The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Health

Health News 11/21/2018

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Offering comfort and camaraderie
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club prepared and served a brunch to residents of Hope Lodge, a facility that houses patients who are receiving long-term cancer treatments at Moffitt Cancer Center. The club aims to uplift the patients’ spirits with a home-cooked meal and fellowship. For information, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org.

 

Hospital to participate in Rose Bowl
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point received an invitation to participate in the 2019 Donate Life Rose Parade float hospital CEO rose dedications.

Only a select group of hospitals in the area 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 donations.

The float has grown into a national tradition featuring dozens of participants, including those who have received transplants, those who are living donors, and deceased donors memorialized in “floragraph” portraits integrated into the float’s design.

One of the trademarks of the annual float design is the Dedication Garden, which provides an opportunity for the CEOs of hospitals; transplant centers; and organ, tissue, and eye recovery organizations to dedicate a Donate Life rose.

Sharon Hayes, Regional Medical Center’s chief executive officer, will prepare the 2019 note to be placed in the float.

Buccaneers team up for breast cancer
Florida Hospital (soon to be AdventHealth) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers teamed up for the sixth annual Treasure Chests 5K and Fun Run on Oct. 21, to celebrate breast cancer survivors, and to benefit breast cancer research and patient services in Tampa Bay.

The race started and ended at the Buccaneer’s indoor practice facility at the AdventHealth Training Center. All racers were invited to the Breast Cancer Awareness football game.

The Honorary Race Starter was Carol Henderson, a three-time survivor currently living with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Henderson also received pre-game VIP access and pirate ship passes, and was recognized on the field during the game.

Medication disposal
National Take-Back Day, on Oct. 27, garnered more than 587.3 pounds of medications gathered in Pasco County alone.

The Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention reminds the community that people do not have to wait for the next Take Back Day to dispose of unused or unwanted medications in a safe manner.

Pasco County has seven permanent drop boxes for safe medication disposal (both prescription and over-the-counter). Find the nearest location by visiting PascoASAP.com.

Medications also can be disposed of by using a Deterra Bag. These bags deactivate the ingredients of medications, making them safe to dispose of in the trash and unavailable for misuse. Bags are free, and can be picked up at the Florida Department of Health offices in Dade City, New Port Richey and on State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel.

New rehabilitation program for women
The Salvation Army Tampa Adult Rehabilitation Center, 13815 N. Salvation Army Lane in Tampa, will now be able to offer help and education to women for their drug and alcohol problems. The center has been providing a six-month to 12-month residential program for men.

A separate residence will be constructed and will contain 10 bedrooms (each bedroom will house three women), an intake office, library/two classrooms, offices/conference room, kitchen, dining room, great room, recreation room, fitness room, laundry/hair-cutting station, and two resident managers’ rooms.

The center also will have a chapel to seat 250 persons for both the men and women, their families and friends, and the public.

The new program is expected to start up in December.

For information, call S. Richard Hodder at (813) 972-0471, ext. 59079.

Two initiatives become law
The office of Congressman Gus Bilirakis has announced that H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act has been signed into law.

The SUPPORT act is part of the bipartisan legislative package and will help continued efforts to combat the opioid crisis by advancing treatment and recovery initiatives, improving prevention, protecting communities, and bolstering efforts to fight deadly illicit synthetic drugs like fentanyl.

The second initiative is the Sober Home Fraud Detection bill (H.R. 6092), which provides standards for Sober Living Homes.

These two Bilirakis-authored provisions mark the 25th initiative the veteran lawmaker has written that have become law since 2015.

Tampa hospital launches expansion
Florida Hospital Tampa, part of the West Florida Division of Adventist Health System (soon to be AdventHealth), broke ground on a six-story, 300,000-square-foot patient and surgical tower at the corner of Fletcher Avenue and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Tampa.

The project will include 24 brand-new operating rooms, a new hospital entrance, and more than 100 all-private dedicated surgical care beds.

The $256 million tower will be named The Taneja Center for Innovative Surgery, recognizing the family of Jugal and Manju Taneja, who provided the largest donation ever to Florida Hospital West Florida Division.

The center is expected to open in 2021, and will also include several hundred additional parking spaces, and a redesigned landscape.

Florida Hospital Dade City set for upgrades

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A slew of upgrades are coming to Florida Hospital Dade City.

