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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Health

Health News 11/15/2017

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(Courtesy of BayCare Health System)

Hospital team receives award
The St. Joseph’s Hospital-North team was named the Environmental Services Department of the Year by the American Hospital Association’s Association for the Healthcare Environment. The award was presented to just two hospital facilities nationwide.

St. Joseph’s department was recognized for its professionalism, expertise, patient satisfaction, and efficiency, surpassing other entries in the “Up to 249 Beds” category.

Seventeen of its 26 team members have completed the training necessary to become a certified healthcare environmental services technician through the AHE. The certification program sets national standards in infection prevention, effective communication, evidence-based cleaning protocols and more.

National Hospice Month
The Board of Commissioners for Pasco County has proclaimed the month of November as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, and commended the staff from Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care for its service to the residents of Pasco County.

County Commissioner Mike Wells, District 4, visited Gulfside’s West Clinical Office in New Port Richey to present the proclamation to Gulfside’s team.

In the last year, Gulfside’s staff of interdisciplinary professionals has cared for 2,445 patients facing a life-limiting illness in Pasco County.

In celebration of National Hospice Month, Gulfside Hospice is offering complimentary copies of Five Wishes, an easy-to-use tool with advance directives and planning information prior to becoming seriously ill.

To receive a free copy, contact the Community Relations Department at (800) 561-4883 or , or stop by Gulfside’s Corporate Resource Center at 2061 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

Learning the ins and outs of medical marijuana

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Medical marijuana is a fact in Florida.

Voters approved it in a 2016 referendum.

Lawmakers passed a law regulating it, effective January 2017.

Cities and counties generally are writing local ordinances in line with state law to permit dispensaries, but limit their locations.

Local governments, however, do have the option to ban them.

Pasco County commissioners are expected to vote on an ordinance in November that will treat medical marijuana dispensaries as pharmacies — and prohibit them from operating within 500 feet of public and private schools.

A display at a medical marijuana forum shows the many ways medical marijuana is delivered to patients. There are topical creams, vaporizers, oral syringes, tinctures and nasal sprays. (Kathy Steele)

The full impact of legalized medical marijuana, also known as medical cannabis, is a work-in-progress, with potential for legislators to tinker with the law in 2018.

A Community Awareness Series, hosted by the Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, took on the issue at its “Medical Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Symposium” on Oct. 26.

About 100 people attended the seminar, which was open to students, faculty and the public.

The college wants “to bring dialogue and conversation to the issues that can affect our lives,” said Kevin O’ Farrell, provost at the Porter Campus.

Speakers included Keith Stolte, an ophthalmologist, who owns Stolte Eye Center in Spring Hill; and, Victoria Walker, media relations for Trulieve, one of 17 state approved dispensaries.

Stolte began treating patients with medical marijuana as soon as the state law took effect on Jan. 3.

He previously had researched medical marijuana and believed in its benefits for a host of ailments, in addition to glaucoma.

“We’re changing lives,” Stolte said. “If anybody told me we’d be getting the results we’re getting, I wouldn’t have believed them.”

His first patient was a teenage girl who was home-schooled due to a social anxiety disorder. “She couldn’t leave the house,” Stolte said.

Within a month of starting treatment, she enrolled in a local high school, and soon after, joined the cheerleading squad.

“That’s something else,” he said.

Laurie Oliver, practice manager at Stolte Eye Center, was a medical marijuana skeptic when she first learned of plans to see medical marijuana patients.

“I’m an old-fashioned Southern woman,” she said. “You were taught marijuana was awful.”

But, the patients changed her mind, including an elderly woman with tremors who shook so badly she couldn’t feed herself. The woman came by the office soon after starting medical marijuana to proudly display a blue shirt, without a food crumb or stain on it.

“She just wanted to feed herself before she dies,” said Oliver.

Patients’ success stories are starting to change everyone’s attitudes, Stolte said.

“We are starting to drift from demonization of marijuana, and this could be really good,” he said.

The stigma that attaches to marijuana use also leads to misconceptions about dispensaries, said Walker.

They aren’t “head” shops with hippies in sandals behind the counter selling weed and bongs. In fact, state law bans the sale of the whole marijuana plant, Walker said.

“There is no smoking,” Walker said, adding anyone who walks into a dispensary will find a professional, medical office environment.

Security measures are mandated by law.

