The Broward County Guardianship Association is pleased to announce their 2006-2007 Officers and Board of Directors.

President, Stephen Margulis, Esq.; Vice & Immediate Past President, Paul Girello; Treasurer, Nathan A. Tarler; Secretary & Legislative chair, Naomi Behar Smith, Esq, Smith & Smith; Public relations, Bonnie L. Mackey, CPA, CSEP, Levin, Silvey, Zelko & Co., PA; Newsletter, Sue Skornia, A Watchful Guardian, Inc.

Associates are Kristen Vassallo, A Classic Residence by Hyatt in Pompano Beach; Cynthia Heafy, Coral Springs Police Dept.; Suzanne B. Lewis, RG, Coordinating Consultants Consortium, Inc.



Sarah A. Lochner, M.D., joins the Spine Institute at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston, where she will focus her practice on the non-surgical treatment of spinal injuries.

Dr. Lochner earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Her internal medicine residency and internship were completed at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She served as chief medical resident while at Baylor College of Medicine’s Veteran Medical Center.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Florida, Dr. Lochner was on staff at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Westlake Clinic in Westlake, Ohio. She was also previously on staff at the Medical Clinic of Houston in Houston, Texas. Dr. Lochner is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.



It is with pride and pleasure that the Miami Jewish Home and Hospital for the Aged at Douglas Gardens (MJHHA) announces the receipt of a prestigious award by two of the Home’s most energetic and devout supporters, Allen and Roy Reinke. Allen and Roy were presented with the Florida Association of Homes for the Aging’s 2006 Volunteers of the Year Award at the FAHA conference held recently in Orlando. FAHA bestows this award annually to an individual – or, in this case, individuals – who has made distinctive contributions to seniors through their volunteer work.

(l-r) Allen and Roy Reinke

Allen and Roy have volunteered their time and talents to the Miami Jewish Home since 1996, enriching the lives of residents, tenants, and program participants. These twin brothers became dedicated to MJHHA when their mother was a resident several years ago and since their retirement they have demonstrated their support in countless ways. They do one-on-one visits with residents, volunteer in the Louis C. Fischer Alzheimer’s Adult Day Care, visit patients of Douglas Gardens Hospice, give service with a smile to the residents in the main dining room, recruit other volunteers, and help at many special events including the Douglas Gardens Golf Classic, Next Generation’s Mitzvah days, Men’s Club’s annual New Year’s Eve party for residents and annual arts and crafts’ holiday bazaars.

In addition to serving as Board Members, Grand Trustees, and Co-Corresponding Secretaries of the Junior Auxiliary, they both belong to the Gift of the Heart Society, are Board members of the Home’s Men’s Club, and are Auxiliary representatives on the Home’s Board of Directors.

These brothers, who never say “no” when asked to serve the needs of the Home, have received every award that MJHHA gives in recognition of outstanding volunteer efforts, including the 1998 New Volunteer Achievers, 2000 Junior Auxiliary “Men of the Year,” 2002 Men’s Club “Menschen of the Month,” 2004 Volunteer Auxilians and 2006 “Volunteers of the Year.”



Jennifer Pechenik, Psy.D, MPA, LCSW, has been named Director of Occupational Health/Employee Assistance Program for the North Broward Hospital District (NBHD).

Prior to joining the NBHD, Pechenik served twelve years directing the Employee Assistance Program with the Jackson Health System. She has also worked with the Department of Children, Youth and Families as a Program Administrator.

Pechenik received her bachelor of arts degree from Florida State University, her M.S.W. and MPA from Florida International University, and her Psy.D from Albizu University, Miami, Florida. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Employee Assistance Program Association and Association for Addiction Professionals.



Barry University’s School of Nursing has received $450,965 from the Florida Department of Education to fund the second year of its SUCCEED Project, “Partnerships to Create Nursing Faculty for Florida,” Dean Pegge L. Bell, PhD, recently announced.

The project is a partnership between Barry University, Nova Southeastern University and Broward Community College. It began July 2005 with $1.28 million as the goal of producing more nursing faculty to alleviate the critical nursing shortage that currently exists. In this, the project’s second year, student coursework will be supported with scholarships provided by Blue Cross & Blue Shield. With this second year of funding from the state, the partners will continue to upgrade the educational preparation of bachelor of science in nursing-prepared adjunct faculty from BCC and other community colleges and MSN-prepared nurses from university settings across the state into the graduate programs of BU and NSU.

By the end of August, 31 students are expected to enroll in the MSN program and 16 at the PhD level. They, too, will be supported in their second year of the program by scholarships from Blue Cross & Blue Shield.