Surgical system clobbers cancer
Walkers take steps to beat MS
Age is just the number that your brain thinks you are
Love Doctors
advise top achievers
Suntree Senior is poweRlifting champ
Dr. Anthony Porter
Dermatology Center
embraces
T ec h nolog y & D i v e r s i t y
I was very impressed with the warmth of the community, the staff and level of care, the activities and all the wonderful people my dad is surrounded by. For me, it’s peace of mind. I don’t need to worry about him anymore. P e r s o n a l i z e d
M e m o r y
C a r e
We welcome you to tour our beautiful new state-of-the-art memory care community with personalized care and assisted living services specifically designed for those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other memory impairments. • Person-centered care focuses on individual preferences • Resident location (GPS) technology to enhance safety • Licensed nursing care available 24/7
Call today to schedule a tour (321) 473-3986 350 Malabar Rd SW Palm Bay, FL 32907 (2.8 miles west of I-95)
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16 10 CON T EN T S
8 9 10 13 13 14 16 18 20 22 23 24 26
20 winter
22
Community calendar Promise in Brevard funding Dermatologist happy with new career Top medical apps Health First turns to Douglass Think young and health will follow Spa treatments, benefits explained NASA engineer’s cancer scare Chiropractic adjustments for athletes Walk to whip MS Octogenarian is powerlifting champ ‘Love doctors’ advise achievers Physician spotlight
4 | Viera MD Magazine
2015
23
A par t of Orlando Health
25 YEARS. THOUSANDS OF STORIES.
25yearsofcaring.com
Removing Isaiah’s brain tumor could’ve damaged the nerves that controlled his facial expressions. But you wouldn’t know that from his smile. When it was discovered that a brain tumor had wrapped itself around Isaiah’s brainstem, everyone was concerned. One mistake during a very long and very delicate operation would be disastrous. However, a er twelve painstaking hours of surgery, every piece of the tumor was removed. His mom thought it would take a miracle for him to come out unscathed. But he did. Thanks to the expert care he received at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Now Isaiah feels a whole lot beer, and the look on his face can tell you that. Isaiah is just one of the thousands of kids Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children has helped over the past 25 years. To see his full story and many others, visit 25yearsofcaring.com/Isaiah
letter from the editor
E v e r y d ay i s t h e b e s t d ay o f t h e r e s t o f yo u r l i f e . T
his is my first edition as editor of Viera MD, and I’d like to thank Bluewater Creative Group publisher Jill Blue-Gaines for the honor. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. That was a popular saying in my youth, and one that is no less true today. Tip of the hat to two of the wonderful doctors featured this month, the month of new beginnings.
vieramd.com Winter 2015 • Volume 2, Number 1
Bluewater Creative Group 7630 N. Wickham Rd. Suite 105 Viera, Fl 32940 321.242.1235
As a boomer, this is perhaps the most important new beginning of my life. Dr. Marc Gray is a chiropractor with Suntree Chiropractic, and at 64 years old, he does all the things he tells his patients to do: Keep to a trim weight, eat healthy foods, and get plenty of exercise. I will never be any younger than at this very moment, and there will never be a more important time in my life than this very moment to make the changes required to live to the fullest while enjoying the precious gift of health. His words are inspiring and motivating.
Editors Jill Gaines, Mike Gaffey
Cover Photograph Keith Betterley
Writers
Dr. Frank Ditz of Family Practice of Suntree and Viera is a very popular family doctor. If you talk to any one of his patients, they go on and on about how he has inspired them to exercise and make other life changes. They rattle off stats like a sports fan, their before and after blood pressure readings, their improved blood sugar levels, the number of prescriptions they have tapered off. A Journal of American Medical Association study told us what Ditz already knows, that: your bodily age is more representative of the care you invest in your health, rather than the candles on your birthday cake. That means if I have more of the carefree, joyful attitude of my 10-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter, I’ll add years to my life, and add life to those years, as we like to say at Viera MD. That’s important for anyone of any age, but with young children whose milestones I want to be around for and healthy to boot, it’s priceless.
Rae Botsford • Ernie Arico Mike Gaffey • Katie Parsons Maria Sonnenberg • Melinda Millsap Linda Wiggins © 2015 All rights reserved. Bluewater Creative Group Inc. bluewatercreativegroup.com
A sister publication to Viera Voice. All material contained in Viera MD print or electronic versions is strictly copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Duplication or reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part is prohibited without permission of Bluewater Creative Group, Inc. We cannot accept liability for omissions or typographical errors. Listings, feature articles or advertisements do not constitute an endorsement. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Viera MD is a free publication and is available at many Viera physician and other business offices.
Lastly, I’d like to thank all the wonderful health and medical professionals who have welcomed Viera MD magazine into their reception rooms this past year, the Viera/ Suntree-area residents who have so enthusiastically received the content, and the advertisers who make it all possible. You’ve made this the year of new beginnings. Mike Gaffey, Editor
Here’s the Dish Serves: 4 Ingredients:
flank steak from lean range fed beef, 1 pound • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground • 1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced • 6 halved cherry tomatoes • 1/4 cup shallot, thinly sliced • 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
6 | Viera MD Magazine
Steak & Lettuce Wraps, Korean-Style • 1 tablespoon brown sugar • 2 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced-sodium • 2 tablespoons lime juice • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper • 1 head Bibb lettuce with leaves separated
Instructions: (You can keep the steak mixture in the refrigerator for up to 1 day if covered. Turn on grill and preheat to medium-high. 1. Salt and pepper the steak. 2. Rub some oil on the grill rack. For medium cooked steak,
grill it for 6 to 8 minutes per side. 3. Place cooked steak on a cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes. 4. Cutting across the grain, slice to thin pieces.
5. In a large bowl, mix the sliced steak, 6. 7. 8.
cucumber, tomatoes, shallot, mint, basil and cilantro. In a small bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, lime juice and crushed red pepper. Drizzle this concoction over the steak mixture, tossing well to coat thoroughly. Spoon a portion of the steak mixture into a lettuce leaf and roll into a wrap for serving.
