Parrish Medical Center cited as America’s No. 1 Healing Hospital for third straight year
TITUSVILLE — Parrish Medical Center has been named America’s No. 1 Healing Hospital for the third straight year by the Baptist Healing Trust in Nashville, Tenn.
PMC has completely dominated the Healing Hospital designation, earning the award each of the three years it has been in existence.
Erie Chapman, M.T.S., J.D., Baptist Healing Trust president and chief executive officer, made the presentation at PMC on Thursday, Feb. 7.
Chapman also presented the Trust’s first- ever Healing Hospital CEO of the Year Award to George Mikitarian, the hospital’s president and chief executive officer, “in recognition of his exceptional leadership, noteworthy courage and continuous display of radical loving care.”
The Baptist Healing Trust defines the goal of radical loving care as “establishing a culture that supports a continuous chain of compassion and quality,” and describes it as “a full step beyond kindness and a quantum leap beyond customer service.”
PMC Board Chairman Nathaniel Pilate said such recognition from a prestigious national health care organization affirms the hospital’s mission and purpose.
Health First Health Plans wins City of Melbourne bid for Employee benefits
ROCKLEDGE — Health First Health Plans (HFHP) was recently named by the City of Melbourne as the health plan for the city’s 900 employees and their families.
A representative group of city employees selected HFHP through a bid and interview process. The City Council reviewed and approved the committee’s recommendation on Tuesday, February 12. Coverage begins Thursday, April 1.
Centrally located in the Suntree area, HFHP currently has 64,000 members — nearly one out of every eight residents in Brevard — including 22,600 Medicare Advantage members. Other municipal accounts include the cities of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach, and West Melbourne, and the towns of Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, and Melbourne Village.
Hospice of Health First Selected Organization of the Year by Florida Today
Hospice of Health First for was recently selected by Florida Today as Organization of the Year.
This prestigious award, as part of Florida Today’s annual Volunteer Recognition Awards program, is chosen by an independent panel of judges and recognizes the important role non-profit organizations play in Brevard County.
All associates who are part of Hospice of Health First - nurses, social workers, home health aides, administrative staff members, physicians, and volunteers - are most deserving of this award.
This award is validation of the excellent services and programs Hospice of Health First provides.
Parrish Wound Healing Center Names Clinical Manager
TITUSVILLE — Barbara Kilgore, RN, W.C.C., is the new clinical manager at the Wound Healing Center at Parrish Medical Center.
She will be responsible for all clinical aspects of the center, including continuity and quality of care for patients, integration of new therapies into care, training new personnel, and reviewing and reporting patient outcomes.
Most recently Kilgore served as a wound care nurse at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial.
12M Keith A. Ewing Medical Office Building Construction to Begin in Avalon Park
Avalon Park has broken ground on its new $12 million, 45,000 square-foot, three-story, mixed-use, Keith A. Ewing Medical Office Building in downtown Avalon Park.
The medical complex will house doctors, medical professionals and healthcare providers to care for the residents of Avalon Park and neighboring communities as well as contain a cutting-edge Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Transitional Living Facility. Lamm & Company is the contractor and HuntonBrady Architects is the architect.
The medical complex is 55 percent leased by Florida Hospital Physicians Group and the Center for Comprehensive Services (CCS).
(CCS), a MENTOR ABI program, will be a specialized 20-bed Transitional Living Facility that will provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to individuals with brain and spinal cord injuries. It prepares them to live on their own. It is the only facility of its kind in the state of Florida.
The medical complex is named after Keith A. Ewing, CPA and Chief Financial Officer for Avalon Park Associates who passed away March 2, 2007.
Health Central Auxiliary Offering Scholarships to Students Majoring in Health Care
Health Central Auxiliary, the volunteer association that supports Health Central medical center in Ocoee, is offering scholarships to high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in health care. The $2,000 scholarships are available to students and hospital employees who plan to major in a health care related field. A minimum grade-point average of 3.5 is required of high school students; a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 is required of college students, and all applicants must be full-time students.
Beginning February 14, 2008, scholarship applications are available at the Health Central Information Desk and the Volunteer Office, both located on the first floor of Health Central medical center. Applications are also available at Health Central’s long-term care facility, Health Central Park in Winter Garden, and in the student services offices at the following high schools: Dr. Phillips, West Orange, Central Florida Christian Academy, Windermere Prep, Olympia and Ocoee.