The hospital’s parent company, Adventist Health System, is investing $20 million into various infrastructure and technological improvements to the 120-bed facility located at 13100 Fort King Road.

Florida Hospital Dade City president and CEO Amanda Maggard made the announcement during a recent breakfast meeting hosted by The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Florida Hospital Dade City is getting a $20 million makeover over the next 18 months. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Dade City)

The upgrades will include a new lobby and cafeteria, as well as renovated units and spaces, which will see new flooring and automated medical equipment.

Maggard said several of the upgrades will go into effect over the next 18 months, as other capital improvement projects are also being determined.

“We have some really exciting things that are about to happen,” she said.

In addition to facility renovations, Maggard also mentioned the hospital’s first-ever electronic medical records system, Cerner, launches on Dec. 2

The $5 million system is expected to make it easier for network providers to access and share information with the hospital.

“It helps us not just provide a more connected patient experience, but it helps us understand the data,”  Maggard explained.

Those aren’t the only changes coming soon to Florida Hospital Dade City.

Beginning in January, all of Adventist Health System’s wholly owned hospitals and hundreds of care sites across its footprint will adopt the AdventHealth name and logo.

Florida Hospital Dade City president and CEO Amanda Maggard (File)

In east Pasco, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills Health and Rehab Center, and Zephyr Haven Health and Rehab Center will also take on the AdventHealth title.

That announcement was made by the company in August.

The organization said the naming structure was made to better allow consumers to more easily distinguish AdventHealth’s care locations and services; it does not reflect a change in ownership or business structure.

Maggard said of the rebranding: “This is not anything other than we’re trying to be that one unified team providing that same care. We have the same vision, the same mission across all of our facilities.

“You wouldn’t’ know as a consumer that we’re all connected. We’re one large organization with one goal, one purpose: To provide this whole-person care — not just your physical needs, but your mental and your spiritual needs as well.”

Adventist Health System is one of the nation’s largest faith-based health care systems, with more than 80,000 employees across 50 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites throughout 10 states.

Published November 7, 2018

Local author hopes his story will help inspire others

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Remington Walls hasn’t let his disease define him — and he wants the same for those dealing with similar circumstances.

The 18-year-old Land O’ Lakes native has lived a life without regular food or drink since he was diagnosed at age 4 with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), a rare, incurable disease where all food deteriorates his esophagus.

Remington Walls (Courtesy of Stephanie Walls)

His only source of nutrition has come via a hypoallergenic amino acid-based liquid formula, called Neocate EO28 Splash.

The abnormal disorder has not stopped him from living a normal life, however.

Remington overcame the hardship to become a standout varsity baseball player at Land O’ Lakes High School — and good enough to be selected to play in the Pasco County Senior All-Star Baseball game last year.

He was also a solid student, earning multiple college scholarships.

Remington is now a freshman a Valdosta State University (Valdosta, Georgia) where he’s studying to become an athletic trainer. He is also a volunteer assistant with the Valdosta State baseball team.

Published author can also be added to Remington’s list of accomplishments.

‘Homeplate: A True Story of Resilience’ follows the journey of Land O’ Lakes native Remington Walls who has a rare esophageal disease that prevents him from consuming regular food or drink. Walls persevered to become a standout varsity baseball player at Land O’ Lakes High School and Pasco County Senior All-Star selection. He is now a freshman at Valdosta State University, where he is studying to become an athletic trainer. (Courtesy of NOW SC Press)

His autobiography, “Homeplate: A True Story of Resilience,” delves into his foodless life, with the hope of inspiring others.

The 118-page book is co-authored by his mother, Stephanie Walls, who shares her memories and insights on coping with the disease from a parent’s point-of-view.

The book will be released on Nov. 25.

“Remington wanted just to kind of motivate people and encourage people that regardless of your situation, find a way to overcome and persevere. There’s some pretty powerful things he has to say in his book,” Stephanie Walls said during a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

The book, which was written this past summer, is particularly geared toward anybody dealing with a life-altering disease, said Stephanie, an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Cypress Creek Middle High School in Wesley Chapel.

“The book is really more of an inspiration from Remington’s perspective,” she said. “We can either choose to wallow over the cards we’ve been dealt in life, or we can just pick up those pieces and somehow make a way to where there is no obstacle that’s going to get in our way.”

