Health

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.

Gulfside Hospice Helps Over 1,000 Pasco Families Every Year

November 25, 2019 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Hospice is the bridge that helps terminally ill patients and their families navigate the health care system in the final stages of life, while also providing emotional and social services support for the entire family.

In Pasco County, Gulfside Healthcare Services has been providing hospice services for more than 30 years, and helps over 1,000 families every year care for their loved ones, and provides grief counseling and spiritual guidance to help patients through their final journey.

Heading up hospice services at Gulfside is Kathy Postiglione, who started work at the agency 15 years ago as a registered nurse, and today is chief operating officer and senior vice president.

“As a nurse, what attracted me to hospice care in the beginning, and still captures my heart today, is its holistic approach to patient care that is driven by the patient and family,” said Postiglione. “It is the most personal type of care found in nursing, and one that has not changed much since the hospice movement was founded in the 1970s.”

The hospice philosophy provides care in the comfort, security and privacy of wherever a patient calls home, by bringing together a team of professionals who addresses the patient’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

“Our team of nurses, physicians, ministers and social workers works together to find out what the patient needs, discuss the best options for his or her wishes, and helps to set pain management goals,” said Postiglione.

Hospice care begins with a discussion between the doctor and terminally ill patient and the family, who together agree to bring hospice in for a consultation.

“Often it’s the patient who says, ‘I’m done, and no longer wants additional treatments,’” explains Postiglione.

The initial meeting can be in a patient’s home, hospital, assisted living facility or nursing home, and include nurses, both RN and LPNs, hospice medical staff, social worker and chaplain. Up to 10 people can be at the initial meeting, plus staff from the facility.

“We also work with the patient to identify personal goals they want to accomplish – it could be to write their personal story, put together a video, try to re-connect with family members and friends they have lost touch with, and often mend some bridges,” said Postiglione.

Once a patient enters hospice care, the Gulfside team provides interdisciplinary medical support and services, which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It also has resources to help with legal and financial services involving end-of-life care.

“Patients and families are often so overwhelmed by what needs to be done, that they are very anxious. We break down the tasks and set up a plan to help them accomplish their goals, while providing the care the patient needs to relieve pain, and make the journey as peaceful and comfortable as possible,” explains Postiglione.

Being in hospice care does not mean patients need to give up treatments, and often continue to see their own doctors.

“Patients sometimes want to continue their treatments, and we are here to support the patient in any way we can,” said Postiglione.

Since its establishment in 1989, Gulfside Hospice has grown from an organization run primarily by volunteers, to a full-service health care entity that employs over 330 people with an average census of 550 patients. When Gulfside began operations, it had just 15 employees and was servicing 50 patients.

While most patients are older adults and seniors, often diagnosed with cancer, Gulfside Hospice also cares for terminally ill children and young adults. Patients typically come into hospice when their prognosis is less than six months, and the average length of stay in the program is 70 days.

One area that makes Gulfside Hospice unique compared to other hospice organizations is its ability to provide patients with more expensive medications.

“When a patient has a need for a more expensive medication, we never deny the request, because we have the resources to provide medication that Medicare may not pay for,” said Postiglione.

Gulfside has been able to keep up with Pasco’s population growth because of its ability to attract top professionals to its team.

“We place a tremendous value on our employees, and consistently seek feedback from them on their challenges, equipment they need, the schedules that work best for their families,” said Postiglione. “We have a very dedicated group of people, most who have worked here for many years, because of the high satisfaction they get by working with our patients and families.”

Gulfside Healthcare Services also works with over 200 volunteers, many who become involved after hospice has cared for a loved one.

“Many of our volunteers give the gift of presence — which is staying with patients who may not have family or friends close by, until they pass. Others work in our dietary area, bringing meals to patients in our in-patient facilities. We also have volunteers who take care of patients’ pets, and many volunteer at our thrift stores, do office work and help at fundraising events,” said Postiglione.

For patients needing critical nursing care, Gulfside Hospice operates the Rucki Hospice Care Center in Zephyrhills and the Gulfside Center for Hospice Care at Heather Hill Healthcare Center in New Port Richey. Its thrift shops are located in Lutz, Dade City, Zephyrhills, New Port Richey and Hudson.

