The Laker/Lutz News

AdventHealth Dade City

Health News 05/04/2022

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Helping to fill a need at Oasis
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club recently toured the Oasis Pregnancy Care Center in Land O’ Lakes. Dave Dorsey, Oasis development director, explained the center’s role in the community and how it serves expectant and new mothers. Within the center is a baby boutique to help new mothers stock up on baby items. The woman’s club donated a supply of maternity clothing, baby items, clothes, diapers and other needed equipment. From left: Pam Blumenthal, Dave Dorsey, Linda Mitchell and Joyce Humphrey. For information about the woman’s club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org. For more about Oasis, call 813-406-4965.

Donate to CARES
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices will feature CARES (Community Aging & Retirement Services) as its charitable organization for the month of May, and accept donations.

CARES provides services to vulnerable seniors who need meals, home health care, home maintenance, and help with pet care.

“Your kindness will help families in Pasco County who need in-home health services, adult day care and assistance for family members who need a break from the stressful demands of caregiving,” said Jemith Rosa, CARES president and CEO, in a news release.

“Your generosity will help frail elderly people in Pasco County, who are facing illness, hunger, and isolation. Additionally, the family members and caregivers need help as well,” said Rosa.

All proceeds from this promotional effort wil benefit the CARES We Help campaign.

For information about CARES and its services, call Jemith Rosa at 727-863-6868, or visit CARESFL.org.

For more about the promotional and charitable giving programs at the tax collector’s office, call Greg Giordano at 727-847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

(Courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division)

A little ‘elbow grease’ goes a long way
Nearly two dozen team members from AdventHealth Dade City, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Zephyrhills lent a helping hand to a single mom of four, to build her first home through the Habitat for Humanity Dream Builders Bash. Team members assisted first-time homebuyer Bellvis Hooks to install siding.

AdventHealth focuses on growth, expansion

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When looking at AdventHealth Dade City’s chart, there’s a vast improvement.

Formerly known as Florida Hospital Dade City, AdventHealth took over four years ago and has spent $22 million on a major makeover.

AdventHealth Dade City, at 13100 Fort King Road, was purchased by the national health care system four years ago. It has undergone $22 million in renovations. (Mike Camunas)

The upgrade includes a $2 million expansion now being done to double the capacity of the pre-op and post-op ward, bringing the total to eight bays. That work is expected to be done by the end of the year.

When AdventHealth took over, the former hospital was fading.

Now, the 100-plus bed hospital, at 13100 Fort King Road, has been reinvigorated.

“Over the last four years, what we’ve done at Dade City has been a remarkable accomplishment and certainly transformative,” COO Shade Bedward said.

“When AdventHealth took over four years ago, it certainly was not performing financially, and only had six patients.

“Now, we have over 100 (patients) in house and see over 100 patients a day. The confidence and trust that the community has in us now is a tremendous achievement,” the hospital executive said.

Bedward was promoted on Feb. 27 to chief operating officer of AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth Zephyrhills. The latter is now considered a synergized-system sister hospital, a mere 7 ½ miles away, at 7050 Gall Blvd.

Bedward will serve in leadership and director roles at Zephyrhills and will serve as hospital administrator at Dade City.

In Dade City, he will oversee the day-to-day and strategic operations, and report directly to Amanda Maggard, AdventHealth president and CEO.

“Of course there have been a lot of challenges in the past 3 ½ years I’ve been here, but it’s also been a lot of fun work that benefits the community,” Bedward said.

AdventHealth, a faith-based, nonprofit health care system headquartered in Altamonte Springs, operates facilities in nine states.

It hit the ground running once taking over the Dade City location, Bedward said. The hospital was considered as being on its last leg, receiving a C grade from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade.

Leapfrog is an annual voluntary survey in which hospitals report quality and safety data. It uses 22 evidence-based measures of patient safety, including how well hospitals protect patients from preventable errors, injuries and infections. Leapfrog then calculates a numerical score for all eligible hospitals in the United States, whether or not the hospital reports its data.

