Health

Healthy lunch options, for children and adults

August 17, 2016 By Betsy Crisp

It’s that time of year when parents are asking: How can I pack a healthier lunch for my children?

Well, here are some ideas that will help parents pack healthy lunches for their children, and for themselves, too.

Sandwiches are a popular option, but can be made healthier when following these pointers:

Use 100 percent whole wheat or multi-grain bread; 100 percent whole wheat pita pockets; or, 100 percent whole wheat tortilla wraps. Be sure to read the labels to find the ones that are lowest in saturated fat/trans fats.
Skip the chips. Instead, pack popcorn, pretzels or whole grain cereal trail mix (see recipe).
Add an apple, orange, tangerine, natural applesauce, fruit cup or dried fruits.
Include veggies: Lettuce, shredded carrots, avocado slices (avocado is great with turkey or lean roast beef).
Cheese: Buy store brand blocks of low-fat, low-sodium cheeses. Slice it yourself to save money, or use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes.
Instead of lunchmeat, enjoy some leftover grilled chicken, lean pork or an egg white salad sandwich.

Be sure to keep your sandwiches fresh and safe by packing them with an icepack or frozen water/100% juice pack that can thaw by lunchtime.

lunchboxgraphic rgb — (Courtesy of Betsy Crisp)

Also, remember that size matters. Children need smaller portions depending on their size, age and activity level. so you measure in tablespoons, quarter-cups, half a sandwich, etc. For example, toddlers need tablespoons, not cups. Cutting sandwiches into quarters makes lunch more interesting, and kid-size.

Instead of sandwiches, leftovers are another quick, easy and inexpensive lunch option.

You can use a thermos to keep your foods safe, as well as hot or cold. Some good options include low-sodium soups such as tomato, vegetable or bean; chili made with lean ground beef or turkey; whole wheat spaghetti with low-sodium tomato sauce; or low-sodium baked beans, bean casserole, or beans and rice mix.

Of course, most people enjoy a snack. Here are some ideas for for healthy afterschool snacks:

Apple or pear slices to dip into low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt or peanut butter
Carrots, celery, or colorful sweet bell peppers cut into fun shapes or strips to dip into hummus or salsa
Whole grain crackers (Be sure to read the labels to find those lower in sodium, saturated and trans fats)
Slices of grilled low sodium tofu (a soybean product) to dunk into low sodium vegetable or tomato soup
Unsalted sunflower seeds

Here’s another thought. Get your kids involved in making their own lunches.

When children help pack their own lunch, they are much more likely to eat that lunch and not to trade it or throw it away.

You can help your children plan their lunches for the week, and then you can build a new list for the next week, and them combine lists for future weeks, and so on.

You can teach your children about good nutrition and give them healthy choices, as well. Take them to the store as you shop and let them pick items to add to their lunch.

Have them help you make lunches the night before school, to save time in the morning.

You can store lunches in the fridge, so it is just grab-n-go during the morning rush to get out the door.

You can help your children develop good habits that will last them a lifetime.

For more guidance, visit MyPlate.Gov.

This column was adapted from the following two sources: The American Heart Association – How to Pack a Healthy School Lunch and FDA – 4 Tips for a Healthy and Stress-Free Lunchbox.

Betsy Crisp is an Extension Family & Consumer Sciences agent and a licensed dietitian for the University of Florida/IFAS. She is based in Pasco County and can be reached at .

Healthy Homemade Trail Mix
Ingredients
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup mini-pretzels (1 cup)
1 cup whole grain toasted oat cereal Os
1 cup (or more) toasted corn, rice, wheat, multi-bran or combination cereal
1 cup low-fat granola

Directions
Measure ingredients into large bowl. Stir to mix.
Portion into snack bags to add to lunchbox or grab a bag after school for a pre-portioned snack.

Published August 17, 2016

Health News 08/17/2016

August 17, 2016 By Mary Rathman

(Courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

Hospital recognizes innovators
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point awarded two employees with the HCA Innovators Award, which is designed to further connect employees to the HCA organization and reward them for innovative ideas that contribute to improvement at all levels.

