t know what killed them.<br /> Could it have been the Spanish flu pandemic, which appeared that spring and would claim about 50 million lives, including as many as 800,000 in the U.S., before subsiding the following summer? <br /> “We’ve always wondered,” says Susan Gillis, curator at the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum. “Could they have died of the Spanish flu? But we haven’t been able to document that.”<br /> Now, a century later, another pandemic is sweeping away lives throughout the world. This time, area curators and archivists want to make sure that people 100 years from now will know what life was like for us during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.<br /> In addition to the Boca Raton Historical Society, the Boynton Beach City Library and Delray Beach Historical Society are asking residents to share memories, photos and other memorabilia of their lives under quarantine.<br /> “We’ve been getting a lot of photos, a donation of face masks, and student submissions from the schools,” says Patricia Fiorillo, the assistant curator at the Boca Raton Historical Society, who’s leading its campaign. “We’ve had a lot of photos of graduation signs in front of houses. I’d like one of those signs.”<br /> A fourth-grader named Jacob took the lockdown with grown-up patience.<br /> “My cousin Chris graduated,” Jacob wrote, “so we celebrated at our house. Quarantine changed our lives but there is still joy to spread; we’re in this together.” <br /> <br /> At the Boynton Beach City Library, archivist-librarian Georgen Charnes wants residents to know they don’t have to be a doctor on the front lines of the virus or an ICU nurse to have a story worth saving.<br /> “We tend to think of history as famous people or wealthy people,” Charnes says, “but it’s the stories of ordinary people that give people in the future a sense of what life was really like now.”<br /> Hudson Hilburn arrived in Fort Pierce on April 8, a healthy baby girl born during an unhealthy time. <br /> “This is not how I expected to bring a baby into the world,” Julia Christy Hilburn wrote the Boynton library’s project. “I pictured a waiting room full of family all anxiously awaiting Patrick to tell them Hudson has arrived and how much she weighs. <br /> “Instead we asked a friendly neighbor to FaceTime so my grandma could see her first great-grandchild. Instead, we nervously told everyone we were headed home only to tell them they couldn’t stop by.”</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960949265,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960949265,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960949265?profile=original" /></a><em> Kenya Spear of Delray Beach shows her crocheting.</em></p>
<p><br /> Winnie Edwards, executive director of the Delray Beach Historical Society, began soliciting donations in early March.<br /> “When you’re researching things like an old hurricane, you go to mainly the newspapers, but it’s really hard to find those personal stories unless somebody wrote them down. With this pandemic happening in our lifetimes, I know everybody’s got stuff on their phone, and I thought we’d better collect it now.”<br /> So far, Edwards reports, she’s gathered more than 100 contributions, including this optimistic essay from Kenya Spear of North Swinton Avenue.<br /> “I swim about four times weekly, participate in Yoga/Meditation at The Delray Beach Library on Atlantic Avenue. (Now, I meditate here, at home alone, and some times do Yoga, but it is not the same as being in a group.) <br />“I miss volunteering at The Arts Garage and at The Boca Raton Library Bookstore, tutoring children, helping with their reading and math, playing cards with friends, visiting The Norton Museum, walking in the park near Lake Ida Road.<br /> “Amazingly, I now have time and finally, patience and I have rediscovered an old favorite passion, crocheting. It is tremendously relaxing, rewarding. And I feel accomplished, productive. I look at my completed items and know that I am blessed. I have options. I am thankful. I am safe and alive.”<br /> Someday, Edwards hopes, she will work with commercial photographer Matt Sturgess of 4th Avenue Photography to turn the videos, photos and poetry into a documentary. But like the other archivists, she has put no deadline on submissions.<br /> The history hasn’t ended because the pandemic hasn’t ended, and so the collecting continues.<br /> Someday soon, they hope, the COVID-19 pandemic will become, like the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, history.<br /> And this time, that history will have been preserved.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960948696,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960948696,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960948696?profile=original" /></a><em>Delray’s Jim Chard in mango season.</em></p>
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<p>The Rogers boys did not stay in Frank Chesebro’s cemetery. When Addison Mizner began to build his resort, the cemetery was moved to 10 acres on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and 16th Street. And in 1943, they were moved again, to the present cemetery on Southwest Fourth Avenue. Their graves are still there.<br /> Did they die of the Spanish flu?<br /> Perhaps. But in 1918, the entire state of Florida had fewer than 1 million residents, and fewer than 1,000 deaths were reported statewide.<br /> “Palm Beach County was not super densely populated, so there was a lot of space between people in 1918,” Patricia Fiorillo of the Boca Raton Historical Society said. “Social distancing wasn’t that hard back then.”</p>
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<p><br /><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>How to contribute</strong></span><br />• Boca Raton Historical Society: Send submissions to research@bocahistory.org with the subject line “Letters to the Future,” or mail to the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum, 71 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33432.<br />• Boynton Beach City Library: Go to boynton-beach.org/library/share-your-covid-19-stories for instruction and links.<br />• Delray Beach Historical Society: Email video diaries, essays, poems, photos and artwork to info@delraybeachhistory.org</p></div>Along the Coast: Hospital workers getting rounds of thankful applausehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-hospital-workers-getting-rounds-of-thankful-appla2020-04-20T22:00:00.000Z2020-04-20T22:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960942259,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960942259,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960942259?profile=original" /></a></span></strong><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">Sandi Savia, the EMS liaison at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida, blows a kiss through her mask to a Boca Raton Fire Rescue <span>crew</span> as they and more than 20 other first responder vehicles parade past the Emergency Room entrance on April 17. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong><br /></span></em></span></p>
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<p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>Throughout south Palm Beach County, first responders and residents are showing support for hospital workers on the front lines battling the coronavirus.</p>
<p>On Friday evening April 17 more than a dozen emergency vehicles — lights flashing and sirens blaring — paraded past Boca Raton Regional Hospital as employees changed shifts.</p>
