Wellspring: What's on Tap at CHWB, Winter 2023

ReCenteryourself:

FINDING YOUR HEALTHY PLACE

Life is busy. Between your many obligations, you need a place to center yourself and find community. You need a place where you can nourish your body, mind and spirit in new ways, every day.

The Center for Health & Wellbeing is where wholeness, fitness and medicine come together to help you achieve your optimal state of wellbeing. At CHWB, you’ll find the tools to live a healthier, more gratifying life. Best of all, it’s a beautifully designed and accessible place where you are invited to relax, learn, re-energize and center yourself.

The Center for Health & Wellbeing was born from many years of collaboration between the Winter Park Health Foundation and AdventHealth, and the desire from both organizations to make a more significant, longer-lasting impact on the whole-person health of our communities.

The Center for Health & Wellbeing is open to the public – no membership is required to be a part of our community. Visit us at 2005 Mizell Avenue in Winter Park to experience these programs and services:

WHOLENESS

• Health and wellness programs designed to give you the tools to improve your quality of life

• Cooking classes and tastings that showcase food as preventive medicine

• Nourish Coffee Bar + Kitchen, serving healthy and delicious selections, plus coffee, smoothies and snacks

• Public spaces for work and play

• A variety of lush, tranquil gardens

FITNESS

The Crosby Wellness Center at the Center for Health & Wellbeing is the only Certified Medical Fitness Facility in Central Florida. Membership includes:

• Two pools and the latest weight and cardio equipment

• Group exercise classes, and private and group lessons in the Pilates Reformer Studio

• Active medical oversight of facility programming

• Personal training from certified and licensed staff

• Health-risk reduction and therapeuticlifestyle programs

Additionally, an indoor walking track, an outdoor walking path and fitness-focused CHWB Community Education Programs are free and available to the public — no Crosby Wellness Center membership required.

MEDICINE

Renowned AdventHealth physicians offer a full range of health services, including:

• Chronic condition management

• Medically assisted weight-loss programs

• Sports medicine and rehab, and more

in Health Arts

Winston Churchill once said “happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end of the day.” In many ways, Churchill was ahead of his time, and certainly, his pontifications on the value of art foreshadowed today’s growing movement focused on arts in health. According to the National Association of Arts in Health, the field is “dedicated to using the power of the arts to enhance health and wellbeing in diverse institutional and community contexts.” Arts in health encompasses a broad range of activities and formats, from the simple act of creating art to the integration of professional performing artists into healthcare settings to the complex and culture-shifting clinical practice of physicians writing prescriptions for arts participation, known as “social prescribing.”

• A 2019 epidemiological study demonstrated that engagement in arts and cultural activities enhances immune response, longevity, and wellbeing, among other outcomes (Rogers & Fancourt, 2019).

• Arts and cultural activities can improve community capacity and social cohesion, and they often influence areas of policy and practice such as health, community development, economic development, and education (Muirhead & De Leeuw, 2012).

• Evidence gathered through large-scale cohort studies in the United Kingdom suggests that arts and cultural participation can mitigate the incidence of depression and chronic pain among older adults, as well as maladjustment among children, and that adults who frequently engage in the arts have lower rates of morbidity and mortality (Fancourt & Steptoe, 2019). These findings have led to significant health and policy outcomes in the UK, including governmental investment in social prescribing.

• The neuropathways created through aesthetic conditioning can have significant implications— predicting behavior, health, and wellbeing across the lifespan and subsequent generations (Belfi, et al., 2019).

Like exercise and good nutrition, being creative is simply good for us. This winter, the Center for Health & Wellbeing is proud to offer a slate of special programs focused on supporting your healthiest inner artist.

As the movement grows, so does the research that underscores the impact of the intersection of arts in health. Here are some of the most compelling findings:

WINTER 2023: ARTS IN HEALTH SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Lunch and Learn at

CHWB:

Write Your Way to Wellbeing

Tuesday, January 17, Noon – 1 PM

Maybe it’s time to write a happy ending – or a new beginning – to your life story. In this interactive workshop with licensed mental health counselor Jill Hamilton Buss, you’ll learn therapeutic journaling techniques that can help you when you are sad, hurt or stuck. Pick up something on your way to class at Nourish Coffee Bar + Kitchen at the Center for Health & Wellbeing, or bring your lunch from home.

