Arthritis and Rheumatic Disease Specialties expands its Aventura facility

By Lee Stephens….
Somewhat contrary to most medical practices today, in particular with the slow economy and the new Healthcare Bill, Arthritis and Rheumatic Disease Specialties has continued to expand its facility in Aventura, FL.

The practice founded by Dr. Norman Gaylis over 23 years ago has achieved local, national, and international recognition for its excellence in diagnosing and treating patients with arthritis & rheumatic diseases. Some of the patients who come to the facility are looking for additional recommendations after seeing other physicians for their musculoskeletal problems and others are seeking a facility where they can receive treatment which is not available to them at their current physician’s office.

The location behind the Aventura Hospital, 21097 NE 27th Court, Suite 200, has recently added an additional 2500 square feet to their existing space making the total space 9500 sq. ft. The facility is entirely dedicated to treating patients with arthritis and rheumatic disorders. Arthritis & Rheumatic Disease Specialties has become widely recognized as one of the few dedicated facilities in the United States to have multiple types of onsite ancillary services available for the diagnosis and management of their patients.

The Aventura office consists of a state of the art facility which includes an open MRI, Infusion center, Laboratory, Bone Densitometry, x-Ray and Ultrasound services. The open MRI unit is especially designed to facilitate a comfortable experience for patients needing an MRI but who may be in pain and/or suffer from claustrophobia. The in-house infusion center provides a comfortable quiet place for patients to receive their infusion therapy while watching a movie. The high complexity state certified clinical laboratory performs routine blood tests as well as those tests which specifically focus on the diagnosis and management of autoimmune disorders. X-rays are performed using digital technology, osteoporosis evaluation is done by bone densitometry and ultrasound techniques are used to assist with diagnostic decisions as well as joint injections. These routine procedures separate the practice of Arthritis & Rheumatic Disease Specialties from others.

Part of the expansion space will now be home to the certified physical and occupational therapy department, which will perform additional rehabilitation services. This decision to expand the rehabilitation services was prompted by the overwhelming demand from patients who had previously been treated at the physical therapy facility. The Rehabilitation facility specializes and focuses on patients who have purely arthritis and musculoskeletal problems with the emphasis being on pain reduction, improvement in muscle strength, and the goal of obtaining a level of daily activity for each patient which will allow the patient to control their arthritis as opposed to the arthritis controlling them.

The clinical research division has grown dramatically over the last 3 years and has become well known for the quality of the research it performs. There are ongoing clinical research trials using many new medications for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, osteoarthritis and gout. The research facility has a dedicated staff which focuses on providing patients with a treatment option when conventional approved treatments have failed.

The type of research and quality of the practice procedures performed at this facility are illustrated by the fact that Dr. Gaylis is presenting 5 research papers at the internationally prestigious meeting of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), which will be held in June in Rome. Furthermore, Dr. Gaylis is president of the International Society of Extremity MRI in Rheumatology and has had numerous papers published and procedures peer reviewed in medical journals over the last 6 months.

Along with Dr. Norman Gaylis, there are two other board certified rheumatologists who provide excellent care to the patients at the facility. Dr. Elana Oberstein, a Harvard University graduate and University of Miami trained rheumatologist, has now been with the practice for more than 2 years and has been a big reason for the growth of the practice over the last two years. She has treated many patients both in Aventura hospital and in the office who suffer from severe cases of autoimmune disorders such as lupus and vasculitis, just one of her areas of expertise. Dr. Marcos Maldonado, who is a former Clinical professor from the University of Miami, has been with the practice for one year. His experience as a rheumatologist is extensive and in fact, he has recently been appointed as the president of the South Florida Lupus Foundation.

The team of rheumatologists at Arthritis and Rheumatic Disease Specialties offer a combination of expertise in different areas and this allows for all patients who are seen at the facility to receive a consultation using a team approach when needed. Julia Savloff PAC is the physician’s assistant for the practice and has been completely dedicated to the specialty of rheumatology for the last 10 years. She can be found on most days actively involved either in the infusion room, clinical research or assisting the physicians in treating their patients.

The aim of Arthritis and Rheumatic Disease Specialties is to be known as the center of excellence for the treatment of all forms of arthritis and rheumatic diseases in South Florida as well as the United States. Our goal is to evaluate and treat patients within one week of calling for an appointment, or in urgent cases be fit in within 24 hrs of the emergency. It is both the quality of care as well as availability of the rheumatologists in our state of the art environment that truly makes Arthritis and Rheumatic Disease Specialties one of the best practices of its type in the country.


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