Pet therapy volunteers provide support
LUTZ – Dennis Moses, of Trinity, and his 9-year-old foxhound-greyhound mix Gino are among the newest pet therapy volunteers at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North.
Dennis and Gino recently added St. Joseph’s Hospital-North to their volunteer locations that include hospitals and nursing homes.
They have been doing pet therapy for more than three years.
Dennis and Gino are among seven pairs of pet therapy volunteers routinely visiting St. Joseph’s Hospital-North bringing joy, comfort, happiness and delight to patients, visitors and staff.
DOH-Pasco issues mosquito-borne illness alert
PASCO COUNTY – The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County informed residents Oct. 1 of confirmed human cases of locally-acquired dengue.
DOH-Pasco and Pasco County Mosquito Control District are coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts.
The Department continues to conduct statewide surveillance for mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile virus infections, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, malaria, chikungunya, and dengue. Residents of Florida are encouraged to report dead birds to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s site.
Stay updated on the cases by visiting floridahealth.gov.
Comfort centers offer refuge
NEW PORT RICHEY – The Alliance for Healthy Communities converted the All Ways Center into a County Comfort Center to help those recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
The County Comfort Center was designed to provide an air-conditioned environment where people could use Wifi, charge their electronic devices, receive donations and get referrals for help.
Operating hours were from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 6020 U.S. 19.
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North urges women get mammograms
LUTZ – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and St. Joseph’s Hospital-North encourages women to make an appointment for a mammogram.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women. Getting a mammogram screening is the best way to detect breast cancer early.
A prescription or physician referral is not necessary for a screening mammogram.
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North’s Shimberg Breast Center uses 3-D technology to produce high resolution mammograms. 3-D gives a more precise, clear, accurate and sharper image.
The technology offers more comfort. Biopsies can also be performed and biopsies can be done from a sitting position instead of lying prone on the stomach with the face downward.
Another enhanced feature is that 3-D can compare images side-by-side from year to year.
Visit ItsInOurHands.org for details.
Boil water notice rescinded
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – A precautionary boil water notice issued by Hillsborough County Water Resources on Sept. 30 for the HCWRD South Central drinking water system that impacted customers in the Balm-Riverview area was lifted for all customers by Oct. 3.
The notice for some areas were lifted Oct. 2 after testing showed the water meets water quality standards.
Customers in two areas, the Balm Grove subdivision and Wildgrass Apartments, were still under a precautionary boil water notice early morning Oct. 3. The boil water notice for that area was rescinded later that afternoon.
Hillsborough County’s Water Resources department had issued the precautionary boil water notice due to the distribution system pressure in the subdivision falling below the required regulatory level because of a water main break.
The Florida Department of Health recommended allowing the water to run for five minutes at each tap to flush the lines with fresh water. This included misters, drinking fountains, ice makers (discard the first bin full), etc., when flushing the lines.
Go to HCFL.gov/BoilWaterNotice for details or call Hillsborough County Water Resources Department at 813-307-1000.