The deadline for returning an application to the Health Central Volunteer Office is March 31st by 5 p.m. Health Central is located at 10000 W. Colonial Drive in Ocoee.
Scholarship eligibility is based upon need and ability determined by a selection committee. Qualified applicants are subject to be interviewed.
For more information, call the Health Central Auxiliary office at 407-296-1148.
Welcome 2008 OCMS Board Of Directors
Dr. Robert L. Rothbard was sworn in as the 100th president of the Orange County Medical Society by FMA President, Dr. Karl M. Altenburger at the 100th annual installation of officers held Saturday, February 2. Dr. Rothbard is a partner with Cardiology Consultants and has a history of distinguished service to the medical society, including serving as the Chairman of the Orange County Medical Political Action Committee and as a delegate to the Florida Medical Association House of Delegates.
Other 2008 OCMS Executive Board members are: Arnold Einhorn, MD, President Elect; Kevin Sherin, MD, Vice President; Stacy Seikel, MD, Secretary; Siva Sivanesan, MD, Treasurer and Connie Micklavzina, MD, Immediate Past President. Board members are Ravi Jahagirdar, MD, Michael Muszynski, MD, Oswald Saavedra, MD, Kerry Schwartz, MD, Mark Trolice, MD, Sarah Willard, MD, Thomas Bollinger, MD, Rebecca Rey, MD, Ann Lopez, and Renuka Sivanesan. New Board members are Laurence Brenner, MD, Annapurna Pattisapu, MD and Steele Lancaster, Medical Student Representative.
Nemours Celebrates Opening Of New Children’s Clinic Orlando
ORLANDO — Nemours, one of the nation’s largest children’s health systems, celebrated the opening of the new Nemours Children’s Clinic Orlando, located at 1717 South Orange Avenue in Orlando with a press conference and ribbon cutting on February 21. Since 1997, the clinic has operated out multiple locations throughout downtown Orlando. The new 30,000 square-foot facility represents a $3 million investment in the Nemours Children’s Clinic Orlando and the central Florida community.
The new Nemours Children's Clinic Orlando offers:
- Color coded way-finding system to guide patients to the needed subspecialty department
- On premise pharmacy through a continued partnership with CVS Pharmacy
- Expedited and confidential patient visits by offering patient pagers during check-in and patient
- rooms equipped to administer the check-out process
- Patient rooms with a lake view for children requiring lengthy transfusions or therapies
- Pet therapy program to improve the physical, social and emotional well-being of children
Florida Hospital Transplant Center Named One of Nation’s Most Active Kidney Transplant Centers
ORLANDO — Nephrology News & Issues recently named Florida Hospital Transplant Center (FHTC) one of the nation’s 50 most active renal (kidney) transplant centers in 2006. FHTC was 33rd on the list, performing a total of 130 kidney and kidney/pancreas transplants in 2006. In 2007, FHTC performed 158 kidney transplants with three being transplanted with a pancreas and one with a liver.
The list in January’s issue of Nephrology News & Issues is based on 2006 data provided by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). There are currently 245 active kidney transplant programs in the United States, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
The Florida Hospital Transplant Center offers kidney, liver, and kidney/pancreas transplantation services in addition to patient and professional education. In December 2007, FHTC performed its first kidney paired exchange transplant, in which a recipient with an incompatible donor swaps with another recipient and their incompatible donor. This marked the first time an institution in Florida had performed a paired donation with an institution in another state.
State Approves Nemours Settlement With Community Hospitals
ORLANDO — Recently the State of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration announced that it has approved an agreement between Nemours, Orlando Regional Healthcare and Florida Hospital that will allow Nemours to move forward with its plans to create a statewide pediatric health care system, anchored by a new children’s hospital located in Lake Nona.
The agreement will result in the dismissal of appeals by Orlando Regional Healthcare and Florida Hospital to Nemours’ three approved Certificate of Need applications for the new children’s hospital and associated NICU units. Nemours announced its plans to establish a new children’s hospital in Orlando in July 2005. It is anticipated that the hospital could open as soon as 2012. Florida Representative Dean Cannon and Florida Senator Daniel Webster were instrumental in bringing about the agreement between the three organizations.
