The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mary Rathman

Anoles have many moods

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This green anole (Anolis Carolinensis) sat on an orchid leaf on the back porch of Bruce Jones’ home in Dade City. This native anole can change its color when angry, frightened or during temperature stress. An invasive species of anole, the Cuban brown anole, is driving the native green anole out.

Health News 07/29/2020

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Tom Garthwaite (Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North)

New hospital president
Tom Garthwaite (Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North)Tom Garthwaite has been named the president of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz.

Garthwaite succeeds Paula McGuiness who retired after more than 35 years of service to St. Joseph’s Hospitals.

Prior to his new position, Garthwaite served St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa as operations director, since December 2014. And, before his service to St. Joseph’s Hospitals, Garthwaite was at Halifax Health System in Daytona, as administrator for oncology, pharmacy, research and transplant/dialysis.

A native of Florida, Garthwaite earned a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Science in Health Service Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. He began his medical career in diagnostic radiology.

Garthwaite became the new president of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North during the nation’s greatest health crisis in more than 100 years. He started the position at the Lutz hospital during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He cited the St. Joseph Hospital-North staff and medical team for its work in combating the coronavirus, as he transitioned into his position as president.

Despite becoming a hospital president in a tumultuous time for health care, Garthwaite is optimistic about the future.

St. Joseph’s among the best
The group of five St. Joseph’s Hospitals, including St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz, was named among the nation’s Top 100 hospitals by IBM Watson Health, according to a news release.

IBM Watson Health annually identifies the top hospitals from a rigorous evaluation of 3,134 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals in the U.S.

The list recognizes excellence in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience and financial health. IBM Watson Health established the list to help identify best practices that may help other health care organizations achieve consistent, balanced and sustainable high performance.

This is the third consecutive year that St. Joseph’s Hospitals has earned the honor and the fourth time overall. The four other hospitals included in the recognition with St. Joseph’s Hospital-North are St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, all in Tampa; and, St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview.

According to IBM Watson Health, the hospitals included on the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list had better results on key clinical and operational performance indicators. These include survival rates, patient complications, health care associated infections, 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital-wide readmission rates, length of stay, throughput in emergency rooms, inpatient expenses, profitability, and ratings from patients.

“It is an honor to work in a hospital and health system that has been recognized in the IBM Watson Health Top 100,” said St. Joseph’s Hospital-North president Tom Garthwaite. “It demonstrates the commitment of our team and medical staff as they care for our patients every day.

“During this challenging time with the COVID pandemic, it is important for our community to know that they have safe, high-quality health close to home,” Garthwaite said.

Award-winning hospitals and health systems serve as a model of excellence for the industry. Visit 100TopHospitals.com, for more information.

New health degrees offered
Saint Leo University has announced the start of a new four-year degree — a bachelor’s in health education and health promotion — that will prepare graduates for a growing number of health education positions at community organizations, health care agencies, and workplaces.

Health education specialists play an important role in organizations by developing new education programs for various groups and improving programs that may already exist.

The instruction of Saint Leo graduates will be to promote a “culture of health” wherever they work, through effective teaching, through the examples they set as individuals who prioritize their own well-being, and through the cooperative working relationships they maintain with clinicians and other health professionals.

Saint Leo will launch the Bachelor of Science program in the fall semester at its residential campus. Faculty anticipate that students most attracted to the program will be those with a desire to learn about health and to engage with others, and those who enjoy working with groups of people.

The program will prepare students with a contemporary curriculum that draws from courses in anatomy, professional speaking, statistics, psychology, ethics, and nutrition, and layers in courses in education and health promotion.

Education courses, such as teaching diverse populations, brain-based learning and assessing health learning, will ensure that students not only understand health material, but are able to make it understandable to future clients.

At the end of this program of study, students can choose to take a national competency exam for the Certified Health Education Specialist credential. Some employers require the credential. In general, it is considered an asset for those in the field.

Visit SaintLeo.edu for information.

Chalk Talk 07/29/2020

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Pasco Schools delays opening
Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning recommended a two-week delay to the start of the 2020-2021 school year, with students returning to school on Aug. 24. Teachers would return to work on Aug. 17.

The recommendation, made at a regularly scheduled virtual meeting of the school board, was unanimously approved after discussion.

The proposed delay was prompted after the district received hundreds of emails and phone calls on the topic, and after Browning and his staff worked on a plan to make the necessary adjustments to the school year calendar.

Browning made it clear that the school district still plans to open the schools for in-person, on-campus learning, as well as two online options. The two-week delay will afford the schools a greater opportunity to prepare for the return of staff and students.

The superintendent also presented his recommendation that would require masks or face coverings for all students, teachers, staff and visitors on school campuses or district buildings. The mask mandate was scheduled to be voted upon at the July 28 school board meeting.