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Community Calendar Weekly Events: Viera Community Center 2300 Judge Fran Jamieson Way 321-433-4891 Mondays: Bootcamp: 8:30-9:30 a.m. Pickleball, adults: 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays: YOGA - Family: 9:30-10:15 a.m. Little Yogi’s: 4:30 - 5:15 p.m. LYFT Fitness: 7 - 8:15 p.m.
February 7 Tooth Trot 5K, 9.a.m., Wickham Park, main pavilion; information at toothtrot.com February 14 B revard Zoo Zebra Zoom 3K, 7 a.m., Brevard Zoo; information at runningzone.com/series/news2/1738 February 21 5 K Run/Walk for Autism Awareness, 8 a.m. 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne RunningZone.com
2nd & 4th Tuesdays: Free Memory Screening 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. One Senior Place 321-751-6771
March 1
xcalibur 10 Mile Run/Walk, 7 a.m., Viera High E School; information at excaliburrun.com
edicaid Planning 10 - 11 a.m. M William Johnson, P.A. One Senior Place 8085 Spyglass Hill Rd. 321-751-6771
March 7
plash Dash 5K & Water Safety Day, 4:45 p.m., S Wickham Park Amphitheater; information at watersafetyday.com/cgi-bin/event_info.cgi
ospice Volunteer Training H 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Hospice of St. Francis 4875 Wickham Rd. 321-269-4240
March 14
revard MS Walk 2015 at The Church at Viera B – see page 22
March 14
rianna Marie Foundation 5K Run/Walk, B 8 a.m., Wickham Park; information at briannamariefoundation.com
1st Monday: Stroke & aneurysm support group 5:30-7 p.m. Holmes Regional Medical Center Auditorium February 12 February 13 March 13
orever Young Senior Expo at F Brevard Museum of History
Submit upcoming calendar events to: Partners@VieraMD.com
Helping Viera families see and look better every day. L. Neal Freeman, MD
Payman Haft, MD
David Weiser, MD
Fred Lundquist, OD
Vrinda Hershberger, MD
Board-Certified Ophthalmologist Subspecialty: Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, General Ophthalmology
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8 | Viera MD Magazine
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promise in brevard funding By Linda Wiggins
P
romise In Brevard has been awarded $15.8 million to construct a residential community for adults with special needs. A number of future “Promisers” currently live with their parents in the Suntree and Viera area and families are actively fundraising for the project. Suntree Rotary Club and other area civic groups have adopted the planned community.
The funds, from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, are not a loan and thus will not have to be repaid, making this type of money a dream come true, according to Promise co-founder Betsy Farmer. “This is a total God thing. We have been working so hard to get to the point where we can break ground. It’s one thing to get a loan, but to have this chunk of effort completely behind us is just a miracle,” said Farmer, who co-founded Promise with her son, Luke Farmer, who has Down syndrome. One attractive aspect to the project is that is improves the delivery of health, medical and social services by bringing them to the community, eliminating the need to provide transportation to residents, Betsy Farmer said. Additionally, the funding is a huge relief for boomers and seniors who are seeking independent living arrangements for their “kids” — the universal term used by parents of adult children with special needs. Farmer co-founded Space Coast Early Intervention in 1987 to help Luke, then a toddler. In the past decade, she shifted her focus to needs of young adults for independent-living housing and supportedemployment opportunities as he became a young adult.
Future “Promisers” give thanks to supporters who have helped pave the way for development of their new community.
special-needs residents and a 13,000-square-foot multi-use community building. Future plans call for homes around the peripheral where residents loved ones can live. “This has never been done. There are many elements in the community that are opportunities for people without developmental delays to live, work and play, so it is an integrated community, not just a large group-home setting.” A variety of Promise-owned businesses will also be located inside the community, where residents will work in a supported environment,aswell as generate diverse resource streams. Promise Treasures Thrift Shoppe in West Melbourne already generates revenues and employs future Promise residents with disabilities. n For more information or to donate or volunteer, go to promiseinbrevard.com or call the thrift shop, located in the Metro West Shopping Plaza at SR 192 and Wickham Road, at 321.536.1666.
“Children with developmental and physical disabilities are outliving their parents for the first time in history, and it is a relief to know there will be a place they will live a full life beyond our own lifetimes,” Farmer said. The community will be built on 39 acres of property Promise owns off Norfolk Parkway in West Melbourne, bordering Palm Bay just north of Hammock Landing. Initial plans include three apartment buildings for 125 Promise in Brevard residential neighborhood in West Melbourne is among private and public amenities planned for the town for adults with developmental disabilities. Viera MD Magazine
|9
Dr. Anthony Porter
Dermatology Center
embraces
T ec h nolog y & D i v e r s i t y
By Melinda Millsap
Dr. Anthony Porter is proud to have a diverse staff.
Dr.
Anthony Porter’s fascination with technology and his desire to help a multicultural community is evident throughout his Porter Premiere Dermatology and Surgery Centers in Suntree and Melbourne.
