Mary Rathman

Health initiative encourages more movement

February 21, 2018 By Mary Rathman

The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County and the “Get Healthy Pasco!” coalition, are encouraging residents to “Move More!” at Pasco County parks through April 30.

A Community Needs Assessment was completed by Pasco’s health department in 2017, determining four areas of priority in the county, one of which was overall health and well-being. This prompted the launch of the coalition, “Get Healthy Pasco!”

Many organizations that got involved focused on the health and well-being of Pasco County residents through physical activity and healthy nutrition choices, as well as systems and environmental changes.

Health experts say that being active can assist with reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. It also can strengthen bones, muscles and joints, and improve mental health, relieve stress and improve sleep, over time.

An initiative was rolled out this month called “Move More!”

Pasco County has more than 50 outdoor parks available to the public, and the program aims to increase awareness of these resources, so residents can take advantage of them and become more active.

Residents can join “Move More!” online. The goal is to visit at least five parks in the county before April 30, and become eligible for a prize.

To register and print out a list of park locations, visit tinyurl.com/y94gzz7f.

For additional information on healthy events in Pasco County, contact Amina Ahmed at (727) 619-0143 or .

Residents also can complete a DOH-Pasco satisfaction survey at SurveyMonkey.com/r/FMXPW3M.

Published February 21, 2018

Health News 02/21/2018

February 21, 2018 By Mary Rathman

(Courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

Star volunteers!
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point recognized its Star Award winners for the fourth quarter of 2017. From left: Joanne Eramo, has volunteered for more than 10 years and has more than 2,700 hours of service; Fred Fredricksen, a volunteer for more than seven years has nearly 2,000 hours of service; and, Rose Sell has been at the hospital for more than three years and has more than 2,400 hours.

Acute care facility gets new program
Florida Hospital Connerton Long Term Acute Care Facility in Land O’ Lakes now has the BeSmart Safe Mobility and Reposition Transfer program in place for the benefit of employees and patients.

The new equipment eliminates manual lifting, and provides mechanical options to reduce employee and patient injuries. The program includes an overhead lift in the gym and a special walker for patients who are able to use it.

Additional BeSmart equipment is scheduled to be installed by the end of the year.

Gulfside launches new website
Gulfside Hospice & Palliative Care has launched a new, redesigned website.

The new site is mobile friendly, easy to navigate and a resource for those looking for local hospice and non-hospice palliative care.

New features include a “Frequently Asked Questions” video library, virtual tours of the Gulfside Centers for Hospice Care, a Griefwords Library with articles about coping with loss, streamlined online donation process and event registrations, and more.

Users also can submit online referrals for hospice and palliative care, download a digital version of the company’s brochure and download volunteer applications.

Gulfside can still be found at the same website: GHPPC.org.

Chalk Talk 02/21/2018

February 21, 2018 By Mary Rathman

Citizens of the Month
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce recognized these January Student Citizens of the Month: Allyson Johnston, Academy at the Farm; Ethan Mitchell, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Chaz Newton, Saint Anthony Catholic School; Malachi Barnes, Centennial Elementary School; Deori Pope, Lacoochee Elementary; Santiago Valdez, Pasco Elementary; Melissa Hernandez, Rodney B. Cox Elementary; Adam Stott, San Antonio Elementary; Victoria Perez, Centennial Middle; Emma Paskus, Pasco Middle; Twain Rushing, James Irvin Education Center; and, Caelen Whidden, Pasco High. (Courtesy of Melody Floyd)

Crisis center offers help
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is monitoring the recent school shooting in Broward County. Many people, especially young people, may be experiencing distress and anxiety.

The staff from the Crisis Center is willing to speak to the emotional trauma of this situation, how people can cope, and how to connect to resources.

If interested in setting up an interview, call Ken Gibson at (813) 410-4129.

Job fair
Pasco County Schools will host a Substitute Teacher Job Fair on Feb. 22 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the district office complex, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Building 2, in Land O’ Lakes.

Substitute teachers are needed at elementary, middle and high school levels.

Applicants can get on-the-spot interviews.

