ThunderBug helps to raise awareness
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and the Tampa Bay Lightning helped AdventHealth to spread the word. Before puck drop against the Dallas Stars at a recent game, ThunderBug stopped by AdventHealth Tampa and AdventHealth Connerton to raise awareness and encourage the community to get screened. Hospital team members also dressed in blue to honor the month.
Autism Awareness Month
The Autism Society in 1970 launched an ongoing nationwide effort to promote autism awareness and assure that all affected by autism are able to achieve the highest quality of life possible, according to its website.
The society in 1972 launched the first annual National Autistic Children’s week, which evolved into Autism Acceptance Month. This April, it continues its efforts to spread awareness, promote acceptance and ignite change.
The Autism Society of America recognizes Autism Acceptance Month (AAM) in April 2021 with its “Celebrate Differences” campaign. Designed to build a better awareness of the signs, symptoms, and realities of autism, #CelebrateDifferences focuses on providing information and resources for communities to be more aware of autism, promote acceptance, and be more inclusive in everyday life.
The Autism Society recognizes that the prevalence of autism in the United States has risen from 1 in 25 children in 2010, to 1 in 54 in 2020 – and, due to this continued increase, the goal of AAM is to further increase awareness about autism signs, symptoms and opportunities through information and referrals, events, printable and digital resources, and community partnerships with businesses and organizations dedicated to building inclusive experiences.
The Autism Society has a variety of resources designed to inform and encourage communities to celebrate differences, and become more inclusive of individuals with autism.
For information, visit autism-society.org.
Child abuse prevention
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused financial strain, isolation and anxiety, and children are more vulnerable than ever, according to a Champions for Children news release.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and four local nonprofits will work together to ensure that at-risk parents have the knowledge, skills and resources they need to promote children’s social and emotional well-being, and prevent child abuse and neglect.
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Feeding Tampa Bay and the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County will join Champions, to help equip families with “resources, support and coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress,” said Dr. Amy Haile, executive director, Champions for Children, in the release.
Hospital hits milestone
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point’s TAVR team completed a milestone of 500 transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures.
The innovative procedure has shifted aortic valve replacement from the operating room to a hybrid cardiac catheterization lab, reducing procedure time, recovery time, and improving outcomes for patients with heart valve disease.
In TAVR, the new valve is guided up to the patient’s heart via an artery, as the physician directs the position with X-ray guidance. The new valve is placed into the diseased valve and opened like an umbrella, pushing aside the old valve and providing a new, clear pathway for blood flow through the valve.
At Bayonet Point, the procedure is primarily performed without general anesthesia, allowing for a faster recovery.
New infusion center
Patients with COVID-19 in Tampa Bay now have the option to receive another innovative new treatment, as AdventHealth has opened a clinic offering monoclonal antibody therapies, according to a news release.
The 18-chair outpatient infusion unit, in Hillsborough County, is treating adult patients with the monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab.
The treatment is intended for those who have developed COVID-19 symptoms, are not hospitalized or on oxygen, but are at high risk for progressing to a more severe case.
To qualify, patients must also have a high-risk factor, such as diabetes, heart disease or obesity, and have a doctor’s order.
If a patient is 65 or older, they must simply have a positive COVID-19 test within the 10-day symptom window and a doctor’s order.
The monoclonal antibodies are the latest in a suite of innovative treatments offered by AdventHealth, including remdesivir, sarilumab, dexamethasone and convalescent plasma.
To schedule an appointment, call 321-235-6185.
