With many businesses and schools in the United States now open post COVID-19, employers are faced with new challenges to keep the workplace safe for their employees, customers and students.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science have received a two-year $698,801 grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to test the effectiveness of various types of personal protection measures against airborne viral transmission. Building on their prior research, the project will result in experimentally verified computational strategies for mitigating airborne transmission of aerosolized droplets for a safe workplace environment.
 
Researchers will test and quantify the effectiveness of various protective measures under new American Society for Testing Materials standards and best safety practices in the workplace. They will evaluate facemasks and other personal protection equipment; physical safety barriers; interior designs of spaces; air filters, humidifiers; safe seating arrangements in a classroom setting and queuing at checkouts, as well as other measures.
 
“Employers are considering various protective measures in the workplace such as facemasks, placing safety barriers in offices and at workstations, reviewing ventilation/air conditioning systems in buildings, redesigning interior spaces as well as arranging safe queuing procedures at checkouts and other high-density environments,” said Manhar Dhanak, Ph.D., principal investigator, chair of FAU’s Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, and professor and director of SeaTech. “With this CDC grant, we will conduct experimental simulation studies that will result in observations and analyses in support of social distancing and other preventative measures for mitigating airborne transmission of viral infections, which will be of particular interest to businesses, schools and the general public.”


News alert: We are all ageing. Where we age and how well we age depends on several factors. The Milken Institute ranks the top cities for “successful aging” with criteria that covers everything from general livability to healthcare to education to community engagement. In 2019, South Florida, covering Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, ranked 74th in the list of the 100 Best Cities for Successful Aging.

The good news is we can, and must, create better options for prevention, healthy behaviors and health care for our population. We must invest in a quality of life for everyone but particularly our seniors in Florida, where 20.5% of the population is 65 years and older. Florida ranks second in the nation only to Maine at 20.6%.
 
Holy Cross Health will soon establish a comprehensive, collaborative center focused on healthcare, well-being and social interaction, all of which are extremely important to everyone’s mental health, regardless of your age.
 
Our new model of care for the AgeWell Center serves those who are Medicare eligible and will provide what is needed to age successfully:
• Access to quality healthcare. Dedicated physicians and staff will help navigate the system, assisting with making appointments, case management, social work and if needed home services can be coordinated. Our model allows easier access to physicians and social workers, when needed. It’s one stop for healthcare needs with imaging, exercise, cafeteria and labs on site. For those in need, the center can arrange for free transportation to and from the center as well.
• Education. As our population ages, our needs change. Yet nutrition, diet and exercise are just as important as they are when we are younger. To that end, we will host cooking demonstrations, coach wellness behavior and introduce classes on how we can all live, eat and exercise to live longer and stronger.
• Social interaction. No matter how old you are, you need social interaction. Unfortunately, during COVID people were isolated in their homes many without physical interaction with their loved ones for months. That takes a toll on your mental and physical well-being. With the classes, demonstrations and social amenities we have planned, our center will be where patients can come to participate in activities that help us age well.
• Communication. Although medical care is one aspect of the AgeWell Center, navigating the health care system is a family affair. The staff at the AgeWell Center work to improve the patient and family experience of health and health care, always moving toward improved options for staying healthy.
• Technology. The barriers to technology can fall into a few categories: access, affordability and understanding. While COVID forced us to live our lives online more than ever before, technology can be a challenge. Adding to that, many feel embarrassed to admit they don’t know how to navigate the internet well enough to make appointments or access their medical records. Then there are those who cannot afford the expense. At the AgeWell Center, learn how to navigate these barriers and feel more in control of your health!
 
As we come out of National Older Americans Month, let’s look to the future as we improve the options for healthy living in Ft Lauderdale. This summer and fall we will invite you to attend a tour of the new Holy Cross Health AgeWell Center. For more information, visit www.holy-cross.com/agewell.


The first new lung valve treatment for patients with severe COPD/emphysema was performed at Holy Cross Health, one of the first hospitals in South Florida to offer the Zephyr® Endobronchial Valve treatment.

“This is a groundbreaking moment for patients who suffer from emphysema,” said Sam G. Kosseifi, M.D., DABSM, lead pulmonologist at Holy Cross Health. “It’s a minimally invasive procedure that helps them breathe easier without major surgery and improves their quality of life.”
 
Dr. Kosseifi and his team inserted four one-way tiny valves into the airways of Stanley Williams, a 79-year-old patient who has had COPD for a long time. The valves were inserted 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 and allow the patient to breathe easier, while reducing shortness of breath and also allowing the patient to be more active and energetic.
 
"It was getting harder and harder to breathe," said Williams. "Since the valve implant, I can breathe much easier and can take deep breaths without any strain. Any physical activity used to require me to sit down and catch my breath but now my recovery time is much quicker and my lungs are working better."
 
Before the Zephyr Valves the only options for relief were highly invasive treatments including lung surgeries.
 


A good night’s sleep doesn’t come easy to the more than 22 million Americans who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when soft tissues in the airway collapse during sleep and block the flow of oxygen to the brain. The brain senses a lack of oxygen and wakes up the body just long enough to take a breath, causing a cycle of poor, disruptive sleep.

“A lack of sleep can be detrimental to our body, but sleep apnea can lead to other health issues, including moodiness, memory loss and even stroke, heart attack and death,” said Charles Zeller IV, D.O., an otolaryngologist with the Broward Health Physician Group. “That’s why it’s so important to be treated for sleep apnea.”
 
Dr. Zeller is the first physician in the Broward Health system to utilize Inspire® Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS), the only FDA-approved implantable device to combat obstructive sleep apnea. Inspire UAS is a less intrusive, more comfortable solution to obstructive sleep apnea. Implanted in the body as an outpatient procedure, the small device is activated following a 30-day healing period. Working inside the body with a patient’s natural breathing process, Inspire can combat certain types of obstructive sleep apnea, particularly in cases where a loss of muscle tone causes the tongue to fall back in the mouth.
 
Based on a patient’s unique breathing patterns, Inspire delivers a mild stimulation to the hypoglossal nerve, which controls tongue movement and prevents the tongue from blocking the airway. By stimulating these muscles, the airway remains open during sleep.
 
Inspire is controlled by the patient using a small, handheld Inspire sleep remote that is turned on before bedtime and turned off in the morning. Additionally, the patient can pause therapy during the night, if needed, and increase or decrease therapy settings.


The American Lung Association in South Florida recently announced that Brian Hunis, M.D., from Memorial Cancer Institute will be honored as the LUNG FORCE Distinguished Physician Award recipient.

“The challenges that we have faced over the past year have truly underscored the critical importance of our healthcare workers and our lung health. Dr. Brian Hunis has been on the front lines treating people with lung cancer during a respiratory pandemic, where he provided hope, support and outstanding patient care,” said Lori Adelson, event Co-Chair and owner of HRLaw Pro. “While the world continues to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel that this year’s Distinguished Physician Award takes on new meaning and are honored to recognize Dr. Hunis.”
 
Dr. Hunis is the leader of the Memorial Cancer Institute at Memorial Healthcare System and a medical oncologist/hematologist. He specializes in treating patients with thoracic, head and neck malignancies. He became interested in oncology at an early age. His father is an oncologist, and he saw firsthand the impact his father had on his patients’ lives and the unique relationships that he shared with them. Dr. Hunis knew that he wanted to follow in his footsteps and considers it a privilege to be able to help people through a very difficult time in their lives.
 
In addition to patient care, Dr. Hunis is also involved in clinical research and serves as principle investigator for trials focusing on lung, head and neck cancers. While he loves many aspects of his job, the ultimate reward is seeing his patients making memories.