Trulieve stores typically have about 40 cameras. The same tight security is maintained at its facility in Tallahassee, where the cannabis plants are grown and medical marijuana products are manufactured.

Engineers and scientists work in Trulieve’s laboratory to develop and test different strains of cannabis.

Plants are pesticide-free and are grown indoors.

Products are offered in a variety of forms, including vaporizers, nasal spray, tinctures, topical creams, oral syringes and capsules. They may contain two of the main ingredients found in marijuana plants – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD).

The more common ingredient is THC, which can produce the “high” associated with marijuana. But CBD, which can’t produce a high, is becoming more popular with doctors because it can produce fewer side effects, Stolte said.

Edibles are legal, but Walker said dispensaries are waiting on rules regarding packaging and size before introducing them.

When they come, she said, “It will be very anti-attractive to minor children.”

The state is closely monitoring this fledging medical marijuana industry.

Dispensaries are capped statewide at 17. Each one is allowed to own and operate 25 retail stores.

Trulieve has 10 locations, with stores opening soon in North Fort Myers and Orlando.

Stores are open seven days a week. “We treat them just like a pharmacy,” Walker said.

Because state law gives cities and counties the option to ban dispensaries, Walker said, “It’s really up to local communities and towns to let us in.”

Doctors and patients also have regulations.

Doctors aren’t permitted to dispense medical marijuana. Doctors are not allowed to write a prescription, either, because marijuana is considered a controlled substance under federal law.

Physicians also must take a state mandated two-hour course and register with the state before they are qualified to “recommend” medical marijuana.

With a recommendation letter in hand, patients visit a dispensary to receive their medication. Patients must register on a confidential state database, and they have to wait about 30 days to receive a card.

Medical marijuana is dispensed in 70-day increments. Once the 70 days expires, a patient can renew the recommendation for another 70 days. This can be done sometimes by phone but, about every six months, there must be a face-to-face visit with a doctor.

By law, 10 diseases are listed as eligible for medical marijuana including epilepsy, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder, Crohn’s and Parkinson’s.

But, the law also includes “medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable” to those specifically listed.

That gives doctors some discretion in approving patients who don’t neatly fit any of the approved categories, Stolte said.

He also noted that medical marijuana could play a role in addressing the opioid epidemic.

“You can kill yourself with opioids. You can’t kill yourself with marijuana,” Stolte said. “It (marijuana) is not a gateway drug. It’s an exit drug.”

Research is beginning to show that medical marijuana reduces opioid prescriptions and overdose deaths, he added.

“We’re treating people who have failed on everything else out there,” Stolte said.

The next event in the Community Awareness Series will be “DUI (Driving Under the Influence) Awareness Seminar” on Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to noon. It will be at Pasco-Hernando State College, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, in the Conference Center, Building B, Room 303.

For information, visit PHSC.edu.

Published November 8, 2017

Land O’ Lakes gets beefed up emergency services

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Pasco County Fire Rescue No. 37 has added ambulance service.

The station is at the entrance to Ballantrae in Land O’ Lakes. The new service became effective on Sept. 1.

Pasco County Fire Rescue No. 37 is located in a high-growth area off County Road 54, near the Ballantrae and Bexley subdivisions. It recently added an ambulance service and six emergency responders. (Courtesy of Pasco County Fire Rescue)

Six paramedics and emergency medical technicians have been added, to provide 24-hour coverage for the rescue unit.

The station, which is at 18105 State Road 54, is currently using one of the department’s spare vehicles until the new squad arrives, which is expected within a month.

Division Chief Shawn Whited said the service area for the new ambulance is essentially Stonegate to the east and Odessa to the west.

Before the new ambulance service was added, the area was being served by an ambulance coming from the fire station in Trinity, or from the other Land O’ Lakes station, which is at U.S. 41 and State Road 54, Whited said.

“If the ambulance for Land O’ Lakes was out, because that was the only ambulance for Land O’ Lakes, we’d get one from either Wesley Chapel or Trinity,” Whited said.

“We had a big gap there,” he said.

The county has been able to send emergency responders because all of the county’s fire trucks have advanced life support, but they had to wait for a rescue unit to transport patients to the hospital, Whited said.

Getting the additional coverage is important because population continues to increase in the area near Station 37, he said, noting that Bexley, Longlake Ranch and Concord Station are growing communities.

