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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Health

Health News 03/14/2018

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(Courtesy of Kirsty Churchill)

Hospice benefit raises more than $10,000
At least 125 bikers cruised across Pasco County to raise more than $10,000 for Gulfside Hospice at the sixth annual Hittin’ the Road for Hospice. The Golden Eagles Motorcycle Club received the Wings & Wheels Fundraising Award for the club that raised the most money, and for having the most club participation. Grant Hile, Golden Eagles’ club president, left, accepts the award from Carla Armstrong, Gulfside’s director of philanthropy.

 

 

 

New surgical services manager
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point has promoted Evangeline “Vangie” Pagulayan as manager of surgical services, where she will oversee pre-admission testing, same-day surgery, the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, EBCD education (evidence-based clinical documentation), and the entire OR patient experience.

Pagulayan started at the hospital in 1983 serving on the medical/surgical unit, and later worked in the surgical intensive care unit before joining the post-anesthesia care unit.

Shedding light on depression, mental illness

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Tracy Daniels knows what it’s like to battle mental health issues.

A retired combat war veteran, Daniels spent seven years in therapy following his second tour in Iraq.

Following a 37-year military career, Daniels now seeks to help others who are dealing with mental health issues.

Tracy Daniels, a master-level practitioner at Baycare Behavioral Health, was the featured speaker as part of a depression awareness seminar at Pasco-Hernando State College. He discussed issues regarding depression and other mental disorders, including how to recognize signs and symptoms of depression, risk factors and ways to cope with the disease. (Kevin Weiss)

Daniels is a master-level practitioner at Baycare Behavioral Health. He was the featured speaker at a depression awareness seminar at Pasco-Hernando State College. The Feb. 21 event was part of the state college’s ongoing Community Awareness Series, open to the public, students, faculty and staff.

The talk touched on how to recognize signs and symptoms of depression, risk factors, and ways to cope with the disease.

The speaker touched on the stigma associated with mental disorders, such as depression — and the belief from some that sufferers are “crazy,” “psycho” or just plain “attention-seeking.”

Those attitudes are often because people are ill-informed about mental health problems, and they base their thinking from what’s portrayed in media.

“If there’s something going on with me, it does not mean I’m a crazy individual. It means that I need some help,” Daniels said.

“We think people that have mental issues are going to do things and act in a certain way, and that’s the furthest thing from the truth,” he added.

Daniels steered much of the conversation toward depression.

As it turns out, that illness is widespread.

The National Institute on Mental Health estimates that in the United States, 16.2 million adults over age 18 had at least one major depressive episode in 2016.

This number represents nearly 7 percent of all U.S. adults.

Additionally, one in five adults in the U.S., display some sort of mental health disorder each year. Anxiety is reported as most common, followed by major depression and substance use disorder.

Depression can drastically affect a person’s ability to work, carry out daily activities, and engage in satisfying relationships, Daniels said.

Physical symptoms can range from fatigue and lack of energy, to unexplained aches and pains, as well as irregular sleeping and eating patterns, he said.

Behavioral symptoms can include crying spells, withdrawal from others, neglect of responsibilities, loss of interest in personal appearance, loss of motivation, slow movement, or use of drugs and alcohol.

They may also exhibit feelings of guilt, confusion and low self-esteem.

In addition to serious mood, cognitive and physical symptoms, depression is associated with higher rates of chronic disease, increased health care utilization, and impaired functioning.

Daniels said the impact of moderate and severe depression is comparable to someone with multiple sclerosis, asthma, chronic hepatitis B, and even someone who’s quadriplegic.

“We don’t think in those terms of how depression shuts us down, but it does,” he said.

The speaker cautioned against bombarding depression sufferers with intrusive questions. He also noted that constantly watching them could create anxiety, and cause them to feel more “helpless” and “hopeless.”

“Do not keep asking them, ‘What’s wrong?’ People that suffer with depression — half the time they can’t even tell you what’s wrong with them because they don’t even know,” Daniels explained.

The speaker also said family and close friends need to determine if a depression sufferer is getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep, he said, can exacerbate depression symptoms and cause psychotic-like behavior because “they can’t shut themselves down.”

He offered several best practices in helping someone deal with depression:

  • Don’t touch the person, unless they give you permission
  • Avoid direct eye contact, and refrain from staring
  • Avoid sudden or rapid movements
  • Don’t make promises you cannot keep
  • Be genuine with them
  • Talk calmly to them, and ask what you can do to help

Depression-related suicide was also broached during the seminar.