Over time, Dade City improved nearly every aspect of its facility, including transition care, which is people staying in the hospital for seven days to 14 days. That is now a five-star ranked unit and the only one ranked that high in East Pasco, Bedward said.

“We’re seeing top-notch quality. Across the board,” he said.

Moving forward, AdventHealth is working on recruiting an improved workforce and also on employee retention.

Those efforts include adequate market pay and benefits, student loans and tuition reimbursements, and company cultural celebrations to show appreciation.

Bedward hopes this inspires employees to stay in Dade City.

AdventHealth Dade City has evidence of its transformative rejuvenation.

It now has an A grade from LeapFrog.

“We focused on quality of care and culture company-wide,” Bedward said. “Guests walk in, and it feels warm and welcoming, and they get a very nice experience,” he said.

While gratified by the hospital’s accomplishments so far, efforts are ongoing, he said.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done. The growth is fast-paced and we plan to continue to keep growing,” Bedward said.

Published April 27, 2022

Health News 04/06/2022

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Doug Higgins, AdventHealth chaplain, left, blesses the hands of Alexandra Farias, graduate of the CNA program. (Courtesy of AdventHealth)

Graduates receive special blessing
AdventHealth Dade City hosted a Blessing of the Hands ceremony, at the Dade City hospital and AdventHealth Zephyrhills, for 19 employees who graduated from the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program. The event signifies the beginning of the graduates’ clinical experience.

Training in the program is free of charge and open to the community.

In collaboration with Aguilas International Technical Instiute, students get paid to attend a five-week course and learn a clinical curriculum to prepare them for the CNA test.

Upon graduation, participants are hired by AdventHealth Dade City. Many of the graduates worked in other roles at the hospitals while completing their training.

The next CNA training opportunity will begin on May 9.

For information and to apply, visit Careers.adventhealth.com.

Lighthouse president speaks
Sheryl Brown, president of Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision, recently spoke to members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club about the services the organization provides.

Lighthouse guides the blind and vision-impaired with training to independence, through at-home living and navigating the present-day workplace.

Woman’s club member Marsha Gibson, who is legally blind, has long advocated for Lighthouse and is the club’s informal liaison.

Gibson demonstrated some of the new special aids and electronic devices now available and very specific to the needs of the blind and low-vision population.

Woman’s club president Elayne Bassinger honored Gibson for her participation in numerous club activities and particularly for her outreach on behalf of the blind over many years.

For information on the woman’s club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org or its Facebok page.

Hospital gets state award
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz is the recipient of a 2021 Jean Byers Memorial Award for Excellence in Cancer Registration, according to a news release.

The award is given by the Florida Cancer Data System (FCDS) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to facilities that had 100% accuracy on data submission.

St. Joseph’s met or exceeded national quality standards for timeliness and completeness of cancer reporting over a defined, specific time period.

The FCDS is the statewide population-based cancer surveillance system under the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Data submitted by facilities is used to learn about cancer trends and causes; it can be used to identify cancer clusters.

At St. Joseph’s, cancer data submission is done through a centralized Cancer Data Registry team that provides specific information regarding cancer patients for all five St. Joseph’s Hospitals in Hillsborough County.

“This is the sixth Jean Byers Memorial Award received by St. Joseph’s Hospital-North,” said Tom Garthwaite, hospital president, in the release.

“The award demonstrates the commitment of the medical staff, nurses, imaging, pathology and surgical teams to continuing the ongoing fight against cancer,” said Garthwaite.

Published April 06, 2022

Health News 01/26/2022

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Dr. Rodrigo Torres (Courtesy of AdventHealth West Florida Division)

Doctor of the Day
Dr. Rodrigo Torres, chief medical officer for AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth, served as Doctor of the Day for the opening of the 2022 Florida Legislative Session.

“I am extending my appreciation to Wilton Simpson, the president of the Florida Senate, for inviting me to take part in the 2022 Florida Legislative Session, as the Doctor of the Day,” said Dr. Rodrigo Torres, in a news release

“I am grateful to be part of the AdventHealth West Florida Division, which remains focused on pioneering innovation and being the source of vital information for all the communites we serve,” he added.