A diverse staff uses iPads to record, retrieve and track information, and the latest technology to give patients more treatment options. Dr. Porter has purposely chosen a diverse staff to make patients more comfortable and accepts patients of all ages. Porter Premiere Dermatology is the first in Brevard to offer the Sensus Healthcare Superficial Radiotherapy SRT-100TM and the only facility in the county to offer narrowband UVB phototherapy. The SRT-100TM is a painless, nonsurgical way to treat nonmelanoma skin cancer and Keloids. Narrowband UVB phototherapy is used to treat psoriasis, vitiligo and lymphoma of the skin. “My engineering background feeds my interest in technology as it applies to medicine; the cornerstones of my practice are delivery of medical care with compassion, integrity and excellence,” Porter said. “Putting those things together – Porter Premiere Dermatology treats all patients with compassion embracing technology to accomplish excellent care.” Dr. Porter earned his degree in mechanical design engineering from the University of South Carolina in 1986 and worked on piping systems for nuclear submarines. After doing this for seven years, he wanted something more challenging. He chose to study dermatology and was accepted at the Medical University of South Carolina. He was co-chief resident in his final year of residency and was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He began practicing in Brevard County in 2006 and opened the Porter Premiere Dermatology and Surgery Center in 2010. Switching from engineering to medicine required a certain amount of talent, discipline and love of learning that he acquired
Dana King, Practice Administrator
from his parents who were teachers. “They taught me the value of hard work and education,” he said. “Those values translate into success regardless of the profession that a person chooses.” He is happy with his career change. “Dermatology features medical surgical, pediatric and aesthetic opportunities,” he said. “It is an amazing field with treatment options that continue to evolve with technology.” In addition to general dermatology, Porter Premiere Dermatology offers medical aesthetics, advanced skin care treatments and cosmetic services. The Premiere Medical Aesthetics Division combines the luxury and distinction of traditional spa techniques with state-of-the-art medical technology. Dr. Porter approaches his free time with the same passion as his career. He feels strongly about giving back. He offers complimentary skin checks at the Brevard Health Alliance, Florida Institute of Technology, the YMCA, and various churches in south Brevard. His practice also is involved in fundraising activities benefiting Serene Harbor Domestic Violence Shelter, Hope for a Single Mom Breast Cancer Support, the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, Devereux, Space Coast Volunteers in Medicine and various school and little league sports groups. He is an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, and the Brevard County Medical Society. He also serves as section chief of dermatology at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne. Not only does Dr. Porter reach out to the local community, he will be fulfilling a longtime dream in February when he and members of his staff go on a medical mission to Haiti. “I have always wanted to use my talents in a ministry. My staff member’s brother who is a pastor in a local church told me about this opportunity,” he said. “It came at the right time when I am able to get away.” Dr. Porter and other volunteers will Viera MD Magazine
| 11
and Dax. When asked about their activities, he said, “Oh, we’re boring.” Let the reader be the judge. He’s an avid runner and has completed eight marathons. His wife, who is a book author, has a black belt in karate. She has written several books and is currently working on a sequel to “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall,” a story about good and evil. n For more information, go to www.porterderm.com or contact:
Melbourne Location
Porter Premiere Dermatology and Surgery Center 1515 West Nasa Blvd., Suite 101 Melbourne, FL 32901 321.308.0659 Stephanie Rhodes, medical assistant with Dr. Porter
be working at a pediatric hospital in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. The mission trip was organized by Calvary Chapel in Melbourne.
Suntree Location
When he’s not at his practice or volunteering for a worthy cause, Porter said his personal life would seem rather boring to most people. “I’m a homebody,” he said. “I spend most of my off time with my wife and dogs.”
Premiere Medical Aesthetics
Dr. Porter and his wife, Lisa Ann, both natives of South Carolina, have been married for 19 years and they have two dogs, Sasha
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YourEyeClinic.com Merritt Island – 1045 N. Courtenay Pkwy. 321-453-3937 (EYES) Titusville – 1832 Garden St. 321-267-3937 (EYES) Melbourne – 232 S. Wickham Rd. 321-953-3937 (EYES)
Viera – 8095 Spyglass Hill Rd., Suite #104 321-723-3937 (EYES) Located behind One Senior Place • Dr. Pefkaros sees patients all day Friday in the Viera office.
12 | Viera MD Magazine
Health First Names President of Health First Medical Group Travis L. Douglass has been named president of the Health First Medical Group where he is responsible for the operational oversight of the largest multi-specialty physician group in Brevard.
Fill your smartphone, laptop with top medical apps SPECIAL TO VIERA MD So you received a smartphone or laptop for the holidays and you’re busy loading it with your favorite apps. Here are a few top medical apps recommended by DigitalTrends.com that you might want to consider adding to help keep you healthy.
Douglass is a proven leader in healthcare with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. He most recently worked with Vidant Health Inc. in Greenville, N.C., as president of health access and Travis Douglass leads largest multi-specialty physician previously as executive vice group on the Space Coast. president and director of Vidant Medical Group. His extensive experience and knowledge in the industry also comes after serving in leadership positions and seeing success at large health care systems in Nashville, Knoxville and Morristown, Tenn. Douglass served as a captain in the United States Marine Corps during Operation Desert Shield/Storm and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger Course, Airborne Course and Infantry Officers Course. Earning his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Florida, Douglass was also awarded a Navy ROTC scholarship. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina and his Certified Green Belt, Lean – Six Sigma from North Carolina State University.
• Microdemex (iOS and Android, free): A pharmaceutical reference app that provides information on drugs, proper dosage and potential side effects. • UpToDate (iOS, Android, free): A comprehensive collection of the latest medical news. • Johns Hopkins ABX Guide (iOS, Android, free): An app that offers information on medications and treatment for a wide array of illnesses, as well as drug costs. • Mobile First Aid (Windows, free): Filled with tips on how to deal with medical emergencies. • MyChart (iOS, Android, free): Allows users to have their medical records available on their homes or online. • Epocrates (iOS, Android, free): A reference app that enables users to contact drug manufacturers directly and locate medication providers. • Doctor on Demand (iOS, Android, free): Allows users to connect with physicians in audio calls or video chats. The app is free but the call costs $40. • GlassesOff (iOS, free for first two weeks, then $9.99 a month, $24.99 for three months or $59.99 a year): Guides users through eye exercises to help keep their vision sharp. • Skinvision (Android, free): Users can take a photo of an unusual skin mark or mole and the app determines whether it might be dangerous.
Viera MD Magazine
| 13
Age is just the number that your brain thinks you are By Linda Wiggins
I
t may not be the year of your birth but the age you feel that determines health risk, according to a December research letter published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Family Practice of Suntree and Viera physician Dr. Frank Ditz could have told you that. January marked one year since Ditz began offering “concierge” service to patients who desire it. That means a thorough 1 ½-hour physical with plenty of exploratory lab work and 45-minute follow-up visits that give Ditz time to act as health coach and form a strong bond with the patient. Rather than a sport, his patients compete in an Olympic-level game of life to the fullest. “My oldest patient is 104 and my patients’ average age is 75, so I can tell you it is true that if someone feels younger, their health will reflect that age rather than their chronological age,” Ditz said. Selecting this form of practice allows him to work with those patients who seek this Fountain of Youth — or rather health — desire to invest the time and effort in its pursuit, and are willing to comply with his directives. Spending additional time with a doctor is a key to this success, Ditz said. “Research backs this up. You have to have the time to impart this education to the patient, to convince them that their actions will change their lives,” Ditz said.
My happiest moment is not putting people on medicine, it’s taking them off.”
