'We all came together and got through it': 5 Lakeside Medical residents prevail through pandemic
BELLE GLADE — The 10th class of family doctors to graduate from Lakeside Medical Center didn't merely survive three years of medical residency. It prevailed through the coronavirus pandemic.
The five doctors who completed their work in June at Palm Beach County's only public hospital saw first-hand how COVID-19 wreaked havoc on patients in the rural Glades communities. They are the first class to have the pandemic mark their entire stay in Belle Glade.
“I remember the first COVID patient we treated at Lakeside and the wave of COVID as the patients came and went,” said Jesse Grieb, who plans to practice medicine in Palm Beach County.
“We all came together and got through it. In terms of preparedness, I feel ready and more in command of my medical knowledge, understanding and clinical reasoning.”
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Lakeside is a teaching hospital part of Palm Beach County’s Health Care District. This year, it ranked as the country’s most racially inclusive hospital, according to the the Lown Institute, a think tank that studies how hospitals can better serve and support their patients and communities.
The State’s Agency for Health Care Administration funds the training of the 15 residents in the medical center’s Family Medicine Residency Program.
The five newly graduated family doctors – Benjamin Kosubevsky, Thy Hoang Bui, Janaki Saoji Juma, William Carson Draper and Grieb – trained in all of Lakeside’s medical departments including emergency medicine, critical care and pediatrics.
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Three years ago, when they started their residency, COVID-19 was just starting to spread in the underserved communities along the rim of Lake Okechobee. During most of their rotations, the area remained a hot spot of cases and reported some of the highest death tolls in the county.
“The biggest impact this internship had on me is the opportunity to serve the people of the Glades who really need help, and it’s been extremely rewarding,” said Draper, who with Grieb were the chief medical residents and who plans to practice outside Salt Lake City.
“It’s helped me learn how to treat patients, be empathic and really put myself in people’s shoes to better understand their situation and the challenges they’re experiencing,” Draper said.
Two doctors will practice in Palm Beach County, one at health care district's Brumback clinics
Lakeside partners with Nova Southeastern University and the Florida Department of Health for Palm Beach County to offer the program, which also includes training in psychiatry, general surgery, geriatrics, sports and community medicine.
Two of the five physicians will practice locally. In addition to Grieb, Bui will serve as a primary care provider at the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics.
Lakeside is also welcoming five new residents to the program, the Health Care District said. They are: Sherene Falconer, Ryan Katwaroo, Sabari Nair, Sagar Saoji and Deena Werde.
“I applaud these graduates for their dedication to our hospital’s patients and the health of Glades’ residents during an unprecedented time in medicine,” said Darcy J. Davis, the Health Care District's CEO. “Their quality care and commitment have helped improve the health of the Glades region.”
Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lakeside Medical Center graduates 5 residents after three-year program