Daniels said a “red flag” to watch out for is sudden mood changes — such as overt happiness — as it may indicate “they’ve made up their minds to complete the suicide.”

Said Daniels, “All along they’ve been depressed, they talk about it, all of a sudden one day they say, ‘I’m OK now. Everything is fine.’

“We miss it by thinking, ‘They’re OK now. They’re doing so much better.’

“That’s when you need to ask questions.”

Daniels also urged students dealing with mental disorders to not be afraid to seek help. His life improved after he sought treatment, he said.

“I had to understand what I was dealing with and how to deal with those situations in my life. There’s nothing wrong with being transparent and letting people know certain things,” he said.

“All of us go through problems in life.,” Daniels said. “There’s no shame in that.”

Possible signs and symptoms of depression

Physical:

  • Fatigue
  • Lack of energy
  • Irregular sleep patterns
  • Irregular eating patterns
  • Constipation
  • Changes in weight
  • Headaches
  • Irregular menstrual cycles
  • Loss of sexual desire
  • Unexplained aches and pains

Behavioral:

  • Crying spells
  • Withdrawal from others
  • Neglect of responsibilities
  • Loss of interest in personal appearance
  • Loss of motivation
  • Slow movement
  • Use of drugs and alcohol

Psychological

  • Sadness
  • Anxiety
  • Guilt
  • Anger
  • Mood swings
  • Lack of emotional responsiveness
  • Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
  • Irritability
  • Frequent self-criticism, self-blame, pessimism
  • Impaired memory and concentration
  • Indecisiveness and confusion
  • Tendency to believe that others see you in a negative light
  • Thoughts of death and suicide

Source: Baycare Behavioral Health

Published March 7, 2018

A surprise visit

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(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Connerton)

The staff at Florida Hospital Connerton Long Term Acute Care Facility in Land O’ Lakes arranged a surprise for patient Christine Carbonneau. Carbonneau’s longtime partner thought a visit from her horse, Ireland, would help to lift her spirits. Staff members were able to get Christine outside so she could visit eye-to-eye with Ireland.

Health News 02/28/2018

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(RIchard K. Riley)

Gratitude for those who help save lives
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Bayfront Health Dade City showed its appreciation to local EMS for their dedication to providing day-to-day lifesaving services. Doughnuts were handed out, along with comfort bears, made by the East Pasco Quilters, for pediatric patients. From left: Tim Reardon, Pasco County fire chief; Jan Eichenberger, Roxanne Ritter and Sue Sereti, East Pasco Quilters; Becky Murphy, ER manager; Amanda Martin, chief nursing officer.

 

 

 

Gulfside launches new website
Gulfside Hospice & Palliative Care has launched a new, redesigned website.

The new site is mobile friendly, easy to navigate and a resource for those looking for local hospice and non-hospice palliative care.

New features include a “Frequently Asked Questions” video library, virtual tours of the Gulfside Centers for Hospice Care, a Griefwords Library with articles about coping with loss, streamlined online donation process and event registrations, and more.

Users also can submit online referrals for hospice and palliative care, download a digital version of the company’s brochure and download volunteer applications.

Gulfside can still be found at the same website: GHPPC.org.

Veteran health services
The Pasco County Vet Center and the Mobile Vet Center offers counseling for readjusting to civilian life, military sexual trauma, bereavement, post-traumatic stress disorder, and marriage and family. Also available are resources for benefits information and suicide prevention referrals.

All services are confidential and free for veterans and family members.

The center is at 5139 Deer Park Drive in New Port Richey, and is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

For information or to tour the facility, call (727) 372-1854.

Hospital welcomes new doctor
Oak Hill Hospital has welcomed Dr. Jon Chadwick, board-eligible otolaryngology, to its medical staff.

Chadwick completed his residency and internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, and received his medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine.

For information, call (352) 688-0800, or visit SuncoastENTSurgery.com.

Health initiative encourages more movement

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The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County and the “Get Healthy Pasco!” coalition, are encouraging residents to “Move More!” at Pasco County parks through April 30.

A Community Needs Assessment was completed by Pasco’s health department in 2017, determining four areas of priority in the county, one of which was overall health and well-being. This prompted the launch of the coalition, “Get Healthy Pasco!”