Exercise Your Creativity

Tuesday, January 17, and Wednesdays, February 1 and March 1, 1 – 3 PM

Each month, we invite you to Exercise Your Creativity in our free-flowing creative “happy hour.” There are no rules, no specific plans to follow, and coloring outside the lines is encouraged! The Center for Health & Wellbeing will provide art supplies, a facilitator to introduce you to the tools of your crafts, and a safe space to get creative.

Creative Caregiving

Tuesdays, January 24 and February 28, 11 AM – 1 PM

Join to learn how to use creativity and the arts as tools of self-care, social interaction, and lifelong learning. Atlantic Center for the Arts artist ambassadors will share fun, simple activities you can easily duplicate in your home with loved ones. Each session is in person and open to pairs: a caregiver and their care partner (CNA/HHA are also welcome). This program is helpful for caregivers of elders navigating the stages of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and/or mental stability. A light lunch will be served.

Abstract Heart Art

Tuesday, February 7, 1 – 2:30 PM

The best art comes from the heart. In this fun and relaxed program, stretch your creative muscles and tap into a part of your soul you may have ignored for decades. Come play and create some abstract-inspired heart art with artist Liz Kitchens. Program fee of $10.

Writing Haiku as a Mindfulness Practice

Thursday, February 9, 11 AM – Noon

A haiku is three simple lines, and traditionally, a syllable count of 5-7-5. In this workshop, led by licensed mental health counselor Alison C. Issen, you’ll explore using the reading and the writing of these short poems as a way to practice mindfulness.

CHWB Heart Month Dance Party

Thursday, February 23, 6 – 8 PM

Put on your dancing shoes and join us for a fun evening of dancing, prizes and fun! This February, we’re bringing back our popular Heart Month Dance Party to inspire you to shimmy, shake and move your way to better health. Get your heart beating while sampling a variety of dance styles, led by some of your favorite Crosby Wellness Center instructors. Keep watching our website calendar for updates in the coming weeks but be sure to save the date. We’ll meet you on the dance floor!

How I See Spring

Tuesday, March 14, 1 – 2:30 PM

Tell the story of how you see spring while painting acrylic on canvas. Led by artist and avowed creativity evangelist Liz Kitchens, this Spring Break-inspired program is appropriate for artists of all ages. Program fee of $5.

Join a group of specially curated local vendors and makers selling food goods, plants, self-care products, clothing, jewelry and much more. CHWB Commons Co-Ops are hosted on the first Wednesday of every month from 3 to 8 PM, beginning in February 2023. No pre-registration required.

Community Education Programs

January - March

Center for Health & Wellbeing Community Education Programs inspire your healthiest self. With diverse topics in the categories of Wholeness, Fitness, and Medicine, our dynamic programs are open to the public – no membership required – are free or low-cost and are presented in-person or via webinar. Please note the in-person programs listed here are just a sample of our full calendar. For our full calendar, to learn more and register for an upcoming program, please visit YourHealthandWellbeing.org/Events. Pre-registration for all programs is required.

January

4 Movement as Medicine Dance Class

Tuesdays, January 3 and 17, 2 – 3 PM

This class incorporates dance and creative movement to address balance, flexibility and spatial awareness for people living with Parkinson’s disease. This AdventHealth class is offered once a month in person (January 3) and once a month virtually (January 17). Email to register: ORL.Parkinson@adventhealth.com

4 Basics of Stretching

Monday, January 9, 11 – Noon

Learning the basics of stretching can help decrease the risk of injury and improve flexibility. Plus, it’s a proven mood and mental health boost! Come stretch your way to better health in this activity-filled workshop led by Crosby Wellness Center group fitness instructor KK Swanson.

4 Yoga and the Vagus Nerve

Tuesday, January 10, 1 – 2:30 PM and Tuesday, March 7, 6 – 7:30 PM

The vagus nerve is the largest cranial nerve in the body and is a key part of your autonomic nervous system, specifically the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system. It influences your breathing, digestive function, heart rate and fight or flight response, all of which can significantly impact physical and mental health. In this workshop with Crosby Wellness Center’s Joy Henderson, you’ll learn how the vagus nerve serves a crucial role in your overall wellbeing and how yoga can help you better regulate it.

4 Reenergize and Realign Through Breath and Movement

Wednesdays, January 11, February 8 and March 8, 1 – 2 PM

Conscious and intentional breath and movement are the fastest ways to pull ourselves back and reenergize the mind and body. In this program led by Crosby

Wellness Center group fitness instructor Alan Zemel, a certified Oxygen Advantage Functional Breathing coach with the Oxygen Research Institute, you’ll learn techniques to consciously modify the breath and move the body that are scientifically proven to bring inner peace and relaxation.

