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Health News 05/29/2019

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Frist humanitarians
The Medical Center of Trinity has awarded the Frist Employee Humanitarian Award to Kaitlin Dilluvio, RN.

Kaitlin Dilluvio, RN

Dilluvio has been with the hospital for three years. In addition to the care of her patients, she volunteers at the Good Samaritan Clinic, which helps provide free care to residents of Pasco County. She also volunteers as a grief support counselor through weekend retreats.

Dilluvio helped facilitate the hospital’s donation drive for the Panhandle Post-Hurricane Michael Relief Fund and helps the hospital with its back-to-school program.

Dr. Alene Wright was recognized with the Frist Physician Humanitarian Award.

Wright has been a member of the hospital’s medical staff for more than seven years. She is board certified in generally surgery and specializes in breast surgery.

Dr. Alene Wright

Wright also is an active participant in the Cancer Conference, which brings cases for review and discussions among committee members.

She also serves as a faculty member in HCA’s Graduate Medical Education Program, and partners with the Pasco County Health Department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer program.

Wright is a board member of the Good Samaritan Health Clinic.

In addition, The Frist Volunteer Humanitarian Award was given to Judi Geller, who has been a volunteer at the hospital for more than seven years and has provided more than 4,660 hours of service to the patients and staff.

Geller was elected by her peers to the Board of the Medical Center of Trinity Volunteers Inc. She has been the organization’s fundraiser for the last three years, helping to raise more than $10,000 in scholarships, and assists with the Special Olympics program.

Volunteers of the year
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point has selected Diane Ricca as the 2018 Female Volunteer of the Year and Jose Pasqual as the 2018 Male Volunteer of the Year.

Ricca has been volunteering at the hospital for more than 12 years and has accumulated 42,500 hours of service. She has served as chairperson for the volunteer gift shop, sits on a variety of committees for the Volunteer Association, and has served as the secretary of the Suncoast Health & Education Foundation. Ricca also received the Frist Volunteer Humanitarian Award in 2014.

Pasqual has been a courier at Bayonet Point for more than eight years with over 4,000 hours of service. Beyond his courier assignment, he serves on the volunteer awards committee and was the recipient of a Star Award in 2014.

New technology engages patients
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, in collaboration with Bioscape Digital, has launched an interactive, bedside, tablet solution to further engage patients during a hospital stay.

On the tablets, patients will have the ability to:

  • Educate themselves on relevant health educational content
  • Provide real-time feedback about their visit
  • Schedule an outpatient physician appointment
  • Access the patient portal
  • Stay entertained by playing games and listening to music
  • Sign up for various hospital services.

Bioscape collaborates with health systems to empower patients, staff, and doctors at the point of care.

 

Going green for mental health

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The Medical Center of Trinity celebrated May as Mental Health Awareness Month by turning its Behavioral Health Center the color green for the month.

The hospital is using the month of May to call awareness to the many symptoms of deteriorating mental health, which include:

  • Changes in energy level and sleep patterns
  • Changes in appetite, eating habits or weight
  • Frequent thoughts of death or suicide
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
  • Noticeable restlessness or irritability
  • Feeling sad, empty, hopeless, worthless or guilty
  • Difficulties with concentration or decision-making

The Medical Center of Trinity also has opened its new Senior Behavioral Health Program dedicated to helping older adults with mental health concerns receive the skills they need for a strong foundation of recovery.

The new program allows seniors to work in partnership with caregivers, hospital staff and clinicians to receive high-quality care tailored to the senior’s needs.

Expert: Vaccination prevents measles

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Measles is back in the news again — in a big way.

From Jan. 1 to May 3, there were 764 individual cases reported in 23 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

And, as of May 9, Florida had two reported cases, according to the Florida Department of Health.

It’s important to stay aware, said Suzanne Chandler, system director of Infection Prevention and Control for Baycare Health System.

Suzanne Chandler is system director of Infection Prevention and Control for Baycare Health System.

Media coverage of new outbreaks has ramped up concerns, she said.

“With the hype of the media, we’re getting a lot of calls, even from providers. So, it’s not only just the public. It’s even the health care worker,” she said.

And, because Florida is such a big tourist state — attracting people from so many places, an outbreak could occur potentially anytime, she said.

