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MARKETING 2007 - A YEAR U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
PAID
Public Relations Coordinator IN REVIEW West Palm Beach, FL
Permit #4595
HospiceCare of Southeast A Year of Growth at
Florida, Inc. Cleveland Clinic

Page 19 Page 32

December 2007 • Volume 4 • Issue 6 • $3.00

The Region’s Monthly Newspaper for Healthcare Professionals & Physicians

FOCUS: REAL ESTATE Dr. Spier Prepared to Deliver

Solid Leadership to BCMA

BY RON PAGLIA Hollywood, said the bottom line is that
“everyone is trying to get a bigger piece of a
s a physician specializing in obstet- shrinking pie.”
rics/gynecology, Nigel A. Spier, M.D., “Healthcare now accounts for 17% of our
AFACOG, has delivered well over GDP (Gross Domestic Product),” Spier
2,500 babies into the world. Now, in an said. “That would be okay if it meant it was
extended non-clinical role as president of contributing to the growth of our economy.
the Broward County Medical Association, But it’s not. In fact, resources are being
he’s eager to assist in the “birth of some drained away from our economy, and from
exciting new programs” for the BCMA. our healthcare system, because everyone is
In doing that, Spier is emphasizing a basic Photography by Joey G. Photography looking to get in on the action, as it were,
factor affecting the nation’s health system – without putting anything back into the sys-
Agustin R. Arellano economics – as well as increased advocacy tem.”
by physicians in matters that impact them. This, Spier continued, means “trial
How Arellano to many, since it’s not a hot button, catchy Dr. Nigel A. Spier tical and other business interest CEOs, and
lawyers, insurance companies, pharmaceu-
“That (economics) may come as a surprise
issue like Medicare reform, the uninsured, tort reform or even politicians, have approached healthcare as an area
Construction expanding coverage for children,” Spier, who has been a where maintaining the status quo is good for business.”
“If we can change that attitude, and direct our efforts to
member and leader of numerous professional organizations
throughout his career, said. “But they are all related to the create a system that is efficient, effective and self-sustaining,
Has Grown same principle. To borrow a slogan from another era, ‘It’s the everyone benefits, and we can focus our attention on other
economy, stupid!’”
issues,” he said. “ If we don’t, we will continue to struggle
Spier, a native of London with a private practice in Continued on page 5
BY LOIS THOMSON

t wasn’t Agustin R. Arellano’s intent to get FOCUS: SPIRITUALITY
into the health care business. Indeed, when
Ihe started his construction company in 1973, Holidays Present Challenges,
he began as an interior contractor, handling pri-
marily office buildings and condos in Dade and
Broward Counties. However, one occasion Rewards for Hospice Chaplains
changed that.
As Arellano, President and CEO of Arellano families’ dreams and do whatever possible to
Construction Co., explained, “In the early ‘80s, I he baby died. She’d been born with a ensure those dreams are realized. One holi-
had the opportunity to bid on a small hospital genetic abnormality and had lived only day season, an actively dying elderly patient
expansion at what used to be Miami General Ta few months. The family had hopes of who had just signed on for hospice care
Hospital. After we completed that I was fascinat- celebrating Christmas with her, but she didn’t asked to go home to her own bed with her
ed by the intricacies and complexities of the live long enough. family at her side. The VITAS team carried
medical and health care construction industry, When the chaplain from VITAS was asked out her wishes that same day.
and decided to focus the attention of the compa- to conduct the funeral service, he decided Once the patient arrived home, four gen-
ny on health care.” they should celebrate Christmas with her erations of her family surrounded her; her
Additionally, Arellano said that in 1993, they after all. He made her funeral service a much-loved dog jumped into her bed and
were asked to provide pre-construction services Christmas service. The congregation sang kissed her. Within minutes, the patient died
for one of the major health care facilities in carols, including “Silent Night” by candle- peacefully.
Miami. “At the time, that’s something we had light. A VITAS chaplain and Roman Catholic
never done, but the client asked, so we jumped This approach to a baby’s funeral shows seminarian who was present with this team
to it. Since that time, pre-con has become an how creatively hospice chaplains often deal says working in hospice has profoundly
integral part of our business model.” Arellano with the challenges of death and loss during BY MARTHA RUTLAND, changed the way he delivers spiritual guid-
went on to explain that as part of the pre-con, the holiday season. By turning the baby’s D MIN, BCC, ACPE ance.
they provide estimating at schematic design funeral into a celebration, her family, her Quiet confessionals and the silent majesty
through final construction documents, as well as VITAS team and her community came togeth- of the nave were this chaplain’s most comfortable places.
value engineering and scheduling services to er to acknowledge a brief but meaningful life that touched But in hospice he discovered that family gatherings and lov-
assure that the facility’s budget and time line are many. It’s what hospice caregivers and chaplains do every ing pets don’t always allow for silent reflection and mean-
met. day, but during the holidays, it’s a particularly poignant mis- ingful conversation. Sometimes, he told me, we must suc-
“We involve the major subcontractors which sion. cumb to the chaos and accept that what takes place at the
helps us sharpen our estimates and develop real-
Listen and observe bedside is intimate – even if it doesn’t appear so.
Continued on page 50 A big part of VITAS’ mission is to listen to patients’ and Continued on page 10

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