Doctor of the Day was founded in the 1960s by a former Florida House member, Rep. Walter Sackett, M.D., from Miami, who encouraged the Florida Medical Association to bring a physician to Tallahassee.

The program delivers a vital professional service to the members of the Florida Legislature and all legislative employees.

Blood donor milestone
Larry Jasper, of Spring Hill, has joined the ranks of less than 50 Floridians who have reached the 125-gallon blood donor milestone since blood banking began during the Second World War, according to a news release. Jasper reached the milestone at OneBlood’s Spring Hill donor center.

After 30 years of service in the Army, most of those years in Special Forces, Jasper retired in 1997. In 1999, he became a whole blood donor in New Jersey, and soon after was asked to donate platelets.

Jasper moved to Florida in 2004 and continued to donate platelets regularly.

He was the first donor when OneBlood opened its new center in Spring Hill earlier this year.

His 125-gallon donor milestone equates to 1,000 pints.

Generally, healthy people age 16 and older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood.

All donors receive a wellness checkup of blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count, cholesterol screening, and a surprise gift.

To learn more, visit OneBlood.org, or call 1-888-936-6283.

Health News 01/19/2022

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Dr. Yasemeen Hashimie (Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North)

New doctor for BayCare
Dr. Yasmeen Hashimie has joined BayCare Medical Group and is affiliated with St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, 4211 Van Dyke Road, in Lutz. Dr. Hashimie is board certified in internal medicine, and specializes in general hematology and oncology. She speaks Hindi, and her clinical practice emphasizes patient and family centered care. Dr. Hashimie is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, the American Medical Women’s Association, the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association and the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

Medicare enrollment
The annual Medicare Advantage (MA) OEP runs Jan. 1 to March 31 each year, which allows individuals enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of Jan. 1 to make a one-time election to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare and a standalone Medicare Part D plan (PDP).

This enrollment period does not allow for Part D changes for individuals enrolled in Original Medicare.

To find out more about the Medicare Special Enrollment periods and how to change a plan, call SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) at 727-217-8111.

Visitation policy
AdventHealth’s West Florida Division hospitals are again restricting visitation to one visitor per day, in an effort to keep the community safe and limit the spread of COVID-19, according to a news release.

Visitation restrictions began on Jan. 17, for Tampa Bay hospital locations only.

These hospitals include: AdventHealth Carrollwood, AdventHealth Dade City; AdventHealth North Pinellas; AdventHealth Tampa; AdventHealth Wesley Chapel; and AdventHealth Zephyrhills.

Masks are required for anyone in the listed AdventHealth hospitals, regardless of vaccination status.

Visitors are encouraged to review each hospital’s website for more information.

Survey collaboration
The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties and local not-for-profit hospitals are joining efforts as the All4HealthFL Collaborative, to conduct a comprehensive surey to understand the needs of the communities so they can be addressed, according to a news release.

The 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) survey for the four-county region is now open online until Feb. 28, and anyone in the community can answer the survey (participation is anonymous).

The survey contains questions relating to access to health care, mental health, food insecurity, and overeall health and well-being.

Results from the survey will help inform efforts by all members of the All4HealthFL Collaborative to improve community health.
To take the survey, visit bit.ly/healthsurvey2022.

AdventHealth promotion

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Jason Newmyer, vice president/administrator at AdventHealth Dade City has been name to lead AdventHealth’s announced hospital in Riverview. (Courtesy of AdventHealth)

Jason Newmyer, vice president/administrator for AdventHealth Dade City, has been named president and CEO for the recently announced AdventHealth hospital in Riverview.

The appointment becomes effective on Nov. 7.

“I’ve enjoyed watching Jason grow within the organization over the years. His experience in leading operations, strategic planning, and building highly engaged teams will serve him well as he steps into this new role,” Terry Shaw, president/CEO for AdventHealth, said in a release.