0 High Standards: Finding Harmony in Doing the Best We Can

Thursdays, January 12 and 19, 11 AM – Noon

In this two-week workshop with licensed mental health counselor Alison C. Issen, you’ll explore the effects of perfectionism on our wellbeing, including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and discover ways of accepting the inherent value in all aspects of our humanness. Attendees are encouraged but not required to attend both occurrences of this two-part series. Separate registration required.

3 Bloodmobile

Thursday, January 19, 8 AM – 4:30 PM

AdventHealth’s new bloodmobile will give patients greater access to donated blood products when they need it most. All donations help AdventHealth patients locally. Visit AdventHealthBloodCenter.com to learn more about eligibility requirements. No appointment. needed. For more information, call 407-599-6006.

3 Stroke Support Group

Thursday, January 19, 3:30 – 4: 30 pm

The stroke support group meets once a month to provide support, socialization and education to all stroke survivors, family and caregivers with guidance from the AdventHealth Winter Park Inpatient Rehab team. RSVP by emailing inpatientrehabcflsupportgroups@ adventhealth.com

4 Laughter Yoga

Wednesdays, January 25, 7 – 8 PM, and February 15, 3 – 4 PM

Tuesdays, March 14, 3 – 4 PM, and March 28, 7 – 8 PM

Join certified Laughter Yoga teacher Dana Kaplan in this program focused on helping your body create feel-good hormones using a gentle form of exercise combining breathing techniques from yoga with laughter exercises. Laughter Yoga will leave you feeling more energetic and healthier than ever.

0 Florida Wildlife Gardening

Wednesday, February 1, 11 AM – Noon

Join the team from Fleet Farming for Florida Wildlife Gardening, a class intended for Florida growers to learn the basics of ecological gardening including Florida Native Landscaping, wildlife corridors, attracting wildlife to your yard, and animal friendly garden design.

0 Kickstart 30:

A Proven Mental

Wellness Workshop - A Five-Part Series

Tuesdays, January 31 – February 28, 6 – 7 PM

Enter 2023 on a productive and positive note by joining licensed mental health counselor Jill Hamilton Buss for this five-week program focused on achieving a healthier, happier you. This science-based program has been rigorously studied and incorporates five elements — Exercise, Mindfulness, Sleep, Social Connectedness and Nutrition — that, when practiced together, result in measurable increases in all levels of wellbeing. Program fee of $10 includes a copy of the book, “WILD

5 Wellness KickStart30: A Proven 30-Day Mental Wellness Program.”

0 CHWB Commons Co-Op

Wednesday, February 1, 3 – 8 PM

Join a group of specially curated local vendors and makers selling food goods, plants, self-care products, clothing, jewelry and much more. CHWB Commons Co-Ops are planned for the first Wednesday of every month from 3 to 8 PM, beginning in February 2023. No pre-registration required.

0 Projective Dream Work – A Four-Part Series

Thursdays, February 2, 9, 16, and 23, 11 AM – 12:30 PM

Are you puzzled by your dreams? With Judy Minear, a projective dream work expert, you’ll unpack the symbolic language of the “theater of the night” over the course of four small group sessions.

0 Your Resilient Heart

Tuesday, February 7, 11 AM - Noon

Life tests us every day, and, in the process, it puts our overall health and wellbeing at risk. Learn how to tap into your heart’s intelligence to build your own resilience with HeartMath® Resilience Trainer Stephanie Veraghen.

3 Movement as Medicine Dance Class

Tuesday, February 7 and 21, 2 – 3 PM

This class incorporates dance and creative movement to address balance, flexibility and spatial awareness for people living with Parkinson’s disease. The AdventHealth class is offered once a month in person (February 7) and once a month virtually (February 21).

3 Physical Therapy Screenings in the

CHWB Healthy Living Experience

Wednesday, February 8, 10 AM – Noon

Are you experiencing aches, pain, strains or sprains? Don’t wait for your injury to get worse. AdventHealth experts will be providing complimentary physical therapy screenings. No appointment needed.

