By Christine Davis
The rate of COVID-19 infections is on the rise, and following are statements from county hospitals in late November.
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.
“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.”
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.
“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.”
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.
“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.”
Baptist Health notes
Vascular surgeon Aidan Hamm, M.D., recently joined Bethesda Health Physician Group, a part of Baptist Health South Florida.
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.
• Orthopedic surgeon Alexander D. Gaukhman, M.D., M.S., joined BocaCare Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, a part of Baptist Health South Florida, in October. Gaukhman specializes in total joint replacement surgery.
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.
He sees patients at 3313 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Suite 202, Deerfield Beach, and 670 Glades Road, Suite 300, Boca Raton.
• 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 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.
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.
She sees patients at 670 Glades Road, Suite 100, Boca Raton.
• 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.
• 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.
Palm Beach Health notes
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.
• 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.
Previously, Taha worked for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Newman, Georgia. He earned his medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine.
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.
His office is at 5130 Linton Blvd., Suite B-4, Delray Beach.
• 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.
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.
• 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.
• 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.”
• 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.
The design lets doctors safely enter and maneuver within the left atrial appendage.
Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.
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