Feature Stories, Wellington Education

Wellington’s Young Black Leaders Wellington High School Creates BLAST, A New Course In Black Leadership

Wellington’s Young Black Leaders Wellington High School Creates BLAST,  A New Course In Black Leadership

By Margaret Hunt

With an aim to help build the future base of tomorrow’s Black leaders, Wellington High School has created an innovative course known as BLAST, which stands for the Black Leadership & Achievement Student Team.

When AICE math teacher Nancy Toussaint and student McKenzie Henry, then a senior, realized that Black students were under-represented in Wellington High School’s leadership programs, they both wanted to make the school more inclusive. They needed a team, but there was a problem — they had no clue that one another existed.

However, when Mike Kozlowski, a school administrator with a similar vision, approached Toussaint about meeting Henry, it led to the creation of a class for underserved Black students.

In January 2020, at the next faculty meeting, WHS Principal Cara Hayden gave her support to adding a leadership class for Black students at the school. She noted that the previous schools that she worked in all had courses designed for Black students, but when she became principal at Wellington High School, there were none. She wanted the school to be a place where minority students could thrive as well.

A follow-up faculty meeting occurred via Zoom near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Toussaint invited Henry to attend. She wanted a student to be involved in the discussion about creating a Black leadership class.

During the meeting, the late Assistant Principal Henry Paulk created the name for the proposed class after pondering it some time. He came up with the acronym BLAST and suggested that Toussaint have an interview process for prospective students.

Toussaint eventually carried out the interviews in August 2020, when BLAST officially became a class at WHS. She worked with faculty members Audra Davis, Oscar Robinson, Suzanne Nichols and Danielle Fairclough to create an application form that the students would fill out before being approved to participate in the program.

From there, Toussaint and Henry met on Google Meet to discuss creating a commercial for the class. Henry filmed a promotional video that would later be played for the BLAST students. She used word-of-mouth to get her fellow classmates interested in joining the program, garnering the first eight students. Fairclough, a guidance counselor, located more Black students that she would e-mail the application to. The class started out with 16 founding students, but it will expand to approximately 24 students during the 2021-22 school year.

BLAST is currently offered as an honors elective at Wellington High School, available for students in grades 11 and 12. Its mission is to, “Empower Black students to create a positive mindset, achieve academic success and develop leadership skills.”

Toussaint’s vision for the class was for students to serve in a similar capacity as the Student Government Association. One of her primary goals was for the class to be student-led. Before he passed away in October 2020, Paulk’s goal was for BLAST to increase the students’ communication skills and to improve their group dynamics. It is safe to say that in its first year, the class accomplished that.

“BLAST has created a safe place for me and my friends to talk about anything,” WHS graduate Melik Frederick said. “We motivated each other every day and learned a lot from each other. Being the first year of this class, we got a lot done. Special thanks to Ms. Toussaint.”

During the 2020-21 school year, following through with her student leadership goal, Toussaint allowed the students to give their input on what they would like to be taught. BLAST students learned different leadership styles, goal setting, active listening skills, financial literacy and more. Henry was chosen to serve as president, and the seniors delegated class-officer positions among themselves. They formed groups named after tribes from different African regions and made projects about topics such as African American historical figures.

The most notable part of the class was “Free Talk Friday,” where students had an environment to discuss their opinions on current events and talk about their lives. It was from this time set aside every week that the students in the class realized that the things they had to say mattered.

“BLAST was an amazing experience and by far the best class I took at Wellington High School,” recent graduate Hermione Williams said. “It was a class where I could comfortably express how I felt about national events and learn more about my history. With the help of Ms. Toussaint, we learned that despite the stereotypes set upon us Black people by society, we all have the potential to create a path for excellence. We were more than just peers and a teacher — we were family.”

With the help of the Village of Wellington, the BLAST students were able to use their newly found voices to make an impact on their community through a series of videos that they made during Black History Month to celebrate their heritage and to speak up about topics that they were passionate about. These videos included, “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud,” “Racism,” “We Still Have Dreams” and “Black Inventors.” They were played during school and were shared throughout Wellington.

Because of their videos, six BLAST students were able to participate in the Village of Wellington’s SWAG program, which stands for Students Working to Achieve Greatness. Through this program, the students received summer internships at varying locations, along with tools to become successful in the workforce, such as interviewing pointers, financial literacy, attire and more. They met with and got advice from accomplished Black people in the community and got the opportunity to network with community leaders.

BLAST’s meetings with community organizations and school leadership classes such as the Urban League, SWAG, the Student Government Association and Latinos In Action have played a crucial role in spreading the word about the new program. So much so, that School Board Member Marcia Andrews, and Brian Knowles, manager of the Office of African, African American, Latino, Holocaust and Gender Studies for the school district, met with BLAST to discuss the expansion of the class to other schools across the county. Andrews was receptive to the proposal, and the likelihood of BLAST’s expansion is favorable.

Along with expanding the class, BLAST has internal goals for Wellington High School. The group hopes to implement programs that will help the students, such as Big Brother/Big Sister-style mentoring, conflict mediation, and dealing with student complaints and concerns. BLAST members have talked with the school’s administration about the integration of these programs and have concluded that they will take time and training to fully implement.

However, the program has shown that there are many faculty members in support of minority students in the school. In the future, BLAST aims to collaborate with other classes, clubs and student groups to make sure that every student is represented within the school’s leadership.

