June 15 2021 – Gerald E. Harmon, M.D., a family medicine physician from Pawleys Island, S.C., will be sworn in today as the 176th president of the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s premier physician organization. Sworn in remotely during the virtual Special Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates, Dr. Harmon spoke about his own journey in medicine, the profound challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMA’s recently released plan to embed racial justice and advance health equity. 
 
“The COVID pandemic has revealed enormous gaps in how we care for people and communities in America, demonstrated in the disproportionate impact of this pandemic on communities of color and in the weaknesses of our under-funded and under-resourced Public Health infrastructure,” Dr. Harmon said, in prepared remarks. “During such times of struggle and heartbreak, it is important for us to ‘remember our why.’ Why did we enter medicine? Why do we continue to struggle against overwhelming administrative and regulatory burdens? Why are we risking our health and our families during this global pandemic? I would submit that the education, the training, the years of experience and sacrifice we have gone through has prepared us for such a time as this.”
 
Dr. Harmon has been an AMA board member since 2013, serving as board chair from 2017 to 2018. Prior to his election to the AMA board, Dr. Harmon served on the AMA Council on Medical Service. Additionally, Dr. Harmon has held several leadership positions with the South Carolina Medical Association, including chairman of the board of trustees and president.
 
Practicing for more than 30 years as a family medicine specialist in his coastal South Carolina hometown of Georgetown, Dr. Harmon is currently a clinical professor at two South Carolina medical schools, as well as a member of the clinical faculty for the Tidelands Health MUSC Family Medicine residency program. Dr. Harmon also serves as an adviser to the board of trustees of a community health system and as vice president in a multispecialty physician practice. He also serves as medical director for several organizations including a non-profit hospice, and volunteers as medical supervisor for his local school district’s 23 schools.
 
Dr. Harmon received his undergraduate degree in physics and mathematics from the University of South Carolina and has since been recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus. He received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed a residency training program in family medicine with the U.S. Air Force at Eglin AFB, Florida.
 
In a 35-year military career, Dr. Harmon served as chief surgeon for the National Guard Bureau and as assistant surgeon general for the U.S. Air Force before retiring as a Major General. His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
 
Dr. Harmon and his wife, Linda, enjoy spending time outdoors in their coastal hometown of Georgetown with their three married children and eight grandchildren.
 


Third phase of Hallandale Beach lifestyle mixed-use development to feature surgical center, New York-based plastic surgeon, dermatologist and much more  
 
June 15, 2021 – Atlantic Village, the lifestyle mixed-use development that is transforming Hallandale Beach, secured several exciting tenants for Atlantic Village Medical Center – the project’s third phase. Developer Grupo Eco expects to complete construction of Atlantic Village Medical Center, which includes 65,000 square feet of Class A medical space and 65,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, by the end of 2021.
 
 
Overall, developer Grupo Eco’s phased and thoughtfully conceived Atlantic Village project is bringing 203,500 square feet of retail, restaurant, entertainment, office and medical space to Hallandale Beach. With the first phase fully opened, Atlantic Village is already serving as a focal point for Hallandale Beach residents, visitors and professionals and residents of Hollywood, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach and Golden Beach. 
 
The first phase, located at 801 N. Federal Hwy., features more than a dozen shops, service-oriented retail and food-and-beverage tenants including: Crudos Fusion Art, Doggi’s Arepa Bar, Dr. Limon Ceviche Bar, Flippo’s Kids Playground, Juice Mafia, The Blues Burgers and Wells Fargo. 
Located at 601 N. Federal Hwy., Atlantic Village’s newly signed medical tenants at the third phase include: 
•City Surgery Center of Hallandale, which is leasing 13,057 square feet on the sixth floor of the building 
•DRZ ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery, an acclaimed New York-based plastic surgeon that is relocating to South Florida by leasing 4,305 square feet at Atlantic Village 
•Skin and Cancer Associates, a national dermatology group that is opening a 3,731-square-foot location at Atlantic Village 
 
Both DRZ and Skin and Cancer Associates will operate on the fourth floor of the building. 
 
