Health

This run combats cancer, with love

January 22, 2020 By Brian Fernandes

When Peggy Sherry established Faces of Courage Inc., the idea was to help cancer patients.

Faces of Courage, an organization that has been helping cancer patients for 15 years, is hosting Run for Love on Feb. 1. The Land O’ Lakes event will help the organization raise money to support its services. (Courtesy of Tiffany Dodge, secretary at Faces of Courage Inc.)

As a cancer survivor herself, she could empathize.

So, she formed a non-profit organization.

That was in 2004.

The organization, based in Tampa, is geared toward helping cancer patients, and those suffering from blood disorders, as well.

The upcoming Run For Love event, set for Feb. 1, gives the public an opportunity to provide support, too. The 5K run and a 1-mile walk will be held in the Connerton community of Land O’ Lakes.

Faces of Courage provides patients with overnight campouts within the Tampa Bay region.

But patients come from far beyond the Tampa Bay region to experience the camps. They come from across the nation, and across the globe.

Siblings of cancer patients are also welcome to join in.

The camps are intended to give those who are going through an illness an opportunity to focus their attention elsewhere, and enjoy a stress-free environment.

Besides providing an array of activities, the camps also allow campers to share their stories.

There are camps for kids, and for kids on the autism spectrum, too.

The organization is currently serving 10,500 families affected by cancer — and that’s possible to accomplish because of its army of more than 1,600 volunteers.

Providing the campouts is possible through the help of sponsors, individual donors, grants, fundraisers and other contributions.

Run for Love, with its Valentine’s Day theme, is one such fundraiser. It is scheduled for held Feb. 1 at the Connerton Community Center, at 21100 Fountain Garden Road in Land O’ Lakes.

The 5K run will cost $30 a person and the 1-mile walk will cost $25 a person, when registering online.

When registering the day of, the 5K run will be $35 a person and the 1-mile will be $30 a person.

Check-in begins at 7 a.m., with the run and walk both starting at 8 a.m.

In addition to the run and walk, there will be live entertainment, bounce houses, rock painting and other fun activities. Admission is free.

Event-goers also will have a chance to pose for a photo with the Tampa Bay Rays’ mascot.

For more information or to register, call (813) 948-7478 or visit www.FacesOfCourage.org/RunForLove.

Published January 22, 2020

Resolution: Making changes that stick, through 2020

January 22, 2020 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Most of us don’t think twice about looking at our phone right when we wake up or buckling our seatbelt when we get in a car — we’ve done it so much, it’s become habitual.

So, just exactly what is a habit?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary says it is “an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.”

In general, it’s healthier to eat fruit more frequently than chocolate. (Courtesy of Pixabay.com)

In other words, it’s a behavior that’s become automatic.

Studies say it typically takes an average of 66 days to form a habit and for it to feel automatic.

So, as the New Year gets underway, what health habits are you going to change this year?

Whether trying to form a new habit, or drop an old one — be sure to phrase your resolution in a way that will line you up for success.

At the beginning of the New Year, people tend to be energized about forming or dropping habits, but by mid-February, up to 80% of people have lost motivation and quit their efforts.

There are strategies that can help, however.

To avoid being part of that 80%, be sure to make specific, manageable goals.

Break down your overarching goals into smaller, realistic goals — and then keep track of your progress on a weekly or monthly basis.

By breaking it down, you can create a plan — and that applies to any area of change in your life, whether it be healthy eating, improved fitness, better budgeting and so on.

The American Psychology Association says that planning in small steps is key to making changes and building self-control.

For example, if you want to cut back on added sugar, start small.

Begin with removing or replacing one or two foods or drinks at a time.

Maybe in January, you cut out soda and replace it with water, and then in February, you stop eating sweet desserts and swap it for fruit, and so on.

(Tip: The food label has officially changed for large food companies as of Jan. 1, so you can easily see how much added sugar is in a product).