 

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Wellington Health

A Breakthrough In Imaging Next Generation MRI Brings State-Of-The-Art Technology To Palm Beach County Residents

A Breakthrough In Imaging  Next Generation MRI Brings State-Of-The-Art Technology To Palm Beach County Residents

Story by Mike May | Photos by Callie Sharkey

Newly opened Next Generation MRI brings the most unique and highly advanced MRI ever developed to central Palm Beach County.

The Esaote G-scan Brio is the only one of its kind in Palm Beach County and one of only nine in the State of Florida. Nationwide, there are less than 100 of them currently in use. Next Generation MRI’s equipment is not your regular, conventional MRI. The firm’s technology is current, state-of-the-art and imported from Genoa, Italy.

“We have the most unique and highly advanced MRI ever developed,” said Next Generation MRI founder Joe Nasuti, whose professional background includes more than 35 years in the imaging industry. “It’s a combination of Italian engineering and space-age technology resulting in unheard-of capabilities no other MRI can perform.”

This includes 90-degree rotation for full natural body weight bearing stand-up scans and center-line scanning for every body part, flex and extension, motion studies, and 3D images. “We will go boldly where no MRI has gone before!” Nasuti said.

Next Generation MRI opened July 1 and is located across the street from the Palm Beach Outlets in West Palm Beach. According to Nasuti, the services provided by Next Generation MRI outperform other local competitors and are focused on providing patients with quick and accurate answers to medical questions.

To add to the overall MRI experience, Next Generation has added an MRI Café to its offices, where clients can rest, unwind and prepare for the MRI by having a cup of coffee. The goal is to create a low-key, relaxed atmosphere for the client prior to the MRI experience.

To add to the space-age technology aspect of Next Generation MRI’s services, when you are in one of its two MRI rooms, you can look up and see a picture of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise, on the ceiling. It’s alright to lay there and say, “Beam me up, Scotty!”

Next Generation MRI has two MRI bays and will only schedule eight to 10 MRIs a day on each machine. This makes sure that no client will ever be rushed through an MRI procedure.

To get access to Next Generation MRI, you must be referred by a medical professional, such as a chiropractor, orthopedic surgeon, podiatrist or neurosurgeon.

“We are specializing in patients who need an MRI due to an auto accident, workman’s comp claim, a personal injury incident, or a slip and fall accident,” Nasuti explained.

The big key to Next Generation MRI’s services is that Nasuti and his team can perform a vertical MRI, where you are standing up, in addition to an MRI where you are laying on your back.

“With the vertical MRI, we can see your pain better than anyone else,” Nasuti said. “That converts to a more accurate diagnosis and better treatment.”

According to Heather Garland, chief MRI tech for Next Generation MRI, the G-Scan Brio technology in each MRI machine is the world’s first MRI specifically developed to perform more accurate musculoskeletal examinations. The two MRI machines inside Next Generation’s offices are also the world’s only 100 percent natural weight-bearing, stand-up MRI machines. Of great importance to many potential clients is the fact that Next Generation MRI has the least-claustrophobic MRI on the market.

According to Nasuti, the G-Scan Brio reveals what supine MRIs can miss.

“A conventional MRI may not demonstrate the pathology related to these symptoms, but G-Scan Brio gives you a new point of view, so you can accurately diagnose musculoskeletal pathologies affected by a weight-bearing position,” Nasuti said.

The G-Scan Brio also provides more detail, better accuracy and greater confidence.

“The G-Scan Brio is superior to other MRIs because both the magnet and patient can rotate from 0 to 90 degrees,” Garland explained. “Our technology has eliminated the need for many exploratory surgeries.”

Simply put, the G-Scan Brio adds weight to your diagnosis.

“The G-Scan Brio offers a revolutionary MRI approach that increases diagnostic accuracy and confidence for musculoskeletal applications,” Nasuti said.

Once the MRI is complete, it’s sent electronically to Dr. Bruce Rodan, one of the most respected, board-certified radiologists in the industry.

“His preliminary report will be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes, which is another industry first,” Nasuti said.

One of Next Generation MRI’s clients is West Palm Beach-based chiropractor Dr. Thomas Rupolo. He’s a big believer in what Next Generation MRI has to offer. “This is the latest and greatest MRI technology on the market,” Rupolo said. “It’s not a claustrophobic experience, and it provides a superior diagnosis.”

Rupolo will be referring all of his patients who need an MRI to Next Generation MRI.

To give you more peace of mind when you visit, Next Generation MRI has installed three bipolar ionization air purification systems that eliminate bacteria and viruses from the air. It’s the same system used by major airlines.

Next Generation MRI is located at 1700 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 150, in West Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) WPB-1700 (561-972-1700) or visit www.nexgenmri.com.

 

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Wellington Table - Signature Dish

Taste Of The Caribbean Take A Culinary Journey To The Islands With A Visit To Jamaica House Grill In Wellington

Taste Of The Caribbean Take A Culinary Journey To The Islands With A Visit To Jamaica House Grill In Wellington

Story and Photos by Callie Sharkey

When the island-nation of Jamaica was in its infancy, the government decided to build an official residence for the prime minister, known as Jamaica House. To immerse yourself in the culture and food of this unique Caribbean island, pay a visit to the iconic building’s local namesake, Jamaica House Grill in Wellington.

