Health Resource Center opens
The Hudson Community Health Resource Center has opened its doors to Pasco County students and the community, at 14540 Cobra Way, on the Hudson High School campus.
The facility offers free medical, mental health, and dental services, as well as provides a food bank, clothing bank, and access to computers and printers.
The services are dedicated to local residents, but are free to all visitors, with no eligibility requirements. The only information collected includes names, zip codes, family size, and the number of children in the household.
Community partners such as Premier HealthCare, Feeding Tampa Bay, Metropolitan Ministries’ NeighborHope Project, Molina Healthcare and Saint Leo University have joined forces to provide residents with the tools they need to address the root causes of poverty.
For more information, visit hpa.pasco.k12.fl.us/hudson-community-health-and-resource-center/.
Breast cancer survivor honored
Melissa Proctor, a nursing educator at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and a survivor of breast cancer, was recently celebrated and honored by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an AdventHealth Goal Getter, at Raymond James Stadium. The recognition is the culmination of Proctor’s journey of resilience, spreading awareness and inspiring hope in the face of adversity.
The honoree consulted her doctor in June 2021 and underwent tests, leading to a stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis. A month later, she faced a mastectomy and began chemotherapy, according to a news release.
The care team at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel guided her through her journey from diagnosis to reconstruction, providing support and compassionate care.
Today, Proctor stands cancer-free for two years, attributing her positive outcome to the care she received from Dr. Nicole Figueredo and the entire team at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.
She now advocates for regular screenings and self-breast exams, emphasizing their life-saving potential. She firmly believes in being a voice for others, spreading awareness about early detection and the importance of timely health care.
Premier benefits from donations
Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices featured Premier Community HealthCare as its charity of the month in September and raised a total of $5,013.61 for the organization. Premier is the primary nonprofit agency that provides health care to the uninsured and under-insured of Pasco County. The money raised will benefit Premier’s expansion of medical services across the county.
For information about Premier, call Cheryl Pollack, community engagement officer, at 352-518-2000, ext. 9012, or visit PremierHC.org.
For more on the tax collector’s office promotional and charitable giving programs, contact Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector, at 727-847-8179 or PascoTaxes.com.
A ‘company that cares’
BayCare has been ranked nationally among the 2023 People “Companies That Care” list for the third year since 2020. Great Place To Work and People magazine highlighted BayCare’s efforts to support the well-being of its team members, expand behavioral health services and partner to build healthier communities.
The People Companies That Care list is based on over 1.3 million employee survey responses and data from companies representing the experience of more than 7.5 million employees. Of those surveys, 1.1 million came from employees at companies eligible for this year’s list and these rankings are based on that feedback.
BayCare ranked 75th on the list of 100 companies and was the top-ranked health care system in Florida. BayCare is the parent of two local hospitals — St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz and BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel.
Companies also submit essays that are validated by employee survey data to give a complete picture of the way an organization cares for its employees, its community, and the planet. To be considered for the list, companies must be Great Place to Work Certified and have at least 10 U.S. employees.
Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine named BayCare one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For from 2018-2021, one of the Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma 2019-2021, and one of the 2022 Best Workplaces in Health Care.
Happiest states
The personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2023’s Happiest States in America. To determine where Americans have the highest satisfaction with life, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 30 key indicators of happiness. The data set ranges from the depression rate and the share of adults feeling productive to income growth and the unemployment rate.
Florida ranked eighth overall, with these results (1=happiest; 25=average):
- Second — percentage of depressed adults
- Ninth — income growth
- 14th — share of adults feeling active and productive
- 15th — suicide rate
- 17th — percentage of civilian labor force unemployed 15 weeks or longer
For a full report, visit WalletHub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959.
A leader in robotic surgery
HCA Florida Trinity Hospital is a leader in robotic-assisted surgeries for the community, as more than 7,500 robotic-assisted procedures have been performed for thoracic, colon-rectal, gynecologic oncology, urology, gynecology, urogynecology, bariatrics and general surgery, according to a news release.
“With seven robots and a comprehensive panel of surgeons experienced in robotic-assisted surgeries, we are able to provide our community with minimally invasive options, which may result in less pain, shorter hospital stays and recovery,” said Mike Irvin, CEO HCA Florida Trinity Hospital, in the release.
“We are honored to provide these advanced surgical options to our community and the Tampa Bay area,” said Irvin.
HCA Florida Trinity Hospital continues to focus on technology and developing programs that allow the community to stay close to home for health care. Key services include 24/7 emergency care, obstetrics including NICU and maternal fetal medicine, advanced surgical oncology, spine and orthopedics, minimally invasive surgical specialties, and women’s imaging center with comprehensive breast care.
Best of the Best
AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth Zephyrhills top the Tampa Bay Times “Best of the Best” list in 2023, voted on by the Tampa Bay community. More than 410,000 votes were cast, according to a news release. The awards are a celebration of excellence and a recognition of the businesses and organizations that have gone above and beyond to meet the needs and expectations of the Tampa Bay community, the release said.
AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth Zephyrhills topped not just one, but three categories:
- Diagnosis Excellence. This category is a testament to the hospitals’ state-of-the-art technology and expertise in providing accurate and comprehensive diagnostic services.
- Cardiology Care at its Finest. This recognition underscores the hospitals’ attention to cardiovascular health, with a team of experienced cardiologists, advanced treatment options and a patient-centric approach.
- Orthopedic Excellence. This win reflects the hospitals’ commitment to musculoskeletal health, with a focus on precision, innovation and personalized care orthopedic surgeons give to help patients regain mobility and quality of life.