Last year, Remington’s life was thrown another curveball when his family’s insurance no longer covered the liquid formula that’s required for sustenance.

Since then, Remington and Stephanie have both advocated for state and federal legislation for formula coverage for medical nutrition. They also continue to work closely with the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED), a nonprofit advocacy organization for those living with eosinophilic related disorders.

To order the book, visit NowSCPress.com/product-page/homeplate.

Remington Walls book release

Book Signing
Where: Barnes & Noble, The Shops at Wiregrass, 28152 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel
When: Nov. 25, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Info: (813) 907-7739

Book Launch
Where: Barnes & Noble Carrollwood, 11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa
When: Nov. 25, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Info: (813) 962-6446

Published November 7, 2018

Bilirakis honored as Public Servant of the Year

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The American College of Cardiologists has recognized the efforts of Congressman Gus Bilirakis to improve health care outcomes for patients by honoring him with the 2018 President’s Award for Distinguished Public Service. Among the public health initiatives spearheaded by Bilirakis is the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act. This legislation addresses the need to invest in continued research to assist millions of Americans living with congenital heart disease, and is waiting for final approval in the Senate.

Expansion of substance abuse treatment

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Premier Community Health Center in Pasco County will receive $285,000 to expand its scope of services and offer integrated substance use disorder and mental health services treatment.

Of these funds, $110,000 will be used to hire personnel, and $175,000 will be allocated for renovation of facilities at its Zephyrhills substance abuse/mental health treatment center.

Patients from throughout Pasco County will be able to access substance use and mental health services at this location.

The grant was funded through the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus spending bill.

Medical Center of Trinity seeks new ways to improve care

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Anyone who has driven along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor during the past few years can easily see that the landscape is rapidly changing in Pasco County.

Subdivisions and businesses are popping up everywhere, and the need for medical services continues to grow.

Responding to that explosive growth and to evolving patient needs is only part of the equation, though. Keeping up with medical advances, staying abreast of new treatment approaches, equipping hospital staff with leading edge technology and adjusting to changes in government regulation, are other elements in Medical Center of Trinity’s quest to set itself apart for its quality of care, said Leigh Massengill, the hospital’s chief executive officer, during a recent North Tampa Bay Chamber luncheon.

Leigh Massengill, the chief executive officer of Medical Center of Trinity, was the featured speaker at a recent North Tampa Bay Chamber luncheon. She shared news that the hospital will be expanding services and will be adding a medical residency program next year. (B.C. Manion)

“We try to strategize very carefully to meet the needs of the growing community, to identify the things that people are going to need — recognizing that health care is changing at a fast pace while we’re trying to make those decisions,” Massengill said.

For instance, “more and more things are being done on an outpatient basis.

“Whoever thought that you could get your total knee replaced in an ambulatory surgical setting and go home the same day? What next?”

While the main hospital campus is now on State Road 54, the hospital had its start in New Port Richey.

“We celebrated our 40th anniversary of providing health care as Community Hospital of New Port Richey, just shortly before we moved in February of 2012 to this new location,” Massengill said.

The hospital had to retool itself and rethink its approaches, as it shifted from taking care of a group of patients with an average age of 82, to one that serves patients ranging from neonatal care to the senior population.

It was quite a culture shock for the organization, the CEO said, and continues to be an adventure as the hospital contemplates how it will grow with the community.

The hospital executive brings a wealth of experience to the challenge. Her background includes working in hospitals ranging from 150 beds to 1,500 beds in both public and faith-based settings. She began her career as a registered nurse and has held a number of leadership roles in nursing and hospital operations.

The hospital sits on a 55-acre campus and is currently occupying about 24 acres.

Additional services to meet area needs
“Since we moved in, we opened a neonatal intensive care unit, which was the first in Pasco County and is the only still, in Pasco County. That has enabled us to keep mommas, that have high-risk pregnancies, within their hometown.

“Before that, we were consistently referring people down to Pinellas and Hillsborough counties for that higher level of care. We’re now able to retain them closer to home, closer to family, especially, if you have a child that’s going to be in an intensive care unit for three weeks after their birth, invariably, you have two other kids at home and who’s taking care of that while you’re traveling 50 miles down to All Children’s Hospital?

“Two years after opening, the hospital began doing open heart surgery, now completing about 150 open heart surgeries annually.

