Kendall Regional Medical Center Has One of Largest HCA Healthcare Physician
Residency Programs in South Florida; Welcomes 55 to Class of 2024 
 
 
March 22, 2021 – HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA), one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, today announced that it has offered 1,982 positions for its July 2021 graduate medical education programs—its largest incoming class to date and the largest nationally among U.S. teaching hospitals. Among this is the addition of 55 residents to Kendall Regional Medical Center’s graduate medical education (GME) program.
 
HCA Healthcare has become a significant provider of clinical and medical education and is the largest sponsor of graduate medical education programs in the United States, with 304 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited programs, more than 5,100 residents and fellows, and 61 teaching hospitals across 16 states.
 
Kendall Regional Medical Center is a major tertiary-care teaching facility that offers a dynamic environment and provides residents the opportunities to be exposed to a wide variety of clinical encounters across multiple disciplines. Kendall Regional currently has 6 ACGME accredited programs: Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Surgical Critical Care, and Transitional Year. It also has a Podiatric Medicine and Surgery residency accredited by the CPME.
 
“We are continuing to address two critical shortages in the United States—nurses and physicians—by growing our comprehensive graduate medical education programs and clinical education programs,” said Sam Hazen, chief executive officer of HCA Healthcare. “Congratulations to the newly matched group of residents and fellows. Welcome to the HCA Healthcare family.” 
 
According to a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States could see a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033. HCA Healthcare is addressing this significant workforce issue by adding more than 3,500 new residency positions since 2014, including more than 500 this year alone, in a broad range of specialties.  
 
Most of HCA Healthcare’s graduate medical education programs are located in the Southeast, across the Sunbelt and in the Inner Mountain West where physician shortages are worse than the national averages and where the population has continued to grow at a rapid rate. This is important to physician workforce development in these regions because about half of all physicians end up practicing in markets where they complete their training, and about two-thirds stay in the same state.
 
“We’re thrilled to welcome the next generation of physicians who are stepping up in the midst of this pandemic to train alongside us and learn about quality patient care,” said Dr. Michael Cuffe, president of HCA Healthcare’s physician services group. 
 
In addition to its graduate medical education programs, HCA Healthcare has also invested significantly in clinical education, including: 
•Nursing schools: HCA Healthcare owns Galen College of Nursing, one of the largest educators of nurses in the United States, with six campuses and nearly 8,000 students enrolled in the January 2021 term. HCA Healthcare, which employs more than 93,000 nurses, has two additional nursing schools, Research College of Nursing and Mercy School of Nursing. 
•HCA Healthcare Centers for Clinical Advancement: HCA Healthcare has seven Centers for Clinical Advancement across the country that provide nurses and clinicians with state of the art simulation and learning centers to expand their clinical knowledge in a safe and supportive environment.  
•Clinical Certifications: HCA Healthcare also supports colleagues who want to obtain specialty clinical certifications by paying upfront testing costs, providing test preparation materials and reimbursing costs after successful completion of a certification exam. Colleagues also receive bonuses for achieving nationally recognized certifications beyond their current position.
 
Also aimed at addressing the national physician shortage, HCA Healthcare recently announced a collaboration with Belmont University on the intent to start a new College of Medicine in Nashville. HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Health will provide third year medical students core clinical clerkships and fourth year medical students’ clinical elective rotations. 
 
About Kendall Regional Medical Center
Kendall Regional Medical Center, an award-winning 447-bed hospital, is recognized for providing a wide array of services to the residents of South Florida, as well as visitors from around the world. The hospital has been named a 250 Best Hospital in America by Healthgrades for three consecutive years, including 2021. Kendall Regional offers 24-hour comprehensive medical, surgical and diagnostic services, including trauma and burn care, pediatrics and maternity services, an orthopedic and spine institute, along with patient and community services. The hospital is a major tertiary-care teaching facility, with more than 1,000 physicians and specialists and 2,000 employees. Kendall Regional Medical Center also has two freestanding Emergency Departments—Doral Emergency Room and Town & Country Emergency Room. The main campus of Kendall Regional Medical Center is located at 11750 Bird Road, Miami, FL 33175. For information, visit www.kendallmed.com or call 305-223-3000.
 