“People are often surprised at the range of services we offer at Gulfside Hospice,” said Postiglione. “We are proud of our ability to help many Pasco families in one of their greatest times of need.”

Published November 20, 2019

Alzheimer’s walk raises nearly $56,000

November 20, 2019 By Mary Rathman

More than 500 residents from Pasco County joined the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s at the Starkey Ranch District Park in Odessa, on Oct. 25.

Participants raised $55,784 to help pay for care, support and research programs of the Alzheimer’s Association. The event fell short of its goal of $85,000, but fundraising efforts continue through Dec. 20.

Hundreds of Pasco County residents took park in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s, in the fight to end the disease. (Courtesy of Alzheimer’s Association)

“Alzheimer’s is destroying our families, our finances and our future,” said Michelle Olson, Alzheimer’s Association development manager, in a release.

“It’s time to end it,” she added.

The moving opening ceremony featured several local families affected by the disease, as well as Maria Johnson, of the West Pasco Business Association; Daniel Paasch, director of strategic operations; U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis; and Margie Pagano, an Edward Jones financial advisor.

Doug Fresh, CEO of St. Mark’s Village and a participant for Team St. Mark’s, shared his thoughts on the walk.

“It was fabulous. The walk is important to St. Mark’s Village because of the people we serve. It’s important to work together with the Association to get some answers for this terrible disease,” Fresh said.

Currently, St. Mark’s is the top fundraising team, raising nearly $7,587. The team has been participating for about 10 years.

For information, visit ALZ.org, or call (800) 272-3900.

Expansion addresses need to serve critically ill patients

November 13, 2019 By B.C. Manion

AdventHealth Connerton has been addressing the needs for critically ill patients for a decade — but it also has had to turn patients away because its beds were full.

An expansion expected to open later this month, will increase the hospital’s ability to serve patients and families in need.

AdventHealth officials had a ribbon cutting ceremony last week to celebrate the completion of a new wing at the hospital, at 9441 Health Center Drive in Connerton.

Debi Martoccio, chief operating officer of AdventHealth Connerton, addresses a crowd during the ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of a 30-bed expansion at the specialty hospital. (B.C.Manion)

The $20.6 million expansion adds 30 beds, bringing the hospital’s total to 77.

It also increases the hospital’s ability to provide care for patients needing care for multisystem organ failure, complex wounds, sepsis, head trauma and other conditions.

“We cater to medically complex, critically ill patients, who need an extended hospital stay,” said Debi Martoccio, chief operating officer of AdventHealth Connerton.

“This is a very exciting chapter in our history,” she said.

“What this expansion will allow us to do is to care for more of these medically complex patients.

The new wing at AdventHealth Connerton has large patient rooms, with modern technology and a sofa that slides open to give visitors a place to rest.

“At this time, with our limited beds, we’ve been at capacity since about 2012. We were having to turn medically complex patients away. There was a moratorium on the expansion of this kind of hospital,” Martoccio said.

But, the moratorium was lifted and the hospital was able to get a license to expand its number of beds, she said.

“Right now, we’re admitting about 650 patients a year. So we’re hoping to take that into the 700s,” Martoccio said.

Denyse Bales-Chubb, CEO of AdventHealth Tampa, told the crowd, “Today represents an important piece of the AdventHealth growth strategy over the next several years. Increasing access points and creating more capacity in our existing facilities is a realization of our promise to the community.

“This positions us well to take care of even more patients and families when they need us the most,” Bales-Chubb said.

“Patients who come to a long-term care facility have very serious medical needs. The team of caretakers here are family.

“It is a special brand of care that delivers our mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ. That’s the kind of care that I want for my family, and for yours,” Bales-Chubb said.

The specialty hospital is one of only a few long-term acute care facilities in Florida with an operating room and intensive care unit, according to hospital officials.

The ribbon cutting at AdventHealth Connerton last week marked the completion of a $20 million expansion.

After the ribbon cutting, tours were offered so visitors could see the new wing before it begins offering care.

Patient rooms are equipped with modern technology and designed with patient comfort in mind. For instance, there are large windows, and a sofa in each private room easily converts to a bed, so visitors can rest there.