(Courtesy of Pasco.FloridaHealth.gov)

Many organizations that got involved focused on the health and well-being of Pasco County residents through physical activity and healthy nutrition choices, as well as systems and environmental changes.

Health experts say that being active can assist with reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. It also can strengthen bones, muscles and joints, and improve mental health, relieve stress and improve sleep, over time.

An initiative was rolled out this month called “Move More!”

Pasco County has more than 50 outdoor parks available to the public, and the program aims to increase awareness of these resources, so residents can take advantage of them and become more active.

Residents can join “Move More!” online. The goal is to visit at least five parks in the county before April 30, and become eligible for a prize.

To register and print out a list of park locations, visit tinyurl.com/y94gzz7f.

For additional information on healthy events in Pasco County, contact Amina Ahmed at (727) 619-0143 or .

Residents also can complete a DOH-Pasco satisfaction survey at SurveyMonkey.com/r/FMXPW3M.

Published February 21, 2018

Health News 02/21/2018

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(Courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

Star volunteers!
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point recognized its Star Award winners for the fourth quarter of 2017. From left: Joanne Eramo, has volunteered for more than 10 years and has more than 2,700 hours of service; Fred Fredricksen, a volunteer for more than seven years has nearly 2,000 hours of service; and, Rose Sell has been at the hospital for more than three years and has more than 2,400 hours.

 

Acute care facility gets new program
Florida Hospital Connerton Long Term Acute Care Facility in Land O’ Lakes now has the BeSmart Safe Mobility and Reposition Transfer program in place for the benefit of employees and patients.

The new equipment eliminates manual lifting, and provides mechanical options to reduce employee and patient injuries. The program includes an overhead lift in the gym and a special walker for patients who are able to use it.

Additional BeSmart equipment is scheduled to be installed by the end of the year.

Gulfside launches new website
Gulfside Hospice & Palliative Care has launched a new, redesigned website.

The new site is mobile friendly, easy to navigate and a resource for those looking for local hospice and non-hospice palliative care.

New features include a “Frequently Asked Questions” video library, virtual tours of the Gulfside Centers for Hospice Care, a Griefwords Library with articles about coping with loss, streamlined online donation process and event registrations, and more.

Users also can submit online referrals for hospice and palliative care, download a digital version of the company’s brochure and download volunteer applications.

Gulfside can still be found at the same website: GHPPC.org.

Legacy stroll raises nearly $14,000 for hospice

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Members of Team Pat Jones & Company CPAs on the memorial walk route. (Courtesy of Kirsty Churchill)

The inaugural Hospice Legacy Stroll at Sims Park in New Port Richey raised nearly $14,000 to benefit Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care. The stroll was inspired by the original Hike for Hospice.

More than 60 people participated in the memorial walk. Several stations were set up along the path, allowing families and friends to remember and honor loved ones.

Awards were given to the top fundraising teams, which included Let’s Stroll ($300), Trilogy Team ($290) and Richard’s Riches ($250).

Gulfside chaplain Steve Graybill was recognized with the Dove Award for receiving the most Hospice Hero recognitions from families throughout the past year.

Raising awareness about drugged driving

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A case of drugged driving forever changed the lives of parents Joey and Tammy Leonard.

Now their mission is to ensure other families don’t experience the same anguish they must handle every day.

On Oct. 12, 2015, the Leonards lost their daughter, Kassidy Leonard, her husband, William Griggs, and their 12-day-old baby granddaughter, Kimberlynn Dawn Griggs, after a horrific head-on collision with an impaired driver in Tennessee.

The driver, Benjamin Franklin, then 28, had crossed over the road into the oncoming lanes and struck Grigg’s vehicle on State Highway 13 in Houston County, Tennessee.

The young family was instantly killed.

Kassidy Leonard, her husband, William Griggs, and their 12-day-old baby daughter, Kimberlynn Dawn Griggs, were killed by a drug impaired driver in October 2015. Kassidy’s parents, Joey and Tammy Leonard, shared their personal story during a driving prevention seminar at the Pasco-Hernando State College East Campus in Dade City. (Courtesy of Joey and Tammy Leonard)

Franklin, who was under the influence of oxycodone, methamphetamine and amphetamines at the time of the crash, survived.

He was later sentenced to 36 years in prison for vehicular homicide.