Dr. Frank Ditz of Family Practice of Suntree and Viera puts forth his good-natured mother, Nancy Ditz, as proof that we are only as old as we feel.
and depression,” Ditz said. “Likewise, if a patient has a certain type of aneurysm, we can test other blood-related family members to detect and treat this condition before it occurs.” In the JAMA-published English Longitudinal Study of Aging, authors Isla Rippon, M.Sc., and Andrew Steptoe, D.Sc., of the University College London, examined the relationship between self-perceived age and mortality. The authors used data from a study on aging and included 6,489 individuals, whose average chronological age was 65.8 years but whose average selfperceived age was 56.8 years. Most of the adults (69.6 percent) felt three or more years younger than their actual age, while 25.6 percent had a self-perceived age close to their real age and 4.8 percent felt more than a year older than their chronological age. Mortality rates during an average follow-up of 99 months were 14.3 percent in adults who felt younger, 18.5 percent in those who felt about their actual age and 24.6 percent in those adults who felt older, according to the study results. The relationship between self-perceived age and cardiovascular death was strong but there was no association between self-perceived age and cancer death. “Individuals who feel older than their actual age could be targeted with health messages promoting positive health behaviors and attitudes toward aging,” the study concludes. The study comes at a time when today’s boomers-turning-seniors are continually rewriting the book on aging.
Like a health center, all of the diagnostics taken on that intake visit will become the benchmarks for success. Beyond the weights and measurements of a health club, however, detailed blood work and other labs will show the patient his gains in health areas such as heart disease, diabetes and other preventable and reversible conditions.
“Today’s 60-year-olds were yesterday’s 50-year-olds,” said Ditz, 50, who entered the medical profession to fulfill a promise to God. At age 4, his mother suffered potentially fatal cuts to her arms from a broken window. The young Ditz had to wrap her bleeding arms in towels until medics could arrive. He promised that if she lived, he would spend his life helping others. She now lives in the Viera area and is still his patient.
Ditz also encourages the entire family to be his patients, which helps him diagnose and treat conditions that may have an impact on other family members, or identify genetic conditions.
“If this can be true, then we can certainly tap this and do all we can to improve health and attitude to enjoy life to the fullest at whatever our age.” n
“If, for example, I am treating the wife for breast cancer, I know that in all likelihood the husband may need to be treated for insomnia
14 | Viera MD Magazine
For more information on the study, go to jamainternalmedicine.com. To reach Ditz, call 321.253.3944.
Wuesthoff Brevard Hospice and Palliative Care has been providing quality end-of-life care for over 30 years. We take great pride in providing every family a calm, serene setting to spend quality time with each other. Wuesthoff Brevard Hospice and Palliative Care provides comprehensive medical care, emotional and social support, as well as spiritual services to help patients and their families get through the most difficult times. Living every day in a dignified manner is what matters most to you, and to us. Request more information by calling 321-253-2222 or visit Wuesthoff.com.
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Ahhh, spas
Popular treatments — and their health benefits — explained
BY KATIE PARSONS Reflexology Reflexology is a form of massage therapy that targets zones of the body through specific massage points on the hands and feet. Reflexologists divide the body into 10 equal zones — five on the left, five on the right — and target areas of pain or tension that coordinate with points on hands or feet, or both. Practitioners believe that by applying pressure to specific reflex areas, energetic pathways are created that promote organ health, among other benefits. In studies funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health, reflexology was found to be effective in enhancing relaxation, aiding in healthy sleep habits and minimizing the damaging effects of anxiety and depression. A study published in Nursing Standard that followed 87 cancer patients also found that reflexology helped manage the side effects of the disease and treatment, including relief of pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation. The patients also reported feeling a higher quality of life.
16 | Viera MD Magazine
So what can you expect at a typical reflexology treatment? They usually last from 45 minutes to an hour and should never hurt. A reflexologist will begin by assessing where you are feeling pain or discomfort and then have you take off your shoes and socks, and sit in a comfortable reclining chair for the duration of the session. Most people leave reflexology treatments feeling relaxed. Salt/sugar scrub As skin ages, the rejuvenation process slows down, which can lead to a dull and dry skin appearance. Exfoliation can speed up this process by removing dead skin cells and allowing the new skin to emerge more quickly than waiting for the natural process. Professional salt and sugar scrubs are ways to exfoliate and expose the healthy, new skin underneath. Both processes can be applied nearly everywhere on the body, but are most common on the face, hands and feet. If you are looking for more of a relaxation experience, a sugar scrub is the best option. For deeper exfoliation, a salt scrub is ideal. When created with salts from the Dead Sea, salt scrubs contain as many as 80 minerals to benefit the skin. Epsom salts used in scrub treatments have been proven to flush toxins and reduce inflammation of the skin. Salt scrubs have also been found to have antiseptic properties and can fight against infections and itching. Seek a sugar scrub if: You have sensitive skin. They are less abrasive than salt scrubs. It is your first time trying either method. Sugar scrubs are softer on the skin.
Seek a salt scrub if:
mineral-rich with magnesium, bromide, silicates and calcium.
You have acne or blemishes. The salt absorbs oil well. You are looking for pain relief from inflammation.
Mud packs are commonly used around the eyes, overall on the face and on the abdomen. A mud pack consists of a thin, muslin cloth with the mud inside that is applied to the affected area for 20 to 30 minutes.
Mud packs
Neuromuscular therapy massage
Since ancient times, mud or clay applied to the skin has been used to treat a variety of ailments — from dry skin to gastrointestinal issues. Today’s natural mud treatments, called mud packs, continue to have many therapeutic purposes. Some mud pack treatments are cosmetic — like to tighten skin and soften wrinkles and lines. Detoxification and circulation are two other reasons people seek out professional mud pack treatments.
For a more concentrated approach to massage therapy to specifically relieve pain, seek out a neuromuscular therapy massage. This particular type of massage, also known as trigger point myotherapy, is recognized by the American Academy of Pain Management as a treatment for back pain from muscle strain or other soft tissue injuries. It can also be used on other parts of the body, including the head, jaw and legs. Practitioners of neuromuscular massage therapy use knuckles, fingers or elbows to apply alternating pressure for anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds in the areas of pain.
You want to treat skin problems like eczema or psoriasis.
