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July 25, 2022 – As the need for new doctors grows nationally, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s teaching hospital, Lakeside Medical Center, recently graduated five new physicians. The hospital’s 10th class of family medicine residents completed three years of intense training during the pandemic in the underserved, rural Glades communities that were considered a hot spot for COVID-19.

“I applaud these graduates for their dedication to our hospital’s patients and the health of Glades’ residents during an unprecedented time in medicine,” said Darcy J. Davis, CEO of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. “Their quality care and commitment have helped improve the health of the Glades region.”

Benjamin Kosubevsky, DO; Thy Hoang Bui, DO; Janaki Saoji Juma, MD; Jesse Carl Grieb, DO and William Carson Draper, DO completed rotations in emergency medicine, critical care, women’s health, psychiatry, general surgery, inpatient, outpatient and community medicine, sports medicine, cardiology, geriatrics, and pediatrics. One of the program’s goals is to cultivate physicians to practice locally. To that end, Dr. Bui will join the Health Care District as a primary care provider with the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics.  Dr. Grieb, who along with Dr. Draper served as Chief Residents, will also practice in Palm Beach County.

“I remember the first COVID patient we treated at Lakeside and the wave of COVID as the patients came and went,” said Dr. Grieb.  “I remember getting my first COVID vaccine and I was the second in line. We made 15 masks for all of the residents to protect us when we didn’t know what the situation was going to be like, researching how to wear and fit them. It was intense for sure.  To me, that was the most impressive part, that we all came together and got through it. In terms of preparedness, I feel ready and more in command of my medical knowledge, understanding and clinical reasoning.”

Family medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. Over the course of their residency training, the physicians provide access to a range of quality services for their patients, many of whom have complex medical conditions and limited resources.

“The biggest impact this internship had on me is the opportunity to serve the people of the Glades who really need help and it’s been extremely rewarding,” said Dr. Draper, who plans to practice outside Salt Lake City, Utah.  “It’s helped me learn how to treat patients, be empathic and really put myself in people’s shoes to better understand their situation and the challenges they’re experiencing.”

“Years from now as you recall your experience here at Lakeside, it will be clear that COVID-19 left an indelible mark on you,” said keynote speaker Bryan Dawkins, MD, Residency Program Faculty Member and VP of Hospitalist Services for Elite Medical Services. “Each of you deserve enormous credit and respect for your extraordinary adaptability, resilience, and dedication to patient care.”

The Family Medicine Residency Program has a total of 15 residents and is funded by a grant from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. The program’s academic and community partners include Nova Southeastern University and the Florida Department of Health for Palm Beach County.

 “We’re proud to reach this milestone of graduating our tenth class of family medicine residents on June 23rd and welcoming our five incoming residents, Sherene Falconer, MD; Ryan Katwaroo, MD; Sabari Nair, DO;

Sagar Saoji, MD and Deena Werde, MD,” said Jennifer Dorcé-Medard, DO, Lakeside Medical Center’s Associate Chief Medical Officer and Designated Institutional Official. “The importance of this achievement is heightened by the Association of American Medical Colleges’ projection of a shortage in the U.S. of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians within 12 years.”

In 2020, the residency program was accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), a distinction that assures Lakeside Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Program meets the quality standards of the specialty or subspecialty practices for which it prepares its graduates.

For more information about Lakeside Medical Center, which was ranked as the number one most racially inclusive hospital in the country this year by the Lown Institute, visit www.lakesidemedical.org.

 

About the Health Care District

The Health Care District of Palm Beach County provides primary medical care and dental services for adults and children at the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, a coordinated and lifesaving Trauma System that includes two FAA-certified Trauma Hawk air ambulances, registered nurses in nearly 170 public schools, short and long-term skilled nursing at the Edward J. Healey Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Riviera Beach, and acute care at its teaching hospital, Lakeside Medical Center, which is accredited by The Joint Commission and serves the rural Glades’ communities.

 

About the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number H80CS25684 for Health Center Cluster in the award amount of $7,278,563.  Of the total project, 83% is financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. The C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics were granted Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) deeming status effective January 1, 2022.