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A message from our President

Your Vote Counts!

Democracy took a new turn recently when many U.S. voters used the U.S. • Expanding access to healthcare is a priority;
Postal Service to deliver their ballots for counting. COVID-19 is teaching us and,
many lessons with one of those being that there are many safe ways that voters • Restoring the public health system is critical.
can express their views. Look for mail-in ballot voting to increase, along with Given the national focus on healthcare over the
participation. Even easier, there must be a secure way to vote electronically. last six months due to COVID-19, this election
I have shared in other articles that I am a follower of Paul Keckley. Paul pro- will have a major focus on healthcare, but how
duces a weekly “The Keckley Report” that faithfully arrives every Monday morn- much will be said? The implications, depending Jaime Caldwell
ing. In his August 7th edition entitled, “Health Policy in Campaign 2020: on who prevails, are considerable.
Comparisons, Contracts and Reality,” Paul shares with his readers some insights Regardless of which party wins the November election, they will both be faced
into the basic underpinnings of both the Democratic and Republican platforms. with the same issues. The question is, “how will they rise to the challenge?”
This article is not intended to support either position, but is intended to share Behavioral health will become a priority. As Paul Keckley mentions, one of the
general information that can be used by voters when making their decisions in implications of COVID-19 is, “One in four young adults has considered suicide
November. Get your mail-in ballots early and return them in plenty of time for in the last year…” Coupled with the fact that trust in the health care system is at
the USPS to deliver them to your Supervisor of Elections. Note that it is now tak- a 27-year high while faith in our elected officials has plummeted, our elected
ing first class mail almost seven days to reach its destination, seemingly regard- officials will have to tread lightly when discussing healthcare.
less of distance. With that in mind, let me share some of Paul’s thoughts. And, with the stimulus package adding to the deficit, our federal debt has risen
The Republican leadership believes that: to $26.5 trillion. In the federal budget, as in our state’s budget, unless you are
• U.S. healthcare system is, for the most part, sound; cutting dollars from education or healthcare, you are just “rearranging the deck
• History and depth of regulations might limit competition; chairs on the Titanic.” Look for whichever party assumes the White House to be
• Not enough price transparency; looking to healthcare to generate deficit reductions (Medicare Advantage and
• Affordable Care Act goes too far in terms of injecting government into Medicare Fee for Service).
healthcare; and, These are times of transition, perhaps a new paradigm is emerging, and every-
• The Act should be repealed and replaced by a system of private insurance. one must be part of the solution. One of the ways you can be part of the solution
The Democratic leadership believes that: is to vote. If you feel uncomfortable voting in-person, go to your Supervisor of
• Healthcare is a “right;” Elections’ website, and register to receive a mail-in ballot. Then, mail it early!
• The Affordable Care Act is the proper vehicle to ensure access, quality, and Regardless, let your thoughts be known.
affordability;

Accolades Accolades Accolades Accolades

FAU’s ‘Fantastic Four’ Researchers Receive Jupiter Medical Center Earns National
Prestigious NSF CAREER Awards Recognition for Orthopedics

Four researchers from Florida Atlantic University have received the coveted National Jupiter Medical Center, ranked number one for safety, quality and patient satisfaction
Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career (CAREER) award. The CAREER program offers in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast region, announced it has been selected as
the NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the poten- a Blue Distinction Center+ for Total Hip & Knee Replacement, and Spine Surgery, as well
tial to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in as receiving The Gold Seal of Approval® from The Joint Commission for Total Hip &
the mission of their department or organization. Knee Replacement, Total Shoulder Replacement, and Spine Surgery. Jupiter Medical
Waseem Asghar, Ph.D., associate professor, received $500,000 over five years to devel- Center is the only hospital in the state of Florida to earn all five highly coveted accredi-
op a point-of-care platform to detect infectious diseases. tations, a designation awarded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association for deliver-
Behnaz Ghoraani, Ph.D., associate professor and faculty fellow at FAU’s Institute for ing exceptional care and results for patients undergoing these orthopedic surgeries.

Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering (I-SENSE), received $524,191
over five years to develop a cognitive screening tool for the early detection of Alzheimer’s Baptist Health South Florida Is the Most Awarded
disease using wearables and a smartphone that can detect at-risk individuals and monitor
the disease progression rate in any clinical setting without the need for specialists or spe- Healthcare System in South Florida on U.S. News
cialized medical equipment.
Feng-Hao Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor, all within the Department of Computer and & World Report’s 2020-2021 Best Hospitals List
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in FAU’s College of Engineering and
Computer Science, received $500,000 over five years to develop mathematical tools and Baptist Health South Florida is once again the most awarded healthcare system in South
new ways of coding to prevent information leakage and secure portable devices such as Florida by U.S. News & World Report with 39 high-performing awards in 16 types of care.
smart phones and iPads, under physical attacks. Baptist Hospital has tied for the top spot as the #1 hospital in the region. Eight Baptist
Marianne E. Porter, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences in FAU’s Charles E. Health hospitals - Baptist Hospital, Bethesda Hospital East, Bethesda Hospital West, Boca
Schmidt College of Science, received $625,943 over five years for research to better Raton Regional Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, South Miami Hospital and
understand how marine animals tune, or dynamically adjust their movements using their West Kendall Baptist Hospital - earned a total of 39 honors in 16 different specialties,
skin and skeletons. including: Cancer, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Neurology & Neurosurgery,
Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, Urology, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair,
Heart Bypass Surgery, Heart Failure, Colon Cancer Surgery, Lung Cancer Surgery, Hip
Replacement, Knee Replacement and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Baptist
E-mail Your Editorial Submissions to Health’s Centers of Excellence – Miami Cancer Institute, Lynn Cancer Institute, Miami
editorial@southfloridahospitalnews.com Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Lynn Heart & Vascular Institute, Miami Orthopedics &
Sports Medicine Institute and Miami Neuroscience Institute – were all recognized as high-
performing in their area of expertise.

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com September 2020 35