Mud therapy has also been proven to reduce skin inflammation and bring relief to stiff joints. Some headaches therapies call for a mud pack band around the forehead for pain relief. Some people even report healing or reduction of scars and puncture wounds, and a reduction in stress, after a professional mud pack treatment. So what is the secret to the healing powers of mud packs? Their strength lies in high-mineral materials from around the world. Mud packs commonly include mud from the Dead Sea that is
Neuromuscular therapy works, in part, by increasing blood flow at the area of pain and encouraging the muscle to let go of built-up lactic acid through relaxation. When the lactic acid is reduced, more oxygen floods the muscle and causes soreness to dissipate. Understandably, at the beginning of a neuromuscular therapy massage, you may experience tenderness at the site of the pain, but this should lessen as the massage goes on. It’s recommended to keep the massage practitioner informed of your level of pain throughout the procedure, so he or she can adjust to make you more comfortable. A professional neuromuscular massage therapist will not just encourage immediate healing, but will work to retrain the muscle to prevent future injuries. n
Make a change this year… VG Salon would like to thank all our customers for a wonderful year here in Suntree. We are celebrating our 1 Year Anniversary.
7777 N Wickham Rd., Suite 15 Melbourne, FL 32940
Suntree Center • Between Publix & Hallmark
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Viera MD Magazine
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Cancer-targeting surgical system has NASA engineer making sweet music again By Ernie Arico
M
ay 17, 2013, was a day 48-year-old Craig Rosczypala of Heron’s Landing in Viera will never forget.
It wasn’t his birthday, his wedding anniversary or any other significant milestone in his life – rather, it was the day he learned he had an advance stage of rectal cancer. “The news came out of nowhere,” said the 24-year NASA engineer at Kennedy Space Center. “It really took me by surprise.” The discovery began several weeks earlier when his wife, Leslie, a registered nurse who had worked for a gastroenterologist for about 10 years, wanted her husband to have a colonoscopy after he noticed “abnormalities” when he went to the bathroom. “She was concerned for my health,” Rosczypala said, “and I had noticed a little bleeding in my stool.” Rosczypapa, who plays piano at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Viera under the musical direction of Manfred Dreilich, had his colonoscopy on May 17, 2013. “There was a little bit of family history with cancer,” Rosczypala said. “One of my sisters had breast cancer and survived and my father has prostate cancer and is being treated. But the last thing I expected to hear was that I had rectal cancer at my age.” When told by his doctor, Dr. H. Drexel Dobson III, a member of the medical staff at Wuesthoff Medical Center-Rockledge, that if he did nothing he would eventually die, Rosczypala said “the engineering side of me came out, the processing side. I asked: what do I do?” The next day, Rosczypala had an ultrasound colonoscopy done. This procedure determined the size of the tumor. “It was shaped like a half-moon on the inside of my internal walls of my colon,” he said. In Rosczypala’s case, he was diagnosed to be at Stage II because the cancer had spread inside fatty tissue surrounding the rectum. After hearing the news about his cancer, Rosczypala played the piano the next day at a funeral at St. John the Evangelist for one of the choir members who had died earlier in the week. “I was an emotional wreck,” he recalled. “It was very hard for me. I saw the body in the casket, in the aisle, in the church and the choir singing, and I was imagining myself in that casket. I went to the darkest corners of my mind. I didn’t tell anybody about my cancer.” After researching his cancer and talking with his doctor, Rosczypala was confident he would win his battle. He credits his family, friends and music with helping him “get through this time.” Rosczypala’s musical career began when he was 4½ years old. He was born in Lewiston, N.Y., near Buffalo, and his parents owned a piano. He said he wanted to learn how to play because he had two older sisters who played and wanted to do what they were doing. “I was interested in music because of the order and organization associated with it,” he said. “Music also enabled me to have a creative side and I liked that.”
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Craig Rosczypala credits his family and friends with helping him recover from cancer.
After graduating with bachelor’s degrees in physics, mathematics and mechanical engineering from the State University of New York at Ferdonia and the University of Buffalo, Rosczypala joined NASA as an engineer in 1990 and later went to work at Kennedy Space Center. At KSC, Rosczypala oversees the procedure and provides fuel for all launch vehicles. Despite recent layoffs, he says some jobs will return because NASA is committed to building the next heavy launch vehicle by 2017, but in the meantime “we’re going to remain small because we’re still supporting U.S. commercial programs out there.” After receiving the news about his cancer, Rosczypala began his preliminary treatment before surgery – six weeks of radiation followed by chemotherapy. “The radiation wasn’t too bad – five days a week for six weeks,” Rosczypala said. “And it wasn’t until the latter end of the treatment did I feel some physical pain in the groin area. On the other hand, the chemotherapy was terrible.” Radiation is the burning of the body while chemotherapy poisons the body, Rosczypala explained. “I had a chemo pump 24 hours a day, seven days a week that injected drugs into my body and bloodstream,” he said. “I was fine the first two weeks, but then I developed mouth sores, lip sores, my fingernails and toe nails were breaking. I was sore. I had headaches, dry skin. It was killing my body slowly. I was off from work for a month.” After the radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Rosczypala said he had to wait another six to eight weeks for his body to heal before undergoing surgery. Although he couldn’t play the piano at church because his fingers were hurting, Rosczypala said he got a lot of love and support from the St. John choir and congregation. On Oct. 14, 2013, Dr. Dobson performed the first of two surgeries at Wuesthoff Medical Center in Melbourne. Dr. Dobson removed the tumor and closed off Rosczypala’s colon to allow it to heal.
Rosczypala said the experience has brought him closer to his family, friends and the many people at St. John. It’s also made him enjoy his music more. “It really helped to have a good support group,” he said. “My support group was the hundreds of families that knew about what I was going through and then shared some of their similar experiences with me. It helped me have a good outlook on life.
Dr. Drexel Dobson III utilizes the da Vinci Surgical System.