“So, we do need to be on the alert. But, there’s no need to panic,” she said.

The best protection against the measles is vaccination, she added.

Health care providers and county health departments offer the MMR vaccine, which prevents measles, mumps and rubella.

“If you had the (vaccination) series as a child, typically, you should be protected,” Chandler said. For those who are unsure of that protection, there is a blood test that can be done to determine the level of protection. In some cases, a new vaccination may be needed.

It’s a highly contagious disease and it spreads via the air. People who have not been vaccinated are highly likely to get it.

The important thing to remember is that someone with measles is highly contagious for four days before the rash develops and four days after it, she said.

Symptoms of measles typically begin as an upper respiratory type of infection, including a runny nose.

Often, there will be conjunctivitis-type symptoms, where the eyes are running.

A cough and fever are common, and occasionally there will be little white spots inside of the mouth — but not everyone gets those.

“The rash will come later. The rash usually starts at the top and works its way down, the head and face and neck,” Chandler said. “It covers the body.”

People sometimes mistake another respiratory virus for the measles, she said.

“Honestly, there’s a lot of respiratory viruses out there and a lot of them do cause rashes,” she said.

As a result, “a lot of these people have flocked into their pediatricians or their doctor’s offices. It turns out not to be measles, but people are still concerned because they’ve had similar symptoms,” she said.

If a parent with more than one child discovers that one of the children has a case of the measles, the other children should be vaccinated and kept away from where the ill child is staying, she said.

Keep the healthy children out of the house, she advised.

Measles is so contagious that it can travel through air vents, she explained.

If a patient suspected of having measles arrives at the hospital, the patient is placed in a negative pressure room —an isolation technique used in hospitals to avoid cross-contamination.

Those caring for the patient would wear special masks, she added.

If a parent suspects their child has measles, they should get in touch with medical staff before taking them into a doctor’s office or emergency room — and to be sure the child has a mask on before entering the facility.

Without the mask, “everybody gets exposed because it’s so highly contagious. Everybody that’s in that emergency room waiting could potentially be exposed,” Chandler said.

Complications from measles can include ear infections, and in rare instances, deafness, she said.

“Younger children can get pneumonia and croup, which also are viral in nature,” she said.

Extreme complications would be encephalitis or blindness, she added.

“The fact that we have a fair number of unvaccinated people in the U.S. right now is why we are seeing the measles outbreak,” Chandler said. “We went for 25 years; it was gone. We just didn’t see it at all. Now, it’s back again. In that time period, a lot of folks chose not to vaccinate their children for various reasons.”

Symptoms of measles
These symptoms appear typically 7 days to 14 days after infection:

  • High fever
  • Cough
  • Red, watery eyes
  • Within three days to five days a rash often develops on the face and neck, and can spread to the rest of the body.

What to do if you think you or a loved one has measles?
First, call your health care provider or facility, or county health department and report your concerns. Do not go directly to a health care provider’s office or facility, or the county health department.

A health care provider or a county health department official will give you instructions on getting seen in a timely manner, and how you can avoid exposing other people to measles.

Source: Florida Department of Health

Published May 15, 2019

A new home health division at Gulfside

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Talk about having a good week.

Last Wednesday, after months of organizational work, Gulfside Home Health accepted its first patient. And on Thursday, it celebrated the grand opening of its new Land O’ Lakes office with a chamber of commerce ribbon cutting.

A ribbon cutting was held last week for Gulfside Home Health, a new division of Gulfside Health Services that provides skilled home nursing and therapies ordered by a physician. Celebrating with the ribbon held high is Gulfside President Linda Ward; holding the scissors is Cheryl-Ann Benn, administrator for Gulfside Home Health.

“It’s exciting to be growing and offering new services to our community,” said Linda Ward, president and chief executive officer of the agency. “Providing skilled home care to patients is a perfect complement to our hospice and palliative care services that we have been providing for a long time.”

With the launch of its home health division, the nonprofit has changed its name to Gulfside Healthcare Services, with three distinct divisions — Gulfside Home Health, Gulfside Hospice and Gulfside Palliative Care.

“Gulfside has served Pasco residents since 1988, and we are well-known for our quality care and community focus for hospice and palliative care. We are bringing this same dedication to home health, and look forward to providing this much-needed service to our community,” said Ward.

