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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Health

Health News 10/16/2019

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Breast cancer awareness
In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Florida Department of Health  in Pasco County encourages all women to receive regular screenings to promote early detection and treatment of breast cancer.

Women should talk to their health care providers about their individual risk factors and the frequency of receiving mammograms, as well as complete any recommended mammography screenings.

Women can help lower their risk by:

  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Being physically active
  • Limiting or avoiding alcohol
  • Choosing to breast-feed
  • Quitting smoking and/or vaping

The Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides access to the screenings doctors recommend.

The screenings are free or low-cost for those who meet the program eligibility requirements.

For information, call the Department of Health-Pasco at (727) 619-0369.

Screening mammograms
Tower Radiology wants to bring awareness to the importance of mammograms by offering women $50 screening mammograms. The promotion is for the month of October only.

The offer excludes 3D mammography. Patients must bring a prescription.

Also, for every new ‘like’ on Tower Radiology’s Facebook page in October, $2 will be donated to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.

For information, call (813) 379-2691, or visit TowerRadioloyCenters.com.

AdventHealth named partner
AdventHealth has been named an exclusive health partner of Metro Development Group, the developers behind Pasco County’s Connected City

The partnership is a three-phase plan to promote healthy living, including:

  • Tele-health services inside the home
  • A wellness district accessible from the Crystal Lagoon, an available to residents and destination patients
  • Plans for an offsite Emergency Room

Some pilot programs are underway from Philips, a health tech leader, that will design, test and launch new products for homeowners.

Donate to breast cancer foundation
The Florida Breast Cancer Foundation will be the featured charity at the Pasco County Tax Collector’s offices during October.

The foundation’s main objectives are to advocate on behalf of patients, educate the public on all aspects of breast cancer, and to provide funds for research seeking new treatments and, ultimately, a cure for breast cancer.

The End Breast Cancer specialty tag will be available, and cash donations also will be accepted.

For information, visit PascoTaxes.com.

Study on ER manuals
Oak Hill Hospital’s Dr. Wayne Simmons, first-year anesthesiology resident, and Dr. Jeffrey Huang, program director of the hospital’s anesthesiology residency, published a peer review manuscript entitled, “Operating Room Emergency Manuals Improve Patient Safety: A Systematic Review.”

The aim of the review was to highlight the latest movements surrounding emergency manual  implementation nationally and abroad within perioperative medicine, with a focus on studies linking the emergency manuals to patient safety.

An emergency manual is a tool made to command all resources at hand in order to provide an anesthesia delivery plan, in conjunction with members of the anesthesia care team and operating room personnel in the aid of decision-making.

Dr. Huang participated last year in an emergency manual simulation instructor-training course in China.

The basis of the training course was that optimal outcomes in crises require that critical steps are performed in a timely manner.

Simulation workshops, demonstrations and training competitions have been tested and proven as effective ways to promote multidisciplinary simulation training and implementation of operating room emergency manuals in China.

Cancer center’s new physicians
The Advanced Cancer Treatment Centers at 14535 Cortez Blvd., in Brooksville, now has these physicians on staff:

  • Dr. Clayton Elliott Alonso has joined the oncology staff
  • Dr. Aaron Denson is on the medical oncology and hematology staff
  • Dr. Peter Zavitsanos has joined the radiation oncology staff

For information, call (352) 596-3622.

Hospital names CEO
HCA West Florida has announced Regina (Gina) Temple as president and CEO for Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.

Temple joins HCA Healthcare and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point from San Antonio, Texas, where for the past three years she has had executive leadership roles with the Baptist Health System. Most recently, she was the president of Mission Trail Baptist Hospital.

Prior to that, Temple served as the Baptist Health System Texas Group chief operating officer, and chief operating officer of North Central Baptist Hospital.

Temple earned her doctorate from Walden University, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of West Florida, and a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of South Alabama.

Cannabis dispensaries coming to Dade City?

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The Dade City Commission during a workshop session directed city staff to draft an amendment to the city’s land development regulations that would allow medical marijuana dispensaries within one of the city’s zoning districts.

Commissioners, at their Sept. 24 workshop, indicated that the dispensaries should be allowed in the general commercial zoning district.