“That Land O’ Lakes area between the Suncoast Parkway and (U.S.) 41 is one of the largest growing areas in Pasco County,” Whited said. “With all of those homes, we want to make sure they have proper fire and EMS coverage in there.

“Now, if you’re having a true medical emergency, like a heart attack or a stroke, we can get you to the hospital faster — without having to wait for that unit to come from Land O’ Lakes or Trinity or Wesley Chapel,” he said.

Published November 8, 2017

Health News 11/08/2017

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(Courtesy of U.S. Postal Service Headquarters)

Alzheimer’s fundraising stamp
The U.S. Postal Service will issue an Alzheimer’s Semipostal Fundraising stamp Nov. 30. The stamp will be sold for 60 cents. The price includes the first-class single-piece postage rate in effect at the time of purchase, plus an amount to fund Alzheimer’s research.

By law, revenue from the sales of the stamp (minus the postage paid and the reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred by the Postal Service) is to be distributed to the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For information, visit tinyurl.com/y8nkuurt.

 

Access Health adds speech pathologist
Access Health Care Physicians welcomes Jeannine A. Lovell, a speech language pathologist to its staff at Access Physical Therapy, 5362B Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill. Lovell also will be available, as needed, at 11463 Cortez Blvd., in Brooksville.

Lovell specializes in strokes, aphasia, apraxia, voice disorders, swallowing, accent reduction, traumatic brain injury, and sign language.

Patients of all ages from pediatrics through geriatrics can make appointments.

For information, call (352) 200-2192.

 

Girl Scouts earn first aid patch

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(Courtesy of Oak Hill Hospital)

Oak Hill Hospital welcomed a visit from Girl Scout Troop 305 to its Pediatric ER, where certified emergency nurses Claire Bell and Taneka Wilkerson taught the Scouts basic first aid skills and how to wrap each other’s wrists in Ace bandages, helping the girls earn a first aid patch. Front row, from left: Kaylee Stake, Jordynlynn Davis, Kinsey Gonzales, Olive Dudley, Karoline Stonecypher and MiaBella Morris. Second row, from left: Trista Rawald, Janyah Webster, Madilyn Dudley, Trinity Rawald, Mikayla Sinnett and Natalie Russell. Third row: Taneka Wilkerson, left, and Claire Bell.

Health News 10/25/2017

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Aaron Preston named director of medical/surgical
Aaron Preston has been named director of medical/surgical at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, 14000 Fivay Road in Hudson.

Aaron Preston, RN, BSN

Preston was promoted from his position in Infection Control Management. He joined the hospital in 2010. He served as a nursing supervisor from 2014 to 2015.

Before beginning his nursing career, he served in the United States Marine Corps, where he helped oversee communications during two combat tours.

He has a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from St. Petersburg College and an Associate in Science in nursing degree from Pasco-Hernando State College.

Dr. Majusri Vennamaneni receives national recognition

The Access Health Care Physicians LLL, office of Dr. Manjusri Vennamaneni recently was recognized for excellence in diabetes care by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The certificate of recognition is valid until Feb. 15, 2020.

Vennamaneni is chief medical director for Access Health Care and practices at Access Health Care’s main office at 5350 Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill.

Physicians recognized for quality care
Several Access Health Care physicians recently were honored for achieving high scores in quality care. These physicians were honored for receiving Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) awards. Providers receiving recognition were: Hend Abdelmalek,     Michelle Arrieta, Shammi Bali, Dalton Benson, Luis Contreras, Christopher Coppola,         Dhammika Ekanayake, Robert Hartzell, Jr., David Herndon, Akila Iyer, Raghu Juvvadi, Brian Kroll,  Jennifer Laman, Oscar Lindo, Jose Lopez, Harish Madnani, Gaurav Malhotra, David Miller, Anthony Ngo, Anita Patel, Vakesh Rajani, Jagdeep Sandhu, Apurva Shah, Pariksith Singh, Veselin Stoyanov and Grigor Varlakov.

In addition, Dr. Manjusri Vennamaneni received a special award for her dedication to work with Freedom and Optimum, and the Access providers to improve quality score. The award was presented for “Leading your organization in the achievement of outstanding HEDIS® scores in recognition of your leadership, devotion, and commitment to our quality program.”

Corey Campbell

Corey D. Campbell named director of Medical Telemetry
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, 14000 Fivay Road in Hudson, has appointed Corey D. Campbell to be the hospital’s director of medical telemetry.

