Medical people: News about medical professionals around Polk County

FOOT AND ANKLE ASSOCIATES OF LAKELAND

Matt Werd, DPM, FACFAS, was a featured sports medicine speaker at the national meeting of the American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management held Nov. 3 in Fort Lauderdale. The AAPPM meeting attracts foot and ankle specialists from throughout the United States and internationally. Werd’s lecture topic was “Prefab AFOs (Ankle-Foot-Orthoses) to Keep Athletes Active.” He also served as an expert panelist for a question-and-answer session on lower extremity sports injuries. Werd has co-authored two editions of the medical text “Athletic Footwear and Orthoses in Sports Medicine” Springer Publishing 2017.

WATSON CLINIC

Registered nurse practitioner D’Aishia Burgess works alongside board-certified pulmonology specialist Naem Shahrour, from Watson Clinic Main at 1600 Lakeland Hills Blvd., Lakeland.  Burgess achieved her bachelor's in nursing from Polk State College in Winter Haven and her master's in nursing from Florida Southern College in Lakeland. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Florida Association of Nurse Practitioners, and is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. 863-680-7190.

Physician assistant Amanda Porter serves patients of board-certified orthopedic surgeon Obafunto Abimbola from Watson Clinic Main at 1600 Lakeland Hills Blvd. in Lakeland. She earned a bachelor's in athletic training from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a master's in physical education Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and a master's in health sciences from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Physician Assistants of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants.  She is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. 863-680-7214.

Registered nurse practitioner Nicole B. Hamlin works alongside board-certified otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeon Raam S. Lakhani, M.D., from the Watson Clinic Bella Vista Building, 1755 N. Florida Ave., Lakeland. Hamlin earned her bachelor's in nursing from the University of South Florida in Tampa and her master's in nursing from Florida Southern College in Lakeland. She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. 863-904-6296.

Registered nurse practitioner Brandi C. Ray sees patients of board-certified internal medicine specialist Agustin Tavares from Watson Clinic South, 1033 N. Parkway Frontage Road, Lakeland. Ray earned her bachelor's and master's in nursing from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She is a certified family nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Alumnus. 863-680-7190.

Julian Rios, a registered nurse at Watson Clinic Urgent Care Main, was recently named the recipient of the November Program for Employee Excellence and Recognition award. Rios has been with Watson Clinic for 14 years. Over the course of his career, whether he was providing care to urology patients or as an employee health nurse in our human resources department during COVID, Rios has been admired for his easygoing and friendly nature and for being an exceptional team member. Rios received a plaque, dinner at a local restaurant, a reserved parking spot and a gift certificate from the Medical Spa at Watson Clinic.

David Graham, a board-certified radiation oncologist at the Watson Clinic Cancer and Research Center, is the first specialist in Florida to be named a Center of Excellence for his expertise in utilizing the SpaceOAR Hydrogel, an injectable spacer that minimizes the side effects of radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients. This recognition was presented by the device manufacturer Boston Scientific. Radiation therapy can produce undesirable side effects. The SpaceOAR Hydrogel is a soft injectable spacer that gently separates the prostate from the rectum, greatly minimizing the possibility of side effects. Graham received his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. He performed an internship in general surgery at Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, Pennsylvania. He performed residencies in radiation oncology at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago and Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. He is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology. Graham is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, the Cyberknife Society and the Radiosurgery Society. 863-603-4717.

LAKELAND REGIONAL HEALTH

Mohammad Elballat specializes in pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonology and critical care. Elballat has experience in sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, parasomnias and managing complex surgical patients and critically ill neurosurgical patients. Elballat earned his medical degree in general medicine and surgery from Tanta University, Egypt. He completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Miami/JFK Consortium in West Palm Beach. Elballat completed his pulmonary critical care fellowship at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee, and his sleep medicine fellowship at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Elballat cares for patients at our Grasslands Campus and the Medical Center.

Sydney Pate recently joined Lakeland Regional Health as a surgical first assistant. She is a certified physician’s assistant who has extensive clinical experience in plastic surgery, general surgery, emergency medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, and OB/GYN. Pate earned her bachelor's in chemistry and master's in physician assistant studies from Butler University in Indianapolis. Pate sees patients at the Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center.

Lakeland Regional Health is one of 2022’s Digital Health Most Wired hospital and health systems, as announced by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. This is the eighth time that Lakeland Regional Health has earned the Most Wired recognition. Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center achieved Level 8 Acute recognition and Lakeland Regional Health ambulatory locations received Level 8 Ambulatory recognition. The CHIME Digital Health Most Wired program conducted an annual survey of more than 38,000 organizations to assess how effectively they apply core and advanced technologies into their clinical and business programs to improve health and care in their communities.

NEMOURS LAKELAND

Azlyn Goff is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida in Orlando and Lakeland. In addition to English, Goff is fluent in Spanish. She joined Nemours Children’s Health in September after completing a pediatric orthopedic surgery fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where she was an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery. Goff earned her bachelor's in chemistry and biochemistry at Florida State University in Tallahassee and her Doctor of Medicine degree at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. She performed her orthopedic surgery residency at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Medical people: News about medical professionals around Polk County