Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Heart Institute recently received the highest rating for heart disease treatment in the Tampa Bay area.

The award, Excellence in Coronary Intervention, was given to honor the institute for exceeding HealthGrade standards for cardiac disease treatment.

“The reason we opened the center in January 2006 was we listened to what the Zephyrhills and surrounding community wanted,” said Gwen Alonso, director for the institute. “The process to open the Heart Institute began before I started working here six years ago because in the past we had to send people down to Tampa if they had a heart problem.”

Alonso has lived in Wesley Chapel for 11 years.

“Before the institute opened, heart patients had to leave the comfort of their community here in Zephyrhills,” she continued. “The trip was really long for patients and time is very important when dealing with heart problems.”

Lyn Acer, hospital spokeswoman, agrees with Alonso.

“Our Heart Institute provides care to adults suffering from cardiac or cardiovascular disease,” she said. “We are constantly looking at ways to improve the services we provide and to ensure we are providing our patients with most comprehensive care.”

The institute also received national accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers in April 2009 for its speedy treatment of people with heart problems. It is the only hospital in east Pasco County with such accreditation.

“Every minute counts when it comes to heart disease, and we make sure patients get care within 90 minutes of the problem starting,” Alonso said. “We have to work with (Emergency Medical Services) in the field so they recognize heart problems fast and get them to the Heart Institute quickly. So it takes a focused effort from our employees and outside groups to get the fastest treatment possible.”

The award coincides with National Heart Disease Awareness Month, which is each February. In order to spread the word about heart disease, Zephyrhills Mayor Cliff McDuffie has declared Feb. 7 to 14 as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week in the city.

“This is the kind of thing people need to know about and it doesn’t cost the city anything to do,” McDuffie said. “This is the second year we’ve done this and I think it helps get the word out about the disease to the public.”

McDuffie’s father, Cliff McDuffie Sr., died of a massive heart attack at the age of 37.

“That really scared me about heart disease, but it turned out to not be genetic in any way,” he said. “It was a long time ago, but I still try to get the word out about heart disease when I can.”

Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect in the United States, according to the American Heart Association, which states nine of every 1,000 babies are born with such a defect.

The Heart Institute does not treat children, but adults with congenital defects can be treated there.

“We usually send children with congenital defects to Tampa, but we can treat almost any other heart problem here,” Alonso said. “Last year we treated 2,500 patients in the Heart Institute. Of those, 800 had to have a balloon inserted to clean out a blocked artery, and 128 had open-heart surgery.”

The Heart Institute is having a four-month cardiac lecture series, which started in January. Dr. Katual Chauhan will be giving a free lecture about diabetes and high blood pressure from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 9 at the hospital’s Wellness Center.

“The Heart Institute has saved a number of lives here because people can go to the hospital in their own city,” McDuffie said. “In the past, that long trip down to Tampa was too long for people and many died getting there. The center is very important for our population.”

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

WESLEY CHAPEL—Many people probably have a pre-conceived notion of Goodwill offering used items, but the new store opening in Wesley Chapel might change that.

Michael Ann Harvey, president for marketing and public relations for Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, describes the outside of the new building as The Jetsons go to South Beach.

“It is a departure from what people expect to see when they go to Goodwill,” Harvey said. “We are hoping to attract people who have never shopped here before.”

The store will be open by the beginning of February, but the grand opening will be 9 a.m. Feb. 6. In addition to offering new and donated merchandise, the store also has a drive-thru donation lane.

Ed Malnory has been managing the building of the superstore. The store offers merchandise like clothing, furniture and household items.

“It doesn’t look like your mother’s Goodwill store anymore,” Malnory said. “It is the newest prototype so everything is electronic. There are also more categories and more quantity. This store will put out close to 100,000 pieces of clothing in the store in one month. We also put out fresh goods everyday all day, so there is always something new to see. If you can’t find what you are looking for here, you won’t be able to find it anywhere.”

Along the entire back wall and other parts of the store, there is a mural that represents Goodwill’s values. Harvey said the mural is titled The Power of Work.

“It shows the people we assist, our shoppers and our values like education,” Harvey said. “In one section, the clients with disabilities get assistance with daily life skills like dressing themselves and doing laundry. In another section a group of people sits around studying.”

Even though the store hasn’t opened yet, Malnory said there have been donations out in front of the store everyday for the last three weeks. He said even without that, the organization has been saving up donations for six months at their headquarters in St. Petersburg.

Mistie Bradley, manager of the new store, said she is excited to see it open. She has been waiting for this opportunity since she started at Goodwill in Land O’ Lakes 13 years ago as a cashier.

“The people I meet keep me here,” Bradley said. “They started out as just my customers, but then they became family. The new store is exciting because now I will get to meet more people.”

Many of the people on her staff in the Land O’ Lakes Goodwill store had the option of moving over to the new store or staying. She said about 10 decided to stay at the old location, 21503 Village Lakes Shopping Center, which will stay open for at least the next year.

