Healthy Headlines

EVEN IN A YEAR WHEN COVID-19 PATIENTS AND ICU beds were the focus of news coverage of Florida hospitals, the medical centers of the Palm Beaches continued to look to the future—beyond the pandemic and toward new technologies and innovations that will save lives and ease patient comfort for a wide array of conditions. Here are a few of the major developments to emerge from the region’s hospitals.

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JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER

Atrial fibrillation (AFib), or the abnormal beating of the heart, is a condition that affects an estimated 5 million Americans. An abnormally beating heart is susceptible to creating blood clots, which can lead to stroke, and patients with AFib are five times more likely to suffer a stroke than those without. The standard treatment for AFib patients has been the use of blood thinners like Warfarin, an imperfect solution with known side effects. As of 2021, Jupiter Medical Center is on the front lines of a newer and more advanced treatment: the FDA-approved WATCHMAN™ implant procedure. The device, implanted by minimally invasive catheterization and not open-heart surgery, permanently closes off the small area in the heart called the left atrial appendage, which is responsible for more than 90 percent of stroke-causing AFib blood clots. Jupiter Medical Center’s cardiac care team looks to add to the now 50,000 patients who have treated their AFib with the WATCHMAN™ implant. Jupiter Medical Center’s Robson Heart and Vascular Institute also made news in 2021 with the hiring of Dr. William Kokotos, a board-certified, fellowshiptrained, and highly experienced cardiovascular surgeon who previously served as Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the esteemed NYU Langone Hospital on Long Island. Having performed more than 3,000 cardiac surgeries across many areas of expertise, Dr. Kokotos will be an invaluable asset for cardiac patients across the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast.

PALM BEACH GARDENS MEDICAL CENTER

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center (PBGMC) has made its own major strides in cardiac care. In the fall of 2020, it became the first hospital in Palm Beach County to perform a heart procedure with the Impella 5.5 with Smart Assist, a minimally invasive heart pump

Dr. Nishant Patel

implanted for certain patients in the immediate aftermath of a heart attack. For those whose hearts are unable to pump blood on their own, the Impella 5.5 reduces the heart’s workload and oxygen demand, taking care of the organ’s functions while allowing it to rest and recover. Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Nishant Patel was the first surgeon at the hospital to use the device for a procedure. And in the spring of 2021, Dr. Patel began integrating additional minimally invasive procedures for his cardiac patients. Unlike traditional open-heart surgery, which requires the surgical separation of the breastbone, the procedures now being offered at PBGMC are performed through a small incision in the ribs, offering a potentially faster recovery and less pain. These include: n Mitral Valve Repair and Replacement n Tricuspid Repair and Replacement n Aortic Valve Replacement n Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation n Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Repair n Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) Repair Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center also celebrated the recent opening of a new orthopedic unit. The spacious suite includes 15 renovated private rooms, private bathrooms and showers, a fully equipped and supervised gym for physical and occupational rehabilitation, daily activity simulators for activities such as driving and ascending stairs, and a private dining area. It is perhaps no surprise that with such advanced facilities for orthopedic recovery, PBGMC was recently selected as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement, part of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s Blue Distinction Specialty Care program recognizing high-quality patient safety and better health outcomes.

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Good Samaritan Medical Center—Ziehm Vision

GOOD SAMARITAN MEDICAL CENTER

A year after celebrating its centenary, Good Samaritan Medical Center (GSMC) is not resting on its historic laurels. It has continued to introduce cutting-edge technologies for the ease of its physicians and the comfort of its patients. In 2021, it became the first hospital in the Palm Beaches to use the Ziehm 3D CT Imaging Arm for scans of the spine. The device, which can be used for orthopedic, neurosurgery, trauma or spinal patients, can perform a complete and thorough spinal scan in

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less than three minutes, and it is part of Good Samaritan’s growing neurosciences program. Good Samaritan has also made strides in the fight against men’s prostate cancer, thanks to the introduction of the UroNav Fusion Biopsy System by Phillips. Able to adjust in six directions, the system offers MRI precision targeting for prostate biopsy guidance, allowing clinicians access to all areas of the prostate gland. Additionally, GSMC is celebrating the appointment of its chief nursing officer, Mary Elizabeth “Libby” Flippo, to the 13-member Florida Board of Nursing. Appointed to the position by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021, Flippo joins an esteemed company. The role of the board is to license, monitor, discipline, educate and rehabilitate its licensees to assure their fitness and competence in providing health care services for the people of Florida. The Florida Board of Nursing plays an integral role in health care regulation, as the board members and staff interact regularly with other nursing affiliated groups in Florida, as well as the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

ST. MARY’S MEDICAL CENTER

More than 800,000 Americans suffer from strokes annually, but those who receive care at St. Mary’s Medical

St. Mary’s Medical Center

Center will be in extra-capable hands. In 2021, the hospital became the first in Florida to utilize Rapid Medical’s TIGERTRIEVER device, the only blood clot removal tool that is adjustable inside the brain. The physician views the device under X-ray guidance, adjusting it to match the vessel size and better capture the clot. Dr. Alik Malek, medical director of the comprehensive stroke center at the hospital, performed the procedure, and he praised the enhanced control and adaptability it offers. Another state-of-the-art technology, virtual reality (VR), is also being deployed at St. Mary’s on-site Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute. VR is perhaps more associated with gaming than medicine, but platforms such as Immertec Medoptic are helping to change that perception. As the only fully immersive 3-D, virtual technology surgical training platform, it allows surgeons to virtually “scrub in” to a live procedure from anywhere through a VR headset. The Paley Institute hosted its first Immertec Medoptic technology virtual event in 2020, allowing practicing surgeons to gain exposure to innovative techniques, procedures and devices. The platform is also tailored for trainees to follow their supervisors’ instructions. On a more down-to-earth level, St. Mary’s is now partnering with pharmacy giant Walgreens. The brand’s new on-site pharmacy allows discharged patients, staff and the general public to order and pick up medications, eliminating their need to drive to a separate location to continue treatment. The perks of the partnership include prior authorization and financial assistance, free medication shipping and home delivery, nonhazardous and non-sterile compounding, delivery of discharge medications to patients’ bedsides and the sale of overthe-counter medications.

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St Mary's Medical Center—Tigertriever