Gulfside Home Health is offering skilled home health services that are ordered by a patient’s doctors, including nursing, therapy and patient education.

Gulfside’s nursing staff provides wound care, injections, IV infusions, pain management and medication oversight. And, its licensed therapists offer physical, occupational and speech therapies. All services and treatments are done in a patient’s home.

“There are many advantages of taking care of someone in their home instead of in a hospital or rehab center,” said Cheryl-Ann Benn, who heads up Gulfside Home Health as its administrator.

“Patients are more comfortable at home, family is there for support, and no transportation is needed because our health care providers come to them.”

Benn adds that home care especially helps with patients who easily get confused in unfamiliar places, which is common toward the end of day when people with memory problems suffer from sun-downing effects.

“We plan our visits around a client’s schedule, right down to avoiding a favorite television show,” said Benn. “Families can choose the time that is best for them.”

Most appointments are scheduled between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and only skilled care ordered by a physician is provided. Patients are not charged directly for the care they receive — Gulfside bills Medicare or private insurance, not its patients.

Benn clarifies that Gulfside’s service line features skilled nursing care and various therapies, unlike many other companies that simply offer companion care, bathing or assistance with meals and shopping.

“Our team specializes in the advanced care that must be done by a nurse or professional,” said Benn. “There are many private companies that offer non-medical services that do not qualify for payment under Medicare of private insurance.”

Benn joined Gulfside Home Health in February to prepare for Joint Commission Accreditation, to hire staff and get the office ready next to Gulfside’s thrift shop on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

Gulfside Home Health received its license on April 5 for Pasco and Pinellas counties, and since then has hired RN and LPN nurses, home health aides, a social worker and physical therapist, as well as contracting for occupational and speech therapists.

“We have an outstanding staff with many years of experience — I couldn’t be happier with the team we’ve put together,” said Benn.

Patient referrals come from hospitals, rehab facilities and doctors’ offices, and patients can choose which home health service best meets their needs.

Benn and Ward believe many families will chose Gulfside Home Health because of the stellar reputation of Gulfside’s hospice and palliative care services, and because it is a nonprofit.

“Being a nonprofit allows us to create programs for clients and their families they are not reimbursed for through Medicare or private insurance,” explained Ward. “We can host community events to raise funds for additional services, and are looking at developing programs on COPD, diabetic meals and foot care, caregiver support, and many others,” said Benn.

Ward added that offering home health services is taking Gulfside to a higher service level and is a logical next step. In the first few months, Gulfside Home Health expects to serve 30 to 50 patients, and then grow to over 120.

“We want to offer a continuum of service, while remaining community-based,” said Ward.

Published May 15, 2019

Health News 05/15/2019

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Shirley Stibal

Hospital recognizes 30 years of service
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point recently honored Shirley Stibal for her 30 years of volunteer service, recognizing her at the hospital’s annual volunteer award banquet. ‘For 30 years Shirley Stibal has served Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point as a courier. In addition to her friendly and polite manner to patients, family, staff and other volunteers, she is always reliably on time and present for her scheduled shift,’ said Donna Owen, director of Volunteer & Pastoral Care, in a release. Her hard work and dedication over the years typifies the character and devotion to serving and exemplifies our mission statement, Owen added.

 

 

Pinwheel garden planted
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club works to bring awareness to and prevention of domestic violence and child abuse through its support and many projects. 

Members recently planted signage and a “garden” of blue pinwheels at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park to direct attention to the prevention of child abuse and in support of happy healthy childhoods for all our children.

For information on this community service organization, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org.

Charity of the month
The charitable organization for the month of May for Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s offices is  CARES (Community Aging & Retirement Services).

The promotion shines a spotlight on three of the top programs offered by CARES, specifically those that ensure area seniors have food to eat, access to health care and support for their caregivers.

Donations will be used to help continue these programs, and can be made at any of the five tax collector locations in Pasco County.

For information about CARES, call Jemith Rosa at (727) 863-6868, or visit CARESFL.org.

Apple A Day receives $42,000
Tampa Bay Moe’s Southwest Grill locations announced that the Apple A Day Foundation has received a $42,000 donation, resulting from a fundraising effort that took place throughout the month of April.