<p>“It was just an incredible experience,” said the hospital’s president and CEO, Lincoln Mendez. “Everyone felt it was very emotional.”</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960942100,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960942100,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960942100?profile=original" /></a><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">Dozens of hospital employees gathered at 7 p.m. April 17 to watch a parade of fire trucks and squad cars manned by first responders who drove by to honor them. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></span></em></span></p>
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<p>The show of support — featuring representatives from Boca Raton’s fire rescue and police departments as well as from Delray Beach Fire Rescue, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and the Broward Sheriff’s Office — was just one of many being held at area hospitals.</p>
<p>On Monday, April 20, first responders from Delray Beach Fire Rescue and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue were at Delray Medical Center to cheer on medical personnel, and similar events are planned for Bethesda Memorial Hospital’s two locations.</p>
<p>At Delray Medical Center, firefighters hoisted a huge American flag in front of the hospital and after a short presentation “took a knee” to thank hospital employees.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960942280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960942280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960942280?profile=original" /></a><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">Delray Beach Fire Rescue personnel 'take a knee' out of respect for the staff at Delray Medical Center on April 20. <strong>Photo courtesy of Delray Beach Fire Rescue</strong></span></em></span></p>
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<p>Those events, as well as others throughout the county, are being coordinated by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue in conjunction with local first responders.</p>
<p>“It’s been a great morale booster not just for the hospital staff but also for the firefighters because they’re happy to show their support for our healthcare heroes,” said Tara Cardoso, a healthcare specialist with county fire rescue. “You can see the smiles underneath the masks.”</p>
<p>Appreciation of emergency medical personnel, as well as police, firefighters and paramedics, is also coming from community members.</p>
<p>In Highland Beach, for example, residents took to their balconies at 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, for a “clap out,” with some applauding and others banging on pots and pans to show support.</p>
<p>“It was quite loud,” said Highland Beach Mayor Doug Hillman, who helped get the word out to residents at Boca Highland Beach Club and Marina, where he is president of the board of directors. “The response was fabulous.”</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960942682,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960942682,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960942682?profile=original" /></a><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">At 7 p.m. on April 17, residents of the Boca Highland Beach Club & Marina in Highland Beach stood on their balconies to applaud first responders and healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak. Pictured top to bottom, (l-r), Audrey Gluck, Sergio De Simone, Walter Jones, Pat Jordan, Rod Werner and Bob Caprice. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></span></em></span></p>
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<p>The clap out, promoted by the town through emails, started with one resident organizing her community but grew into a community-wide event.</p>
<p>Carol Wittenberg, of Regency Highland, originally organized a clapping event to thank the workers of her condominium and found that it was greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>“The look on their faces was phenomenal,” she said.</p>
<p>She decided to take a next step and organize an event to bring the town together in support of the medical community, first responders and others who are serving the public at their own risk.</p>
<p>“This shows our appreciation,” she said. “It sends a message that we can’t even begin to show how much we appreciate what they’re doing. They’re putting their lives on the line for us.”</p>
<p>At Boca Regional that message was well received by those who were on hand to see the first responders parade past the hospital — and even by those who weren’t there.</p>
<p>“I think all healthcare workers really appreciate the show of support,” Boca Regional’s Mendez said.</p></div>Health Notes: $3 million gift to Boca Regional brings new prenatal, postpartum programhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-notes-3-million-gift-to-boca-regional-brings-new-prenatal-2020-04-01T16:33:06.000Z2020-04-01T16:33:06.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p></p>
<p><strong>By Christine Davis</strong></p>
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<p>Pregnant women will be able to better care for their babies and themselves thanks to a new prenatal and postpartum program at <strong>Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute</strong>. The woman who made it possible is longtime Boca Raton resident <strong>Barbara C. Gutin</strong>, who made a $3 million donation to the institute in March.</p>
<p><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960947069,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960947069,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="7960947069?profile=original" /></a>“This program will allow pregnant women and new mothers to be better equipped to understand their changing bodies and to know what is a normal part of pregnancy and what may require additional care,” said Dr. Kathy Schilling, medical director of the Women’s Institute. “New mothers will work with their personal physicians, the Toppel Family Place at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, as well as the team of clinicians at the Women’s Institute.”</p>
<p><br /> This includes a board-certified urogynecologist, doctoral trained physical therapists, mental health professionals, nurse practitioners and others.</p>
<p><br /> Gutin, along with her now-late husband, had previously established the Barbara C. Gutin Center for Pelvic Health at the Women’s Institute. Their gift to the hospital of new technology in 2013 established the Irving and Barbara C. Gutin Center for Robotic Surgery. Their first transformational gift was in 2008 to help create a stroke program at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.</p>
<p><br /> <br /> In February, <strong>Jean Blechman,</strong> co-founder of Twinlab Corp., made a significant financial commitment to <strong>Keeping the Promise — The Campaign for Boca Raton Regional Hospital</strong> to name the Jean and David Blechman Surgical Intensive Care Unit.</p>
<p><br /> “Jean’s commitment throughout the years has been remarkable and enhances vital care for all,” said Lincoln Mendez, CEO of Boca Raton Regional Hospital. The $250 million Keeping the Promise campaign is the largest in the hospital’s history.</p>
<p><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960947097,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960947097,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" alt="7960947097?profile=original" /></a>It is supporting plans to reimagine the hospital campus. The project includes construction of the Gloria Drummond Patient Tower, the Toby and Leon Cooperman Medical Arts Pavilion, an expansion of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute and Christine E. Lynn Cardiovascular Institute, new operating rooms, renovation of the existing facility to create an all-private patient room environment, and the recently opened Schmidt Family Parking Facility.</p>