The 22,000-square-foot addition includes 20 progressive care unit beds and 10 critical care unit beds. It also includes a large board room, three nursing stations, a revamped chapel, a multipurpose room for staff education, a family consultation room, nurses’ stations and an employee breakroom.

The lobby even has a coffee bar for visitors, said Martoccio, adding she thinks that will be well received.

The decorating theme throughout the wing highlights trees, and that plays homage to the prominent role that timber and sawmills played in Pasco County’s history, Martoccio said.

Published November 13, 2019

Health News 11/13/2019

November 13, 2019 By Mary Rathman

Patient comfort, a priority for these ladies

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sew Caring group at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel put their hearts into helping care for breast cancer patients. The group provided comfort for the patients throughout the month of October with handcrafted pillows. Many of the breast cancer patients are sore following surgery, and the pillows add the much-needed comfort and support for each patient, as they recover.

Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club undertook a large sewing project to handcraft comfort pillows for women post-surgery at several area hospitals. The ladies stuffed the pillows, packed and delivered them to Advent Health/Fletcher, Advent Health/Wesley Chapel and to the Moffitt Cancer Center. Members Irene Hernandez and Barbara Booth package the pillows for the hospitals.

National Hospice Month
November is recognized as National Hospice & Palliative Care Month to help raise awareness of the efforts of local hospice and palliative health care organizations.

To celebrate the month, Gulfside Hospice will offer free copies of the Five Wishes booklet, a living will document that outlines your wishes for care.

To request a free booklet, visit tinyurl.com/yylav2qq.

Gulfside’s team also is available to give a presentation about the booklet, along with complimentary copies, to local groups and clubs.

To schedule a presentation, call (727) 845-5707.

Free rapid testing
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County, along with the public defender’s Mobile Medical Unit, will offer free rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing to the public at several locations throughout November.

Results from the rapid tests will be available in 20 minutes.

For a calendar of times and locations, visit Pasco.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services.

Rose Bowl participation
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Donate Life Rose Bowl Parade float’s hospital CEO rose dedications.

A select group of hospitals have been asked to prepare a handwritten message honoring the patients and families who, with the support of hospital staff, have saved and healed lives through the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation.

One of the trademarks of the annual Donate Life float is a ‘dedication garden’ filled with thousands of roses, each placed in a vial carrying a unique, personal message from an individual, family or organization.

Gina Temple, Regional Medical’s CEO, will prepare a note to be included on the float.

Better breast health
AdventHealth Wesley Chapel is now offering multiple innovative breast health advances to detect breast cancer and provide safer, convenient options for patients who require treatment.

The hospital now offers the Contrast Enhanced Mammography and SCOUT Wire-Free Radar Breast Localization System.

Contrast enhanced mammography is used to detect tumors in dense breasts that may not be visible on a traditional mammogram, and is an alternative for breast care patients who are unable to undergo an MRI.

SCOUT is a new, more comfortable and convenient surgical option for women awaiting breast cancer surgery.

Businesswoman of the Year
Access Health Care Physicians has announced that Dr. Manjusri Vennamaneni, its chief medical director, has been recognized as Businesswoman of the Year by the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Vennamaneni was chosen for her accomplishments during her years practicing in Hernando County:

Initiated the first Accountable Care Organization in the county
Had the first practice in the area recognized by the NCQA as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home
Recognized by Optimum Health Care with a five-star rating as chief quality director
Led a team to the development of IT products used in utilization management, compliance, and revenue cycle management
Helped to develop the first Third Party Administrator in Hernando County

Dr. Vennamaneni practices at the main office of Access Health Care in Spring Hill.

National certification
Oak Hill Hospital is the recipient of the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing’s 2019 National Certification Champion Award in the large health care organization category.

During a recognition breakfast, the following awards were presented:

Distinguished CEN Award
Distinguished CPEN Award
National Certification Champion Awards in: small health care, large health care, and health care system.

Board certification is nursing’s highest professional credential, and it is a requirement of eligible nurses of the emergency room at Oak Hill Hospital.

Currently, 93% of Oak Hill’s eligible emergency room nurses are board certified, with the other eligible nurses scheduled to take the board certification test.

