jammin’ at jumbolair extravaganza

Stirrups ‘n Strides recently hosted its annual fundraiser at Jumbolair. Live and silent auctions, dinner and dessert made the evening extravagant and delicious for guests. Proceeds benefited Stirrups ‘n Strides’ upcoming projects.

Welcome To Ocala

Ocala Health announces the appointment of Michelle Farris, MSM, BSN, RN-C, to chief nursing o cer for West Marion Community Hospital. Farris joins Ocala Health from Terre Haute Regional Hospital where she most recently served as associate chief nursing o cer. She began her nursing career as a sta nurse in women and children services and advanced to leadership positions, including director of perioperative services. Farris’ accomplishments include Joint Commission Certification for Total Joints; Level II Trauma Center status and American College of Surgeons verification; and implementation of sta governance teams.

NEW & IMPROVED

Ocala Health completed another phase of its $40 million expansion project at West Marion Community Hospital with the opening of four new operating rooms (bringing the total to eight) and nine new emergency rooms (bringing the total to 31). The facility continues to work on the addition of 44 patient rooms which will represent a near doubling of capacity in the past three years (bringing the total bed count to 138). West Marion Community Hospital is also constructing a fi fth-fl oor shell to allow for quicker expansion in the future. The expansion of the surgical department also includes a robotic surgical system, which will allow the hospital’s team to perform more surgeries with expanded capabilities.

New Chief In Town

Ralph Fera-McIlwain, chief financial o cer and interim chief executive o cer, and the board of directors of The Centers, Inc. are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Donald Baracskay to chief executive o cer. Dr. Baracskay, who also serves as the medical director for the agency, has been instrumental in improving e ciencies and the quality of services provided by The Centers since 2016. Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, he brings with him extensive experience and acumen in the mental health and addiction recovery fields.

Dental Care For All

Dr. Christopher Bonesteel and his team from Oakridge Dental Care provided free oral health care to local veterans as part of Veteran’s Free Dentistry Day, a program initiated to provide dental care to the growing number of veterans without dental insurance. The doctors and team members provided over $11,800 worth of dentistry, including free cleanings, fillings and extractions to veterans throughout the day. Each year, thousands of patients are given free dental care, with millions of dollars in free dentistry provided by dentists and their teams at Free Dentistry Day events nationwide.

Take A Wim

The sta of the MRMC LifeTime Center recently celebrated the grand re-opening of its pool with a ribbon cutting and open house. The open house o ered guests fun fitness activities, healthy snacks and giveaways of LifeTime Center memberships. Now in its 30th year, the 75-foot, multi-use aquatic center received a complete renovation of the pool and decking. The 48,000-gallon pool is utilized daily for rehabilitation therapy, water aerobics, open swim and triathlete training.