Candidates must have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED).

Certified substitute teachers can earn up to $160 each day for some long-term assignments.

For information and to register, visit PascoSchools.org/hreq.

Crossing Guard of the Year
The Florida Department of Transportation has named Donald Niles as a Florida 2017 School Crossing Guard of the Year.

Niles is a guard at Double Branch Elementary School in Wesley Chapel.

The award is given in honor of the hard work and dedication of individuals who keep Florida’s schoolchildren safe as they go to and from school.

Every year, the department recognizes individuals and organizations exemplifying professionalism and responsibility for the safety of children.

Florida is a national leader in developing crossing guard uniform training guidelines and curriculum.

Student graduations
Tommy Brown, of Land O’ Lakes, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University. Brown received a Master of Science in Manufacturing Engineering.

Nathan Kozyra, of Lutz, has graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Kozyra received a Master of Science in Computer Science.

Artist reception
Tampa Day School will host an artist reception March 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road.

The exhibit will showcase art by the school’s students in the center’s corridor gallery throughout the month of March.

Admission is free.

For information, call (813) 922-8167.

Legacy stroll raises nearly $14,000 for hospice

February 14, 2018 By Mary Rathman

Members of Team Pat Jones & Company CPAs on the memorial walk route. (Courtesy of Kirsty Churchill)

The inaugural Hospice Legacy Stroll at Sims Park in New Port Richey raised nearly $14,000 to benefit Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care. The stroll was inspired by the original Hike for Hospice.

More than 60 people participated in the memorial walk. Several stations were set up along the path, allowing families and friends to remember and honor loved ones.

Awards were given to the top fundraising teams, which included Let’s Stroll ($300), Trilogy Team ($290) and Richard’s Riches ($250).

Gulfside chaplain Steve Graybill was recognized with the Dove Award for receiving the most Hospice Hero recognitions from families throughout the past year.

Chalk Talk 02/14/2018

February 14, 2018 By Mary Rathman

An up-close look at nation’s capital
A group of six students, a teacher and two parents from Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill spent six days in Washington D.C. The group met with Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Sen. Bill Nelson and Sen. Marco Rubio (center) to talk about key issues facing the United States, and in particular, Florida. The group also completed the Close Up Washington Student Program, in which students from schools nationwide spend more than 80 hours using the nation’s capital as a living classroom.

Saint Leo honors hometown heroes
Saint Leo University will host a Hometown Heroes Night Feb. 24, welcoming veterans and first responders from the community and Saint Leo student-veterans, military students, and faculty and staff members who served in the military to the evening’s basketball games.

Saint Leo will honor the heroes during the games.

The women’s basketball game against Rollins College starts at 5:30 p.m.

The men’s game will be at 7:30 p.m., taking on the Tars.

Both will be played at the Marion Bowman Activities Center, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.

Admission is free for veterans, active duty military, and first responders, including law enforcement, emergency medical, and fire personnel.

For information or special accommodations, email Franck Bayebanen at .

Artist reception
Tampa Day School will host an artist reception March 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road.

The exhibit will showcase art by the school’s students in the center’s corridor gallery throughout the month of March.

Admission is free.

For information, call (813) 922-8167.

Scholarships available
Saint Leo University is looking for college-bound high school seniors who want to study computer science or mathematics for a special four-year scholarship and academic program the school has underway.

Saint Leo plans to admit eight high-achieving students as Emerging Math and Computer Science Scholars in the fall at University Campus in east Pasco County.

Recurring scholarships of up to $10,000 will be available to each admitted scholar, as long as academic standards are met.

The EMACS program scholarships were made possible through a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Applications for fall acceptance are due March 1.

For information, email Vyas Krishnan at .

Spring express mini-term
Pasco-Hernando State College will offer a variety of classes in an express mini-semester, allowing students to complete coursework in half the time needed in a traditional semester.

Currently, multiple sections of more than 20 classes, including courses in English, math, public speaking, history and the sciences are still available in the spring express mini-term, which starts March 12 and ends April 30.

For information, visit PHSC.edu.