The revenue from the stores is critical to supporting Goodwill’s programs like BookWorks. Through BookWorks, the organization brings volunteers into pre-schools and Head Start centers to read and hand out books to the children. The new store will be the headquarters for the program in Pasco County.

“Before when we would meet up with the volunteer readers, we would have to go all over the place,” Harvey said. “We are hoping now to expand the program. We need volunteers and we have to establish relationships with Head Start centers and pre-schools.”

Harvey said there are a few qualities that make for a good volunteer for the program.

“We are looking for someone who loves little children, who has a flair for drama when they read and someone who believes literacy is a key to our future,” Harvey said. “The volunteers get to teach kids to value and treasure their books.”

In addition to helping young children, Goodwill also has programs to help people with developmental disabilities.

“The programs we have are aimed at helping people get jobs so they can become self-sufficient,” Harvey said. “We offer job placement and coaching for as long as a person needs the help. Our outlet stores are also staffed by people with disabilities.”

For information, visit www.goodwill-suncoast.org.

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

LUTZ — The first new full-service hospital built in Hillsborough County in 30 years will have to wait another two weeks longer than planned.

The decision to postpone the opening of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North until Feb. 15 was made early in the day on Jan. 23, the same day the hospital opened its doors to the public for a “sneak-peak” into the hospitals services.

“We made the decision to push the opening date back to Feb. 15 to give the staff more time to train with all the equipment,” said Lisa Patterson, public relations manager. “Because of all the new and complex tools and facilities, we want to give the staff all the time they need to be ready for our first patients.”

No more information on the delay was available at press time.

The new facility, 4211 Van Dyke Road in Lutz, saw thousands of people attend the two-day “sneak-peak” event.

“It’s very exciting to see the public come out for the event,” said Jacqueline Farruggio, hospital spokeswoman. “The facility will truly bring quality healthcare closer to home for people in northwest Hillsborough and southern Pasco counties.”

For more information on St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, visit www.sjbhealth.org.

Paints people of all races, sizes.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO­—In the beginning, it was just something to do to keep from going crazy but then it blossomed into a career and a life.

San Antonio resident Jack Beverland, or Mr. B, spends his days creating artwork that he said originally was just supposed to be therapy. He worked in corporate America for more than 32 years when his company downsized.

“I lost my job and I didn’t handle it well,” Beverland said. “I felt ashamed and wanted to run away. Through art I came back alive. In June of 1991 I started drawing as therapy. I started with drawing Hopi Indian dolls and then I bought a quilt book and started drawing them. Because the quilts were puffy, I decided to start using dimensional acrylic paints.”

In 1994, Beverland said he started drawing scenes and using titles. Then he decided to add glow-in-the-dark paint. He said he also makes it a point to make sure the people in his paintings are diverse so that everyone looking at the painting can find them selves in the picture.

“I start with a title and then I do everything I can to make it make sense,” Beverland said. “For example if I do a painting about a red barn then I have to have other things like cows, chickens and people. I always put enough glow-in-the-dark paint in the painting to have a night painting.”

By 1995, Beverland entered his first art show at the Vero Beach Center for Arts. He sent in three slides and much to his surprise they accepted one of them. It was a painting titled “Quilting Time.” He won the purchase award, which means the museum bought the painting and put it on display.

“I learned then that I was a folk artist, which means I had no formal training after high school,” Beverland said. “At the show, I was walking around the corner and I saw there were 15-20 women standing around my work. That is when they asked me if I had enough paintings to do a one-man-show. In December of 1995, I had my first show where I sold 26 paintings. I was totally shocked.”

Beverland said his paintings are different than others because they are 3-D, they glow-in-the-dark and because of how he paints them.

“Nobody paints the way I paint,” Beverland said. “When I paint, it is my world. I paint what the title means to me. Like for me, searching for peace of mind, means going to a church. There are other places to go with it, but that is where it takes me.”

In addition to working on paintings, Beverland also spends time substitute teaching at elementary schools in Pasco and giving workshops where he teaches people to make what he calls treasure boxes.

“I like working with children because they keep you young,” Beverland said. “I enjoy it because I get to make an impression on them. I like to tell the children to find themselves in my paintings.”

Marian Winters, executive director of Very Special Arts of Florida, works with Beverland. The organization provides art, education and cultural opportunities for and by adults and children with disabilities. Beverland teaches workshops for the organization.

“He is great for the workshops because he can bring his art to a level where kids can understand it,” Winters said. “He does a couple workshops a month depending on the time of year. He works with the children and they make treasure boxes. The way he teaches is wonderful because he lets the children know whatever they do is fine. It is nice too because they learn sharing, counting and how to place items in art.”

Winters said he is more than just a great teacher he is a great artist.

“I thoroughly enjoy his artwork, because it engages anyone,” Winters said. “It is simple in the fact that it is about everyday life. I love that everything is touchable which is great for kids especially. I also love that it is glow-in-the-dark.”