<p><br /> Blechman has been a longtime supporter of the hospital and has a special interest in cardiology programs. When her donations helped create the Jean and David Blechman Center for Women’s Specialty Care and Preventive Cardiology, she felt for many years that cardiac care for women was badly neglected. Subsequently, it became known that cardiac disease is the No. 1 killer of women, still true today.</p>
<p><br /> Specialties for this program include breast health, cardiology, and general and robotic surgery. <br /> </p>
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<p><strong>Maureen Mann</strong>, assistant vice president of <strong>Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute and Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute</strong>, was elected vice chair of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. In her job, she has administrative responsibilities for strategic and daily operations. In her role as vice chair, she will work with volunteers to educate elected officials on important cancer-fighting policies and help them enact legislation that will support cancer research, prevention and treatment.</p></div>Bethesda Hospital cancels Bethesda Ballhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/bethesda-hospital-cancels-bethesda-ball2020-03-12T21:39:46.000Z2020-03-12T21:39:46.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>By Amy Woods</strong></p>
<p>The Bethesda Ball would have celebrated its 65<sup>th</sup> anniversary March 14 at The Breakers on Palm Beach. Instead, because of concern about the coronavirus, the biggest fundraiser of the year for Bethesda Hospital has been canceled.</p>
<p>Nelson Lazo sent an email March 12 to supporters, apologizing for the short notice.</p>
<p>“We take the health of our community very seriously…but as we see a growing number of updates from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other sources regarding novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we feel it is in the best interest of our Bethesda community to cancel this year’s event,” Lazo wrote in the email. “As always, we are most grateful for all you do to support Bethesda Hospital in our commitment to maintain the highest standards of clinical and service excellence, rooted in the utmost integrity and moral practice.”</p>
<p>Upward of $600,000 was expected to be raised for upgrades to the emergency room, registration areas and the women’s center, among other projects benefiting local healthcare.</p>
<p>For information, call 561-737-7733, Ext. 85398 or visit <a href="http://www.bethesdahospitalfoundation.org">www.bethesdahospitalfoundation.org</a>.</p></div>Pay it Forward: Bethesda Hospital CEO to make debut at Bethesda Ballhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/pay-it-forward-bethesda-hospital-ceo-to-make-debut-at-bethesda-ba2020-03-03T21:30:00.000Z2020-03-03T21:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Update: Bethesda Hospital <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/bethesda-hospital-cancels-bethesda-ball" target="_blank">cancels</a> Bethesda Ball</strong></p>
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<p><strong>By Amy Woods</strong></p>
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<p>The Bethesda Ball turns 65 this month, but this will be the first ball for the new CEO of Bethesda Hospital.</p>
<p><br /> Nelson Lazo took the reins in December following a nine-year stint as CEO of Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables.</p>
<p><br /> “I am very excited to attend the ball to meet community members and supporters of our hospital,” Lazo said. “That is what the night is all about.”</p>
<p><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960934301,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960934301,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="182" height="273" alt="7960934301?profile=original" /></a>The event will take place March 14 at The Breakers in Palm Beach, where attendees will enjoy cocktails, dinner, live music and an exclusive auction featuring a European cruise and a Mediterranean yachting excursion, among other items.</p>
<p><br /> “The funds this year will directly support Bethesda Hospital’s greatest need,” Lazo said, noting that he expects upward of $600,000 to be raised. “I envision the funds being used for projects like the emergency room, registration areas, the women’s center and more.”</p>
<p><br /> He plans to unveil key highlights of the hospital’s $300 million capital campaign, Vision 2030, and its impact on Bethesda West Hospital.</p>
<p><br /> “It is a growing community, and we feel that investing in our west facility long term is a very smart investment from our end,” Lazo said. “Plus, it would provide a main expanded service to that community.”</p>
<p><br /> Among his goals as CEO, in addition to enhancing and improving operations at both Bethesda East and Bethesda West hospitals, is to change the format of the ball in 2021. He favors fun over formality.</p>
<p><br /> “I am a strong believer in having a good time,” Lazo said. “You can still wear your tux, but let’s dance, let’s have fun, and let’s have an after-party.”</p>
<p><br /> <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>If You Go</strong></span><br /> What: Bethesda Ball<br /> When: 6:30 p.m. March 14<br /> Where: The Breakers, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach<br /> Cost: $650<br /> Information: 561-737-7733, Ext. 84428 or <a href="http://www.bethesdahospitalfoundation.org">www.bethesdahospitalfoundation.org</a></p></div>Finding Faith: Chaplain’s book portrays aging as a spiritual journeyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/finding-faith-chaplain-s-book-portrays-aging-as-a-spiritual-journ2020-03-03T20:23:54.000Z2020-03-03T20:23:54.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960936700,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960936700,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="7960936700?profile=original" /></a><em>Dick Lewallen’s book is intended to comfort people struggling with aging. <strong>Cover art provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Janis Fontaine</strong></p>
<p>Pastor Dick Lewallen led small churches and worked as a campus minister in Texas until his 33-year marriage failed and he was forced to reinvent himself at age 59.</p>
<p><br /> “Nobody wants a divorced pastor, but I found a little country church in North Florida that was as desperate as I was,” said Lewallen, who was born in Arkansas and raised in Oklahoma.</p>
<p><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960936881,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960936881,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="188" height="236" alt="7960936881?profile=original" /></a>The new setting allowed him ample time for self-reflection, and as Lewallen looked back over his education, he recalled a significant class in clinical pastoral education. It’s the coursework that prepares an individual to work as a chaplain in hospitals, ministering to ill and dying people and their loved ones.</p>
<p><br /> “I felt drawn to that setting,” said Lewallen, who’s now 78 and retired, living in Boynton Beach. When he found a program just down the road at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, it felt divine.</p>
<p><br /> A chaplain is usually a member of the clergy attached to a secular institution rather than a church. Chaplains are vital members of the military, serve police and fire-rescue personnel, provide post-disaster relief and support health care facilities. At hospitals, chaplains work closely with doctors, nurses and other staff to support them and provide spiritual care to patients and their loved ones — really anyone who needs help during a crisis.</p>