Da Vinci Surgical System Dr. Dobson performed the surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System. The system is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to expand the surgeon’s capabilities and offer a state-of-the-art minimally invasive option for major surgery. According to the company’s Web site – www.davincisurgery. com — small incisions are used to insert miniaturized wristed instruments and a high-definition 3D camera. Seated comfortably at the da Vinci console, the surgeon views a magnified, high-resolution 3D image of the surgical site inside your body. “You get a finer and more accurate dissection,” Dr. Dobson explained. “You’re able to be in the appropriate place where you need to be, especially the farther or lower the cancer is, the lower you can get.” Dr. Dobson said when you perform the surgery from the outside you are impaired by the actual rectum itself and you have to use special retractors that pull open the area, but with the da Vinci Surgical System, you inflate the abdomen with carbon dioxide and that helps to hold the tissue out of the way. Dr. Dobson also said the robotic system helps prevent injures to nerves, helps maintain “the plane” that we’re in and helps surgeons remove the cancer and lymph nodes without damaging any other structures in the area. Dr. Dobson also said the success rate is greater because it is more accurate, more delicate and is a less traumatic way of removing the cancer. “You can accomplish your goal in a very tight space,” he said. Although it is often called a robot, the da Vinci System cannot move or operate on its own; the surgeon is totally in control. Physicians have used the system successfully worldwide in about 1.5 million various surgical procedures to date.
Second surgery On Jan. 29, Rosczypala had his second surgery in which Dr. Dobson reconnected his small intestine to his large intestine. “Everything works,” Rosczypala said. “I’m eating normally now. The biggest thing was my large intestine didn’t know what to do because it hadn’t seen food in three months. So my body had to learn how to re-digest food. Doctor says it will take a year for my body to retrain itself.”
“When I play music, that is how I express my emotions,” he continued. “I’m not an emotional person to talk to, but I finally realized where all this emotion is coming from – it’s coming from my fingertips when I play. The love and gratitude that I give back is through my playing. I want to make people feel the emotions I’m feeling through my playing. I love playing at St. John. I look forward to coming here every Sunday. I never had that feeling anywhere else I played.” n
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Chiropractic adjustments keep athletes, average Joe, in top form By Linda Wiggins When Dr. Marc Gray was in pre-law, he had a professional path-altering experience. The competitive polo player was speeding astride when his horse decided to stop, yet Gray remained aloft at top speed until his helmet cracked on impact into a brick wall. He could barely move for six months, until in desperation, he had a few chiropractic adjustments.
patients. He would invite people to his home for adjustments. “When we realized how much traffic was passing through our living room,” Gray said of his wife and practice manager, Tricia, “we figured it was time to open an office.” At the Suntree practice just two years old, his patients find him primarily by word of mouth. Patient Dinah Downen of Viera is among his fans. “I had surgery scheduled for my back because I couldn’t get relief from the pain and was just miserable,” Downen said. “After getting my X-rays, Dr. Gray showed my husband and me exactly where my problem was and said he was confident that he could help me. He was right. I now feel better than I have in years and I avoided surgery.” Attorney John Russo in Suntree did have surgery — on four different areas of his body — to no avail. After starting chiropractic adjustments, he now is pain free and working toward a goal of peak health.
“In a week’s time, I was back on the horse, literally and figuratively,” said Gray, owner of Suntree Chiropractic, off Dr. Marc Gray, left, illustrates on “Not only is Dr. Gray tactically superb, he educates his patients Interlachen Road just south friend and golf buddy Dr. Robert along the way so the patient can understand what techniques Clayton the proper spinal alignment of Wickham Road. “I changed he is employing, and why he has chosen this technique. He my course from law to for a good swing during a Duran helped me feel better immediately, after years and thousands Golf Club outing. chiropractic and ever since of dollars of physical therapy.” then, I can’t wait to share the miracle that brings others back to life.” Gray typically starts with an evaluation. He may order X-rays, Gray’s ability to understand the biomechanics and intricate done completely in office. He puts up the X-ray film on a light details of the spine and how it delivers life-giving direction to panel and shows the patient where the skeleton is off track, the rest of the body drew patients to his Bloomfield Hills, Mich. and he uses the films to work from for each adjustment, also practice from its start in 1978. He used his reputation as a to be aware of any hardware in the spine to work around so stepping stone to work with multi-practice professionals, from no injury occurs. surgeons to pain management practitioners to physical theraHe then typically uses a fully automated hand-held device pists and other specialists. He was the first chiropractor in the that gently taps each bone into proper place with no pain or state to be on staff, at St. Johns Oakland Hospital. discomfort. There is no surprise neck wrenching, no use of his He developed a multi-generational practice and a following weight against the patient’s body, no jarring the body. among athletes like himself, including Olympic figure skaters, He uses hydraulic adjustment tables that the patient steps professional baseball players, high school athletes, golfers and toward and leans into, the table gently lowering to a horizontal more. Whether hard-bashing sports like hockey or minimalplane. Because a patient may have discomfort flipping from contact ones like baseball, his player patients were sold on the front to back, hydraulics are once again used to upright the need for every bone in the body to work in perfect harmony, patient, who then steps away, turns around, and again is from head to fingertips and toes and all points between. brought horizontal. After many years in service to others, Gray thought his Chiropractic is a form of medicine that emphasizes diagnosis, professional life was behind him. He passed the baton of the treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the Michigan chiropractic practice to his son, Marc Gray II, who musculoskeletal system, especially the spine, under the belief added Red Wings hockey and Tigers baseball pitchers to his that these disorders affect general health via the nervous patient roster. The senior Gray moved to Florida, trading a polo system. It typically addresses manifestations of pain concerning mallet for a golf club to spend more time with another sport the musculoskeletal system, including headaches, back, neck he’d enjoyed since childhood. and shoulder pain or restrictions, sciatic pain and numbness, Again, he couldn’t keep the secret of health he’d discovered muscle pain, tendinitis and other overall health issues. to himself. Like many chiropractors, Gray rejects its classification as alter“When I was out on the links, I would hear people complain native medicine. about the same sorts of shoulder and back injuries causing “That’s just a non-issue any more. It’s a specific area of medical pain and immobility,” said Gray, who at age 64 makes a point practice. I get lots of referrals from medical doctors. You look at of eating right and exercising to stay fit as a role model for his the greatest athletes in the world. They have immediate access