Awards are given in three categories at local facilities, the division level and the corporate levels. Facility-level winners receive $1,000, a plaque, a front-row parking spot or pass in the physicians’ parking lot for a full year, a large dish garden, a copy of the book “The Life & Legacy of Dr. Thomas F. Frist Sr.,” and a personal letter signed by Frist. RMCBP recognized pharmacists Nicholas Rigopoulos and UJ Patel, for an IV sterile compounding monitoring tracker. From left: UJ Patel; Shayne George, the hospital’s CEO; and, Nicholas Rigopoulos.

Oak Hill Hospital earns distinction
Florida Blue has selected Oak Hill Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center+ for knee and hip replacement, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes based on objective measures that were developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies with input from the medical community.

Hospitals designated for knee and hip replacement demonstrate expertise in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries, resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital readmissions. Designated hospitals must also maintain national accreditation.

Hospital’s heart care is ‘golden’
Florida Hospital Zephyrhills was awarded the Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures as outlined by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

Hospitals that receive the gold plus award have reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failure or stroke patients with an 85 percent or higher compliance to core standard levels for 24 consecutive months.

The hospital’s Heart Institute celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

For information on the Heart Institute and program, visit HeartExpertsPasco.com.

Academy students the ‘best’
Florida Hospital Zephyrhills hosted the B.E.S.T. Summer Academy for high school students interested in pursuing a career as a physician, nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, dentist or other health professional.

The academy was founded by Dr. Dexter Frederick, internist/pediatrician, who still has an active role in the program.

Participating students from Pasco and Hillsborough counties had to complete an application, have a GPA of at least 3.0, and participate in an interview before being accepted.

The students accepted at FHZ rotated through different departments, including surgery, and shadowed health care professionals. Students also took classes that included anatomy, vital signs, diabetes management and prevention, and emergency care for minor injuries.

For information on the academy and how to apply, visit TampaBestAcademy.com.

We’re all summoned to battle Zika’s threat

August 10, 2016 By Tom Jackson

As promised — no, as feared — Zika has come ashore, invading Florida, most likely from Latin America, replicating the first wave of a map from a science fiction movie. Soon, because we are mobile and restless, it could be everywhere.

What emerged out of a Ugandan rainforest, a virus that sickens some adults with aches and rashes but is linked to horrific deformities to babies in the womb, has come to America the modern way: not through the vampiric work of infected flying insects, but probably on the wings of Boeing jets, or aboard a luxury cruise ship.

Dennis Moore, Pasco County’s mosquito control director, holds a container with Aedes aegypti young adults — some are still in the larval stage. (Tom Jackson/Photo) — Dennis Moore, Pasco County’s mosquito control director, holds a container with Aedes aegypti young adults — some are still in the larval stage.
(Tom Jackson/Photo)

Somebody visited someplace where Zika is rampant, picked it up and came home, possibly — because the symptoms in adults often are too subtle to notice — without knowing he was sick.

But now that it’s here, it’s most likely mosquitos — specifically the aggressive, daylight-active Aedes (from the Greek for “odious”) aegypti — that will enable its spread.

The good news, to the extent that anything regarding Zika can be regarded as good, is that as of late last week, reports of the virus being spread by mosquitos remained contained to Miami. Otherwise, Zika cases across the state, including about a half-dozen in Pasco County and 10 in Hillsborough County, are evidently travel-related.

That, of course, could change overnight. An infected person back from vacation goes out for the night, suffers a bite, and what started as an exotic respite in Belize or St. Martin triggers an outbreak back home.

Which is why, more than ever, we need to know what’s going on at the Pasco County Mosquito Control District. To be sure, we remain on the front line of beating back the menace of the opportunistic Aedes aegypti, which uses our bad — or at least risky — habits to its reproductive advantage.

Mosquitos rely on collections of still water for egg-laying and early stage development. While its cousins prefer natural collection points, such as water lettuce, water hyacinths, ditches and tidal puddles, Aedes aegypti seeks out human-caused pools, everything from discarded tires to bird baths to mop buckets to the kids’ beach toys.

If it’s outside and it’ll hold water, it’s even money the female Aedes aegypti considers it a nursery.

Everybody who’s spent time in the South, especially Florida, already knows — or ought to know — this. Oddly, though, it’s usually not until reports of some alarming public health menace makes the news that most of us take a mental inventory of the possible collection sites under our jurisdiction.