According to Nemours President + CEO Dr. David Bailey, “We will immediately move forward with the establishment of a top-tier pediatric health care system - anchored by a children’s hospital - in Florida. We have worked tirelessly toward this goal since our first application was filed 22 months ago. This is a milestone for our organization and - more importantly - a milestone for the children and families we serve.”
CFHA Board of Directors Names New Members and Chairman
In January, the Central Florida Health Alliance board of directors — the volunteer governing body of Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital — named Gregory R. Lewis and Timothy H. Sennett as new board members, and appointed Dr. David L. Sustarsic as the chairman to replace retiring Chairman William Binneveld.
New board member Lewis is senior Vice President of United Southern Bank, and Sennett is a real estate broker and president of the Sennett Realty Group. Sustarsic, a general surgeon at the Florida Heart & Vascular Multi-Specialty Group, assumes the role of chairman after serving for the previous year as vice chairman.
Sustarsic replaces Binneveld, of First National Bank Trust & Investment Services, who was board chairman for the previous four years. Binneveld served a total of nine years on the board including positions as board secretary and vice chairman.
Gregory A. Beliveau, principle/owner of LPG Urban & Regional Planners, Inc., has also retired from the board after serving for six years including a year as board secretary.
The board also appointed Robert Q Williams, Esquire, as vice chairman, Dr. Celia K. Nelson, general surgeon, as secretary, and John D. Brandeburg, of Brandeburg Development Group, Inc., as treasurer. Other board members include: Dr. Clifton L. Bridges, retired ENT physician; W. Thomas Brooks, certified public accountant with The Holding Company of The Villages, Inc.; Dr. Shivakumar S. Hanubal, an obstetrician/gynecologist with Advanced Obstetrics and Gynecology; Janet B. Riddle, engineer/owner of Riddle-Newman Engineering, Inc.; Timothy I. Sullivan, financial services manager with Prudential Financial; and Terry R. Upton, director of the Medical & Wellness Division for The Villages of Lake & Sumter, Inc.
CFHA Partners with Phoenix Physicians for Emergency Services
Central Florida Health Alliance, the parent corporation of Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital will partner with Phoenix Physicians, LLC to provide management services for the Emergency Departments at Leesburg Regional Medical Center, The Villages Regional Hospital and Riverside Urgent Care. The agreement became effective.
Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, Phoenix will manage the medical staff and services in the hospital’s emergency rooms. Because of the highly specialized nature of emergency room work, hospitals often outsource this service to companies with expertise in Emergency Departments.
Phoenix was selected from among several national and regional companies based on its proven track record of commitment to high quality care. The group has successfully provided service for hospitals and healthcare facilities in Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio and Indiana.
As part of the transition, Central Florida Health Alliance introduced a new leadership structure for the Emergency Department with Dr. Ronald Laskowski, as medical director for the health system. Associate medical directors are: Dr. Thomas Leonard, Leesburg Regional Medical Center; Dr. Joel Brooks, The Villages Regional Hospital; and Dr. Joseph Rauch, Riverside Urgent Care in Tavares.
SLH recognized for participation in continuous quality improvement
The Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (FMQAI) presented its Hospital Participation Certificate to South Lake Hospital in November 2007. South Lake Hospital was one of 61 Florida hospitals receiving the certificate for participating in national projects designed to improve the quality of health care of Medicare beneficiaries.
Participating hospitals made significant improvements in one or more national impatient groups. Staff and physicians at South Lake Hospital participated with FMQAI in the Surgical Care Improvement Project, which addressed preventative care immediately before, during and immediately after specific types of surgery. The participating hospitals were recognized for the initiatives they took to implement quality improvement interventions by using rapid cycle improvement, establishing internal infrastructures for continuous quality improvement and implementing system changes.
FMQAI works with Florida hospitals on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ quality improvement projects by offering hands-on resources, one-on-one training and staff education. The recognized hospitals participated with FMQAI on projects from January 2006 through August 2007.
Sonitor®Technologies launches cost-saving hospital “PC-Detector”
Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) solution at HIMSS Conference
LARGO — Sonitor® Technologies, Inc., the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of a proprietary ultrasound Indoor Positioning System (IPS) and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS), recenlty announced the launch of its “PC-Detector” RTLS technology at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2008 Conference, held at the Orange County Convention Center on February 24 – 28 in Orlando, Florida.