“Jason is driven by his passion to extend our mission and I am confident he will continue to help AdventHealth deliver exceptional whole-person care throughout the Riverview community.”

Newmyer will continue on in Dade City, to ensure a smooth transition for the next leader.

Newmyer responded to his promotion this way: “I consider it a privilege to have worked with such incredible teams throughout my career with AdventHealth and I feel honored to serve in this role.

“I am excited for the work that we’ll get to do in Riverview and look forward to engaging with our team members, providers, leaders, and the community,” Newmyer said, in the release.

Upgrades on tap for Zephyrhills Municipal Airport

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Major renovations and changes are coming to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport — in an effort to transform the facility from a general aviation airport to one that offers more accommodations for corporate jets.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe dished on the various happenings at the city-owned airport, located at 39459 South Ave., while speaking during the annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit at Zephyrhills City Hall.

The Oct. 13 event was organized by the City of Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition, Main Street Zephyrhills, Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC), and AdventHealth Zephyrhills/Dade City.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Airport is undergoing several upgrades and improvements. Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe detailed the forthcoming changes during the annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit earlier this month. (File)

The city manager was among several speakers during the economic summit.

Poe quipped that the local airport is “the best in Pasco County,” adding, “part of that is because we’re the only general aviation airport in Pasco County, but we are growing.”

He opened his briefing by mentioning the progress coming along on the extension of Runway 1/19 — with tree-clearing already underway along Chancey Road.

The project lengthens the runway by 1,500 feet — up to 6,200 feet, from the current 4,700 feet.

The work is being funded through a $5.9 million state appropriation that was received back in 2018.

The 1,500-foot extension will allow the airport to accommodate an additional 17 different types of aircraft (including C-2 and D-2 corporate jets that hold anywhere from 14 to 20 passengers), Poe explained.

“We’re trying to grow, we’re trying to go more toward the corporate customers,” Poe said.

The airport also received $3 million from the state this past year to construct itinerant parking for all aircraft arrivals and departures other than local aircraft operations.

This upgrade goes hand in hand with the Runway 1/19 extension.

The parking is for the additional corporate jets the airport is hoping to attract through its longer runway, the city manager said.

Presently, incoming and outgoing aircraft are forced to park in front of the airport’s fixed-base operation terminal, which is not ideal, Poe noted.

“We have issues with the jet parking, right in front of the terminal, trying to get gas. It’s just not good; there’s a lot of potential issues that happen with that,” said the city manager.

Other airport improvement projects also are in the pipeline. These are mostly being funded with help from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT), with the city contributing a smaller share. The list includes:

  • Rehabilitation and pavement of Taxiway A
  • Upgrades to the fuel farm
  • Upgrades to airfield beacons

Zephyrhills has its eyes set on greater aviation infrastructure improvements, too.

In advance of the 2022 legislative session, the city is requesting an additional $5.33 million from the state that would encompass building another taxiway, two box hangars and a newly renovated fixed-base operator terminal.

The most expensive proposition of the three-pronged initiative — if funding is approved — is a new fixed-base operator terminal, which would become a rest stop for pilots flying in and out of the airport, while also serving as an upgraded office space for airport staff.

Said Poe, “When pilots come in, they need to be able to plan the rest of the legs of their flight, have an area to come in, relax, watch some TV, take a shower, grab something to eat.”

Elsewhere, Poe underscored the critical role of the Pasco EDC — specifically business development director Tom Ryan — for helping to promote the municipal airport at ongoing events and conferences nationwide.

Ryan is responsible for business development of new and expanding office, technology, and industrial related businesses and parks, according to the Pasco EDC’s website.

His responsibilities also include coordinating strategies to support economic development efforts in targeted areas, including confidential site analysis, regulatory assistance, compiling location data and incentive programs.

“Tom makes trips all over the country and talks highly of Zephyrhills, and helps to market us (to places) where the city cannot get out to,” Poe said.

Poe also emphasized the airport could not make major improvements without grants from the DOT, FAA and state legislature.