Hillsborough County scholarships
Hillsborough County Social services has partnered with the Community Action Board to offer scholarships for up to $5,000 to eligible students who want to continue the education by attending an institution of higher learning.

Applications for the 2018-2019 school year will be accepted through March 30. Recipients will be notified in writing prior to the start of the fall semester.

Applicant must be:

between the ages of 16 and 24, have a high school diploma or GED equivalent (16 year olds may apply if they are graduating seniors)
reside in Hillsborough County
have a minimum GPA of 2.5
have a household income within 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines of the Community Services Block Grant

The following criteria also will be used to evaluate applicants:

community service and school involvement
application and letters of recommendation
academic record (transcript)
essay response
panel interview participation

Application materials and detailed instructions can be downloaded at tinyurl.com/y7gj26jz.

Students may submit completed applications online, by mail, or in person to any County Community Resource Center.

Mailed applications should be sent to P.O. Box 1110, Department of Social Services, 24th Floor, Attention: Maria Theodore, Tampa, FL 33601.

Memorial scholarship receives donation
The Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation received a gift of $5,500 from Bayfront Health Dade City Volunteer Foundation to help build the Vonnie Roberts Memorial Scholarship, which is designed for PHSC students enrolled in nursing and health programs in Dade City.

The memorial scholarship, established in 2013, honors Vonnie Roberts (1960-2009), a nurse at Bayfront Health Dade City.

New emergency room services available for local residents

February 7, 2018 By Mary Rathman

Two new emergency rooms have opened in Pasco County, giving local residents more convenient choices in times of need.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel had a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of its Central Pasco ER in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital-West Florida Division)

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel opened the doors to its new free-standing Florida Hospital Central Pasco ER in Land O’ Lakes, located offsite from the hospital, on State Road 54, just east of the Suncoast Parkway. The hospital expanded its health services in order to serve more residents in the growing area of central Pasco County.

Construction began last spring, and the new 18,000-square-foot facility features a year-round full-service emergency department with 24 beds and state-of-the-art on-site imaging, such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan and onsite laboratory services.

The new emergency room is staffed with board-certified emergency medicine physicians, as well as nurses who specialize in emergency care.

The Medical Center of Trinity’s new ER 24-7, in Lutz, is now open at 1430 Dale Mabry Highway. (Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity)

Ambulance services also will be offered for patients who come to the Central Pasco ER and need to be admitted to the hospital.

The offsite emergency room officially began to treat patients on Jan. 29.

The Medical Center of Trinity’s new free-standing emergency department, ER 24-7, in Lutz, is now open at 1430 Dale Mabry Highway, next to Walmart.

The facility offers access to emergency care 24-hours a day, seven days a week, with a multitude of resources for acute care of a serious illness or injury.

The full-service ER provides more advanced emergency services than an urgent care center and will accept patients via ambulance. It also has onsite CT scan, ultrasound and laboratory services, and is staffed by physicians board-certified in emergency care and nurses with emergency care experience and certifications.

Published February 7, 2018

Chalk Talk 02/07/2018

February 7, 2018 By Mary Rathman

(Courtesy of Jonathan Shoemaker, Saint Leo University)

Students focus on community service
Saint Leo University students package meals for Feeding Children Everywhere, to help eradicate hunger and poverty, in memory of Martin Luther King Jr. King’s legacy of accepting others’ differences, raising people up, and helping the less fortunate, which was recognized during the school’s A Day On, Not Off. The school’s goal was to package 70,000 meals for the Tampa area.

Saint Leo will honor the heroes during the games.

The women’s basketball game against Rollins College starts at 5:30 p.m.

The men’s game will be at 7:30 p.m., taking on the Tars.

Both will be played at the Marion Bowman Activities Center, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.

Admission is free for veterans, active duty military, and first responders, including law enforcement, emergency medical, and fire personnel.

For information or special accommodations, email Franck Bayebanen at .

Mentor Appreciation Month
Each January, Take Stock in Children celebrates Mentor Appreciation Month, a month devoted to the dedicated men and women in the Pasco County community who volunteer time while playing a vital role in their mentee’s success.