“We are thrilled to welcome these medical businesses to the Atlantic Village family,” Grupo Eco Real Estate Developer Daniel Chaberman said. “The new medical tenants complement the 15 restaurants, high-end shops, service-oriented retail, traditional office and family-oriented tenants at our self-contained lifestyle destination. We have worked closely with the City of Hallandale Beach to create a project that aligns well with the city’s overall growth and is a catalyst for future growth.” 
 
Atlantic Village will also be home to a popular Miami Beach-based restaurant and an internationally renowned soccer academy. More details on those tenants will be announced in the coming weeks. 
 
Wolf Co. Real Estate is the exclusive leasing representative for Atlantic Village Medical Center, which is conveniently located one mile from Aventura Hospital and just over two miles from Memorial Regional and Joe DiMaggio Hospital. 
 
Available build-to-suit spaces range from 817 to 21,454 square feet per floor. The building includes two signature elevators for customers and patients, an on-site generator, energy efficient impact resistant glass and a central HVAC system with a cooling tower. Tenants can utilize the 300-space parking garage located at the complex. 
 
 
 
For medical space leasing inquiries, contact Barrett Wolf at (305) 542-3507 or bwolf@wolfco-re.com or Wayne Odesnik at wayne@wolfco-re.com.  For inquiries about available retail and restaurant space, contact Chaberman at (646) 323-7859 or daniel.chaberman@grupo-eco.com.  
Grupo Eco recently acquired the site of the fourth phase of Atlantic Village directly across North Federal Highway from the rest of the development. The developer is in the process of finalizing its plans for that phase. 
For more information about Atlantic Village, visit https://atlanticvillageone.com/.  
 
About Grupo Eco: Founded in Mexico with a U.S. headquarters in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Grupo Eco is a real estate company that develops residential, commercial and hospitality projects to build quality of life. Throughout its history, Grupo Eco has worked with dedication and commitment to offer the highest confidence and added value within the real estate market. The company’s main objective has always been to generate great life experiences for those who live and work in its developments, in addition to offering excellent investment opportunities for those who seek to strengthen their portfolios through a strong, reliable and innovative group. For more information, visit https://grupo-eco.com/.    
 
 
 


Has More Ranked Pediatric Programs Than Any Other South Florida Hospital 
 
June 15 2021 – Five Nicklaus Children’s Hospital specialty programs are again identified among the best in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report’s 2021-22 “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings, posted online today. Nicklaus Children’s continues to be the region’s pediatric specialty care leader, with more ranked pediatric programs than any other hospital in South Florida. In addition, this year’s rankings identify Nicklaus Children’s as among the best pediatric hospitals in Florida, as well as in the southeastern region of the U.S. 
 
Nicklaus Children’s 2021-22 rankings are as follows:
–Cardiology & Heart Surgery, #46 (highest ranked program in South Florida) 
–Diabetes & Endocrinology, #49
–Neurology & Neurosurgery, #24 (only ranked program in South Florida)
–Orthopedics, #40
–Pulmonology, #36 (only ranked program in South Florida)
 
“Nicklaus Children’s is honored to again be recognized for the excellence of our pediatric specialty programs,” said Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “Our longstanding leadership speaks to the dedication of our physicians, nurses and staff and their shared commitment to care excellence, and supporting the medical needs of the children of our region and beyond.” 
 
A total of 118 hospitals participated in the 2021-2022 U.S. News & World Report survey. The methodology is based on clinical outcomes such as patient survival, infection rates and complications; the level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care such as staffing, technology and special services; delivery of healthcare programs that prevent infections and adherence to best practices; and expert opinion among pediatric specialists and subspecialists. The survey is updated every year, designed to account for new treatments and evidence-based best practices, informed by leading experts in the field.
                                                                
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital 
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians and more than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org
 


 
Guidelines for health care organizations provide direction on effective anti-discrimination policies
 
June 15 2021 – The nation’s physicians and medical students today continued to acknowledge the realities of structural racism in medicine by adding to policy that informs the American Medical Association’s ambitious work to dismantle racist policies and practices across all of health care.
 
