Part IV: Complementary Approaches to the Opioid Epidemic
Palm Beach County Medical Society Services
2021 Opioid Educational Series for Physicians & Healthcare Providers
 
Friday, June 25th, 12-1 p.m. (Online Event)
 
June 7 2021 – In November of 2019 the Palm Beach County Medical Society hosted a multidisciplinary summit on alternative and complementary approaches to dealing with the opioid epidemic. Since that time, the world has witnessed another public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic appears to be winding down, the opioid epidemic continues to rage on in full force. In Part IV of the Palm Beach County Medical Society’s Opioid Education Series, we revisit some of those complementary perspectives and techniques through the work being done by several non-physician experts.
 
•Erin Dorval, PharmD, director of Community Pharmacy Residency Program and assistant professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy in West Palm Beach, Florida;  
•Paul Pellinger, Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC), president and founder of Face The Music Foundation; and
•Lizabeth Olszewski, founder and executive director of Horses Healing Hearts (HHH) in Southeast Florida.
 
The goal of this online event will be to identify and understand the potential upside as well as limitations to complementary approaches in the opioid use disorder arena. This will be an opportunity to explore collaborative efforts amongst physicians, pharmacists, and other health care experts to improve the effectiveness of care in this challenging space.
 
To register for this free event:
 
Training ID: 454-369-100
 
THE EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, ALTHOUGH DIRECTED AT PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
 
 
About the Speakers:
Erin Dorval, PharmD
Dr. Dorval teaches over-the-counter medications, self-care, disease prevention, and compounding, is an advisor of the student chapter for the American Pharmacists Association, and a preceptor in an independent community pharmacy, Atlantis Pharmacy. Her current research interests include expanding community pharmacy practice through enhanced services, opioid use disorder screening, and pain management.
 
Paul Pellinger, CAC
Mr. Pellinger literally wrote the book on music-based addiction care. He is a bestselling author, a veteran of the addiction treatment industry, a genuine music lover, and one of the most sought-after speakers in the field. Under his leadership and guidance, Face The Music Foundation has been able to help thousands of people across the country overcome their addiction and experience the power of music in addiction recovery.
 
Lizabeth Olszewski
A speaker, subject matter expert, and author, Olszewski heads the only program of its kind that helps children from families affected by substance use disorder. HHH has helped more than 600 families and 5,000 individuals in the last decade.  
 
 
ABOUT PALM BEACH COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY SERIVCES
The nonprofit arm of the Palm Beach County Medical Society provides and coordinates continuing medical education for physicians and allied health professionals. PBCMS Services also works to inform and educate the public about health care issues, strives to find ways to improve patient access to health care, and collects and studies information on the health care delivery system.
 
The overarching goal of the Opioid Healthcare Response program is to reduce opioid deaths in Palm Beach County through an evidenced-based comprehensive strategy that recognizes addiction as a medical illness. The key elements of the initiative are prevention, treatment, rescue, and recovery, all tied to specific outcome metrics.
 
For more information, visit https://www.pbcms.org/opioid-addiction-treatment-resources.


Because Hunger Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation
 
June 7th 2021 – Palm Beach Children’s Hospital is leading a community effort to provide area children and adults struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer months through its Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive benefitting the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Palm Beaches. The drive kicks off Monday, June 7 and runs through Monday, June 14.
 
“At Palm Beach Children’s Hospital, we understand the health issues children face from hunger and poor nutrition,” said Cynthia McCauley, chief executive officer of Palm Beach Children’s Hospital & St. Mary’s Medical Center. “This past year has been particularly devastating for families struggling with hunger, as the COVID-19 pandemic compounded extreme food shortages in many communities. We recognize the importance of beginning each day with a nutritious breakfast and, through this drive, hope to help many in our community struggling with food insecurity. We invite you to help kids be Healthy Over Hungry® this summer.”
 
Whole-grain cereal, when part of a healthy, balanced breakfast including dairy, fruit and lean protein, is a popular food item that experts say can easily address the hunger gap during the summer months when children are not in school. 
 
Donations of healthy cereal to the Healthy Over Hungry® Cereal Drive will be collected from June 7 through June 14 at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital.  
 