“We say we received a life sentence, because of a senseless, preventable act of a grown man. It’s difficult for us to understand,” said Joey Leonard, associate dean of academic affairs and retention services at PHSC’s East Campus.

The Leonards shared their personal story during a panel discussion on drugged driving prevention at the Pasco-Hernando State College East Campus in Dade City.

Topics centered on the consequences of impaired driving, along with the risks of illegal and prescription drug use while operating a motor vehicle. Law enforcement and medical professionals weighed in.

The Jan. 30 event was part of the college’s ongoing Community Awareness Series available to community members, students, faculty and staff.

The issues
The National Institute of Drug Abuse says the use of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription drugs can make driving a car unsafe — just like driving after drinking alcohol — putting the driver, passengers and others who share the road at risk.

The effects of specific drugs differ depending on how they act in the brain, according to the organization.

For example, marijuana can slow reaction time, impair judgment of time and distance, and decrease coordination. Drivers who have used cocaine or methamphetamine can be aggressive and reckless when driving. Certain kinds of sedatives, called benzodiazepines, can cause dizziness and drowsiness.

Drugged driving is widespread nationally.

According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 11.8 million people age 16 drove under the influence of illicit drugs in 2016, the latest data published on the topic.

Approximately 21 percent of the 31,666 fatal crashes in the U.S., in 2015 involved at least one driver who tested positive for drugs after the incident, according to federal data released to USA TODAY and interviews with leaders in the field.

In Florida, there were 281 drug-related crash fatalities in 2015. That figure has risen every year since 2010, when 109 drug-related crash fatalities reported.

Panelists extensively pinpointed the use of marijuana.

Each warned students about the risks, especially when operating a vehicle.

“Marijuana alters your judgment, and it’s something you shouldn’t be doing before you get behind the wheel of a car,” said panelist Jessica Boh, who’s in her final year at the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy.

Pasco Sheriff deputy Barry Nixon, another panelist, many times has witnessed the effects of those driving under the influence of marijuana.

Nixon explained many of his marijuana-related DUI arrests have been those traveling over 100 miles per hour, usually in a 45 mph zone.

“When you smoke marijuana, your heart rate goes up, your pulse goes up,” Nixon said.

“The impairment effects can last in your body for 24 hours. Just like with pain medication or anything, you don’t know how long it’s going to affect you or what it’s going to do. …. You don’t know what it does for you.”

Recreational drugs aren’t the only problems, however.

Drugged driving can also extend to over-the-counter medications and prescription medications, Boh explained.

“The reality is, any medication can affect your ability to drive,” she said.

Her advice is to read prescription labels and consult a pharmacist on how different drugs can affect driving and how it may interact with other medications.

“It’s your responsibility to know whether or not those medications impair you,” Boh said.

“If it makes you dizzy or lightheaded, it’s probably not a good idea to take it and then get behind the wheel of a car. There’s a lot of dangerous interactions that can happen with over-the-counter medications and prescription medications.”

Seeking solutions
The topic of drug culture also was discussed during the event.

Panelist James Lear set the blame on pop culture, particularly for negatively influencing millennial by glamorizing drug use.

Lear is a medical consultant at Becton Dickinson and has worked in the pharmacy industry for nearly 30 years, with expertise in a drug diversion programming.

“Shun pop culture,” Lear said. “Find somewhere else to find your values from.”

Lear also urged students to look out for each other and not fall into the peer pressure of abusing drugs and alcohol.

In the event of drug or alcohol use, he advised students to call a cab or ride-sharing service, like Uber or Lyft, instead of getting behind the wheel. “There’s no excuse to not make sure you have a safe way home,” he said.

Lear also encouraged students to get involved in their community and local politics to influence regulatory measures on public safety issues.

“Change your world. Change the way you live in it, and be an influence for good,” Lear said.

Since that tragic day in 2015, the Leonard family created a website, StopDruggedDriving.net, to educate and raise awareness about drugged driving and drugged driving fatalities, as well as provide resources for those struggling with addiction. They’ve also been advocates for strengthening penalties for drugged driving.

“Our prayer is that one day drugged driving will cease to exist and other families will never have to put up with the tragic loss of loved ones that we have,” Tammy Leonard said.

For more information, visit StopDruggedDriving.net.

Published February 7, 2018

Mission 22 helps fight the war on veteran suicides

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U.S. military personnel are trained to go into combat and face deadly dangers, but it turns out that adjusting to life after leaving active duty can sometimes pose greater perils.