Every Wednesday, from April 3 to April 24, the Tampa Bay franchise cooperative, which includes 24 locations of the fast-casual southwestern restaurant, donated 25 percent of net in-store sales to the Apple A Day foundation.

The gift is the largest amount that Apple A Day’s Tampa chapter has received from a single donor since opening its doors in 2010.

A locally founded nonprofit organization, Apple A Day provides devices, such as tablets and smartphones, to children undergoing cancer treatment, at no cost to them or their families.

Since its inception, Apple A Day has presented more than 500 iPads/devices to children fighting cancer.

The $42,000 donation will help facilitate a new initiative being launched in partnership with other pediatric cancer organizations by providing 105 local children with a new iPad.

For more information, visit AppleADay.org.

Alzheimer’s fundraiser
The Alzheimer’s Association hosted “An Evening in White,” a white-attire themed charity benefit at The Vault in Tampa. Guests were able to network and enjoy cocktails and food, and the sounds of jazz trio La Lucha.

The white party theme was inspired by a quote from Stephen King that reads, “Black is the absence of light, but white is the absence of memory, the color of can’t remember.”

Chaired by Ashley Barnett and emceed by former NBC news anchor Gayle Sierens, the event featured a research update by Dr. Susan Steen of Tampa Neurology Associates and the presentation of the Alzheimer’s Association International Research Grant award to Dr. Feng Cheng of the University of South Florida.

The first-time gala raised $170,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association, funds that are critical to advancing research, and providing support and education to families living with Alzheimer’s.

More than 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Florida has the second highest incidence of Alzheimer’s in America with an estimated 560,000 Floridians living with the disease.

Nursing excellence
Oak Hill Hospital recently recognized two nurses for excellence in nursing, during the hospital’s Awards of Distinction celebration.

The awards were established by its parent company, HCA, to honor outstanding nurses who demonstrate excellence in professional mentoring and in compassionate care. The awards honor exceptional individuals whose work and lives reflect the patient-centered and humanitarian values upon which HCA is founded.

The nominees for the award included:

  • Giovanna Cavalucci, Intensive Care Unit
  • Cindy Hall, Progressive Care Unit
  • Ray Millap, Surgical Services
  • Lauren Pardue, Labor and Delivery
  • Amber Register, Progressive Care Unit
  • Julie Schneider, Surgical Services
  • Jessica Smith, Cardiac Observations
    The Excellence in Nursing Award for Compassionate Carewas presented to Amber Register, RN.
    And, Julie Schneider, RN, received the Excellence in Nursing Professional Mentor Award.

Pasco Sheriff’s Office hone crisis intervention skills

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Pasco County Sheriff’s Office deputies recently spent a week learning how to use the power of words to de-escalate situations that have the potential to turn dangerous.

In one role-play scenario, Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputies Breanna Chandler and Lindsay Steward intermediated between a mother and her teenage daughter with oppositional defiant disorder.

In another scene, deputies Ricardo Ortiz and Jose Vazquez-Trujillo sought to calm a schizophrenic man who had paranoia and homicidal ideations about a next-door neighbor.

In one mock scenario, Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputies Ricardo Ortiz, left, and Jose Vazquez-Trujillo are tasked with calming a schizophrenic man who had paranoia and homicidal ideations about a next-door neighbor. The practice exercise was part of the agency’s crisis intervention training to better equip law enforcement officers with verbal de-escalation techniques in dealing with citizens in various mental states. Crisis intervention instructor Tom Kelley plays the role of the man with schizophrenia disorder. (Kevin Weiss)

Other mock scenarios had deputies and corrections officers encounter inmates or juveniles with suicidal thoughts, or, deal with someone with severe substance abuse. There was even a situation that exposed deputies to someone with low-functioning autism.

There weren’t any takedowns, hands-on combat nor use of nonlethal force.

Rather, this type of police training simply required conversations to resolve problems.

For each participating law enforcement officer, the objective was to have a better understanding of mental health in crisis and to learn how to better respond to de-escalate a situation during a call for service.

It was all part of the agency’s recent Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program at Pasco Safety Town in Shady Hills.