Campbell joined the hospital in 2012 as a nurse intern. Most recently, he was the RN staff educator and co-manager of Medical Telemetry.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Tampa, where he is a member of the Phi Tau Kappa Honor Society. He received his Associate of Arts degree from Pasco-Hernando State College, graduating with honors and also as a member of Phi Tau Kappa Honor Society.

Before attending nursing school, he served in the United States Army from 2001 to 2010.

Health News 10/18/2017

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Gulfside Hospice ‘deficiency free’
Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care has been declared deficiency-free after two in-depth inspections by the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA), according to a news release from Gulfside.

“Our team’s hard work, attention to detail and execution in compliance, quality and risk management was evident to the surveyors throughout the entire routine process,” Linda Ward, President and CEO of Gulfside, said in the release. “Thank you and congratulations to everyone on our team for providing service and care that keeps our organization always at the highest level of standards!”

The AHCA conducted two unannounced routine surveys, the Overall Company Licensing Inspection and the Life Safety Inspection. Throughout the process, surveyors examined policies, procedures and clinical practices, as well as toured the Gulfside Center for Hospice Care and interviewed various employees.

Both inspections resulted in 100 percent compliance in all aspects with zero deficiencies found in the organization.

Gulfside Hospice serves more than 375 hospice patients and more than 100 palliative patients daily. It has more than 250 employees and more than 300 volunteers.

To find out more, call (800) 561-4883 or visit www.GHPPC.org.

Jeffrey Visag (Courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

Jeffrey Visag named employee of the month
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point’s employee of the month for August was Jeffrey Visag, the hospital’s lead X-Ray technologist.

He was recognized as someone who leads by example in the areas of customer service, optimal imaging, and promoting the patient experience.

Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point is at 14000 Fivay Road in Hudson.

NAMI Pasco support group meetings
The Pasco County Chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) offers two types of support group meetings each month. One is for those living with mental illness and the other is for family and friends of those living with mental illness. This covers all brain disorders, including, but not limited to OCD, depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia, multiple personalities and so on. For more information, call (727) 992-9653 or visit www.namipasco.org

Volunteers needed at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills
Florida Hospital Zephyrhills is seeking volunteers in a variety of positions, including information desk, escorting, administrative and patient services. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and time commitments begin at one four-hour shift each week.

Pick up an application from the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Volunteer Office, the Main Information Desk or www.floridahospital.com/zephyrhills/volunteer

For more information, call (813) 779-6256.

Health News 10/11/2017

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From left: Vince Vanni, public relations consultant; Lex Harris; Dr. Maria Scunziano-Singh, founder and chief medical officer, Access Health Care; Dana Chorvat; and, Barbara Joy, vice president of Care Management. (Courtesy of Access Health Care Physicians)

New Care Management Center opens
Access Health Care Physicians had an informal ribbon-cutting on the day of the opening of its new Care Management Center, 10470 Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill. The building will provide outreach, education and resources to AHCP patients who are in need of complex case management, disease management and utilization management services.

Help end breast cancer
During the month of October, the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation will be the featured charitable organization at the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office.

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.

Customers can purchase a breast cancer tag for newly registered vehicles, or choose to trade in their regular license plate for a specialty tag with a renewal.

Cash donations also will be accepted for the foundation.

For information, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

Apply for basic eye care
The Zephyrhills Lions Club, 5827 Dean Dairy Road, accepts applications from Pasco County residents for basic eye care through its Sight Program, on the first Thursday of every month between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

To qualify, visit the list of required documents at e-clubhouse.org/sites/Zephyrhills, or by calling the clubhouse at (813) 788-1441 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Those interested must have the required documentation when applying to be considered for approval.

Al-Anon support group
The Al-Anon Family Groups are relatives and friends of alcoholics who share experiences, strength and hope in order to solve common problems.

There are local day and evening groups that meet weekly.

For meeting locations and times, and more information, visit the Pasco-Hernando-Citrus website at nfldistrict5.com.

For information, call (352) 697-0497.

Diabetic screenings
The Wesley Chapel Lions Club offers free monthly diabetic screenings at the Lexington Oaks Activity Center, 26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p. m., prior to the club’s monthly meeting.

The club meets every fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

Screenings are open to anyone in the community.

For information, visit Wesley Chapel Lions Club on Facebook.