That zoning district generally spans U.S. 301/U.S. 98 south and north of town and certain pockets of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) district, but avoids much of the city’s historic downtown main street and central business district.

The City of Dade City is considering an ordinance that would permit medical marijuana treatment centers in one of its business zoning districts. (File)

The amended ordinance would require any future standalone pharmacies and drug stores to locate within the general commercial district only, as Florida statutes prevent municipalities from enacting regulations that restrict dispensaries more so than traditional pharmacies.

However, existing pharmacies in other zoning districts would be grandfathered in and would be able to continue to operate as a legal non-conforming entity.

The workshop session set direction only.

Any drafted ordinance will come before the city’s planning board and have two public hearings before a formal commission vote.

The majority of commissioners concurred that limiting dispensaries and pharmacies to the general commercial district would offer convenient access for local residents facing debilitating conditions, and still preserve the historical integrity of the downtown area’s specialty shops and mom-and-pop businesses.

“The general commercial (district) seems to accomplish what we’re trying to do,” Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said. “We’re trying to find places within our municipality limits that we can have these (medical marijuana) facilities without adversely affecting merchants’ concerns, but also be sensitive to the needs of folks that are in need.”

Commissioner Jim Shive agreed the general commercial district “seems to have less impact to the direct downtown around the merchants,” but noted he is concerned about some existing pharmacies being deemed legal nonconforming.

“I think we all want to be very compassionate people,” he said, “but we all want to do the right thing.”

Commissioner Scott Black was the lone commissioner who favored an outright ban medical on marijuana treatment centers within the municipality.

He said dispensaries are “readily available” throughout Pasco County and have become more accessible compared to a few years ago.

The county presently has three medical cannabis dispensaries in New Port Richey and another situated near the Land O’ Lakes-Lutz county line.

“It’s much more convenient to go 20 miles now than it was before (Amendment 2) was passed when you couldn’t get it at all,” Black said.

Black also had reservations about any dispensary ordinance that could prevent a locally owned pharmacy or drugstore from opening up somewhere downtown.

Black observed: “Keep in mind, what you have is a goal for a livable, workable downtown, in terms of if you want a pharmacy downtown or don’t.”

Since 2016, the city has enacted five six-month moratoriums, or temporary ban, on the sale of medical marijuana while staff researched its potential impacts on the community.

The latest six-month moratorium expired Sept. 21. If no action is taken, dispensaries could theoretically locate in multiple zoning districts, including the historic downtown area.

It’s not the first time commissioners have sought to allow dispensaries in designated areas.

The commission earlier this year directed staffers to draft an ordinance that would have permitted dispensaries in all zoning districts where the city allows pharmacies, except in the CRA district.

However, the city’s planning board recommended denial of the drafted ordinance, primarily due to language that makes existing pharmacies and drugstores in the district legal nonconforming uses.

The planning board subsequently recommended the commission to extend the moratorium, which they did.

At the latest workshop, new Dade City Senior Planner Melanie Romagnoli pointed out the previously drafted ordinance wasn’t exactly kosher, because the CRA district isn’t truly a business zoning district. “We would have to rezone everybody in the downtown to a certain district and then ban it from that certain district to practice zoning law,” she explained.

When asked by the commission for a recommendation, Romagnoli all but endorsed allowing dispensaries within city limits in some form or another.

“Coming from a pure zoning standpoint, I don’t view medical marijuana as the recreational pot that a lot of people are concerned about,” the city planner said. “It’s heavily controlled, it’s heavily regulated, and you have to have a prescription to get, so I view that particular product as going to get your prescription antibiotics, and my personal opinion is we should not regulate what is sold inside of a pharmacy if it’s already regulated at the state and federal levels. I don’t want to deny medical access to those who may need it.”

The mayor followed that sentiment, saying dispensaries should to be examined in a “medical context” to serve local residents stricken with illnesses like cancer, glaucoma and so forth.

Said Hernandez: “My heart just can’t do anything but go, ‘Hey, wow, there’s a condition and a need that needs to be addressed that we can provide access to.’ You can argue about the location of it and all that, but still having access to it is very important.”