Or, if you want to cook healthy meals at home more but you’re used to eating out four times a week, go down to three times a week at first, then twice a week, and so on, as you get more comfortable with cooking at home and learning how to meal plan.

If you’ve never stepped foot in a gym and you buy a gym membership, start by going just a couple of times per week instead of saying you will go five days right off the bat.

Five days a week may be your ultimate goal, but work toward achieving that over a period of weeks, rather than making it your starting point.

Changing any habit is challenging, so make gradual changes and celebrate the small wins along the way.

Speaking of small: A healthy weight loss should be small each week, from 1/2-pound to 2 pounds per week.

Losing a large amount of weight rapidly poses health risks, including slowing your metabolic weight, losing muscle mass, forming gallstones, and quickly regaining all the weight you just lost.

Another thing to remember is not to be too hard on yourself, if you lose focus.

Change is not an all-or-nothing proposition.

You will have off-days and slips.

That’s normal and to be expected.

So, don’t abandon your goals just because of one bad day. Know from the start that you will make mistakes along the way.

Instead of becoming discouraged, use the slip-up as a learning experience to determine what went wrong and how to keep it from happening again.

Oh, and one last thing, if your goal is to eat healthier, eliminate the word “diet.”

Dieting is typically associated with something temporary — a fad diet, a crash diet — but you want your new healthy choices to become a lifestyle — in other words, habits that will serve you, year after year.

So, here’s to a successful 2020 — adding good habits, and dropping bad ones, through manageable changes, one week at a time.

By Shari Bresin

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County.

Published January 22, 2020

Nonprofit chooses its first leader

January 22, 2020 By Mary Rathman

Carrie Zeisse will lead the West Central Florida Mental Wellness Coalition Inc., a local nonprofit. (Courtesy of BayCare Health System)

The West Central Florida Mental Wellness Coalition Inc., has named Carrie Zeisse as its first president and chief executive officer.

The mental wellness coalition, which was recently created by 30 local organizations, was developed to help improve outcomes for depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders in the Tampa Bay area.

Zeisse, who was the chief strategy and operations officer with United Way Suncoast, will be responsible for driving the coalition’s mission of mobilizing the community toward strengthening mental wellness outcomes in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties.

She also will collaborate with the board of directors to raise public awareness, and develop and implement initiatives that help guide the community to available mental wellness resources.

Expanding the reach to those in grief

January 15, 2020 By Mary Rathman

(Courtesy of Gulfside Healthcare Services)

The Family Bereavement Program at Gulfside Hospice soon will be able to offer traumatic grief counseling to the community. Members from the Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring presented a $6,000 check to the program, which will make it possible for two Gulfside counselors to become certified in grief trauma. From left: Linda Ward, president and CEO of Gulfside; Charlie Lowry, director of caregiver support services, Gulfside; Angela Pottinger, executive director of Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring; Tara Greer, fundraising communications assistant, Gulfside; and, Carla Armstrong, director of philanthropy, Gulfside.

Health News 01/01/2020

January 2, 2020 By Mary Rathman

Third quarter star volunteers are, from left: Rev. Fred Houck, Barbara Weber and Steve Johnson. (Courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

These volunteers truly are ‘stars’
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point has announced the recipients of its third quarter volunteer Star Awards.

Rev. Fred Houck has been volunteering at the hospital since August 2013 and has accumulated 2,731 life hours and 3,766 merit hours. Rev. Houck has a reputation for his tirelessness in doing the work of the Lord.

Steve Johnson has been a volunteer since April 2011, with a total of 3,438 life hours and 6,068 merit hours.

Johnson began as a courtesy cart driver, which he has expanded to include evenings, and helps in the material management department.

Barbara Weber has been with Regional Medical since November 2016, working as a courier. She also works at the welcome center of the medical office building and the Welcome D center.

Weber has accumulated more than 3,000 life hours and more than 3,500 merit hours.

