Dr. Adam Wellikoff is originally from New Jersey but was raised in South Florida. He attended undergraduate school at University of Florida where he obtained his degree in exercise and sports sciences. He then went on to study medicine at Saba University School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Flushing Hospital in Queens, New York. Dr. Wellikoff then went one to complete his Fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Louisiana. He then went on for further training in the field of interventional pulmonary medicine and helped create the interventional pulmonary program at LSU where he was the initial Chief of the program. Dr. Wellikoff has now brought these skills to Palm Beach County and was the first board-certified interventional pulmonologist in Florida. Through his work in both academics and private practice, Dr. Wellikoff has published various case reports, research projects, and presented at both national and international conferences.

In his free time, Dr. Wellikoff enjoys traveling, attending Dolphins’ games (time permitting) and mostly spending time with his family.  He is excited to back in South Florida after many years away and looking forward to helping people breathe a little easier.

Dr. Bakst is an established and highly skilled physician with over 20 years of experience in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. He is well regarded in the central Pam Beach County community, earning numerous accolades for his compassion, quality and patient centered care.

He was raised and educated in Johannesburg South Africa, where he received his M.B., B.Ch. from the University of Witwatersrand and graduated with honors in hematology and genetics. Prior to his residency training, he worked in cardiothoracic surgery, gaining experience and insight in the surgical arena of the chest.

He relocated to the United States, where he completed his residency in internal medicine at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia and went on to the University of Maryland, completing  fellowships in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine and maintains his American Board of Internal Medicine Certification in all 3 specialties.

He has a special interest in sleep medicine, including obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy and general sleep medicine. His pulmonary interests include; COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis, pulmonary hypertension and general pulmonary medicine. In addition, he works as an intensivist/ critical care specialist at several hospitals in the area and has experience in tele-ICU medicine.

Specialties:
COPD, Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, Chronic Cough, Bronchiectasis, Asthma, Lung Nodules, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Pulmonary Hypertension, Interstitial Lung Disease, Sarcoidosis,

Sleep Disorders: Sleep Apnea, Insomnia

Certifications:
Internal Medicine
Pulmonary/ Critical Care medicine

Education:
Hofstra University, Hempstead , Long Island, New York
Medical School: Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urerna, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

UMDNJ – Internal Medicine

University Hospital, Newark, New Jersey

Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, New Jersey

East Orange Va Medical Center, East Orange New Jersey

UMDNJ- Chief Medical Resident

UMDNJ – Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine,  Sleep Medicine

University Hospital, Newark Beth Israel

East Orange VA Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center

Dr. David Weissberger is originally from Scranton, PA and has been practicing pulmonary medicine in Palm Beach County since 1979. He attended Temple University and graduated with an A.B. in Biology. He then studied medicine at Penn State in Hershey, PA. He did his internal medicine residency at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, part of Washington University. He did his pulmonary fellowship at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach.

In his free time Dr Weissberger enjoys playing tennis. He also enjoys traveling to California and visiting wineries. He is an active member and participant in synagogue activities.

Dr. Weissberger has enjoyed practicing pulmonary medicine and hopes to continue caring for patients as part of PCSI.

Dr. Denzil Seedial is from Trinidad and moved to Florida to attend Florida Atlantic University. He completed medical school at Ross University and then finished his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at the State University of NY, Downstate Medical Center. During this time he was involved in multiple research projects and publications. He then became board certified in Internal medicine, pulmonary and critical care.

He worked initially as an intensivist before joining the practice in 2009, and continues to practice all aspects of pulmonary medicine, with a special interest in the new treatments in COPD, asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. He also practices sleep medicine.

He is also involved with teaching the medical residents and students at the JFK/UM residency program and Wellington Regional Medical Center.

Dr. Maizes serves as the Chief of the Medical Staff, Director of the Sleep Lab, as well as the Medical Director of the Respiratory Department of JFK Medical Center. He is an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and the Pulmonary Education Coordinator of The University of Miami Palm Beach Regional Campus, JFK Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program. Prior to holding these positions, Dr. Maizes was recently the Chief of Medicine for two consecutive terms and prior to that Division Chief of Pulmonary Medicine at JFK Medical Center.

Dr. Maizes prides himself on looking at the entire picture, taking a multidisciplinary approach when treating his patients from the onset. His treatment includes identifying the causes of each symptom and then determining how they can be eradicated while also alleviating patients of any discomfort that may accompany the symptoms. He has developed relationships with medical professionals and institutions within and beyond the local South Florida area and collaborates as needed to attain the best and most thorough approach when diagnosing and treating his patients. “I enjoy helping my patients by providing them with the care I would want for my family, and ultimately improving their quality of life.”

In 1999, Dr. Maizes moved to Florida to start his professional career and family. Although Dr. Maizes can usually be found working, he also enjoys spending time with his family, watching movies, listening to music, catching up with old friends, cooking and eating a great meal, volunteering in the community with his family, biking, skiing in Colorado, and spending time in the Berkshires.

