This past year was exciting for West Boca Medical Center with the introduction of several new features and many accolades. To start off, in early spring, the hospital recognized National Doctors’ Day by hosting a special breakfast, luncheon and awards ceremony for its outstanding physicians. Employees voted for the doctors they believed to be most deserving of the “Physician of the Year” title. Dr. Leon Cohen, pediatrics, and Dr. Dominic Kleinhenz, orthopedics, were named “Community Physicians of the Year,” and Dr. Leonardo Torres, neonatology, was recognized as “Hospital-based Physician of the Year.”
Later in spring, West Boca Medical Center celebrated Patient Experience Week (April 27 through May 1). The hospital hosted a series of educational workshops and implemented new initiatives to ensure that employees are recognized for their positive impact on patient experience.
The year continued with West Boca Medical Center receiving a string of prestigious honors including an “A” for the Spring Hospital Safety Score. The Leapfrog Group assigns grades to hospitals around the nation on a bi-annual basis. This year, more than 2,500 hospitals were evaluated, and only about 30 percent received an “A” score. West Boca Medical Center also accepted the 2015 Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award™ and the 2015 Labor and Delivery Excellence Award™ from Healthgrades. These achievements signify the hospital’s commitment to providing excellent care for women during childbirth, as well as during and after gynecologic surgeries and procedures.
Toward the end of May and continuing into June, West Boca hosted its Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive. According to a study released by Feeding South Florida and Feeding America in 2014, there are meals missing from the tables of 15.4 percent of the South Florida population. West Boca Medical Center was able to collect nearly 600 pounds of cereal and about $250 to donate to Boca Helping Hands, a local food bank.
In July, the future of emergency care arrived in North Broward County with the opening of the area’s first Satellite Emergency Center, just south of the Sawgrass Expressway overpass on State Road 7 in Coconut Creek. The new center is an extension of West Boca Medical Center’s Emergency Department, offering the same first-rate care in an easy-access location for individuals and families residing in the nearby area.
The beginning of fall came with the unveiling of West Boca’s newly modernized Birth Care Pavilion, which consists of a Labor and Delivery Unit, Post-Partum Unit, Newborn Nursery and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Each of the 33 patient rooms in the birthing suites has been completely remodeled to create a soothing and luxurious ambience. The labor and delivery rooms have new baby warmers and bassinettes, and selected rooms offer accommodations that include workspace for dads, sleeping quarters and a Wi-Fi connection. Renovations also included the conversion of some of the post-partum rooms into private rooms.
In an effort to help end the fight against breast cancer, West Boca Medical Center served as a silver sponsor for the “Making Strides of South Palm Beach” walk in October. The hospital raised over $2,870, and all funds went towards supporting breast cancer research, providing information and services to the community, and giving women access to various screenings and treatment.
Wrapping up the year, West Boca was awarded an “A” for the Fall Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group. This is the eighth consecutive time the hospital has received top honors since the award’s inception of the ratings four years ago. The achievement allows West Boca to end 2015 on a high note and look forward to the accomplishments of the coming year.