He pointed out the city has received roughly $10 million worth of grants in the past three years alone, adding, “there’s (been) a number of grants, millions of dollars before that, and there’s hopefully, millions of dollars after that.”

Published October 27, 2021

Ending pandemic requires a unified effort

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Doctors are continuing to urge those who are eligible to get vaccinated, to mask up, to keep a social distance from others and to practice good hygiene — in a layered effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Doctors from the University of South Florida, BayCare and AdventHealth delivered that message in two separate virtual sessions held last week.

“As we opened the school year, it was truly what I call the perfect storm,” Dr. Christina Canody, pediatric service line medical director for BayCare said, during a Zoom call arranged by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, who represents Florida’s 14th congressional district.

“Last year, when we opened, we had mandate mask requirements, we had some of the lowest rates of infectivity, positivity and prevalence that we had seen during the pandemic,” Canody said.

“This year, we were at absolute opposite ends of the spectrum.

“We were at very high prevalence and positivity rates, and we continue to see a large number of children impacted,” Canody said.

She emphasized that despite the tremendous increase in pediatric admissions to the hospital, that children generally have a less complicated course of treatment and pediatric death rates remain low.

However, she noted that the hospital chain had 180 pediatric admissions in August, which was the highest number, by far.

“The majority of those are cared for at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital,” the pediatrician said.

“We have seen an uptick in our emergency room visits, and in general, we still have capacity,” she said.

But the increase in pediatric cases, coupled with the surge in adult cases, puts a strain on health care workers, she said.

Previously, many of the hospital’s pediatric staff had transitioned to help care for adults, she said.

The hospitalization of a child also takes a toll on families — both emotionally and financially, and disrupts their daily lives, she said.

She also talked about the importance of children being able to go to school.

She noted that the social isolation during last school year has had a lasting effect on some children’s mental health.

She also noted that many people are coping with the death of relatives, colleagues or friends.

Canody emphasized the need to educate people about the seriousness of the pandemic.

She put it this way: “It’s going to continue to circulate as long as it continues to be transmitted. Most pandemics last, on average, three years.”

She underscored these steps to help reduce the spread:

  • Become fully vaccinated, if you’re eligible.
  • Wear a face mask. “It’s more important if a person who is infected wears one, but if you wear one as well, you can decrease your risk of being exposed to the virus,” she said.
  • Practice good hand hygiene. “For little kids, we try to encourage them to keep their hands to themselves and keep their things to themselves, and also to wash their hands frequently.”
  • Stay home, if you’re not feeling well.

“We all have to take care of each other,” Canody said. “It is a little defeating sometimes, when people don’t heed the message. And, I can be honest with you that personally, I’ve had family members who have been affected by this virus. I know people personally who have passed away from this virus.

“The majority of our patients in the hospital are unvaccinated and the majority of the deaths we are seeing now are unvaccinated.”

Dr. Jason Salemi, of the University of South Florida, noted “nine or 10 weeks ago we had about six children being hospitalized every day in the entire state, with COVID-19.

“We’ve had a (more than) 10-fold increase, where more recently, over the past seven days, it’s been about 66 children being hospitalized every day, with confirmed COVID-19,” Salemi said.

The USF doctor also shared statistics regarding numbers of people who are not fully vaccinated in Florida. He said those figures stand at 1 million, among those ages 12 to 17; 5.5 million for those 18 to 64; and 800,000 among those 65 and older.

There’s also 2.8 million children in Florida who are younger than 12 who cannot be vaccinated, he said.

“The most heavily vaccinated group in our society is our seniors, and they are realizing the benefits of vaccination more than any other group,” Salemi said.

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce also hosted a Zoom session involving Amanda Maggard, president and CEO of AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth Zephyrhills, and Dr. Rodrigo Torres, vice president and chief medical officer for the two hospitals.

Maggard told those listening that “about 90% of our admissions have not been vaccinated. So, the science really is proving true that vaccinations save lives, vaccinations prevent critical illness, so we really want to get the word out in the community and try to increase vaccination. That’s going to be our best way to get through this virus.”