All of Oak Hill Hospital’s nursing leaders are board certified in a specialty.

Hospital adds third scanner
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Hudson has added a third CT scanner, which will be placed in the emergency department of the hospital to support its trauma, ER, stroke and cardiac services, for faster and more convenient service.

The latest scanning technology has the advantage of the new 64-slice Revolution Evo, which includes higher quality images and lower dose to the patient.

It also is environmentally friendly, cutting power consumption by 54%.

Bayonet Point is the only Level II Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.

New medical staff
Access Health Care Physicians has welcomed Dr. Seenu Sanka to its medical staff in Spring Hill.

Dr. Sanka joins Access Health from Davita Medical Florida Inc., in St. Petersburg, where he has practiced since 2002.

Dr. Sanka is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

He received his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and completed his internship and residency in internal medical at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Health News 10/30/2019

October 30, 2019 By Mary Rathman

Dr. Gaston Nyirigira, center left, and Dr. Jeffrey Huang, center right, stand with anesthesiology residents at Oak Hill Hospital. (Courtesy of Oak Hill Hospital)

International scholar visit
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has chosen the Oak Hill Hospital Anesthesiology Residency Program as an international scholar observation site.

Each year, the ASA sponsors three international scholars to participate at the ASA meeting, prior to which the scholars are assigned to different academic centers for clinical observation.

This year, Dr. Gaston Nyirigia was selected as a scholar to observe at Oak Hill with Program Director Dr. Jeffrey Huang.

Dr. Nyirigia is from Rwanda and was chosen to participate in several international training programs throughout North America and Africa, and has co-authored numerous reviews and abstracts.

Dr. Nyirigia received a bachelor’s degree in general medicine at the National University of Rwanda in 2009, and a Master of Medicine in Anesthesia, Critical Care and Emergency Medicine from the University of Rwanda in 2015.

Premier celebrates 40 years of care
Premier Community HealthCare commemorated 40 years of care at its inaugural Premier Community HealthCare Impact Breakfast with community members, policymakers and key leadership.

The celebration reaffirmed Premier’s commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered and accessible health care services to the Pasco and Hernando communities.

The event paid homage to Premier’s 1979 inception, and showcased inspiring community partner sentiments, a resolution presented by Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells, a keynote speech by CEO Joey Resnick, and a patient testimony by Christine Collins.

Brewfest raises $28,000
The Fall Brewfest for Hospice, an annual fundraising event to benefit Gulfside Hospice, raised a grand total of $28,000 to support hospice patients.

Gulfside Hospice serves patients in Pasco County as a nonprofit organization, which means that no patient is turned away from needed care due to financial reasons.

“The money raised allows our interdisciplinary team to ensure that everyone in Pasco County is able to receive the quality care they need,” said Linda Ward, president and CEO of Gulfside, in a release.

Approximately 1,000 people attended the event to sample beer and wine from 23 different local breweries and wineries, as well as visit other vendor and sponsor booths.

Entertainment was provided by Stonegrey. Activities included a “Cooler than Cash” cooler drawing, 50/50, and The Giving Wall.

Pasco and Pinellas join initiative
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) has announced that Pasco County and Pinellas County have joined the Dementia Care and Cure Initiative to create more dementia-sensitive communities.

According to a DOEA news release, there are more than 15,000 individuals living with probable Alzheimer’s disease in Pasco County, and more than 33,000 in Pinellas County. And, these figures do not include other forms of dementia, nor do they include the tens of thousands of families and caregivers dealing with the ramifications of the disease.

“The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas is proud to establish a Dementia Care and Cure Initiative Task Force to educate the community about dementia and related disorders,” said Ann Marie Winter, executive director for the agency, in a release.

“This task force aims to create a more dementia-caring community, where those living with dementia, their families and caregivers are supported, and have access to help and local resources,” Winter said.

For information, visit ElderAffairs.org.

New medical staff
Access Health Care Physicians has welcomed Dr. Monica Esposito to its medical staff. She will join Dr. David Herndon’s practice at 5500 Little Road in New Port Richey.

Dr. Esposito is board certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment.

