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Medical Center of Trinity

New fees needed to help protect patients during hurricanes?

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Pasco County commissioners are discussing the possibility of imposing new fees to help protect patients in licensed health care facilities when hurricanes threaten or hit.

Although Hurricane Irma was a less destructive storm than many feared as it blew through the Tampa Bay region, it revealed potential problems in protecting, evacuating and sheltering patients in licensed health care facilities.

County staff provided a preview of a proposal to address those issues at a Jan. 30 workshop with commissioners in Dade City. Representatives of Florida Health Pasco County and Medical Center of Trinity attended, too.

Kevin Guthrie, Pasco County’s assistant county administrator for public safety

Recommendations include training exercises, drills and hiring a full-time operations coordinator.

And, there are ongoing discussions on how to fund all of this.

County officials favor collecting an annual fee per bed, ranging from just under $12 to slightly more than $14.

Preliminary estimates show the county has more than 6,200 beds. Most are in assisted living facilities, nursing homes and hospitals.

A second option would be an annual fee per facility ranging from about $864 to more than $914.

Pasco would like to hire the operations coordinator by this spring.

Initially, health care providers could be asked to make voluntary contributions until a fee schedule is approved.

The county’s operations coordinator would serve as liaison between Pasco, the state health department and licensed facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living establishments, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.

“We have to have one person who is dedicated to this,” said Kevin Guthrie, Pasco’s assistant county administrator for public safety. “We just don’t have that.”

The county’s emergency management department reviews and approves emergency plans prepared by those facilities. There is much to consider.

State and federal laws apply to health care providers and their emergency readiness.

For example, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, set new rules for patient safety during emergencies for a list of 17 categories of Medicare and Medicaid providers. Those took effect in November 2017.

The list includes hospitals, hospices, transplant centers, home health agencies and community mental health centers.

The county also has other rules that come under review.

Gov. Rick Scott issued an emergency order after 14 nursing home patients in Hollywood died after a power failure at their nursing home. The governor’s order requires health care providers have generators and fuel to last four days.

The same rule applies whether the facility has six beds or 400.

“It’s going to be some of the smaller units that struggle and need help,” said Devin Sommise, director of engineering and facilities for the Medical Center of Trinity.

Pasco has as many as 26 shelters available for emergencies. Many are based in area high schools and middle schools.

As Hurricane Irma approached, some nursing homes evacuated patients to shelters.

But, there were problems.

According to Guthrie, 15-passenger vans would show up at a shelter “just dropping off people at the door step.”

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said at least one nursing home didn’t have enough staff to transport patients from a shelter back to the nursing home.

“It was disappointing they didn’t staff to get their patients back,” he said.

Pasco County Sheriff’s office stepped in and brought passenger vans to pick the patients up, Moore added.

“Somebody from the facility should have to stay with them,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

The county’s proposal would focus on developing a communication plan to prevent similar occurrences.

If the new job position is approved, duties would include reviewing, but not writing, emergency plans for health care facilities in Pasco, as well as facilitating eight exercise events and six training courses.

“Everyone has to have a plan. Everyone has to execute it,” said Sommise. “How are you getting these people out? Show me.”

Published February 14, 2018

New emergency room services available for local residents

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Two new emergency rooms have opened in Pasco County, giving local residents more convenient choices in times of need.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel had a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of its Central Pasco ER in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital-West Florida Division)

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel opened the doors to its new free-standing Florida Hospital Central Pasco ER in Land O’ Lakes, located offsite from the hospital, on State Road 54, just east of the Suncoast Parkway. The hospital expanded its health services in order to serve more residents in the growing area of central Pasco County.

Construction began last spring, and the new 18,000-square-foot facility features a year-round full-service emergency department with 24 beds and state-of-the-art on-site imaging, such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan and onsite laboratory services.

The new emergency room is staffed with board-certified emergency medicine physicians, as well as nurses who specialize in emergency care.

The Medical Center of Trinity’s new ER 24-7, in Lutz, is now open at 1430 Dale Mabry Highway. (Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity)

Ambulance services also will be offered for patients who come to the Central Pasco ER and need to be admitted to the hospital.