She added that wearing masks continues to be important.

She also touched on the availability of a new monoclonal antibody treatment for patients who are 12 or older. The treatment can prevent hospitalization or death in COVID-19 patients.

The state has opened a number of sites offering the treatment, including the Fasano Hurricane Shelter, at 11611 Denton Ave., in Hudson.

AdventHealth also is offering it at its Dade City campus. (Call the hospital or check its website for details.)

Torres gave a brief history on the pandemic and touched on various strains of the virus.

While much has been reported about the Delta variant, Torres said there’s another strain, known as the lambda, which is being carefully watched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The lambda was identified in Peru at the end of last year, he said.

“It’s one that’s very virulent and it’s able to escape the mechanisms of how the vaccine works,” Torres said. “We believe that for the time being, we have a good control over this lambda variant, but this is one that actually concerns the CDC the most, out of all of these variants of interest.”

Torres also touched on the fact that the Pfizer vaccine has received FDA approval, and the hospital has recommended its staff get the third shot.

“The data has proven that on your third vaccine, you provide antibodies up to nine times the amount of what you normally would have produced just by keeping your two-vaccine regimen,” Torres said.

Published September 08, 2021

Mask ruling has no immediate impact in Pasco schools

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Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper has deemed unconstitutional the state’s order to ban local school districts from imposing mandatory facemasks.

Cooper explained his decision in a two-hour announcement from the bench on Aug. 27.

Cooper ruled that school districts can impose mandatory mask mandates, and if challenged, must be granted due process to demonstrate their mask requirement is reasonable.

Taryn Fenske, communications director for Gov. Ron DeSantis, issued this reaction to the ruling: “It’s not surprising that Judge Cooper would rule against parent’s rights and their ability to make the best educational and medical decisions for their family, but instead rule in favor of elected politicians.

“This ruling was made with incoherent justifications, not based in science and facts – frankly not even remotely focused on the merits of the case presented. We are used to the Leon County Circuit Court not following the law and getting reversed on appeal, which is exactly what happened last year in the school reopening case. We will continue to defend the law and parent’s rights in Florida, and will immediately appeal the ruling to the First District Court of Appeals, where we are confident we will prevail on the merits of the case.”

Locally, Judge Cooper’s ruling will have no immediate impact in the Hillsborough or Pasco public school districts.

Hillsborough already has adopted a temporary facemask mandate in its schools which remains in effect through Sept. 17.

The Hillsborough board took that action, despite the governor’s executive order, and subsequent actions taken by the Florida Board of Education and the Florida Department of Education.

DeSantis has stood firm in his position that parents — not local school boards — have the authority to determine whether a student wears a mask in school.

Hillsborough school board members took emergency action to impose a temporary mandatory mask order, with a medical opt-out provision.

In doing so, they joined a number of school districts that defied that order and faced potential financial sanctions.

Cooper enjoined the state from imposing those penalties.

Shortly after Cooper’s ruling, Pasco County Schools issued this statement: “We are aware that Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper has determined that Governor DeSantis’ order banning mask mandates is unconstitutional. At this time the ruling has no impact on Pasco County Schools’ mask-optional policy.

“The Governor’s order remains in effect until the final order is submitted. At that time, the Governor is expected to appeal the decision.

“To summarize: Today’s ruling has no immediate impact on Pasco County Schools. Masks remain optional for students and staff.”

So far this school year, Pasco County Schools has had a combined total of 2,481 student and staff cases, as of the evening of Aug. 27.

As of the same date, that figure stood at a combined total of 5,500 for students and staff in Hillsborough County Schools.

In other pandemic news, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval on Aug. 23 of the Pfizer vaccine for those age 16 and older. The vaccine has emergency use authorization for those age 12 and older.

Experts have said the FDA’s approval could encourage people with vaccine hesitancy to go ahead and get vaccinated.