The weeklong, 40-hour CIT program is a collaborative effort between the sheriff’s office and many local behavioral and mental health community partners. It is held four times per year within the agency.

Throughout the week, deputies received instruction on various subjects, such as signs and symptoms of mental illness, co-occurring disorders, addiction, dementia, trauma informed care, and juvenile and veteran response.

De-escalation techniques centered on maintaining positive body language and tone of voice, along with active listening skills to appropriately reflect upon a subject’s feelings.

Deputies then put those techniques to the test with role-play scenes, which were written out by a licensed mental health counselor in collaboration with a law enforcement officer. Volunteer actors played the various roles of persons in crisis.

The mock exercises required deputies to determine whether or not to detain a subject for an involuntary mental health evaluation, otherwise known as the Baker Act; provide a referral to various behavioral health services and resources; or, simply offer someone a shoulder to lean on and to listen to a subject’s personal problems.

One of the instructors and role play actors was Tom Kelley, a former law enforcement and military officer, who operates a consulting firm specializing in crisis intervention and crime prevention.

In traditional law enforcement academies, trainees are taught to enter situations with authority in voice and action.

In the crisis intervention program, however, Kelley instructed deputies to find a softer, more inviting tone when dealing with people undergoing a mental crisis.

Kelley put it this way to a classroom full of deputies: “Let them know that you’re there and you care. At that moment, they need to feel like you’re the most caring person in the world, because they are at their worst.”

In this role-play exercise, Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputies Breanna Chandler, left, and Lindsay Steward try to calm a with teenage daughter with oppositional defiant disorder. It was part of the law enforcement agency’s recent weeklong Crisis Intervention Team training program. Volunteer Brittany Graniero, a licensed mental health counselor, plays the role of the defiant teen.

Pasco Sheriff’s Lt. Toni Roach has been the agency’s CIT coordinator since 2016.

She said the objective of crisis intervention is twofold.

First, it’s to reduce potential injury to citizens and responding deputies.

Second, it’s utilized to help divert people with “potentially criminal behavior or disruptive behavior” away from the jail system and into a mental health system where they can get proper diagnosis and treatment.

Roach explained: “The idea is to use your words and de-escalate rather than quickly resorting to force when the people you’re interacting with become nervous or scared, and are apprehensive to do what the deputy asks them to do.”

The training is vital for law enforcement personnel, the lieutenant said.

Roach put it this way: “We want to make sure that we can serve our public and provide them with good resources, and then hopefully we interact with them in a positive manner, so that, especially people with mental illness who have a fear of law enforcement, we can reduce that level of fear and have a good relationship with our community.”

Twenty-nine sheriff’s office personnel graduated from the recent spring class.

Upon graduation, each deputy received a pin for their uniform indicating they’ve had advanced training in crisis intervention.

Roach said about 50 percent of patrol deputies are CIT certified, also noting the public is able to request a CIT trained officer in a call for service. The agency is striving to have all of its deputies CIT certified in the future, she said.

In addition to the sheriff’s office, organizations that assisted in facilitating the CIT program were the National Alliance on Mental Illness, HCA Florida Hospitals, Rogers Behavioral Health, North Tampa Behavioral Health, BayCare Health System, Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services, and Veteran’s Affairs clinics.

Published May 08, 2019

Local YMCA hosts Healthy Kids Day

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Justin Draft, of Dade City, guides his 19-month old son, Bennett, down the slide at the Y’s playground. The youngster was there with his dad and his mom, Lindsey. (Christine Holtzman)

There were loads of activities offered at the East Pasco Family YMCA Healthy Kids Day on April 27.

The YMCA facility, at 37301 Chapel Hill Loop in Zephyrhills, was among YMCAs across the country participating in the national initiative.

The event focused on improving the health and well-being of kids and their families.

Activities geared toward keeping young minds and bodies active included poolside fun, summer camp games, live music, basketball games, and demonstrations from the Zephyrhills Police Department and the Zephyrhills Fire Department.

There was a booth, too, where the Y staff registered anyone who was interested in their summer camp programs or swim lessons.

Published May 08, 2019

During free play in the YMCA gymnasium, 13-year-old Jordan Vallee, of Wesley Chapel, shows off his basketball spinning skills.
Six-year-old Valentina Vallee, of Wesley Chapel, winds up to toss her bean bag while competing in a game of ‘corn hole’ against her 8-year-old cousin, Lucas Smith. Her teammate, Zephyrhills Fire Department Cpt. Ed Alfonso, left, awaits his turn.