Health News 10/04/2017

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Thrift shop volunteer wins national award

(Courtesy of Gulfside Hospice)

Courtney Urban, a volunteer at the Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes since 2013, received an award at the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization’s annual conference in San Diego, California. Urban was honored with the National Hospice Foundation’s 2017 Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award in the category of Young Leader. From left: Tammy Johnson, director of thrift shops; Allison Maughn, CFO; Courtney Urban; and, Jennifer Mavor, Lutz Thrift Shoppe and volunteer manager.

 

Hospital receives two awards

St. Joseph’s Hospital-North received two awards for quality acute care from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

The hospital received the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center Silver Achievement Award and the Get With the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

Both honor the hospital’s efforts in implementing specific quality improvement measures for the treatment of severe heart attacks (ST elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI) and stroke.

Award-winning volunteers

Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point announced the recipients of its second quarter volunteer Star Awards.

Sandra Heck, Five Star Award, began volunteering in October 2014, and has accumulated more than 2,100 life hours and more than 2,500 merit hours. Heck greets at Welcome A and assists in the Wound Care Center.

Barbara Mead, Five Star Award, has greeted visitors at Welcome A every Sunday morning for almost nine years. Mead also is a team leader for the couriers on Sunday morning. She has close to 4,800 life hours and 5,000 merit hours.

Roseann Santore, Five Star Award, has been volunteering since December 2014 at Welcome A. Santore and has more than 5,700 merit hours.

Luvon Crafton, One Star Award, started volunteering in May 2015 at Welcome D, also volunteers at Welcome A, and is a team leader for the couriers on Saturday night. Crafton has accumulated more than 2,500 merit hours.

Charlotte Craven, One Star Ward, is a courier who started in November 2014 and has accumulated more than 1,500 merit hours.

Jenna McClooney has been volunteering since 2012 and has more than 1,000 volunteer merit hours.

Apply for basic eye care

The Zephyrhills Lions Club, 5827 Dean Dairy Road, accepts applications from Pasco County residents for basic eye care through its Sight Program, on the first Thursday of every month between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

To qualify, visit the list of required documents at e-clubhouse.org/sites/Zephyrhills, or by calling the clubhouse at (813) 788-1441 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Those interested must have the required documentation when applying to be considered for approval.

Al-Anon support group

The Al-Anon Family Groups are relatives and friends of alcoholics who share experiences, strength and hope in order to solve common problems.

There are local day and evening groups that meet weekly.

For meeting locations and times, and more information, visit the Pasco-Hernando-Citrus website at nfldistrict5.com.

For information, call (352) 697-0497.

Diabetic screenings

The Wesley Chapel Lions Club offers free monthly diabetic screenings at the Lexington Oaks Activity Center, 26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p. m., prior to the club’s monthly meeting.

The club meets every fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

Screenings are open to anyone in the community.

For information, visit Wesley Chapel Lions Club on Facebook.

New pregnancy center hours

Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite 108, in Land O’ Lakes, has a new schedule of hours.

The center will be open Mondays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from noon to 4 p.m., and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Clients are seen by appointment, but walk-ins also are welcome.

NAMI support meetings

The Pasco County Chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) offers two types of support group meetings every month.

The NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a structured closed group, open only to those with a mental illness diagnosis. The group is for individuals age 18 and older, who are interested in the recovery process, sharing coping skills and being with others who understand the daily challenges of living with a mental illness. Trained peers will facilitate the group.

The recovery group meets every second and fourth Friday of each month from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Atonement Lutheran Church, 29617 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel. Other locations are also available.

The NAMI Family Support Group is for family members and caregivers of an adult with a mental illness diagnosis.

The support meetings cover all brain disorders including, but not limited to, OCD, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, multiple personalities and more.

The family group meets the first and third Tuesday of each month from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Atonement Lutheran Church, 29617 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel. There also is a group available in New Port Richey.

For information, call (727) 992-9653, or visit NamiPasco.org.

Family doctor joins BayCare

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Dr. Aaron Lozano

Dr. Aaron Lozano has joined BayCare Medical Group, specializing in family medicine. Lozano will accept new patients at Oak View Family Care, 2044 Trinity Oaks Blvd., in Trinity. Lozano received an undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida, earned a Doctor of Medicine from USF Morsani College of Medicine, and completed his family medicine residency at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater. He is a former recipient of the University of South Florida’s Charles E. Aucremann Excellence in Family Medicine award. For information, call (727) 372-2501.