Mobile mammography
AdventHealth has signed an agreement for the purchase of all the assets of Tampa Bay Mobile Mammography, according to a news release.

Mobile Mammography is a leading provider of 3D services to more than 700 locations in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas, including schools, government agencies, corporations and health care clinics.

The transaction was expected to be completed by Dec. 20 and, once official, the mobile services will be part of AdventHealth West Florida Division.

The sale includes Tampa Bay Mobile Mammography’s three specialty buses equipped with Hologic 3D Mammography systems. The 3D system offers more clarity, regardless of breast size or density, increased comfort and more accuracy in diagnosis, detecting subtle lesions and fine calcifications to help pinpoint cancers early.

Tampa Bay Mobile Mammography has screened more than 32,000 women in the last five years.

Fashion show raises money for Gulfside
The annual Charity Fashion Show on Dec. 3, at Heritage Springs Golf & Country Club in Trinity, raised more than $41,000 to support hospice patients and families through Gulfside Hospice.

The sold-out event featured winter and holiday fashions presented by Dillard’s from The Shops at Wiregrass.

Deiah Riley, from ABC Action News, returned to emcee the event for the fourth time, and guests had a seated lunch.

There also was a vendor expo and door prizes.

Regional Medical donates to campaign
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, a Level II Trauma Center, joined the Bayonet Point medical staff in donating $13,000 each to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and Pasco County School’s Stop the Bleed campaign.

This national initiative aims to train and empower civilians to act swiftly and effectively in trauma situations.

Training is provided by voluntary medical personnel who are experts in the initial stages of trauma management, and is tailored to quick, life-saving measures that can be applied by anybody in the event of an emergency.

Each school is also provided with 15 trauma kits that are placed in strategic locations to be rapidly accessed, in the case of an emergency.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and Pasco County Schools believe that, to be effective, over 100 Pasco County schools should be equipped with the trauma kits.

The initial cost is $250,000 to provide quality and long-lasting kits.

Dr. George Giannakopoulos, Regional Medical chief of staff, decided to jumpstart the campaign with hospital medical staff with the $13,000 donation, and the hospital itself chose to match the donation with an additional $13,000.

Cancer foundation receives funds
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices partnered with the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation to help raise funds and awareness of breast cancer, its symptoms and treatments.

Through the sale of the Foundation’s “End Breast Cancer” specialty tag and cash donations, a total of $7,678.39 was raised to help end the suffering caused by breast cancer.

For details regarding charitable promotions or services provided by the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, contact Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector for communications and special projects, at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

Get The Smile You Deserve in 2020 from Origami Orthodontics

January 2, 2020 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

It’s a new year, and the perfect time to set goals that you have wanted to achieve for years!

Health goals are always a priority, including orthodontic care, which can straighten your teeth, correct problems with your bite and give you the smile you’ve always wished for.

“For many people, the only thing stopping them from scheduling an appointment with an orthodontist is concern about the cost,” said Michael Ruelf, who works with patients at his wife’s orthodontic practice in Land O’ Lakes, Origami Orthodontics. “At our practice, we work with patients of all ages and financial situations to help them find a solution that works for them.”

Dr. Lisa Brooks DDS MS, who opened her practice with her husband a year ago, adds, “We want to serve people of all needs because improving someone’s smile can be transformational. Everyone is deserving of orthodontic care, because it can impact their life all around — from boosting their confidence, to alleviating jaw pain, to improving the ability to eat and speak.”

One reason Origami Orthodontics is able to provide affordable orthodontic care is because it has an in-house lab that offers many services that other practices have to contract out. One of its most popular lab services is creating clear-aligner trays for adults that move teeth into place over a period of several months.

“Our Origami Aligners use trays that are similar to those made by Invisalign and Smile Direct, only ours have a variety of unique advantages,” explains Ruelf.

There are many medical and financial benefits to having an in-house lab, Dr. Brooks explains.