Published October 2, 2019

Health News 10/02/19

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(Courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

Jennifer Williams receives DAISY award
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point (RMCBP) has recognized Jennifer Williams as the recipient of its September DAISY award. Williams is a registered nurse in the Cardiopulmonary Recovery Unit and was recommended for the award by a patient who was in her care, as well as the patient’s family member. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, and honors the family of Patrick Barnes who succumbed to complications of an autoimmune disease. From left: DAISY Award Committee members Jeanine Baggott and Danielle Montanez Calabrese; Melanie Wetmore, RMCBP CNO; award winner Jennifer Williams; and, Daisy Award Committee member Aida Guardiani.

Two of the ‘star’ volunteers: Luvon Crafton, left, and Juli Ormsby
(Courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

Hospital honors volunteers
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point recognized its volunteers with the second quarter Star Awards.

Luvon Crafton has been volunteering at the hospital since May 2015, and has already accumulated 3,540 life hours and 4,567 merit hours. Crafton can be found at Welcome Center A and Welcome Center D.

Al Herrick has been regarded as a loyal and professional courtesy cart driver, volunteering since 2014, and has accumulated more than 1,250 life hours of service. He has a reputation for treating everyone with respect and dignity.

Juli Ormsby began volunteering in 2016 as a chaplain’s aide and has since become a licensed chaplain. In her three years at Regional Medical, Ormsby has accumulated more than 1,350 life hours and 1,500 merit hours.


Advocate positions available
Florida’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has advocate positions available in Hillsborough County.

Volunteers visit with residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult family care homes to ensure they are treated with dignity and respect.

Training and certification are provided, and volunteers participate in council meetings, administrative assessments and complaint resolution in facilities.

Those interested need to:

  • Enjoy working with seniors and those with disabilities
  • Plan to volunteer 20 hours a month
  • Pass a background check (paid for by the program)
  • Complete certification training
  • Communicate well
  • Attend a monthly meeting

Applicants can visit Ombudsman.myflorida.com or call (888) 831-0404 for information.

Recognitions for Oak Hill
Oak Hill Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for the Treatment of Sepsis Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards.

The certification recognizes health care organizations that provide clinical programs across the continuum of care for treatment of sepsis.

The certification evaluates how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.

For information, visit JointCommission.org.

Also, Oak Hill’s Transitional Year Program has received continued accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

The Transitional program is a one-year post-graduate program for residents to have a variety of training experiences before further subspecialty training.

Some of the fields requiring Transitional Year before beginning a specialty residency include anesthesiology, radiology, neurology, dermatology and ophthalmology.

Breast cancer awareness
The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office is set to team up with the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation during October. In their sixth year of collaboration, the agencies will once again strive to raise funds and bring awareness in combating breast cancer. Those purchasing first-time or renewed automobile registrations in October, may trade their plate for the End of Breast Cancer specialty tag at their local Pasco tax office. Proceeds from the tag promotion will go toward the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation. Cash donations also will be accepted. For information, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179 or visit PascoTaxes.com.

School district expands mental health services

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The Pasco County school district has been ramping up training and tapping into outside sources, in its quest to build a better mental health support network for students.

Statistics from across the school district underscore a compelling need for increased services.

District figures show that more than 1,200 suicide assessments were done last year of students in elementary, middle and high schools.

The breakdown showed that 463 suicide assessments were reported at the elementary school level; 408 at the middle school level; and, 308 at the high school level.

There also were nearly 600 threat assessments across the district, with 278 reported at the elementary level; 134 at the middle school level; and, 186 at the high school level.

Jeannine Welch, Melissa Musselwhite and Vicki Papaemanuel are leading up efforts to expand mental health services within Pasco County Schools. (B.C. Manion)

District data regarding Baker Act cases reported 171 at the elementary level; 211 at the middle school level; and, 207 at the high school level.

Baker Act cases involve individuals who are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others who are referred for mental evaluation.

“We obviously have many students that need significant support from us, relating to mental health,” said Melissa Musselwhite, the district’s director of student support programs, during a school board session on mental health held this summer.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning pointed to the suicide assessments.

“Twelve hundred and sixty — 463 just in elementary school alone,” Browning noted.

He also observed there were more suicide assessments at elementary level, than in high school.