Physician of the Quarter

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(Courtesy of Tiffany Scalone)

Nephrologist Dr. George Muthalakuzhy was named Physician of the Quarter at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, in Lutz. The award recognizes exceptional doctors for clinical leadership and quality care for patients, based on nominations from hospital staff. According to his colleagues, Dr. Muthalakuzhy is ‘extremely passionate, thoughtful and diligent when working with patients. He is all around a pleasure to work with, and is so nice and accommodating to team members and patients.’

Youth vaping a growing concern in Pasco

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Health officials in Pasco County are concerned about rising numbers of local teens who are using electronic cigarettes, or vaping.

Last year, about 25 percent of Florida high school students reported current use of electronic vaping, according to the Florida Department of Health. That marked a staggering 58 percent increase compared to 2017.

Representatives from the Florida Department of Health of Pasco County discussed youth e-cigarette use at a recent community meeting hosted by the Pasco Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP). (Kevin Weiss)

The figures might be even higher in Pasco County, according to Jenae Haddocks, a health educator with the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County.

“What we’re seeing is Pasco is above average as far as youth initiation in e-cigs and vape use, and above state average for that, so that’s not good,” Haddocks said at a recent community meeting hosted by the Pasco Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park.

“We’re having a hard time trying to address it,” she added.

Exacerbating the vaping issue, Haddocks said, is a lack of oversight by e-cigarette retailers, along with a lack of regulation on e-cig products and flavors by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Haddocks pointed out e-cigs and related products can be purchased online with minimal or no type of age verification. “Kids can go online and purchase these products. It’s kind of surprising,” she said.

E-cigarette devices heat a liquid that produces an aerosol, or vapor. That liquid usually contains nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals.

Long-term health effects of vaping remain unknown.

However, some of the ingredients in e-cigarette aerosol could be harmful to the lungs in the long-term, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Moreover, the Florida Department of Health reports that the CDC has stated that that a single e-cig liquid pod of the popular e-cigarette brand JUUL contains as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.

Haddocks suggested e-cigarettes makers are marketing to youth and teenagers with pods that have “candylike or sweet flavoring” – flavors like bubblegum, fruit punch, candy cane, and crème brulee, to name a few.

The speaker noted the labeling of some of these pods even resemble that of candy products such as Sour Patch Kids or Bubblicious Original Bubble Gum. Such labeling makes e-cigs seem less harmful and more appealing for teens to try, Haddocks said.

The Florida Department of Health has seen a staggering increase in the number of teenagers vaping or using electronic cigarettes. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Health)

Currently, the JUUL brand and related sweet vapor flavorings, Haddock noted, “are really, really popular among youth right now.”

She put it like this: “Of course, adults do like those flavorings, but who’s more likely to buy bubble gum or Bubblicious at a gas station — a 12-year-old or a 35-year-old?”

Aside from nicotine and other unknown chemicals, the speaker went on to explain that e-cigarettes and vape products can be manipulated with illicit substances.

Haddocks said some Pasco County teens have been caught with e-cig pods that test positive for alcohol, THC, cannabis and other substances.

Said Haddocks: “They’re smoking things laced with who knows what and they don’t know half the time, so that’s kind of turning into an even bigger issue that we’re seeing.”

She added: “It’s kind of a growth issue that we have right now in Pasco.”

Meanwhile, Haddocks said general tobacco use among children under 18 years old remains “a big issue” in the county.

She pointed out the younger that someone is when first trying tobacco, the more likely that person is to become a lifelong tobacco user, or to abuse tobacco for years to come.

“Ninety percent of adult smokers begin at or before the age of 18. It’s a huge concern,” she said.

To better combat such youth initiation, Haddocks advised the community to educate youth on the dangers of tobacco products and other drugs.

Published May 01, 2019

Upgrades on tap for AdventHealth Dade City hospital

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With construction ramping up at AdventHealth Dade City, patients and staffers will soon have access to some of the new amenities and upgrades as part of $22 million in capital improvements headed to the health care facility.