Well, that and you’re under the icy, cobalt gaze of entomologist Dennis Moore, Pasco’s mosquito control director, who has three words for us: “Drain and cover.”

I might have gone with “Dump and cover,” because it sounds more like “duck and cover,” but the message is the same. We should deny Zika’s “vector” mosquito breeding space wherever we can, but because we can’t count on our neighbors, we should cover ourselves (with clothes and effective insect repellant) and our residences (with screens in good repair).

Moore says this even as the part of the district’s program with which we are most familiar — the distinctly orange spray trucks — prepare for another night of going to war with mosquitos out for a “blood meal.”

What we might not know, but find reassuring, is the district also employs airborne tactics — a pair of low-flying Aztec airplanes and a couple of helicopters — to attack mosquitos in rural and coastal areas in their larval stage; airboats to kill off lake and pond vegetation that collects water; amphibious vehicles to go where airboats cannot go; and, where vehicular intervention or mass attacks are impractical, handheld foggers for that personal touch.

What we also might not know, but find fascinating, is that craftsmen, welders and mechanics working for the district fabricate much of what Pasco’s mosquito hunters use. This is not due to a lack of off-the-shelf stuff, Moore says, but because his people can take the elemental parts — a Briggs & Stratton engine and a sprayer, for instance — and create the blower linkage that makes a better, cheaper mosquito killer.

“And, when it breaks,” Moore says, “we know how to fix it, because we built it.”

For instance, those pesticide-holding tanks on the bottoms of the Aztecs? They’re fiberglass sprung from molds fashioned by the machine shop. You can buy them off the rack for about $30,000, Moore explains, but the district’s do-it-themselves tanks cost about one-sixth as much.

Meanwhile, back in the lab, researchers are growing mosquitos, which become tiny wriggling and buzzing lab rats for the testing of various types and combinations of mosquito-specific pesticides and growth-inhibitors.

And, they know where to spray because of a full-time trapping program.

Why the fussiness? Because the Pasco Mosquito Control District is an agency unto itself, with a board (two of whom face re-election challengers in November) and a $6 million budget that corresponds with a line item on Pasco property owners’ tax bills.

Being responsible for itself means being able to pivot more quickly when conditions change. Nobody has to go to the county commission for an emergency budget adjustment.

On that front, nothing changes until it does, Moore says, “and then, it’ll change fast and a lot.”

To meet the challenge, the agency would add staff and ramp up training, both of which could challenge the district’s bottom line. If that happens, the three-member board will have some choices to make. But they will be their choices, not the choices of a county commission with layers of concerns.

For now, the capable folks at the district will do what they can to make our next barbecue, sidewalk cafe visit, after-work golf getaway or trip to the park as nuisance-free as science can make it.

But, like the man said, they can’t do it alone, and Zika is out there. Drain and cover, y’all. Drain and cover.

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published August 10, 2016

Kids offer practical advice to battle substance abuse

August 10, 2016 By B.C. Manion

The youths sat at the front of the room, sharing how substance abuse had affected their lives.

One lost her 27-year-old brother to an overdose.

Another was removed from her drug-addicted mother.

Others have relatives or friends who are living with substance abuse problems.

Six of the panelists are members of a group called STAND Above the Influence. The acronym stands for Safe Teens AgaiNst Drugs.

The group is a team of youth leaders who aim to end youth substance abuse in Pasco County through education.

STAND Above the Influence is a team of youth leaders who aim to help end substance misuse in Pasco County. To find out more about STAND, which stands for Safe Teens AgaiNst Drugs, email , or call (727) 315-8651.

The seventh member of the panel, from PACE School for Girls, shared her personal struggles with drug addiction. She’s in recovery now.

Panel members assembled at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center to address a room filled with professionals who work in law enforcement, politics, substance abuse treatment and other professions involved in preventing substance abuse or responding to people with addictions.

The panel was made up of Jazmyn Perkins, Ariana Santillana, Mariah Morales, Jesseca Powell, Ormond Derr, Devin Lindsey-Brock and Destiny Dale.

They had plenty to say.

Parents should avoid sending mixed messages to their kids, panelists said. When parents tell their kids not to smoke, use drugs or drink — the message lacks credibility if the parents are engaged in those activities themselves.