About HCA Healthcare
Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services comprising more than 2,000 sites of care, including 185 hospitals, surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine. HCA Healthcare has conducted a number of clinical studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is healthier than early elective delivery of babies and another that identified a clinical protocol that can reduce bloodstream infections in ICU patients by 44 percent. HCA Healthcare is a learning health system that uses its more than 32 million annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save lives. Please click here to connect with HCA Healthcare on social media.
 


Serving children and families in the hospital and through five outpatient
centers in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Coral Springs and Wellington
 
March 23, 2021 – Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital names Dr. Dennis A. Hart, pediatric physiatrist, Chief of Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. In this role, Dr. Hart will be responsible for the care of patients with developmental disabilities or patients recovering from neurological or orthopedic injuries such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, spasticity and other conditions that require rehabilitation. In addition, he will lead the Pediatric Rehabilitation Center, where he is growing a multidisciplinary team of pediatric experts to provide comprehensive, compassionate care for all children.
 
“My ultimate goal is to help children lead happier lives by working toward meaningful milestones that will improve their quality of life,” said Dr. Dennis Hart. “I was compelled to take on this role at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, because our philosophies on compassionate care were so aligned.”
 
Throughout Dr. Hart’s career and training, he provided general pediatric rehabilitation services as well as specialized treatment of children with chronic pain and developmental disabilities, who often have complex challenges that can be difficult to treat. Dr. Hart says he is able to blend his expertise in pain management with physical medicine to help them improve their function, feel better, and be able to resume the activities and hobbies they love.
 
Additionally, Dr. Hart was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve on the board of directors for the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council. His clinical research interests include pediatric pain management; function outcomes in children and adolescents with chronic pain; evaluating the relationship between mental health and chronic pain; and the etiology and treatment of chronic widespread pain in patients with small fiber neuropathy, dysautonomia, postural orthostatic tachycardia and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
 
Before joining Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Dr. Hart served as the medical director of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine and the developmental behavioral pediatric rotation director at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. A medical graduate from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Austin, Dr. Hart also holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, and completed his fellowship in Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of California, Davis and Shriner’s Hospital.
 
“Dr. Hart is an excellent addition to our team. His deep experience combined with his dedication to compassionate family-centered care, will make him a strong leader as he expands our pediatric rehabilitation services at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital throughout the tri-county area,” said Caitlin Stella, MPH, Chief Executive Officer, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and Pediatric Administrator, Memorial Healthcare System.
 
For more information about Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Center, visit https://www.jdch.com/services/rehabilitation.
 
About Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital 
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is one of South Florida’s leading pediatric hospitals, offering a comprehensive scope of healthcare services and programs in a caring, compassionate setting designed specifically for children.  Part of the Memorial Healthcare System, the level one pediatric trauma center combines advanced technology, the expertise of some of the region’s most diverse, board-certified specialists, and a patient and family-centered focus to heal the body, mind, and spirit of those it touches. To learn more, visit jdch.com and connect with @jdchospital on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and  Instagram.


 
March 23, 2021 – On April 2, the Alzheimer’s Association will continue its virtual “Ask the Expert” series with “Seeing the Brain Through the Eyes,” a free program that will explore how ophthalmology could hold the key to unlocking earlier detection of Alzheimer’s disease.
 
On hand to address this topic will be Dr. Delia Cabrera DeBuc, a research associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute who specializes in medical image processing and imaging biomarker development.
 
“Provided the eye is a window to the body’s health and that the retina may serve as a window to the brain, the retinal signatures may serve as a marker of Alzheimer’s disease,” DeBuc explained. “Therefore, a low-cost and noninvasive assessment of Alzheimer’s disease through the eye could facilitate risk detection and/or very early ascertainment of cognitive decline.”
 