An update on the various upgrades was shared in a presentation by Dr. Rodrigo Torres, chief medical officer for AdventHealth Dade City, at The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce April breakfast meeting.

AdventHealth Dade City is getting a $22 million makeover in the way of new care units, technology and services. (Courtesy of AdventHealth Dade City)

The latest addition to the health care facility is a 45-bed transitional care unit, which launches on May 1.

It’s one of the many enhanced facilities the hospital will see throughout 2019.

Torres described the unit as “a rehab center, but with higher capability.”

Patients discharged from in-patient stay will be able to be at the rehab center, but still have access to hospital services, surgeons, orthopedics and other medical staff. They’ll go to the rehab center because of medical necessity, to finish medications, to work on strength and balancing, and so on.

The unit projects to have a patient volume of 300 this year, and a patient volume of 1,000 in subsequent years.

“This is going to be something great that we look forward to,” Torres said.

Across from the transitional care unit is another wing that will house post-operative patients along with patients requiring a higher level of care, Torres said.

The interior of the wing is currently being retrofitted with a fresh paint job, new flooring, new bathrooms and more.

“Everything is brand new, literally from the floor all the way up,” Torres said. “The bathrooms look better than the ones at my house.”

Other aesthetic upgrades throughout the 100,000-square-foot facility include a new lobby and overhauled cafeteria, and even a chapel.

It’s all about providing patients at the 120-bed facility the best care possible, Torres said.

“We are tearing down the walls,” Torres said, “to make sure this facility can be the best that it can be.”

Several medical equipment upgrades also are on tap at the hospital, at 13100 Fort King Road in Dade City.

That includes an outpatient X-ray machine and an on-site MRI machine that Torres called “the latest and the greatest.”

AdventHealth Dade City’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rodrigo Torres was the featured speaker The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce April breakfast meeting. Torres discussed many of the new upgrades coming to the 120-bed, 100,000-square-foot health care facility. (Kevin Weiss)

Additionally, the hospital has since implemented a robotic surgery program with the da Vinci Si Surgical System.

Torres explained the robotic system — controlled by a surgeon from a console — is used by general surgeons, urologists and gynecologists for complex minimally invasive procedures, including hernia repairs and gall bladder removals.

He noted the da Vinci machine becomes useful for surgeries that may take several hours, where physician fatigue can sometimes come into play.

Other new features have come to the health care facility of late, too.

That includes an electronic medical records system, Cerner, which has eliminated the need for paper charts.

Torres noted the paperless technology offers “clarity and transparency when providing medical care.”

“It’s a better way of keeping medical records, especially in the age of identity theft,” he said.

The hospital also has installed an around-the-clock, telemonitoring system to its intensive care unit.

The system, Advanced ICU Care, allows patients and nurses to communicate virtually with on-call physicians in cases where an intensivist is not immediately available in person at the hospital.

Torres said the technology was originally brought to AdventHealth Zephyrhills about a year ago “with great results.”

Another new service to the hospital is online scheduling capabilities for emergency room visits — allowing patients to reserve a treatment time and avoid long waits in the waiting room.

The service, accessed through GetInQuicker.com, is recommended for patients with non-life or limb-threatening emergencies.

Since its launch in February, Torres said the check-in program “is one of the best things that has happened” to the health care facility.

“We have 100 percent recommendation rate for all the patients that have used this service,” he said.

Aside from facility and technological upgrades, the hospital has added five new physicians to its staff: Dr. Olga Villa (obstetrician-gynecologist), Dr. Jennifer Roller (gynecologist), Dr. Forrest Rubenstein (thoracic vascular surgeon), Dr. Armen Duekmedjian (neurosurgeon) and Dr. Amir Ahmadian (neurosurgeon).

Torres said doctors Ahmadian and Duekmedjian will be operating out of AdventHealth Zephyrhills, but will provide consultations and services to patients at AdventHealth Dade City, as well.

With the addition of gynecological physicians and services, Torres noted the hospital may consider adding labor and birth delivery services at some point: “In the near future, that’s one of the avenues that we’re looking at.”

Torres also mentioned that AdventHealth Dade City recently received its accredited recertification from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, designating the hospital “a center of excellence for bariatric surgery.”

Published May 01, 2019