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to chiropractic care because they need it to put them back in proper form so they can perform to their fullest,” Gray said. Gray’s favored sport of golf is a good example, and top performers like Tiger Woods are the first to swear by its use to overcome injuries and restore peak performance. “It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing,” Woods has said. Chiropractors travel with PGA Tour professionals. A good golf swing relies on the body’s “proprioception” impulse. This is the impulse that even with the eyes closed lets the brain know what position the body is in. Muscles, tendons, joints and the inner ear contain proprioceptors, also known as stretch receptors, which relay positional information to our brains. Our brains then analyze this information and provide us with a sense of body orientation, movement and balance. Chiropractic adjustments not only restore the body mechanics to proper form, but also restore this communication system to full use. From the shoulders to the spine through the pelvis, and every part of the body radiating outward, positional excellence is required before the hope of a good golf game can be restored. “That’s what everyone in any walk of life needs, keeping in proper form so you can perform in all areas of your life,” said Gray, whose motto to patients past a certain age is “grow old gracefully with Gray.” “I tell people they have a choice, every time they consider what to put in their mouths, every time they consider getting moving, whatever activity they enjoy,” Gray said. “They can go down the path that leads to many, many medicines in an
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attempt to prolong a shortened life, leaving them filled with debilitating toxins, or they can decide that health is a precious gift and live life to the fullest.” He is in search of good local primary physicians to refer his patients to that feel the same way about striving for health, and is available to treat their patients with chiropractic adjustments in return. He already counts many physicians among his friends and clients, and he is frequently their go-to pro on the course on Sundays at Duran Golf Club and Thursdays at Cocoa Beach Country Club. The advice comes not in the form of golf tips, but in keeping the spine aligned for the proper follow-through. “He is amazing,” said friend and golf buddy Dr. Robert Clayton, a gynecologist who lives on south Merritt Island. “I asked his advice, he made a few adjustments while we were on the course, and right then and there my pain improved immediately.” Gray’s goal is to continue practicing chiropractic medicine for another decade-plus to put in the nice round number of 50 years. Does he miss traditional retirement and world travel that many people look forward to after life at the grindstone? “I put in a lot of travel to competitions all over the country during 35 years as a polo player, so I’m over it,” Gray said. “I get more enjoyment out of helping people get their lives back than seeing the Grand Canyon.” For more information, call 321-622-6778 or visit SunTreeChiropractic.com.
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Viera MD Magazine
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Walkers hit the road March 14 to raise money for MS cure
It’s a short walk for a good cause
By Mike Gaffey
O
rganizers of Brevard MS Walk 2015 hope the March 14 event in Viera is the next step toward a cure for multiple sclerosis.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society Mid Florida Chapter presents the 15th annual walk at 9 a.m. at The Church at Viera, 9005 N. Wickham Road. Registration is at 8 a.m. and participants can choose to walk a 1.2-mile or 2-mile course. The chapter raised more than $70,000 during the 2014 walk and hopes to raise $80,000 this year. But event chairperson Kevin Kelley, who has battled the often-debilitating autoimmune disease of the central nervous system for 14 years, has higher goals. “I personally told them we’re shooting for $100,000 and 1,000 walkers,” said Kelley, who assists the Central Brevard MS Self Help Group, which has more than 500 members in chapters in Melbourne, Titusville and Cocoa. Walkers will start at the church, follow sidewalks around nearby Health First Viera Hospital and return to the church. “It’s basically a NASCAR route: Turn left, turn left, turn left and you’re back at the beginning,” he said. Participants can walk as individuals or sign up in teams. There is no registration fee. This year’s walk ambassador is a 14-year-old Brevard girl named Olivia, who was diagnosed with MS at age 12. Despite her disease, Olivia is an “A” student and plays oboe in band, and hopes to one day be able to play her favorite sport of soccer again. “Our goal is to ensure that Olivia will be an inspiration for other kids and their families if they ever have to hear the words, ‘Your child has MS,’” Olivia’s mother said in a statement. While there is no cure for MS, research funded by the national MS group is helping in the search. Researchers at the University of Miami are working on a test to determine whether a person has MS and what treatment is best for that person, Kelley said, while other funds help cover expenses to send children with parents suffering from MS to summer camp. Kelley plans to participate in the walk, wearing his signature orange hard hat. “It’s a short walk for a good cause,” he said. n
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The 15th annual Brevard MS Walk is at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 14 at The Church at Viera, 9005 N. Wickham Road, Viera. Registration is at 8 a.m. Anyone can walk and there is no registration fee to sign up. For more information or to donate, call 407.478.8882 or go to walkflc.nationalmssociety.org, or register at midfloridamswalks.org.
Suntree octogenarian wins world championship, sets record in bench press By Mike Gaffey
SUNTREE – Vito Lombardo can lay claim to the title of world’s strongest octogenarian.
Vito Lombardo trains with strength trainer John Bellak, also of Suntree.
By 2012 he had captured APF state and national titles for powerlifters in his age group. He also started training with John Bellak, a Suntree resident and a former high school strength and conditioning coach in Ohio. Bellak trained Lombardo for four months leading up to the world championships, which attracted 800 powerlifters from 40 countries. Bellak chose LA Fitness in Melbourne as their training site because the gym had Hammer Strength machines. “My coach here, he’s better than a sleeping pill,” Lombardo said, “because he’d train me for an hour and a half and he’d tell me ‘I know you’re 82 years old and you’ve got an 82-year-old heart but let’s get on this machine.’ Then he’d tell me, ‘Let’s get on that machine. I’d say how many, and he’d say ‘10.’ He would work me and then he’d say, ‘You can go do whatever you want now.’ And the only thing I’d want to do is go to sleep.”
T
he 82-year-old Suntree resident, a diabetic who had never lifted weights until he turned 77, won a world championship for his age division and bench-pressed a world record 203 pounds at theAmerican Powerlifting Federation’s World Powerlifting Championships in West Palm Beach in November. Lombardo competed in the 220-pound division for men ages 80 to 84 and set the record on his third lift.
“A lot of people came up to me and wanted to take a picture with me to show that I was 82 and lifted over 200 pounds,” said Lombardo, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native who worked as a cement finisher for 40 years before retiring to Florida. “Even the guy taking pictures for the federation asked if he could take a picture with me.” Lombardo, a former Marine who won the Purple Heart during combat in the Korean War, got into the sport in 2009 after he joined Pro-Health & Fitness in Viera on its first day in business. Not long after he started working out for the first time with weights, he was spotted by a local powerlifter. “I had a 50-pound dumbbell in each hand and he asked me if I wanted to do powerlifting and that he’d show me what to do,” Lombardo said. “I could only lift 135 pounds one time at that time. Now I lift 135 ten times after I finish my workout.” Lombardo progressed quickly, excelling in the bench press.
