Hometown News and Views

By Phyllis J. Neuberger

“We’re on staff at North Broward, Imperial Point and Holy Cross,” says Dr. Waskin. “We follow our patients from our office suite to the hospital. Because all of our records are electronic, we have instant and complete information on the health history of each patient available on our iPads. We can avoid duplication, wasted time, errors in diagnosis, and can share information quickly with each other and concerned family.”

Interviewed in his offices at 2701 NE 14 St. in Pompano Beach, Dr. Waskin says, “I’ve been in practice here in Pompano Beach for 12 years. Our group consists of a very qualified office staff, Megan Goitia, a licensed nurse practitioner who is my right arm, and me.  We are an HMO and Medicare provider accepting most major insurances. We’re proud of the care we provide. Our patient approach is prevention.”

Asked how he prevents serious health issues, he explains. “Prevention relies on educating the patient to the important factors that cause major health problems. For example, serious heart problems are the result of many factors. He ticked off a few of  the known causes for serious heart trouble… blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, inherited tendencies and smoking. We try to eliminate the causes before the bad result happens.  Each person has an individual health history which usually explains the symptoms that he or she comes to us with.  We determine the source of the symptoms and hopefully teach the patient how to eliminate the symptoms and change the outcome for the better.”

“As a trained doctor of osteopathic medicine, I treat the entire body, not just the symptoms. In fact, osteopathic medicine was created by a medical doctor who wanted to diagnose and treat core problems rather than the one resulting problem. And that’s what we do here. We  have physical therapy in the office. I am trained to treat musculo-skeletal issues which means that we can sometimes find and solve a problem right here in the office instead of referring a patient for unnecessary testing.”

Broward Family Medical Group  serves all ages from children to seniors, including women’s basic gynecology. An on-site lab means blood work and routine lab tests can be done in office, saving patients another stop.

Megan Goitia is a family nurse practitioner, Board Certified by the ANCC, or American Nursing Credentials Center. She works under Dr. Waskin’s license and according to him, is his right arm.

“We see patients together and work as a team,” she says. “In Florida, we can do almost everything a physician can do. As it happens, we coordinate everything we do on our electronic medical record system.  My specialty is diabetes and cardio-vascular risk reduction. I do this by trying to prevent complications in these areas through education of the patient and monitoring areas of danger to control the condition.”

In keeping with a focus on prevention, Waskins and Goitia  conduct frequent education seminars in their large reception area. Alerted through flyers and advertising, attendance is high.  Waskins says, “We usually pack this area with about 30 patients who want to know more about diabetes, breast cancer, prostrate problems, cholesterol and more.  We try to alert patients to recognize symptoms before they become big problems.”

In October a seminar is planned to discuss the new medicare benefits for 2013.  The doctor says the most frequently asked question is: How will the new health care plan affect me and my existing policy? He adds, “We’re meeting with different health plans right now to find out what their new benefits are so that we can present an unbiased seminar to enlighten the public. The window for changing plans keeps shrinking. This year, the open period will be Oct. 15 to Dec.7.  Our information will help patients decide what  options HMO or private pay insurance plans offer and what might work best for them. Medications and co-pay costs are considerations.”

Patients give them thumbs up

Naomi Lewis says going to Dr. Waskin four years ago was the best decision she ever made. “I had very high blood pressure which he has put under control with medicine and counseling. I watch my weight by eating properly. He gets right to the point and keeps me in line because he cares, and I know it.  He’s challenging, handles patients very well, and I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Richard Romano calls Dr. Waskin, “the doctor with golden hands.  I’ve been going to him for nine or 10 years. He diagnosed me with diverticulitis when I was already infected. He probably saved my life. I was hospitalized, and he saw me every day including Sundays.  I also have a form of leukemia so he watches me carefully. He has sent me to specialists when something doesn’t seem right.  He’s a caring doctor, and his entire staff is the same.”

This group prides itself on its friendly and courteous office staff and flexible hours to accommodate people who can’t come in during the day because of work schedules. Patients who are sick will be seen without an appointment. Open Mon.,Tues.,Thurs. and Fri. from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wed. from 8:30 to 7 p.m.  Call 954-545-1560 for appointment.