September 24 2021 – Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center announces the appointment of Darrin Cook to the position of Associate Administrator at the hospital. In this role, Cook will oversee environmental services, food and nutrition, security, and the emergency management program as well as special projects.

“We are very pleased to have Darrin as a part of the Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center team to provide leadership for our hospital,” said Teresa Urquhart, chief executive officer with Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. “With his excellent track record, I am confident Darrin will continue to help further our mission of providing great care for our patients.”

Cook has 20 years of health care administration experience and comes to Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center from Renown Health’s Institute for Heart and Vascular Health as an administrative director in Reno, Nevada. His responsibilities included overseeing the general medical cardiology, structural heart, and heart failure programs. In addition, he managed the intensive cardiac rehab program that aligned with the hospitals Cath labs, cardiac imaging, and CVORs.

Cook spent six years on active duty as a medical specialist with the United States Army, serving one tour in Kuwait as well as one year in the Army National Guard. Darrin holds a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Management and a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Services from the University of Phoenix.

About Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center:

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center is a 199-bed acute care hospital serving the medical and healthcare needs of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast for over 50 years. The hospital was the first in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast to perform open-heart surgery and has since remained one of the area’s leading heart hospitals, having performed nearly 19,000 open-heart surgeries and more than 100,000 cardiac catheterizations to date.

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center offers comprehensive cardiac care and advanced minimally-invasive procedures including Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), MitraClip, and Watchman. The hospital is the first in Palm Beach, Broward and Martin County to adopt the minimally invasive convergent approach to treat patients with atrial fibrillation. The hospital’s outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program is designed for people recovering from a heart attack, coronary bypass or valve surgery, and angioplasty or stent procedures.

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center offers advanced orthopedic care to our community. Some of the services offered include: total joint replacements for hip, knee and shoulder, sports medicine, arthroscopy, podiatry, fracture management and inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation. In 2021, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center utilized the CORI robotic-assisted surgical system to perform knee replacements.

Additional services include an Advanced Certified Primary Stroke Center, diagnostic imaging, general and robotic surgery, an Epilepsy Program and 24-hour emergency care. Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center’s Emergency Department offers all private rooms and is equipped with technology to help increase patient comfort, reduce wait times and provide up-to-the-minute patient status, as well as immediate access to film-based radiological images, interpretations and related data. The hospital’s Epilepsy Program is the first of its kind in Palm Beach County to have a dedicated Epilepsy Monitoring Unit that is equipped with long-term video monitoring, a specialized form of an EEG for patients who suffer from seizures. The hospital acquired the da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System which can be used across a spectrum of minimally-invasive procedures such as cardiovascular, colorectal, general surgery, gynecology, urology and more.

The hospital was the recipient of the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus from 2015 – 2021, and also was named a High Performance Hospital for Heart Failure in U.S. News and World Report’s 2021-2022 Best Hospitals. Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center was also named as the best heart center in Palm County from the Palm Beach Post 2020 Best of Palm Beach County Awards. For more information or for a complimentary physician referral, please call (833)-619-8831 or visit www.pbgmc.com.

Miami, FL – The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (DOH-Miami-Dade) is offering appointments for the Pfizer- BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson’s Jannsen COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine is available to individuals 12 years of age and older while the Johnson & Johnson’s Jannsen vaccine is available to individuals 18 years of age and older. The vaccines will be offered by appointment at the following locations:

• Health District Center – DOH-Miami-Dade site 1350 NW 14 Street, Miami Florida 33125

• Little Haiti Clinic – DOH-Miami-Dade site 300 NE 80 Terrace, Miami Florida 33138

• West Perrine Clinic – DOH-Miami-Dade site 18255 Homestead Avenue, Miami Florida 33157

• West Dade Clinic – DOH-Miami-Dade site 11865 SW 26th Street, Miami, Florida 33175

• City of Sweetwater
250 SW 114th Avenue, Sweetwater, Florida 33174

• Hialeah Gardens Library
13451 NW 107th Avenue, Hialeah Gardens, Florida 33018

• City of Miami Springs
1401 Westward Drive, Miami Springs, Florida 33166

To schedule an appointment, follow the attached link on google chrome https://public.domo.com/cards/v2mAg

All individuals under the age of 18 receiving a vaccine must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and must complete the COVID-19 vaccine screening and consent form.

As per State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees’ Public Health Advisory issued on April 29, 2021, vaccine access and eligibility is expanded to any individual in Florida who is present in Florida for the purpose of providing goods or services for the benefit of residents and visitors of the state.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.