The program will also include a presentation from Alzheimer’s Community Educator Aja Scott on the “10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s,” as well as an update from Alzheimer’s Association Senior Program Manager Stefanie Wardlow on the status of Alzheimer’s and dementia research in general.
“We are experiencing a new scientific revolution – the biomarker revolution,” Wardlow said. “Biomarkers are helping us to modernize the diagnostic process. We have brain scans that can help detect Alzheimer’s, but these can be expensive and hard to get, so scientists continue to research new kinds of biomarkers that will be lower in cost, noninvasive and reliable markers of disease. Tools are being developed to support measurement of factors in cerebrospinal fluid, blood, saliva and, as we will hear from Dr. DeBuc, eye tests.”
 
“Ask the Expert: Seeing the Brain Through the Eyes” will begin at 2 p.m. EDT on April 2. A Spanish version of the program will also be offered at 2 p.m. EDT on April 23. Those interested in attending either program may register by calling the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at (800) 272-3900. Online registration is also available at http://bit.ly/SeeingTheBrain (English) or at http://bit.ly/ViendoElCerebro (Spanish).
 
 
Alzheimer’s Association®
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia – by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. Visit alz.org or call (800) 272-3900.
 


March 22, 2021 – Herbert Wertheim, OD, DSc, MD (hc), an accomplished scientist, clinician, engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, has been named to the Board of Directors at Scripps Research. Active in service to the southern Florida community for over 50 years, Wertheim has contributed greatly to public education, cultural arts and community healthcare.
 
“We are honored to have Herbie join our Board,” says Peter Schultz, PhD, President and CEO of Scripps Research. “He brings strong business acumen and a passion for improving people’s lives. His interest in preventative medicine and extending healthspan aligns with many of the biomedical research interests at our institute.”
 
As an advocate for wellness and preventive medicine, Wertheim says he’s pleased to join the Scripps Research Board of Directors. 
 
“Scripps Research aligns with much of the work that my foundation is doing, which is to help people maintain their daily health and live long, prosperous lives,” he says. “Working together, I believe we can seek to impact even more lives, as prevention is the best medicine.”
 
Wertheim began his medical career in Florida with a successful clinical practice in optometry and visual neurology. A constant tinkerer and inventor, he discovered a way to tint plastic eyeglass lenses and later produced a dye that absorbed ultraviolet light, thus helping prevent the development of macular degeneration and cataracts in millions of people. His inventions led to the founding of Brain Power Incorporated, now the world’s largest manufacturer of ophthalmic instruments, eyeglass lens tints and diagnostic products for eye care professionals. Many of the specialty lenses can ease the symptoms of neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Wertheim became a distinguished lecturer in physiological optics and optometry at Florida’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, considered the top-ranked eye hospital in the nation, and he was an adjunct professor of physics in the graduate program at the University of Miami, Florida.
 
After steadily building a fortune through investments in the stock market, Wertheim created the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation and set out to enact its motto: Making Life on Earth Better. The foundation has since donated millions of dollars to educational, cultural and healthcare organizations in his home state of Florida and around the world.
 
Wertheim has long supported Florida International University in multiple leadership roles and was a key driver of the initiative to establish a medical school at the university. Today, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, which focuses on integrating education, research and clinical care while overseeing broad community outreach programs, is a leader in transforming the health of its surrounding communities. On the opposite coast, at the University of California, San Diego, a substantial gift in 2019 from the Wertheim Family Foundation established the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. This school also aims to reach into the surrounding communities, especially underserved ones, in an effort to eliminate disparities in quality healthcare. Last fall, the Wertheim School of Public Health commenced its first year, offering a menu of doctoral, master’s and undergraduate degree programs.
 
Early in his academic career, Wertheim studied electrical and computer engineering at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and later became one of the first NASA engineers at Cape Canaveral. In honor of those studies, his family foundation made a $50 million gift to the university, which then created the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. In 2018, Wertheim received an Honorary Doctorate of Technology Degree from the University of Florida “for his dedication to solving the world’s problems through discovery and innovation.”
 
Wertheim has received many additional honors over the years in recognition of both his accomplishments and his generosity, including the 2011 Horatio Alger Award from the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. He has served on numerous local and national charitable boards, and in 2015, he and his wife, Nicole, joined the Giving Pledge, the philanthropic movement launched by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, in continuation of their contributions to philanthropic causes.
 