The offsite emergency room officially began to treat patients on Jan. 29.

The Medical Center of Trinity’s new free-standing emergency department, ER 24-7, in Lutz, is now open at 1430 Dale Mabry Highway, next to Walmart.

The facility offers access to emergency care 24-hours a day, seven days a week, with a multitude of resources for acute care of a serious illness or injury.

The full-service ER provides more advanced emergency services than an urgent care center and will accept patients via ambulance. It also has onsite CT scan, ultrasound and laboratory services, and is staffed by physicians board-certified in emergency care and nurses with emergency care experience and certifications.

Published February 7, 2018

Young women get hands-on science experience

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The Perry Initiative held a one-day program at Medical Center of Trinity to give young women a hands-on experience in science, and to broaden their exposure to opportunities in the fields of orthopedic surgery and engineering.

Erin Sinnott said participating in The Perry Initiative at Medical Center of Trinity was ‘an amazing experience,’ far exceeding her expectations. (Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity)

The event, which was last month and was co-sponsored by the Medical Center of Trinity, involved 40 young women selected to attend from 16 local high schools.

The students had a chance to learn from prominent women surgeons, engineers and business women in the field of orthopedics.

Women currently make up 7 percent of the surgeon and engineer workforce in the field of orthopedics, according to a news release from The Perry Initiative. The event was intended to help give participants exposure to potential careers options.

The students had the chance to perform surgical simulations to correct scoliosis deformity, to fix a broken leg and to repair a rotator cuff, according to the news release.

The day included lectures on engineering and orthopedics, the simulations and a question-and-answer session.

Land O’ Lakes, Sunlake and Steinbrenner were among the participating high schools.

Dr. Jennifer Cook, orthopedic surgery, was instrumental in bringing the program to the medical center.

Kylie Siminiski, a student at Steinbrenner High School, works with Dr. Jennifer Cook during a one-day program at Medical Center of Trinity aimed at giving young women exposure to the fields of engineering and orthopedic surgery.

Alyssa Kovacs, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High School, was impressed by the one-day program.

“I thought the experience was great. It definitely changed my mind about what I want to do.

“I knew I wanted to be a doctor working in a hospital … but, I didn’t think I wanted to go into ortho surgery. I never really thought about ortho surgery until The Perry Initiative.

“I really don’t know to explain it: It clicked something inside,” the high school junior said, in an interview after completing the program.

“It was a great experience, and it definitely changes how you see things,” Kovacs added.

Erin Sinnott, a senior at Sunlake High School, also gave high marks to the program.

“It was amazing. I wasn’t really expecting so much when I walked in,” Sinnott said.

“At first they showed us what we were doing, then we broke off into small groups, and we got to do it all by ourselves,” she said.

The experience has inspired her to consider the possibility of becoming an orthopedics surgeon, she said.

Published December 13, 2017

New projects coming to Walmart site

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A new emergency health care center is ready for construction, and a self-storage facility is planned for outparcels surrounding the Walmart Super Center in Lutz.

They will join the new Famous Tate appliance store, which is under construction in front of the discount retail store, on a parcel off of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

New Port Richey Hospital Inc., plans to open an emergency health care facility on an outparcel at the entrance to Walmart Super Center, off Dale Mabry Highway.
(Kathy Steele/Staff)

Pasco County commissioners, in October, approved changes to a longstanding master plan for development of the entire site, located on a large triangular swath of land between Land O’ Lakes and North Dale Mabry Highway.

Adjustments will add about 60,000 square feet of retail and 12,000 square feet of office. About 50,000 square feet set aside previously for office is available for uses such as retail or a hotel.

The Nashville-based New Port Richey Hospital Inc., a subsidiary of HCA Holdings Inc., is building an approximately 10,800-square-foot emergency health facility on a parcel adjacent to the Dale Mabry entrance. Initial permits were issued in December according to a sign posted on the site.

New Port Richey Hospital Inc. also owns the Medical Center of Trinity in New Port Richey. The seller of the parcel was Hagman Properties Inc., and Canaan Development Corporation, according to county records.