That was the message that Shawn Huber brought to the Jan. 23 luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lutz at the Heritage Harbor Country Club.

Shawn Huber, an ambassador for Mission 22, talks about the problem of military veteran suicides during a Rotary Club of Lutz meeting on Jan. 23. An estimated 20 veterans die by suicide each day, according to research by the department of Veteran Affairs. (B.C. Manion)

Huber, an ambassador for Mission 22, talked about that organization’s efforts to reduce the number of veterans who lose their lives to suicide.

An estimated 20 veterans die by suicide each day, according to research by the department of Veterans Affairs.

It’s a problem that led to the creation of Mission 22, said Huber, noting that he went to high school with one of the group’s original founders.

“What Mission 22 is looking for is financial donations to get these guys through treatment,” he said. It also needs ambassadors to help organize local events.

So many wounded warriors have injuries that cannot be seen, Huber said.

“People are like: ‘How do you know when people are going through this?’

“You don’t.

“If you’re missing an arm or a leg, I know you’ve been injured, right? But, if you don’t show any outward sign of injury — it’s all internal — people pass it off as if there is nothing wrong with you,” Huber said.

“The thing about military families — the wives and children know that Dad comes and goes. “What happens when Dad comes home and stays home. They don’t know how to handle them,” Huber said. “They try to ‘fix’ them.”

Veterans leave the service, where they were part of a team and had a specific role, to return to society, where they are no longer part of that team and can’t find a job that correlates with the one they left, Huber said.

“You were trained to do a job, and that job doesn’t exist,” Huber said.

Many are suffering from PTSD, too.

“They start drinking. They’re doing drugs,” he said.

“There are people that I’ve talked to — who have been on between 25 and 47 different drugs at once,” Huber added.

Some people who end their life by suicide choose that route, he said, because “in their minds, sometimes, this is the easiest way for them not put a burden on their friends and their family,” he said.

When someone ends his or her life, people often wonder: “What is the one thing that pushes them over the edge?” Huber said. “It’s not one thing.”

And, it’s often not easy to tell who might need some help, Huber added.

“You very rarely will find out who in your neighborhood is coming back from the military, unless they’re damaged physically and they’re missing a limb,” he said.

“We want to create awareness,” Huber added.

“What I’ve volunteered to do is that when people are ready and they want to make a change in their lives, I take them from where they are, to better.

Mission 22 has two treatment programs that focus on Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The goal is not to medicate and mask the problems our veterans are facing, but to heal them. The creation of these Mission 22 Healing Projects will allow us to support even more veterans through groundbreaking treatments.

One program can be done at home, and the other is done at a treatment facility in North Carolina.

For specifics about each program, visit Mission22.com.

Published February 7, 2018

New emergency room services available for local residents

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Two new emergency rooms have opened in Pasco County, giving local residents more convenient choices in times of need.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel had a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of its Central Pasco ER in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital-West Florida Division)

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel opened the doors to its new free-standing Florida Hospital Central Pasco ER in Land O’ Lakes, located offsite from the hospital, on State Road 54, just east of the Suncoast Parkway. The hospital expanded its health services in order to serve more residents in the growing area of central Pasco County.

Construction began last spring, and the new 18,000-square-foot facility features a year-round full-service emergency department with 24 beds and state-of-the-art on-site imaging, such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan and onsite laboratory services.

The new emergency room is staffed with board-certified emergency medicine physicians, as well as nurses who specialize in emergency care.

The Medical Center of Trinity’s new ER 24-7, in Lutz, is now open at 1430 Dale Mabry Highway. (Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity)

Ambulance services also will be offered for patients who come to the Central Pasco ER and need to be admitted to the hospital.

The offsite emergency room officially began to treat patients on Jan. 29.

The Medical Center of Trinity’s new free-standing emergency department, ER 24-7, in Lutz, is now open at 1430 Dale Mabry Highway, next to Walmart.

The facility offers access to emergency care 24-hours a day, seven days a week, with a multitude of resources for acute care of a serious illness or injury.

The full-service ER provides more advanced emergency services than an urgent care center and will accept patients via ambulance. It also has onsite CT scan, ultrasound and laboratory services, and is staffed by physicians board-certified in emergency care and nurses with emergency care experience and certifications.

Published February 7, 2018