3 Infant/Child CPR

Thursday, February 9, 6 – 8 PM

You’ve covered all the basics about caring for baby. Now, learn how to save your baby’s life should she suddenly stop breathing, experience cardiac arrest or begin choking. This class, led by a certified instructor, will teach you how to handle these emergencies.

4 Strength Training for Your Heart

Monday, February 13, 11 AM – Noon

Show your heart some love by learning new ways to exercise with Crosby Wellness Center group fitness instructor KK Swanson! Regular strength training is a key component to improving your overall health and wellbeing, and it benefits your muscles and your heart, too.

4 Happy Heart Yoga

Tuesday, February 14, 11 AM – Noon

Show your body and heart some love on Valentine’s Day with a special restorative yoga class with Crosby Wellness Center yoga instructor Miranda Harris.

3 Dementia Caregiver Connection

Tuesday, February 21, 5:30 – 7 PM

When it comes to caregiving, knowledge is power. Don’t miss your opportunity to gain insight on topics every caregiver should know. This program will cover the topic of long-distance caregiving. Walk-ins welcome. Limited respite available during programs. Must pre-register for respite care at 407-236-9997.

4 Balance and Mobility

Wednesday, February 22, 11 AM – 12:30 PM

Join Crosby Wellness Center’s Joy Henderson in this program focused on key balance exercises and how to improve balance. This program is the right fit for adults and older adults interested in a balance-training program that can establish healthy and good habits for life. Program fee of $5 includes balance exercises ball.

3 Infant/Child CPR

Thursday, March 2, 6 – 8 PM

You’ve covered all the basics about caring for baby. Now, learn how to save your baby’s life should she suddenly stop breathing, experience cardiac arrest or begin choking. This class, led by a certified instructor, will teach you how to handle these emergencies.

led by Crosby Wellness Center group fitness instructor Nicole Elliot, you and the children in your life will learn easy, fun yoga poses and practice calming meditations.

0 Increasing Self Compassion and Decreasing Negative Self Talk

Wednesday, March 22, 6 – 7 PM

There is strong research to show that people who are more self-compassionate have greater health, better relationships and are more resilient to life’s stressors. In this workshop, licensed mental health counselor Jill Hamilton Buss will explore how to focus on increasing self-compassion and decreasing negative self-talk.

0 Dementia Caregiver Connection

Tuesday, March 21, 5:30 – 7 PM

When it comes to caregiving, knowledge is power. Don’t miss your opportunity to gain insight on topics every caregiver should know. This program will cover the topic of long-distance caregiving. Walk-ins welcome. Limited respite available during programs. Must preregister for respite care at 407-236-9997.

4 Stretch Out!

Thursday, March 9, 11 AM – Noon

From your fingers to your toes and everything in between, show up to stretch out with Crosby Wellness Center yoga instructor Katie DeAscanis! No experience is necessary, and all levels are welcome.

3 Bloodmobile

Thursday, March 16, 8 AM – 4:30 PM

AdventHealth’s new bloodmobile will give patients greater access to donated blood products when they need it most. All donations help AdventHealth patients locally. Visit AdventHealthBloodCenter.com to learn more about eligibility requirements. No appointment needed. For more information, call 407-599-6006.

4 Spring Break Family Yoga

Thursday, March 16, 10 – 11 AM

Yoga is a powerful tool for the body, mind and soul, and it’s the perfect activity your whole family can enjoy together during Spring Break. In this free yoga class

4 Pilates Reformer Basics

Thursday, March 30, 11 AM – Noon

Recent research has shown that regular Pilates reformer exercises offer greater shoulder and lower back strength, plus a decreased chance of falling in people over 65. In this program led by Loren Weiland, an expert instructor at Crosby Wellness Center, you’ll learn the ins and outs of the Pilates reformer, a training machine that creates resistance to work every muscle in your body.

CookingClasses at CHWB

The Center for Health & Wellbeing offers regular small-group cooking classes perfect for all levels of at-home chefs. We work with a roster of professional chefs to help you uncover new skills, discover different flavors and expand your repertoire of healthy cuisine, all in a fun and social environment. Please note that program fees cover the cost of materials. Join us in the CHWB Nutrition Theatre for these upcoming cooking classes:

Food as Medicine: Eating to Prevent Cancer

Wednesday, January 11, 11 AM – 12:30 PM

Join Allison Harrell, registered dietitian and certified culinary medicine specialist in the CHWB Nutrition Theatre to learn what foods to add to your plate to help prevent cancer. During this culinary health session, you’ll gain confidence in the kitchen while tasting these delicious dishes that support your health: BBQ Tofu and Chickpea sandwiches; Superfood Slaw; and a refreshing Mocktail. Harrell will be joined in the CHWB Nutrition Theatre by Anupama Saigal, MD, a fellowship trained breast surgical oncologist with AdventHealth. Program fee of $30. This program will also be available as a free, live webinar (without sampling of recipes).

