Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

St. Joseph’s Hospital-North gave a boost to the healthcare of Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and Odessa when it opened in 2010, and its cardiac catheterization lab is continuing that same mission.

“I don’t know that we had a good understanding of how busy the lab would be when we first opened and what the need would be for this community,” said Dr. Christopher Pastore, medical director at the cath lab. “I think that we were really taken aback by the need this community had for cardiac services.”

The cath lab started doing diagnostics on Feb. 15, 2010. It was able to start doing interventions, such as fixing blockages with stents and angioplasties, on June 1, 2010 after completing 300 diagnoses.

“Since the hospital opened chest pain has been one of the top two presenting complaints in the emergency room,” said Pastore, who has worked in the industry for 20 years. “We did 300 diagnostic caths long before I think anyone anticipated.”

The lab has performed 96 interventions in the last 12 months along with 577 diagnostic caths. It primarily uses caths that go in through the wrist instead of the traditional route through the groin. In fact, 90 percent are done this way.

“I think this has been a major factor in our success of reducing our complication level to an incredible low that I don’t think has been seen in many labs,” Pastore said. He then added, “The chance of bleeding after is much less and the patient’s comfort level is better.”

The lab also has ways to correct a heart that isn’t beating properly, known as electrophysiology

“That’s done where we can put in pacemakers, defibrillators and actually fix rhythm problems with radiofrequency ablation,” Pastore said.

Other diagnostic procedures can be performed at the lab to help decide what kind of intervention should be done, or if medication can relieve the heart problem.

Basically the only thing the lab can’t do in terms of cardiac treatment is open-heart surgery or transplants.

Pastore said the main benefit of the cath lab to the community isn’t just having its services, but increasing the speed with which such procedures can be done on someone suffering heart problems. Facility manager Belinda Manuel, who has worked in the industry for 22 years, put it simply.

“With heart problems, time is muscle,” Manuel said.

Pastore added, “If someone is having a heart attack, the muscle starts dying right away. So you have to get to the hospital, get your diagnosis procedure and get it fixed, and if you can do that fast you can preserve more of the heart muscle and the outcome is better. … If your mother or father was looking for a home in this area you’d feel a lot safer knowing they could get good care quickly if they needed it.”

Pastore said the dead heart muscle becomes a scar, which can result in additional rhythm problems later.

Much like the rest of the hospital, the lab stays away from the traditional sterile-looking white walls with bright lights in favor of more calming surroundings. Patients getting a cath will see murals of beach scenes while also listening to soothing music.

“Our first priority is always to give the highest quality of care that we can,” Pastore said. “If you can do that you’re providing real service. I think our second priority is to achieve the highest level of patient satisfaction we possibly could and to really optimize our patients’ experience with the healthcare industry.”

The facility currently has two cath labs that can perform the same procedures, but was designed in a way to easily add another two as the demand rises. A team is available 24/7, so treatment can always be administered.

“I don’t think the objective the first few years was to blow the top off the capacity of procedures done,” Pastore said. “I think the primary objective was if we’re going to open a cath lab, to do it the right way from the beginning by offering the best care and patient satisfaction. If we can do that, then the sky is the limit in the future.”

For more information on the cath lab, call (813) 443-2046.

 

Wesley Chapel teen uses piano to battle autism

By Kyle LoJacono

Today James Williams’ fingers move swiftly along piano keys with the effortless grace of a master musician, but the Wesley Chapel High freshman wasn’t instantly drawn to the classical instrument.

Williams first gave the ivories a try around age 7, but he did not respond well to the teaching methods. They were not designed for someone with autism — like Williams.

He put music on hold for several years before rediscovering his skill in 2010 during a talent show at Weightman Middle, where he earned the president’s award for achievement. Something clicked the second time around and now Williams is happiest while playing.

“It feels like I’m successful when I play,” Williams said.

For Williams’ mother, Stephanie Dawson, seeing her son perform is like a dream.

“For me it is a great encouragement to watch him play — gives hope for others that having autism is no bar to success or achieving goals,” Dawson said. “He is determined and it spurs me on to strive to promote organizations established to help children with autism.”

Rewind 11 years to when Williams was 3. That’s when he was diagnosed with autism, which caused delayed speech and other stunted developments. He didn’t say his first word until after his third birthday.

Dawson said his speech caused bullying early during Williams’ education. He went through many therapy sessions and today has a high level of functioning autism, but things really got better when he found his way back in front of a piano.

“He is completely immersed in his music (which) has a calming effect and helps him to concentrate,” Dawson said.

Williams has played for many sizable audiences, which does not faze him one bit.

“I like to play in front of large crowds,” Williams said. “My dream is to play at a grand concert hall or massive stadium on a grand piano, and if Beethoven was still alive I would have loved to play for him.”