“The same with threats,” noted School Board Chairwoman Alison Crumbley. “It’s (threats) higher at elementary.”

Jeannine Welch, senior supervisor for student support services, told board members that it’s  difficult to pinpoint what the statistics mean. For instance, a suicide assessment could refer to a student who was assessed, but not in any danger.

Musselwhite also said more information is needed: “Do we have the same standard for kids we are referring, let’s say for suicide assessment?

“If the kid has scissors and says, ‘I’m going to stab you,’ or ‘I’m going to stab myself,’ do we have a common practice across the district how we respond to that?

“Those are questions. I don’t know. We really need to analyze the data more deeply,” Musselwhite said.

Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools David Scanga said the statistics are telling.

“It does reflect the stress level of elementary that probably 10 years ago we didn’t see,” he said. “So, the stress on the families, the stress on the communities, the stress within the building. I hear what Melissa is saying, but we also know and agree that there are things in elementary that we’re dealing with that are more frequent — not that they were never there — but they are more frequent than they were in the past.”

To help address the needs, the district has been collaborating with Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, which has allowed the district to expand its services.

Central Florida has worked out a memorandum of understanding with all of the providers, so the district doesn’t have to obtain a separate contract for a specialized service, Welch said.

Students receiving services are run through a voucher system.

That helps stretch the district’s spending capacity because if a child is eligible for Medicaid, or would be potentially eligible, those dollars are used first, Welch said.

The district has added key personnel and has expanded training efforts.

It has added mental health coaches to coach school-based student services staff regarding mental health initiatives.

The mental health liaison has been able to help analyze data, and also has provided “literally, someone to call instantly in order to be able to problem-solve with some of the situations we have within schools,” Musselwhite said.

The district is working to improve its supports for students.

When a student has been Baker-acted, for instance, the district wants to be sure it supports that student when he or sure returns to school.

“We want to make sure that it’s truly done as a safety net for them,” Welch said.

“We’ve had kids that have been gone for a week and come back, and said they’ve been on a Disney cruise. They weren’t on the Disney cruise,” Welch said.

The district has ramped up training.

“We are required to train staff and make sure they have first-aiders at schools. When this first came out, we had zero trainers,” Welch said. “This summer we’ve trained 688 staff members.”

The district continues to build on its capacity, she said.

“We spent this year building up trainers,” she said.

“It shouldn’t just be the administrator. It should be others that, these are embedded practices that live on, regardless of the leadership,” she said.

“The state has rolled out a new threat assessment  protocol that we’ll be training all student services and administrative staff, in the next month (by Oct. 1),” Musselwhite said.

“The majority of the day will be around the threat assessment, behavioral threat assessment that the state mandated, using a specific  tool and a training platform,” said Vicki Papaemanuel, who will be overseeing the training for the district.

“The second half of the day will be around threat to self or suicide assessment,” she said.

Threat assessments
Elementary: 278
Middle: 134
High School: 186
Total: 598

Suicide assessments
Elementary: 463
Middle: 408
High School: 308
Total: 1,260

2018-2019 Baker Act Data
Elementary: 171
Middle: 211
High school: 207

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published September 18, 2019

Dade City sets workshop on medical marijuana dispensaries

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The Dade City City Commission again will consider whether or not to allow medical marijuana treatment centers within city limits.

This city’s six-month moratorium, or temporary ban, on such dispensaries expires Sept. 21.

Commissioners will have a workshop on the matter Sept. 24 at 4 p.m., at City Hall, 38020 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

In March, city leaders voted to extend its moratorium relating to the operation of cannabis dispensing organizations and the issuance of business tax licenses for such facilities.

It marked the fourth time commissioners passed a six-month extension of the moratorium. The original moratorium was enacted in 2016, to continue to study the potential impacts of such facilities on the municipality.

According to Florida Statutes, medical marijuana dispensaries and treatment centers are permitted in zoning districts where pharmacies are also allowed.

City leaders previously have expressed an interest to allow dispensaries, so long as they’re limited to commercial highways or the outskirts of town.

The commission earlier in the year directed city staff to draft an ordinance that would have allowed for medical marijuana in all zoning districts where the city allows pharmacies, except in the CRA downtown corridor and within 500 feet from any school.