Guests are greeted by reggae fusion music and portraits of Jamaican icons like Marcus Garvey and Usain Bolt. A cheerful rack of wines and an open floorplan greet visitors and continue to build the Jamaican setting.

There is no coincidence that Jamaican native and Executive Chef Collin Allen landed at Jamaica House Grill, often called JHG.

“I’ve worked at Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island, but for me, Jamaica House is the office of the prime minister, and I’m devoted to that,” said Allen, who served as the personal chef to Jamaica’s first female prime minister, Portia Simpson-Miller.

He visited the restaurant when down in Florida on vacation.

“I saw the restaurant’s menu and said this is where I belong,” Allen recalled. “This is where I want to be — to take guests on a culinary journey of what it is to really have authentic Jamaican cuisine.”

Despite having cooked for celebrities like Harrison Ford, Ralph Lauren and Naomi Campbell, Allen finds joy in bringing his heritage to plate for everyone who visits Jamaica House Grill.

Jerk spices are a cornerstone of Jamaican food, and chicken wings are one of the best ways to showcase the different levels of spice available. From the tangy Mango Tree Wings to the bold Sorrel Jerk Wings, there is a flavor profile for every palate.

One of the most popular dishes at Jamaica House Grill is the Braised Oxtails. This rich and savory dish is served with seasonal vegetables, rice and peas. It is a direct inspiration from the Spanish heritage of the island.

Manager Steve Dillon pointed out several of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.

“Most people like the oxtail, curried goat and our fish. It’s a variety of dishes that I grew up eating every day,” said Dillon, who hails from New York but has been with Jamaica House Grill from the beginning. “I get to come here and have the best Jamaican dishes all in one spot.”

Since opening its doors in November 2019, the restaurant has been a dedicated source of authentic Jamaican flavors and traditional cuisine. The menu also contains American-style food such as burgers or mac and cheese alongside Jamaican staples like Curried Goat. Vegetarians also have a variety of options, such as the Coconut Curry Tofu, the Country Man Salad and the Jamaican classic Ital Bean Stew.

For the food extraordinaire Allen, every plate is important.

“At Jamaica House, we pay attention to the details and provide personalized service. So, when you come here, we will do the food according to how you like it to be done. Our jerk is spicy because it is authentic Jamaican food that we have inherited over the years. Our curry comes from India and China. We inherit the Ital from the Rastafarian culture,” said Allen, who is also fascinated by the history of the food. “Being spicy is a form of preserving food in the old days. Americans would use smoke, but we use herbs as a preservative. Our food gets better over time because of the rum and all the spices.”

But Allen doesn’t want the fear of trying intense jerk spices to concern patrons. “You tell us what you want. Don’t be afraid to come in, because everybody will get what they like. Jamaican food is spicy, but we can bring down the heat,” he said.

The Grilled Salmon is a must-try for any fish lover. The medium-well fillet is served in a sweet chili sauce encasing cherry tomatoes, diced bell peppers and onions. On the side is asparagus cooked in a delicate parsley butter, and the signature side of mashed sweet potatoes balances the sweet chili sauce.

For dessert, embrace the rich aromas of the Jamaica House Signature Bread Pudding with rum sauce. The plate arrives wrapped in the soft blue flames of the burning Jamaican rum.

The past year has been rough on many industries, particularly restaurants, but Jamaica House Grill has persevered and kept the focus on serving great food and keeping patrons happy.

“Back in New York, so many of the restaurants I grew up eating at are closed now,” said Dillon, who is optimistic about the future. “Jamaica House Grill made it through that, and we are still going. I believe that says something about the food and about us.”

Part of that future includes eventually expanding the restaurant’s hours and opening for breakfast service. Allen is excited to bring a Jamaican twist to traditional American breakfast items.

Jamaica House Grill is located at 2557 S. State Road 7 in Wellington, in the plaza with Whole Foods Market. The restaurant currently serves lunch and dinner seven days a week. For more information, call (561) 619-9074 or visit www.jamaicahousegrills.com.

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Wellington Real Estate

Spacious And Updated This Stunning Home In Wellington’s Greenview Shores Community Includes More Than 2,000 Square Feet

Spacious And Updated This Stunning Home In Wellington’s Greenview Shores Community Includes More Than 2,000 Square Feet 

Our featured property this month is a stunningly updated and spacious home in Wellington’s Greenview Shores community. The three-bedroom, two-bath pool home is fully fenced in a highly desirable area with no HOA, just a short ride to the showgrounds. The home features more than 2,000 square feet of living space, and cathedral ceilings add to the grandeur. New porcelain wood plank tile flooring continues throughout the living areas, along with new six-inch baseboards. A large living and dining area greets guests upon entry. The split bedroom plan features a large master bedroom with tray ceilings and a double-door entry. The en suite bath includes dual sinks, a large soaker tub and a separate shower. The master suite includes a walk-in closet and double French doors out to lanai. The kitchen is beautifully upgraded with white raised panel cabinetry, unique granite countertops and a marble tile backsplash with newer appliances.

Front Elevation: This spacious home in Wellington’s Greenview Shores neighborhood is updated with great curb appeal, including a double-door entry and a two-car garage.

Kitchen: The updated kitchen is open to the family room, allowing for nice sight lines and easy entertaining. There is plenty of counter space, along with white cabinetry, newer appliances, unique granite countertops and a marble backsplash that are stylish and on trend.

