Researchers Challenge New Guidelines on Aspirin in Primary Prevention

The most recent guidelines for primary prevention recommend aspirin use for individuals ages 40 to 70 years who are at higher risk of a first cardiovascular event, but not for those over 70. Yet, people over 70 are at increasingly higher risks of cardiovascular events than those under 70. There has been considerable confusion from recently reported results of three large-scale randomized trials of aspirin in high risk primary prevention subjects, one of which showed a significant result, but the other two, based possibly on poor adherence and follow up, did not. As a result, health care providers are understandably confused about whether or not to prescribe aspirin for primary prevention of heart attacks or strokes, and if so, to whom.

In a commentary published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Medicine, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine and collaborators from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, provide guidance to health care providers and their patients. They urge that to do the most good for the most patients in primary care, health care providers should make individual clinical judgements about prescribing aspirin on a case-by-case basis.

“All patients suffering from an acute heart attack should receive 325 mg of regular aspirin promptly, and daily thereafter, to reduce their death rate as well as subsequent risks of heart attacks and strokes,” said Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., Dr.P.H., senior author, the first Sir Richard Doll Professor, and senior academic advisor in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine. “In addition, among long-term survivors of prior heart attacks or occlusive strokes, aspirin should be prescribed long-term unless there is a specific contraindication. In primary prevention, however, the balance of absolute benefits, which are lower than in secondary prevention patients, and risks of aspirin, which are the same as in secondary prevention, is far less clear.”

The researchers emphasize that, based on the current totality of evidence, any judgments about prescribing long-term aspirin therapy for apparently healthy individuals should be based on individual clinical judgments between the health care provider and each of his or her patients that weighs the absolute benefit on clotting against the absolute risk of bleeding.

The increasing burden of cardiovascular disease in developed and developing countries underscores the need for more widespread therapeutic lifestyle changes as well as the adjunctive use of drug therapies of proven net benefit in the primary prevention of heart attacks and strokes. The therapeutic lifestyle changes should include avoidance or cessation of smoking, weight loss and increased daily physical activity, and the drugs should include statins for lipid modification, and multiple classes of drugs likely to be necessary to achieve control of high blood pressure.

Perry Ann Reed Named President of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital

Perry Ann Reed has joined Nicklaus Children’s Health System as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the health system, and president of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.

Reed brings to the position more than 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership. Most recently, she served as executive director of WakeMed Children’s Hospital & Women’s Services in Raleigh, NC, managing development and execution of strategic plans, and overseeing operational and financial performance, patient safety, patient satisfaction and quality improvement. Previously, Reed served as director of ethics and palliative care at Texas Children’s and as a consultant at Quinn Reed Associates, directing efforts around social investments, primarily in the nonprofit sector.

Reed is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, holds a master’s degree in healthcare management from the University of Texas, a master’s in bioethics from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University. She has an executive education certificate in board management from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and post-master’s healthcare management certificate from Fordham Gabelli School of Business. She publishes nationally on pediatric ethics.

Peter Frenchak Joins VITAS® Healthcare as General Manager for Hospice Services in Palm Beach

VITAS Healthcare has named Peter Frenchak, an experienced healthcare administrator and former helicopter paramedic and U.S. Air Force veteran, as general manager of its hospice services throughout Palm Beach County.

Frenchak comes to VITAS from Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale, where he served as director of operations for physician services since late 2018. The Pennsylvania native also was senior practice manager at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Community Medicine, urgent care practice manager for UPMC Physicians Services, and emergency medical services coordinator for UPMC Presbyterian. He was a flight paramedic for UPMC’s Center for Emergency medicine, and he served five years in the U.S. Air Force.

Frenchak earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Point Park University in Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in health services administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, PA.

Lee Health Adds Vice President for Business Development and Contracting

Lisa Wagamon has joined Lee Health as vice president for business development and contracting.

Wagamon previously held positions with managed care organizations for 22 years, negotiating contracts for commercial, Medicare and Medicaid lines of business. She most recently served as system vice president of Managed Care for SSM Health’s ministries in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

Before SSM, Wagamon was with Gateway Health Plan, a Medicaid managed care organization in Pittsburgh, where she led a team of contract negotiators and physician representatives introducing value-based contracting to physicians and facilities. She also worked for Anthem Healthcare and United Health Group in multiple states, negotiating complex health system contracts for multiple lines of business representing physical, behavioral and long-term health services for millions of members.

