April 27, 2021 – With over 6,000 applications this year, Northwest Medical Center and Westside Regional Medical Center are proud to welcome their incoming class of 39 residents into the Graduate Medical Education (GME) program shared between both facilities. These residents join HCA Healthcare’s GME program as part of its record class of 1,982 incoming residents and fellows.
As teaching hospitals, Northwest Medical Center and Westside Regional Medical Center are excited to continue fostering the future of healthcare by providing tomorrow’s doctors with exceptional clinical and didactic training to teach them to deliver the best possible care to patients. 
The two HCA Healthcare hospitals are also working together to create an even more immersive, hands-on program by leveraging their state-of-the-art robotic surgery technology to train residents using simulation features and dual consoles to encourage collaboration. Both hospitals recently acquired their third da Vinci Xi robots, which offer surgeons high-definition 3D cameras that provide a live view of the surgical field, which is much more detailed than what is available using the naked eye.
In addition, this latest advancement in technology benefits residents with a feature that allows live recording and audio narration of the surgery, which is then uploaded to the cloud for direct review and analysis of the video and imaging. Both programs are also unveiling their own expanded, dedicated GME suites where residents and fellows can further their education and research.
Until this year, Northwest Medical Center and Westside Regional Medical Center offered two ACGME accredited programs – Internal Medicine and General Surgery – as well as their CPME accredited Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency programs, and a Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Fellowship program. As both facilities continue to invest in the growth and development of their shared GME programs, they are introducing two new programs in the specialties of Anesthesia and Pathology for this upcoming academic year.
The Internal Medicine residency, their largest residency program, is led by Dr. Adekunle Bamgboye as the program director and by Dr. Pallavi Aneja and Dr. Amanda Kowalski as the associate program directors. This program provides residents with a community based training experience that is both multicultural and multidisciplinary. Internal Medicine Residents develop clinical skills and gain expertise on the diagnoses, treatment and compassionate care of adults.The General Surgery Residency, which is a community-based university affiliated program, is led by Dr. Shaikh Hai as the program director and by Dr. Charles Lago as the associate program director. Residents from this program are trained to manage the full range of problems encountered by surgical patients in an intensive care unit as well as how to manage patients on a day-to-day basis.
Northwest Medical Center’s Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency Program is led by Dr. Alan MacGill as the program director and Dr. Cherison Cuffy as the associate program director. Westside Regional Medical Center’s Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency Program is led by Dr. Steven Spinner as the program director and Dr. Fredric Chussid as the associate program director. Westside Regional Medical Center’s Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Fellowship is led by Dr. Warren Windram. Our podiatric programs expose residents to all aspects of foot and ankle surgery; with a volume of cases unmatched throughout South Florida. Monthly simulation laboratories, formal didactics, research and clinical encounters further develop the resident’s exemplary skills; producing nationally recognized foot and ankle surgeons in large orthopedic and multispecialty groups.
The new Anesthesia Residency Program will be led by Dr. Imani Thornton as the program director and by Dr. Angela Pierre as the associate program director. In its inaugural year, this program will train six PGY1 residents and six PGY2 residents.
The new Pathology Residency Program will be led by Dr. Alan Schiller as the program director. In its inaugural year, this program will train two PGY1 residents.
For more information on Westside Regional Medical Center’s Graduate Medical Education Program, please visit https://westsideregional.com/gme/ or call (954) 473-6600.
For more information on Northwest Medical Center’s Graduate Medical Education Program, please visit https://northwestmed.com/professionals/graduate-medical-education/ or call (954) 974-0400.
About Northwest Medical Center
Northwest Medical Center, an award-winning 289-bed hospital, has faithfully served communities across northern Broward County, South Florida and beyond for more than 30 years. As the only designated ‘Hospital of the Future’ in South Florida, we provide award-winning care using the latest state-of-the-art advancements in medical technology with a focus on excellence in patient safety and care experience. A Joint Commission-accredited hospital and primary stroke center, Northwest Medical Center is best known for its Heart and Vascular Institute; Bariatric Center of Excellence; dedicated Women’s Hospital with maternity services and the only Level III NICU in northern Broward County; 24/7 adult and pediatric emergency services; robotic/minimally-invasive surgery; orthopedic, spine and neurological care, and more. Northwest Medical Center is training the next generation of physicians as a teaching hospital with a growing Graduate Medical Education (GME) program with specialized programs in internal medicine, podiatry, general surgery, anesthesia and pathology.
About Westside Regional Medical Center
Westside Regional Medical Center, an award-winning 250-bed hospital, is recognized for providing a wide array of services to the residents of Broward County, South Florida and visitors from around the world. We offer 24-hour comprehensive medical, surgical and diagnostic services, including oncology, cardiology and emergency care. Westside Regional also offers the community with the latest in minimally invasive spine and colorectal surgery and is one of only nine Joint Commission certified centers in the United States for minimally invasive colorectal surgery. Not only is Westside Regional certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Agency for Health Care Administration (ACHA), but it also received its Thrombectomy Capable Center certification from the Joint Commission. Westside Regional Medical Center is also a teaching and research facility, offering Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs in podiatry, surgery and internal medicine. For over 45 years, Westside Regional Medical Center has been committed to expanding and improving every facet of the organization, devoting significant time and resources to enhancing the facility, staff and medical care. Westside Regional Medical Center has an outstanding staff, which includes physicians, specialists and employees, all of whom place importance in making their patients feel welcome and comfortable.
Northwest Medical Center and Westside Regional Medical Center are facilities of HCA East Florida. HCA East Florida is the largest healthcare system in Eastern Florida and an affiliate of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). HCA East Florida has 14 hospitals, multiple ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, and free standing emergency care facilities, as well as a supply chain center and an integrated regional lab. Together, HCA East Florida employs more than 18,000 employees and has nearly 7,000 physicians on staff. For more information, visit HCAEastFlorida.com.
HCA EAST FLORIDA
Aventura Hospital and Medical Center + Highlands Regional Medical Center + JFK Medical Center +
JFK Medical Center North Campus + Kendall Regional Medical Center + Lawnwood Regional Medical Center + Mercy Hospital + Northwest Medical Center + Palms West Hospital + Plantation General Hospital + Raulerson Hospital + St. Lucie Medical Center + University Hospital & Medical Center + Westside Regional Medical Center
