Little Women donate books
The Ronald MacDonald House Tampa has opened for visitors, and the Little Women of Lutz presented the ‘home away from home’ with a rolling library, filled with over 200 books for all ages. It is the mission of this community service organization to keep the library full, for the reading pleasure of the residents now and in the future. Those taking part were Zoey Cropper, Fleur Van Buuren, Lyndsey Turnage, Lauren Gualtieri, Linda Mitchell, Dee Knerr and Kiara Palmer. For information on the Little Women of Lutz (for ages 12 to 18), email .
Fentanyl overdoses
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is encouraging residents to be aware of the rise in fentanyl overdoses and its signs, according to its Facebook page.
Fentanyl can be absorbed by the body by skin contact, ingestion or inhalation, and it has rapidly become one of the most common substances seen in overdoses and substance abuse cases.
Signs of an overdose include: blue/purple fingernails; blue/purple lips; difficulty breathing; clammy skin; vomiting; pinpoint pupils; drowsiness; and unconciousness — all of which can occur within minutes of exposure.
If you think someone is overdosing, immediately call 911.
For more information on the PSO’s community-based resources, visit PascoSheriff.com/mentalhealth.
Muscular Dystrophy boot drive
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano will feature the Pasco Fire Rescue’s annual “Boot Drive” as its charitable organization for the month of August.
All proceeds from this promotional effort will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), which is a key organization supported by Pasco Fire Rescue/Pasco Firefighters Charities.
Donations (filling the boot) can be made at any of the five tax collector offices in Pasco County. To find locations, visit PascoTaxes.com.
For more about the charitable giving programs through the tax collector, call Greg Giordano at 727-847-8179.
For information about the Fire Rescue/Firefighters charities, call Sean Messer at 813-929-2750.
Hospital accreditations
HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital, HCA Florida Trinity Hospital and HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital have together earned a three-year accreditation from the Amerian College of Surgeon’s (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC), for their integrated network cancer program, according to a news release.
The program was created by the three hospitals after each individually held ACS CoC accreditation for many years and saw the need to provide a coordinated approach to cancer care for patients in Pasco County, Hernando County and surrounding communities.
To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet 34 CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care.
As a CoC-accredited cancer center, the program will take a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists and other cancer specialists.
This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care.