“I personally oversee the design and production of every tray created for our patients,” said Dr. Brooks. “This allows me to make adjustments throughout the process, so patients get the very best results.”

An in-house lab also means there is better quality control, and turnaround is very fast – even the same day.

“Because our clear aligners are being both digitally designed and directly fabricated by the orthodontist, our patients will correctly align their teeth and bite, all while being provided conveniences similar to online or at-home straightening companies like Smile Direct Club,” said Ruelf. “Being open on Saturdays, handling insurance claims directly for our patients, and offering tremendously fast turnaround times for clear aligners are just some of the unique conveniences that set Origami apart.”

Cost savings is another big benefit for patients at Origami Orthodontics.

“We typically save a clear aligner patient between $1,200 and $1,700 when compared to similar offerings in the industry,” said Ruelf. “This savings often makes orthodontic care possible for people who have waited years to improve their smile.”

Dr. Brooks grew up near Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where her father was a radiologist. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be a physician or a dentist, and decided on dentistry because she has always liked working with her hands. She then chose orthodontics because of the positive environment and the creative nature of the planning involved in orthodontic treatment.

Dr. Brooks graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry in Richmond, with a doctorate in dental surgery. From there, she went to Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine in Davie, Florida, where she completed her residency and received her Certificate in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, and a Master of Science.

In December, Dr. Brooks passed her American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) examination, which reflects her personal and public commitment to her specialty.

It was while she was in dental school that Dr. Brooks met her future husband, Michael, who is a software developer, as well as his wife’s business partner at Origami Orthodontics.

“Lisa was a swimmer in high school and college, and fell in love with Florida, its warm water and beautiful weather. So, we decided to stay in the state after her residency, and came to the Tampa area, since I grew up in Lutz and have family here,” said Ruelf, who is a graduate of Jesuit High School.

Michael and Lisa married in 2013, and today have two young daughters — Charlotte and Virginia.

When the couple decided to open their own practice on State Road 54, they chose a unique name for their business — Origami Orthodontics — that personifies their philosophy.

“Much like the art of origami, our practice is centered in precision and elegance,” says Dr. Brooks. “We use the newest technologies in the field of orthodontics that allow us to efficiently meet the highest standards of clinical excellence.

“However, we’re not all serious business! We enjoy providing our patients with a fun and comfortable experience that’s centered around them, and we believe our name and office reflects that.”

The first appointment at Origami Orthodontics is a completely free evaluation that begins with data collection. Radiographs (X-rays), photographs and a dental history will be combined to provide Dr. Brooks with a comprehensive understanding of your case, so that all of your treatment options can be discussed with you.

Situated near the intersection of Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54 (in The Shoppes at Ballantrae), Origami Orthodontics provides convenient access for families living in Land O’ Lakes, Lutz, Trinity, Odessa and Wesley Chapel.

Origami Orthodontics can be reached at (813) 336-8880 or OrigamiOrthodontics.com.

Published January 1, 2020

Encompass Health plans move to Land O’ Lakes

December 18, 2019 By B.C. Manion

Encompass Health Corporation has announced plans to bring 179 jobs to Central Pasco.

The company, based in Birmingham, plans to build a 37,000-square-foot facility on about 6 acres in the Bexley Community, off State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes.

It plans to locate its Central Business Office there, to provide medical billing and collection services to the company’s hospitals in 25 states and Puerto Rico, according to a company statement.

This rendering depicts the planned office for Encompass Health Corporation, which plans to bring 179 jobs to Pasco County. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.)

News of the company’s plans was announced at the Pasco County Commission’s Dec. 10 meeting, where the board voted on an incentive package aimed at attracting the company, a publicly traded company, whose shares are sold on the New York Stock Exchange.

David Engel, Pasco County’s economic growth manager, told commissioners that the building will be single-story, with an architectural façade that’s consistent with the design standards for the Bexley master-planned community, Engel said.

