Palm Healthcare Foundation (PHF) is pleased to announce Deborah Raines, PhD, RN, has been awarded the Innovations in Clinical Excellence Award from Sigma Theta Tau, the national nursing honor society, for her research based on the Palm Healthcare Foundation Preceptor of Excellence Initiative.

Dr. Raines, a Professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, received the award for the implementation and evaluation of Preceptor as Connoisseur and Catalyst: An evidence based standard for Nurse Preceptors. A preceptor is an experienced registered nurse who provides support and guidance to students during clinical placement. After reviewing and evaluating nursing literature, Dr. Raines developed an interactive, educational workshop and quarterly “E-TIPS” (e-Teaching in Practice Strategies), with the goal of enhancing the preparation of preceptors. Dr. Raines’ research examined whether the implementation of the workshop and “E-TIPS” made an impact on preceptor retention and satisfaction.



Martin Memorial Health Systems, in collaboration with the Moffitt Cancer Center and M2Gen, announced that it will be taking part in an innovative study that could revolutionize the way cancer is treated.

Total Cancer Care (TCC) is an exciting new program that features state-of-the-art cancer research between Moffitt and affiliated healthcare providers.

This collaboration will develop a new research initiative to improve cancer prevention and treatment by using molecular technology to enhance the ability to diagnose and treat patients.

“Our vision is to integrate new technologies into the standard of care and improve outcomes of all cancer patients by partnering with outstanding Florida health care institutions,” said Dr. William Dalton, Moffitt President/CEO and Center Director. “We are also looking forward to collaborating with the physicians to increase access to new and improved therapies for cancer.”

Technology has recently advanced to the point that researchers can now test each tumor for approximately 30,000 genes, which provide a molecular “fingerprint” unique to each tumor. By studying those unique molecular structures, scientists will someday be able to develop new drug therapies that are personalized for each individual.

By studying and comparing patients’ responses to specific treatments, scientists hope to learn which drugs work best in different patients, enabling them to individualize treatment for patients with various types of cancer. This approach will enhance the likelihood of patient improvement and reduce side-effects.



David Fabry, Ph.D., has been named chief of the Division of Audiology in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Dr. Fabry has experience in clinical, academic and industry settings, marked by roles as director of audiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN; vice president, professional relations and education for Phonak Hearing System; former president of the American Academy of Audiology and former editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Audiology. He has also held professorial or adjunct positions at Howard University, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Minnesota and Nova Southeastern University.



Nancy Watkins of Islamorada has been named the Mariners Hospital Auxiliary Volunteer of the Year. Watkins received a received a glass plaque engraved with her name, a gold pineapple pendant with a diamond and two tickets to the hospital’s Bougainvillea Ball.

(l-r) Jay Hershoff, chair of the Mariners Hospital Board of Directors; Nancy Watkins; Judi Bray, president of the Auxiliary; and Nelson Lazo, Mariners Hospital CEO.

Watkins has volunteered 2,683 hours since she joined the auxiliary in 2003. The majority of those hours were spent in the hospital gift shop. She has served as gift shop co-chair as well as chair and was responsible for a marked increase in sales by introducing a new mix of merchandise.



Bethesda Memorial Hospital is proud to announce Linda Cassidy as the Cardiovascular Clinical Specialist for the Bethesda Heart Institute. Cassidy joins Bethesda’s team with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, most recently as the critical care clinical specialist at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In her current role, Cassidy will oversee the clinical education of the cardiovascular intensive care unit and telemetry units of the Bethesda Heart Institute.