The proposed rule describes what qualifies as a mask or face covering and under what circumstances the mask can be removed. It also describes how the school district will make accommodations for students or staff members who have a medical condition that would prevent them from wearing a mask or face covering.

To learn more, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/news.

Catholic school moves start date
St. Anthony Catholic School in San Antonio has moved its 2020-2021 school start date to Aug. 24, a decision made in light of the current rise in COVID-19 cases for the safety and well-being of its students, staff and families.

The school, which was founded in 1884, is a private K-8 school dedicated to providing a quality and Christ-centered education that addresses the needs of the whole child: spiritual, academic, social, emotional and physical.

St. Anthony is offering families two options for the opening of school this year: traditional learning where students return to the classroom following the established safety guidelines, or remote learning, where students will follow the bell schedule of their peers in the classroom through live lessons and real-time assistance from their teachers.

For information or to schedule a school tour, visit StAnthonySchoolFl.org, or call (352) 588-3041.

Educator Passport Program
Pasco County Schools has added seven businesses to its Educator Passport Program, a list of businesses that offer discounts or freebies if you are a Pasco educator.

Educators simply need to present their ID badge and mention the ad when visiting or calling on a participating business. Each offer is valid for a specific period of time, as indicated on the passport listing.

The next Pasco Passport Committee meeting is scheduled for Aug. 10, after which new offers will be posted to the site.

The entire list of businesses can be seen at Pasco.k12.fl.us/comm/passport_listings.

Student achievements

  • Brianna Cedrone, Odessa, was named to the spring Dean’s List at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York
  • Makenna Larson, Land O’ Lakes, was selected to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Dean’s List for the spring semester. Larson is a freshman at the College of Liberal Arts.

Child care services at PHSC
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has worked with TodayCare Children’s Center, at the West Campus in New Port Richey, to determine an appropriate time to reopen the center to ensure the safety of the children, parents and staff.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the TodayCare Children’s Center closed on March 24.

The current contract for TodayCare expires on July 30, which required the college to issue a request for proposal to solicit competitive bids for the child care service.

The college administration on July 21 was due to present to the College District Board of Trustees a recommendation to offer a contract to Great Hope Preschool to assume the child care operations at the New Port Richey campus.

Great Hope is being recommended for its services and programs provided, its community engagement, and the opportunities to utilize the center near the PHSC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

TodayCare will not be reopening the day care at this time, but PHSC will work with TodayCare and Great Hope to provide a transition timeline with the intent to begin a phased opening of the center in mid-August, depending on the COVID-19 status.

Services provided by Great Hope will remain the same, serving the same current age groups.

Teachers previously employed by TodayCare are encouraged to apply for positions with Great Hope Preschool posted on the Indeed website.

Exam prep course
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC), through the Continuing Workforce Education department, is offering new hybrid exam prep classes designed to prepare students to sit for testing to become industry-certified in a variety of fields.

These online courses include:

  • Certified CompTIA A+ Professional: Sept 1. To Nov. 19, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays
  • AIPB Certified Bookkeeper Professional: Sept. 3 to Nov. 19, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Thursdays
  • Certified AutoCAD User: Sept. 10 to Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Mondays and Thursdays

The hybrid courses offer a combination of online and face-to-face instruction, and were developed to provide technical training that directly responds to current industry demands.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act tuition funding is available through CareerSource Pasco-Hernando to qualified students.

Classes will take place on the PHSC West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road in New Port Richey, and on the East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City, with most course content available online.

For information, contact Karen Strouthopoulos at (727) 816-3123 or .

To register and pay online, visit PHSC.edu/academics/continuing-education, and select “Campus-based Continuing Professional Education courses.”

These two are the best of friends

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Chloe and Luna are best friends and sisters through adoption. They love short walks and long stroller rides with mom. Their favorite treats are munchkins or puppuchinos from Dunkin’ Donuts. Chloe and Luna live the good life with the Cabral family in Land O’ Lakes.

On the lookout

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Dana Rine, of Lutz, snapped this red-shouldered hawk that spent a good 10 minutes surveying the ground and trees around him for an afternoon snack.

Health News 07/22/2020

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Offering comfort, and a hand to hold
Dr. Brett Armstrong is a BayCare Medical Group general surgeon affiliated with St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz.

During a 43-day period from March to May, Dr. Armstrong had little reason to be in the hospital, as he had no surgeries to perform, as elective surgeries were suspended because of COVID-19. Only those patients deemed immediately medically necessary or emergency patients were coming into the hospital.
In addition, from March 21 to the present, as a precaution and safeguard against COVID-19, few visitors are allowed at the hospital.