“It’s a one-story administrative office building. It’s quite a substantial project. There’s over $15 million in capital investment; 220 direct and indirect jobs; 179 will be working at this facility, at a minimum,” Engel said.

The capital investment includes acquisition of the land, according to county documents.

Engel said the project “contributes more than $10 million a year to the gross county product,” which amounts to a return on investment of more than 10 to 1.

Commissioners approved a $983,000 incentive package to attract the company.

Various features of that package are:

A job creation incentive for 117 of the administrative jobs (amounting to $234,000)
The mobility fee waiver for Class A office construction (estimated at $329,000)
A 10-year ad valorem reimbursement (estimated at $290,000); the first five years will be 50% of their ad valorem payment; and 25% for the back end
An employee training grant ($50,000)
A waiver of building county permit fees (maximum of $80,000)

Also, because the company falls within the definition of a qualified targeted industry, the county is offering “rapid response team and expedited permitting,” Engel said.

Besides saving time, the expedited process is “a large financial incentive to the applicant,” Engel said.

Bill Cronin, CEO and president of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., said ”We’re really excited about this company coming in, right into Central Pasco, creating some wonderful jobs.”

The Pasco EDC executive also noted that this project indicates that master-planned communities, such as Bexley, are started to develop their employment entitlements, thus rounding out the developments.

“Now, this development has true live, work, play at their development. You’ve got residential. You’ve got jobs. You’ve got retail. That means less people, potentially, on the road,” Cronin said.

Diane Daerr, director of Encompass Heath’s Central Business Office, said “we’re really excited about our new operation. The new building will allow us to have a lot of amenities for our workforce. Fitness center. Walking trails.

“We really like the setting of Bexley, and the walking trails and bike trails in that general area.

“You can literally live across the street from where our building is going to be, so we’re very excited about that,”” Daerr said.

Pasco officials have been working to shed the county’s image as a bedroom community, where thousands commute daily to jobs in other places.

“I think there’s something to be said about having a publicly traded company choosing Pasco for location for this regional operation. They will be serving 25 states here, and Puerto Rico. So, this is a real regional footprint for them. And, these jobs are good jobs,” Cronin said.

“As you all know, we’ve been focusing on our life sciences cluster,” he said.

In fact, Moffitt Cancer Center is seeking to boost its share of the state’s annual cigarette tax money to support expanded cancer care and research, both in Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

If the proposal moves forward, the new location in Pasco County would be near the Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52. It is being viewed by local leaders as having the potential to be a catalyst that would transform the Central Pasco landscape.

Cronin said that attracting new companies to Pasco, such as Encompass Health, talent being developed in the life sciences industry will have a place to call home, Cronin added.

Cronin also emphasized the project’s strategic location, near State Road 54 and the Suncoast Parkway, with easy access to Tampa International Airport.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore applauded the company’s decision to locate in Pasco, which he describe as “the fastest growing county in the region, if not the fastest growing in the state and one of the fastest growing in the nation.”

Published December 18, 2019

National health study to include Hillsborough residents

December 11, 2019 By B.C. Manion

Survey teams are already in Hillsborough County for a national health survey that includes residents from just 15 counties across the country.

The teams are expected to be working in Hillsborough through Feb. 14, gathering data for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, said Sherwin Bates, senior study manager on the study for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

All counties across the country have a chance to be selected for the study, which involves 5,000 people across the nation each year, Bates said.

The survey is the most comprehensive survey of the health and nutritional status of the U.S. population. It provides important data on public health problems from a national perspective.

The survey is conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the CDC.

The survey has been conducted for 55 years, and the information it yields is used by public health officials, legislators and physicians to develop health policies, design health programs and services, and expand the nation’s health knowledge.

Survey participants will include people of all ages, races and ethnicities, in order to represent the U.S. population, as a whole.

The target number of sample participants in Hillsborough County is 600, Bates said.

“The person who is knocking at the door will identify themselves with a badge, a photo ID,” Bates said.