However, the city’s planning board recommended denial of the drafted ordinance, with concerns about language ultimately limiting pharmacies or drugstores in the downtown area, in making them legal nonconforming use. The planning board then recommended the commission to extend the moratorium, with a time frame to be determined by the commission.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez emphasized the city needs to find a long-term solution to the matter, one way or another. “We can’t drag feet; we’ve got to do something,” she said.

Regarding medical marijuana facilities, City attorney Thomas Thanas said other Florida municipalities “are trying to get out in front of this with an ordinance one way or the other.”

“Quite a few communities have passed ordinances that ban dispensaries and quite a few have done just the opposite where they’ve allowed them,” he said.

Published September 18, 2019

Health News 09/18/2019

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(Courtesy of Area Agency on Aging)

Agency’s work on fall prevention garners honor
The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas (AAAPP) has been honored with the 2019 Aging Achievement Award by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), for its Better Living for Seniors Pinellas Falls Prevention Coalition. The Better Living program works to engage local aging business partners and drives community-wide work to reduce the prevalence of falls through a Fall Prevention Coalition. The initiatives include Denying Gravity, a comedic play; a series of quarterly community provider symposiums; and a pilot program at two assisted living facilities to reduce unnecessary calls for falls assistance. The AAAPP received the award at the n4a annual Conference & Trade Show in New Orleans.

Give blood, see a movie
The Big Red Bus is offering a free movie ticket and a Red Robin partner card in exchange for blood donations.

Generally healthy people age 16 and older, who weight at least 110 pounds, can donate. A photo ID is required.

For hours, locations and to make an appointment for the upcoming blood drive Sept. 20 to Sept. 22, visit OneBlood.org/redrobin, or call (888) 936-6283.

AdventHealth Zephyrhills recognized
AdventHealth Zephyrhills has been recognized as a High Performing Hospital for 2019-2020 by U.S. News & World Report.

The hospital earned high-performance ratings for heart failure and COPD, in recognition of care that was significantly better than the national average, as measured by factors such as patient outcomes.

U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 medical centers nationwide in nine procedures and conditions.

The annual Procedures & Conditions ratings are designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive care for common conditions, and elective procedures.

“This recognition is a testament to the commitment of our dedicated care teams and leaders to provide our patients with the highest quality of care,” said Amanda Maggard, president and CEO of AdventHealth Zephyrhills, in a release.

“We are honored to provide these services to make it easy for our community to get the best care every time they need us,” she added.

Executive director named
NAMI Pasco County (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has named Debbie L. Proulx as its first executive director in NAMI Pasco’s history.

Proulx will provide leadership and support to the management of all programs and activities.

She also will help to expand NAMI’s role in the community to better promote recovery, aid caregivers, and increase public awareness and understanding.

These measures will be taken to help eradicate mental health stigma and propagate improved services and research for those affected by mental health conditions.

Proulx brings with her expertise in fundraising and marketing, and has spent 20 years in the nonprofit sector as both a professional and a volunteer.

Quicker ER care
When an emergency happens, AdventHealth hospitals offer a way to get care fast. Through the website, GetInQuickER.com, a treatment time can be reserved. Users complete a brief, secure form, and get a confirmation with directions and details in return.

New medical staff
Access Health Care Physicians has welcomed Dr. Angie E. Layme to its medical staff.

Layme comes from the Tampa Bay Family Clinic, where she performed outpatient primary care and preventative medicine in the area of critical need for the geriatric population.

She is bilingual, fluent in English and Spanish, and is licensed in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Layme practices at 5350 Spring Hill Drive and 2173 Mariner Blvd., in Spring Hill.

Pasco Sheriff beefs up mental health services

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Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco is ramping up efforts to address mental health issues, in his agency’s daily work.

The sheriff explained his team’s approach to those attending the September breakfast meeting of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Nocco said mental health issues are expanding in a way that affects public safety, during remarks to dozens of chamber members at the Golden Corral in Zephyrhills.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco was the featured guest speaker at The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce September breakfast meeting at the Golden Corral in Zephyrhills. (Kevin Weiss)

About 11 percent of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office’s calls for service last year were mental-health related, which equates to approximately 19,000 calls.