<p><br /> Lewallen said he might find himself in the ER with a gunshot victim or with the family of a traffic fatality, or in oncology visiting patients forging their battles while their families keep watch.</p>
<p><br /> “I had the gift of being good with people in crisis,” Lewallen said. “I was able to approach people with confidence. When I go into a death situation, I try to listen and watch. Presence is more important than talk.</p>
<p><br /> “I had worked with college students for 20 years and I loved it, but chaplaining is my fit, my gift. It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done, but it was the best.”</p>
<p><br /> After taking his CPE training at Shands, Lewallen brought his talents to South Florida to work as chaplain at John Knox Village, an aging-in-place, transitional retirement community in Pompano Beach. He held weekly services and Bible study, but much of his day focused on visiting residents whose deteriorating health forced them to be transferred to the hospital.</p>
<p><br /> “I visited every resident to help them know they hadn’t been forgotten,” he said.</p>
<p><br /> Some needed his visits, and some didn’t; Lewallen’s empathetic nature helped him tell the two apart. But his tender mercy came with a price. “I feel deeply, and it depletes you. It drained me and I realized I had to renew myself. Reenergize,” he said.</p>
<p><br /> His favorite short-term methods of coping were to take a nap or go for a walk. “And I think service is very important. Volunteers get more than they give. I think a heart of service is genetic. My dad was the same way,” Lewallen says.</p>
<p><br /> But eventually Lewallen took a year off after serving John Knox for about six years. Then he signed on for three more years at Abbey Delray retirement community.</p>
<p><br /> Since he retired he has discovered a new vocation: author.</p>
<p><br /> He recently published a 117-page collection of essays with a simple theme: “Aging is a spiritual journey.”</p>
<p><br /> “You’d be surprised how many people don’t know that,” Lewallen said.</p>
<p><br /> <em>Older and Wiser: Inspiration, Humor and Hope for Growing Older</em> is part parable, part stunning photography.</p>
<p><br />“I just started writing down stories when I was at John Knox, significant events, and the book kind of wrote itself,” he said.<br /> Lewallen’s work has made him very fond and protective of older adults.</p>
<p><br /> “Most people don’t know that growing older is tough,” he said. “We should show older folks they’re special.”</p>
<p><br /> He will return to John Knox at 10 a.m. March 10 to give a talk about his book, and he welcomes the chance to start a compassionate conversation about aging, death and the transition.</p>
<p><br /> Death is still a terrifying mystery to many people. Even after years of study, Lewallen is not sure why people fear death. He’d rather focus on stealing the sting of death by helping people accept and even welcome it.</p>
<p><br /> In the last few pages, Lewallen writes, “Being gathered to one’s people is a comforting way to look at death. Death is not the end. Death is a transition from this life to the next. It is a door from one life to a better one. As persons of faith, we can look forward to the transition instead of fearing it, and we can be gathered to our people in peace.”</p>
<p><br /> And who wouldn’t welcome a peaceful finale to a long journey?</p>
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<p><em>Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and events. Contact her at janisfontaine@outlook.com.</em></p>
<p></p></div>Health Notes: Baptist Health names CEO for Bethesda East and Westhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-notes-baptist-health-names-ceo-for-bethesda-east-and-west2019-10-29T20:56:39.000Z2019-10-29T20:56:39.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p></p>
<p><strong>By Christine Davis</strong></p>
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<p>Nelson Lazo, a chief executive at Baptist Health South Florida for 12 years, will soon be the new CEO of Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital West in Palm Beach County. He will succeed Roger Kirk, who will retire in December.</p>
<p><br /> Lazo will oversee the continued integration of the hospitals with Baptist Health following their 2017 merger. He also will oversee the expansion of Bethesda hospitals’ services.</p>
<p><br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960893873,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960893873,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="124" height="188" alt="7960893873?profile=original" /></a>Under Lazo’s leadership as CEO, Baptist Health’s Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables became home to Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute, which recently opened the Miami Heat Sports Medicine Center in partnership with the basketball team.</p>
<p><br />The institute is the official sports medicine provider for the Heat, Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, Florida International University, Miami Open tennis tournament, the Orange Bowl and the Miami Marathon.<br /> <br />Teens place a lot of emphasis on popularity and are aware of the difference between being liked and being popular, and when asked to choose, most opt for popularity. Prior research found two groups of popular adolescents: pro-social and aggressive popular teens. <br /> But if you ask a teen about popularity, you might hear about a third group that is both feared and loved. </p>
<p><br /> Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators in Montreal put the idea of naughty and nice, Machiavellian-like teens to the test. In a new study, they followed 568 girls and boys in the seventh and eighth grades for two years.</p>
<p><br /> Classmates identified those who were aggressive, pro-social and popular. Results of the study, published in the journal Child Development with FAU psychology professor Brett Laursen as a coauthor, identified three distinct types of teen popularity: pro-social popular; aggressive popular; and bistrategic popular or Machiavellian. </p>
<p><br /> The Machiavellian teens were the most popular and were above average on physical and relational aggression as well as pro-social behavior. Just like in the teen comedy Mean Girls, they are aggressive when needed and then “make nice” to smooth any ruffled feathers.</p>
<p><br /> They maintain their popularity by offsetting the coercive behavior required to maintain power with carefully calibrated acts of kindness. These teens balance getting their way with getting along.<br /> <br /> As dementia progresses, the ability to participate in exercise programs declines. But an FAU study found that more than 97 percent of older adults with advanced dementia could do chair yoga or other chair-based exercises and be fully engaged. The subjects showed improvement over time, while a group that undertook music intervention declined.</p>
<p><br />The study, with the results published in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, intended to test the safety and effectiveness of these non-pharmacological interventions. JuYoung Park, associate professor in the School of Social Work, was lead author.</p>
<p><br /> Both the chair yoga and chair-based exercise groups showed lower depression when compared to the music intervention group. The chair yoga group reported a higher quality of life score, including physical condition, mood, functional abilities, interpersonal relationships, and ability to participate in meaningful activities.<br /> <br /> A new study by researchers in FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing showed that older African Americans, European Americans and Hispanic Americans are below the recommended levels of protein intake and are at risk for age-related changes in muscle, and that interventions may be needed to improve their diet and physical health.</p>