“They’re going to ask some basic household questions, demographic questions, to determine eligibility. Quite literally, every single household has a different algorithm, so we get a good cross-section of the entire United States,” Bates said.

The survey “serves as the nation’s ‘health checkup,’ by going into communities to collect health information throughout the country,” Jennifer H. Madans, acting director of the National Center for Health Statistics, explained in a release.

Respondents first participate in a health interview conducted in the respondent’s home, which is followed by a health examination that takes place in the mobile examination center.

The household interview typically takes between 30 minutes to 90 minutes, Bates said.

The mobile exam can take up to four hours, to give participants plenty of time to ask questions.

“We’re not going to rush anyone through. We want to be very detailed and thorough, in the answers we give to the respondents,” Bates said.

Participants receive up to $125 in compensation, plus transportation expenses for driving to the mobile exam.

“If they need child or adult care, we would pay for that,” Bates said. “If they speak a language that we currently don’t support in the field, we’ll hire an interpreter to interpret that language. Then, what we do is make sure that that interpreter will meet them at the mobile exam center.”

While no medical care is provided, survey participants receive a report on the physical findings the same day, and a more detailed report within eight to 12 weeks. That report has an estimated value of $3,500, Bates said.

All information collected in the survey is kept confidential and privacy is protected by law.

The survey data has affected the nation’s population in areas ranging from air quality, to vaccinations to low-fat foods now offered in grocery stores.

National health and nutrition survey

Survey participants should know

All information collected is kept confidential, as required by law.
Participants receive a free and comprehensive health and nutrition evaluation.
Participation helps develop and evolve national health policies and programs.
Participants receive compensation for time and travel, up to $125.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

How do survey results affect real life?

The first survey back in the 1960s led public health officials to sound the alarm about the link between high cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Today, people routinely keep an eye on their cholesterol. When the survey began testing, one-third of adults had high cholesterol. Today fewer than 1 in 5 adults has high cholesterol.
It was data from this survey that provided the first clear-cut evidence that Americans had too much lead in their blood. This led Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency, and others to phase out the use of lead as an additive in gasoline, and the results have been remarkable. By the 1990s, the survey found that only 4% of Americans had too much lead in their blood. But, it remains a problem for certain groups, especially poor children living in old houses in cities where lead paint was once common. The survey helps our public health agencies pinpoint where lead remains a problem.
Growth charts developed by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey are found on the walls of pediatricians’ offices and clinics across the United States, and around the world. With new information on younger babies, the current charts have been expanded and improved.

Published December 11, 2019

Health News 12/11/2019

December 11, 2019 By Mary Rathman

Calendar fundraiser
Gulfside Healthcare Services’ 15-month 2020 calendar, featuring photos taken exclusively in Pasco County, is now available at all Gulfside Hospice thrift stores. Nineteen winning photos were chosen out of more than 300 photos submitted, depicting Pasco County events, places, landmarks and wildlife. The calendar is $5, and all proceeds will help support Gulfside patient care. This photo by Richard Shapiro is featured for the month of August in the new calendar. For shop locations, visit Gulfside.org.

New chief medical officer
The Medical Center of Trinity has announced the appointment of Dr. William Killinger as its new chief medical officer.

Killinger is a third-generation Florida physician.

He graduated from Emory University and the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

After completing general surgery at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, he trained in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.

Killinger was in private practice for 27 years in Raleigh, North Carolina.

He served as both the vice chairman and chairman of the Department of Surgery at WakeMed Health and Hospitals; served as medical director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Intensive Care unit; and, in 2016 was appointed medical director of the Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular surgery programs at WakeMed.

He is currently completing work on his Healthcare Executive MBA with Brandeis University, Massachusetts.

As chief medical officer, his interests are in patient safety, quality of care, physician relations and operations efficiency.