“We keep getting more minimally invasive, as you know, and just about any type of invasive procedure is getting more and more catheter-based, more and more teeny incisions, or more and more robotic,” Massengill said.

The hospital is part of HCA West Florida, which is part of the HCA Healthcare family, and it has  distinguished itself in the HCA system, which includes 180 acute hospitals, Massengill said. The hospital’s surgery/ortho/spine unit was ranked No. 1 within HCA.

She praised the hospital’s staff for the accomplishment, noting the distinction is based on document excellence in a wide range of measures and required substantial work to achieve.

On another front, the hospital has added 14 observation beds, next to the emergency department. That change came in response to new government regulations.

“The government has changed reimbursement. The expectation is, if you show up at a hospital, we have the obligation to determine, as you’re rolling through the door, whether you’re going to require two hospital nights, in order to be considered admitted and an inpatient.

If we’re not certain, we have to keep you in an observation status, do as many diagnostic tests that are necessary to determine whether you’re going to need an inpatient stay, or to stabilize you and have that care continue on an outpatient basis. They give you 24 hours to accomplish that diagnostic testing,” she said.

Current expansion plans on the main campus call for completion of the east side of the fifth floor, and to do the east side of sixth floor for further growth and expansion.

“We continue identifying ways to differentiate ourselves relative to quality,” Massengill said.

The hospital has extended its footprint, to extend its care by adding three freestanding emergency departments, with one in Lutz, Citrus Park and Palm Harbor.

“In those facilities, 95 percent of the patients are treated and released,” she said.

The hospital also plans to add a behavioral health unit for the elderly at the New Port Richey campus.

“We’ve had many physicians come to us, asking us to create this kind of a program,” Massengill said. “We’re looking forward to opening that, once the state gives us the seal of approval.”

The hospital also recently received approval to begin a medical residency program, which will begin in 2019, the hospital leader said.

As it continues to operate in an environment of almost constant change, the hospital remains focused on achieving excellence in staff performance and patient outcomes, Massengill said.

“We know that the consumer of health care is getting more and more savvy, and they shop for excellence before they make the decision,” she said.

Medical Center of Trinity

  • Opened Feb. 7, 2012
  • 288 all-private rooms on its main campus

2017 figures

  • Total annual admissions: 16,222
  • Total annual emergency visits: 77,096
  • Total patients treated: 119,298
  • Active physicians: 380
  • Total employees: 1,482
  • Taxes paid: $8.1 million
  • Charity and uncompensated care: $22 million
  • Salaries, wages and benefits: $113 million

Source: Presentation by Leigh Massengill, Medical Center of Trinity, to members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber

Published October 24, 2018

Health News 10/28/2018

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(Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North)

First phase of hospital’s expansion complete
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North completed the first phase of its $75 million expansion project with the unveiling of four new operating suites on Oct. 1. Construction on the rest of the project continues, expected to be finished in 2020. At completion, the hospital will have two additional patient care floors and will double the current number of patient rooms to 216 total. From left, front row: Kathy Myers, LuAnn Peters, Arlene McGannon, Nancy Medina, Lerma Eastty, Brian Morrison, Jessica Degele, Ieshia Jones, Joanne Murphy, Nicole Brunner and Charlette Nankovitch. From left, back row: Jeff Felice, Renata Barbora and Jim Wilson.

New VA outpatient clinic location
Congressman Gus Bilirakis announced the new location of the consolidated West Pasco VA Outpatient Clinic, which will be housed at 7932 Little Road in New Port Richey, north of the Pasco County Government Center and south of Ridge Road, on the east side of Little Road.

Bilirakis secured $11 million for the facility in 2014.

The newly constructed facility will be 114,000 square feet – more than double the current clinic’s size.

The site will offer more parking and provide expanded services so that veterans will have to travel less frequently from West Pasco to the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa.

The new outpatient clinic will consolidate health care services now administered at five locations.

The facility will offer services for mental health, primary care, vision, dental, home-based primary care, MRI and CT, ultrasound, X-ray, audiology, pharmacy, prosthetics, physical therapy, lab, eligibility and enrollment, release of information, library, police and canteen.

Pasco County to hold first Alzheimer’s walk

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When Jennifer Graff realized her mother was losing her independence, little did she know that she would become a full-time caregiver.

Graff’s mother, Rose, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011, after a horrific car crash.

Since then, she has resided in several living facilities while gradually losing her memory.

On Oct. 20, attendees of Pasco County’s first Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be able to take part in the 3-mile journey and learn more about supporting the cause. (Courtesy of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Florida Gulf Coast Chapter Facebook page)

Graff will walk on behalf of her mother on Oct. 20 during Pasco County’s first Walk to End Alzheimer’s program.

The event will be held at Starkey Ranch District Park in Odessa, open to both the public and their pets.

“We want it to be as accessible as possible for everybody,” said Kaylie Male of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Florida Gulf Coast Chapter. “Whether or not you can afford to make a donation, you can still come out.”

Participants can register either individually or as a team, beginning at 8 a.m. Donations are welcome, but not required.

Everyone who is registered will receive a Promise Garden flower. The flowers will come in four colors – purple, blue, yellow and orange – each representing the participant’s relation to Alzheimer’s disease.

The Promise Garden Ceremony will be at 9 a.m., where everyone will get to display their flowers.

“It’s a really wonderful opportunity for people to bond,” Male said, noting the ceremony serves to unite strangers.

After that, there’s a 3-mile walk, which is expected to attract more than 300 walkers.

This will be Graff’s fourth walk. She said she generally heads to the front of the line so she can turn around to marvel at the number of those present.

“I’m so proud of the people standing around me and everyone trying to help find a cure,” she said.

Graff visits her mother on weekdays at a Tampa assisted living facility, helping to make sure her needs are adequately met.

“My mom is almost a completely different person from who she was,” Graff said reflecting on her mother’s transition.

Although she has witnessed the slow regression, she said she takes solace in knowing her mother is content and at peace with the world.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. More than 14,000 of those are Pasco residents.

“We really knew there was a need in the area,” said Male, on why the county was chosen for this year’s walk.

The event will provide education on the disease, advocacy opportunities, clinical studies enrollment and support programs.

The Edward Jones corporation is the 2018 National Presenting Sponsor for the Alzheimer’s Association. It has already pledged to raise $4 million for this year.

The company’s New Port Richey branch will accept ‘early bird’ donations on Oct. 18, as well as Wesley Chapel Nissan on Oct. 16.

Donations also can be made through the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter’s Facebook page or by using the Walk to End Alzheimer’s phone app.

To preregister before the event, visit Act.alz.org/pasco.

For additional information, contact Kaylie Male at (727) 578-2558 or .

Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Where: Starkey Ranch District Park, 11880 Lake Blanche Drive, Odessa
When: Oct. 20; registration at 8 a.m., and walk at 9 a.m.
Cost: Free
Details: The public is welcome to join Pasco County’s first Alzheimer’s walk to raise funds and awareness.
Info: Contact Kaylie Male at (727) 578-2558 or . Preregistration and donations can be made online at Act.alz.org/pasco.

Published October 17, 2018

A movement of color for battered women

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club hosted a fundraiser and luncheon to benefit the Sunrise Domestic Violence Shelter of Pasco County. The venue was awash in a sea of purple as members wore the color to bring attention to the topics of domestic and sexual violence. The luncheon raised more than $1,100, which was presented to the shelter, along with a truckload of donated items to assist the shelter’s residents. For information about the club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org.

Health News 10/10/2018

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Support breast cancer research
During the month of October, all Pasco County Tax Collector offices will be accepting donations for the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation.

Individuals who have automobile registration renewals coming due in October may choose to trade in their regular license plate for the End Breast Cancer specialty tag. Customers may also purchase the tag for newly registered vehicles.

Proceeds from the tag promotion will go directly to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation to help Floridians battling with this disease.

Additionally, customers can use the voluntary check-off box on their registration form and donate directly to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation.

Cash donations also will be accepted.

For information on this promotion, call Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

For more about the foundation, visit FloridaBreastCancer.org.

Information regarding risk factors, breast cancer screening, and signs and symptoms of the disease will be available at all five tax collector offices.

Walk-in clinic expands
Doctor’s Urgent Care Walk-In Clinic will open its third location in the Trinity/Odessa area.

The clinic is scheduled to open in early December and will be at 13256 State Road 54 in Odessa, just west of Gunn Highway.

The clinic’s new location is in response to the large influx of new residents and extensive construction in the region.