But, Nocco estimates the figure is even higher because the agency data doesn’t take into account calls that are related to overdoses, runaways, domestic violence linked to addiction and substance abuse, and other incidents possibly rooted in mental illness.

“I can tell you,” Nocco said, “roughly 20 percent of our calls for service are mental-health related.

“The meat of what we deal with is mental health and substance abuse issues,” Nocco said, “so what we’re doing is identifying the highest usage of individuals that have mental health issues and are consistently calling us.”

In an attempt “to get ahead of the curve,” the sheriff’s office has implemented some new approaches, Nocco said.

Foremost among them is the agency’s new Mental Health and Threat Assessment Team (MHTAT), he said. The unit consists of 15 sworn personnel and Baycare Behavioral Health case managers, aimed to better serve the needs of people facing significant mental health issues.

The team’s primary task is to keep tabs on individuals who have been held involuntarily in a mental health treatment facility for up to 72 hours, through a state law known as the Baker Act. They focus on approximately 500 people who are Baker Act repeats.

The team uses a proactive approach that includes frequent visitations, welfare checks, expedited behavioral health resources and criminal justice diversion programs.

By getting to the “root issues” of problems and offering resources, the unit will help reduce the number of calls to 911 — thereby enabling patrol deputies to respond more quickly to urgent or violent calls, Nocco said.

Another unit component includes threat assessments and interventions for troubled students in the school system  —  as a measure to prevent school violence acts, or school shootings.

The county’s most at-risk kids are identified with assistance from school resource officers and the agency’s Child Protective Investigations Divisions, the sheriff said.

The at-risk kids typically include runaways, students with frequent school changes, those with prior run-ins with law enforcement or those with parents under child welfare investigations, he said.

The idea is to provide early intervention to help prevent future problems, Nocco said.

“I’m not saying we’re going to be perfect. There’s always that lone wolf, that one individual that just decides to do something, but, for the majority of people, if we can be smart about how we operate, we’re going to be way more successful.”

In Nocco’s opinion, the general rise of mental illness is tied to the proliferation of the digital age and the rise of social media. He displayed his own smartphone and said: “These are destroying us.”

The sheriff also noted that his agency is working to reduce the recidivism rate for inmates at the Land O’ Lakes detention center.

To that end, the jail has various inmate labor programs and vocational programs, including a welding program that allows inmates to get certified skills, with the aim of equipping them for jobs upon their release.

Said Nocco: “There are people that have addictions or people that have gone through problems  that made bad decisions, but now this is the first time in the jail that they actually get up at 4 o’clock in the morning, they’re actually doing work, they’re actually going, ‘Huh, if I do this I can succeed.’”

The sheriff also shared some other information about his department, including:

  • A memorandum of understanding his agency has with the City of Zephyrhills to operate a portion of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport in emergencies and natural disasters, such as hurricanes. The agency will use the location to distribute various resources (food, water, first aid supplies, etc.) throughout the county.
  • The K9 Tactical Center/Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security and Tactics (F.I.R.S.T.) is expected to have some of its first operations up and running by next spring. Construction on Land O’ Lakes-based forensics research and training center campus began in September 2018. The $4.3 million state-funded project is designed to provide “a holistic approach” to crime scene operations and investigations, as a collaborative resource for universities, forensic scientists and law enforcement.

Published September 11, 2019

Symposium seeks addiction recovery solutions

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A symposium is scheduled for later this month that will seek to create a blueprint for improving long-term substance abuse recovery efforts in Pasco County.

The Recover Out Loud Pasco Symposium is set for Sept. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Calvary Chapel Worship Center, 6825 Trouble Creek Road in New Port Richey.

Admission is free.

The symposium is being organized by Recovery Epicenter Foundation, a newly licensed and accredited recovery community organization operating out of Trinity.

The symposium will seek to engage individuals, stakeholders and community leaders in an effort “to grow community-oriented initiatives, cultivate community allies, and develop recovery peer-based programs,” according to the event’s flyer.

Its keynote speaker is Dona Dmitrovic, executive director of Las Vegas-based Foundation for Recovery and former National Director of Consumer Affairs for Substance Use Disorders at Optum, United Health Group.

