Page 15 - May 2016 Flip Book

MAKINGROUNDS…MAKINGROUNDS…MAKINGROUNDS…
Dr. Richard Chazal
Becomes American College
of Cardiology President
Richard Chazal, M.D., FACC, has been named President of
the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Chazal is a senior car-
diologist and the Medical Director of the Heart and Vascular
Institute for Lee Memorial Health System. He also serves as
courtesy assistant professor of medicine for the University of
Florida and clinical assistant professor of medicine for Florida Dr. Richard Chazal
State University. Chazal has practiced clinical cardiology in
Fort Myers since 1983 with expertise in echocardiography, diagnostic catheterization and
coronary computerized tomography angiography. During his tenure, he has been a par-
ticipant in multiple clinical trials.
Respected Breast Surgeon
Nancy J. Taft, MD, FACS, Joins
Jupiter Medical Center Team
Jupiter Medical Center announces the appointment of
Nancy J. Taft, M.D., FACS, a fellowship-trained breast sur-
geon, as medical director of its Comprehensive Breast Care
Program. Highly trained, Dr. Taft completed a fellowship in
breast surgery at Chicago's Northwestern University School of Dr. Nancy J. Taft
Medicine where she received a year of additional specialty
training in breast cancer treatment. In addition to her career
as a skilled surgeon and physician, Dr. Taft is a former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S.
Army Reserve where she served as a trauma surgeon caring for our soldiers wounded on
the battlefields in Afghanistan. Prior to arriving at Jupiter Medical Center, Dr. Taft served
as the medical director of the Comprehensive Breast Center at Little Company of Mary
Hospital in the Chicago area.
Lee Memorial Health
System Welcomes
New Infectious
Disease Physicians
Lee Memorial Health System is
pleased to announce that Elena
Gatskevich, M.D., and Maurice
Ramirez, M.D., have joined the pro- Dr. Elena Gatskevich Dr. Maurice Ramirez
fessional staff of Lee Physician
Group – Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Gatskevich earned her medical degree at Grodno State Medical University in
Belarus, where she also completed post-graduate training in infectious disease. She com-
pleted an internal medicine residency at the Yale School of Medicine/Danbury Hospital
in Danbury, CT, as well as an internal medicine – infectious disease fellowship at the Yale
School of Medicine/Yale-New Haven Hospital is New Haven, CT.
Dr. Ramirez earned his medical degree from the University of the East, Ramon
Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, Philippines. He completed an
internal medicine internship at Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center in
Brooklyn, NY as well as an internal medicine residency at Saint Barnabas Medical Center
in Livingston, NJ. Dr. Ramirez completed an infectio
Dr. Sheri Watson-Hamilton
Promoted to Deputy Dental
Director at CHI
Dr. Sheri Watson-Hamilton, DMD, was recently promoted
to the position of Deputy Dental Director at Community
Health of South Florida Inc. (CHI). Dr. Hamilton has been a
devoted CHI dentist for 20 years and most recently served as
the Dental Site Supervisor at the Martin Luther King/Clinica
Campesina Health Center. Dr. Sheri Watson-
Dr. Watson-Hamilton possesses extensive training and Hamilton
experience in all aspects of general dentistry, including
sophisticated digital imaging, root canal therapy, periodontal maintenance (continuing
care of gums) and cosmetic procedures. She is dedicated to utilizing the latest techniques
and advanced technology to offer patients of all ages the best possible long-term dental
health.
South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com
Palmetto General Hospital
Welcomes New VP
of Medical Education
Manuel Gonzalez-Brito, D.O., joins the administrative
team at Palmetto General Hospital as the Vice President of
Medical Education.
In addition to his new position, Dr. Gonzalez-Brito is the
Director of the Concussion Clinic and Medical Director of the
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Program at Palm Dr. Manuel
Beach Children’s Hospital. He also practices at Kidz Medical Gonzalez-Brito
Services in Coral Gables as a Pediatric Critical Care Specialist.
Additionally, Dr. Gonzalez-Brito serves as a Volunteer Professor of Pediatrics for the
University of Vermont College of Medicine, whose students do clinical rotations at St.
Mary’s Medical Center. He is double board certified in pediatrics and pediatric critical
care medicine by the American Board of Pediatrics. us disease fellowship at Columbia-
Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, NY.
Medical Director of Women’s Services
Named 2016 Woman of Distinction
Dr. Lanalee Sam, OB/GYN and medical director of women’s services at Florida Medical
Center, received recognition as a 2016 Woman of Distinction. She was one of 10 women
recently honored for her professional achievements and extraordinary community con-
tributions in 2015. Last year, Dr. Sam served as the team physician for the Freedom
Challenge, where she and a group of individuals climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money
and awareness about human trafficking. Through this climb, Dr. Sam helped raise over
$1 million in donations.
Dr. Sam is a member of numerous associations including the American Medical
Association, the American Medical Women’s Association, the Broward County Medical
Association and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. Moreover, Dr.
Sam has been the recipient of numerous grants, awards and honors for her philanthrop-
ic work and medical research. In 2014, she was deemed one of South Florida’s 50 most
Powerful and Influential Black Professionals, and more recently, her international reach
was recognized at the Women4Africa Awards in London.
Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center
Names Physician of the Quarter
(l-r) Julie Riley, Regional Neuroscience Service Line Director, Kevin Caracciolo, Chief Human
Resource Officer; Teresa Urquhart, Chief Operating Officer; Dr. Arun Talkad, stroke med-
ical director, Kerry Johnson, Administrative Director of Nursing; Jeffrey M. Welch, CEO; Alex
Masmela, Assistant Administrator of the Emergency Department, Environmental Services,
and Food & Nutrition Services; Keri Taylor, Administrative Director of Quality
At the first Physician of the Quarter awards ceremony, Palm Beach Gardens Medical
Center recognized Dr. Arun Talkad, neurologist and medical director of the Primary
Stroke Center.
Dr. Talkad joined the medical staff at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center in
November 2013 and has since been a tremendous asset to the stroke program. Within
three months of his arrival, the hospital’s door-to-needle time, which refers to the time
taken to administer clot-busting medication after the patient arrives at the emergency
room, dropped from an average of 67.2 minutes to 28.5 minutes.
Dr. Talkad also initiated monthly stroke case review meetings that bring together
physicians and clinical staff across multiple specialties to discuss challenging stroke
cases.
May 2016 15