Family Room: Cathedral ceilings add to the drama of the generously sized living areas. Natural light pours in, and you can enjoy pool views from almost every window and door.

Foyer: This welcoming foyer greets guests with an impact, etched-glass, double-door entry. Easy single-level living makes everyday entertaining a breeze, while new luxury flooring continues throughout the living areas.

Pool: Paradise awaits outdoors! Enjoy the private, oversized pool with a built-in table for your tropical drink. The yard is fully fenced for privacy and safety. The lot is a generous quarter-acre and includes a shed.

Greenview Shores Property Presented By Lindsey Taylor

Meet Lindsey Taylor

Lindsey Taylor is a Realtor with Re/Max Direct, based in Wellington with satellite offices in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. She is a residential real estate veteran and represents an average of 70 families per year wishing to buy, sell or rent property.

Taylor has a long record of consistently selling homes faster and for record sales prices. She closes residential sales and lease transactions valued at more than $20 million every year, and these results have led her to earning Re/Max’s distinctive Chairman’s Club and Platinum Club awards year after year. She is consistently ranking in Re/Max’s Florida Top 100 and Real Trends America’s Best Top 1.5% of real estate agents nationally.

Taylor attributes her success in today’s fiercely competitive marketplace to her attention to detail, negotiating strength and unique “active-focused” marketing plan.

A Wellington resident since childhood, Taylor graduated from Wellington High School in 1995 and has experienced firsthand why so many people want to call Wellington home. She is now raising her own three children, together with her husband Greg, in Wellington.

Learn more about Lindsey Taylor at
https://direct-wellington-fl.remax.com

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Feature Stories

WELLINGTON’S WINNING MOVES The Village Has Taken Home Its Third Let’s Move Championship From The Palm Health Foundation

WELLINGTON’S WINNING MOVES
 The Village Has Taken Home Its Third Let’s Move
Championship From The Palm Health Foundation

By Melanie Otero

Not even a global pandemic could stop Wellington residents from winning their third Let’s Move challenge, besting 378 teams from across Palm Beach County in the highly competitive countywide competition by logging an impressive 26 million minutes of physical activity during March 2021.

Presented by the Palm Health Foundation and Digital Vibez Inc., Let’s Move invites residents to form teams and commit to exercising at least 30 minutes a day during the month of March. The highly competitive campaign has teams from municipalities, county organizations and other groups all vying for top prizes, which were awarded at a ceremony on April 16.

Hosted by the KVJ Show’s Virginia Sinicki at a live presentation at the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium, the Village of Wellington was named the winning 2021 Let’s Move team with the highest number of physical activity minutes. Wellington residents logged more than 40 percent of the total 59,472,053 minutes logged for the entire county — a record for the highest number of physical activity minutes in Let’s Move’s nine-year history.

Wellington is no stranger to winning Let’s Move, taking home the championship title in 2018 and 2019. What’s even more remarkable is that the number of minutes in 2021 were more than twice the number of minutes logged in either of the previous years.

“It took the whole community to win the award,” said Michelle Garvey, the village’s assistant director of community services. “To have so many people come together shows how important our residents believe it is to have a healthy community. We really appreciate them.”

Building a culture of health was exactly the idea behind Let’s Move when it was first launched in 2012 by the Palm Health Foundation, Palm Beach County’s leading community foundation for issues relating to health. Inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama’s 2010 Let’s Move national program to decrease childhood obesity, the foundation created the local challenge for adults and children to improve a variety of health issues through regular physical activity. The challenge promotes daily exercise as a way to combat illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, and strengthen brain health and life expectancy, among other benefits.

“Let’s Move is about taking charge of our health as a community by integrating physical activity, nutrition and healthy behaviors into our daily lives, and having fun while doing it,” said Patrick McNamara, president and CEO of the Palm Health Foundation.

“This is the campaign’s ninth year, and we could not be prouder of the amazing results,” added Wilford Romelus, founder of Digital Vibez. “This past year was full of unexpected challenges for everyone, but we came back stronger than ever.”

With the pandemic limiting in-person events, Garvey and her team under the direction of Community Services Director Paulette Edwards had to get creative to get — and keep — people motivated. The village’s instructors offered free classes, including aerobics, Zumba and dance classes through Zoom, giving everyone the ability to participate, from Wellington’s own 300 employees to seniors and youth.

Community organizations and businesses from sports teams to private schools to LA Fitness joined in to rally members and contribute. For kids, the village partnered with the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington to introduce new activities like Frisbee and teach football and soccer. A huge March Madness basketball competition brought kids out to the courts, and a dance club brought to the Wellington Amphitheater by Digital Vibez kept kids moving to the latest beat.

To get as many young residents as possible participating in Let’s Move, Garvey’s team knew they couldn’t just wait for the kids to come to them. They needed to take fun activities out into the neighborhoods. Program coordinators Ian Williams and Gus Ponce were just the guys to do it through their “Super Fridays” program.

Super Fridays began about three years ago as a way for Wellington to connect with youth by bringing activities to kids in their own neighborhoods.

“When Ian and Gus show up, it’s time to come out of the house, put the electronics down and have fun,” Garvey said.

For Let’s Move, it was a way to be sure all kids had access to the campaign and to continue opening doors to create relationships.

This lets them understand youth needs that the village could fulfill, such as tutoring, mentorships and scholarships to participate in programming.