September 24 2021 – The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) today announced that former Becton Dickinson (BD) CEO Edward J. Ludwig will receive the 2021 AdvaMed Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by IQVIA, at the industry’s premier annual gathering, The MedTech Conference 202 1, at an in-person and livestreamed event on Sept. 27 at 3:15 pm ET in Washington, D.C. 

Ludwig is a purpose-driven, visionary leader who saw challenges at BD as opportunities. Everything he did was centered around “helping all people lead healthy lives,” according to Ludwig. Under his leadership, the company expanded its global reach, always with a focus on improving the health of people around the world, and a strong commitment to global humanitarian efforts.

“Every year we present the Lifetime Achievement Award to an individual who, throughout their career, has had a profound impact on our industry and the patients we serve,” said AdvaMed President and CEO Scott Whitaker. “It’s one of the toughest decisions we make every year, since our entire industry is literally defined by its commitment to saving and changing lives for the better. Ed Ludwig dedicated his remarkable career in medtech to doing just that.”

Ludwig was born in the Bronx and grew up in the small town of Norwood, New Jersey, the oldest of five children and the first in his family to attend college. The son of a construction worker, he had summer jobs in construction himself during college, and always understood the value of hard work and a college education.

With a B.S. in accounting and economics from the College of the Holy Cross, an MBA from Columbia University, and a few years of working experience, Ludwig accepted a position at Becton Dickenson as a senior financial analyst in 1979. That job led to an illustrious career, and more than 30 years at BD, where Ludwig would rise through the ranks as head of the diagnostics division, COO, and eventually CEO, President, and Chairman of the Board. Ludwig retired from BD in 2012, but his impact is still felt in the company and throughout the medical technology industry today.

He was instrumental in bringing the BD BACTEC 9000 system to market, a family of continuous blood monitoring and blood culturing instruments, revolutionizing the way blood culturing was performed, ultimately improving patient care and safety for health care workers.

With the goal of developing current and future leaders in the company, Ludwig established BD University, a management-driven leadership development program within the company. At BD, everyone who worked with him could tell you about his focus on diversity and his inclusive management style, seeking out honest opinions from employees throughout the company, and then acting on that feedback to improve the company.

Ludwig served as the Chairman of the Board of AdvaMed from 2006 to 2008. He had the experience and management style to be able to step back and help guide the organization, always with a focus on what was best for the entire medtech industry.

Ludwig has always made philanthropic causes a priority, and since retiring he has worked together with his family on many causes, donating both time and resources to organizations near and dear to their hearts.

When Ludwig retired from BD in 2012, he didn’t leave the medical technology field behind. He has stayed in the forefront, serving on many boards in the health care industry. He is currently a Director at CVS Health and Boston Scientific.

AdvaMed’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors the accomplishments of pioneers in the medical technology sector whose contributions have had a significant impact on patients’ lives and the industry as an essential part of America’s economy.

AdvaMed member companies produce the medical devices, diagnostic products and health information systems that are transforming health care through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures and more effective treatments. AdvaMed members range from the largest to the smallest medical technology innovators and companies. For more information, visit www.advamed.org.

West Palm Beach, FL – Adults and children as young as 12 are encouraged to receive free, walk-up COVID-19 vaccinations at one of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s mobile clinic sites listed below. Those vaccinated at one of our big blue buses can receive a $10 voucher for grocery shopping courtesy of the Florida Department of Health. Individuals 12 to 17 years old must be with a parent or a guardian to be vaccinated. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue personnel are administering the vaccinations. No appointment is needed.

The Health Care District’s mobile clinics are now offering third doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 18 years of age and older who are fully-vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Those eligible need to present their COVID-19 vaccination record card showing they received two previous Pfizer doses.