Traffic zips past the construction site for a new emergency health care facility being built outside Walmart Super Center, off Dale Mabry Highway.

StorKwik Self Storage made inquiries with county planners about building up to 100,000 square feet of storage space on a parcel across from Famous Tate, by the Land O’ Lakes entrance, according to county records.

The new development isn’t expected to increase traffic, according to a new traffic analysis.

Under county code, the self-storage facility is considered retail though it generates little traffic, and the storage facility is counted as office space, said land use attorney Joel Tew, who represented the properties’ sellers.

“Essentially, it’s the same traffic as before, with no new net (daily) trips,” Tew said.

However, a traffic signal and turn lane will be installed at the Dale Mabry entrance into Walmart. Developers and county officials had sought approvals for the signal for years, Tew said.

The Florida Department of Transportation recently approved the signal, Tew added.

The eastern entrance off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard already has a traffic signal.

The outparcels at the site were ready for development for years, but for the stalled economy, Tew said.

“They simply sat there languishing through the downturn until recently,” he said.

Published January 11, 2017

Health care facility coming to Lutz

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A Nashville-based hospital system plans to build a healthcare facility on an out parcel at the entrance to Walmart, the discount chain flanked on either side by North Dale Mabry Highway and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

Mark Cooney – known as “The Land Shark” – closed a deal to sell an approximately 1.6-acre plot to New Port Richey Hospital Inc., for about $1.6 million, according to a news release from The Land Sharks LLC.

New Port Richey Hospital is a subsidiary of HCA Holdings Inc., which owns the Medical Center of Trinity among its many healthcare facilities. The seller was Hagman Properties Inc., and Canaan Development Corporation.

The site, at 1575 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Lutz, is across from a vacant lot where owners of Famous Tate plan to build a new appliance store.

Another outparcel is slated for a Stor-Kwik Self Storage. A restaurant and automobile store also are possible new additions that will be announced soon, the news release says.

More out parcels are available, with the potential for five to six new tenants.

While much of the recent development attention in Pasco County has focused on State Road 54, vacant land along U.S. 41 is stirring renewed interest in the Land O’ Lakes and Lutz areas, Cooney said, in an interview.

Five auto and tire companies have inquired about one of the parcels outside Walmart, he said, adding that one prospective buyer called Walmart a “magnet” for neighborhood development.

“We want the right mix,” Cooney said. “We’re really glad with what we have right there.”

The parcels have been marketed for about two years. One issue giving some developers pause was traffic in and out of the site.

But Cooney said a traffic signal with a new left turn at the North Dale Mabry Highway entrance to the shopping center received the green light from Florida Department of Transportation.

The eastern entrance off U.S. 41 already has a traffic signal.

Published May 11, 2016

Neonatal services now available in Pasco County

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The Medical Center of Trinity has opened a neonatal intensive care unit, providing a service that previously was unavailable in Pasco County.

The $7 million project is an expansion of the existing obstetrics program at the hospital, at 9330 State Road 54, in Trinity.

Leigh Massengill, CEO of Medical Center of Trinity, left, stands with Cheryl Sherrill and Lynn Smith in the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. Sherrill is the hospital’s director of women’s and neonatal services, and Lynn Smith is neonatal services manager. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Leigh Massengill, CEO of Medical Center of Trinity, left, stands with Cheryl Sherrill and Lynn Smith in the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. Sherrill is the hospital’s director of women’s and neonatal services, and Lynn Smith is neonatal services manager.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The unit, which opened on Jan. 4, is commonly called a NICU. It serves a market area including Pasco and Hernando counties, and the northern portions of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

The 4,718-square-foot NICU offers advanced levels of care for babies born as early as 32 weeks and weighing at least 1,500 grams.

The project is the latest addition to Medical Center of Trinity, which opened four years ago.

“As this facility was being planned, all along it was contemplated to add neonatal intensive care unit services,” said Hospital CEO Leigh Massengill.

Even before the resurgence of residential growth along the State Road 54 corridor, and the young families that will come along with it, the hospital saw the need for the services, she said.