<p><br />The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics, examined differences in protein intake, nutritional status, and muscle strength and function in these groups. Sareen Gropper, registered dietitian and nursing professor, was the lead author.<br /> <br /> Great Place to Work and Fortune named Baptist Health South Florida one of the country’s best workplaces for women — an organization that best provides resources and support to women. Baptist Health was No. 29 on the list.</p>
<p><br /> “These winning companies are thriving because women have an equal seat at every table where critical decisions are made,” said Michael C. Bush, chief executive officer of Great Place to Work. “Organizations like Baptist Health South Florida know that creating a great workplace where everyone can succeed regardless of gender is not just the right thing to do, but a must-do if you want to be the very best of everything in the marketplace.”</p>
<p><br /> Bethesda Hospital and Boca Raton Regional Hospital are part of the Baptist Health South Florida network.</p></div>Health Notes: Boca Regional Hospital rakes in awardshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-regional-hospital-rakes-in-awards2017-08-29T18:00:00.000Z2017-08-29T18:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Boca Raton Regional Hospital</strong> chalked up several honors recently. First, it was named a top-ranked regional hospital in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017–2018 annual review of best hospitals. It’s ranked 16th out of approximately 300 hospitals in Florida and sixth in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area. <br /> The report also rated Boca Regional a high-performing hospital in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, colon cancer surgery, heart failure and lung cancer surgery.<br /> The hospital also was singled out for being the first in Florida and one of only five centers nationally to non-invasively map irregular heartbeats in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias, who did not respond sufficiently to other medicines and related treatments. <br /> The Medtronic Cardio-Insight Noninvasive 3-D Mapping System was introduced at Boca Regional by Dr. Murray Rosenbaum, director of electrophysiology at the hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Heart & Vascular Institute. The system uses a 252-electrode sensor vest that the patient wears. The technology creates 3-D electro-anatomic maps of the heart by collecting electrocardiogram signals from the chest, and combines these signals with data from a computed scan of the heart. <br /> Using this new mapping technology, the electrophysiologist can position a catheter on the rotor centers to end the atrial fibrillation and restore the heart to normal rhythm. The Medtronic CardioInsight Noninvasive 3-D Mapping System at Boca Regional was made possible through a philanthropic gift by Ronald H. and Joanne Willens. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960739296,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960739296,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960739296?profile=original" /></a><em>BocaCare President Amy Cole, Senior Operations Manager Zulma Jairala and Director Heidi Rowe display the plaques awarded to them by Senior Airman Raphael Angel Delgado III and Lenny Miller, Florida vice chairman of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program. Delgado works at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Photo provided</em></p>
<p> <br /> In other news at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, medical staff coordinator Senior Airman <strong>Raphael Angel Delgado III</strong> awarded members of the hospital’s BocaCare Physician Network with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award. The Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program offers resources in career development and assists in the resolving of conflicts that may arise from an employee’s military obligation. <br /> After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Delgado transferred into the U.S. Air Force Reserves to get a degree in the medical field. While in the reserves, he was hired at the hospital. He credits his superiors with providing opportunities to members of the military. <br /> <br /> Congratulations to <strong>Maureen Mann</strong>, executive director at Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute. She received the 2017 St. George National Award from the American Cancer Society for her service toward the society’s mission and goals. The distinction was awarded to 23 volunteers from across the country. <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960739477,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960739477,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="104" alt="7960739477?profile=original" /></a> Mann, who has been associated with the society for more than 15 years, has held positions on committees and was a Florida division board member since 2006. She was the board chairwoman in 2015 and is currently secretary to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network national board of directors.<br /> <strong>Joshua Rothenberg</strong>, DO, was appointed to Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s medical staff and BocaCare physician network as director of regenerative medicine for BocaCare Orthopedics. Rothenberg, a musculoskeletal joint and interventional spine specialist, is board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and trained in sports medicine. <br /> He received the 2017 McLean Outstanding Resident/Fellow Award and the 2016 American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Resident Scholarship Award. <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960739079,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960739079,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="102" alt="7960739079?profile=original" /></a> And a final piece of news from Boca Raton Regional Hospital: <strong>Dr. Thomas Genuit</strong> was appointed to its medical staff and BocaCare physician network. Genuit is a board-certified general surgeon who is fellowship-trained in surgical critical care and trauma. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Critical Care Medicine. <br /> <br /> <strong>Delray Medical Center</strong> has been recognized by Healthgrades as a 2017 Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award recipient, placing it in the top 10 percent of hospitals evaluated, for providing outstanding quality outcomes in gynecologic surgery. <br /> To help consumers evaluate and compare hospital performance in gynecologic surgery, Healthgrades analyzed outcome data for patients in 17 states from 2013 through 2015.<br /> Patients treated in hospitals receiving the Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award had, on average, a 47.6 percent lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital. During that time, if all hospitals in the states included in the analysis performed similarly to hospitals receiving the Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award, 15,557 in-hospital complications could potentially have been avoided.