Williams sticks mainly to classical music, such as pieces written by Mozart and Beethoven, but plays by ear instead of reading the music. Dawson said he taught himself many well-known pieces with this method.

Williams may soon grace television sets across the country, as he auditioned for America’s Got Talent and is waiting to hear if he made the final cut.

Williams will also be performing a little closer to home with another local talent — Lutz 13-year-old opera singer Maria Zoller. The pair will be at the Organic Life Coffeehouse and Bakery, 1900 Oak Grove Blvd. in Lutz, on Saturday, March 17 at 7 p.m.

A group in Keystone/Odessa is taking the idea of “neighbor helping neighbor” to a whole new level. The citizens and trainers devoted two Saturdays recently to Community Emergency Response Training. The training covered such issues as proper procedures for a community emergency incident command, emergency communications, building reconnaissance, search and rescue, victim triage, evacuation techniques, first aid and life-saving skills. The group wants to be prepared to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people in a community emergency. Trainers and participants in the training were Tom Aderhold, Ray Guistina, Barbara Aderhold, Phil Armiger, Barbie Siwik, Bob Siwik, Trevor Chin, Pete Munro, John Raulerson and Don Wright, Jr..

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital names winners of “Kids are Heroes” contest

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Whether pulling a toddler from a pool, selling gum to help a family with a burned home, raising money to buy livestock for families in Africa, or helping young children learn to read – kids in Land O’ Lakes, Odessa and New Tampa have left their mark.

Four local students were selected by patients at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, with help from Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos, as finalists for Kids Are Heroes, a hospital program that has recognized more than 1,300 children from the region since 1996. The top three finishers in each age group were honored on Feb. 20, from among 113 nominees.

 

 

Connor Rakoczy, Odessa

5-8 division, first place

When 7-year-old Connor Rakoczy heard last year that the home of a child in his mom’s second-grade classroom had burned in a fire, he wanted to help.

The child’s mother was burned and the fire seriously injured the father, who went into a coma, said Amy Rakoczy, Connor’s mom.

Connor, now in second-grade at Odessa Elementary, considered selling lemonade but his mom suggested a gum sale instead. They got permission from their Grey Hawk neighborhood and set up a stand near the subdivision’s entrance.

They sold lots of gum that first day, but also tied up traffic and aroused some complaints. They moved to a quieter location, near a park, to continue the sale, said Connor’s mom.

They sold enough gum to raise more than $300. Connor’s mom and his dad, Steve, then reached out to relatives and the family chipped in $400.

Connor isn’t the only youngster in the family getting involved. His little sister, Paulina, now 4, got into the act, too.

Connor said it was exciting to win the first-place award.

He thought it was cool to meet Tampa Bay Lightning player Steven Stamkos, and the second-grader is eager to use the hockey ticket he got in his goody bag to attend a game.

 

Ainsleigh Wall, Land O’ Lakes

9-12 division, second place

Nine-year-old Ainsleigh Wall already knows a bit about perseverance.

After hearing a sermon about giving back at First United Church of Land O’Lakes, she got involved in her Sunday school’s effort to buy a cow for the Heifer International program.

After those efforts fell short, Wall, now a fourth-grader at Oakstead Elementary, decided to continue the quest at school.

With her principal’s permission, she launched a weeklong Candy Canes for Cows campaign, selling candy canes for a quarter each, with proceeds to purchase farm animals for families in Africa. She used savings from her allowance to buy a supply of 300 candy canes. By the end of the week, she had enlisted the help of other students and they had sold more than 4,000 candy canes.

They raised enough money for a cow, as well as a goat, a pig and some chickens for Heifer International, which donates farm animals to families in Africa.

“It just got out of control,” said Ainsleigh’s mom, Heather. “Kids just wanted to buy them.”

The award winner said she was pleased by the honor and happy she could help Heifer International. “I really liked the program.”

Ainsleigh is the daughter of Heather and Todd Wall of the Valencia Gardens neighborhood in Land O’ Lakes. Annette Armstrong, guidance counselor at Oakstead Elementary, nominated her for the award.

 

Sydney Marcell Fisher, of Land O’ Lakes

9-12 division, third place

After playing inside the clubhouse at Concord Station, a community off SR 54 in Land O’ Lakes, Sydney Marcell Fisher headed home.

As he passed the community’s swimming pool, he saw a toddler reach for a ball and fall in. Fisher, now a seventh-grader at Rushe Middle School, jumped into the pool and pulled out the toddler.

When he got home, he told his dad, Rod Fisher, what had happened.

Rod and his wife, Tracee, were so impressed by their son’s actions that they nominated him for a “Kids are Heroes” award.

For his part, Sydney didn’t expect recognition, his dad said.

As they were getting ready to attend the awards ceremony, Sydney told his dad: “I don’t want to be called a hero. I was doing what I was supposed to do.”