Parents need to take the time to talk and listen to their kids — to really get to know them, one panelist said.

“Be open,” the panelist said. “Talk to me like I’m an adult.”

Kids and parents need to be able to talk — to not have screaming matches when they disagree, another panelist said.

Having crisis counselors and social workers available on campus would help, so that kids could turn to trained professionals, another panelist suggested.

It’s important for parents to understand their child’s point of view, another panelist said.

More work is needed to reduce the availability of drugs, not only at schools — but also in the home and the community.

Prescription pills and alcohol are often readily accessible in the home, panelists said.

Drugs are also available on school campuses, and kids develop code words to let other kids know that they have drugs for sale, panelists said.

Having occasional sweeps through the school with drug-sniffing canines can help uncover drugs that are hidden on campus, one panelist said.

Panelists also talked about why kids use drugs.

Some do it because of peer pressure and the desire to fit in.

Others use drugs to cope with whatever pressures they are facing.

Some want to experiment. Others, to rebel.

Drug use is often glamorized in popular culture, and Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and other social media channels often give the appearance that people who are using drugs are having the time of their lives, some panelists said.

Those social media posts can make people who are at home watching television want to join the kids who seem to be having such a good time, panelists added.

But there are other ways to fit in, they said. Kids can join teams, or clubs, or find some other way to be involved and have fun.

Joining organizations such as STAND offers opportunities to attend conferences, give presentations and take part in other events, panelists said.

Behavioral health classes would help, too, a panelist said.

Kids need to have a better idea of the effect that substance abuse has on their brains and their bodies.

There’s also a lot to be said for having a chance to listen to someone who has suffered through the struggles of addiction and is now in recovery, panelists said.

The key, one panelist said, is “staying busy, staying focused.”

Another panelist offered this advice for avoiding drug use: “Do stuff that makes you happy.”

Published August 10, 2016

Health News 08/10/2016

August 10, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Nurse of the Year recognized
For a second year in a row, a nurse from Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care was the recipient of the People’s Choice Award for Nurse of the Year at the Good Samaritan Health Clinic’s Nurses Gala. Brandie Story, nurse care manager of admissions and intake, receives the award from Joyce Mann, fellow Gulfside coworker and last year’s winner.

Award winners announced
The Medical Center of Trinity, 9330 State Road 54, has recognized these individuals:

Kristin Talbot, registered nurse, received the Excellence in Nursing Professional Mentoring Award. Talbot has been with the hospital since August 2010 and works in the oncology unit.
Lindsay Wendt, registered nurse, received the Excellence in Nursing Compassionate Care Award. Wendt has been on staff since June 2003 and works in the mother/baby unit.
Goody Mitchell was awarded the Frist Humanitarian Volunteer of the Year. Mitchell has been volunteering at the hospital for 19 years and has logged in more than 5,300 hours of service. She guides patients through various processes in the hospital, including registration and surgery areas.

(Courtesy of Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation)

Sertoma receives $1,000 for program services
Debra Golinski, executive director of Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation, accepts a $1,000 check from Sam Shrieves, market president Capital City Bank, to be used for program services. The bank has been supporting Sertoma services in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties for 17 years. The mission of the Foundation is to enhance individual potential and quality of life through better hearing.

Health News 08/03/2016

August 3, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Assistant center director named
Oasis Pregnancy Care Center has hired Jacqueline Quinones as its assistant center director for its Wesley Chapel facility. Quinones has more than nine years of experience working in the social services sector in positions such as administration, outreach coordinator, case manager, supervisor and trainer. She is bilingual in Spanish and English.

Quinones completed her bachelor’s degree in social work at Saint Leo University in St. Leo. She has worked with AmeriCorps VISTA, Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, and Lutheran Services Florida. Quinones also is a six-year veteran of the United State Air Force.

(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)

Doing good in the neighborhood
Florida Hospital Zephyrhills sponsored free sports physicals for 273 east Pasco children and teens, ages 5 to 18 years old, at Pasco High School. Screenings were provided by Joel Knickerbocker, Comprehensive Physical Therapy in Dade City; PT Solutions, a service provider of the hospital; Dr. Ahad Mahootchi’s staff from The Eye Clinic of Florida in Zephyrhills; and Brett Scotch, The Scotch Institute in Wesley Chapel. Shown are hospital staff, volunteers and community partners.

