Page 10 - CANNABIS NEWS FLORIDA JULY 2020

What’s New...What’s New... What’s New...

FAU Medicine Ushers in New Research Lakeside Medical Center Graduates

Phase to Prevent Dementia 8th Class of Family Medicine Residents

By 2050, approximately 16 million Americans and 60 million people worldwide
will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related disorders (ADRD), which
include Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Parkinson’s disease, vascular dementia and fron-
totemporal degeneration. In Florida alone, individuals diagnosed with AD is expected
to increase by 40 percent in the next 15 years. These alarming projections highlight
the urgent need to employ a multifaceted and personalized approach that targets pre-
vention, early diagnosis and treatment of dementia.
Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine and The Harry T.
Mangurian, Jr. Foundation have joined forces again to usher in a new phase of
research to prevent dementia. Through the extension of a three-year, $3 million grant
from the Foundation’s ADRD Medical Research Fund, FAU’s Schmidt College of
Medicine will launch the new FAU Center for Brain Health within its FAU Medicine
Primary Care Practice. The grant supports precision medicine approaches to prevent
dementia, which will be further strengthened by leveraging multiple patient-centered
platforms through state-of-the-art transdisciplinary approaches.
Leading the initiative is Janet Robishaw, Ph.D., a renowned scientist in functional (l-r) Dr. Samuel Espinal, Dr. Nergess Taheri, Dr. Danny Abouekde,
and translational genomics, senior associate dean for research and chair of the Dr. Terry Parsons, Dr. David Lepoff
Department of Biomedical Sciences in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine, and a
member of the FAU Brain Institute (I-BRAIN). Robishaw has been working at the Five physicians in Lakeside Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Program
forefront of precision medicine for more than a decade. She will oversee the new FAU recently graduated in a virtual ceremony following three years of training that
Center for Brain Health research team to leverage resources and collaborations to included a new medical condition, COVID-19. The teaching hospital is located in
increase research, shorten the time for meaningful study results and enhance research the heart of Palm Beach County’s rural, western communities, which is considered a
impact by including multiple sites and diverse patient populations. hot spot for the virus.
Funding from The Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. Foundation grant will enable Robishaw “I can’t tell you how proud I am of this class of residents,” said Darcy J. Davis, CEO
to secure research equipment, key personnel, and other related costs necessary to of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. “You’ve been with us during the
ensure the successful launch of the new FAU Center for Brain Health. The project will toughest times Lakeside Medical Center has faced and fought on the front lines of
utilize precision-medicine approaches to characterize individuals with ADRD with the COVID-19 pandemic. I commend you for your courage, determination and ded-
the goal of stratifying and developing individualized treatment plans. The funding ication to the Glades community.
will also support the recruitment of a leading clinician scientist with expertise in per- The five graduates, Danny Abouekde, D.O., Samuel Espinal, D.O., David Lepoff,
sonalized approaches to preventing and treating the full spectrum of dementias. This D.O., and Chief Residents Nergess Taheri, D.O., and Terry Parsons, D.O., completed
individual will work collaboratively with Robishaw and other FAU scientists who are a rigorous three-year curriculum. Their rotations included emergency medicine,
dedicated to research in this field. women’s health care, pediatrics, psychiatry, general surgery, internal medicine, com-
Robishaw and the FAU Center for Brain Health team will continue to support, munity and sports medicine, cardiology, dermatology, women’s health, radiology,
share, and disseminate new knowledge to communities and beyond by administering orthopedics, ENT, urology, ophthalmology and critical care.
pilot grants, hosting national meetings, and developing state-of-the-art curricular This year the residency program was accredited by the Accreditation Council for
materials. FAU and its team of funded researchers in ADRD will continue to serve as Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), a distinction that assures Lakeside Medical
a vital hub for advancing science and education in the prevention and treatment of Center’s Family Medicine Residency Program meets the quality standards of the spe-
dementia. cialty or subspecialty practices for which it prepares its graduates.