The pronouncement also could prompt more employers to require employees to get vaccinated.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has announced that city employees have until Sept. 30 to become vaccinated. Those who do not will need to wear an N95 mask and show weekly results from a COVID test.

Pasco County has decided to use a different approach. It is offering $500 in premium pay to every employee who becomes fully vaccinated by Nov. 1.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend that everyone age 12 and older get vaccinated to lessen the chance of becoming infected. While people may become infected, medical experts and scientists have said they are at much lesser risk of hospitalization or death.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 transmission rate remains high in Florida. Experts attribute that to the infectious delta variant of the disease, which they say is highly contagious.

In the week between Aug. 20 to Aug. 26, Florida recorded 151,749 new COVID-19 cases, with a positivity rate of 16.8%, according to the Florida Department of Health’s website.

Pasco County had 4,433 new cases, with a positivity rate of 21.2%.

Hillsborough County had 11,800 new cases, with a positivity rate of 18.9%.

AdventHealth West Florida Division continues to see an increase in COVID-19 cases at its facilities across West Florida and continues to experience a peak of COVID-19 patients, according to an Aug. 27 news release. To date, more than 600 COVID-positive patients are currently hospitalized in the West Florida Division’s 10 hospitals.

AdventHealth Carrollwood, AdventHealth Dade City, AdventHealth North Pinellas, AdventHealth Sebring, AdventHealth Zephyrhills have paused all non-time sensitive and non-emergent procedures.

The hospital chain also has limited visitors at numerous locations, including these in and near The Laker/Lutz coverage area: Dade City, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Tampa and Carrollwood. Specifics are available by visiting each hospital’s website.

In other COVID-19 related news, Hillsborough County has issued a news release to inform its water customers that they may notice a temporary change in the taste and odor of their drinking water.

Tampa Bay Water temporarily changed its water treatment process beginning Aug. 26 at its Lithia Hydrogen Sulfide Removal Facility, due to a lack of liquid oxygen deliveries to the facility.

Water provided to Hillsborough County Public Utilities customers will continue to meet all local, state, and federal regulations for drinking water, the news release said.

While consumers may notice a change in taste and odor, the treatment change will not alter the quality of the drinking water, according to the news release.

There is a delivery driver shortage caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and the need for available supplies to be diverted to local hospitals, the release explained.

“In addition, Tampa Bay Water is adjusting the regional blend of water sources to accommodate the change in available deliveries of liquid oxygen in the taste and odor,” the release said.

COVID Statistics: Week of Aug. 20 to Aug. 26

Florida
New cases: 151,749
Positivity: 16.8%

Pasco County
New cases: 4,433
Positivity rate: 21.2%

Hillsborough County
New cases: 11,800
Positivity rate: 18.9%

School cases
Cumulative cases, 2021-2022 school year*

Pasco County  Schools
2,350 student cases; 491 staff cases

Hillsborough County
4,563 student cases; 947 staff cases

*As of the evening of Aug. 27

Published September 01, 2021

COVID-19 cases are straining hospitals, health care workers

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Hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 continue to rise, adding to the strain already being experienced by local hospitals.

Admissions for patients with COVID-19 are at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon and Washington, according to statistics kept by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Things are so serious that Pasco County Fire Rescue Fire Chief Scott Cassin and EMS Division Chief Paula Coleman have issued a video, asking residents and guests to avoid using the 911 system unless they are experiencing a true emergency.

“Hospital emergency rooms are currently being inundated with patients, and the time it takes to be seen in an emergency room is skyrocketing across our community,” the fire chief says in the video.

“Many hospitals are at, or over, capacity and ambulances are currently holding patients at hospitals for hours at a time, due to a lack of available beds and hospital staff.

“This is causing an ambulance shortage across the county, and is causing long wait times for our 911 callers,” Cassin says.

Coleman adds: “Please help us provide lifesaving interventions for those who truly need them. If your 911 call is not an emergency that needs immediate medical attention — such as chest pain, shortness of breath, stroke symptoms, serious trauma or other life-threatening illnesses or injury — please consider contacting your primary care physician, or utilizing a walk-in clinic or urgent care center. This will get you the help you need in a timelier manner, while at the same time assist an overtaxed health care system,” she says.