Rod Fisher said he was delighted his son was one of the top three finishers: “I was extremely proud. I felt blessed to have a child that was able to do something to help someone else and to be modest and humble about it.”

The young man said he feels honored by the award.

His dad said he hopes the recognition bestowed on his son will inspire him to continue doing good, whether anyone notices or not.

That’s what builds character, Rod Fisher said.

 

Marc Berson, of New Tampa

13-18 division, third place

Whether it’s teaching preschoolers in Jamaica, helping at reading festivals for elementary school children, promoting the ins and outs of pool safety or planting trees in Israel, 16-year-old Marc Berson, of New Tampa, enjoys being involved.

The Freedom High school sophomore is heavily involved in Café Freedom, a group at the school that promotes literacy among children from low-income families and conducts a pool safety awareness day.

Beyond that, Berson has volunteered in Kingston, Jamaica, helping young children learn about shapes, numbers and some of the basics of reading.

During a visit to Israel, he planted trees to help improve air quality.

Berson was nominated for “Kids are Heroes” by Rosemary Owens, the assistant principal for curriculum at Freedom High.

He said he felt honored to be considered and gratified to be selected.

“It felt good inside – that what I had done in the community had been seen by other people in the community and appreciated,” said Berson, who is the son Michael and Ilene Berson.

His father was delighted, too. “All of the kids who were called out were doing amazing things for the community,” he said. For his son to be singled out among the winners was special, Michael Berson said.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

Pasco County officials are upping the ante in their bid to keep the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions, a national lacrosse tournament, in Wesley Chapel.

The competition, staged annually over the Christmas holidays, draws roughly 80 teams from across the United States and Canada. It rings up an estimated $3 million impact on the local economy, said Eric Keaton, communications manager for Pasco County.

The tournament has been held in Wesley Chapel since 2008, but is now being courted by IMG Academies, an elite athletic training facility in Bradenton.

IMG is offering a number of enticements, including $40,000, compared to $25,000 in Pasco County’s current agreement, Keaton said. IMG also has 17 fields at one location, compared to 14 fields at two locations in Wesley Chapel, he added.

From the tournament organizer’s perspective, it is more convenient to stage the event at one location, Keaton said. IMG also has security and the ability to broadcast games to the Internet.

On the plus side, Wesley Chapel is home to Saddlebrook Resort, an internationally known destination with tennis, golf and spa facilities, a popular choice among many families traveling to the tournament, Keaton said. Wesley Chapel also is closer to Tampa International Airport and attractions in Tampa and Orlando.

Wesley Chapel has extensive experience with the tournament, Keaton added. The Wesley Chapel Athletic Association and the county’s athletics department have been involved with the tournament since its inception.

“IMG would have to start from scratch,” Keaton said.

Keaton said he has been in talks with NDP Lacrosse, which operates the tournament, trying to keep the national event in Wesley Chapel.

“I think they’re very receptive,” Keaton said.

Frank Britton, secretary of the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association, is concerned about local lacrosse players having a chance to be seen by college coaches if the tournament relocates. He’s also worried about the negative impact on the local economy.

Members of the business community are calling on the county to do what it can to keep the tournament in Wesley Chapel.

“If they’re going to spend hotel tax dollars keeping something here, spend it keeping this,” said Todd Patrick, sales director for Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa-Wesley Chapel, 2740 Cypress Ridge Blvd.

Patrick said losing the Tournament of Champions could lead to losing the Derek Pieper Memorial Cup, a significant loss because the Derek Pieper contest is the only Florida qualifying tournament for the Tournament of Champions, and also brings in significant business.

Patrick believes IMG will be able to make a case for the Derek Pieper tournament, if it is able to secure the Tournament of Champions.

Britton said he thinks it is more likely that the Derek Pieper tournament would continue in Wesley Chapel, but that IMG would host an additional qualifying tournament, which would reduce the number of teams participating at Derek Pieper.

Patrick said his hotel does about 300 room nights for the Derek Pieper tournament and about 400 room nights for the Tournament of Champions. The impact goes beyond losing those bookings, though, Patrick said. Losing that business would lower the room rate the hotel could charge, he said, noting the effect of supply and demand.

Patrick said his hotel wants to do what it can to help keep the tournament, including offering rebates to hotel guests in town for the tournament.

The county needs to work out an enticing package, Patrick said. “These guys (tournament organizers) don’t really care where it is, they’re just looking for the better deal.”

Hotels aren’t the only losers if the tournaments relocate, Patrick added. Many local businesses will suffer as well, he said. Team parents often ask him: “Where’s the Publix? Where is the Walgreens?

“We sent one entire team to Cobb Theatre. We sent many teams to Hungry Harry’s (Family) Bar-B-Que and many teams to Texas Roadhouse.

“Almost every team made a team trip to Wiregrass mall,” Patrick said.