Cover Story: Baptist Health Names Dr. Barry Katzen as Chief Medical Innovation Officer

Continued from page 1
Health, innovation has a purpose: to came to a really significant commitment only part of innovation—invention being performing the first renal angioplasty in
improve health and healthcare in our last fall when we hired our corporate vice the creation of new ideas, and innova- the United States and a member of the
community while supporting economic president for innovation, Mark Coticchia, tion, meaning the implementation of investigative team that led to the
viability of our not for profit organization. and began building out a team with me as new ideas, products, or processes to approval of the first intravascular stent,
During his extensive clinical career, Dr. the physician leader, and an administrative improve the status quo.” and other important advances.
Katzen has been identified as an innovator. team working together to try and create In the midst of the current coronavirus Dr. Katzen has been recognized global-
As he gained more experience at Baptist this process of innovation.” pandemic, Dr. Katzen says that while it ly as a leader in advancing cardiovascular
Health, he became more interested in how At Baptist Health, a significant amount has had a disruptive effect on society in medicine. He is the founder and Chief
innovation could be harnessed to both of technology is either being developed or many different ways, it has also created a Medical Executive of Miami Cardiac and
improve health provided to the communi- has been co-developed with colleagues or tremendous opportunity for innovation. Vascular Institute, a system-wide center
ty and support the financial viability of the collaborators in industry around several “Our short-term goals have been to of excellence that is part of Baptist
health system moving forward. different areas, notes Dr. Katzen. support the health system and the need Health South Florida. Founded in 1987,
“I believed that innovation could be for- “The health system has made signifi- for innovative solutions to things such as Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute is
malized with process, that patients as well cant investments to support our centers supply shortages, staffing, and process- an international cardiac and vascular
as those in the Health System would great- of excellence, which include Miami es,” he says. destination with a first-of-its-kind multi-
ly benefit,” he says. “We formally devel- Cancer Institute, Miami Cardiac and “We've been focused on filling in gaps disciplinary approach now modeled
oped the innovation initiative within the Vascular Institute, Miami Orthopedics as it relates to the pandemic. But we're throughout the world.
health system as a program about four and Sports Medicine Institute, and our getting reorganized now on more impor- He is also Professor and Founding
years ago. This new position and new title new Miami Neuroscience Institute,” he tant, shorter and longer term goals sur- Chairman of the Department of Inter -
is recognition of what has been developed says. rounding innovation including develop- ventional Radiology, and Professor of
over the past four years to formally devel- “This is where medical leadership and ment of and commercialization of intel- Surgery at Florida International
op a program.” technology comes together to produce lectual property internal to the organiza- University’s Herbert Wertheim College of
According to Dr. Katzen, Baptist Health innovation itself. Our innovation pro- tion, and development of strategic part- Medicine.
has had a long-standing commitment to gram within Baptist Health is committed nerships to further develop intellectual Dr. Katzen graduated from the
bringing innovative technologies to the to use innovation to improve the health property.” University of Miami School of Medicine,
community. One of his immediate goals is and healthcare of the community in Distinguished internationally as a and was inducted in their alumni Hall of
formalizing Baptist Health’s innovation which we serve and in our health system. leader in the development of interven- Fame, completed his residency at New
program and identifying its direction. Because innovation is such a broad term, tional radiology, Dr. Katzen helped raise York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center,
“We began talking more about the we need to focus it in whatever way pos- this new discipline to certification status and studied in London and Rome at
process of innovation and developing sible.” with the American Board of Medical three points in his educational career.
infrastructure, as well as developing a call Part of that relates to Baptist Health’s Specialists. He was among a handful of
center within the organization to identify mission and vision, he adds. “Technology radiologists who began developing and For more information on Baptist Health
innovation structurally,” he says. “That is a big part of innovation, but it's not the refining minimally invasive treatments, South Florida, visit www.baptisthealth.net.

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com July 2020 27