“We make an impact on the kids, and the kids make an impact on us,” Williams said. “Some of the youth we reach are caring for younger siblings and just need to know we’re there for them. That’s what it’s all about, giving them something to look forward to every day.”

Another way the village cares for the community contributed to the Let’s Move championship. Every Tuesday during the month of March, 25 volunteers gathered at the Mall at Wellington Green to give away food to those in need, working with Feeding South Florida. The activity required quite a bit of physical activity, with volunteers running bags of groceries to more than 800 cars for the food distribution drive-through each week. “Between athletic programs and community service, we try our best to deliver on our health and wellness goals for village residents,” Garvey said.

Giving the credit to residents for bringing home the Let’s Move trophy, Williams added, “We really want to thank the community for being so willing.”

The 2021 Let’s Move campaign was sponsored by the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Health Specialty Center, Valley Bank, Wisehaupt, Bray Asset Management and the Quantum Foundation. For more info., visit www.letsmovepbc.org.

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Feature Stories, Wellington Health

EVERY SECOND COUNTS Wellington Regional’s Emergency Department Stands Ready To React At A Moment’s Notice

EVERY SECOND COUNTS
Wellington Regional’s Emergency Department
Stands Ready To React At A Moment’s Notice

Dr. Adam Bromberg, medical director of the Wellington Regional Medical Center Emergency Department, stood outside of the hospital’s emergency room and watched as an emergency medical services (EMS) truck approached with its siren blaring and its lights rapidly flashing in an effort to clear the road and shave a few more precious seconds from the hospital arrival time of a critical patient.

Like a red blur, the truck pulled into the ambulance bay as first responders spilled out of the truck and shuttled the patient through the doors to the waiting ER team inside. The hospital is full of specialized equipment and staff to provide emergent care for nearly any patient who arrives at the ER, but that is often the key word… arrives.

Emergency care extends to the site of the patient, and EMS crews are seen as an extension of a hospital’s ER by extending lifesaving care from the doors and hallways of Wellington Regional Medical Center to the actual location of a critically sick or injured patient. These emergency providers walk into potentially dangerous situations with a singular mission in mind — quickly find the patient, start lifesaving treatments and swiftly transfer the patient to the ER.

Time. In an emergency, it is perhaps the most critical element. There is an ER expression, “time is brain.” The shorter the time from incident to medical intervention, the better the chance of a positive outcome. According to the American Heart Association, 1.9 million neurons can die per minute when a patient is having a stroke. That is 32,000 brain cells per second.

Irreversible damage to heart muscle can start as quickly as 30 minutes from the blockage of blood flow. Cells and tissue lost due to stroke can’t be replaced and do not recover.

“Wellington Regional cares for emergency patients with a team approach,” Bromberg said. “It begins with the EMS team notifying the hospital of a life-threatening emergency patient en route, so our multidisciplinary team can assemble and be ready from the moment the patient enters the ER. Working collaboratively allows our medical team to be prepared for any circumstance and react rapidly to provide appropriate care for the patient. The faster we can begin appropriate treatment, the better the outcome for patients.”

The announcement blares three times over the internal public address system: “Stroke Alert Emergency Room Via Rescue.” Translation? There is an ambulance on its way with a suspected stoke patient. When the announcement goes out, staff from multiple specialties inside Wellington Regional, which was recently named a Comprehensive Stroke Center, immediately rush to the ER and await the patient. Since time can be so critical, the goal is to confirm the diagnosis as quickly as possible and transfer the patient to the appropriate unit inside the hospital for specialized care.

“Our goal is to verify the stroke through a medical assessment, CT scan and an evaluation by neurology with the objective of beginning treatment as fast as possible,” Bromberg said. “It is critical to have the team waiting for the patient’s arrival, so we can begin the evaluation immediately and time is not lost.”

One of the last thoughts Lucille Arcano remembered is moving to return a serve in one of her standing Thursday doubles tennis matches. Suddenly, it felt like the racket was pulled from her hand, and then blackness as she crashed down on the court. She vaguely remembers one of her playing partners asking if she was OK, but she could not respond. Still unable to see her friends, she recalls one of them saying, “I think she had a stroke.”

But Arcano remained silent. She had not been feeling very well for several days leading up to the doubles match. In fact, just the day before, her vision was a little impaired and she was dizzy, but she blamed it on something else.

“I had been experiencing double vision the day before and was dizzy,” Arcano said. “I thought something was wrong with my sunglasses and that was causing the vision problems. I thought the dizziness was caused by my paroxysmal vertigo.”

Arcano, who recently turned 74, said she still felt a little off on the day of her tennis match, but her vision had returned to normal. Because she was no longer seeing double, she decided to keep the tennis appointment with her friends. The avid athlete warmed up with no issues and then set up in her part of the court. The first ball of the match headed her way toward her forehand.

Her memory is spotty after that… the brown color of her friend’s tennis outfit… an EMT asking her name… the Wellington Regional Interventional Radiology (IR) team getting her ready for her procedure… someone taking off her earrings in preparation for surgery.

“The next thing I remember was when I woke up and saw that beautiful Dr. [Emilio] Lopez with his mask on and his twinkling eyes looking down on me,” Arcano said through tears. “I will never forget that face and those eyes.”