Other noted speakers include:

  • Tina Levene, motivational speaker and published author on abuse and addictions
  • Pasco Sheriff’s Office Lt. Toni Roach, who heads the agency’s Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and Mental Health and Threat Assessment (MHAT) teams
  • Sara Mollo, Sixth Judicial Circuit chief assistant public defender
  • Former Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Lynn Tepper
  • Sarah Cobelli, Baycare Behavioral Health program manager
  • Ginny LaRue, Florida Alcohol & Drug Abuse Foundation recovery project director

Additionally, the symposium will feature interactive café conversations about which recovery-related services are working in the community and what needs more support, along with a series of panel discussions from people in recovery and existing recovery community organizations throughout Florida.

Thoughts and input gathered from the symposium will be incorporated into the Recovery Epicenter Foundation’s visioning process in November to better define action steps for recovery-based programming, said Recovery Epicenter Foundation RCO director Rachel Starostin.

“The whole thing is we want to get the community together,” said Starostin, who expects anywhere from 200 to 300 attendees at the symposium. “The community benefits when we all collaborate together.”

Trinity-based Recovery Epicenter Foundation is hosting a symposium to help find ways to improve long-term substance abuse recovery efforts in Pasco County. The Recover Out Loud Pasco Symposium is set for Sept. 28. (Courtesy of Recovery Epicenter Foundation)

Starostin said the Recovery Epicenter Foundation’s “ultimate goal” is to build a peer-run, recovery-oriented community center to facilitate programs in the way of employment assistance, transportation, health and wellness, recreational opportunities, independent support groups and so on.

“We’re like building a shell out of something that needs to exist. We’re building something out of nothing,” she said.

“It’s kind of an abstract concept, when you don’t have a building and trying to plan out the future,” she said.

Starostin emphasized the need for such a recovery facility to help people “rebuild their lives” once they get out of addiction treatment. That assistance may initially include assisting them with “locatable, tangible resources,” such as basic medical care, living shelters, food stamps and more.

Starostin put it like this: “As a general rule, until you meet somebody’s basic needs, they’re not really receptive to listen. Like, how well do you focus when you’re hungry and you haven’t eaten in two days?”

Meanwhile, Starostin said the upstart recovery community organization is looking to mobilize more peer specialists to help with implementing various recovery programs. Peer specialists, or peer coaches, are people who have been successful in the recovery process who help others battling addiction through shared experience, understanding, respect and mutual empowerment.

Said Starostin, “There’s something magical when one peer who’s suffered from substance use works with another. You identify with them, you trust them, and it’s not like a 12-step program, you help somebody kind of come up with their own plan.”

Recovery Epicenter Foundation’s recovery community organization operates as an independent, nonprofit entity — led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery.

Its mission is to support recovery through advocacy, education and peer-to-peer support services, to improve outcomes for persons seeking drugs and alcohol addictions.

Guidance and technical assistance on the Recovery Epicenter Foundation recovery community organization’s development process is coming from the Florida Recovery Project/Faces & Voices of Recovery, with collaboration from Florida Alcohol & Drug Abuse Foundation, Florida Department of Children and Families, and Peer Support Coalition of Florida.

An initial community listening session for the recovery community organization was held in February at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, followed by a symposium planning session.

The sessions have already brought together dozens of stakeholders, including persons in recovery and professionals in health care, criminal justice, faith-based organizations and others.

“When we started this process, there wasn’t a whole lot of momentum behind it, but we’re getting it; people are getting involved and they’re starting to understand,” Starostin said.

To register for the symposium, visit tinyurl.com/yygu9e3s.

For information, contact Rachel Starostin at or (727) 255-2036.

Published September 11, 2019

Health News 09/04/2019

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(Courtesy of Kirsty Churchill)

Charity night deals a good hand
The second annual Charity Casino Night raised net proceeds of $35,000 to support patient care for Gulfside Hospice. The fundraiser featured authentic casino-style gaming tables, a silent auction, a ‘giggle water’ station at the bar, dancing, and Restaurant Roulette and Prohibition Crate drawings.  A group of representatives from Maus Nissan, Queen sponsor of the event, showed off their flapper dresses and partied like it was the Roaring Twenties.