Beverland’s artwork is on display in many local museums like the Jimmie B. Keel Library, the St Petersburg Museum of Fine Art and the Polk Museum in Lakeland. For more information, visit www.mr-b-folkartist.com.

Teens make a life at Joshua House

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

LUTZ — Imagine being taken from your home in the middle of the night and told you have to live in a strange place with people you don’t know. Imagine arriving with nothing but the clothes on your back and haunting memories from a life you did not choose.

Kelly Akerly, executive director of the Joshua House, has seen this story play out again and again, as teen girls are brought to live in the residential care facility. Because there is a lack of options for older children within the system, 75 percent of the residents at Joshua House are girls ages 13 to 17.

“These girls come to us with basically nothing,” Akerly said. “They’ve been through a traumatic situation, and we want to give them as normal a life as possible. It’s a challenge, but we work really hard to improve their lives.”

Joshua House began housing teen girls two years ago, after a study by the non-profit organization Hillsborough Kids showed a need for more teen housing. Currently, 21 girls are divided between two houses on the Joshua House property, located off Hanna Avenue in Lutz. The facility, operated by the Children’s Home Society of Florida, opened in 1992 and serves Hillsborough County.

Teen girls live in houses with six bedrooms, two girls to a room, and a shared living area.

They ride the bus to school, to either Liberty Middle School or Freedom High School in New Tampa. They have dinner together, watch television and do homework before turning in around 10 p.m. Some follow the rules. Others push the envelope.

“They are teenagers,” Akerly said. “The act like teenagers. I tell my staff it’s not like with the little kids where they see an adult and automatically respect you. With the teen girls, you have to earn their respect.”

Christina Wallace, the staff’s lead clinical psychologist, works with the girls to improve self-esteem and address past wounds.

“Many of the girls have trust issues,” Wallace said. “It takes a while to build a report with them. They’ve been exposed to so much. They’ve been abused, some of them have been in and out of foster care; some are the victims of crimes.”

Most of the teens come from domestic violence and were neglected. Joshua House provides them with clothes, school supplies, food and other life essentials. What the residents wear or eat depends on the generosity of others.

“If people want to know how they can help, more than anything, donations are always needed,” said development director Michelle Turman. “We need even the most basic items.”

While volunteer opportunities are available for groups interested in painting houses or assisting with large projects, the Joshua House rarely opens it doors for volunteers to work one-on-one with residents.

“People have the best intentions but they have to understand these girls don’t need more people coming in and out of their lives,” Akerly said. “We don’t want someone to come be a mentor for a couple months and then disappear, doing more harm than good. The girls are real people and we are sensitive to that.”

Staff members at Joshua House work with the county to find the best possible options for teen residents. Adoption is often preferred but most families looking to adopt are not willing to tackle the challenges associated with older children.

“It takes a special kind of person to adopt a teen,” Wallace said. “They have a whole different view of the world. They aren’t as innocent as the little kids and not everyone knows how to deal with a teen in this type of situation.”

For older teens, Joshua House is usually the last step before they go out on their own. Wallace encourages the girls to find jobs to prepare them for the next step but said, these days, jobs are difficult to find.

“The girls have been out looking for jobs but there just aren’t a lot out there right now,” she said. “They just keep putting in applications.”

The Joshua House provides teens with a weekly allowance so they can stop by a fast food place or go to a movie. Resident’s activities must be approved prior to a trip off campus. Still, girls are encouraged to go to friend’s houses, attend football games and participate in extracurricular activities.

“We want the girls to have the best life experience possible,” site manager Tallulah Held said.

Held is one of the on-site employees working to keep the overall household running smoothly. While no employees live on campus, there is 24-hour shift coverage. Care workers look after girls in their individual houses, where bedrooms are plastered with pictures on the walls and beds sometimes go unmade. Cooks prepare meals and bring them to the homes so girls can chat around the big dinner table. Counselors are available in times of emotional distress and keep conversations confidential.

After school hours, the Joshua House gates are closed and locked to permit unscreened visitors from interfering with the residents’ lives.

“We have people call and ask us if they can come bring their children to see what its like at Joshua House so they know how good they have it,” Akerly said. “I know they mean well, but seriously, we aren’t a zoo. Our residents are leading daily lives here.”

Wallace said the best thing the public can do to help is to support the Joshua House itself.  They can donate items fitting for the typical teenager, a gesture to make life in a residential facility more like life anywhere else.

“Like any teenagers, the girls want to go out, have fun and be trendy,” Wallace said. “For a lot of them, living here is temporary but it is their last home before they go into the world. We want to prepare them for the world the best we can.”

The Joshua House donation center is located at 1515 Michelin Court in Lutz. For more information on donating or on adoption, call (813) 949-8946.

Teens wish list

• Teen girl clothing
• Shoes
• Make up sets
• Bedding
• Hair care products
• Journals
• Tote bags
• Music CDs, etc.
• Cell phone minute cards
• Perfumes
• Gift cards