Bayonet Point’s medical program hits milestone

July 27, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point has graduated its first physician from its internal medicine education program.

Dr. Katie Groff, an Ohio native, was officially recognized at Bayonet Point’s first commencement ceremony for its Graduate Medical Education (GME) Program in Internal Medicine on June 22.

Dr. Katie Lynn Groff, right, is honored by Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point as its first graduate from its internal medicine program. Dr. Michael Strobbe, medical director of the Graduate Medical Education (GME) program, stands next to Kitty Turner, Groff’s mother. (Photos courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point) — Dr. Katie Lynn Groff, right, is honored by Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point as its first graduate from its internal medicine program. Dr. Michael Strobbe, medical director of the Graduate Medical Education (GME) program, stands next to Kitty Turner, Groff’s mother.
(Photos courtesy of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point)

In 2013, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) approved Bayonet Point to start an accredited Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Groff joined Bayonet Point as a second-year internal medicine resident in July 2014; she previously was a resident at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pennsylvania.

“It was an honor to be the first graduate, and be able to grow and work with all the doctors that were so helpful to me, teaching me everything,” Groff said. “I think that being a part of the new program was a unique experience that not everyone gets.”

Groff, now working as a hospitalist at Bayonet Point, said her middle school anatomy classes first piqued her interest in pursuing a medical career.

While she acknowledged the residency consisted of a demanding work schedule, she pointed out her two years in the program went quickly.

“Even though it was long hours, it wasn’t as terrible as it sounds,” said Groff, who lived in Spring Hill throughout her residency. “There was a bunch of residents that I became really good friends with.”

Adhering to a well-rounded lifestyle helped, too.

“My No. 1 piece of advice would be to keep a balanced life,” Groff said. “You don’t want it to totally be about medicine, because otherwise you’ll start to resent it. Keep your hobbies, and keep your friends and family close.”

Dr. Joseph Pino, chief medical officer at Bayonet Point, referred to the commencement ceremony as a “milestone” for the medical center and its upstart GME program.

“It was the culmination of a lot of effort,” said Pino, a primary care physician for more than 30 years.

Bayonet Point recently announced an incoming class of 16 residents for its three-year GME program. There are now 30 physicians in the program, which began accepting residents in July 2014.

Six more residents are on track to graduate from the program in 2017, said Pino, who joined Bayonet Point in December of 2013.

Residents train on general medicine teams and specialty services, including the emergency room, which is a Level II trauma center — the only one in Pasco or Hernando counties. Moreover, the hospital has 290 licensed beds, including 70 critical care beds.

According to the Florida Department of Health, there is a critical statewide need for physicians.

A study by the American Medical Association shows nearly 30 percent of Florida’s physicians are at least 60 years old, but roughly only 10 percent of the physicians in the state are under the age of 35. The study suggests that without an influx of younger doctors, the state’s demand for physicians will even further outpace the current supply rate.

“There’s not enough physicians in training programs throughout the state to accommodate residents, and not enough places to accommodate people who need medical care,” Pino said.

The medical center recently announced an incoming class of 16 residents, bringing the GME physician total to 30. Pino said he expects future classes to hover around the same figure, but added Bayonet Point may introduce more specialty graduate programs in the future.

Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, known for its nationally acclaimed heart institute, has more than 350 physicians, 900 employees and 500 volunteers on its integrated health care delivery team.

Published July 27, 2016

Health News 07/27/2016

July 27, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Saying thanks in a big way
Members of the Zany Zinfandels of Zephyrhills Red Hats Society presented the staff at Gulfside Hospice with a check for $1,200. The group, a part of Tropical Acres Estates in Zephyrhills, chose to donate to say thank you for the quality care many of its residents have received from Gulfside Hospice, including those facing life-limiting illness and bereavement services. (Courtesy of Gulfside Hospice)