Clinical Expertise:

Pulmonology, Sleep Medicine, Critical Care Medicine Areas of Special Interest:​ COPD/Asthma, Interstitial Lung Diseases/Pulmonary Fibrosis, Pulmonary Hypertension, Lung Nodules and Cancer, Sleep Related Breathing Disorders, Narcolepsy, Chronic Cough, Bronchiectasis, Smoking Cessation, Lung Cancer Screening, Advanced Bronchoscopic.

Procedures:​

Endobronchial Ultrasound and Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy

Languages:​ English and Spanish (patient-care)

Education:​

BA, University of Pennsylvania

MD, New York Medical College

Residencies:​ Lenox Hill Hospital

Fellowships:​ Lenox Hill Hospital

Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center

Board Certifications:​

Pulmonary Diseases, Sleep Medicine, Critical Care Medicine

Hospital Privileges:​

Bethesda Hospital West, Good Samaritan Medical Center, JFK Medical Center Main and North Campuses, Palms West Hospital, and Wellington Regional Medical Center.

Long-Term Acute Care Privileges:​

Select Specialty Hospital, Palm Beach and Kindred of the Palm Beaches

Memberships:​

Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians

Dr. Luis Javier Peña-Hernández, MD, FCCP, is a lung health specialist at PCSI, the largest integrated pulmonary and chest specialty group in Palm Beach County. His areas of expertise include asthma and immunotherapy, COPD, lung cancer, and invasive diagnostic techniques in pulmonary medicine including endo-bronchial ultrasound and diagnostic bronchoscopy. He is also one of the few experts in cardiopulmonary exercise testing and exercise physiology in Palm Beach County.

Prior to co-founding PCSI, he served as a pulmonologist at Medical Specialties of the Palm Beaches and the University of Michigan Health System. He was also an assistant professor of medicine at Michigan State College of Human Medicine. Dr. Peña obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He then obtained sub-specialty training with a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine in the same institution.

Dr. Peña is currently certified in Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Internal Medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is also a fellow member of the American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP) and the American Thoracic Society.

Dr. Peña has a true passion for practicing medicine in multicultural environments and mentoring physicians in training. He is an avid reader and a philanthropist. In his spare time he enjoys running, playing tennis, traveling to wine and food destinations, and spending time with his wife Rebecca, his two boys David and Sergio and his daughter Sofía.

Marie Tamara Adonis-Rizzo, was born in Port-au Prince Haiti, moved to New Jersey with her family at the age of 11 years old. She attended Undergraduate school of Nursing at Seton Hall University in New Jersey where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1992. She moved to South Florida in 1994 where she focused her career in pulmonary care and critical care.

Tamara attended graduate school in the Gerontological Nurse Practitioner program at Florida Atlantic University and received her Master’s in Nursing Science in 2004. She has been board certified in Gerontology since June of 2005 and has focused her career in providing exemplary comprehensive care in various areas such as critical care and cardio-pulmonology, long term care and rehab, community health and education. In 2010, she joined our pulmonary practice.

Tamara has contributed to publications and presentations to further the education and upliftment of clinical practice within her field and community. Additionally, her passion for improving the well-being of others has led her to take added responsibilities within her community as a volunteer coordinator of an outreach wellness program in her local church. She has utilized her strengths in being multicultural and multilingual to develop and implement programs of health education and screenings for the Haitian American parishioners as well as for members of the surrounding community. She enjoys taken Health Missions to Haiti and Dominican Republic in an effort to continue her philanthropic desire to provide services where it is needed.

Some of her most recent notable accolades include nomination for the distinguish Alumni FAU, presidential fellowship award for graduate students at Florida Atlantic University.

Tamara’s greatest joy comes from being a supportive wife, loving mother, and nurturing practitioner that provides personal, relevant and holistic care. She also spends lots of time cheering for her son during football games and track and field events.

Mirta Aguilar-Ragbir was born and raised in Belize, Central America. She migrated to the US partly to go to College. She is fluent in both English and Spanish. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner in addition to being a Registered Respiratory Therapist. She has an Associates in Arts in Biological Sciences from Miami-Dade Community College, an Associates in Science in Respiratory Therapy and an Associates in Science in Nursing from Broward College. She completed her undergraduate in Nursing at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. After several years at the bedside, Mirta went on to achieve her Master’s in Science in Family Nurse Practitioner at Maryville University of St. Louis in St. Louis, Mo.

During her many years in healthcare, she worked at Coral Gables Hospital and Baptist Hospital in Miami, FL as a Respiratory Therapist. She then moved to Palm Beach where she continued to work at JFK Medical Center as a Respiratory Therapist before switching over to Nursing. She has also worked at several hospitals in Palm Beach County. In addition, she taught several classes at Broward College in Mechanical Ventilation and Pulmonology to nurses transitioning to Critical Care. After graduate school, she worked for a short time as a Nurse Practitioner for Nephrology before moving back into her most loved specialty — Pulmonology.

In her spare time, she loves to travel, read, cook and spend time with her family. However, she is most relaxed at the beach with a good book.

Mirta Aguilar-Ragbir, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, RRT