The hospital saw how many infants and mothers had to be transferred out of the facility for a higher level of care, and it knew it could create a safer and more satisfying visit, if it could manage those services in-house, she said.

“Sometimes pregnant women would come in at 32 weeks, and they weren’t in active labor, but they required in hospital services, and we had to transfer them out because delivery could occur at any time,” Massengill said.

In the past, if a baby arrived at around 32 weeks, it was better for it to be in a facility where the care the baby needed could be immediately provided, said Lynn Smith, neonatal services manager. “The sooner you can get them to definitive care, the better,” Smith said.

Before, Massengill said, the baby had to be transported, which was not ideal.

“It really kind of breaks your heart when you take a newborn baby and pack him up in this scary-looking transporter, and stick him on a helicopter to go flying off to another county, and leaving mother and family, and the rest of the extended family behind, worrying,” she said.

Now, the CEO said, “they either go one way, to the newborn nursery, or they come in for more intensive care.”

Cheryl Sherrill, director of women’s and neonatal services said: “It is a wonderful service to the community, to keep these families together.”

The Medical Center of Trinity has opened a neonatal intensive care unit to provide services to newborns as young as 32 weeks and weighing as little as 1,500 grams. This is a look at one of two NICU bays. (Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity)
The Medical Center of Trinity has opened a neonatal intensive care unit to provide services to newborns as young as 32 weeks and weighing as little as 1,500 grams. This is a look at one of two NICU bays.
(Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity)

The new NICU expansion includes 12 Level II NICU beds and an overnight room for families transitioning to taking their babies home.

“We understand, that for us, the birth experience is an event. It’s not like acute care. People have been planning this event for a very long time, and we want to make sure we do everything we can to make this a special event for them,” Sherrill said.

“When sometimes things happen, and babies come a little bit earlier than they were planning on, then, that’s why we have this beautiful NICU down here,” Sherrill said.

The hospital has a relationship with All Children’s Specialty Physicians from All Children’s Hospital, who are providing neonatology services, Massengill said.

“So, they’re always on call to support us. They’re in the facility on a daily basis. They take care of our babies. They interface with the families, with the pediatricians, with the obstetricians, to make sure those babies get the best care possible,” she said.

When there’s enough notice, Sherrill said, “We get the neonatology team involved and the NICU charge nurse, and we start that relationship from when the mom is hospitalized.

“The neonatologists work with the OBs (obstetricians) for the best plan of care, of when to deliver this baby, so we can be prepared, and the team and the family is comfortable, already knowing kind of what’s going to happen at the time of delivery. So, it doesn’t become such an emergent event when it happens,” Sherrill added.

The center uses a family centered approach to care.

“We want to make sure that the family is included in everything,” Sherrill said.

Along those lines, the hospital has extended visiting hours. Two approved visitors are allowed at bedside at all hours, except for 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., and 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“We want the family to be here more often than not, because we know that with giving family centered care, they are an important team member in promoting this baby’s growth and wellness,” Sherrill said.

She’s excited about the hospital’s new services. “I came here specifically for this project,” said Sherrill, noting she moved to the area from Austin, Texas.

The hospital pulls together numerous services that will help premature babies and their families, Sherrill said.

“We have our own speech pathologist, we have our own dietitians, we have our own NICU pharmacists, so we have a lot of support services that you traditionally find in much larger facilities,” Sherrill said.

The hospital also has a licensed clinical social worker dedicated to NICU babies and families, and a family centered care committee. It has educational opportunities for parents and siblings, too.

In addition to its relationship with All Children’s neonatologists, the hospital has registered nurses who are experienced in neonatal intensive care.

By choosing to use a family centered model, the hospital puts the mom in contact with her baby as much as possible, Sherrill said.

“We let the baby tell us what they’re ready for, then us trying to make the baby be ready for,” Sherrill added.

The hospital also works with All Children’s network of providers to help families plug into care in the community after they leave the hospital, helping families to make a smooth transition once they leave the hospital, Sherrill said.