Killinger also is a champion of Just Culture, which refers to a values-supportive model of shared accountability. It’s a culture that holds organizations accountable for the systems they design and for how they respond to staff behaviors fairly and justly, according to HealthLeadersMedia.com.

Tai Chi comes to New Tampa
The Taoist Tai Chi Society is bringing Tai Chi to New Tampa at the New Tampa Dance Theater, 10701 Cross Creek Blvd., for a free demonstration on Dec. 17 at 10:30 a.m.

Guests can learn about the health benefits of practicing Tai Chi, and learn a few moves.

There also will be a beginner’s class every Tuesday from Jan. 7 through April 28, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Participants can learn the 108-move Taoist Tai Chi set.

For information, call (813) 685-1211, or visit TaoistTaiChi.org/brandon.

Regional Medical news
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point (RMCBP) hosted a grand re-opening of its Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine Center.

The $500,000 renovation includes everything from podiatry chairs to updated furniture throughout, as well as the addition of hyperbaric chambers.

The Wound Care Center now has been expanded to two suites, for a total of 3,865 square feet.

The hospital also made the list of Healthgrades’ 100 Best Hospitals for Specialty Care, for superior clinical outcomes in back and neck surgeries and spinal fusion.

The Bayonet Point hospital ranks 35th in the nation.

Healthgrades assesses the performance of almost 4,500 U.S. hospitals and clinical outcomes across 32 procedures and conditions. It is one of the leading online resources for information about physicians and hospitals.

In addition, RMCBP earned Platinum Level recognition for its efforts to increase organ, eye and tissue donor registrations across the state, through the Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Organ Donation Campaign. The campaign is a national initiative that unites the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the organ donation community with workplaces across the nation in spreading the word about the importance of donation.

Regional Medical was one of more than 1,480 organizations to participate in the 2019 campaign, and one of 638 organizations to earn platinum recognition.

BayCare welcomes new doctor
Dr. Anet Pargas, board certified in pediatrics, has joined BayCare Medical Group at 4683 Van Dyke Road in Lutz.

Pargas completed her undergraduate degree in biomedical sciences from the University of South Florida; earned a Doctor of Medicine from Morsani College of Medicine, USF; and completed a pediatric residency at USF.

Pargas also is certified in basic life support and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

She is fluent in Spanish.

To learn more, visit DrAnetPargas.org.

Foundation raises more than $400,000
A sold-out event, Southern State of Kind, raised more than $400,000 to benefit cancer patients in need through the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation.

The fundraiser featured a silent auction, chance drawings, dinner entertainment, music by JT Curtis and the Scoundrels, line dancing, and southern fare.

During the event, the Florida Cancer Specialists gave recognition to Justin Doyle, founder of the Hope, Health & Sunshine Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists cancer patients in the Tampa Bay area with groceries, gas cards, healthy snacks and patient gift bags. For the past three years, Doyle has provided Thanksgiving dinners for patients, too.

The net proceeds from the event will directly benefit the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation, which provides financial assistance for non-medical living expenses to qualified cancer patients who are currently undergoing treatment in Florida.

The event was co-chaired by Florida Cancer Specialists, and Dr. R. Waide Weaver and Dr. David D. Wright.

Health News 11/27/2019

November 27, 2019 By Mary Rathman

Medical director earns fellow status
Dr. Lisa W. Barker, medical director for Gulfside Healthcare Services in Pasco County, has earned the designation of Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. The academy is the professional organization for physicians who care for patients with serious illness.

Lisa Barker (Courtesy of Gulfside Healthcare Services)

Dr. Barker received her medical degree from the University of Kentucky and also trained in family medicine at the school.

Following her residency, she joined Ashland Family Medicine in Ashland, Kentucky, and later began working in the field of hospice, while still working as a family physician.

She became the medical director of community hospice, serving northeastern Kentucky and southern Ohio.

Dr. Barker moved to Florida in 2016 to practice hospice and palliative medicine full-time.