Broward Health Medical Center Welcomes Transplant Hepatologist John M. Rivas, MD, to the South Florida Transplant Center

John M. Rivas, M.D., who is triple board certified in transplant hepatology, gastroenterology and internal medicine, has joined the South Florida Transplant Center at Broward Health Medical Center. Rivas specializes in liver transplantation, hereditary and auto-immune liver diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver tumors/cancers.

Rivas received his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Florida. Rivas continued his training with a transplant hepatology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Ohio. He has participated as an active researcher and primary investigator for several large, multi-center, multi-nationals research studies.

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center Appoints New Emergency Department Medical Director

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center welcomes Ayesha Hussein, M.D., as the new medical director of the emergency department.

Since 2014, Dr. Hussein has served as the emergency medical director at Tenet sister hospital, Palmetto General Hospital. Prior to her time at Palmetto General, Dr. Hussein was the emergency medical director and department chair at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, FL.

Dr. Hussein earned her bachelor’s degree from City College of New York in New York, NY. She then received her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in the Bronx, NY. Dr Hussein completed her residency at Jacobi/Montefiore Medical Center and graduated as Chief Resident. Dr. Hussein also has a master’s degree from the University of South Florida.

Allan Stewart, MD, Appointed Medical Director for HCA East Florida’s Miami-Dade Cardiovascular Surgery Programs

HCA East Florida Division is excited to announce Allan Stewart, M.D., F.A.C.S, F.A.C.C., has recently been appointed to a leadership position over the cardiovascular surgery programs at Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, Kendall Regional Medical Center and Mercy Hospital.

Dr. Stewart completed medical school at Rutgers University School of Medicine in Newark, NJ. He went on to complete his internship and residency in general surgery at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Stewart completed a research fellowship in human gene therapy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine prior to completing his cardiac surgical training at Columbia University Medical Center, where he remained on faculty for nine years.

Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute Names Joseph T. McGinn, Jr., M.D., Chief of Cardiac Surgery

Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute has named Joseph T. McGinn, Jr., M.D., chief of Cardiac Surgery. Dr. McGinn specializes in the assessment and surgical treatment of patients with coronary artery, aortic and vascular disease. A pioneer in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, he developed the minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting method known internationally as the “McGinn Technique.”

Dr. McGinn comes to Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute from Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, part of Atrium HealthCare in Charlotte, NC, where he served as endowed chair of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and professor of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. Prior to that appointment, he was a leading cardiac surgeon in New York City and served as medical director of the Heart Institute at Staten Island University Hospital for 16 years.

Dr. McGinn earned his medical degree at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine. He completed an internship and residency in general surgery at SUNY Downstate, serving as chief resident. He also served as chief resident during a cardiothoracic surgery residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, Surgical Critical Care.

Jewish Family Home Care Achieves 2020 ‘Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award’ from Home Care Pulse

Jewish Family Home Care achieved the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award for 2020 from Home Care Pulse.

“At Jewish Family Home Care, our dedicated caregivers and staff work diligently to give our clients a personalized home care experience that addresses their individual needs, said Teresa Duvall, CEO of Jewish Family Home Care. “We are honored to receive this award and be recognized and appreciated by the elderly population we serve every day, 24/7.”

This award is based on client satisfaction ratings expressed via telephone interviews conducted by Home Care Pulse. This award represents Jewish Family Home Care’s dedication to providing best-in-class, high quality care to its clients.

Jupiter Medical Center Ranked #1 in Region for Overall Quality

Jupiter Medical Center is pleased to announce that it has received a 4-star rating for Overall Hospital Quality from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

As the only hospital to receive a 4-star rating in the Treasure Coast region, Jupiter Medical Center remains the highest ranked hospital in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. The Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings are intended to help patients and families evaluate health care options in a given geographic region. Jupiter Medical Center’s 4-star rating reflects a strong performance on nearly 60 measures of quality of care for serious diseases such as heart failure, stroke and pneumonia, as well as safety, readmissions, patient experience, effectiveness, timeliness and efficiency.

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