The Sonitor ultrasound Tag signal detection can be performed by most computers in the hospitals; patient rooms and/or elsewhere by leveraging a hospital’s existing computer hardware and LAN connectivity.
Industry experts anticipate a sharp increase of distributed computer processing capacity to patient rooms in coming years, including Table PCs, Computers-on-Wheels (COWs) and Computers-at-Bedside (CABs).
Morton Plant Mease Delivers My Health News by E-Mail
CLEARWATER — Finding trustworthy, relevant health information while keeping up with medical appointments just got easier thanks to My Health News, a new internet-based program from Morton Plant Mease Health Care. The free, personalized e-newsletter and health reminder service is the first of its kind in Pasco and Pinellas County and joins a long list of valuable internet-based health services provided by Morton Plant Mease.
My Health News (http://mpmhealth.privatehealthnews.com) allows subscribers to customize the health information they want to receive — based on age, gender and health needs — by choosing from more than 25 topics and services. Subscribers then receive only the topics and information they request. The information e-mailed is selected from hundreds of publications and journals, medically reviewed and published in the last 60 days.
Other web-based health information services offered by Morton Plant Mease includes “E-mail a Patient”, launched earlier this year, which allows get well messages to be sent electronically. Online birth classes and “Care Pages” – a personal web page updating a patient’s condition – were added last year. Access these services and others at www.mpmhealth.com.
Readiness Clinic Offers Incentive To Join Bank of St. Petersburg Miles for Moffitt
TAMPA — An eight-week readiness clinic beginning Saturday, March 15, is being offered to anyone wanting to participate in the Bank of St. Petersburg Miles for Moffitt — a 5K and one-mile walk/run being held Saturday, May 10, at the University of South Florida Tampa campus.
Held in cooperation with the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA and Sweetbay Supermarket, the Moffitt Morning Milers clinic meets from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, March 15 to May 3, at the cafeteria at Moffitt Cancer Center. The $30 clinic fee covers the eight-week training session, race registration and T-shirt. Anyone who attends six out of eight sessions and completes the race will receive a three-month YMCA individual membership.
Weekly sessions include warm-up exercises, group training walks, refreshments and presentations on wellness topics designed to promote fitness and prepare participants for the event. Topics cover nutrition, therapeutic massage, injury prevention during exercise and selection of proper footwear.
Thanks to generous sponsorship support for Bank of St. Petersburg Miles for Moffitt, all proceeds from the clinic and race registration fees benefit cancer research at Moffitt. Among the sponsors are the University of South Florida, Tampa Bay Rays, News Channel 8, The Tampa Tribune, Tampa Bay’s Q-105, WQYK, AAA Auto Club South and Embassy Suites.
Space is limited, so register early. Sign up at www.MilesForMoffitt.com, or call (813) 745-1346 for an entry form.
First Physicians Group of Sarasota Earns National Distinction for Superior Performance
SARASOTA — The national Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) recently named Sarasota Memorial’s First Physicians Group of Sarasota a “better performer” because of its superior operational performance compared with similar medical group practices around the country.
MGMA released its findings in its Performance and Practices of Successful Medical Groups: 2007 Report. The report, a benchmarking standard among medical groups for nearly a decade, profiles medical practices that have demonstrated success in one or more areas: profitability and cost management; productivity, capacity and staffing; accounts receivable and collections; patient satisfaction; and managed care operations.
Much of First Physicians Group’s success can be traced to a system of accountable benchmarking introduced in 2001. The system’s cornerstone is a monthly “Operational Report Card” that measures each of the groups 13 physician offices’ performance in key areas including customer service, staff satisfaction, finances, quality and growth.
The MGMA distinction is First Physicians Group’s most recent national recognition. During the last two years, the group also has ranked in the top 10 percent of the nation’s physician practice groups for patient satisfaction. The practice group uses Press Ganey, the health care industry’s leading independent vendor of customer service assessment services, to measure patient satisfaction levels. The survey compares First Physicians Group with 472 other practice groups, many of which are associated with major academic medical centers.
Universal Health Care Gets Green Light From CMS
ST. PETERSBURG — Universal Health Care Group, Inc. today announces that its Medicare Advantage subsidiary, Universal Health Care Insurance Company (UHCIC) has received clearance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to immediately begin marketing and enrolling new members in its popular ANY, ANY, ANY plan. This clearance is the latest positive development for St. Petersburg-based Universal Health Care Group. Last month, the Company reached settlement agreements with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) for both UHCIC and Universal Health Care, Inc. (UHC.) UHC continues to market its Medicare HMO product to Florida senior citizens under the Medicare Masterpiece trade name.