Members of the AMA’s House of Delegates representing their peers from all corners of medicine voted to adopt guidelines addressing systemic racism in medicine, including discrimination, bias and abuse, including expressions of prejudice known as microaggressions. The AMA will recommend that health care organizations and systems use the new guidelines to establish institutional policies that promote positive cultural change and ensure a safe, discrimination-free work environment. 
 
“Systemic racism in medicine is the most serious barrier to the advancement of health equity and appropriate medical care,” said AMA Board Member Willarda V. Edwards, M.D., M.B.A. “Today’s actions by the House of Delegates will inform the AMA’s active work to proactively identify, prevent, and eliminate racism and will help the AMA guide health care organizations in efforts to adopt workplace policies that promote positive cultural transformation and address the root cause of racial health inequities.”
 
According to the newly adopted guidelines, an effective workplace policy to address systemic racism in a health care setting should:
 
Clearly define discrimination, systemic racism, explicit and implicit bias and microaggressions in the healthcare setting. 
Ensure the policy is prominently displayed and easily accessible.
Describe the management’s commitment to providing a safe and healthy environment that actively seeks to prevent and address systemic racism, explicit and implicit bias and microaggressions.
Establish training requirements for systemic racism, explicit and implicit bias, and microaggressions for all members of the healthcare system.
Prioritize safety in both reporting and corrective actions related to discrimination, systemic racism, explicit and implicit bias and microaggressions.
Create anti-discrimination policies that: 
Specify to whom the policy applies (i.e., medical staff, students, trainees, administration, patients, employees, contractors, vendors, etc.).
Define expected and prohibited behavior.
Outline steps for individuals to take when they feel they have experienced discrimination, including racism, explicit and implicit bias and microaggressions.
Ensure privacy and confidentiality to the reporter.
Provide a confidential method for documenting and reporting incidents.
Outline policies and procedures for investigating and addressing complaints and determining necessary interventions or action.
 
These policies should include:
Taking every complaint seriously.
Acting upon every complaint immediately.
Developing appropriate resources to resolve complaints.
Creating a procedure to ensure a healthy work environment is maintained for complainants and prohibit and penalize retaliation for reporting.
Communicating decisions and actions taken by the organization following a complaint to all affected parties.
oDocument training requirements to all the members of the healthcare system and establish clear expectations about the training objectives.
 
The guidelines also suggest tactics that can help medical staff leaders establish work environments within their institutions that are safe and discrimination-free.
 
In the past year, the House of Delegates has adopted several policies that explicitly acknowledge racism’s role in perpetuating health inequities and inciting harm against historically marginalized communities. These AMA policies include acknowledging racism as a public health threat, removing race as a proxy for biology and eliminating racial essentialism in medicine.
 
Through research, collaborations, advocacy, and leadership, the AMA believes in supporting system-level solutions and identifying and addressing root causes of health inequities while elevating their importance to patients, communities, and stakeholders. 
 


June 15 2021 – Conviva Care Centers is pleased to share that Mari Pantoja-Smith MSN-RN, Regional Director – Clinical Operations for Miami-Dade County, has been inducted to the ACHE (American College of Healthcare Executives) of South Florida 2021 Board of Directors.
 
Serving in various roles on the organization’s board since 2019, she is currently serving as a Member at Large.  Through her vast network in the healthcare community in South Florida, she aids ACHE of South Florida’s in various efforts such as sponsorship, member recruitment, etc.  Last year she served as the Student Services Chair working with various students and colleges in South Florida as University of Miami, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University, Florida Atlantic University and Keiser University.  
 
As a nurse, there’s three pillars she is passionate about:  Healthcare, Healthcare Technology, and Global clinician shortage.  She was immediately intrigued by ACHE’s mission and wanted to learn more so she joined.  She has been an active board member for several years now.  Mari supports higher education and elevating the future nurses as well as all healthcare professionals. 
 
ACHE of South Florida is the local Chapter of ACHE which is the professional society for healthcare leaders committed to improving health. For over 85 years, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) has focused on one mission—advancing leaders and the field of healthcare leadership excellence. It is the professional home to more than 48,000 healthcare executives who are committed to integrity, lifelong learning, leadership and diversity and inclusion
 
In her role with Conviva, Mari manages five Conviva centers across Miami-Dade and oversees the diagnostics department in addition to various other functions and responsibilities.