She comes to Access Health from completing her family medicine residency at St. Petersburg General Hospital, where she was selected as chief resident in recognition of her leadership skills.

Also joining Access Health is Dr. Johanna Gilbreath Asquith, specializing in infectious diseases, at 14690 Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill.

Dr. Asquith comes to Access Health from completing a fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

She competed a residency in internal medicine at Mount Carmel Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, as well as two years of an anatomic and clinical pathology residency at Ohio State University.

At the intersection of law enforcement, mental health

October 16, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

An ‘All hands on deck approach’ is needed to address the nation’s mental health crisis.

That means greater levels of state and federal funding, and enhanced collaboration between law enforcement and behavioral practitioners.

At least that was the message delivered by a group of experts during a recent criminal justice panel discussion titled “The Intersection of Law Enforcement and Mental Health.”

Speakers focused on the broad array of challenges facing today’s criminal justice professionals and the current trends, as well as future initiatives that shape law enforcement’s engagement when dealing with mental health issues.

Panelists underscored the significance of the problem on a national scale.

More than 100 students, faculty, law enforcement officials and community members gathered for the Oct. 7 discussion, hosted by Saint Leo University.

There’s no question, the challenges are far-reaching.

Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese introduces an Oct. 7 criminal justice panel discussion at Saint Leo University. Panelists, from left: Dr. Christopher Cronin, professor of psychology; Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, associate department chair of criminal justice and professor of criminal justice; Michelle Allen, instructor of criminal justice; Kim Senger, social work professional; and, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. (Courtesy of Mary McCoy, Saint Leo University)

Approximately 43.8 million adults in the United States experience mental illness each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

The organization also reports 46% of Americans will suffer a mental illness in their lifetime.

Panelist Dr. Christopher Cronin, a Saint Leo professor of psychology, cited an American Psychological Association report that shows there are now 42,000 suicides annually in the U.S. That marks the highest rate in 28 years, and is up 24% percent since 1999.

“This is clearly an epidemic,” Cronin said.

For law enforcement, it has made a tough job even tougher, as officers work the frontlines of the mental health crisis.

One study shows that a quarter of the people shot by police are in a mental health crisis at the time when the use of force occurred, Cronin said.

However, Cronin added, law enforcement is not necessarily to blame.

“They have been forced to do a job — become mental health professionals — for which they have not been trained,” the professor said. “Officers are trained to take control of a situation and to give lawful commands, however, a person in a mental health crisis cannot conform their behavior and a situation escalates.”

Some noted incidents have included “suicide by cop.”

This phrase refers to a situation in which an individual deliberately behaves in a threatening manner, with intent to provoke a lethal response from a public safety or law enforcement officer.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, another panelist, understands the challenges facing his deputies.

Law enforcement seeks to mitigate threat situations with bullhorns and less lethal devices, but encounters quickly can escalate, when a person who is suicidal attacks or threatens to attack police or citizens, Nocco said.

“Law enforcement officers are being put in a tough position,” the sheriff said. “We always say, ‘The safety of the citizens around that person and the deputy has to be paramount,’ because if they’re charging at you…the reality is — we have families, we want to go home, too.”

Michelle Allen, a Saint Leo criminal justice undergraduate instructor, reiterated points raised by her fellow panelists, Cronin and Nocco.

“How are you as an officer supposed to recognize that this person is suffering from mental illness? How can you look at somebody in the five seconds and say, ‘Oh, he’s mentally ill…’ He’s fighting you. What do you do, because you want to go home, too,” Allen said.

Before venturing into higher education, Allen spent two decades in Georgia, working for the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office and Smyrna Police Department, respectively.

Many arrests occur when people are in a mental health crisis or breakdown, and have either gone off their medications or have not yet been diagnosed, Allen said.

Pasco Sheriff’s Office estimates as many as 20% of its calls for service are mental health-related.

In an initiative to “get ahead of the curve,” the agency has established a specialized Mental Health and Threat Assessment Team (MHTAT). That team is trained to keep tabs on the county’s residents who have been referred on repeated occasions for involuntary evaluations, under the state’s Baker Act.

However, Allen noted, if a crime has been committed, the mentally ill still must be treated like other suspects, in the interest of officer and public safety.