Though UHCIC is several weeks behind its competitors in marketing its Medicare Advantage plans, members have until March 31 to join the ANY, ANY, ANY plan. This delay in marketing does not worry the Company. According to Dr. A.K. Desai, President and CEO of Universal Health Care Insurance Company, “The ANY, ANY, ANY plan enjoys widespread popularity and has benefited from positive word-of-mouth among senior citizens. The Company’s recent settlement with the State of Florida and its surplus of over $116 million should convince all of our members, agency partners and physicians that the ANY, ANY, ANY plan is here to stay.” Desai, a renowned geriatrician, further stated, “The ANY, ANY, ANY plan was designed with senior citizens in mind. They enjoy the unique and innovative benefits the plan has to offer. We are confident seniors will respond very favorably, and we will have a successful enrollment period.”
Bay Pines, VA – FIRST VA in U.S. to Receive AMA/ASA Achievement Award
BAY PINES, VA Healthcare System is the FIRST VA in the nation to receive the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The GuidelinesSM – Stroke (GWTG–Stroke) Silver Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Bay Pines’ commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
Bay Pines VA has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate. We used an inter-disciplinary approach, which includes all members of the healthcare team to diagnose and provide treatment.
To receive the GWTG-Stroke Silver Performance Achievement Award, Bay Pines VA complied with the requirements in the GWTG–Stroke program. These include aggressive use of medications like tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs, and smoking cessation.
Nursing Group Names Moffitt Cancer Center Employer of the Year
TAMPA — The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation has honored Moffitt Cancer Center as one of the best places to work for oncology nurses.
The ONCC employer recognition award is presented annually to an organization that has provided support and recognition of oncology nursing certification to its nursing staff. ONCC has named Moffitt Cancer Center 2008 Employer of the Year. This is Moffitt’s first time receiving the award, winning among 14 nominations nationally.
The qualifications for the ONCC employer recognition award include the following: certification credentials mentioned in job descriptions, financial support provided for examinations, organization-wide acknowledgment of achievements, salary recognition and paid time off for ONCC Board participation and committee work.
Moffitt offers financial support to nurses who choose to pursue certification. After completion, Moffitt recognizes its nurses through a nurses’ week reception and credentials inscribed on name badges and business cards.
Morton Plant Mease Health Care Cardiologists Among First to Use New Minimally Invasive Treatment for Heart Disease
CLEARWATER — A minimally invasive alternative to open-heart bypass surgery, the Endeavor® Zotarolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent System is providing a new tool for Morton Plant Mease interventional cardiologists in the fight against heart disease. Recently approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of coronary artery disease – the most common type of heart disease - Morton Plant Mease cardiologists are among the first physicians in the nation to treat patients with the newly approved drug-eluting stent.
The Endeavor stent is a tiny wire mesh tube used to prop open coronary arteries that have been cleared of blockages to restore blood flow to the heart muscle. The drug-eluting stent delivers medication to the artery wall to reduce the chance that the artery will narrow again and require a repeat procedure. Endeavor is the first new drug-eluting stent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration since 2004.
According to Medtronic, Inc. the manufacturer of Endeavor, seven clinical research studies were done to test for safety, effectiveness and deliverability of the stent. Clinical research data on Endeavor encompasses the largest, most wide-ranging patient population submitted to the FDA in support of a drug-eluting stent, including more than 4,100 patients, followed for as long as four years. Morton Plant Mease interventional cardiologists Dr. Patrick Cambier and Dr. Douglas Spriggs were at the forefront of clinical trials for Endeavor at Morton Plant Mease hospitals.
The FDA approved Endeavor for use in the treatment of coronary artery disease on February, 1, 2008. As a condition of FDA approval, Medtronic will continue to study the effectiveness of Endeavor by ensuring that at least 5,000 patients are followed to a minimum of five years.
All of the BayCare Health System hospitals that offer interventional cardiology will be using the Endeavor stent including Morton Plant, Clearwater; Mease Countryside, Safety Harbor; St. Joseph’s, Tampa; St. Anthony’s, St. Petersburg.
