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Elisabeth Cohn-Gelwasser, MD, is a skilled and practiced Doctor of Medicine specializing in Primary Care and Internal Medicine. Dr. Cohn-Gelwasse sees patients at the multi-specialty medical group’s office in Davie, Florida. She takes time with each individual and consistently delivers high-quality, personalized care.

Dr. Cohn-Gelwasser has vast experience practicing as an internist and primary care physician. She has served the community practicing for nearly 30 years under Total Healthcare of South Florida, Inc. in Pembroke Pines.

She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and works in association with Memorial Hospital Pembroke, Memorial Hospital West, and Memorial Regional Hospital.

Dr. Cohn-Gelwasser is renowned for providing thorough medical care for treating many conditions, including, but not limited to, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, bronchitis, sinusitis, asthma, fever, and allergies.

She earned her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine and subsequently completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. 

Dr. Cohn-Gelwasser is an active member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians and the American College of Physicians. She spends time as an adjunct professor at Nova College of Osteopathic Medicine, teaching medicine to future doctors.

Dr. Cohn-Gelwasser is an excellent communicator, which makes her skilled in building and strengthening relationships with diverse populations. 

She strives to make each patient’s visit a pleasant and pain-free experience. She clearly communicates with her patients and ensures they have all the information they need to make the right treatment choices. She is also flexible in working with the changing trends in medicine and the healthcare market.

Dr. Cohn-Gelwasser is an excellent communicator, which makes her skilled in building and strengthening relationships with diverse populations.

Andrea J. Ramsay, MD, is a skilled primary care physician serving patients from the Plantation, Florida, office of AssociatesMD. 

Dr. Ramsay always had a dream and desire to become a special kind of doctor. Growing up in Miami, Florida, she attended the University of Florida and St. George’s University School of Medicine to begin a lifelong journey and dedication to the medical profession.

As Dr. Ramsay decided on her specialty, she pursued training in Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Trauma, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Plastic Surgery, and then Family Medicine – Family Medicine became her true calling because she could do a little bit of everything.

After spending a year in Buffalo, New York, for a Family Medicine Internship, she returned home to complete her residency at the University of Miami. The Jackson Memorial Hospital experience allowed her to speak medical Spanish fluently. 

Since 2015, Dr. Ramsay has been with AssociatesMD. She has long-term patients who have followed her from the Pembroke Pines office because they feel she has saved and improved their lives in a significant manner and is compassionate in her care. Her patients feel safe and comfortable and appreciate her experience in knowing what works best and shifting when a new approach is necessary. It is a partnership where both parties are involved in caring/healing because neither can happen independently.

Dr. Andrea J. Ramsay is board certified in Family Medicine and has over 25 years of experience. She continues training in Integrative Medicine, including Ayurvedic Medicine, supplements, and herbal medicine, and supports healing in mental health/cognitive behavioral therapy.

#1.: Golden Rule. “Treat the patient like you want to be treated and treat them like they are family.”
#2. Live a Healthy and Spiritual Life. Don’t just talk the talk but walk the walk.
#3. Keep it simple. “Medicine and Insurance companies can get very complicated. It is my job to be a wise filter. I am here to understand, help diagnose, and treat and provide the best quality care for each and every patient.”

Languages Spoken: English, Spanish

Joelle Estrada, MD, is a dedicated Board Certified internal medicine physician with nearly two decades in practice. At AssociatesMD, Dr. Estrada provides patient-centered internal medicine in the Weston, Florida, office. 

Dr. Estrada was born in Manhattan, New York, and raised in Paraguay. She earned her medical degree at Universidad Nacional de Asunción in Asunción, Paraguay. 

Dr. Estrada completed her three-year internal medicine residency at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. She stays up-to-date with her medical education to make sure her patients always receive optimal care.

Her focus is preventive care with a holistic, whole-patient approach. Dr. Estrada seeks to keep her patients healthy by combining body, mind, and soul, allowing them to enjoy the best possible quality of life. 

In her free time, Dr. Estrada’s favorite hobbies are watching her son play soccer, spending time with loved ones, and helping her children grow into happy and thoughtful people who respect others. 

Dr. Estrada is currently seeing patients in the Weston AssociatesMD office. 