Arcano had suffered a stroke. Specifically, she had a blockage of the left middle cerebral artery, the vessel that is primarily responsible for delivering blood to the left side of the brain. A clot in this area of the brain is potentially devastating. After the blockage was confirmed, she was sent to IR, where she had the clot removed by Lopez through a minimally invasive procedure. She was discharged from the hospital a few days later.

“Her exceptional response has been remarkable,” Lopez said. “To go from a possibly debilitating stroke to playing tennis is phenomenal. It was a team effort, from the ER, IR, post-op and her care on the floor — everyone played a part in her outcome.”

Since going home, Arcano has completed a few weeks of rehab to strengthen her right arm and leg and to work on her balance. After a loop recorder was installed to monitor her heart activity for atrial fibrillation, she was released with no restrictions. In fact, she returned to the tennis court about two months after her stroke and is actively playing tennis again, as well as playing golf, walking and working out in the gym.

Arcano admits that she was a little nervous in her first tennis match after her stroke, but that is to be expected. She lost that match, but honestly, the outcome was irrelevant. Her return to the courts was enough of a victory for a woman who not that long before had lost her vision and could not respond to questions while lying on those very same courts. Her life is almost totally back to normal with the exception some difficulty writing, but she is practicing it every day, and her handwriting is getting better.

As a former dialysis nurse in Brooklyn, N.Y., Arcano has had quite the life — a life that was saved by the multi-disciplinary team at Wellington Regional and the EMS crew who worked frantically to deliver her from the tennis court to the ER. Once she arrived at the hospital, her care team was made up of several medical specialties working together with the singular goal of saving Arcano’s life.

“Dr. [Christopher] Hawk, one of the doctors involved in implanting the loop recorder, said, ‘My hat’s off to Dr. Lopez. I can save a heart, but he saved your soul,’” Arcano added.

Learn more about emergency services available at Wellington Regional Medical Center by visiting www.wellingtonregional.com/er.

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Feature Stories, Wellington Health

Cancer Care In Palm Beach County JUST GOT BETTER

Cancer Care In Palm Beach County
JUST GOT BETTER

The Lynn Cancer Institute and the Miami Cancer Institute are integrating programs as the key element of a further expansion of Baptist Health South Florida’s cancer care services. Joining forces, the combined program creates one of the largest cancer programs in South Florida.

Together, both organizations make a powerful team, offering patients personalized treatment options with a multidisciplinary approach based on physicians’ clinical expertise, advanced technology and innovative clinical trials.

The Lynn Cancer Institute is the largest provider of cancer care in Palm Beach County and one of the largest in Florida. The Miami Cancer Institute is Baptist Health’s cancer care anchor, offering a full array of services, and is Florida’s only member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance — an alliance that encompasses collaboration in clinical trials and standards of care.

The integration of the Lynn Cancer Institute and the Miami Cancer Institute will also allow for greater support of the planned expansion of the Lynn Cancer Institute, including new technology and the recent addition of cancer services at Bethesda Health City in Boynton Beach.

With this expansion of services, Baptist Health is paving the way for new and better treatments that can help even more patients conquer and survive cancer. Cancer does not stop for COVID-19, and for that reason, the Lynn Cancer Institute and the Miami Cancer Institute encourage patients to stay up to date with their cancer screenings.

The new integrated programing is just one of Baptist Health South Florida’s recent expansions in services for cancer patients.

The Lynn Cancer Institute also recently announced the opening of its newest outpatient radiation oncology location in Bethesda Health City. From the moment a patient receives a cancer diagnosis, Baptist Health South Florida experts are by your side, treating you with compassionate, individualized care. The team of physicians at Lynn Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology at Health City have more than 54 years of collective experience and will develop a targeted treatment plan that is best for you.

The Boynton Beach location now offers many of the same radiation oncology services and treatments found at other Baptist Health South Florida cancer care locations, including: IMRT/IGRT, 3D conformational therapy with RapidArc, CT stimulation, diagnostic imaging including PET and CT scans, electron therapy, high-dose rate brachytherapy, lung screening, nutrition and psychosocial services, and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

The Lynn Cancer Institute has several conveniently located radiation oncology centers, including at the Sandler Pavilion in Boca Raton at 701 NW 13th Street, Boca Raton (561-955-5966); Radiation Oncology at Delray Beach at 16313 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach (561-955-7200); and the new Lynn Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology at Health City in Boynton Beach at 10301 Hagen Ranch Road, Suite A-960, Boynton Beach (561-374-5440).

Learn more about the Lynn Cancer Institute at www.brrh.com.

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Feature Stories, Wellington Health

PROTECTING YOUR DIGESTION Cleveland Clinic Florida Offers Specialized Care For Your Digestive System’s Health

PROTECTING YOUR DIGESTION
Cleveland Clinic Florida Offers
Specialized Care For Your Digestive System’s Health

Digestive health relies on a large, complex system of organs, including the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, to turn the food we eat into the nutrients and energy our bodies need to survive.

“When any one element of this intricate system fails, it can have major health consequences,” explained Dr. Conrad H. Simpfendorfer, director of liver and pancreas surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida.

These three organs are key accessories to digestive health. The liver, gallbladder and pancreas do not move food through our bodies, yet their role in digestion is vital.

The liver takes the raw materials absorbed by the intestine to make chemicals the body needs to function and detoxify potentially harmful chemicals that are ingested.