“These people are not necessarily violent, not necessarily criminal,” she said, but she added, “you want to definitely get that person in handcuffs…and then determine what’s going on with them.”

More frequent encounters between police and the mentally ill can be traced to the deinstitutionalization or closing of mental health hospitals in the last 60 years or so, according to Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, another panelist, who is the associate department chair of criminal justice and a criminal justice professor at Saint Leo.

The number of available psychiatric beds has plummeted, according to data cited by Walker-Pickett.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that today there is roughly one psychiatric bed for nearly 3,000 Americans, while in 1955, there was one bed for every 300 Americans, Walker-Pickett said.

Facility closures have resulted in an increase of people with mental illness winding up in America’s jail and prison systems, she added.

She explained: “It resulted in putting a lot of these people on the streets, it resulted in having people at home who weren’t getting the treatment that they needed, and as a result, sometimes there were interactions with law enforcement. You see that happening more and more — these interactions with law enforcement.”

Walker-Pickett also pointed out alternative treatment wasn’t appropriately provided in lieu of the closing of mental health facilities, particularly in low-income communities “who don’t have access to affordable or appropriate health care.”

Published October 16, 2019

Note: See more on this panel discussion in first story, below.

Panelists suggest solutions

October 16, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

Panelists at a discussion at Saint Leo University had some thoughts for ways to divert some offenders from the criminal justice system to mental health courts, instead.

That way they could get treatment for their issues, rather than jail or prison time.

Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, a panelist during an Oct. 7 session called “The Intersection of Law Enforcement and Mental Health,” advocates increased federal spending to expand available mental health treatment options.

Other panelists agreed more resources are need to provide mental health services.

Members of the law enforcement, social work, mental health, and education communities joined Saint Leo University students, faculty and staff for a panel discussion on the intersection of law enforcement and mental health. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Florida’s mental health spending ranks 49th of 50 states, at approximately $40 per capita annually, said Dr. Christopher Cronin, a psychology professor at Saint Leo University.

“It’s hard to get a good dinner at a restaurant for $40,” Cronin said.

“So when you vote—and you should — find out what your candidate thinks about the mental health crisis and their record on funding for mental health.”

Cronin specifically called for an expansion in crisis intervention and de-escalation training, to better prepare law enforcement agencies to tackle mental health crises.

Some of these mental health training programs are offered by behavioral health volunteers pro bono, Cronin said.

“It’s a good start, but we need more funding,” he said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, also a panelist, expressed confidence that the county could receive more funding from an ongoing multibillion dollar civil lawsuit against five opioid manufacturers.

He suggested those dollars be used to help set up “mental health ERs,” or quasi walk-in clinics, to serve people facing a mental health crisis.

Nocco put it this way: “If you broke your arm or twisted your leg, you know where to go. If you have a mental health crisis, what do you do? You call 911, but that’s not providing help.”

The sheriff also called for increasing both awareness and resources regarding mental health issues in law enforcement circles. He thinks it should be similar to the way the military has brought about a more open dialogue regarding post-traumatic stress.

“Nobody ever talks about that in law enforcement,” Nocco said. “The law enforcement officers will not readily say, ‘Hey, I need help, I need to talk to somebody…’”

Panelist Kim Senger, a masters level social worker who’s worked as a therapist in both Canada and Florida, said law enforcement and social workers need to become more effective partners to help at-risk youth and troubled students in school systems.

He emphasized the need for more youth intervention and counseling, to deal “with issues before they get out of hand.”

“We have to look at is as a holistic approach,” he said. “If you can’t find them, if you can’t connect to them, there’s going to be trouble, they will be troubled.”

The experts also had ideas for how average people can play a role to help reduce the nation’s mental health crisis.

“You do not need to be a mental health professional to have a significant impact on someone,” Cronin said.

“Find someone who looks like they need a friend. The person having lunch alone, the classmate who never seemed to quite fit in, the colleague who doesn’t seem to blend.

“What I would tell you to do is befriend them, go out of your comfort zone, join them for lunch or ask them to join you. No one should eat alone if they don’t want to,” Cronin said.

Published October 16, 2019

Note: See more on this topic in the featured story, above.