Published January 27, 2016

Health News 09-14-15

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Shriners Hospitals for Children looking for alumni
Shriners Hospitals for Children – Tampa is looking for original patients, staff and volunteers to help celebrate its 30th anniversary on Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the hospital at 12502 USF Pine Drive in Tampa.

If you were connected to the hospital when it opened in 1985 and want to attend the celebration, contact Jamie Santillo at (813) 972-2250, ext. 7642, or . Registration deadline is Sept. 15.

Members of the “1985 Club” will be invited to a special founders’ presentation in the auditorium following the main program, which starts at 10:30 a.m. on the playground.

Dr. Reut Bardach
Dr. Reut Bardach

Dr. Reut Bardach joins Trinity campus
Dr. Reut Bardach, board certified and a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, has joined Obstetrics & Gynecology of Trinity, on the campus of Medical Center of Trinity.

Bardach treats all types of female health issues, particularly high-risk pregnancy, endometriosis, infertility and abnormal uterine bleeding. She also performs advanced laparoscopic surgery.

Before joining the Trinity center, Bardach practiced in Spring Hill.

St. Joseph’s Hospital-North turns five

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When St. Joseph’s Hospital-North opened its doors five years ago, it was the first new hospital built in Hillsborough County in 30 years.

“Our goal was to provide a health care alternative in this community because there really weren’t many alternatives,” said Paula McGuiness, president of the hospital, at 4211 Van Dyke Road in Lutz..

“It was an underdeveloped medical infrastructure, if you will. There weren’t many doctors out here. There certainly wasn’t a hospital,” McGuiness said.

A look at the main entrance to St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, a hospital located in Lutz that is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a community event on April 11. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
A look at the main entrance to St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, a hospital located in Lutz that is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a community event on April 11.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

People needing to go to a hospital had to drive 13 miles or more, she added. “That was why this was built.”

The hospital acquired the land in the 1980s, anticipating a future need, McGuiness said.

Since St. Joseph’s Hospital-North began operations on Feb. 15, 2010, both Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Medical Center of Trinity, in neighboring Pasco County, have opened their doors.

“You would think that it would have a big impact on the volume of patients that we see, but, in fact, there has not been much change, overall,” McGuiness said.

More than a half-million people visited a loved one at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North during the hospital’s first five years, and it treated nearly a quarter-million patients.

The hospital’s work force has grown, too.

It began with around 425 employees and now exceeds 575, McGuiness said. Many employees have been there since it opened.

“We have a lot of team members who previously had worked in places like St. Pete and Clearwater, so now, we have provided a close-to-home work environment,” she said.

There’s also a medical office building on the property, housing physicians from a wide array of specialty areas.

The hospital has an ambulance service and a helipad, enabling it to transport patients to other facilities when necessary.

In fact, when St. Joseph’s Hospital-North was planning to move into Lutz, one of the most controversial aspects was its intention to have a helipad.

“People were concerned we were going to be bringing in helicopters to be a port here. We’re not transporting in. What we do is we do transfer out,” McGuiness said.

The hospital was built with comfort in mind, for both patients and their families.

“The aesthetics don’t make the care, but they are a kind of backdrop for the kind of care that we provide,” McGuiness said. “If you can provide an ambience, an environment that is soothing and restful and doesn’t have that sterile, stereotypic hospital feel, then you can support the health and well-being of individuals that come here.”

Along those lines, the hospital’s common areas are spacious and inviting, and all patient rooms are private.

The patient rooms are designed with the notion that family members would be active participants in their loved one’s care, McGuiness said.

“Even with the ICU (intensive care unit), we allow the family to stay in the room with the patient during their stay, if that’s what they desire,” McGuiness said. “It’s not just the patient, it is the family that needs that type of support.”

In terms of construction, the hospital was built to accommodate future expansion.

It also was designed with the environment and energy conservation in mind.

St. Joseph’s Hospital-North was the first acute hospital in Florida to be LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design)-registered by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The hospital has technology that is designed to support quality patient care, in a secure environment.

It was the first hospital in Baycare Health System to be almost entirely paperless.