“Let’s all do our part to save the ambulances and ER visits for those who urgently need those services,” Coleman says.

Michael Weiss, epidemiology program manager for Florida Health-Hillsborough County, gave a big-picture look at Hillsborough County’s COVID-19 situation during an Aug. 18 emergency meeting of the Hillsborough County School Board.

“Right around June into July, we started this steep increase,” Weiss said.

“We are trending upwards. We are at 1,622 cases per day in our county. Positivity is around 22%. During the pandemic, this is the highest for both of those values.”

“This recent increase has coincided with a few things. In July, we had relaxed community mitigation measures, and we also saw the introduction of the delta variant into our community.

“These two things combined really increased the case transmission and the case rate in our community,” Weiss said.

“Hospital visits and hospitalizations both related to COVID are both at the highest levels seen at any point during our pandemic — during the entire pandemic. Hospitals are recording twice the number of COVID patients they saw in 2020 winter peak,” the epidemiologist said.

“Pediatric hospitalizations are also increasing. They represent a small percentage of the overall COVID hospitalizations, but they are also increasing. We are seeing both admissions and emergency department visits for pediatric cases increasing.

“Hospitalizations generally lag behind the case increases, so we expect the hospitalizations to continue to increase in the near future,” he added.

“Across all of these age groups, the hospitalizations are overwhelmingly in the unvaccinated population. Hospitals are reporting anywhere from 80% to 90% of cases are in unvaccinated individuals,” Weiss said.

Hospitals are making adjustments as the COVID-19 caseloads increase.

AdventHealth has halted elective procedures at AdventHealth Carrollwood, AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth Zephyhrhills, and at its AdventHealth Sebring facility, according to a media advisory issued Aug. 20.

“This decision allows us to further plan for the increased need for hospital beds, resources, and advocate for patients and team members. Patients will be notified if their procedure will be canceled,” the hospital chain announced.

AdventHealth “continues to see a significant increase in COVID-19 cases at its facilities across West Florida and has far surpassed its highest peak at any point in the pandemic,” the advisory adds.

The hospital system’s 10 hospitals in its West Florida Division had 600 currently admitted COVID-19 positive patients, according to the Aug. 20 advisory.

BayCare, another health care system in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, paused all of its elective surgeries and procedures at its hospitals in Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties, regardless of whether they require an overnight stay, effective Aug. 14, according to the hospital’s website.

“This will help reserve resources for the urgent and emergent needs of severely ill patients,” the posting says.

“COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 10-fold since the beginning of July, and today we have more than 1,000 COVID positive patients in our 14 acute care hospitals across the Tampa Bay area,” Glenn Waters, chief operating officer for BayCare, said in a website post.

“We’re making these operational adjustments to be sure we can continue providing safe, high-quality care to the recent influx of COVID patients, in addition to hundreds of other people in our hospitals with unrelated, serious medical issues,” Waters said.

In a new development, Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference last week to announce the opening of local sites to provide a new monoclonal antibody treatment for patients who are 12 years old or older. The treatment can prevent hospitalization or death in COVID-19 patients.

DeSantis presided at the opening of the site at the Fasano Hurricane Shelter, at 11611 Denton Ave., in Hudson.

Another site has opened in Hillsborough County at King Forest Park, at 8008 E. Chelsea St., in Tampa. The only access into the park is off Orient Road just north of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to a Hillsborough County news release.

Both sites will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For additional details, call the Florida Department of Health Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Support Line at 850-344-9637.

COVID-19 statistics: Aug. 13 to Aug. 19

Florida
New cases: 150,118
Positivity rate 19.8%

Hillsborough County
New cases: 11,161
Positivity rate: 22%

Pasco County
New cases: 4,223
Positivity rate: 26.4%

Source: Florida Department of Health

COVID-19 symptoms
Symptoms of COVID-19 may include:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Published August 25, 2021