<br /> <br /> In August, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University celebrated its seventh <strong>White Coat Ceremony</strong> as it officially welcomed the 64 members of the class of 2017. The incoming class received their first doctor’s white coats, marking their entry into the profession of medicine, and they each received a Humanism in Medicine lapel pin. <br /> The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Darin P. Trelka, assistant professor of integrated medical science and director of anatomical programs at the college, and the 2017 recipient of the University’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year award. <br /> Members of the class were selected from 3,667 applicants. Fifteen percent of the class received their bachelor’s degree or master’s degree from FAU. Florida residents make up nearly 90 percent of the incoming class.<br /> <br /> This summer, 10 Florida Atlantic University medical residents began hands-on lessons at <strong>Genesis Community Health</strong>. They are tasked with examining, diagnosing and treating patients, while under the supervision and direction of Dr. Cornelia Charles, assistant professor of integrated medical science in the university’s internal medicine residency. <br /> The residents program at Genesis is part of the Graduate Medical Education Consortium with the university, established in 2011 by Bethesda Health, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Tenet’s Delray Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center.<br /> The consortium provides access to clinical settings for health care education, research and patient care services to support and enhance the college’s clinical training programs for residents.<br /> <br /> <strong>Kindred at Home</strong>, a national provider of home health and hospice services, has introduced a specialized program for heart and lung patients available to residents in Palm Beach County. Kindred at Home Cardiopulmonary offers advanced home health treatments and education to heart and lung patients, helping them to better manage their conditions, live more independently and reduce their hospital and emergency room visits. For information, call 886-1500.<br /> <br /> <em> Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.</em><br /></p></div>Health Notes: Grant enables FAU researchers to focus on dementia preventionhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/grant-enables-fau-researchers-to-focus-on-dementia-prevention2017-07-31T21:30:00.000Z2017-07-31T21:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733491,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733491,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960733491?profile=original" /></a><em>Catherine Robson, a nurse practitioner at FAU, observes as Dr. James Galvin administers a videonystagmography (VNG) test, which measures eye movements and is used as an early biomarker sign of Parkinson’s disease and neurodegeneration. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Christine Davis</strong></p>
<p>Is it possible to prevent dementia from happening in the first place? Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine just got a $1 million grant from the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation for a Dementia Prevention Initiative to find out. The grant will launch the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, which will use a personalized approach and precision medicine to reduce risk. <br /> The program was developed by neuroscientist James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., an expert on Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. He’s associate dean for clinical research in the university’s College of Medicine. This center is one of a few in the world to focus on dementia prevention, and the only one that uses Galvin’s protocol. <br /> Galvin’s research has focused on community-based assessment of older adults from diverse backgrounds to examine the impact of physical, mental and emotional health, lifestyle, race, culture, education and socioeconomic status on cognitive performance.<br /> His team identified nine risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, obesity, low mental activities, decreased social engagement, low muscle mass and physical activities, poor diet and disrupted sleep. An estimated 40 million to 50 million Americans have at least one of these risk factors. <br /> “Up to 30 percent of Alzheimer’s disease cases may be prevented through modification of risk factors and behavioral changes to mitigate the impact of those risk factors that are not modifiable, like age and family history, and postmortem studies confirm this,” Galvin says. <br /> The project will establish a database for researchers around the world. <br /> “If we could prevent or even delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases by just five years in South Florida alone, we would reduce the number of cases by 50 percent, which would spare 250,000 people from suffering from this devastating disease that impacts the individual, the family, the caregiver and the community,” said Stephen G. Mehallis, president of the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation. <br /> By the year 2050, an estimated 16 million Americans and 60 million people worldwide will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. By age 85, there is a 42 percent risk of an individual developing them. Nationally, if the onset can be delayed by five years, there would be about 5.7 million fewer cases, with family savings approaching $87 billion, and social savings approaching $367 billion.<br /> <br /> Nurses like working at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. At least that’s what they said in reviews for Nurse.org, a career site for nurses that, in July, recognized the hospital as one of the best for nurses to work in Florida.<br /> Reviewers cited teamwork, focus on patient satisfaction and friendly open-door policy as the basis for the 4.3-star rating, with 92 percent of the nurses surveyed recommending the hospital as an employer. To see how other Florida hospitals ranked in the survey, see <span style="font-family:Roboto;font-size:12.8px;" class="yiv1281243337" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1502200277016_98039"> </span><a target="_blank" href="http://nurse.org/articles/best-hospitals-florida/" style="font-family:Roboto;font-size:12.8px;" class="yiv1281243337" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1502200277016_98037" name="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1502200277016_98037">http://nurse.org/articles/ best-hospitals-florida/</a> <span style="font-family:Roboto;font-size:12.8px;" class="yiv1281243337" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1502200277016_98028"></span><br /> For all of Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s reviews, see the facility page on Nurse.org.<br /> <br /> <br /> Speaking of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, congratulations are in order. The hospital celebrated its 50th birthday on July 17. The hospital was born out of tragedy in 1967, when its founder Gloria Drummond and other residents rallied to provide the city with a hospital. In celebration, the cafeteria and bistro featured special menu items with 1967 prices, top music hits from the year and groovy decorations.