Skip to Content

West Palm Beach VA Acknowledged for its Robotics Program

PRESS RELEASE

November 15, 2023

West Palm Beach , FL — The West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System (WPBVAHCS) achieved a quality ranking for its Surgical Robotics Program. Following the successful initiation of the program last year, the WPBVAHCS has since achieved a commendable position of 21 out of 81 programs nationwide in robotic surgery.

Even more impressive, across facilities equipped with a single surgical robot, WPBVAHCS stands within the top 5 (#4), placing the health care system amongst the top 25% VA facilities nationwide.

The esteemed experts to honor for this record-breaking progress include the General Surgery and Urology team, particularly Dr. David Kurtz, Dr. Darren Koppel, Dr. Afaq Khan, Dr. John Carlucci, and Dr. Steven Kheyfets.

The advanced procedures utilize the state-of-the-art Da Vinci system, that allows for prestigious access to a holistic and comprehensive care approach, ensuring South Florida Veterans experience minimized recovery times and swift returns to daily routines.

“Our service to Veterans as Surgeons is to ensure a seamless procedure that ultimately allows for an easier recovery and them getting back to doing what they love most,” says WPBVAHCS Associate Chief of Staff for Surgical Services Dr. Raj Rao, MD, MBA. “This robotic program allows surgeons to reassure Veterans that surgery is not what it once was – going under the knife is no longer the saying here for us, it is now going under the tiny incision of a robot.”

Distinction for the WPBVAHCS continues beyond the local community and state with the set benchmark nationwide of the successful execution and expansion of the robotics program.

For more information, contact the WPBVAHCS Public Affairs Office at 561-422-8607.

Media contacts

Andrea Madrazo, Public Affairs Officer

###