John Afshar, M.D., and John Robinson, Jr., M.D., FAANS, two of the areas highly-experienced neurosurgeons announce they have returned to the Treasure Coast and opened a Palm Beach Neuroscience Institute (PBNI) neurosurgery office in Stuart.
 
Dr. Afshar is a board-certified and fellowship-trained neurosurgeon specializing in minimally invasive surgery for the spine and brain including neck and low back pain, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, disc replacement/arthroplasty, minimally invasive microsurgery, nonfusion surgery, neck and low back fusion, brain tumors, trigeminal neuralgia and stereotactic radiosurgery/CyberKnife. He is a Diplomate of the prestigious American Board of Neurologic Surgery.
 
Dr. Robinson is a board-certified double fellowship-trained neurosurgeon specializing in computer guided minimally invasive microsurgical treatments for the spine and brain including neck surgery, minimally invasive lumbar surgery, herniated disc, spinal stenosis, brain and pituitary tumors, spine tumors, CyberKnife Radiosurgery and laser brain tumor treatment. He is a member of the American Association of Neurologic Surgeons and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
 
Dr. Afshar and Dr. Robinson are on-staff at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach as well as Laser & Surgery Center of the Palm Beaches, an affiliate of United Surgical Partners International (USPI).  


Orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist Jonathan Hersch, M.D., FAAOS, with Tenet Florida Physician Services and West Boca Medical Center in Boca Raton, is now specializing in the new ExactTechGPS® Shoulder Application, a preoperative surgery planning tool. Dr. Hersch is using this technology as a tool to create guided personalized surgery for shoulder replacements. Similar to a GPS navigation device in a vehicle, this shoulder procedure platform gives the surgeon a visual map of the patient’s shoulder joint on a high-definition (HD) screen. This allows the shoulder specialist to combine their preoperative planning with intraoperative computer-assisted technology. Dr. Hersch said this helps to perform implant alignment relative to the patient’s needs.

“This is the latest advancement in technology providing surgeons with real-time visual guidance and alignment data in total shoulder surgery. The precision and accuracy is unparalleled,” said Dr. Hersch.
 
Dr. Hersch is now using this preoperative planning tool to plan cases based on a 3D anatomical model built during a patient’s visit to his office prior to surgery, thus allowing him to make any adjustments needed prior to the procedure.


Spielberg, Scorsese, Cameron, Tarantino. The Mount Rushmore of directors. While the title of "Director" is probably on their business card, if you were to ask them to describe what they do, they would probably answer you in one word. "Storyteller." While everyone has a story to tell, not everyone can tell a story.

I’ve spent twenty-five years focusing on narrative and the importance of Storytelling as a documentary filmmaker. I also have a wealth of experience working in television advertising as a director and producer. I’ve learned that everyone has a story, but not everyone can tell their story authentically and compellingly.
           
What we used to consider entertainment has been re-labeled as "content." Business owners would contact me and request estimates to produce videos for their website. The scenario would go like this. "We have a script, and we want it to say this, or can you help us make it look and sound like this commercial we saw on television.”
 
Most of these people had no copywriting or advertising experience, but they had built a business from the ground up.
 
As a business owner myself, I can empathize. They were successful entrepreneurs and thought, I can do this! I’d say, "that’s great that you have a script, but does it reflect your business and who you are as a business owner? And does it have the message that you have in mind? Is this the message your audience expects from you?
 
I’d ask them to tell me about the business’s history, who started it, and why. We would talk about the ups, downs, goals, competitive advantages, and where they wanted to go. The answers to these questions are still fascinating to me. They stirred my curiosity and creativity because they had the context. Through communication and conversation, a story would begin to take shape and was often the complete opposite of the initial concept.
 
Social media platforms disrupted traditional storytelling mediums of radio and television by democratizing who can tell a story, when they can tell that story and how they can tell it. There have been tremendous upsides in the forms of creativity, inclusivity, and a massive reduction in costs that leveled the advertising playing field for businesses, non-profits, and individuals. Using strategic planning and targeting, we can all find an audience that aligns with our values and wants to hear our story.
 
But there also are downsides. Businesses and organizations often miss the mark, using a scattershot approach of posting an abundance of "content" that doesn’t have context. It lacks narrative and devalues their story’s significance. It also lacks authenticity. While it may be easy to grab a stock photo or video and attach some relevant terms about your business, today’s consumers value and appreciate authenticity and will see through regurgitated attempts to engage them.
 
We’re in an era where a company’s story and the founder’s journey drive consumer engagement and decision making. Spanx and its founder Sara Blakely come to mind. She’s transparent about her journey from fax machine salesperson to CEO of a company that is a staple in the women’s shapewear market. She owns her narrative about the ups, downs, dreams deferred, and her eventual success. Her narrative is authentic, and it makes her story and the story of her company compelling.
 
We’re now living in what will be forever known as the "new normal," and we’ll be talking about the COVID era for the foreseeable future. The last year has been challenging for all of us and crippling for the healthcare sector. The narrative we’re currently experiencing adds value to who we are and where we want to go. We will be telling the story of workers on the front lines of COVID, the lives lost, the lives saved, and most importantly, how this event changed our lives. Storytelling is and will always be a valuable tool as we move forward because it teaches, challenges, and inspires us!
 
So, how will you make use of your narrative? How will you tell your story? Will it be authentic and compelling?


Holy Cross Health is one of the first in South Florida to offer a new lung valve treatment for patients with severe COPD/emphysema. 

Recently approved by the FDA under its “Breakthrough Devices” status, the Zephyr® Endobronchial Valve treatment is a major advancement because it is the first minimally invasive procedure to help emphysema sufferers breathe easier without major surgery. Through a simple bronchoscopy, the valves improve a patient’s quality of life by allowing them to breathe easier, reducing the shortness of breath, while promoting a more active and energetic lifestyle. 
 
“We are very excited to have this new treatment option because emphysema patients are often in poor physical condition, struggling with each breath despite medication therapy. Before the Zephyr Valves, the only options for relief were highly invasive treatments including lung surgeries,” said Sam G. Kosseifi, M.D., DABSM, lead pulmonologist at Holy Cross Health. “Being able to offer this minimally invasive procedure has the potential to improve the quality of life for many emphysema sufferers in Florida and beyond.”
 
The one-time procedure is done during a simple bronchoscopy that requires no cutting or incisions. During the procedure, an average of four tiny valves are placed in the airways to block off the diseased parts of the lungs where air gets trapped. Keeping air from getting trapped in the diseased parts of the lung allows the healthier parts of the lungs to expand and take in more air. This results in patients being able to breathe easier and have less shortness of breath. 


Cresco Labs and Bluma Wellness Inc. announce the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (the “HSR Act”), as amended, in respect to Cresco Labs’ pending acquisition of Bluma (the “Transaction”). The waiting period expired without the issuance of a so-called “second request” by the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division (the “DOJ”). The Transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter of 2021 and is subject to certain closing conditions, including approval from the State of Florida.

“We look forward to completing the remaining steps required to close the Transaction and are excited to begin our work with the Bluma team to accelerate our growth in the Florida market,” said Charles Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs.