The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Health

Griswold celebrates 35 years

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The first Griswold Home Care office opened in 1982, fulfilling founder Jean Griswold’s goal of providing care that would keep seniors, the infirmed, and those recovering from injury in the place they love the most – their homes.

In the 35 years since its opening, Griswold Home Care’s thousands of caregivers have seen to the daily needs and comfort of hundreds of thousands of clients across the country.

Jean Griswold passed away last year, but Arthur and Frieda Moseley, of Griswold Home Care of Pasco County & Tampa in Lutz, say they see her vision in action every day.

For information, visit GriswoldHomeCare.com.

Hospital participates in Rose Bowl

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(Courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point received an invitation to participate in the 2018 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 donation. Joe Rudisill, the hospital’s COO, writes a note to be placed in the Donate Life Rose Parade float.

Pasco reviewing lawsuit proposal linked to opioid epidemic

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More than 15 years ago, a landmark settlement against tobacco companies netted billions of dollars for plaintiffs who sued over smoking-related illnesses.

The nation’s opioid epidemic may be headed in that same direction.

And, the Pasco County Commission is mulling a proposal to join a growing number of governments that are seeking to recoup public dollars spent battling opioid addictions.

At a Dec. 5 workshop in New Port Richey, Pensacola-based attorney Jeff Gaddy laid out a case for why Pasco should join the legal fray.

County commissioners made no commitment, but accepted a proposal for review.

“We’ll make a decision down the road,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells. “We know it’s an epidemic.”

If approved, legal action would be taken on a contingency basis, with Pasco paying no upfront costs and only paying attorneys in the event of a settlement.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, who attended the workshop, favors the lawsuit.

“This is a pill epidemic that didn’t have to happen,” he said.

Every deputy now carries a supply of Narcan, the brand name for naloxone. The medication can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Nocco said 40 people “have been brought back” by deputies and first responders administering Narcan.

Gaddy’s firm is among seven law firms litigating the issue in states including West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.

The group has about 120 clients in more than 10 states, and to date has filed more than 80 lawsuits. Some lawsuits could eventually be consolidated into a single lawsuit.

“We are without a doubt the national leader in this litigation,” Gaddy said.

The lawsuits are filed against drug distributors and manufacturers. They allege false claims about the safety of opioids and a massive pill distribution that created a “public nuisance,” he said. “They should be held accountable for it.”

Distributors are required by law to report suspicious orders to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. But, Gaddy said those rules have been violated.

He cited reports from West Virginia that 780 million pills were distributed over six years in a state with about 1.8 million people.

“It was off the chart by any stretch of the imagination,” Gaddy said.

There are about 800 drug distributors, but Gaddy said three major distributors typically have been named as defendants in lawsuits. They are Cardinal Health, McKesson Corp., and Amerisource-Bergen.

The goal is to force plaintiffs to establish abatement funds that would pay for the drug damages to communities through education programs in schools, costs to law enforcement, and funds to support drug prevention and addiction recovery programs.

Gaddy said, “There is no county in the nation with enough beds to handle the flood of victims of their pills.”

Published December 27, 2017

Health News 12/27/2017

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(Courtesy of Keth Luke)

Charity show rakes in over $40,000
The inaugural Charity Fashion Show, at Heritage Springs Golf & Country Club in Trinity, benefitting Gulfside Hospice, raised more than $40,000 to support patient care in Pasco County. From left: Linda Ward, president and CEO of Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care; Deiah Riley, morning anchor from ABC Action News and event emcee; and, Carla Armstrong, director of philanthropy for Gulfside.

Hospital appoints Courtney Stephenson
The Medical Center of Trinity has appointed Courtney Stephenson as assistant chief nursing officer. Stephenson was promoted to the position from her chief nursing officer position at Northside Hospital.

Stephenson has been with HCA for almost 11 years, staring her career as a registered nurse at Medical City Fort Worth in 1996.

She also has served as a director of risk management and patient safety, vice president of clinical services and interim chief nursing officer during her time in HCA.

In 2014, she entered the Executive Development Program and was promoted to associate chief nursing officer at Medical Center of McKinney.

Stephenson has a Master of Science in nursing administration from the University of Texas, Arlington, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Christian University.

Casino Night benefits hearing impaired
Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation had its annual Las Vegas Casino Night at Seven Springs Golf and Country Club in New Port Richey, to benefit the Children’s Hearing Help Fund.

Visitors took part in gaming, auctions, dinner, and music and dancing throughout the event.

All proceeds, more than $6,000, will benefit the hearing fund.

To contribute to the fund, drivers who are renewing a license or motor vehicle registration also can check the box to “CHHF” and add a dollar or more to their fee, which will be donated to Sertoma through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Honor a loved one with a paper dove
Gulfside Hospice thrift shops are offering two paper doves, with a place to write the name of a loved one, for $1 donation for anyone who would like to honor a loved one’s memory during the holiday season.

One ornament can be placed on a decorated tree at the shops, and the second dove is for the donor’s tree at home.

Doves can be purchased at any Gulfside Hospice thrift shop location, as well as the three Gulfside offices.

For store locations, visit GHPPC.org.

For information about the ornaments, call Gulfside’s Philanthropy Department at (727) 845-5707.

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

The five office branches promoted the sale of the “End Breast Cancer” specialty license plates, as well as voluntary check-off donations on automobile registrations.

Forty-two plates were sold, and combined with the cash donations a total of $7,882.68 was raised to help fight the disease.

Adventist Health System to buy Bayfront Health in Dade City

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Adventist Health System, which is the parent company of Florida Hospital, signed an agreement to buy the 120-bed Bayfront Health Dade City Hospital, according to a news release from Adventist Health System.

The deal is expected to close in early 2018.

Details on the sales price weren’t disclosed.

The sale will include the hospital, at 13100 Fort King Road, as well as physician clinic operations and outpatient services.

“Finding a partner to allow a seamless medical care experience for our patients is important,” said Linda Stockton, in the news release. “Florida Hospital can bring their experience to build on our history of service and success.”

Bayfront is owned by Community Health Systems.

The sale is the “best plan for the future of Bayfront Health Dade City, according to the news release.

“Bayfront Health is a valuable asset to Dade City and its residents, and we want to continue the long history of providing essential care in that facility,” Mike Schultz, chief executive officer of the Adventist Health System West Florida Division, said in the release.

In recent years, Community Health Systems has struggled financially, and has been selling its hospitals.

A new release from Community Health System issued in November previewed “additional planned divestures,” based on $110 million loss in the third quarter of 2017. That was an increase over losses last year.

According to a news release, Bayfront Health in Dade City was one of those divestures.

About $40 million in losses for 2017 resulted from complete or partial shutdowns of some hospitals in Texas and Florida during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, according to the company press release.

Published December 20, 2017

Health News 12/20/2017

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(Courtesy of Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation)

Hearing on the go
Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida Inc., had a ribbon-cutting and a presentation of its new mobile audiology services van at the Amazing Kids Academy in Lake County. The van will provide pediatric hearing screenings and evaluations, along with fitting and dispensing hearing aids. The foundation’s focus is rural and underserved communities. For information, visit FamilyHearingHelp.org.

 

Hospital appoints nurse manager
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point has appointed Jessica Saunier, registered nurse Trauma Nurse Core Course, as nurse manager of its Med/Oncology 3 North unit.

Saunier was promoted from the Critical Care Unit where she worked for years.

She is completing her Bachelor of Nursing degree from Grand Canyon University.

Saunier began at the hospital in the Critical Care Unit after completing nursing school at Pasco-Hernando State College and was nominated to begin an internship in critical care.

She also has acted as a relief charge nurse.

New breathing clinic opens
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point has opened a Better Breathing Clinic to assist patients with managing disease processes that affect the patient’s ability to lead active and full lives, due to medical conditions that affect breathing.

A number of diseases impair the ability to breathe sufficiently, including COPD, congestive heart failure and heart valve disease.

The clinic opened Dec. 8, and is staffed by a practicing pulmonologist and cardiologist.

For information, call (727) 819-2945.

BayCare adds new doctor
BayCare Medical Group, 4211 Van Dyke Road, Suite 101B, in Lutz, has added Dr. Swasha D. Fields, who specializes in family medicine.

Fields is board-certified in family medicine, specializing in primary and preventive care. She earned a Doctor of Medicine from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed a family medicine residency at the University of South Florida-Morton Plant Mease in Clearwater.

For information, visit BayCareMedicalGroup.com.

Crisis Center leaders honored
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay serves as the community gateway to services related to crisis and trauma.

Katie Androff, vice president of talent management, won the Government/Nonprofit category for the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s People First Awards.

Androff has been in the human resources field for the past 15 years, with the most recent three years in her current position.

Barbara Curts, board member of the center and senior vice president commercial banker for Seacoast Bank, was recognized with the Gayle Sierens Volunteer of the Year Award for National Philanthropy Day.

Curts spends her days in the bank office downtown, and volunteers for four 15-hour night and weekend shifts a month as a victim advocate for the crisis center.

Hospital graduates ambassador class
Oak Hill Hospital’s ambassador program is designed to promote global understanding of hospital operations and enhances teamwork in cooperation across all internal departments. The program is modeled after the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Hernando program.

Recent graduates include: Kristy Dubious, diagnostic imaging manager; Juan Rios, environmental services manager; Lanna Bartz, ambassador program liaison; Heather Murphy, practice manager; Barbie Gregory, cardiac cath lab registered nurse; Kaysee Brinkley, physical therapist; Peter Marmerstein, HCA West Florida Division president; and James Hudson, physical therapist.

For information, visit OakHillHospital.com/About/Newsroom.

Young women get hands-on science experience

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The Perry Initiative held a one-day program at Medical Center of Trinity to give young women a hands-on experience in science, and to broaden their exposure to opportunities in the fields of orthopedic surgery and engineering.

Erin Sinnott said participating in The Perry Initiative at Medical Center of Trinity was ‘an amazing experience,’ far exceeding her expectations. (Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity)

The event, which was last month and was co-sponsored by the Medical Center of Trinity, involved 40 young women selected to attend from 16 local high schools.

The students had a chance to learn from prominent women surgeons, engineers and business women in the field of orthopedics.

Women currently make up 7 percent of the surgeon and engineer workforce in the field of orthopedics, according to a news release from The Perry Initiative. The event was intended to help give participants exposure to potential careers options.

The students had the chance to perform surgical simulations to correct scoliosis deformity, to fix a broken leg and to repair a rotator cuff, according to the news release.

The day included lectures on engineering and orthopedics, the simulations and a question-and-answer session.

Land O’ Lakes, Sunlake and Steinbrenner were among the participating high schools.

Dr. Jennifer Cook, orthopedic surgery, was instrumental in bringing the program to the medical center.

Kylie Siminiski, a student at Steinbrenner High School, works with Dr. Jennifer Cook during a one-day program at Medical Center of Trinity aimed at giving young women exposure to the fields of engineering and orthopedic surgery.

Alyssa Kovacs, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High School, was impressed by the one-day program.

“I thought the experience was great. It definitely changed my mind about what I want to do.

“I knew I wanted to be a doctor working in a hospital … but, I didn’t think I wanted to go into ortho surgery. I never really thought about ortho surgery until The Perry Initiative.

“I really don’t know to explain it: It clicked something inside,” the high school junior said, in an interview after completing the program.

“It was a great experience, and it definitely changes how you see things,” Kovacs added.

Erin Sinnott, a senior at Sunlake High School, also gave high marks to the program.

“It was amazing. I wasn’t really expecting so much when I walked in,” Sinnott said.

“At first they showed us what we were doing, then we broke off into small groups, and we got to do it all by ourselves,” she said.

The experience has inspired her to consider the possibility of becoming an orthopedics surgeon, she said.

Published December 13, 2017

Health News 12/13/2017

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From left: Kurt S. Browning, Pasco County superintendent of schools; Bruce Inverso, senior vice president Health Strategies, American Heart Association; Dr. Rao Musunuru, award recipient; Kathy Fenelon, regional vice president Quality & Systems Improvement, American Heart Association; and, Cynthia Armstrong, chairman Pasco County School Board. (Courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

Cardiologist recognized for promoting CPR education
The Pasco County School Board recognized Dr. Rao Musunuru, a practicing cardiologist and chairman of the board at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, and longtime American Heart Association volunteer, for his role in furthering CPR education in local high schools.

Musunuru made a donation to the American Heart Association to ensure every high school in Pasco County has the appropriate CPR training materials to continue CPR education through at least the year 2020.

The donation provided mannequins, replacement parts, AED simulators, teacher guides and other tools needed for proper hands-only CPR implementation.

 

Bayfront and Gulfside honor veterans
Thirty-two veterans received an American flag pin and a thank-you at the Veterans Day Celebration Breakfast and Pinning Ceremony hosted by Bayfront Health Dade City and Gulfside Hospice.

Each veteran in attendance was called by name and recognized for years of service in the various United States military branches.

The guest speakers included Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez and Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley.

A fallen soldier table served as a reminder of those veterans who gave their lives to serve our country. Veterans observed a moment of silence before the pinning to pay respect to those represented by the table.

Military veterans and guests were encouraged to reach out to servicemen and servicewomen suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), or with other needs, by calling the Veterans Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255.

This is the fourth year the two organizations have partnered for the event.

Hospital receives ‘A’ for patient safety
The Medical Center of Trinity, 9330 State Road 54, was one of 832 hospitals nationwide awarded an “A” for its commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States from The Leapfrog Group.

Developed under the guidance of a Blue Ribbon National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice a year.

To see Medical Center of Trinity’s full grade, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

Holidays can be sorrowful for some

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Seasonal carols, tinsel-draped trees and jolly Old St. Nick convey a time of merriment and joy, but the holidays can be difficult for those grieving a significant loss.

To help people to cope with their sadness, Gulfside Hospice is offering free holiday grief support workshops on Dec. 7 in Zephyrhills and Dec. 12 in New Port Richey.

Kelly Cavagnetto, a bereavement counselor, will be conducting the sessions, which will last about 90 minutes and will be the same in both places. They aim to provide some strategies to help people trying to navigate what can become an especially challenging emotional time.

“The first holidays after somebody passes, there can be a lot of anxiety about the upcoming holiday,” Cavagnetto said. “There’s a lot of feeling unsure: ‘I don’t want to decorate, but do I have to decorate? Should I decorate?’”

Those who are grieving often worry whether familiar traditions or foods will trigger a greater sense of sadness for them, the counselor said. Someone might say: “I don’t know if I can cook the same meal they enjoyed eating.”

The grief session aims to give those grieving some tools, she said.

“Our main goal is to sort of brace them for that, and help give them some of the coping skills to kind of get through the day,” she said.

It’s a good idea to begin preparing, Cavagnetto said, because “Christmas, Hanukkah — those winter holidays are coming whether we want them to, or not. We can’t really avoid them.”

In her session, she talks about the importance of “self-care.”

Find ways to help reduce stress, she suggested, which can include listening to music, meditating, drawing or other techniques.

It’s a good idea to have a family meeting to talk about expectations and needs, she said.

The meeting can start something like this, she said: “We’ve had some big changes this year. This is how I’m feeling about it. What do you guys expect from me? What do you expect from the season? How can we pull this off? Can we pull this off?

“We really encourage our families to talk it out amongst themselves, because everyone has different expectations and different needs,” the counselor said.

“Maybe if there’s a young child in the home, they expect a tree to go up. But, maybe that’s not something we’re going to do. So, if they can come up to some type of a compromise where they have a small tree in their room, where somehow everyone’s needs are fulfilled, she said.

Consider creating new traditions, Cavagnetto said.

“Sometime we can’t do the same old thing, there’s too much emotion attached to it. So, if your family always cooked at home, and your spouse was a big part of cooking that meal, or your parent was a big part of cooking that meal, it’s OK to think about going out this year,” she said.

Another strategy involves finding a way to memorialize your loved one.

“Maybe there was a special decoration that mom always had to have out on the tree, or displayed somewhere special,” she said.

Or, maybe you want to make a new ornament, or set a place at the table for your loved one, or find another way to honor the loved one’s memory, she said.

Some people light a candle in the loved one’s favorite scent.

“You can even do that year-round, when you’re having a rough day, thinking of them,” she said.

It’s also important to realize that emotional triggers often occur unexpectedly, the counselor added.

For instance, lately she’s been hearing a lot about people being upset about memories popping up on Facebook.

“Those pictures are coming back up for people, and they might not expect them to be there,” she said.

People who are grieving often don’t know if they can handle attending a holiday gathering, Cavagnetto said.

“I tell my clients: ‘Always have an escape plan.’

“If you typically carpooled to a holiday party, maybe this year you want to drive by yourself.

“You always want to able to exit, when you’re ready to exit,” she said.

She also tells them to be aware of their emotional levels.

“It’s OK if you’re only there for 15 minutes, and you get your hellos and your happy holidays in, and make a break for it,” she said.

It’s also important for those who are grieving to identify where they can turn for support, whether it’s a counselor, or family member or friend.

For those wanting to show support to someone who is suffering a loss, it’s a good idea to check with them to be sure they’re OK.

“See if they have any holiday plans. If they say they don’t want to do anything this year, just let them know what you’re doing, and let them know that they’re invited. They might change their mind, day of. Or, they might get to that point where they’re really lonely, and they might need somebody to reach out, so it’s important to know who’s there,” Cavagnetto said.

“People can feel really alone. If it has been a few months, they feel that other people have settled back into their routine and don’t even talk about their loved one anymore, their spouse or their parent, or their child, whoever it was,” she said.

Sometimes, they’ll want to talk about their loved one, other times they won’t, she said. The important thing is to be willing to listen, to talk and to share memories, if they’d like to.

When it comes to grieving a loved one, Cavagnetto said, “there is no cookie-cutter answer.”

Holiday Grief Support Workshops
Where: Gulfside Center for Hospice Care, 5760 Dean Dairy Road, Zephyrhills
When: Dec. 7 at 4 p.m.
Or: Gulfside Bereavement and Community Outreach Center, 6230 Lafayette St., Dec. 12 at 4 p.m.
Both of these sessions will be free, and those attending will talk about techniques to help them cope with their grief during the holidays. Both sessions are expected to last about 90 minutes and will cover the same content.

Information: Call Kelly Cavagnetto at (727) 845-5707.

Published December 6, 2017

Bringing smiles to others

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(Courtesy of Oak Hill Hospital)

Oak Hill Hospital’s Pediatric Emergency Room received a visit from Notre Dame Catholic School students, who presented the hospital with five boxes of books to be distributed to the sick children. Teacher Elise Buckner and the children planned the project to bring smiles to others and encourage a love of reading. Notre Dame students stand in front of the donated books with Director of Emergency Services Kim Loucks.