Languages Spoken: English, Spanish

Y. Joseph Usta, MD, was born in Iowa City, Iowa. He was raised on an American compound in Dhahran called Aramco and went to high school at a Department of Defense Navy base in Bahrain.  He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Chemistry. He did a year of GI research n pancreatic cell transplant at Emory University in Atlanta. He completed his medical school at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He did his Internal Medicine training at St. Joseph Hospital and Fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona. During his training he was selected as a fourth year Chief Resident in Internal Medicine and again selected to be Chief Fellow in Gastroenterology.

He also served as an Assistant Professor for both the University of Arizona and Creighton Medical Schools. Currently, Dr. Usta gives monthly lectures to residents and students at Wellington Reginal Medical Center and regularly has residents seeing patients with him in his clinic.

Dr. Usta is trained in all general GI but has a specific interest in liver diseases (Hepatology). He is very comfortable taking care of complex liver diseases including fatty liver, hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis, and getting patients ready for liver transplants consideration.

Dr Usta sees patients upstairs in the clinic and does procedures downstairs at the endoscopy center in the same building, cutting commute time and confusion for his patients. Some of the procedures he does include Upper Endoscopy (EGD), Screening Colonoscopy, and Capsules. He sees patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD), swallowing difficulties, and Barrett’s Esophagus. He regularly removes colon polyps during screening colonoscopies to help prevent colon cancer.

He also treats hemorrhoids using the CRH O'Regan System banding which is “fast and painless, over 99% effective and covered by insurance with no recovery time, fasting, or sedation” as per their website. 

Professional & Teaching Experiences

• Assistant Professor, University of Arizona.
• Assistant Professor, Creighton Medical School.

Research & Publications

• Poster 1675 Agent Orange Exposure
• Presented an abstract to the 2015 American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG)

Hobbies

Dr. Usta has two daughters and a son, and a pet tortoise named “Tiki”. His hobbies include working out at Orang Theory, fishing, kayaking, biking, and any activity that includes the pool or beach. He is also not scared to try new foods from around the world. He loves gardening and has a few fruit trees that he manages in his backyard. He is currently taking online courses at Standford University on quantum physics for fun and loves to read books about history especially pertaining to World War I and II.

About Us

The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research (FSCDR) is a renowned organization solely focused on medical care and clinical research opportunities for those living with Sickle Cell Disease. FSCDR has locations across the State of Florida. Its Flagship is in Hollywood, Florida.

As the only organization in the United States with standalone sickle cell Centers of Excellence, The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research welcomes patients from all over the world. The team of physicians, specialists, care coordinators, case managers, and social work professionals combine to provide all-inclusive care for children and adults with sickle cell disease.

Their stated mission is to tirelessly research, inform, hear, respect, treat, and support all individuals with sickle cell disease, and to make the disease a livable, non-threatening condition. In addition, they do innovative diagnostic testing, such as transcranial Doppler ultrasounds, X-rays, and medical treatments, including infusion services.

The team at The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research works with other medical and education professionals to ensure that their patients of all ages receive the care and support they need to thrive, ranging from vaccinations to medication management and social work services.

Along with school individualized educational plan (IEP) support, disability application assistance, and case management, they help patients work through the social determinants of health to ensure patients receive the proper support they need.

To schedule an appointment with The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research, call or book online today.

Gershwin Blyden, MD, PhD, FCP, FACP, is a board-certified hematologist-oncologist and medical director of The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research, with locations in Homestead, Orlando, Lakeland, Jacksonville, Belle Glade, Tallahassee, and Hollywood, Florida. With more than 40 years of diverse experience, Dr. Blyden is an esteemed physician in his field.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in plant science from the Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1967, Dr. Blyden earned a PhD in pharmacology from prestigious Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1976. Just three years later, he also earned his medical doctorate cum laude from Yale University.

In 1985, Dr. Blyden completed an internal medicine internship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. That same year, he also finished his hematology/oncology and clinical pharmacology fellowship at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. 

After graduating and completing his training, Dr. Blyden worked as an adjunct professor for the Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami Shores, Florida, an associate clinical professor of hematology and oncology at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida, and as an associate professor of clinical pharmacy and director of the Clinical Pharmacology Research Unit at Florida A&M University’s Miami location.

