Patient comfort, a priority for these ladies
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sew Caring group at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel put their hearts into helping care for breast cancer patients. The group provided comfort for the patients throughout the month of October with handcrafted pillows. Many of the breast cancer patients are sore following surgery, and the pillows add the much-needed comfort and support for each patient, as they recover.
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club undertook a large sewing project to handcraft comfort pillows for women post-surgery at several area hospitals. The ladies stuffed the pillows, packed and delivered them to Advent Health/Fletcher, Advent Health/Wesley Chapel and to the Moffitt Cancer Center. Members Irene Hernandez and Barbara Booth package the pillows for the hospitals.
National Hospice Month
November is recognized as National Hospice & Palliative Care Month to help raise awareness of the efforts of local hospice and palliative health care organizations.
To celebrate the month, Gulfside Hospice will offer free copies of the Five Wishes booklet, a living will document that outlines your wishes for care.
To request a free booklet, visit tinyurl.com/yylav2qq.
Gulfside’s team also is available to give a presentation about the booklet, along with complimentary copies, to local groups and clubs.
To schedule a presentation, call (727) 845-5707.
Free rapid testing
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County, along with the public defender’s Mobile Medical Unit, will offer free rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing to the public at several locations throughout November.
Results from the rapid tests will be available in 20 minutes.
For a calendar of times and locations, visit Pasco.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services.
Rose Bowl participation
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Donate Life Rose Bowl Parade float’s hospital CEO rose dedications.
A select group of hospitals have been asked to prepare a handwritten message honoring the patients and families who, with the support of hospital staff, have saved and healed lives through the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation.
One of the trademarks of the annual Donate Life float is a ‘dedication garden’ filled with thousands of roses, each placed in a vial carrying a unique, personal message from an individual, family or organization.
Gina Temple, Regional Medical’s CEO, will prepare a note to be included on the float.
Better breast health
AdventHealth Wesley Chapel is now offering multiple innovative breast health advances to detect breast cancer and provide safer, convenient options for patients who require treatment.
The hospital now offers the Contrast Enhanced Mammography and SCOUT Wire-Free Radar Breast Localization System.
Contrast enhanced mammography is used to detect tumors in dense breasts that may not be visible on a traditional mammogram, and is an alternative for breast care patients who are unable to undergo an MRI.
SCOUT is a new, more comfortable and convenient surgical option for women awaiting breast cancer surgery.
Businesswoman of the Year
Access Health Care Physicians has announced that Dr. Manjusri Vennamaneni, its chief medical director, has been recognized as Businesswoman of the Year by the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Vennamaneni was chosen for her accomplishments during her years practicing in Hernando County:
- Initiated the first Accountable Care Organization in the county
- Had the first practice in the area recognized by the NCQA as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home
- Recognized by Optimum Health Care with a five-star rating as chief quality director
- Led a team to the development of IT products used in utilization management, compliance, and revenue cycle management
- Helped to develop the first Third Party Administrator in Hernando County
Dr. Vennamaneni practices at the main office of Access Health Care in Spring Hill.
National certification
Oak Hill Hospital is the recipient of the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing’s 2019 National Certification Champion Award in the large health care organization category.
During a recognition breakfast, the following awards were presented:
- Distinguished CEN Award
- Distinguished CPEN Award
- National Certification Champion Awards in: small health care, large health care, and health care system.
Board certification is nursing’s highest professional credential, and it is a requirement of eligible nurses of the emergency room at Oak Hill Hospital.
Currently, 93% of Oak Hill’s eligible emergency room nurses are board certified, with the other eligible nurses scheduled to take the board certification test.
All of Oak Hill Hospital’s nursing leaders are board certified in a specialty.
Hospital adds third scanner
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Hudson has added a third CT scanner, which will be placed in the emergency department of the hospital to support its trauma, ER, stroke and cardiac services, for faster and more convenient service.
The latest scanning technology has the advantage of the new 64-slice Revolution Evo, which includes higher quality images and lower dose to the patient.
It also is environmentally friendly, cutting power consumption by 54%.
Bayonet Point is the only Level II Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.
New medical staff
Access Health Care Physicians has welcomed Dr. Seenu Sanka to its medical staff in Spring Hill.
Dr. Sanka joins Access Health from Davita Medical Florida Inc., in St. Petersburg, where he has practiced since 2002.
Dr. Sanka is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
He received his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and completed his internship and residency in internal medical at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