New epilepsy unit
AdventHealth Tampa has opened a new Epilepsy Monitoring Unit — the only one of its kind in Tampa Bay. It now has the only neuroscience unit with five beds dedicated specifically for treating and monitoring patients with seizures.

The unit also includes a control room where highly trained specialists can observe patients utilizing telemedicine capabilities that allow 24/7 monitoring of up to 24 patients, not only at AdventHealth Tampa, but at other facilities, including AdventHealth Connerton, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Carrollwood.

AdventHealth has partnered with Compumedics, a supplier of sleep, neurological monitoring and brain research systems, to bring the latest technology and software systems to AdventHealth Tampa.

Nurses and technicians who are specially trained in the treatment, diagnosis and monitoring of patients with seizure disorders will be present continuously on the unit.

AdventHealth Tampa is one of the largest epilepsy centers in Florida.

High-performing hospital
AdventHealth Wesley Chapel has been recognized as a High Performing Hospital for 2019-2020 by U.S. News & World Report, for hip and knee replacement, in recognition of care that was significantly better than the national average.

For the 2019-2020 ratings, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 medical centers nationwide in nine procedures and conditions.

Fewer than a third of all hospitals received any high-performing rating, and only 57 earned this rating in all nine procedures and conditions.

Know where to go
According to WellSpan Health, knowing whether to go to Urgent Care or to the Emergency Department can be broken down into these symptoms:

Urgent Care: stitches; back pain and strain; cold, flu and sinus; insect bites; allergies; constipation and diarrhea; cuts, burns and wounds; and, broken bones and sprains

Emergency Department: stroke; severe burns; shock; difficulty breathing; major trauma and injury; heart attack and chest pain; and uncontrollable bleeding

For more information, visit WellSpan.org.

Thoracic surgeon joins team
Dr. Mathew Ninan, an expert in the surgical treatment of lung cancer and other surgical procedures involving chest organs, has joined West Florida Thoracic Surgery, at 9332 State Road 54, Suite 405, in Trinity.

He specializes in surgery of the lungs, esophagus and other chest organs, including upper abdominal surgery of the esophagus, such as anti-reflux surgery, hiatal hernias and achalasia.

Ninan has been performing robotic, minimally invasive lung surgery since 2008.

He completed his surgical training in London and his cardiothoracic training at the University of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania.

Ninan has been named a U.S. News & World Report top doctor for several years.

Residents recognized
The Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point announced that three of its GME residents received high recognition in the HCA West Florida Graduate Medical Education Consortium Poster Exhibition.

“The event showcased the great research, scholarly activity, and quality initiatives being undertaken by residents and fellows across all GME programs in the HCA West Florida Division,” said Dr. Frederick M. Schiavone, vice president and designated institutional official of the West Florida division, in a release.

The three physicians recognized are:

  • Dr. Ken Baxa, rheumatology: first place Scientific Award, for “Assessment of Intravenous Micronutrient Therapy (Myer’s Cocktail) for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia”
  • Dr. Paul Hoffman, internal medicine: third place Scientific Award, for “Doxycycline Induced Acute Pancreatitis”
  • Dr. Huma Zuman, transitional year: first place Inter-Professional Award, for “Spectrum of Imaging Findings on CDT Perfusion of Brain for Acute Stroke”

Blood donations needed

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As all eyes are on Tropical Storm Dorian, OneBlood, the local nonprofit blood center serving Florida and the majority of the Southeast, says it must begin storm preparations now and is urging all eligible blood donors to donate before Dorian potentially impacts parts of its service area, according to a news release.

Ensuring a ready blood supply before, during and after the storm is crucial. While all blood types are needed, there is an increased need for O Negative and O Positive blood, as well as platelet donations.

Tropical systems can disrupt the blood supply for several days. The most critical time for blood donations is prior to any storm in order to sustain the blood supply during and immediately after the event.

Generally healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood.

OneBlood encourages all eligible donors to make blood donation part of their storm preparations and visit a donor center or Big Red Bus as soon as possible.

For a list of OneBlood locations and to learn more about the importance of blood donations, visit OneBlood.org.