 
About Scripps Research
 
Scripps Research is an independent, nonprofit biomedical institute ranked the most influential in the world for its impact on innovation. With campuses in La Jolla, California, and Jupiter, Florida, we advance human health through profound discoveries that address pressing medical concerns around the globe. Our drug discovery and development division, Calibr, works hand-in-hand with scientists across disciplines to efficiently bring new medicines to patients, while teams at Scripps Research Translational Institute harness genomics, digital medicine and cutting-edge informatics to understand individual health and render more effective healthcare. Scripps Research also trains the next generation of leading scientists at our Skaggs Graduate School, consistently named among the top 10 U.S. programs for chemistry and biological sciences. Learn more at www.scripps.edu.
 


By Tania Diaz, Psy.D., LMHC
 
March 22 2021 – While technology has always been an integral part of modern society, its usefulness has certainly seen an exponential boom since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is scary to imagine what it would have been like for teachers, therapists, and school age children to navigate the year-long pandemic without using tablets and smartphones as academic tools.  As technology becomes more fluid in today’s culture, it is natural to combine its use with traditional behavioral and physical health services to create higher degrees of resilience during these tough times.  
 
COVID-19 restrictions have placed a huge burden on all of us, particularly for individuals with existing psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety and/or physical conditions like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Studies show that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature deaths globally, imposing extraordinary health and economic burdens worldwide.  Approximately 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year, accounting for one in every four deaths before the age of 70. Also, high blood pressure or hypertension is considered to be one of the leading public health concerns and a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease, among other concerns. 
 
While there are multiple factors that contribute to such health concerns, high blood pressure appears to be a staple in most health-related illnesses. According to the American Heart Association’s newest guidelines, almost 46% of the adult population in the United States will be diagnosed as having high blood pressure, with the greatest impact expected among men and women under 45.
In response to the global pandemic, the American Heart Association encourages preventative strategies designed to promote a healthy diet, exercising, appropriate medicine intake, and the use of basic health technologies to help reduce such risks.  
 
To begin, it is important to first know how the heart functions. The heart and brain communicate with each other, constantly exchanging information in the form of rhythmic or non-rhythmic patterns.  When you’re afraid or anxious, your heart rate produces a non-rhythmic pattern and sends a message to your brain telling it “I am afraid, anxious, or in danger.” Hence, non-rhythmic patterns are associated with negative emotional states such as depression, anxiety, confusion and poor concentration. 
 
Rhythmic patterns are associated with positive emotional states, such as feelings of happiness, improved concentration and planning, which leads to greater stress management, resilience, coherence and optimal functioning. Therefore, the goal is to create rhythmic communication patterns through the use of a positive, emotion-focused techniques. This method allows heart-brain communication by teaching you how to use your breath to increase your heart rhythm coherence, which is key to your heart’s health.  
 
The use of a heart-rate monitoring system device, which measures heart rate variability by attaching a pulse sensor to an earlobe or finger, is also very helpful. This mechanism uses technology that allows your blood pressure to be measured through your skin.  It is a reliable and valid method of acquiring, quantifying and tracking heart rate variability from a deep breathing protocol. A visual breath-pacer can also be used to promote regularity of the breathing. It involves breathing deeply without straining while simultaneously invoking a positive emotional state. 
 
Activating a positive emotional state will decrease blood pressure, which is a precursor for many physical ailments. It is a prime example of the benefits of learning how to self-regulate our emotions.   
 
Utilizing simple self-regulating tools makes it possible for individuals, health professionals and organizations to improve health, well-being, performance and productivity. The available technology has been utilized worldwide in diverse settings, from universities that help students manage test anxiety to increasing resilience and reducing stress among special weapons and tactics [SWAT] officers. Technology continues to hold great promise for improving emotional stability, and overall physical health and social wellbeing, particularly during challenging times.  
 
 
Dr. Tania Diaz is a licensed psychologist, qualified board-approved clinical supervisor for mental health counselors, and Heart-Math Certified Trainer. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator for Mental Health Counseling students at Albizu University, where she teaches graduate courses and supervises student clinicians, and owns her boutique private practice in Miami Lakes. With over 20 years of clinical experience in the mental health field, she was recently honored with membership in the Trademark Top Doctors of America in 2018.