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AdventHealth Palm Coast’s 3rd Robotic Surgical System Vastly Expands ‘Equity of Care’ While Improving Outcomes

May 13, 2025 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

There it is: the da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system in its new home at AdventHealth Palm Coast.
There it is: the da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system in its new home at AdventHealth Palm Coast.

It took guts for the AdventHealth Palm Coast leadership to have Dr. Abubaker Ali, one of its surgeons, lead the “ask” Monday afternoon as Ali coaxed a crowd of scores to donate money to help defray the cost of the hospital’s new, $2.6 million da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system. 

But then, guts are Ali’s business: he showed video after video of his minimally invasive surgeries using the da Vinci 5, suggesting to the audience–many of whom were patients–to look down if they couldn’t bear to look at the large screens (“hope you guys aren’t disgusted”), but also explaining the wonders of the machine. 

How its tiny incisions and mind-blowing precision allow for such rapid recoveries that surgeries–like hysterectomies–that used to require five-day hospital stays are now done on an outpatient basis. How patients can manage their pain with mere Tylenol. How avoiding “opening up” a patient for a surgery greatly reduces the risk of hospital infections. And how it allows patients to go home sooner, and resume their normal activities much sooner. 

“We’re offering justice,” Ali said. “It’s a teamwork. It’s not about me, it’s not about Denyse, it’s not about the administration. It’s teamwork,” he said, referring to Denyse Bales-Chubb, President and CEO for AdventHealth Palm Coast and Flagler/St. Johns market and enumerating a dozen surgeons before noting, to applause: “The great nursing. I can do the best surgery on earth, but 70% of recovery is great nursing.”

Denyse Bales-Chubb speaking to the audience at Monday's   state-of-the-hospital event. (© FlaglerLive)
Denyse Bales-Chubb speaking to the audience at Monday’s state-of-the-hospital event. (© FlaglerLive)

Da Vinci 5 should not be confused with an absolute robot. It only functions, literally, at the hands of a surgeon, positioned a few feet from the patient. The surgeon is very much–and evermore–in control. “This technology doesn’t replace the surgeon, it sharpens their skills,” Bales-Chubb said. “Think of it as putting the best tools in the best hands.”

AdventHealth’s three other surgeons proficient in handling da Vinci 5 were also on hand: Dr. Steven Brown, Dr. Tony Highshaw and Dr. Jessica Marshall, as were five other surgeons. Ali’s theme was many-fold: sure he wanted members of the audience to open their wallets and contribute to the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation’s effort (the foundation, led by John Subers, is the non-profit support organization that bought the da Vinci robot, the third generation robot to make it to AdventHealth Palm Coast). 

But Ali was just as intent to assure the crowd that AdventHealth Palm Coast could now stand “head and shoulders” with its competitors in Jacksonville, Orlando and Daytona Beach, and in some ways could exceed their services: the local hospital provides 24-hour access to da Vinci’s capabilities. That means “equity of care,” Ali said. It means that if a patient presents with an emergency at 3 a.m. and needs a surgery that could be accomplished robotically, and therefore less invasively, that patient has that opportunity here. The opportunity is not always available in other hospitals, where da Vinci may be restricted to certain hours, because the surgeons capable of operating it only work in those hours. 

Dr. Abubaker Ali. (© FlaglerLive)
Dr. Abubaker Ali. (© FlaglerLive)

Not the case in Palm Coast, Ali said. “Anytime you come, we’re able to provide you the best technology out here,” he said. He wants residents to start thinking of their hospital as having the same capabilities and talent as Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. To that end, the hospital sends its personnel to study practices at Mayo and in Orlando, just as it has itself become an observation hospital for others in the state and the country to visit and learn from. 

“So that’s what I promise you, that we’re going to be the best of the best, shoulder to shoulder with Mayo Clinic, shoulder to shoulder with UF Jacksonville, Cleveland Clinic, you name it,” he said. “We’re going to go out there, learn the best. I watch all of my video surgeries. That’s how I learned myself to get better. Some of the surgeries I’ve done 10 years ago, like–what is this garbage. I’m better now. What am I saying? Please donate. Help us change the culture.”

Fellowship trained, advanced gastrointestinal surgeon with a special interest in cancer of gastrointestinal tract, liver, and pancreas, Dr. Abubaker Ali leads the hospital’s robotic surgery program. 

John Subers heads the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation, which is raising funds for the da Vinci 5. (© FlaglerLive)
John Subers heads the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation, which is raising funds for the da Vinci 5. (© FlaglerLive)

According to an AdventHealth release, the da Vinci 5 supports a wide range of surgeries, including cancer, urology, gynecology, and general surgery. The da Vinci 5 robot joins the two da Vinci robotic machines in AdventHealth’s current fleet in Flagler County, including the da Vinci Xi that was added in 2014. “David Ottati had the foresight–why can’t we have the robot here?” Brown said of the former CEO of AdventHealth Palm Coast, now president/CEO of AdventHealth’s West Florida Division.

For both AdventHealth hospitals in Palm Coast, in the last year and a half, the teams have completed nearly 950 cases using robotic surgery.

Comparatively, the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville has seven robots, UF Jacksonville has three. In 2025, the AdventHealth East Florida Division established a comprehensive robotic committee to further enhance and streamline the robotics program across the seven hospitals and five ambulatory surgery centers in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties.

Dr. Teresa Herbert, Chief Medical Officer, AdventHealth Flagler/St. Johns market, Dr. Jessica Marshall, General Surgery/Robotics, Dr. Steven Brown, Gynecology/Robotic Surgeon, Dr. Tony Highshaw, General Surgery/Robotics Second Row: Dr. Abubaker Ali, Advance GI Surgery/Robotics, Dr. Tanam Ahmed, Primary Care Physician, Dr. Terrence Regan, Urology, Dr. Stephen “Blue” Coltharp, Emergency Medicine, Dr. Eric Gershman, Oncology
AdventHealth Palm Coast’s surgeons and other physicians at Monday’s State of the Hospital event. First row: Dr. Teresa Herbert, Chief Medical Officer, AdventHealth Flagler/St. Johns market, Dr. Jessica Marshall, General Surgery/Robotics, Dr. Steven Brown, Gynecology/Robotic Surgeon, Dr. Tony Highshaw, General Surgery/Robotics. Second Row: Dr. Abubaker Ali, Advance GI Surgery/Robotics, Dr. Tanam Ahmed, Primary Care Physician, Dr. Terrence Regan, Urology, Dr. Stephen “Blue” Coltharp, Emergency Medicine, Dr. Eric Gershman, Oncology. (AdventHealth Palm Coast)
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jim Br says

    May 13, 2025 at 7:23 pm

    Was diagnosed with lung cancer. Had to have one of my right lung lobes removed. The excellent group at the new advent hospital utilized this robot to remove it. 4 small incisions. Was up and walking the halls that afternoon after surgery. Home two days later.
    My sister had same lung issue two years ago and was opened from back to front for procedure and took significantly longer to recover. Four small scars compared to her zipper looking incision from her procedure.
    This is incredible. Thankful our local hospital has the latest technology available for our doctors to use.

    I can not thank Dr M and NP Jennifer for taking excellent care of me.

    1
  2. Murikkkan health says

    May 14, 2025 at 9:52 am

    iF you have millions to pay for it or don’t mind declaring bankruptcy!

    1

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