Moffitt’s Sun Safety Tour to Kickoff March 1 Program to Run Throughout 2008 Spring Training
SPRING SWING — Moffitt’s Sun Safety Tour is a partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center and the Tampa Bay Rays offering free skin cancer screenings at specified baseball Spring Training venues throughout the month of March 2008. The tour kicks off March 1 in search of the early signs of skin cancer while promoting sun safety and skin cancer awareness and education.
Screenings will begin approximately two hours before game time
Saturday, March 8: Tampa, Legends Field, Rays vs. Yankees, 1:15 p.m.
Thursday, March 13: Fort Myers, City of Palms Park, Rays vs. Red Sox, 1:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 15: Port St. Lucie, Tradition Field, Cardinals vs. Mets, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, March 18: Clearwater, Bright House Networks Field, Rays vs. Phillies, 1:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 22: Jupiter, Roger Dean Stadium, Twins vs. Cardinals, 1:05 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25: Dunedin, Knology Park, Rays vs. Blue Jays, 1:05 p.m.
Friday, March 28: St. Pete, Progress Energy Park, Reds vs. Rays, 1:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 29: Sarasota, Ed Smith Stadium, Rays vs. Reds, 1:05 p.m.
Morton Plant Mease Expands Heart Care Program
SAFETY HARBOR — In less than two hours — just 90 minutes — the heart muscle in a patient experiencing a heart attack called an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) begins to die. But if within an hour and a half, the patient is taken to a hospital and receives help from a heart care team specializing in stopping STEMIs they can make a full recovery.
Morton Plant Mease is now providing greater access to emergency heart care for STEMI patients by announcing the newly created Mease Countryside Emergency Cardiac Center. The Center is staffed and equipped to perform a minimally invasive medical procedure called a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) - also known as an angioplasty.
Caused by a completely blocked coronary artery, STEMIs are considered the most critical type of heart attack. Nearly half a million Americans experience a STEMI each year, according to the American Heart Association.
A PCI involves maneuvering a tiny wire into a blocked coronary artery and then inflating a balloon to re-open the artery and restore blood flow to the heart. A stent or slender, wire, mesh tube may then be placed in the re-opened artery to keep it open.
Mease Countryside Emergency Cardiac Center began providing emergency PCIs in the fall of 2007. Since then, more than 40 of the procedures have been performed.
In addition to emergency PCIs, the heart team at Mease Countryside Emergency Cardiac Center also performs scheduled cardiac catheterization. A catheterization is a diagnostic test that determines if blood is flowing properly to the heart. Both PCI’s and catheterizations are done in a newly redesigned cardiology department that’s located adjacent to new emergency and imaging departments at Mease Countryside Hospital.
Innovative Memory Support Wing Unveiled at Senior Residence ‘Palazzo Di Oro’
ST. PETERSBURG — Renovations have been completed on St. Petersburg-based senior living residence Palazzo Di Oro. Acquired last year by Tampa-based senior living provider Senior Care Group, Inc., Palazzo Di Oro now boasts a state-of-the-art Memory Support Wing that will provide special care to residents with Alzheimer’s disease and similar cognitive conditions. Benefits for the residents and their families include a caring staff with specific Alzheimer’s training, a safe and secure area for activities of daily living and an affiliation with the University of South Florida’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine Services.
In a geographic area well known for fast elderly population growth (the average occupancy of Assisted Living Communities is around 90%), Palazzo Di Oro Executive Director Becky Preidis states that she anticipates a spike in new resident admissions due to the need in the community. Preidis said, “Families want to know that their loved one is safe, secure and cared for by knowledgeable professionals.”
The memory support wing is designed particularly for people that wander, or need special attention. Alzheimer’s residents require a safe, secure area that is closely supervised. Each resident has a private room with a private bath. To provide a more home-like setting, families are encouraged to bring their loved one’s favorite possessions. Another feature is the Memory Garden that is secure for walking or sitting outside in the sunshine. All social activities are specifically designed to enhance or assist with memory recall, and families are encouraged to participate.
Officially opened December 17, the memory wing is now accepting new residents. Preidis notes that their current residents have already experienced substantial positive changes. “They have really responded well to their new environment — the special care provided has greatly improved their responses in almost every situation.”
March 2008
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