The electronic medical records represent a significant technological move forward in the arena of patient care, McGuiness said. The records give doctors access to a patient’s medical history.

“No matter the event — whether you’re able to say what your history has been or not — we’re going to be able to access that (information) for you and take care of you,” McGuiness said.

The hospital surgical services include ear, nose and throat; gastrointestinal, gynecological, orthopedic, podiatry, urology and plastics, in case of reconstructions necessary from trauma.

Early on, it added a labor and delivery unit.

“When we first opened, we didn’t have a mom-baby and labor and delivery unit set up. We were still working with our physicians to bring them onboard.

“So, it was about nine months before we delivered the program,” McGuiness said. So far, more than 1,700 babies have been born there.

On another front, “we’ve added oncology infusion services, which is a big deal for us,” McGuiness said.

“Obviously, we have the cancer institute at the (St. Joseph’s Hospital) main campus (in Tampa), but this is a feeder.

“It’s not a great time when someone is going through chemo, and to be able to have the service so close to home, I think, makes a difference. At least, that’s what our patients say,” McGuiness said.

Besides providing medical care, the hospital also has become part of the community’s fabric in other ways, too, McGuiness said.

She’s especially pleased by that community partnership.

One way it connects is through its educational programs, she said.

“In the five years, we’ve provided over 500 educational classes,” she said. They can be as simple as CPR, childbirth classes or safe-sitter program.

But there’s also a whole lecture series, provided by physicians, to help people with medical issues.

“At different points of your life, you’re interested in different things: Your hip replacements, your knee replacements,” McGuiness said. “We have those kinds of sessions. Our doctors do that as a voluntary service for the community.”

The quality of food in the hospital’s café also made it an attractive place for people to meet and eat, she said.

It’s not unusual for people from nearby Exciting Idlewild Baptist Church to have meetings at the hospital, or to come by after Sunday services for brunch.

McGuiness welcomes those visitors.

“That just reinforces how much of a part of that fabric of the community that you are,” she said.

St. Joseph’s Hospital-North 5th anniversary
When: April 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, 4211 Van Dyke Road in Lutz
Who: All are welcome
What: Children’s activities; health and wellness demonstrations and speakers; baby play area; a reunion of babies born at the hospital with the doctors and nurses who cared for them; food trucks; wellness screenings; live entertainment; a teddy bear clinic (bring your own teddy bear patient); and, judging of a baby photo contest the hospital conducted on its Facebook page throughout March.
Pre-registration is not required, but is appreciated. Please call (813) 644-6772.

By the numbers
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North began treating patients on Feb. 15, 2010. Since then, more than a half-million people have visited the facility.

The hospital has:

  • Delivered more than 1,700 babies
  • Treated nearly 220,000 patients
  • Logged 15,284 volunteer service hours
  • Performed 13,783 surgeries
  • Completed 9,010 endoscopies

Published April 8, 2015

Panelists identify gaps in mental health system

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Participants in a recent mental health panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes didn’t have any easy solutions for problems plaguing the delivery of mental health care to the nation’s most vulnerable people.

A mental health care panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes noted many issues that need to be addressed to improve the quality of mental health care in this country. (Courtesy of Gus Bilirakis)
A mental health care panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes noted many issues that need to be addressed to improve the quality of mental health care in this country. (Courtesy of Gus Bilirakis)

But they did point out several areas where changes could be made to help improve the level of care for those with mental health conditions, and to improve support for their families and loved ones.

The panel, convened by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, focused on mental health and substance abuse issues. It featured U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, a clinical psychologist and author of H.B. 3717, otherwise known as the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act.

Bilirakis is among the co-signers on Murphy’s bill.

Too often people have thrown some money at the mental health care problem, added a program, and then walked away without making any real difference, Murphy told a crowd of about 100.

“We have to stop pretending that we can just wish this away,” Murphy said.

Like Murphy, Bilirakis said the time has come to find real solutions. The Palm Harbor Republican has learned from constituents that “we have a broken system with too many individuals falling through the cracks and not receiving the help that they need.