Greg Lenners, general manager for The Shops at Wiregrass, said there’s no doubt the regional mall at SR 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard picks up business from people attending the annual tournaments. Mall retailers pick up foot traffic but Lenners suspects mall restaurants would suffer the biggest blow if the tournaments move.

“If there is something TDC (Tourist Development Council) can do, I would strongly encourage it,” Lenners said.

Jeff Miller, chairman of the Wesley Chapel Economic Development Committee, has written county commissioners urging them to do what they can. The impact goes beyond the spending by visitors, Miller said. It also affects the community’s ability to reach a national audience, leading to long-term consequences, Miller said.

Pasco County Commissioner Pat Mulieri agreed with business leaders that the county must address the issue.

“We need to match the money,” Mulieri said, via email. “It is being worked on.”

 

 

Gaither counselor honored

The Hillsborough Counseling Association has named Becky Belanger the Senior High Counselor of the Year.

The award came shortly before Belanger retired, effective Feb. 28, from her post as a guidance counselor at Gaither. Nominations on Belanger’s behalf extolled her many contributions.

Myla Uppercue, guidance department chair at Gaither, said she will miss Belanger.

“I have worked in four high schools, and I strongly believe that Becky Belanger is in the top 1 percent of counselors in the county,” Uppercue wrote in her nomination of Belanger.

Gaither Principal Marie Whelan added: “There is definitely going to be a void in our guidance department upon her departure. I definitely feel Becky is a worthy recipient of this long overdue recognition.”
Donna Cason, Gaither’s assistant principal of curriculum, noted: “The thing that impresses me most about Mrs. Belanger is her commitment to making students a top priority and her belief that all children can succeed.”

Sand Pine barbecue

The Sand Pine Elementary Parent-Teacher Association is hosting its first family barbecue catered by Dickey’s Barbecue on Friday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria. The event includes dessert, a DJ, line dancing, a balloon artist, and games. Tickets are $5 and must be purchased in advance. For more information, contact Chrystal Mueller at .

 

New River wins grant

New River Elementary has received a $3,944 grant from the Dairy Council of Florida to support its involvement in Fuel Up to Play 60, a national in-school health and wellness program. The wellness initiative encourages children to eat low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. For more information visit www.fueluptoplay60.com or the Dairy Council of Florida’s website at www.fueluptoplay60.floridamilk.com and www.floridamilk.com.

 

Voting boundaries approved

The U.S. Department of Justice has approved the Hillsborough County School Board’s revised single-member voting district boundaries. The board is required by Florida law to revise districts the year after each decennial census, based on shifting patterns of population. For more information on the revised districts, the process, or the report sent to the Department of Justice, go to sdhc.k12.fl.us, and look for “Board Redistricting” under “Important Links.”

 

Students make dean’s list

Austin Schonbrun, of Lutz and Sarah Myers, of Odessa, have achieved the dean’s list at Wake Forest University.

Jennifer Majcher, of Lutz, has been named to dean’s list at the University of Delaware.

Cailynn West, of Lutz, has been named to the dean’s list for the fall term at Centre College, in Danville, Ky.

 

Saint Leo University appoints new center director

Abraham Peck is the new executive director for the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Saint Leo University.

The center was established in 1998 as a collaboration between Saint Leo University and the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the oldest human relations organization in the United States. The Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies is in DeChantal Hall and is the only center of its kind in the Southeast.

Peck is a distinguished scholar in Holocaust studies and human rights. He has been involved in programs promoting constructive dialogue and social justice, working with American and international communities involving Christian, African-American, German and Polish populations. He is the son of survivors of the Holocaust and was born in a displaced persons camp in Germany.

 

Moore Mickens honors students

These students were named Moore Mickens Education Center’s students of the month for January: Tiuska Diaz, Sofia Torres, Joevanny Lorenzo, Elisa Rubio.

These students were named to the principal’s honor roll by achieving a 4.0 grade point average: Jaonsha Hayes, Jessica Leopold, MacKenzie McAnallen, Danielle Shaw, Stephanie Stanley and Wesley Rivera.

 

PHCC Cheerleaders are state champions

The Pasco-Hernando Community College Cheerleading Team won the Florida State Cheer and Dance Championship competition in College Level 6 Co-ed.

Besides winning its division, the team achieved the highest applied total score of the competition. It received 82.52 out of a possible 104 points—scoring 9.10 in performance, 9.60 in pyramid, 9.80 in tosses, and 8.90 in formations and transitions, out of a possible 10 in each category. Lisa Fairbanks, PHCC senior office assistant in the disabilities services office, is the cheerleading team coach.

The contest was held at the Florida State Fairgrounds amphitheatre on Saturday, Feb.11. To view a video of the cheerleaders in action, visit www.phcc.edu/athletics/cheerleading/.