At the world championships, Lombardo was required to bench press three times with a progressively higher amount of weight, while judges monitored his form. He benched 187 pounds on his first lift, 198 pounds on his second and the record 203 pounds on his third. “I called up my wife and kids when I won the championship, and they called everybody else,” Lombardo said. Bellak said Lombardo’s natural strength from years in construction and his late start to powerlifting are the reasons for his success. “His body is in such good shape,” Bellak said. “He’s not all broken down.” Lombardo credits proper technique for all his medals and trophies. “I’ve never been hurt,” he said. “Most people start in their 20s. I’m all muscle.”t Powerlifting also has helped Lombardo control his type 2 diabetes, a condition he’s dealt with for 22 years. “You won’t get too many guys my age willing to pick up weights,” Lombardo said. “They won’t go in the free weight area. You have to have a lot of stamina to go free weights, and you have to have even more stamina to have John as a coach. Everybody is in awe when they watch me lift. Because I’m 82 years old, they all say ‘I don’t believe it.’” n
Viera MD Magazine
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Love Doctors tell other doctors: make your own grass greener
Medical and psychology doctors Dr. Peter Weiss and Dr. Tony Ferretti have teamed up to write “The Love Fight,” targeting medical doctors and other achievers at high risk of divorce.
By Linda Wiggins It’s tempting when the going gets rough in a relationship to look somewhere else and think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, say a pair of medical and mental health professionals who have co-authored a new book. However, sometimes the grass is greener because your neighbor keeps it watered. Their advice? Water your own grass. What makes “The Love Fight: How Achievers & Connectors Can Build a Marriage That Lasts” unique is the medical pedigree of co-author Dr. Peter Weiss. Once a hands-on Melbourne doctor who became a top health care executive, he is both the target market for the book and an overcomer with wisdom to share. “People who get divorced frequently get divorced again. It’s a wonderful distraction and avoidance in taking responsibility for yourself,” said Weiss, married for more than 25 years to wife Sharon, with whom he raised now-adult children as his career skyrocketed. “We think, If I only had another partner I’d be fine. People feel this way about jobs, cars and so on. It’s kind of like magical thinking that the problem is somehow out there and ‘if only,’ fill in the blank, life would be better.”
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Co-author Dr. Tony Ferretti is a licensed psychologist in Melbourne specializing in helping professionally successful clients with relationship problems. He has appeared on the Dr. Phil Show, hosted his own radio show and is a popular speaker, seminar leader and blogger. “Both Pete and I are men and are human and are flawed, so we can relate to a lot of the dynamics of these high-achieving men,” said Ferretti, married for more than 20 years to Allison, with three children. The term “professionally successful” is his own and important because the apparent oxymoron is anything but. What Weiss and Ferretti have found to be more common is that the degree of professional success corresponds to the level of doom in all relationships. It reasons out that divorce is rampant among doctors, Ferretti said, who make up 25 percent of his clients. The book is being published and promoted by Florida Hospital and targeting the medical profession because of the endemic stress placed on the home life of doctors, surgeons and specialists brought by long hours and career hyper focus. Formerly the Health First medical director, Weiss frequently works out of the Health First executive offices in Viera, expanding the successful health plan to Florida Hospital in Orlando.
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Dr. Tony Ferretti, photographed with wife Allison and Dr. Phil McGraw, appeared on the Dr. Phil show to present the material that now is published in “The Love Fight.”
“Overachieving is pretty prevalent in our capitalist and materialist culture,” Weiss writes in his spiritual blog at healthdiscipleship. com. “I see a lot more articles online about how to succeed (or be rich, get promoted, earn more respect from your boss, etc.) than how to live a balanced, fulfilling and significant life. Yet in the end, it’s balance we need to truly ‘win.’ ” For more information or to purchase the book, go to drtonyferretti.com or amazon.com.
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Florida Health Care Association Launches Emergency Preparedness Resources ~www.LTCprepare.org will provide news and information for disaster preparation~ Older residents in long term care centers are among the most vulnerable Floridians when natural disasters occur, and the Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) is launching a comprehensive preparedness website designed to help skilled nursing and post-acute care centers, as well as assisted living communities, meet the special challenges that can arise during emergencies. FHCA member care centers work every day to meet the unique needs of older residents and recognize the greater challenges posed by natural disasters and other emergency situations. With that in mind, FHCA has identified resources to assist care centers as they prepare for critical situations. The one-stop preparedness website provides information to help care centers plan for emergencies and conduct training exercises that will help them during response and recovery. “Planning and preparation are key to keeping our residents and staff safe,” said Joe Mitchell, president of Florida Health Care Association. “FHCA has a proven history of effectively supporting emergency preparedness and planning throughout the long term care community. Our goal with this new resource is to keep skilled nursing centers and assisted living facilities informed, up to date and disaster-ready.” The website, www.LTCprepare.org, will provide resources for developing an emergency plan and keeping those who care for older residents informed about national and state disasters. An easy-to-use search engine will help website users find helpful information on specific emergency preparation topics, as well as pose questions about preparedness resources. www.LTCprepare.org is a collaborative project between FHCA and Emory University’s Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center, through the assistance of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Site input was also provided by the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Preparedness and Response, as well as long term care professionals from across Florida. The project mission is to help skilled nursing center and assisted living professionals effectively prepare in case of a crisis. For more information about the LTC Emergency Preparedness Portal, contact April Henkel at ahenkel@fhca.org. Florida Health Care Association is a federation that serves almost 1,000 members and represents more than 500 long term care facilities that provide skilled nursing, post-acute and sub-acute care, short-term rehab, assisted living and other services to the frail elderly and individuals with disabilities in Florida. The mission of FHCA is to advance the quality of services, image, professional development and financial stability of its members. As Florida’s first and largest advocacy organization for long term care providers and the elderly they serve, the association has worked diligently since 1954 to assist its members with continuously improving quality of care and quality of life for the state’s growing elder care population. For more information about Florida Health Care Association, visit www.fhca.org.
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