She is board certified in family medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine, and is a certified hospice medical director.

Dr. Barker will be presented with her designation during the closing plenary session at the annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care in San Diego, California, in March.

The Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine status is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a physician member.

New trauma director
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point has appointed Dr. Maryam Bita Tabrizi as the Level II Trauma Center’s trauma medical director.

Dr. Tabrizi received her medical degree from the University of Tennessee Memphis College of Medicine.

She completed her residency at the University of Florida-Jacksonville, and completed a fellowship in trauma/critical care at USCD College of Medicine.

Dr. Tabrizi has served as a clinical instructor at Harvard University, as a trauma/critical care general surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, and trauma medical director at North Shore Medical Center, where she established the North Shore Acute Care Surgical Program.

She has also earned Level III Trauma Center verification.

AA book available to the deaf
The book, “Alcoholics Anonymous,” is now available in an updated abridged translation into American Sign Language, according to a release from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Commonly referred to as “The Big Book,” this basic text of the worldwide fellowship that bears its name is now available on DVD to the deaf community, the hard-of-hearing community, and the hearing community, as well.

The AA organization has been committed to making its program of recovery available to anyone, anywhere who reaches out for help with a drinking problem.

This translation has been updated with current language and signing most familiar to today’s deaf community.

For information about AA resources for the deaf, call (212) 870-3344.

To order the translated book/DVD, visit AA.org, or stop by your local AA office to see if it available.

Equipment exchange program
Crescent Community Clinic, 5244 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, has a Durable Medical Exchange Program.

Equipment (for long-term or short-term), such as a walker, cane, wheelchair, shower chair, bedside commode, bed rails, CPAP/BPAP machine, or nebulizer, may be available.

The clinic offers these items for a donation to the clinic, to keep the program running.

Equipment availability depends on donated items received.

If you are in need, call the clinic at (352) 667-1462. Leave your name, phone number and the name of the item you need, and the clinic will contact you.

You can also call the clinic if you have items to donate.

Hospitals gets ‘A’ safety grade
The Medical Center of Trinity and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point were awarded an A in the fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing the hospitals’ achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.

These are the only two hospitals in west Pasco to receive an A grade.

The safety grade is assigned to all general hospitals across the country based on performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

Poison Control enhances website
Florida’s Poison Control Centers has launched two new features to enhance its website.

The network has added multi-language capability by allowing the user to select a Spanish language translation while viewing all its related poison prevention information.

Users quickly will be able to choose “Espanol” from a dropdown at the top of the site to find all poison prevention information content translated by certified translators.

Additionally, the Poison Control Centers added a new data dashboard to its existing page that adds a novel approach to characterizing poisonings in Florida, handled by its three poison control centers.

The new dashboard allows users to obtain more detailed information about toxic exposures in their local area.

Visit FloridaPoisonControl.org.

Compliance deadline near
The new safety standard, USP 800, is being implemented with the intent to minimize the exposure to hazardous drugs from health care personnel, patients, and anyone else in contact with these drugs, as written by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a news release.

The standard regulates the practice and quality standards of handling hazardous drugs (HDs) to promote patient safety, worker safety, and environmental protection.

Handling HDs includes, but is not limited to, the receipt, storage, compounding, dispensing, administration, and disposal of sterile and nonsterile products and preparations.

The deadline for compliance to the new safety standard, USP 800, is Dec. 1.

Non-compliance not only places a pharmacy’s staff and patients at risk of exposure to HDs, but a pharmacy and pharmacist-in-charge licenses also can be impacted if a breach of USP 800 is recognized.

Enforcement will come from the state board of pharmacy.

Oak Hill residents recognized
Oak Hill Hospital anesthesiology residents participated in the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), in Orlando.

Each year, the ASA hosts more than 14,000 anesthesiology professionals from around the world.

Four of Oak Hill’s graduate medical education anesthesiology residents not only participated, but their research was accepted for presentation and display.