 
 
 
About St. Mary’s Medical Center
St. Mary’s Medical Center is a 460-bed acute care hospital located at 901 45th Street in West Palm Beach. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of the greater West Palm Beach area for more than 80 years. St. Mary’s Medical Center offers a broad array of adult and pediatric services, including: a Level 1 Trauma Center, a state-designated Pediatric Trauma Referral Center, Comprehensive Stroke Center and a state-designated Brain and Spinal Cord Acute Injury Center. Additional services include the Neuroscience Center, High-Risk Obstetrical Unit with a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, the Rehabilitation Institute, the Memory Disorder Center, Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center, Schwartz Dialysis Center and the Institute for Mental Health.  Pediatric services are provided at the Palm Beach Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center, which is the only dedicated children’s hospital between Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando. Along with 24/7 dedicated pediatric emergency and trauma care, Palm Beach Children’s Hospital’s medical staff consists of 196 pediatricians in 36 subspecialties. These include limb reconstruction and lengthening at the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute, pediatric oncology program, which includes membership in the Children’s Oncology Group – a clinical trials group supported by the National Cancer Institute, and pediatric orthopedics. In addition, in-house pediatric intensivists work with area pediatricians to care for children while staying at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital.  St. Mary’s Medical Center is fully accredited by the Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency, and is a member of the Children’s Hospital Association. The hospital has won many prestigious awards, including the Tenet Circle of Excellence award.  To learn more about St. Mary’s Medical Center and Palm Beach Children’s Hospital, visit www.stmarysmc.com, www.palmbeachchildrens.com or call 561-844-6300.
 


June 7 2021 – Dr. Jennifer McCafferty-Fernandez has been promoted to vice president of strategy and external affairs, chief of staff at Nicklaus Children’s Health System. In this role, she oversees the Office of the CEO, encompassing government and community affairs, corporate responsibility, innovation, strategy, and marketing and corporate communications. 
 
Dr. McCafferty-Fernandez joined Nicklaus Children’s in 2016 as chief research officer. Under her leadership, Nicklaus Children’s Research Institute tripled its research portfolio and, together with national collaborators, established its Personalized Medicine Initiative, dedicated to tailoring medical management to each child’s individual characteristics, needs and preferences.  
 
In 2019, Dr. McCafferty-Fernandez was promoted to vice president and chief of staff for the health system, a role in which she supported the realignment of organizational priorities, led creation of a three-year strategic plan, and provided leadership to teams responsible for government and community affairs, innovation, strategy, and marketing and corporate communications.
 
“Jennifer is an inspirational leader who has been instrumental in galvanizing our organization to embrace a new vision for the future, leading key teams that are integral to our essential role and voice within our community,” said Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of the health system. “We look forward to her continued leadership within our health system.”  
 
Dr. McCafferty-Fernandez earned her doctorate in molecular and cellular pharmacology from the University of Miami. Prior to joining Nicklaus Children’s, she held key appointments at the University of Miami, and University of Miami Health System and Miller School of Medicine.
 
 
About Nicklaus Children’s Health System
Nicklaus Children’s Health System (NCHS) is the parent organization of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children. The 309-bed nonprofit hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014, was founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International and is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report. The health system also includes Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation, the organization’s 501c3 fundraising arm; a network of nonprofit outpatient and urgent care centers situated in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties; a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary; and an ambulatory surgery center. NCHS is the region’s only healthcare system exclusively for children. 
 


The funds support pediatric primary care and dental care for children with special healthcare needs in Broward County  
 
June 4, 2021 – Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center (CDTC) joined forces with board member Captain Lee Rosbach, star of Bravo’s hit series Below Deck, for a second year to raise funds as part of the 6th Annual Waterway Soirée, presented by Moss Construction. 
   
Signing up for Captain Lee’s Crew were 36 dedicated CDTC friends and community leaders who together raised more than $56,000 online. Their efforts bring this year’s Soirée grand total to $114,500.
 
“I am extremely honored to lead the CDTC Captain’s Crew and help so many children,” said Rosbach. “Each child at CDTC has unique and complicated medical needs, and their families work so hard to provide the best care while making ends meet. I am so proud that we continue working together to ensure these kids receive the much-needed care they deserve.” 
 
The Captain’s Crew, skippered by Captain Lee, has become an important fundraising component of the annual high-end event. With the Soirée’s cancellation in 2020 due to the pandemic, the Crew of online fundraisers became a lifeline for the organization. This year’s Crew campaign was another smashing success. 
 
The 2021 Waterway Soirée’s Yacht Hop & Dinner has been a quieter, more intimate affair designed to work within the limitations of social distancing. The dinner series, which is designed for intimate parties for six to eight close friends onboard a luxury yacht, is sold out, and continues through June. 
 
Funds raised from the Captain’s Crew will finance care for more than 175 children with special healthcare needs in Broward County for an entire year and support CDTC’s pediatric primary and dental care services.
 
Crew members who raised $1,300 (which will support two children for one year) or more received an exclusive invitation to join Captain Lee at a private reception in the fall. The top 10 fundraisers also received a special gift, a 12-month wine club membership from Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant at the Galleria Fort Lauderdale. 
 
