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Kristie Santana, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner who joins Erin Sheehan, DNP, ARNP, PMHNP-BC, in Keys Medical Group Psychiatry at 1111 12th Street, Suite 205, Key West, (305) 293-1299. Kristie is a graduate of Walden University, Minneapolis, MN, with board certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is a former director of the Lower Keys Medical Center inpatient behavioral health unit. Keys Medical Group Psychiatry provides diagnostic evaluation... ... Read More

The Leapfrog Group, a Washington, DC-based organization aiming to improve health care quality and safety for consumers, recently released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide. Lower Keys Medical Center received a “B”. “Lower Keys Medical Center is a trusted part of this community,” said David Clay, CEO of Lower Keys Medical Center. “We continue to strive for greater excellence in patient safety, as witnessed by our consecutive improveme... ... Read More

Lower Keys Medical Center has invested in a new surgical robot. Robotic surgery allows surgeons to perform complex procedures through small incisions. For many patients, robotic surgery can offer less pain and scarring, lower risk of infection, shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery. The surgeon maintains total control of the robotic-assisted equipment, which translates his or her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments while performing a procedure. The equipment pro... ... Read More

Lower Keys Medical Center provides necessary care, resources to patients with heart attack symptoms. The American College of Cardiology has recognized Lower Keys Medical Center for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain. Lower Keys Medical Center was again awarded Chest Pain Center Accreditation in November 2021 based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. According to t... ... Read More

Lower Keys Medical Center and Keys Medical Group Obstetrics and Gynecology welcome Margaret “Margo” Von Mauw, MSN, APRN, certified nurse midwife. She joins Stanley Santiago, M.D., MBA, FACOG. Margo is a graduate of Frontier Nursing University in Hyden, KY. Her services include pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care, gynecological care, family planning, disease prevention, menopause management, and breast examination. Margo’s passion is to empower women through the birthing process and to improve heal... ... Read More

Breast cancer and other medical illnesses remain a risk for women - even during a pandemic. Unfortunately, due to concerns about the virus, many women have postponed their annual screening mammograms, increasing their risk of undetected cancer. Lower Keys Medical Center is encouraging women who may have delayed their mammograms to schedule the screening now, because when breast cancer is detected early, life-saving treatment can begin immediately. “When screenings are delayed, diagnosis is delayed, and ... ... Read More

The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines - Stroke - Silver Plus award for commitment to prioritizing quality care for stroke patients. Lower Keys Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s “Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll”. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the best treatment according to nationally-recognized... ... Read More

The Echocardiography Lab at Lower Keys Medical Center has been granted a three-year term of accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Committee (IAC) in the area of adult transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Transthoracic echocardiogram is a noninvasive procedure using an ultrasound probe to obtain images of the heart to determine heart muscle and valvular structure and function. A transthoracic echocardiogram may be ordered to diagnose heart disease, monitor heart valve changes, or to see if me... ... Read More

This article was written by Steve Kornacki and originally appeared in the Key West Citizen on June 26, 2021. Her eyes twinkle as Betty Radics leans in and says, “I’m everywhere, Honey!” Then she chuckles, adding a knowing nod. Radics, known as the “Cookie Lady” or “Miss Betty” to co-workers and patients at the Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West, makes it a point to “visit every patient, every day;” she’s there officially as a nutrition aide and unofficially as goodwill ambassador. She brings the same... ... Read More

In January of 2020, Tracey Dunnell was rushed to the ER at Lower Keys Medical Center and was admitted to intensive care unit where she was intubated and on a ventilator for 8 days. Tracey, her mother Marge, and her daughter Jaylynn came back to the Keys in June to visit with and thank some of her caregivers, including John Bandura, director of respiratory therapy and lab; Sean McGrath, RN, intensive care unit; Dr. Joe Paprota, pulmonologist; Lori Davidson, respiratory therapist; Amy Dees, respiratory th... ... Read More