Take Stock in Children, which provides scholarships, mentors and hope, has more than 10,000 mentors contributing more than 2 million volunteer hours across the state since 1995.

There are currently 130 individuals within Pasco County who volunteer and provide motivation, encouragement and friendship to scholars.

The statewide program gives Pasco County students, whose families meet income eligibility guidelines, an opportunity to receive up to a four-year college scholarship in partnership with the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

For information, visit TakeStockPasco.org.

Saint Leo plans to admit eight high-achieving students as Emerging Math and Computer Science Scholars in the fall at University Campus in east Pasco County.

Recurring scholarships of up to $10,000 will be available to each admitted scholar, as long as academic standards are met.

The EMACS program scholarships were made possible through a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Applications for fall acceptance are due March 1.

For information, email Vyas Krishnan at .

Lottery celebrates education contributions
The Florida Lottery celebrates its 30th year in operation, marking three decades of achievement and contributions to education.

Since 1988, the Lottery has contributed more than $32 billion to education, including more than $1 billion annually for each of the past 15 consecutive fiscal years.

The Lottery is also the primary funding source for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

Students experience opera
Hillel Academy students experienced opera on stage at the Opera Tampa dress rehearsal of Gioachino Rossini’s comic opera, “The Barber of Seville,” at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

Students also had the chance to participate in a workshop by Opera Tampa members, where they learned the operatic art form, opera etiquette, and various operatic voices.

Select academy students will be interviewed for a video to be presented at the Opera Tampa Gala in April at the Straz Center.

Hillel Academy is Tampa’s only accredited Jewish day school.

For information, call (813) 963-2242.

Cotee River celebrates literacy
Cotee River Elementary School’s students and staff celebrated Literacy Week in January with “Drop Everything and Read!”

Teachers and students moved from their classrooms to the outdoors for reading activities. Staff members were encouraged to bring their favorite books to read, while their students read their own favorite books.

Health News 01/31/2018

January 31, 2018 By Mary Rathman

Pirate invasion infuses some fun
Moms and babies, and young kids, as well as staff members of Florida Hospital Tampa were visited by pirates on Jan. 23. The pirates invaded to visit with the patients and hand out beads to kick off Gasparilla 2018.

Lighthouse awarded grant
The Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind received a grant from the Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring to cover the cost of an Independent Skills Living program to be provided to a group of up to 10 Pasco County adults and seniors.

The skills program will help those visually impaired or blind adults and seniors to acquire the adaptive skills and technical devices needed to live safety in their homes, care for their families, and take care of their basic needs.

To learn more about Lighthouse, visit LVIB.org.

For information on the Foundation of Caring, visit FMCFoundationOfCaring.org.

First robotic spine care performed
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point performed its first case using the Mazor X surgical assurance platform, which combines pre-operative planning tools and analytics with intra-operative guidance. The platform improves safety and efficiency, while giving patients the most advanced spinal surgery options available.

Dr. Brian Hudson, neurosurgeon, performed the surgery.

Hudson said, in a release, “As spinal surgery has evolved, more focus has been placed on minimizing trauma to the body during surgery and expediting a return to function through the use of minimally invasive techniques.”

These procedures can mean less pain, less blood loss, smaller incisions, shorter hospitalizations and shorter recovery time for patients.

Chalk Talk 01/31/2018

January 31, 2018 By Mary Rathman

Pilot Club honors ‘top dogs’
The Pilot Club of Zephyrhills recognized the second-quarter Top Dog winners from Stewart Middle School for academics and leadership roles in their schools. The students honored were: Jordan Acklin, Katelyn Merle-English, Xavier Salgado, Destini Harden, Noah Paul, Kamil Mehrab, Patricia Ramirez, Destiny Flummer and Jaylene Herrera.

Saint Anthony open house
Saint Anthony Catholic School, 12155 Joe Hermann Drive in San Antonio, will have its annual open house Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., for kindergarten through eighth grade.

For information, call (352) 588-3041, visit StAnthonySchoolFl.org, or email .