“We are so grateful for Captain Lee and our Crew’s generous support again this year,” said Dr. Ana Calderon Randazzo, executive director for CDTC. “While we missed our full Yacht Hop experience, we were thrilled to welcome Moss Construction as our presenting sponsor and could not have raised these crucial funds without our corporate partners who supported our mission this year.” 
 
The 6th Annual Waterway Soirée & Captain’s Crew were presented by Moss Construction with support by Anchor Society Members The Hudson Family Foundation of the Community Foundation of Broward, Leo Goodwin Foundation, Kenny and Sandy Tate, and Juliette Lippman with Birnbaum, Lippman & Gregoire PLLC and sponsored by Anesco, Hypower Electric, Keith Engineering, Holman Enterprises, Becker & Poliakoff, Denison Yachting, SouthState Bank, George and Laurie Labelle, Fred and Mary Kaub, Breakthru Beverage, Maritime Professional Training, Sea Salt Fish Market and Whole Foods. 
 
 
About CDTC                                                                                                                                   
Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center (CDTC) is a not-for-profit that serves nearly 11,000 clients with special healthcare needs in Broward County annually. As a facility of Broward Health, CDTC’s mission is to promote the optimal health and well-being of children with special healthcare needs by providing comprehensive prevention, intervention, and treatment services. CDTC is a recognized National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) offering a unique system of care for infants, children, youth and women with chronic illnesses, disabilities, and developmental delays. For more information, visit ChildrensDiagnostic.org.
 


Daughter donates part of her liver to mother
 
June 1, 2021 – Cleveland Clinic’s Weston Hospital has performed its first living donor liver transplant, in which a daughter donated a portion of her liver to her mother who had been battling complicated liver disease for several years.   
 
The donor and recipient surgeries were performed in Weston by a team of surgeons from Cleveland Clinic Weston and Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, which has one of the nation’s largest living donor liver transplant programs.  
 
On May 10, 2021, Cristiano Quintini, M.D., director of Liver Transplantation at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and Weston Hospital transplant surgeons Samer Ebaid, M.D., Ph.D., and Phoenix Vuong, M.D., removed 60 percent of the right lobe of 38 year-old Heidy Lima’s liver through an abdominal incision.  
 
In an operating room nearby, Koji Hashimoto, M.D., Ph.D., director of Living Donor Liver Transplantation at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Antonio Pinna, MD, director of Cleveland Clinic Weston’s Abdominal Transplant Center, and Weston transplant surgeon Sidharth Sharma, MD, successfully transplanted the donated portion of Lima’s liver to her mother, 60-year old Iris Blanco.    
 
“The collaboration between our transplant team in Weston and our colleagues in Ohio has been exceptional, allowing us to take this step forward and meet a critical need for living donor liver transplant services in South Florida, “said Conor Delaney, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region. “As an integrated healthcare delivery system, we continue to expand our ability to provide multidisciplinary, complex care and improve the quality of life for our patients and their families.” 
 
Dr. Pinna added, “After months of preparation and extensive evaluation of patients, we are pleased that our transplant program has advanced to the next level.”  
 
Cleveland Clinic’s Weston Hospital is currently the only medical facility in Florida performing living donor liver transplants. The highly specialized procedure requires a great deal of technical expertise due to anatomical variations in the liver. No living donor liver transplants have been performed in Florida since 2012.  
 
Living-donor transplant helps save the lives of people with end-stage liver disease and increases the number of livers for patients on the transplant waiting list.  Because they are receiving a portion of a healthy donor’s liver, recipients typically have improved long-term outcomes and quicker recovery times. 
 
“Living liver donation is the ultimate gift of life,” Dr. Pinna said. “It is both gratifying and humbling to play a role in a daughter donating a piece of her liver to her very ill mother with liver failure.”  
 
Blanco said her daughter did not want to see her suffering and said she had no life prior to the transplant. Lima said she made the decision to donate her liver because it was difficult watching her mother deteriorate as her condition worsened.   
 
About 5% of people who undergo a liver transplant receive the organ from a living donor, who has made the altruistic decision to give up a portion of their liver to save someone else’s life. The liver is the only organ that can regenerate, which makes it possible for a living person to donate a portion of their liver. It takes approximately six to eight weeks for the healthy donor’s liver to grow back to its original size. 
 
In addition to liver transplants, Cleveland Clinic’s Weston Hospital also performs heart and kidney transplants. In 2020, the hospital performed 215 solid organ transplants, including 127 kidney, 47 heart and 41 liver transplants.   
 
 
 
About Cleveland Clinic Florida 
 
Cleveland Clinic Florida is a nonprofit, multi-specialty healthcare provider that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. The Florida region includes Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and numerous outpatient centers in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Indian River and St. Lucie 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.