For more than 45 years, Palmetto General Hospital has been serving the growing needs of the Miami-Dade and South Broward communities. Throughout 2015, the hospital’s physicians and employees upheld the historical standard of consistently delivering acclaimed care in services including cardiac, maternity, pediatrics, wound care and more.
Palmetto General Hospital started off the year by welcoming Armando “Mandy” Llanes Jr. as the newest member of its 2015 Governing Board. Llanes serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the Hialeah Chamber of Commerce and the co-founder of Mujer Imagen Foundation, an organization that helps promote female entrepreneurs in the community.
In spring, at the Miami-Dade Stroke Coordinators and EMS meeting, interventional neurologist, Dr. Ritesh Kaushal, discussed the growth of Palmetto General Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center and what the staff has done to decrease the door-to-needle time over the last two years. In January and February of this year, the team achieved an average 27-minute door-to-needle time with an astounding low of only 10 minutes. Under the leadership of Dr. Kaushal, Palmetto General Hospital has been able to treat stroke patients twice as fast as other area hospitals.
In April, the hospital became one of the first hospitals in the country and the first in Miami-Dade County to offer BrainPath, a minimally invasive surgical option for oncology and neurology patients with deep subcortical brain abnormalities. The technology allows surgeons to access and remove abnormalities in the brain, such as tumors and intracranial hemorrhages, through an opening in the skull as small as a dime.
As part of its observance of National Hospital Week (May 10-16), Palmetto General Hospital recognized some of its most dedicated employees. Norma Guerra, front desk receptionist, was honored for her 40 years of service to the hospital, and Patricia Hammond, medical transcriptionist, was recognized for 45 years of service. Erna E. Cunningham, director of health management, and Madge L. Miller, LPN, were named 2015 Tenet Heroes. Stefen Blanco, RN, was chosen as the 2015 Nurse of the Year, and Carlos Figueroa-Negron was honored as the 2015 Employee of the Year.
In June, the Heart Institute at Palmetto General Hospital began offering a minimally invasive treatment option for patients suffering from severe aortic stenosis. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) involves the placement of a balloon-expandable heart valve into the body using a catheter. The procedure is available for patients who do not qualify for open heart surgery.
Later in summer, Palmetto General Hospital earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized guidelines.
Additionally, the hospital was recertified by the Surgical Review Corporation as a Center of Excellence in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. This designation means that Palmetto met the requirements for delivering high quality perioperative and long-term follow-up care. The hospital has also been recognized each year since 2009 as a Designated Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology for achieving accreditation in all breast imaging modalities.
With fall came the addition of two new administrative members to its staff: Dr. Christina Mata, chief medical officer, and Barbara Vazquez, chief nursing officer. Dr. Mata is an endocrinologist with five years of experience serving as CMO at various medical institutions. Vazquez has more than 12 years of experience in healthcare leadership positions and more than 10 years of nursing experience. Both individuals are responsible for ensuring that the hospital continues to provide high quality patient care.
Towards the end of fall, Palmetto General Hospital earned an “A” grade hospital safety score from The Leapfrog Group, one of the nation’s leading patient safety advocacy organizations. The hospital received the top score based on its performance in keeping patients safe from preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections. Palmetto was also featured in The Joint Commission’s 2015 annual report, “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” as a 2014 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®. The hospital was recognized for the third year in a row for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, stroke and perinatal.
Rounding off the year, Palmetto General Hospital unveiled its new cardiac catheterization laboratory. The lab specializes in interventional cardiology to help treat and prevent a wide range of cardiac conditions. Services include complex coronary interventions, valvular interventions, ICD and pacer implants, and treatment for peripheral arterial disease.
As 2016 quickly approaches, the physicians and staff at Palmetto General Hospital vow to continue their mission to enhance services and maintain the top-notch care that the community has come to expect.
