.jpg)
This year, Florida Medical Center, a campus of North Shore was recognized with numerous national awards, expanded its service lines and acquired new technology to provide better care for the residents of Broward County. Florida Medical Center started off 2014 by receiving two key recognitions, including being ranked among the Top 10% in the Nation for Cardiology Services and receiving a Five-Star Rating for the Treatment of Heart Failure in 2014 from Healthgrades, the leading online resource that helps consumers search, compare and connect with physicians and hospitals. The Heart Institute of Florida at Florida Medical Center has cared for patients with cardiovascular disease since performing the first open heart surgery in Broward County in 1974. The hospital continues to provide excellent cardiac care today by providing its patients with the latest advancements in technology and unique services, including the region’s first Aortic Heart Institute, which focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of aortic diseases and conditions.
In the spring, the hospital began utilizing a less invasive heart defibrillator known as S-ICD (subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) for patients who may be at risk for sudden cardiac arrest. Later in the year, the hospital acquired the Diamondback 360 Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System (OAS). Florida Medical Center became the first hospital in Broward County to use this innovative surgical technology to treat patients with coronary artery disease.
In May, Florida Medical Center received an “A” Hospital Safety Score from The Leapfrog Group. The Hospital Safety Score rates how well hospitals protect patients from errors, injuries, and infections and is compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts in patient safety.
Continuing the year, the hospital added new technology to its radiology department. The Brilliance iCT scanner, the latest diagnostic imaging tool from Philips Healthcare, offers shorter and more definitive exams to patients. It can also help detect a wide range of life threatening illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and lung disease.
In July, the hospital was awarded a three-year term of accreditation in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the result of a review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety.
Toward the end of summer, Florida Medical Center CEO, Gabrielle Finley-Hazle, was honored to be named one of the 25 most influential business women in the area by the South Florida Business Journal. The women were chosen based on their contributions to their communities and the business world, their strong performance as leaders in their respective organizations, and the innovations they brought to their industries. She was also recognized in Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2014 list of "Rising Stars: 25 Healthcare Leaders Under 40." This list recognized men and women who demonstrated excellence in their healthcare organizations and professional lives before turning 40.
In September, Florida Medical Center honored the female physicians on staff in celebration of Women in Medicine Month. The female doctors on staff at Florida Medical Center work in a variety of specialties, including anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, oncology, nephrology, radiology, pathology, plastic surgery and more.
In October, Florida Medical Center was the first hospital in Fort Lauderdale to remove blood clots from a patient using groundbreaking minimally invasive technology called the Angiovac® system. Other technological advancements included the addition of Philips’ AlluraClarity to the hospital’s Cardiac Hybrid Suite. With its powerful ClarityIQ technology, the system provides high quality imaging for a comprehensive range of clinical procedures, achieving excellent visibility at low X-ray dose levels for patients of all sizes.
The future of minimally invasive gynecological surgery arrived at Florida Medical Center in the fall with the addition of da Vinci® Single-Site™ hysterectomies. The hospital was one of the first in Florida to provide this minimally invasive procedure, which is performed laparoscopically, or robotically, through the belly button.
In the fall, the hospital opened its Signature Senior Care Unit and newly renovated Senior Emergency Room. The Senior Care Unit features a multidisciplinary team that consists of board-certified geriatricians, registered nurses, therapists, pharmacists, dieticians and case managers. The Senior ER is outfitted with technology and equipment to increase patient comfort and provide greater aid for those patients with visual and/or hearing impairments, such as virtual windows that provide time orientation.
Wrapping up the year, Florida Medical Center earned the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award for the second consecutive year for meeting specific quality achievement measures outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients. Florida Medical Center also received the association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll for meeting stroke quality measures that reduce the time between hospital arrival and treatment with the clot-buster tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic
stroke.
Overall, Florida Medical Center is proud of this year’s many accomplishments and looks forward to seeing the hospital’s growth in the upcoming year.