<br /> <br /> In related news, officials at Boca Raton Regional Hospital are exploring the possibility of establishing a partnership with another health-care provider to accelerate and elevate the hospital’s position as an academic regional referral medical center. <br /> Hospital CEO Jerry Fedele says forming a strategic partnership will enhance the hospital’s ability to develop nationally recognized clinical programs, mitigate the challenges of a stand-alone organization, and have greater access to capital. A steering committee to explore the initiative includes the hospital’s board members, community and medical staff leaders, and volunteers. Dick Schmidt, former board chair, is chairing the steering committee. <br /> “Every hospital or health system in this nation is constantly seeking ways to enhance its capabilities in patient care, strengthen its finances and secure its position in its respective service area,” said Christine E. Lynn, the hospital board’s chair. “We are no different and believe our intent to explore a strategic partnership is a prudent and positive development for the hospital and the communities we serve.” <br /> <br /> And the hospital has some good news for women. With GE Healthcare, Boca Raton Regional is the first hospital in the country to install a more comfortable mammography system with new 3-D digital mammography technology, Senographe Pristina. It offers patients a reinvented mammography experience, says Kathy Schilling, MD, medical director at the hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute. “It’s a faster and quieter exam with greater comfort and less pain during compression.” The rounded corners of the image detector help reduce patient discomfort under the arms. <br /> <br /> Those who suffer from eating disorders will find a new place to go for treatment and referrals. That’s because Marti LaTour, of Gulf Stream, and Michelle Klinedinst, of Singer Island, recently co-founded VIAMAR Health Eating Disorders and Behavioral Health Center in West Palm Beach. <br /> LaTour brings more than 30 years of experience in business and financial management to the center. Previously, she was vice president of the Florida division of PepsiAmerica. She also served as a vice president wealth adviser at BMO Private Bank and Bernstein Global Wealth Management. <br /> She sits on the boards of the Palm Beach County Food Bank, Economic Council of Palm Beach County, YWCA, Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness and Angel Forum of Florida, among others.<br /> Before moving to South Florida to launch the new center, Klinedinst built operations and clinical programs for Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders in Arizona. She helped create the clinical infrastructure for Eric Clapton’s addiction treatment program, Crossroads Centre, in Antigua, and served as its CEO from 1999 to 2002. For information, call 293-4677 or visit <a href="http://www.viamarhealth.com">www.viamarhealth.com</a>. <br /> <br /> The South Florida branch of Oasis Senior Advisors, a free community-based referral senior-placement service that serves south Palm Beach County, has been purchased by Candy Cohn.<br /> Cohn has helped people find senior living communities for more than five years through her business, Yaffa Senior Services. <br /> Oasis’ advisers specialize in educating and informing seniors and their families on the distinctions and options offered by assisted living communities, Alzheimer’s care, retirement communities, skilled nursing homes, residential nursing homes, respite services, hospice and dementia care. <br /> Advisers help clients identify lifestyle preferences and health-care, financial and location needs. <br /> A Delray Beach resident since 2007, Cohn has a background in health-care marketing, including community relations at Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, marketing director for Flexsite Diagnostics, and community relations at the Visiting Nurse Association of Florida. She serves as president of Elder Services Resource Network and participates in the Partnership for Aging, Alzheimer’s Association, Arthritis Foundation and the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Health Council.</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733868,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733868,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960733868?profile=original" /></a><strong>Ribbon Cutting</strong> <br /> <em> Delray Medical Center celebrated its new patient tower, which consists of 96 private patient rooms, a helipad, a parking garage, registration services, cardiovascular clinic, expanded laboratory and advanced imaging technology. Delray Medical Center is at 5352 Linton Blvd., Delray Beach. ABOVE: Celebrating the hospital’s expansion are (l-r) Dian Adams, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, Tenet Healthcare; Eric Evans, Tenet’s president of hospital operations; Mark Bryan, CEO, Delray Medical Center (with scissors); Marsha Powers, CEO of Eastern Region, Coastal Division of Tenet Healthcare; Trevor Fetter, Tenet chairman and CEO; and Dr. Octavio Diaz, Tenet’s chief medical officer. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em><br /> <br /> <em>Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com</em></p></div>Health & Harmony: Women join forces to mend hearts and support others with cardiac problemshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/women-join-forces-to-mend-hearts-and-support-others-with-cardiac-2017-07-31T21:30:00.000Z2017-07-31T21:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960729479,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960729479,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960729479?profile=original" /></a><em>WomenHeart coordinators Rhoda Kitzes and Nancy Edelman say women’s concerns can be different from men’s when it comes to heart disease. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Lona O’Connor</strong></p>
<p>When Nancy Edelman completed her training at the Mayo Clinic as a WomenHeart volunteer two years ago, she was bursting with enthusiasm and newfound knowledge — and the desire to share it.<br /> “In the past, no one ever paid attention to women, never considered them for testing for heart disease,” said Edelman, of Boca Raton. “It made you feel that only men had heart problems. Women have more heart disease than men, and more women die from heart disease than from cancer.”<br /> Edelman and her neighbor, Rhoda Kitzes, head the Boca Raton chapter of WomenHeart, a support and education group for women with heart disease, whose concerns can be different from those of men. <br /> Mended Hearts, a second Boca Raton group with a similar mission, has both women and men as members. Some women attend at both groups. And both groups are confidential, to encourage frank discussions.<br /> WomenHeart meetings contain a healthy dose of practical concerns — diet and exercise, meditation, chair yoga and more — along with a regular visit from an expert to talk about heart disease research and news. <br /> Edelman and Kitzes share a cardiologist, Seth Baum of Boca Raton, who emphasizes preventive care. This approach was well-suited to Edelman’s needs. <br /> “Both my parents had cardiac problems, and [Baum] did find things that had to be addressed,” she said. Edelman had atrial fibrillation, hypertension and high cholesterol, all of which Baum got under control, she says.<br /> “Then he told me about WomenHeart,” said Edelman. “I consider myself very fortunate. I wanted to give back now that I’m retired, and I thought this could be a perfect way. Why not help women in the same predicament? Women want to hear it from someone at their own level.”<br /> Baum asked Kitzes to start the group at Boca Raton Regional Hospital and Baum took her to training in Washington, D.C., at WomenHeart’s headquarters. She was inspired by what she learned and the people she met.<br /> “There were women who were waiting for hearts, one woman had a heart pump and there were a lot of younger women with different types of heart disease,” said Kitzes. <br /> Edelman trained the following year and together with Boca Raton Regional, they put out the word about the group, which has grown to more than 20 women. They are selecting others to train to lead meetings and to do outreach work in the community. Two more are scheduled for training this year.<br /> “We’re very excited that we’ve grown as much as we have,” said Kitzes. “The hospital has been very helpful.”