Page 24 - SFHN MARCH 2022

SALUTE TO PHYSICIANS

MEMORIAL REGIONAL HOSPITAL GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION

Aharon Sareli, MD Saima Chaudhry, MD

Perspective is pivotal for critical care physicians, especially In her role as Memorial Healthcare System’s chief academic
in the age of COVID-19. officer, Dr. Saima Chaudhry oversees a Graduate Medical
“One fundamental I live by is that my worst day is better Education program that now offers training in 14 accredited
than any of my ICU patients’ best day,” said Dr. Ari Sareli, programs. But while residents make up the bulk of that audi-
Memorial’s chief of critical care medicine and Memorial ence, it isn’t just the younger doctors that Dr. Chaudhry wants
Physician Group’s chief physician executive. “COVID has cre- to see focus on learning. “Physicians have made a commit-
ated extreme challenges for providing healthcare, but our goals ment to the public that they have the proper expertise for the
as physicians remain the same: to care for patients, the com- job. The only way to honor that commitment is for the doctor
munity, and positively impact the lives that we touch. to dedicate him or herself to lifelong learning.” Under Dr.
Even when faced with slim chances of survival, and an overwhelming probability of Chaudhry’s leadership, Memorial has become an accredited
death, we are 100% committed to maximal efforts to save a life,” said Dr. Sareli. “We carry source of continuing medical education, providing more than 22,000 hours of CME
the responsibility of treating patients during the worst times of their lives and we should instruction to 13,000 clinicians during the past 12 months. “My focus has been on
never miss any opportunity to make a difference in our patients’ lives and those of their advancing healthcare by training and improving doctors,” said Dr. Chaudhry. “It’s my
families.” way of contributing to the public good.”

MEMORIAL NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE MEMORIAL PRIMARY CARE

Tarek Zakaria, MD Christopher Ramsaran, MD

Dr. Tarek Zakaria is excited about the advances being made A primary care and non-surgical sports medicine physician,
in the treatment of epilepsy at the Memorial Neuroscience Dr. Christopher Ramsaran treats a wide variety of patients,
Institute, a level 4, comprehensive, epilepsy program. from the acutely/chronically ill to those with musculoskeletal
“We’re one of the very few centers in Florida that offer injuries suffered during exercise to elite athletes. “Our practice
ROSA, a robotic platform for non-invasive surgical proce- has grown to include a younger, more health-conscious audi-
dures,” said Dr. Zakaria, who is medical director for both ence that looks to us for well visits as well as sports injuries.”
epilepsy and the institute’s adult neurology program. “We’ve Caring for athletes requires a different type of expertise that
also significantly reduced seizures, and in some cases elimi- illustrates the value of Dr. Ramsaran’s combined specialties.
nated them completely, using different treatment options, Diuretics are usually the prescribed medication to treat hyper-
including surgery, NeuroPace, and newer technology based on brain stimulation and tension, to cite just one example, but they would dehydrate an athlete during strenuous
neuro modulation.” After an analysis of patient outcomes at Memorial’s epilepsy pro- exercise and cause adverse outcomes, so different medications are required. Dr. Ramsaran
gram, Dr. Zakaria and the team found 50% of patients reported a 90% reduction in the is part of Memorial’s team of sports medicine specialists that manage the care of athletes
number of seizures. Using newer technology significantly reduced complications, mor- at several local universities. Another area of focus among that group is on concussion
bidity, and mortality for patients when compared to traditional, invasive surgeries. “I’m education, diagnosis, and treatment, including working with neurologists to ensure indi-
happy that the improvements in treatment enables epilepsy patients to live the lives they viduals with symptoms receive immediate follow-up care.
deserve,” said Dr. Zakaria.
“And, one day, we’re going to find a cure.”
MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Brijesh Mehta, MD
Candice Sareli, MD
Dr. Brijesh Mehta has worked with city and county-based
emergency medical services (EMS) teams since 2016 to assess “Transforming Hope into Reality” is a phrase Dr. Candi
and expedite treatments for acute stroke victims before they Sareli believes accurately describes the impact of research now
reach the hospital. The education he and his Memorial-based being done within Memorial Healthcare System that has pro-
team provide empowers first responders to assist stroke suffer- vided South Floridians convenient access to clinical trials and
ers in the field and offers valuable information that helps alternative treatments on par with any found in traditional
neuro teams prepare to treat patients once the ambulance university settings.
arrives. “We can improve the likelihood of good outcomes and “We’re a centralized hub supporting research being done by
reverse the effects of stroke if we can administer treatment in less than an hour,” said Dr. 130 physicians conducting 150 clinical trials in 36 special-
Mehta, medical director of the Comprehensive Stroke Program and neurointerventional ties,” said Dr. Sareli, Memorial Healthcare System’s chief med-
surgery at the Memorial Neuroscience Institute. “By optimizing the systems of care, we ical research officer. “We also assist our Graduate Medical Education program in their
have brought our response time to 30 minutes or less and we can have patients in the submissions to publications that document scholarly activity.” Dr. Sareli started
cath lab within the hour.” Memorial’s academic research program in 2011 after nearly seven years as director of clin-
Dr. Mehta says the follow-up data supports the positive impact of the innovative ical research at the University of Pennsylvania. She believes strongly in the need for alter-
approach. Patients have less stroke-induced paralysis and permanent disability, with native treatment options and loves the fact that by utilizing science and reason her team
some regaining their strength and walking out of hospitals on their own just days later. can add to the information available within the art of medicine.

Christopher R. DeMassi, MD, FACS Paula Eckardt, MD, FACP, FIDSA, AAHIVS

Much has changed in the roughly ten years since Dr. While many have become aware of Dr. Paula Eckardt as one
Christopher DeMassi joined Memorial Healthcare System of the architects of Memorial Healthcare System’s ongoing
after completing a neurosurgery residency and fellowship at response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chief of Memorial’s
Jackson Memorial Hospital. “Memorial had no strong epilepsy Division of Infectious Disease also continues to focus on treat-
or neurology programs at that time, just a limited number of ing patients with HIV. “Broward County has one of the highest
doctors working in those specialties. We were a community rates of new HIV cases in the nation. These patients need
system that served local patients.” monitoring and ongoing care regardless of the amount of
Today, DeMassi leads a comprehensive neuroscience center COVID-related activity or restrictions in our community,” said
that is expanding and on pace to become a destination that Dr. Eckardt.That means an increased reliance on telemedicine,
will draw patients from areas beyond South Florida. His roles include chief of the an approach that many with HIV had previously resisted because of concerns about pri-
Memorial Neuroscience Institute, chief of neurosurgery, and medical director of the vacy. At the height of COVID, when in-person care was interrupted by shutdowns at out-
Memorial Spine Center. “I’m a clinician that grew into a leader. I still enjoy surgery but patient clinics, the online consultations Dr. Eckardt had long advocated for became a crit-
have come to appreciate the fresh challenges of planning 5-10 years in advance and incor- ical part of treatment protocols.
porating all the services we offer. As medical director of Memorial’s Ryan White Clinic, Dr. Eckardt leads a multidisci-
Memorial is a great healthcare system that’s focused on the right things, enjoys com- plinary team that ensures HIV/AIDS patients have access to medications, mental health,
munity support, and hires well,” said Dr. DeMassi. “We’ll reach our goals and become the and case management services. The program is a source of pride for the infectious disease
destination for care we all believe we can be.” expert, recently earning three awards for viral suppression.

24 March 2022 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News