Career Pulse

Zlotnik to Head New Baystate Surgical Practice

WARE — Baystate Medical Practices has opened a new practice, BMP Mary Lane Surgery, on the grounds of Baystate Mary Lane Hospital.

The practice welcomes Dr. Richard Zlotnik as its medical director. Zlotnik, a board-certified general surgeon, previously served as chief of Surgical Services at the Shawano Medical Center in Shaw-ano, Wisc. for the past nine years. Prior to that, he was chief of Surgical Services at Weeks Memorial Hospital in Lancaster, N.H. He is a graduate of UMass Medical School in Worcester, where he also spent time as an assistant professor of Surgery.
“I’m looking forward to being a member of the surgical team at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital. The hospital has an outstanding surgical team and facility,” Zlotnik said. “My wife and I … are once again looking forward to calling Western Mass. our home.”

In addition to general surgery, Zlotnik performs gastroscopies, colonoscopies, and thyroid surgery. He has a special interest in breast and colon cancer, as well as other gastrointestinal problems.

Hoffman and Stevens Join Orthopedic Practice

GREENFIELD — Dr. Brian Hoffman and Dr. Jeremy Stevens have joined Valley Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at Baystate Franklin Medical Center.  Their arrival in Greenfield marks the end of a search they began while both were still in their residency program at Maim-onides Medical Center in Brook-lyn, N.Y.

“We were chief residents together, and the two of us comprised the graduating class of 2003,” Hoffman said. “During our five years of residency, we worked together constantly, each of us interested in different aspects of the specialty, and each respecting the other’s strengths. We became close friends as well as colleagues, and began thinking, wouldn’t it be great if we could find a place where we could set up practice together?”

The doctors are both fellowship-trained and experienced in the latest surgical techniques, including partial knee replacement, advanced foot and ankle reconstruction, total ankle replacement, arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs and shoulder and knee procedures, flat-foot reconstruction, ligament reconstruction, bunion repair, joint replacements, and fracture care as part of general orthopedic practice. “We’ve had a lot of practice with a variety of minimally invasive procedures,” Hoffman said, “and look forward to making them available to our patients here.”

Hoffman completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester in 1991, earned his medical degree in 1995, and spent his surgery internship year at Mount Sinai before continuing onto his orthopedic residency program.
Stevens earned his undergraduate degree in 1993 from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and completed his medical training in 1998 at the University of Illinois School of Medicine.

After completing their residencies in New York, Hoffman went on to Duke University Medical Center to pursue a fellowship in Foot and Ankle Surgery, while Stevens went to the University of Miami for his fellowship in Sports Medicine. Hoffman then stayed on in Raleigh for another three years to work in private practice, while Stevens moved to Chicago to take a position with the Center for Athletic Medicine.

Pietras and Proulx Start Home Care Company

WESTFIELD — Marge Pietras and Holly Proulx have announced the opening of All About You, LLC, a professional home care company located in Westfield and servicing clients and families in Hampden and Hampshire counties.

Dedicated to supporting people who would prefer to remain in their own homes during periods of physical or mental decline or disability, the company specializes in case management, personal care, home management, as well as skilled nursing services. Pietras and Proulx are professional nurses who, combined, bring over 50 years of skilled nursing and administrative experience to this new venture.

Fadus Attends Program on Management Development

SPRINGFIELD — Doreen Fadus, executive director of the Healthcare for the Homeless program at Mercy Medical Center, recently attended the 2007 Johnson & Johnson/UCLA Health Care Executive Program in Los Angeles. She was selected from a field of national applicants as one of 40 participants in the program.

This management development program for leaders of community-based health care organizations has a curriculum designed to provide the tools, techniques, and approaches to confront the growing challenges in community health care, by developing their management skills, as well as institutional and technical knowledge.

“This intense, two-week program offered a unique opportunity to devote full attention to the development of improved community and business skills, and to reflect on the goals of Healthcare for the Homeless,” Fadus said. “This learning experience also provided a better understanding of the common issues faced by community health centers directors, regardless of whether they are responsible for facilities with modest or multi-million dollar budgets.”

Healthcare for the Homeless provides primary care services at 46 homeless shelters, soup kitchens, job placement sites, and transitional programs. These services are delivered in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties.

Jenson Appointed to AIAMC Board of Directors

SPRINGFIELD — Dr. Hal Jenson has been appointed to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers.

Jenson serves as the chief academic officer at Baystate Medical Center, as well as dean of the Western Campus of Tufts School of Medicine. He provides direct oversight to nearly 300 trainees in nine residencies and 14 fellowships. He is also responsible for leading the institutional development of new research programs at Baystate, including developing new clusters of research in Healthcare Quality and Safety, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases.

Jenson is a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of numerous professional societies, including the American College of Physician Executives, the American Pediatric Society, and the American Society of Microbiology. He earned his medical degree from George Washington University and completed residency training in pediatrics at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland. Jenson completed his fellowship training in Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology at Yale University School of Medicine.

The AIAMC is a national organization committed to quality patient care, medical education, and research.

“The Alliance has been an invaluable resource for Baystate for many years, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute my time on behalf of my many colleagues from large, independent teaching hospitals across the country,” Jenson said. “I look forward to doing what I can to ensure that our members receive the advocacy and voice they deserve.”

Lopez and Miranda-Sousa Join Greenfield Urology Practice

GREENFIELD — Dr. Armando Lopez and Dr. Alejandro Miranda-Sousa have begun working together at Greenfield Urology located in the medical office building at Baystate Franklin Medical Center.

With their arrival, area residents now have access to a full-service urology practice, and the expertise of surgeons who are knowledgeable in sophisticated, minimally invasive procedures as well as routine urological concerns.
Lopez comes in Greenfield from Newport, Vt., where he had been in practice for the past five years. Miranda-Sousa had been 18 months away from completing his specialty training in Urology when he was recruited to come to Greenfield.

Both doctors originally hail from South America, where they completed their medical school training before coming to the U.S. for their residency and fellowship work. Following medical school, Lopez worked for a year as a rural physician in El Centro, Santander before moving on to the University of Miami for a two-year residency in General Surgery and four-year residency in Urology at Jackson Memorial Medical Center. He spent the next eight years in practice between Florida and Texas before moving to New England.

Miranda-Sousa moved directly to the University of South Florida in Tampa following his medical training in Peru. He completed an internship year in General Surgery, four additional years of residency training in Urology, and a two-year fellowship program in Neurourology, Urodynamics, and Lower Urinary Tract Reconstruction. Both physicians view their Greenfield-based practice as an opportunity to offer state-of-the-art technology and expertise along with the kind of personal care and attention that will quickly connect them to the community. “We have already talked about providing support groups for patients dealing with prostate cancer, impotence, and urinary incontinence,“ Lopez said, “and as we become more familiar with our patients and the community, I anticipate we will both get involved in other outreach efforts to promote health education and offer support.”