Pulse Shooting Surgeon Dr. Shonak Patel Keynote Speaker At Doctors’ Goodwill Expo Nov. 5
By Space Coast Daily // November 4, 2016
Expo, Health Fair, Spelling Bee Set Nov. 5
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Doctors’ Goodwill Expo and Health Fair will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto.
Brevard’s No. 1 medical marketplace for both the public and medical professionals, the day will feature several great events including the Health Education and Fair, Product Theatre and Continuing Medical Education, the STEMed Spelling Bee For Brevard Students and the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador and Junior Ambassador Awards Gala.
The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Keynote Speaker during the event will be Dr. Shonak Patel, whose subject will be “Terror at Pulse – Orlando; Testimony From a Physician On the Medical Front-Lines.”
Patel spoke exclusively with Space Coast Daily about the scene that he witnessed as a vascular surgeon at the Orlando Regional Medical Center emergency room, where the Pulse Nightclub victims were brought after the attack on June 12.
“It was like nothing I have ever seen,” said Dr. Patel, a vascular surgeon who graduated from Astronaut High School in Titusville.
Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old security guard, killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a terrorist attack—also considered a hate crime—inside Pulse, a gay night club in Orlando.
“The victims from the Pulse Nightclub shooting started to be transported into our hospital at around 3 a.m. and I arrived due to a mass page to all the medical staff at around 4 a.m.,” said Dr. Patel.
“It was the most macabre sight and truly unreal. There were five emergency room beds and it was a constant flow for 3-4 hours.”
Dr. Patel operated on several of the victims until the late afternoon.
“The trauma surgeon, Dr. Smith and his team, did a beautiful job helping the victims and they were treated in the best possible way.”
Dr. Patel is a native of Titusville and graduated cum laude from Mercer University.
He obtained his medical degree from Ross University in 2006 with high honors. Dr. Patel began his general surgery training at Northside Medical Center in Youngstown, Ohio and then transitioned to Akron, Ohio where he completed his general surgery training at Akron General Medical Center in 2011. He was the Chief Administrative Resident during 2010 to 2011.
Dr. Patel went on to complete his two year vascular surgery and endovascular therapy training at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama.
He completed his fellowship in June 2013 and moved to Orlando, Florida to join Vascular Specialists of Central Florida. He offers a wide breadth of experience in all areas of vascular surgery and endovascular therapy. He is board certified in general surgery and board certified in vascular surgery.
INCREDIBLE STORY
As one of the surgeons at Orlando Regional Medical Center who was involved treating the victims, Dr. Patel will speak to physicians and other healthcare workers starting at 11:45 a.m. about his experience and give them a perspective of how this affected not only the community and the victims, but also the first responders and hospital staff.
The event for medical professionals will begin with a 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. registration.
• 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: 1 hour CME, Documentation Strategies to Reduce Risk Exposure. Rosanne Cain, BSN, RN, LHRM, CLNC; Patient Safety Risk, Mgr II, The Doctors Company
• 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Break – Visit Exhibits
• 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Terror at Pulse – Orlando; Testimony from a physician who was on the front-lines;
Shonak B. Patel, M.D., ORMC Surgeon
• 1 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Prevention of Medical Errors; Rosanne Cain, BSN, RN, LHRM, CLNC; Patient Safety Risk, Mgr II, The Doctors Company
Please note: Times/Lectures may change at the discretion of the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation
STEMed Spelling Bee For Brevard Students
The third annual Spelling Bee competition for Brevard County school children will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 begin at 9 a.m. inside the ballroom at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto. Brevard County school children in grades 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12 will have an opportunity to win cash, an Apple Watch and prizes. Contestants will be divided into three age divisions, and students will be given a set of medical terminology words to learn and understand their meaning.
CLICK HERE for registration forms. There is no charge to enter the competition.
Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards Gala
The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation, in collaboration with Space Coast Daily, will present the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards Gala on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto.
More than 20 individuals and organizations will be recognized as DGF Ambassadors at the awards program, which will be held at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto.
Doctors’ Goodwill Ambassadors to be honored will include Cynthia Flachmeier, Herman Cole, Dr. Maxwell King, Dr. Stanley Beberman, Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Joanne Longo, Dr. Joseph McClure, Jim Frazier and Dr. Shonak Patel.
Doctors’ Goodwill Junior Ambassadors include Jennifer Carter, Rory Sullivan, Delia Benitez, Tram-Anh Tran, Gabriel Perez and Anthony Polidora.
There will be a cocktail hour beginning at 6 p.m. featuring Red Carpet interviews with Space Coast Daily’s Danny Treanor, and the dinner and presentation will begin at 7 p.m.
Each recipient will be honored with a special video presentation showcasing their volunteerism, and each will be presented with a special award. This inspirational program highlights the generous efforts of Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassadors, who have made significant contributions to their fellow man.
This Gala event will include dinner and feature a multimedia program honoring and recognizing the people and organizations that have contributed so much to the successful efforts of the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation.
For information about any of the events of Space Coast Daily Week, go to SpaceCoastDaily.com, call 321-323-4460 or email Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com