DATE	TIME	LOCATION	1^st & 2^nd DOSE	VACCINE BRAND	AGES
Monday – Friday, through and including October 1^st	9am – 4pm	Lantana Clinic Parking Lot 1250 Southwinds Drive Lantana, FL 33462	1st & 2nd dose	Pfizer & Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)	12 and up (12 to 17 Pfizer only)
Friday, Sept. 24^th	8am – 11am	School District Partnership: Boca Raton High School 1501 NW 15^th Court Boca Raton, FL 33486	1^st & 2^nd dose	Pfizer	12 and up
Friday, Sept. 24^th	1pm – 5pm	West Boca Raton High School 12811 Glades Rd. Boca Raton, FL 33498	1^st & 2^nd dose	Pfizer	12 and up
Saturday, Sept. 25^th	12pm – 6pm	Gospel Fest Belle Glade Loading Ramp 524 SW Ave. D Belle Glade, FL 33430	1st & 2nd dose	Pfizer & Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)	12 and up (12 to 17 Pfizer only)
Wednesday, Sept. 29^th	8am – 11am	School District Partnership: Jupiter High School 500 N. Military Trail Jupiter, FL 33458	1st & 2nd dose	Pfizer	12 and up
Wednesday, Sept. 29^th	1pm – 5pm	William T. Dwyer High School 13601 N. Military Trail Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418	1st & 2nd dose	Pfizer	12 and up
Thursday, Sept. 30^th	8am – 11am	Palm Beach Gardens High School 4245 Holly Drive Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 -more-	1st & 2nd dose	Pfizer	12 and up
Thursday, Sept. 30^th	1pm – 5 pm	Suncoast High School 1717 Avenue S. Riviera Beach, FL 33404	1st & 2nd dose	Pfizer	12 and up
Thursday, Sept. 30^th	1pm – 4pm	Everglades Preparatory Academy 360 East Main Street, Building “C” Pahokee, FL 33476	1st & 2nd dose	Pfizer & Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)	12 and up (12 to 17 Pfizer only)
Friday, Oct. 1^st	8am – 11am	School District Partnership: Glades Central High School 1001 SW Ave. M Belle Glade, FL 33430	1^st & 2^nd dose	Pfizer	12 and up
Friday, Oct. 1^st	1pm – 5pm	Pahokee High School 900 Larrimore Rd. Pahokee, FL 33476	1^st & 2^nd dose	Pfizer	12 and up
Saturday, Oct. 2^nd	10am – 12pm	Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, Inc. 1736 Lake Worth Rd. Lake Worth, FL 33460	1^st & 2^nd dose	Pfizer & Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)	12 and up

Drive-through COVID-19 testing is available in the parking lot behind Lakeside Medical in Center at 39200 Hooker Highway in Belle Glade from 9 am to 5 pm seven days a week, excluding federal holidays. Monoclonal antibody testing is also being offered during those hours at that site outside the hospital. To date, the Health Care District has provided over 219,000 COVID-19 vaccinations countywide.

Visit www.hcdpbc.org and click the blue COVID-19 Information Center button for updates to this schedule. Local businesses and organizations interested in hosting the Health Care District’s mobile vaccination clinic for their employees and clients can visit www.hcdpbc.org, click the purple “Mobile Clinic Vaccination & Community Event Request” button and submit the completed form for review and approval.

The Health Care District provides COVID-19 vaccinations to patients during regular doctors’ office visits at all of the nine C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinic sites across the county, which are located in areas of need. Appointments can be made by calling 561-642-1000.

About the Health Care District

The Health Care District of Palm Beach County provides primary medical care and dental services for adults and children at the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, a coordinated and lifesaving Trauma System that includes two FAA-certified Trauma Hawk air ambulances, registered nurses in nearly 170 public schools, short and long-term skilled nursing at the Edward J. Healey Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Riviera Beach, and acute care at its teaching hospital, Lakeside Medical Center, which is accredited by The Joint Commission and serves the rural Glades’ communities.

About the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number H80CS25684 for Health Center Cluster in the award amount of $7,111,563. Of the total project, 81.9% is financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. The C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics were granted Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) deeming status effective January 1, 2021.

September 24, 2021 – Cleveland Clinic Florida and Florida Blue have entered into a new multi-year agreement.

The agreement gives Florida Blue members in-network access to all Cleveland Clinic locations in Florida, including five hospitals and 33 outpatient centers in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. Cleveland Clinic Florida features more than 650 physicians and 2,400 nurses with expertise in 70 specialties across the region.

“We are excited to announce this agreement with a company like Florida Blue, which is at the forefront of keeping communities healthy,” said Conor Delaney, MD, PhD, CEO and President of the Cleveland Clinic Florida region. “This agreement will help us continue to fulfill our goal of providing the community with access to high-quality care.”

About the Cleveland Clinic Florida Region

The Cleveland Clinic Florida region is a nonprofit, multi-specialty healthcare provider that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. The Florida region now includes Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, and Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, with five hospitals and numerous outpatient centers in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. The Florida region is an integral part of Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where providing outstanding patient care is based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Physicians at Cleveland Clinic are experts in the treatment of complex conditions that are difficult to diagnose. For more information about Cleveland Clinic Florida, visit www.clevelandclinicflorida.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.