Dr. Brett Armstrong visited and sat with patients who had no visitors at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, during the pandemic shutdown. (Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North)

Dr. Armstrong took it upon himself to come to St. Joseph’s Hospital-North to visit and sit with patients at various times during those 43 days, a hospital news release said.

Although the hospital uses technology like Skype and Facetime to help patients connect with families, Dr. Armstrong saw patients in the hospital who were without family to visit or hold hands.

He visited with COVID-19 patients, non-COVID patients, seriously ill patients near the end of life, and other hospitalized patients.

“We saw across the country that….people were dying alone,” Dr. Armstrong said, in the release. “As doctors, that is probably the most heartbreaking thing to see. That people would die for this (COVID) or various other reasons with no one with them.”

He thought of the families unable to visit and commended other team members at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North who also did bedside visits.

Tom Garthwaite, St. Joseph’s Hospital-North president, said, “During the initial outbreak, Dr. Armstrong went the extra mile to volunteer to spend time with our COVID-positive patients who had a challenging diagnosis or were faced with an end-of-life situation. This compassionate, selfless act speaks to his character and kindness during our ongoing struggle with this viral pandemic and exemplifies the values of BayCare.”

Surgeries on pause
In anticipation of increased demand, effective July 17, the following AdventHealth West Florida Division hospitals in the greater Tampa Bay area will pause the scheduling of any elective surgeries that require an overnight stay, as long as the procedure can be safely delayed with no risk to the patient.

  • AdventHealth Carrollwood
  • AdventHealth Dade City
  • AdventHealth North Pinellas
  • AdventHealth Tampa
  • AdventHealth Wesley Chapel
  • AdventHealth Zephyrhills

At this time, AdventHealth will continue to perform same-day surgeries and procedures that do not require an overnight stay.

Chalk Talk 07/22/2020

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Talithia Williams

Virtual STEAM conference
Saint Leo University will present a Virtual Women in STEAM Conference on Aug. 1.

The conference is free to those who register online, in advance, at SaintLeo.edu/women-in-steam-conference.

STEAM denotes the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, and expands the subjects accounted for in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Aprille Ericsson

The morning keynote speaker will be Talithia Williams, Ph.D., statistician, college professor, author, and cohost of the 2018 “NOVA Wonders” documentary television series, at 10 a.m.

The afternoon’s featured speaker will be rocket scientist Aprille Ericsson, Ph.D., from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, at 4 p.m.

During other sessions of the day, Saint Leo has scheduled speakers from its alumni base and from female faculty who teach life sciences, social sciences, and who educate future math and science teachers for the K-12 public school system.

The conference will open at 8:45 a.m., with a welcome from Mary Spoto, Ph.D., the university’s vice president of academic affairs.

 

 

Student achievements
These local students were named to honor lists for the spring semester at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa:

  • Austin Cambas, Lutz: Dean’s List
  • Jennifer Clifford, Lutz: President’s List
  • Ryan Davey, Lutz: President’s List
  • Moriah Davis, Lutz: President’s List
  • Gabrielle Harrison, Lutz: President’s List
  • Christian Hewett, Odessa: Dean’s List
  • Jack Houser, Odessa: President’s List
  • Kelly McDermott, Lutz: President’s List
  • Nicole Mitchell, Lutz: President’s List
  • Ebonee Nicholes, Lutz: President’s List
  • Amber Sundland, Odessa: Dean’s List
  • Emily Ymiolek, Lutz: Dean’s List

Also, Justin L. Roberts, of Wesley Chapel, graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Rogers State University, Claremore, Oklahoma, during a virtual commencement ceremony.

Ashlyn Stevens, of Lutz, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in child life from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.

Donation drive
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices will be collecting donations during July for the Pasco County School District’s ABC (Assist, Believe & Care) Program, which was created to provide financial assistance to students and their families who are experiencing economic hardship.

Money donated goes into a fund that teachers can use when they see or learn of a need a child may have.

Cash donations may be made at any of the tax collector locations in Pasco County.

For information on the ABC campaign and other charitable giving programs, call Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

Pasco Schools reopening
Pasco County Schools has a video available for parents to get the latest information regarding the upcoming school year, amid COVID-19. There also will be a Spanish version posted.

Visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/reopening/parent-information-guide.

Child care services at PHSC
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has worked with TodayCare Children’s Center, at the West Campus in New Port Richey, to determine an appropriate time to reopen the center to ensure the safety of the children, parents and staff.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the TodayCare Children’s Center closed on March 24.

The current contract for TodayCare expires on July 30, which required the college to issue a request for proposal to solicit competitive bids for the child care service.

The college administration on July 21 was due to present to the College District Board of Trustees a recommendation to offer a contract to Great Hope Preschool to assume the child care operations at the New Port Richey campus.

