EKG screenings bill passes
TAMPA – Florida lawmakers recently passed legislation requiring EKG screenings for student-athletes to identify hidden heart conditions.
“Sudden cardiac arrest is the number one medical cause of death in young athletes during sports,” said Dr. Anjlee Patel, a pediatric cardiologist with AdventHealth for Children, based at AdventHealth Tampa. “An ECG is quick, affordable, and can detect serious conditions that a stethoscope can’t. We want to make it as easy as possible for families to get this testing and prevent unthinkable tragedies.”
AdventHealth for Children offers low-cost ECG/EKG screenings for children and youth, ages 10 to 25, across Central and West Florida.
Screening ECGs are covered by most insurance providers, but AdventHealth also offers a $15 self-pay option. The initiative is designed to make heart screenings more accessible and affordable, especially for families of student-athletes.
Pediatric cardiologists interpret the screening results that same day and use them to help detect conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and electrical rhythm abnormalities.
Nursing organization honors BayCare for staff programs
CLEARWATER – The American Nurses Credentialing Center has designated BayCare as the first health care system in Florida to receive its new Well-Being Excellence designation.
BayCare is one of five organizations nationally to receive the new credential.
“We are honored that BayCare has been recognized as a national leader and pioneer in promoting well-being and resilience,” said Trish Shucoski, chief nurse executive. “This award is an exciting way to demonstrate that our team members feel supported, valued and equipped to thrive.”
The designation evaluates and enhances well-being programs within health care organizations that employ nurses. ANCC created the designation in response to the need for effective well-being programs to support health care professionals.
Nurse burnout is a significant issue in health care, with 46% of health care workers reporting feelings of burnout in 2022, up from 32% in 2018, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North excels at patient safety
LUTZ – St. Joseph’s Hospital-North earned a top grade for the sixth consecutive time in ratings from a national not-for-profit organization that evaluates patient safety.
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North received an A grade in the Leapfrog Group’s Spring 2025 Hospital Safety Grades released May 1. St. Joseph’s Hospital-North also earned A in grades dating back to the Fall 2022 grades.
The six consecutive A grades has earned Leapfrog’s elite Straight A status for St. Joseph’s Hospital-North.
“Our patient care practices are rooted in providing the safest and best care,” hospital president Sara Dodds said. “The Leapfrog grades are a way that our consistent quality care is illustrated publicly to the community.”
BayCare earns A’s for safety
CLEARWATER – Ten of BayCare’s acute-care hospitals received an A in the Leapfrog Group’s Spring 2025 Hospital Safety Grades.
The Leapfrog Group collects and analyzes data about infections, accidents, injuries and errors at nearly 3,000 general hospitals. In the spring and fall, the Leapfrog Group assigns them letter grades ranging from A to F.
Hospitals that earned an A include Morton Plant North Bay Hospital in New Port Richey, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa and St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz.
“Patient safety is the foundation of care at BayCare. It is woven into our culture and the care we deliver every day,” said Dr. Laura Arline, BayCare’s chief quality officer.
Hospitals across region highlight Power of Nurses
TAMPA – Several hospitals in the Tampa Bay area partnered with the American Nurses Association May 6 to 12 to illuminate buildings as part of its #NursesLightUpTheSky initiative.
The campaign is designed to honor the more than 5 million registered nurses whose contributions power health and healing.
“Nurses are essential to the health of our families and communities-and this week, we honor the impact they make across every corner of Florida and the nation,” said Dr. Marie Etienne president of The Florida Nurses Association. “Lighting up our skyline is just one way we’re shining a spotlight on the incredible work nurses do every single day.”
Participating hospitals included Bartow Regional Medical Center, BayCare HomeCare, BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, Gandy Bridge, Joseph’s Hospital-North, Madonna Ptak Morton Plant Rehabilitation Center, Mease Countryside Hospital, Morton Plant Hospital, Morton Plant North Bay Hospital, Selmon Expressway, South Florida Baptist Hospital, St. Anthony’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital-South, St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, Winter Haven Hospital,
On the web: nursingworld.org/nursesweek
County celebrates 75 years of mosquito management
TAMPA – For 75 years, Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services has worked to control the mosquito population in Hillsborough County.
Residents were scheduled to celebrate the milestone at a family-fun event with the team that works around the clock to eliminate mosquitoes and stop the spread of deadly mosquito-borne diseases.
The event was scheduled for May 10, which is after the newspaper’s deadline, at 6527 Eureka Springs Road, Tampa.
On the web: HCFL.gov/Mosquito
Exec gets marketing role
CLEARWATER – Keri Eisenbeis, chief of staff and chief communications officer at BayCare Health System, is adding marketing to her role as she oversees the not-for-profit health system’s marketing efforts.
“Keri has proven, over and over during her tenure at BayCare, her ability to take on new challenges and make a big impact for our communities,” President and CEO Stephanie Conners said. “Adding marketing to her portfolio is a natural synergy with her role overseeing our communications.”
Eisenbeis joined BayCare 16 years ago.
“The voice of our patients and the community at large motivates me,” Eisenbeis said. “I look forward to channeling that voice in my work to ensure BayCare’s tradition of being the best place to work, provide and receive care.”