Cooking with Collette: Healthy Tailgate

Wednesday, January 25, 6 – 7:30 PM

Before you cheer on your favorite team in the Super Bowl, get inspiration for a healthy feast sure to please all the fans in your life. Join Chef Collette Haw, a classically trained Culinary Institute of America graduate, in the Nutrition Theatre for a tailgate party, where you’ll learn how to make and sample the following recipes: Grilled Chicken Wings, Mediterranean Turkey Burger, Brazilian Steak House Skewers and Creamy White Bean Dip. Program fee of $30.

Eating to Prevent Diabetes

Wednesday, February 1, 11 AM – 12:30 PM

Did you know diabetes now impacts more than 10 percent of the U.S. population? Diabetes can affect many of your body’s functions and is linked to serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and even amputations. The good news is, with healthy habits and adjustments, you can not only manage your symptoms, but you can also get started on a journey to wellness for the rest of your life. In this program, Allison Harrell, registered dietitian and culinary medicine specialist, will discuss ways to lower your diabetes risk. Harrell will demonstrate the following recipes: Tempeh Tacos; Spicy Black Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip; and Chocolate Brownies. Program fee of $30.

Cooking with Collette: Mediterranean Diet for the New Year

Wednesday, January 18, 6 – 7:30 PM

Long touted by health experts, the Mediterranean Diet is inspired by the cultures and cuisines of those who live near the Mediterranean Sea, This diet highlights foods such as fish, olive oil, legumes, whole grains, fruit and vegetables. In this program, Chef Collette, a classically trained Culinary Institute of America graduate, will demonstrate four recipes that celebrate the Mediterranean style of cooking: Shakshuka, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Brothy Gigante Beans and Pan Roasted White Fish. Program fee of $30.

Food as Medicine: Cooking for Heart Health

Wednesday, February 8, 6 – 7:30 PM

One of the best things you can do for your health is learn to lower your risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death for men, women and Americans of most racial and ethnic groups. And the battle begins in the kitchen. What you eat can dramatically improve your health and decrease your chances of developing heart disease-related illnesses, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Join Chef Collette Haw, a classically trained Culinary Institute of America graduate with a passion for seasonal, sustainable

cooking, and Toralben Patel, MD, a non-invasive cardiologist with the AdventHealth Cardiovascular Institute, for this interactive program. As Chef Collette prepares recipes including Pomegranate & Kale Salad, Ginger Garlic Salmon and Brown Rice & Almond Pilaf, Dr. Patel will discuss simple, everyday actions you can take to improve your heart health. Program fee of $30. This program will also be available as a free, live webinar (without sampling of recipes).

Educating Eats: John Rivers and Dr. Monica Aggarwal

Thursday, February 9, 6 – 8 PM

Keep your New Year’s goals and intentions going strong with a discussion on the types of foods you should be eating as part of a healthy, well-rounded diet. In this interactive cooking demonstration, famed local celebrity chef, restauranteur and philanthropist John Rivers and Dr. Monica Aggarwal, both of the 4 Roots Foundation, will highlight what’s in season in Florida right now and showcase ways to eat seasonally and sustainably, with a focus on plant-based meals. Specific recipes to be announced soon – check our website calendar for details.

Cooking with Collette: Heart-Healthy Chocolate

Wednesday, February 22, 6 – 7:30 PM

We’re celebrating two important holidays in February – National Heart Month and National Chocolate Month. Just like the timeless combo of chocolate and peanut butter, these two are meant to be. Learn how chocolate can not only be an indulgence, but it can also actually be good for you, too. Join Chef Collette Haw, a classically trained chef, in the Nutrition Theatre to learn how to make and sample three decadent, delicious and deceptively healthy recipes: Quick Chicken Mole with Rice, Avocado Sea Salt Chocolate Pudding and Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Brownies. Program fee of $30.

