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Volume 14 • Issue 3 • $5.00 September 2017
THE REGIONʼS MONTHLY NEWSPAPER FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS & PHYSICIANS

Z Urology’s Dr. Michael Zahalsky Alzheimer’s Disease

Competes on TV’s Survivor

BY VANESSA ORR

Hard work has always been the key to Dr.
Michael Zahalsky’s success, helping him to
establish Z Urology, the largest urologic practice
in South Florida, as well as to become a leader
in the field of biologic medicine. He recently
started a company dedicated to treating and
educating about erectile dysfunction (ED) and
Peyronie’s disease, and has partnered with Johns
Dr. Ramsey Pevsner
Hopkins University to advance his research on
biologic and stem cell therapy. In his spare time,
he ran his first marathon this past January.
Being Involved Yet his biggest challenge came this past sum- Dr. Marc Agronin
mer, when it would take all of his talents, wits
'Is Really and will to succeed just to survive. The Latest
Chosen as one of this year’s cast members on
Important' to the reality TV show, Survivor, Dr. Zahalsky was Developments in
one of more than 10,000 people who applied.
“The fact that I was picked was an honor in and
New BCMA of itself,” he said, adding that he cannot yet Alzheimer’s
share how the season turned out. “What I can
President say is that I was able to do what my kids asked; Disease
their words of wisdom were, ‘Daddy, don’t die.”
And I did come back alive.” Dr. Michael Zahalsky is one of the BY MARC AGRONIN, MD
cast members on Survivor 35.
BY LOIS THOMSON A fan of the show since its very first episode,
Continued on page 21 There are two daunting facts about
"It's nice to sit back and let other peo- Alzheimer’s disease that cannot be
ple do things, but sometimes you have to ignored.
step up to the plate and do things your- First, the number of individuals
self and be involved. I think that's really Liz Dudek Brings Wealth of afflicted with the disease is growing
important." That is one of the reasons exponentially – currently at 5.4 million
why Dr. Ramsey Pevsner agreed to accept Americans – because more people are
the presidency of the Broward County Healthcare Knowledge to New Role living longer and age is the number one
Medical Association. Dr. Pevsner will be risk factor.
the fourth woman president in 91 years at Greenberg Traurig Second, there is no cure. Despite hun-
and the first Osteopathic Physician. dreds of millions of dollars spent on
Dr. Pevsner, who has a private practice research, 99 percent of all treatment
as a psychiatrist and also works part-time BY VANESSA ORR studies in the last 15 years have failed to
at the VA, has been affiliated with the find significant benefit. These facts cre-
BCMA for approximately 10 years. As a Florida state employee for more than 42 ate enormous fear about Alzheimer’s dis-
Founded in 1926, the organization's pur- years, Liz Dudek has had many career success- ease, not to mention a fair amount of
pose was to improve different areas of es, most notably in her role as the secretary of denial of the diagnosis in early stages
medicine, but it has branched out in the Agency for Health Care Administration and and fatalism about existing treatments.
many ways. Dr. Pevsner said, "It helps to as deputy secretary of Health Quality The tragedy of Alzheimer’s disease is
promote relationships among doctors, Assurance. Despite being able to handle almost compounded by its enormous social and
and to me that was very important, one any task that came her way, however, she did economic burden, including rising
of the reasons why I joined. Networking not excel at her next venture - retirement. health care costs and significant caregiv-
is another – it helps me to find physi- “I was sitting at home, thinking about how er burden, making it one of the costliest
cians in other areas for referrals." the windows needed to be washed,” she and deadly diseases today.
That was particularly important to her laughed. “That’s when I understood that I had Diagnosis has always been a funda-
because she said she "came into medi- too much time on my hands.” mental challenge, especially in early
cine a little late. I wanted to be a doctor Realizing that she wasn’t ready to retire, stages. Whereas we can use blood and tis-
ever since I was young, but when I was Dudek looked for her next opportunity, which Liz Dudek sue samples to diagnose most other dis-
growing up, women didn't do that. So I she found at law firm Greenberg Traurig P.A., eases, Alzheimer’s disease does not have a
became a nurse; being that was more where she now serves as director of healthcare affairs. “I was blessed with many sure-fire diagnostic test aside from exami-
appropriate for women at the time." offers, but this position gave me the opportunity to move from the public side of nation of affected brain tissue, which is
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