Admissions open house
Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, will host an undergraduate admissions open house Feb. 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Students of all ages can attend with families and friends to learn about the school’s academic offerings, student life, campus involvement, financial aid and more.

Current high school seniors or students who are looking to transfer can complete an application and meet with an admissions counselor during the open house.

Participants that bring official copies of transcripts and test scores can also be reviewed for instant on-site admission into the university.

For questions or special accommodations, contact Saint Leo’s Office of Admissions at (352) 588-8283 or .

Dealership donates to cheerleaders
The Zephyrhills High School Bulldog Cheerleaders qualified for the Florida National High School Cheerleading Championship that will take place at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Feb. 9 to Feb. 11. It is the first time the squad has made it this far in the competition.

Wade Thomas and the Thomas and Son Inc., dealership have stepped in and donated $2,000 to cover the cost of registration for all the cheerleaders.

Thomas has been a supporter of the ZHS students and athletics department for years.

Thomas and Son started the “Thomas and Son Touchdown” at home football games three years ago, donating $100 to the Booster Club for every Bulldog touchdown made during seasonal play.

The company also provides shoes for the basketball team yearly.

Wade Thomas is also the founder of the Thomas Promise Foundation, a nonprofit that battles hunger by providing weekend lunches to all schools in east Pasco County, and some in central and west Pasco as well.

Local educators join board
United Way of Pasco County, committed to fighting for the health, education and financial stability of Pasco residents, welcomed seven new board members.

Joining the Board of Directors are: Commissioner Mike Wells, Pasco County District 4; Michael Aitken, Publix Supermarkets; Timothy Beard, president, Pasco-Hernando State College; Christina Mathis, Gulf Coast North Area Health Education Center Inc.; John Polisknowski, HCA Healthcare, Medical Center of Trinity; Kevin Shibley, Pasco County School District; and, Stephen Williams, Williams, Ristoff & Proper.

University graduates
Two local Odessa students have graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University: Lea Mahoney with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Education; and, Melissa Hussain with a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the Marieb College of Health & Human Services.

Kritti Batra, also of Odessa, graduated from Troy University in Alabama with a Master of Science in counseling and psychology.

Dean’s lists and Honor Roll
Payton Strawser, of Land O’ Lakes, earned a spot on the fall Dean’s List at Bethel University’s College of Arts and Sciences; and, Riley Wood, also of Land O’ Lakes, was named to the Honor Roll at Bethel’s College of Health Sciences.

The following Lutz students have also been recognized on the fall Dean’s List for their respective schools:

Hunter Desena, Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee
Mariela Deynes Tofani, Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts
Lauren Dobles, Emerson College
Taylor Trumbetti, University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware
Julia Fresne, Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina
Jessica Howell, Furman University
Megan Rizzi, Furman University
Ashlyn Stevens, Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas
Calee Ash, Harding University
Amanda Meisner, Greensboro College, Greensboro, North Carolina

Health News 01/24/2018

January 24, 2018 By Mary Rathman

More than a place to exercise
The Health & Wellness Center at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel celebrated its five-year anniversary.

(Courtesy of Florida Hospital-West Florida Division)

The center, which opened its doors in 2013, as a fitness facility featuring comprehensive health and wellness programs, now has more than 5,500 members who have come in to work out nearly 1.4 million times.

The center features indoor pools, a cushioned indoor track, group fitness rooms, state-of-the-art TechnoGym fitness equipment, and more. There are also degreed and certified personal trainers.

Members have a choice of more than 120 group fitness classes per week to take part in. Classes include the Les Mills programs, Pilates, Zumba, and aqua classes.

The facility offers child care services and has a Fit Fresh Café.

Crisis Center receives grant
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring.

The center serves as Hillsborough County’s certified rape crisis center, and staff are thoroughly trained in policies and procedures for interacting with survivors of sexual assault.

Survivors who report to an emergency room following an assault often communicate that the lack of privacy, long waits and overall treatment can be traumatizing.

The grant will allow the center’s sexual assault nurses and victim advocates to adequately train emergency room employees, who are often the first point of contact for survivors of sexual assault, in hospitals throughout Tampa.