“We put a Band-Aid on it, but we don’t fix it,” Bilirakis said. “Enough is enough.”

Murphy said he’s heard from thousands of families across America, and their constant refrain is that there’s not enough help for people who are mentally ill. Under the current system, mentally ill people often can’t get help they need unless they go to jail.

“On any given day, half-a-million people in this nation are in jail with a mental illness,” Murphy said.

The problems of mental illness spill into other arenas, too, he added. The nation’s homeless population continues to swell, its suicide rates have increased, and many people with mental conditions have little or no prospect of work.

Panelists at the Dec. 16 session represented high-ranking officials from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender’s Office, Operation PAR, Baycare Behavioral Health, Medical Center of Trinity, the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, the Pinellas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Pasco County Schools, the Trinity Pain Center and an advocate representing veterans needing mental health care.

Themes that emerged during the discussion included the need for:

  • Better hand-offs between various providers to ensure a continuum of care for people with mental health conditions
  • Short-term residential treatment centers to provide greater support for the mentally ill
  • Additional crisis intervention team training to help police and first responders better assist people with mental conditions
  • Help teach school district employees how to identify symptoms that may indicate mental illness in its earliest stages
  • Less bureaucracy in the way programs are administered and funded, so that people can be receive treatment when and where they need it
  • Additional research to find effective ways to treat mental conditions
  • Increased support to help families coping with the challenges posed by a family member’s mental condition

Some panelists pointed out specific areas that need reform. Pasco County sheriff Chris Nocco, for example, believes changes are needed in the state’s Baker Act, which governs how long a person can be detained for a mental evaluation. The current maximum is 72 hours.

That, Nocco said, “is not long enough,” likening it to putting a bandage on a gushing wound.

Murphy agreed with that assessment.

“Who came up with 72 hours for mental illness?” he said, adding that the time limit “doesn’t make clinical sense.”

Medical Center of Trinity chief executive Leigh Massengill said she finds it shameful that, for many patients, the first introduction to the hospital’s behavioral care unit often is by virtue of the Baker Act.

One of the biggest frustrations is the lack of hand-offs in the community after these patients have been stabilized and released from the hospital’s behavioral care facility, Massengill said.

“That absolutely guarantees that they’re going to come back to us, or come back to somebody else, or wind up dead,” she said. “That’s unconscionable in my mind, in this day and time.”

Saybra Chapman, clinical coordinator for Pasco County Schools, noted that a primary issue that keeps surfacing is access to care and timely care.

“The problem for us is when students are waiting for care and not able to get ready services,” she said. “They are trying to function in the school setting, which is a challenge for everybody.”

While panelists discussed the gaps in services and funding issues, Roy Gifford reminded them hope remains for people with mental conditions. The 38-year-old has suffered from schizoaffective disorder for most of his life.

“I have been on almost every kind of medication possible since childhood,” Gifford said.

He’s lived in assisted living facilities, foster care homes, jails, and on the street.

“I often thought there was no hope for me,” Gifford said, acknowledging it was so bad at some points he tried to end his life.

He’s on a new medication now, and has accepted the fact he likely will be on medication the rest of his life.

“Remember, there is hope and recovery,” Gifford told those gathered. “I know it can be done. I am living proof.”

See this story in print: Click Here

Premier to take over maternity services

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Premier Community Healthcare Inc. will soon inherit prenatal services to expecting mothers from the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County.

The state agency will no longer provide those services effective Jan. 31, and already has stopped accepting new prenatal clients.

Premier will take over that care for current prenatal clients who have not chosen an alternative provider by Jan. 12.

“This local collaboration with Premier, Medical Center of Trinity, Healthy Start Coalition and private physicians furthers our commitment to pregnant moms and their babies to have good outcomes,” county health officer Mike Napier said, in a release. “A community-based system of care that leverages limited resources is key to long-term sustainability.”

The Pasco health department is helping current clients make the transition of their care by transferring medical records to new providers. The goal, Napier said, is to have a seamless transition for everyone, but also to ensure pregnant women know where to get care in the county.

For more information on the transition, call (727) 841-4425, ext. 1013.