Page 16 - Boca Exposure - May '22

Page 16, Boca Exposure
From The Desk Of Palm Beach County Mayor

Robert S. Weinroth: Tourism Up/Unemployment Low

Robert Weinroth, a former TDT funds reduce the tax burden on our residents federal government offices and local agencies, including
member of the Boca Raton and are reinvested in our community in areas such as nonprofits. It also includes an entertainment and leisure
City Council, was elected beach renourishment, infrastructure and tourism-related section and much more.
as a Palm Beach County marketing. To download the guide, visit https://discover.pbcgov.
Commissioner to replace Additionally, the county’s unemployment rate was org/pdf/publications/guide_services.pdf.
Steven Abr am s , who reported at just 2.6 percent for March, well below the Nonprofit Spotlight: The Volen Center. The Volen
retired due to term limits national and state averages. Center is a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting South
requirements. According to CareerSource Palm Beach County, there Florida seniors through health care and supportive services
The county recently are more job openings than unemployed for the ninth that meet their physical, emotional and social needs.
received the single largest consecutive month: 40,134 job openings vs. 19,235 Throughout the pandemic, the center was an agent
Tourist Development Tax unemployed people. of change by mobilizing its meal site programs, serving
(TDT) remittance totaling This is an important milestone for the county; nearly 3,000 senior residents.
$9.7 million. Clearly, our tourism industry is on the traditionally, summer is a slow season for employment, but Additionally, the Volen Center maintains a large fleet
rebound and remains a top industry in the county. we are only witnessing new and better job opportunities of buses to transport seniors to medical appointments and
for our residents! other crucial destinations at an affordable cost. Each year,
Senior/Veteran Discounts. The county’s Parks
they average over 85,000 trips!
Council Corner: and Recreation Department offers senior and veteran volencenter.com/.
For more information on the organization, visit https://
discounts for recreational programs and services at
History Corner. As reports of beautiful Lake Worth
Downtown Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens, waterparks and reached the north, hotels were built to accommodate the
pools. Additionally, all fees are waived in Senior Softball
first winter tourists. In 1880, Elisha and Ella Dimick
Leagues!
Moreover, Environmental Resources Management,
Updates in partnership with Veteran Affairs, hosts fishing events added eight rooms to their house to accommodate visitors
who managed the difficult journey from Jacksonville to
and guided kayaking tours for veterans free of charge at
Palm Beach. They gradually enlarged the island’s first
Pine Glades and Cypress Creek natural areas. hotel to 50 rooms.
By Monica Mayotte, who For more information on these events, visit https:// The Cocoanut Grove House (using the old-fashioned
was re-elected to another discover.pbcgov.org/erm/Pages/default.aspx. spelling of coconut) was located on the site that is now the
term on the Raton City Guide to Palm Beach County Services. The Palm Flagler Museum. The hotel was fully booked each season,
Council, and who is CRA Beach County Guide to Services is a comprehensive guide and some years they housed guests in tents in the yard.
Chair. Mayotte has been providing brief descriptions and contact information for If you require assistance, please contact our office at
a resident of Boca Raton services provided by municipalities, county, state and (561) 355-2204 or email RWeinroth@pbcgov.org.
for more than 20 years,
active in the community
both in our local schools West Boca Medical Center Adds
and as a city advisory
board member.
There are so many exciting initiatives happening Critical Care Intensivist Program
Spring has sprung!

around town.
official groundbreaking ceremony was held in January. To Enhance Patient Care

Our new Brightline station is under construction. The
But now, actual shovels and all types of heavy equipment
are being used to build both the train station and the new Program Gives Critical Care and Dr. Kenneth Baron, will join Dr. Milan. These
parking garage. If all goes well, we are hopeful that the intensivists will be working alongside an experienced
station will be opened towards the end of the year. Patients Treated In ICu An nursing team led by director Wendy Dubois.
The city council held a discussion in April at a “The critical care intensivist program will enhance
City Council Workshop about the ground lease for the Even Higher Level Of Care our services at West Boca Medical Center, and continue
proposed Boca Raton Center for Arts and Innovation to strengthen the quality of care we have been providing
in Mizner Park. We discussed the final outstanding West Boca Medical Center is further enhancing its to this community for more than 35 years,” said George
issues for a ground lease for the organization for the care to some of its sickest patients with the addition Rizzuto, chief executive officer at West Boca Medical
property on the northeast corner of Mizner Park and the of its Critical Care Intensivist Program. The program Center. “Having this team in place at our hospital will
Mizner Park Amphitheater. I am excited and hopeful consists of a team of doctors and nurse practitioners give our patients the support and treatments necessary
that this project will move forward. overseeing the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), for someone being cared for in our ICU.”
And, a heads up: More parking meters are coming 24 hours a day seven days
to downtown Boca Raton. This can be a divisive topic, a week. The intensivists are
but let me explain why parking meters help ensure there board-certified physicians
are more available parking spaces when you come to the certified in the subspecialty
downtown. When parking is free, there is no reason for of critical care medicine. Dr.
drivers to move their cars. People who live downtown Stephen Milan will be the
will take up these spaces instead of parking in their medical director of the new
own parking facilities because it is more convenient. program.
This makes it difficult for visitors to the downtown “I am truly honored to
who want to shop or dine to find parking. be named the new medical
The newest meters will be located on Palmetto director and lead our
Park Road between Federal Highway and N.E. 5th intensivist program reflects
Avenue, along S.E. 3rd Avenue, S.E. 4th Avenue, West Boca Medical Center’s
and along Royal Palm Way. Just like the rest of our dedication to providing
downtown parking, you can pay at a meter or by using patients and our community
the ParkMobile app which can be downloaded to a to safe and high quality
smartphone from your App Store. care,” said Dr. Milan. “This
Lastly, I’d like to highlight our city libraries. also means our hospital and
They are a wonderful community amenity that is the community we serve,
enjoyed by residents of all ages. Our libraries are will always have a dedicated
fully open so come in, look around, and even check medical specialist caring for patients who are being Due to the effectiveness of 24/7 in-house Intensivist
out some books. Our libraries offer many interesting treated in our Intensive Care Unit.” coverage, the American College of Critical Care
programs and classes. You can check out all of the Benefits associated with the intensivist approach Medicine and the Society of Critical Care Medicine
libraries’ offerings at www.Bocalibrary.org and www. can include: recommend it as the ideal model. It is preferred because
BocaLibraryFriends.org. • Increased survival it benefits patients, providers, and hospitals. Beyond
As always, please continue to be kind and • Reduced incidence of disease (morbidity) that, optimizing ICU staffing with 24/7 in-house
considerate to one another. • Reduced ICU length of stay (decrease in ventilator days) coverage (or tele-ICU support for smaller hospitals)
Feel free to contact me with any city concerns you may • Fewer clinical and procedural complications ensures that patients who are acutely ill receive the
have. I can be reached at my email address: mmayotte@ • Reduced costs per case level of care we would want for ourselves and our loved
myboca.us or my city cell phone: (561) 212-5543. • Improved patient and staff satisfaction ones, no matter when they need it.
Take care. Be well. • Focus on patient safety For more information about the services at the hospital,
? Adelman, Dr. Carlos Gutierrez, Dr. Noah Schreibman,
Several highly skilled physicians, including Dr. Mark go to www.westbocamedctr.com or call 866-724-6002.

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