The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver and then releases it through bile ducts into the small intestine to help process fats.

The pancreas secretes juices used to break down protein, fats and carbohydrates, as well as hormones to regulate blood sugar.

Some of the most common digestive disorders involve this organ trio.

More than four million Americans are diagnosed each year with liver disease, including cirrhosis and viral hepatitis. Another 20 million are affected by gallstones and other biliary diseases.

Meanwhile, pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancers, will claim an estimated 47,000 lives in the United States this year.

“Because of their tremendous impact on overall health, liver, biliary and pancreatic diseases require immediate and expert medical care,” Simpfendorfer cautioned.

This is where the experts at Cleveland Clinic Florida come in.

The digestive health specialists at Cleveland Clinic Florida are highly skilled in treating a full range of common to complex liver, pancreatic and biliary diseases. This expertise recently earned Cleveland Clinic Florida the Center of Excellence designation from the National Pancreas Foundation for the care of patients with pancreatic cancer, a high standard of care met by only four centers statewide.

“We have a multidisciplinary team of specialists at Cleveland Clinic focused on treating the whole patient,” said Dr. Mayank Roy, a board-certified general surgeon specializing in liver and pancreas surgery. “Our tumor board, for example, brings together experts from a number of specialties to collaborate on treatment plans for patients with cancer designed to achieve the best outcomes.”

As a high-volume center for minimally invasive hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeries, the fellowship-trained surgeons at Cleveland Clinic Florida have tremendous experience in advanced surgical techniques.

“Today we can perform many challenging surgeries laparoscopically, using small incisions instead of traditional open surgery, which greatly benefits our patients,” explained Roy, who works closely with colleagues at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital to offer Treasure Coast patients access to this innovative care. “And we are one of the few centers in the state using robotic-assisted surgery to treat digestive diseases.”

Cleveland Clinic is a leader in fluorescence-guided surgery, using a fluorescent dye during procedures to better see anatomic structures.

“This advanced imaging technique allows surgeons to remove diseased tissue more precisely and preserve healthy tissue,” Simpfendorfer said. “It can dramatically reduce the risk of complications associated with minimally invasive gallbladder removal, one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States.”

Cleveland Clinic Florida has an office in Wellington at 2789 S. State Road 7. To schedule an appointment with a digestive health specialist at Cleveland Clinic Florida, including Dr. Mayank Roy, who sees patients in Palm Beach County, call (877) 463-2010 or visit www.clevelandclinicflorida.org/digestive.

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Feature Stories

JUST KEEP SWIMMING Wellington Master’s Swim Team Provides Opportunity For Adults To Gather And Thrive

JUST KEEP SWIMMING
Wellington Master’s Swim Team Provides
Opportunity For Adults To Gather And Thrive

by Lenore Phillips

One of the perks of living in Florida is the ability to be outside and active all 12 months of the year. Activities range from lounging at the beach to being an athlete at any age. Many residents of Wellington are members of a local running club, cycling club, softball teams and volleyball teams. Another team that is lesser known, but equally thriving for adult participants is the Wellington Swim Club (WSC), home of the Wellington Marlins Master’s Swim Team. This team of swimmers of varying abilities and goals is representative of the power of fitness to create a strong community with outstanding opportunities.

The Wellington Master’s Swim team has been a part of the Wellington Aquatics Complex since 2015. The program was established as an affiliate of the United States Masters Swimming Association and is geared toward the adult swimmer. The Wellington Marlins are just one of hundreds of such programs across the United States, with two teams in Palm Beach County alone.

While the word “masters” may sound intimidating, it should not. Many of these groups, WSC included, offer introductory programs for adults who are learning to swim for the first time, as well as swimmers who have been competing at a high level from childhood. The program offers coached workouts six days a week from head coach Lina Bot, and an array of assistant coaches.

Over the years, the Wellington Swim Club has gone through several iterations. The Marlins team was organized in 2019 by coach Patrick Billingsley. With the motto “Show Up, Swim, Have Fun,” WSC built its community with a strong mixture of top competitive swimmers, triathletes, open water swimmers and non-swimmers looking for a way to expand their fitness horizons.

“I had been a swim and triathlon coach for the better part of a decade when I decided to start a master’s team in Wellington,” said Billingsley, now the team’s former head coach. “I knew that we had some very competitive swimmers in the area, and we had a top-notch facility at the Wellington Aquatics Complex, so I decided to establish a team and see what would happen.”

Almost immediately, it became a vibrant program. The team would practice from 5 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, and eventually added a weekend practice day, as well as lunchtime practices for those not interested in being up before the sun. The team continued its steady growth and morphed into a recognizable player in the local athletic community, as well as a force to be reckoned with on the state and national competitive scenes.

During the COVD-19 pandemic, the program was forced to hit the pause button. The swimmers stayed in touch with one another on a private Facebook group dedicated to the team and even shared exercise plans so that collectively, they could stay in shape until the pool could safely re-open.

Through hard work by the coaching staff and the strict safety measures put in place by the Village of Wellington and the management of the aquatics complex, swimmers were able to return to the pool deck in May 2020.

The strength of the return came as a surprise to many on the team as new faces emerged in their community. After the forced confinement due to the pandemic, many people were looking for a safe, outdoor activity that also allowed them to be around other people.