Great Hope is being recommended for its services and programs provided, its community engagement, and the opportunities to utilize the center near the PHSC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

TodayCare will not be reopening the day care at this time, but PHSC will work with TodayCare and Great Hope to provide a transition timeline with the intent to begin a phased opening of the center in mid-August, depending on the COVID-19 status.

Services provided by Great Hope will remain the same, serving the same current age groups.

Teachers previously employed by TodayCare are encouraged to apply for positions with Great Hope Preschool posted on the Indeed website.

Exam prep course
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC), through the Continuing Workforce Education department, is offering new hybrid exam prep classes designed to prepare students to sit for testing to become industry-certified in a variety of fields.

These online courses include:

  • Certified CompTIA A+ Professional: Sept 1. To Nov. 19, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays
  • AIPB Certified Bookkeeper Professional: Sept. 3 to Nov. 19, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Thursdays
  • Certified AutoCAD User: Sept. 10 to Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Mondays and Thursdays

The hybrid courses offer a combination of online and face-to-face instruction, and were developed to provide technical training that directly responds to current industry demands.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act tuition funding is available through CareerSource Pasco-Hernando to qualified students.

Classes will take place on the PHSC West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road in New Port Richey, and on the East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City, with most course content available online.

For information, contact Karen Strouthopoulos at (727) 816-3123 or .

To register and pay online, visit PHSC.edu/academics/continuing-education, and select “Campus-based Continuing Professional Education courses.”

New MOSI exhibit goes ‘beyond’

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The Museum of Science and Industry’s (MOSI) summer exhibit, “Space For Art,” through the Space For Art Foundation, is now open, at 4801 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa.

More than 1,000 children in hospitals and schools from nine countries submitted artwork to the Postcards to Space mission. Their artwork makes up this message of unity for the crew of the ISS (International Space Station). To see a full video for the astronauts, which includes the voices of the children, visit YouTube.com, and search Postcards to Space. (Courtesy of SpaceForArtFoundation.org)

The foundation’s mission is to use community art projects to inspire and unite children in hospitals, refugee centers and schools around the world, along with a team of art, aerospace, astronaut and health professionals. Its projects focus on space exploration, and the connection between personal and planetary health. The foundation’s work also aims to raise awareness of each person’s role as a crew member, not just a passenger, on ‘Spaceship Earth.’

The visual MOSI exhibit aims to engage all ages through the use of paintings, sculpture, drawings and a digital interactive experience. It also includes art from “individuals in STEM-related fields, as well as pieces from the Apollo astronauts, cosmonauts and other space travelers,” as stated in a press release.

Kids from around the world now can join the foundation’s crew for its next mission, “Beyond,” and are encouraged to simply look for inspiration in the night sky, through books about the universe, a window, or videos and pictures from space. Then, make a painting or drawing of how you imagine Earth in the universe (no special materials are required).

Take a picture of the artwork and email it to , or post on Facebook.com/SpaceForArtFoundation. Don’t forget to let the foundation know where you are on the planet, too.

Artwork will be shared online and participants will be updated on global community projects, as well.

The Space for Art Foundation states on its website that it “aims to facilitate and implement space-themed art and healing programs; to award scholarships and grants to art students and artists who want to develop their own space-themed art therapy ideas; and to document its work in support of ongoing research in the field of art and healing.”

For information about the exhibit, call MOSI at (813) 987-6000.

To learn more about the foundation and its projects, visit SpaceForArtFoundation.org/projects.

Published July 15, 2020

Tampa’s Summer Series is back

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The Tampa Downtown Partnership’s Summer Series is back at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, to help residents escape the heat.

The series offers free activities, including a 10,000-square-foot tent to help protect guests from the Florida sun while they burn off some energy.

“To help encourage kids to practice social distance while playing, we’ve incorporated a no-touch design to the project’s large ground mural,” said Shaun Drinkard, senior director of public programming and operations with the Tampa Downtown Partnership, in a news release.

“The mural and table surfaces are coated with a new anti-microbial technology called Safe Shield, which was provided by one of our sponsors, OAI Visual Branding,” Drinkard added.

This year, the colorful ground mural’s theme celebrates Port Tampa Bay, featuring a folklore summer nautical experience.

The mural includes seven different activities, such as hopscotch, mazes, and mirror games.

A storefront in the park features handcrafted ice pops, drinks, snacks and grilled cheese available for purchase.

The Summer Series will run until the Hillsborough County School District resumes classes on Aug. 10.

For more information, visit TampasDowntown.com.

Published July 15, 2020

The art of reading a good book

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Three-year-old Snickers, the miniature donkey (left), and 25-year-old Mini-Man, the miniature mule, are special because they love to hang out in their front yard reading their favorite books…when they aren’t busy munching on grass. They live with their librarian mother, Lori Brightwell, on 5 acres in Wesley Chapel, along with two rescue Labrador retrievers.