Hospital’s employees shine
Florida Hospital Zephyrhills hosted its annual employee anniversary celebration at Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club, in San Antonio, to recognize staff for years of service. Klaus Melhorn, Kelley Sasser and Evelyn Williams were honored for 35 years of employment; and, Cleo Lazo and Debra Dungan for 30 and 25 years, respectively. Others were honored for 20, 15, 10, and five years of service. More than 80 clinical and nonclinical staff representatives also were recognized. Emine Duncan, center, of Dade City, was named the hospital’s Employee of the Year. With Duncan are CEO Randy Surber and June Randall, administrative director of human resources. Duncan has been an employee since 2003. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)

Health News 07/20/2016

July 20, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Grief workshops offer creative outlet
Lynne Sakovits took part in Gulfside Hospice’s Creating Grieving Workshop in Zephyrhills. Participants used a variety of mediums to express and work through grief, including prayerful coloring, Zentangles and listening to calming music while drawing. The two-hour workshops (offered in Zephyrhills and New Port Richey) aim to teach various ways to relax, reduce stress and process grief feelings. For information, call (800) 561-4883, or visit GHPPC.org.

Department of Health gets $25,000 grant
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County has been awarded a $25,000 grant to enhance coordination of preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials has funded projects in 11 health departments across the nation.

The Pasco health department carries out a number of activities to identify disease and implements interventions to prevent the spread of disease. The epidemiology staff monitors and detects disease clusters or outbreaks through the use of sentinel and syndromic surveillance systems. The work requires a strong network of community partners that are able to connect, communicate and respond.

In addition to training infection control partners on emerging issues, the grant will support implementation and testing of a Health Alert Network to expedite communication.

For information on training, email .

For information about Infectious Disease Services, visit Pasco.FloridaHealth.gov.

Hospital announces yearly awards
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, 14000 Fivay Road in Hudson, announced these yearly awards:

Good Samaritan Clinic’s Nurse of the Year Award: Evelyn Christian. Christian has been a staff member at the hospital for 29 years, and is a longtime Pasco County resident. She has been involved in a variety of nursing areas, including neonatal, pediatric ICUs, the emergency room and the intensive care unit. Christian continues to work two shifts per week in the heart surgery unit.
Nurse of the Year: David Kokoruz. Kokoruz is the night charge nurse on “Three North.” He is a leader who keeps things running smoothly and efficiently.
Physician of the Year: Dr. Michael Wahl, thoracic and cardiothoracic surgeon. Wahl sacrifices his time even when he is off duty to see his patients progressing. He always includes a bedside nurse in his patient plans, covers for other physicians, and goes out of his way to make nurses feel they are an important part of the team.

Health News 07/13/2016

July 13, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Ashish Patel is physician of the year
Dr. Ashish Patel was honored with the Oak Hill Hospital’s Nurses’ Choice Award for Physician of the Year at the hospital’s Nursing Year in Review Awards Ceremony.

Patel received the award for his support of the mission, vision and philosophy of Oak Hill Hospital’s nursing department and for his dedication as a team member to provide excellent service to every patient, every time. The award is voted on by the nursing staff at the hospital.

Bilirakis tours oncology center
Congressman Gus Bilirakis toured Florida Cancer Affiliates’ new radiation and medical oncology center at 3611 Little Road in Trinity. During the tour of the facility, Bilirakis discussed the legislative issues critical to the local oncology community and met with Florida Cancer Affiliates’ oncologists.

Bilirakis also had the opportunity to view the state-of-the-art equipment, particularly the Elekta Infinity, with the industry-leading Agiliti Multi-Leaf Collimator. Florida Cancer Affiliates and The U.S. Oncology Network invested in the technology to further expand cancer treatment capabilities for patients in the area.

Cathy Edmisten is VP of operations
Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville has appointed Cathy Edmisten as its new vice president of operations. Edmisten replaces Alejandro Remero who transferred to Medical Center of Trinity.

Edmisten has a nursing background in emergency services, nursing operations, nursing administration and nursing finance. She has lived in Spring Hill for 30 years and has had a wide range of health care management positions throughout Tampa Bay.

She received her Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in public administration from Saint Leo University, and an associate of science degree in nursing from Pasco-Hernando State College in New Port Richey. Edmisten also is a board-certified emergency nurse.

She is a Florida native, born in Dunedin, and is married to retired Battalion Fire Chief Scott Edmisten. She has two children, two stepchildren and five grandchildren.