<br /> <br /> <strong>Outreach essential</strong><br /> Kitzes and Edelman regularly visit cardiac rehabilitation facilities to introduce their group to women who are about to return home, often a difficult physical and emotional transition. They also meet with cardiac nurses and other medical professionals.<br /> “I tell them it’s very important that they come to a meeting when they finish rehab,” said Kitzes. “We don’t want them to go home not knowing what to do and having no support. We can help them through the next phase.”<br /> “People can walk out of a doctor’s office thinking they’re not going to live another week,” said Edelman. “Then they come to a meeting and they see someone and think, ‘Look how good she looks, and she has the same thing I have.’ It’s good to talk to people who are concerned about them. It puts them at ease to see so many people like themselves, and they’re in good shape.”<br /> The benefit of working in a support group bounces back to the group’s leaders.<br /> “It’s a good feeling to be able to help people that way,” said Edelman. “We get to meet lovely people and we concentrate on the woman as she is living with the disease.”<br /> <strong> </strong><br /> <strong>Awareness raised</strong><br /> WomenHeart was founded in 1999 by three women who had heart attacks. Not living near each other, they formed a tiny support network, then began reaching out to other women around the country.<br /> “At that time, misdiagnosis was a major problem for women,” said Kitzes. “They would go to the hospital with chest pain and be sent home. Three days later, they were having open heart surgery.<br /> “We’ve worked on that, and now doctors are much more aware that thousands of women are at risk for heart disease. And we can still do more to get the word out to doctors and women and to provide peer support.”<br /> The national WomenHeart group is active in supporting scientific research into women’s specific medical concerns as well as lobbying in Congress.<br /> “Women are different from men in body makeup,” said Kitzes. <br /> “They’ve got to change the way research is done, said Edelman. “Our spokespeople have done a wonderful thing, they are fighting for us.” <br /> Kitzes was diagnosed with inflammation of the heart and lung lining as well as atrial fibrillation. She now has those conditions under control with medication and lifestyle changes.<br /> “I manage to be as active as I can,” said Kitzes. “The WomenHeart group has been helpful. We talk about things and everybody helps each other.”<br /> Kitzes acknowledges that a support group may not be to everyone’s taste.<br /> “There are women who say, I really don’t want to talk about my heart disease, I just want to go on with my life, and they don’t come back to meetings. You have to want to be part of the bonding.<br /> “We talk about everything, the obstacles we face, the depression in our lives, how to relate to your family. Very often, children or spouses get overprotective, and of course you don’t want to burden them. There are a lot of nuances in the family setup.”<br /> Joining a support group can be just the prescription for moving on to the next stage of life, said Edelman.<br /> “People shouldn’t live in fear,” she said. “The doctors tell you you’ll be fine but you like to hear it from a layman. You can relate to it in a more personal way.”<br /> WomenHeart meets October through May at 1:45 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute, 690 Meadows Road in Boca Raton.<br /> The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 12. <br /> Contact Kitzes at 235-5515, Edelman at 289-8975 or Robin Mautino, program director at the Lynn Women’s Institute, at 955-5348 or email WH-BocaRaton@womenheart.org.<br /> For virtual support groups and health education materials, visit WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease at <a href="http://www.womenheart.org">www.womenheart.org</a>.<br /> Mended Hearts, a national organization of heart patients, meets from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month in the Drummond rehabilitation classroom at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. For information, visit <a href="http://www.mendedhearts.org">www.mendedhearts.org</a>.<br /> For information about Mended Little Hearts, an organization for families of children with heart disease, visit <a href="http://www.mendedlittlehearts.org">www.mendedlittlehearts.org</a>.<br /> <br /> <em> Lona O’Connor has a lifelong interest in health and healthy living. Send column ideas to Lona13@bellsouth.net.</em></p></div>Colonial Animal Hospital Grand Openinghttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/colonial-animal-hospital-grand-opening2013-07-19T18:45:33.000Z2013-07-19T18:45:33.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><em id="yui_3_7_2_1_1374241125461_98707">Please join us at <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1374259374_0">3 pm Saturday</span> for the grand opening of Colonial Animal Hospital's new location at Federal Highway and Gateway Boulevard in Boynton Beach:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960459279,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960459279,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960459279?profile=original" /></a></em></p></div>Society Spotlight: Boca Raton Regional Hospital Ball Kick-off At Bogart’s, Boca Ratonhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/society-spotlight-boca-raton2010-12-29T22:00:00.000Z2010-12-29T22:00:00.000ZScott Simmonshttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ScottSimmons<div><p><span class="font-size-3"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960314686,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><br /></a></span></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3">Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation hosted a kick-off reception for its 49th annual ball at Bogart’s.</span> <br /><span class="font-size-3">The reception honored the members of the Medical Staff Executive Committee, who will be recognized as honorees at a black-tie gala to celebrate the hospital’s accolades for excellence in patient care.</span><br /><span class="font-size-3">The ball will be held Jan. 15 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.</span> <br /><span class="font-size-3">Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available. </span> <br /><span class="font-size-3">Call the foundation at 955-4142 for more information.</span></p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960314686,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="360" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960314686,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960314686?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Larry Burker and Jean Blechman</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960315291,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960315291,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960315291?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Christine Lynn and Bobby Campbell</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960315465,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960315465,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960315465?profile=original" /></a>Philip and Jo Ann Procacci</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960315465,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960315478,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960315478,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960315478?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Jerry Fedele, president and CEO (left); Dick Schmidt, chairman,<br />Boca Raton Regional Hospital Board of Trustees;<br /> Warren S. Orlando, chairman, Boca Raton Regional Hospital<br /> Foundation. Photos provided</p>
<p> </p></div>