Today, Dr. Blyden is a leader in the field of sickle cell treatment, case management, and research. He provides comprehensive care for chronic diseases, with a special emphasis on sickle cell anemia. 

Dr. Blyden offers a variety of infusion services, school individualized education program (IEP) support, transcranial Doppler ultrasounds, and more.

Dr. Marie Amanze is a Hematologist/Oncologist serving FSCDR patients in the Jacksonville and Florida Panhandle regions. She specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of blood disorders, including sickle cell disease, and is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through comprehensive and compassionate care.

Juan M. Escobar, MD, MPH, has over 27 years of experience in practicing cardiology. He is proud to bring his extensive experience to the team at AssociatesMD, where he sees patients from the office locations in Plantation and Weston, Florida. 

Dr. Escobar earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He completed his internal medicine residency and fellowship at the same institution. Dr. Escobar achieved his board certification in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases and entry to the American College of Cardiology as a Fellow. 

Following his training, Dr. Escobar began his medical career in Dallas, where he initially worked as an Instructor of Medicine and later as an attending physician at Baylor Hospital. 

For five years, he was part of the Congestive Heart Failure and transplant service providing care to hospital patients and outpatients. He then moved to El Paso, Texas, where he practiced non-interventional cardiology for 20 years providing medical services in a medically underserved community. 

In 2019, Dr. Escobar began a personal goal of obtaining a Master of Public Health online at George Washington University with an emphasis on global health, a program he graduated from in August 2021. In 2022, he began a sabbatical year to allow time for volunteer work. 

For two months, he worked at the World Medical Missions in Kenya at the Tenwek Hospital and traveled to his native Colombia. Before joining AssociatesMD in July 2023, he worked for three months in a temporary capacity at Valley Verde Medical Center in Cottonwood, Arizona.

Dr. Escobar's background in various medical settings allows him to bring a unique perspective to the team at AssociatesMD, where he treats patients with all types of acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases. 

He has a special interest and expertise in the management of chronic heart failure. He believes in actively involving the patient and their family in the treatment of chronic heart disease, using education and counseling to bring about the best possible outcome. He makes a point to consider the complexity of the medicines and dietary changes necessary to achieve that goal.

A passionate learner and traveler, Dr. Escobar is keenly interested in learning and understanding different cultures and languages. He speaks Spanish fluently and has an advanced knowledge of French and some Italian. Lately, he has been focusing on learning a few phrases and words in Swahili. 

Outside of work, Dr. Escobar enjoys outdoor sports like running, cycling, and hiking and water sports like swimming, scuba, and sailing. He believes in setting a good example to his patients on the benefits of physical exercise in being instrumental to good overall health.

Languages Spoken:  English, Spanish, French, Italian  

Dr. Maria R. Cortti Ferrari was born in Asunción, Paraguay, and earned her medical degree from the Universidad Nacional de Asunción, completing six years of rigorous training. Her clinical education included rotations at top institutions such as Hospital de Clínicas, Sanatorio Migone, Centro Médico La Costa, and the Centro del Quemado (Burn Center), where she gained valuable experience in both general and specialized care.

In 2005, Dr. Cortti Ferrari moved to the United States, where she later began her U.S.-based medical training. In 2012, she completed a Transitional Year Residency at Sinai Grace Hospital in Michigan, followed by an Internal Medicine Residency from 2014 to 2017. She went on to complete a Nephrology Fellowship at Ascension St. John Hospital in Michigan in 2018.

After finishing her fellowship, Dr. Cortti Ferrari and her family relocated to Florida in 2019, where she initially practiced as a nephrologist. Over time, she recognized the value of integrating her nephrology expertise into a broader scope of care and transitioned to primary care in 2021. Since then, she has been serving her community as a Primary Care Physician, offering comprehensive care with a deep understanding of complex chronic conditions.

Dr. Cortti Ferrari is married to Tadeo, also from Paraguay, and they are proud parents to Enzo (16), Celina (10), and their beloved dog Tito (4). In her free time, she enjoys running, playing the guitar, and being her children’s biggest fan at soccer matches and gymnastics competitions. She is passionate about building long-term relationships with her patients and helping them lead healthier lives through preventive care and compassionate support.

Languages Spoken:  English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian