July 12 2021 – Broward Health Medical Center and Broward Health North have received Comprehensive Stroke Certifications from nationally recognized organizations, The Joint Commission and DNV –Healthcare, respectively. These certifications signify that the hospitals’ stroke programs meet rigorous standards for providing advanced stroke care, including endovascular embolization and surgical clipping of brain aneurysms, tPA administration, and mechanical endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), a minimally invasive procedure used to remove a blood clot from the brain during an ischemic stroke.
 
 
“Achieving comprehensive certification illustrates that Broward Health provides the highest level of neurological care available in Broward County,” said Shane Strum, president and CEO of Broward Health. “With leading clinicians using the latest technology, Broward Health offers innovative therapies that can result in enhanced outcomes for stroke patients.”  
 
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. More than 87% of brain attacks are ischemic strokes caused by a clot that cuts off blood flow to a part of the brain. Ischemic strokes are largely treatable if a patient receives timely treatment at a qualified hospital.
 
“When it comes to stroke care, timing and process are everything,” said Shaye Moskowitz, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of neurosciences, Broward Health. “These certifications attest that Broward Health Medical Center and Broward Health North are equipped with the necessary resources and skills to quickly provide the highest standard of care.” 
 
Comprehensive stroke centers are typically the largest and best-equipped hospitals in a given geographical area and can treat any kind of stroke or stroke complication. Assessment and treatment of strokes begin in Broward Health Emergency Departments. The hospitals’ Brain Attack Teams are available 24/7 and are comprised of emergency medicine physicians, neurologists, neurointerventionalists, neurosurgeons, interventional radiologists, and stroke-certified nurses. Additionally, Broward Health designated stroke units are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to help ensure patients receive the best possible care. 
 
If rehabilitation is required after a stroke, the Broward Health Rehabilitation Institute is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities to provide rehabilitative care specific to stroke. 
“Broward Health Medical Center and Broward Heath North successfully completed rigorous onsite reviews of their stroke programs,” said Strum. “The resulting comprehensive certifications demonstrate our commitment to providing the highest quality of care to all those we serve.”
 
 
 
About Broward Health
Broward Health, providing service for more than 80 years, is a nationally recognized system in South Florida that offers world-class healthcare to all. The Broward Health system includes the statutory teaching hospital Broward Health Medical Center, Broward Health North, Broward Health Imperial Point, Broward Health Coral Springs, Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital, Broward Health Weston, Broward Health Community Health Services, Broward Health Physician Group, Broward Health Urgent Care, Broward Health International, and Broward Health Foundation. For more information, visit BrowardHealth.org.
 


July 12 2021 – Florida State University Provost Sally McRorie has announced Jing Wang as the new dean of the College of Nursing. She will start the role Aug. 16, 2021. 
 
Wang, an interdisciplinary trained researcher, educator, policy and executive leader in nursing and higher education, currently serves as the vice dean for research at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing. 
 
“We are excited to welcome Jing Wang to Florida State University and the College of Nursing,” McRorie said. “The college is poised for growth, particularly in its research endeavors, and we are confident Dr. Wang is the right leader to move us forward.”
 
A recognized national leader on digital health, which uses computing platforms, connected devices, software and sensors for health care and related uses, Wang said she’s excited to join FSU during a time of rapid growth for the university. 
 
“I am very intrigued by the College of Nursing’s strong academic nursing programs and strengths on health equity research, as well as Florida State’s collaborative spirit and strong focus on student success, especially for the first-generation students, and commitment to serve underserved communities,” Wang said.
 
Wang likes to work collectively, as evidenced by her stimulated synergy with other academic institutions on precision health, artificial intelligence and 5G telemedicine initiatives. She’s led academic industry collaborations with leading digital health companies and engaged local innovation hub partners, such as the Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute, in developing interprofessional education on mobile and connected health to prepare the next generation of health care professionals for a digital transformation of health care. 
 
While at UT Health San Antonio, Wang founded the Center on Smart and Connected Health Technologies and held the Hugh Roy Cullen Professorship in Nursing. She oversaw and developed new research/grant infrastructure to support a significant growth in grants and contracts with a portfolio of over $25 million a year in projects ranging from nursing research, education and student success to clinical and community services contracts.
 
Prior to that, Wang was the John P. McGovern Distinguished Professor at UT Health Houston, where she founded the Center of Excellence on Mobile and Connected Health within the Consortium on Aging. She was the first to be selected as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar and Josiah Jr. Macy Foundation Macy Faculty Scholar. She also served as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Biomedical Informatics and School of Public Health.
 
Wang said she looks forward to bringing her expertise from two large academic health centers to the College of Nursing and plans to encourage new research and form partnerships that will strengthen its research portfolio. 
 
“I hope to continue to foster excellence in research, education, clinical practice and community engagement at the College of Nursing and to lead the college to the forefront of health and health care in the state of Florida, nationally and globally,” Wang said.
 
Wang’s expertise focuses on the use of healthcare technology in interdisciplinary research, education and collaborative practice in the areas of aging, chronic illness management and primary care. An accomplished researcher, Wang studies how mobile and connected technology can optimize behavioral lifestyle interventions and improve patient-centered outcomes in chronically ill and aging populations, especially among the rural, underserved and minority populations. 
 
The author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and presentations, Wang is the editor-in-chief of JMIR Aging and serves on the editorial board of the Diabetes Educator. Notably, Wang is also a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the President-Elect of the Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association. 
 
On the health policy front, she works with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a Health and Aging Policy Fellow and is an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow, and she serves as a Senior Scientific Advisor to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She will be a Senior Policy Adviser to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) starting August.
 
Wang earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, Multidisciplinary Master in Public Health and Graduate Certificate on Clinical and Translational Science from the University of Pittsburgh. She received her undergraduate degree at Jiangxi Medical College in Nanchang, Jiangxi, P.R. China. 
 
Laurie Grubbs, who has served as interim dean since 2019, will remain with the college as a professor emerita. 
 
Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates conducted the national search, and Randy Hanna, dean and chief executive officer of FSU Panama City, chaired the search committee.
 
The College of Nursing was founded in 1950 and its baccalaureate degree nursing program was accredited in 1952. With more than 7,000 graduates, the college has a proud history of preparing nurses for professional practice and research in diverse settings. 
 
For more information about the College of Nursing, visit nursing.fsu.edu.
 
 
 
 


July 12 2021 – West Boca Medical Center recently unveiled its new Boca Center for Women’s Care. The center has a new name, but is still delivering the same quality care expectant moms can count on when getting ready to deliver their new bundle of joy. The hospital also has a new laborist program, which offers in-house physicians, who are specialized obstetricians and gynecologists.  
 
 
They are available 24/7 to care for all maternity, labor and delivery needs.  The hospital also has aromatherapy, a celebration breakfast, postpartum snack pack and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  
 
For more information about the services at the Boca Center for Women’s Care, visit www.WestBocaMedCtr.com/Baby.


 
July 12 2021 – Hialeah Hospital proudly honors Abel Garcia Valdez, RN as the hospital’s Employee of the Month. Abel was nominated because his colleagues describe him as highly engaged in growing the advance robotic surgical services at Hialeah Hospital.  
 
Abel was presented with a certificate in recognition of his outstanding service, commitment and dedication for caring for patients. “Abel is recognized for his positive attitude and dedication to ensuring our surgical patients receive the world class care they need to be well”, said Michael Bell, hospital CEO. 
 
Hialeah Hospital
 
Hialeah Hospital is a 378 bed general acute care community hospital located at 651 East 25th Street in Hialeah, Florida. The hospital is part of Tenet Healthcare’s Miami-Dade Group and has been serving the medical and healthcare needs of the Hialeah community since 1951. Hialeah Hospital offers a broad range of healthcare services including: Center for Weight Loss Surgery, level II neonatal intensive care unit, 24-hour emergency care that includes a Senior ER, geriatrics, cardiology, neurosurgery, robotic surgery and orthopedics, as well as outpatient services. Hialeah Hospital has consistently won achievement awards with American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure, Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby Recognition, March of Dimes 39 weeks initiative and the Healogics Center of Distinction Award. Hialeah Hospital is fully accredited by The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about Hialeah Hospital, visit www.hialeahhosp.com or call 305-693-6100.
 
 
                                                     
 
 
 
 


Board-certified and fellowship-trained cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. William Kokotos joins the award-winning hospital as part of a multidisciplinary team dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of heart and vascular conditions at the Robson Heart & Vascular Institute at Jupiter Medical Center.   
 
July 12 2021 – Jupiter Medical Center, selected by national magazine Newsweek in 2021 as one of the World’s Best Hospitals, has appointed Dr. William Kokotos, Cardiovascular Surgeon to the Robson Heart and Vascular Institute at Jupiter Medical Center. Board-certified, fellowship-trained, and highly experienced, Dr. Kokotos brings with him renowned expertise in a broad range of both minimally invasive procedures and open-heart surgeries.
 
Prior to his appointment at Jupiter Medical Center, Dr. Kokotos served as Chief of Cardiac Surgery at NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island (NYULH-LI) where he initiated and directed the cardiac program that performed the first percutaneous mitral valve repair on Long Island. During his tenure at NYULH-LI he was the Chairman of Academic Affairs for the NYU Long Island School of Medicine Faculty Council. In addition to being a respected cardiac surgeon, he participated in numerous clinical trials and has published various articles. He has been recognized by Castle Connolly’s “Regional Top Doctors” as well as by Newsday for several years as a “Long Island Top Doctor” and consistently achieved one of the highest cardiac quality scores in the State of New York.
 
“Dr. Kokotos is an experienced cardiothoracic surgeon and has performed more than 3,000 cardiac surgeries,” says Amit Rastogi, MD, MHCM, CEO of Jupiter Medical Center. “He is widely respected and adds tremendous depth and breadth to the portfolio of cardiac services we provide to the region of Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast.”
 
Areas of expertise for Dr. Kokotos include: mitral and aortic valve repair/replacement; transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR); ablation surgery for atrial fibrillation; coronary artery bypass surgery; surgical treatment of the aortic root; ascending aortic and aortic arch aneurysms; open surgical and percutaneous interventions for thoracic aortic disease; thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR); surgical resection of cardiac tumors; percutaneous mitral valve repair; ligation of the left atrial appendage; and stent grafting thoracic aortic aneurysm.
 
Jupiter Medical Center
 
Rated number one in the region for quality, safety and patient experience, Jupiter Medical Center is the leading destination for world-class healthcare in Palm Beach County and across the Treasure Coast. Jupiter Medical Center’s state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology enable its award-winning physicians to provide a comprehensive continuum of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services and specialty centers of excellence including orthopedics and spine care, comprehensive cancer care, cardiac and vascular care, neurosciences, maternity care, Level II neonatal care, pediatrics, emergency care, diagnostic imaging, concierge services and urgent care. For more information about Jupiter Medical Center, please call 561-263-2200 or visit www.jupitermed.com