“Swimming is a unique sport because you are always competing against yourself first and your teammates second, but you also act as a team because you are working out closely with people who are similar in speed and stamina to you,” Billingsley said. “The camaraderie that emerges in a swim team is so special because everyone feels like they are struggling in training and succeeding in improving their fitness together. It creates a completely unique and very tight bond. The pandemic only strengthened that in our team. It was really uplifting, considering the stress everyone was experiencing at the time.”

Besides the changes as a result of the new normal created by the pandemic, there were also changes in the coaching staff. Billingsley decided to step back from the program so that he could focus more time on his growing family, and Bot took over the role as head coach. She has spent the better part of the last 16 years teaching the fundamentals of swimming to age group swimmers as part of the Wellington Aquatics Complex staff and has been teaching competitive swimming for the last two years. Assuming the role of head coach of the master’s program was a change of pace for her professionally but one that she was eager to grow into.

“I love being a part of the swimmers’ progress and helping them to reach their individual goals,” Bot said. “What drew me to working with the master’s team is how inclusive it is. The team acts as a family, and everyone is so positive in how they push one another. This support system is especially meaningful during COVID-19 times. It also makes coming to the pool deck every day very positive and inspiring.”

In 2021, the team is focused on expanding its membership to include more swimmers and returning to competition. Through Bot’s directive, the team has expanded the number of coached workouts and opportunities for competition in Florida. There is hope that with Olympic competition coverage set to begin this month, the triumphs in the pool on the international stage will inspire even more new swimmers to follow the team’s guiding principles of “Show Up, Swim, Have Fun!”

If you are interested in becoming involved with the Wellington Marlins Master’s Swim Team, visit www.wellingtonswimclub.com.

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Wellington Table - Signature Dish

COLOMBIAN STREET FOOD New Baby Back Rib Burger The Latest Colombian Creation At Los Quesudos

COLOMBIAN STREET FOOD
New Baby Back Rib Burger The Latest
Colombian Creation At Los Quesudos

Story and Photos by Callie Sharkey

The true passion of any foodie is the desire to find authentic and original flavors. And if you’re looking to discover the unique tastes of true Colombian street food, there is nowhere better than Los Quesudos in Royal Palm Beach.

With the wide range of backgrounds and cultures in the area, Los Quesudos stands alone with its focus on popular Colombian street foods. The Gutierrez family opened the restaurant with a goal to bring these unique Colombian flavors to the general public.

Want to really eat like a local? Then order something not on the regular menu! Just last month, the team at Los Quesudos introduced the Costi Quesuda — the baby back rib burger. This hardy, satisfying burger will change the way you view street food forever.

The tender, boneless baby back ribs are smothered in cheese and combined with coleslaw and cooked onions, on a bed of crunchy potato strings and a slice of green tomato.

Bringing forth such a unique combination was a hard sell to the family, according to restaurant owner and Costi Quesuda creator Ivan Gutierrez.

“It was a fight with my family about that dish, because I was pushing to get it out, and they wouldn’t let me,” Gutierrez recalled. “So, one day I just decided to sneak out, get the ribs and make one anyway. We tried it and everybody liked it. They really loved it because the ribs are so good.”

Gutierrez sees the restaurant and its accompanying food truck business as the realization of a dream to bring something unique and different to his customers. With this latest dish, he knew people liked ribs and wanted to incorporate the Colombian flavors.

“All those flavors together is amazing, and since we launched the burger, it has been kind of crazy,” Gutierrez said.

His daughter Camila wasn’t so sure the baby back rib burger would be successful, but she gives credit to her father’s creativity and tenacity.

“We thought it was going to be this huge and messy thing, and he kind of went off on his own and built it,” she said. “He made his idea come to life.”

Gutierrez’s wife Juliana wasn’t sure about the concept for the Costi Quesuda being worth the work, considering there are so many components to the dish, but head chef Camilo Muñoz has found a way to execute it in a way that still works as original, hand-held street food.

“I recommend the Costi Quesuda with fries or bananas,” Juliana said. “It’s a lot of work, but it is so good, and people love it. Like our other dishes, it comes with four bonus flavors on the side — a pink sauce, a cilantro sauce, a pineapple sauce and a garlic sauce.”

Los Quesudos takes pride in its ingredients being fresh and light, which keeps the baby back rib burger from being too heavy for a daytime meal.

“Everything is local. We have a good relationship with distributors. We bring the ideas from Colombia and make everything here in house. The coleslaw, we don’t buy it, we make the coleslaw here in the kitchen,” Gutierrez said. “We do everything from scratch, start to finish. The salsas, the pink sauce, the cilantros, the garlic sauce — we do everything here. When you come here, and want a burger, you know that it’s not precooked. Everything is made fresh. Always.”

Los Quesudos offers a wide variety of Colombian street food ranging from burgers and hot dogs to maicitos and desgranados (corn-based dishes popular in Colombia). There are also vegetarian options and Colombian desserts, so no one goes home hungry.

The restaurant is open seven days a week, Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Los Quesudos food truck can also be found at many local events and the upcoming green markets in West Palm Beach. Catering services are also available.

There is a dine-in option at the restaurant, or you can order your street food to go through delivery services such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates. Carryout is available by ordering online. Keep an eye out for the Los Quesudos app coming soon.

Los Quesudos is located at 9864 Southern Blvd. in the plaza with Home Depot. For more info., call (561) 331-8114 or visit www.losquesudosusa.com.

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