Food As Medicine: The Well Woman Diet

Wednesday, March 8, 11 AM - 12:30 PM

March is Women’s History Month, a wonderful time to celebrate the many contributions women make to the world. To honor them, we’re creating a special menu just for women! Join Allison Harrell, Registered Dietitian and Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, and Ameigh Worley, MD, a board-certified OB/GYN with AdventHealth, for a meal designed to put women’s health first. Check our website for specific recipes to come. Program fee of $30. This program will also be available as a free, live webinar (without sampling of recipes).

Fitness is Better with a Friend

The Beatles said it best: We get by with a little help from our friends… and that is certainly true when it comes to how we approach exercise. Having a workout buddy can keep you accountable. After all, getting to the gym or staying motivated to work out can be more strenuous than the actual exercises we do when we get there.

If you’re looking to form healthy habits in 2023 that will stick with you for a lifetime, finding an accountability buddy at the gym is a great place to start. But where to look? Who to search for?

To help you find your perfect-fit accountability buddy, our personal trainers at the Crosby Wellness Center, the state-of-the-art fitness facility inside the Center for Health & Wellbeing, have shared their recommendations for finding a workout partner to count on, rain or shine:

Recruit from the gym.

You’ve probably noticed others who typically work out around the same time of day as you do. If you see someone who is around the same fitness level as yourself, introduce yourself, offer to spot them, or ask if they would like to exercise together.

Invite

a coworker.

Instead of arranging to get a cup of coffee with a coworker, try inviting your colleague to join you for a workout. You already support each other’s work projects— why not support each other in healthy endeavors, too? The endorphins released during exercise are likely to make you and your coworker feel happy and more comfortable around each other – two feelings that are powerful to bring back to the office.

Involve your significant other.

Working out with that special someone is a safe way to practice vulnerability with each other. Tackling new physical challenges together can be hard, but the rewards of working together towards a better quality of life and health can extend beyond the gym. Also, if your significant other is on board with your health and fitness goals, you’ll be more likely to achieve them with your healthy habits better aligned.

Friends Who Train Together, Make Gains Together

Exercising with a friend or workout buddy can make you more willing to try new forms of exercise. It is always easier to try something new with the support of a friend. In trying something new, you might just discover something that you love.

Perhaps the best benefit of having a workout buddy is that it will make you more consistent. When your friend is counting on you, you are more likely to show up because we are inclined not to let our friends down. Your fit friend’s healthy habits are likely to rub off on you too. Research has shown that a partner’s influence can inspire us to reach higher levels of conditioning.

And the effect is not small: researchers found that having a more-fit buddy could increase your workout time and intensity by as much as 200 percent.

Finding an Accountability Partner at the Crosby Wellness Center

The Crosby Wellness Center offers more than 90 group fitness classes designed to meet the needs of both fitness enthusiasts and those new to exercise classes. Each class is taught by a certified instructor trained to provide an excellent, motivating class that is sure to make you want to come back again. Participants can feel comfortable jumping right into any of our classes, including yoga, arthritis therapy, Pilates, aquatics exercise and more. Crosby Wellness Center’s Group fitness classes are great avenues for meeting people. Take a step class or yoga class to find potential exercise friends.

To view the Group Exercise schedule, scan the QR code or visit crosbywellnesscenter.org/ events. To schedule a tour of the Crosby Wellness Center, please call 407.644.3606.

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Crosby Wellness Center

Located at the Center for Health & Wellbeing, we invite you to stop by today to learn how we can support your health and fitness goals.

Best of Winter Park Winner

Crosby Wellness Center is the proud recipient of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 “Best Place to Sweat” Award. This honor was the result of votes from members of the community we serve.

Fitness at Your Fingertips

Experience a comprehensive membership focused on your needs on and o the fitness floor.

Crosby Wellness Center Mobile App

Quickly access membership tools at any time – Crosby Wellness Center check-in, class schedule and reservations, events and more.

Virtual Programming

Featuring MOVE Virtual Fitness Classes and Volt Virtual Guided Fitness included with membership.

BodyScript™ Body Composition Analyzer

Test any time at the center using near-infrared technology that provides accurate Gold Standard body measurements for muscle, fat, and water.

Visit crosbywellnesscenter.org, call (407) 644-3606 or stop by the Member Services Desk today.

Hysterectomy: Know Your Options

Types of Hysterectomy Procedures

If an OBGYN suggests a hysterectomy as a viable treatment option for you, it’s important to know there are several different types of this procedure. Depending on the reason for the surgery, a total, partial or radical hysterectomy may be performed. There are also different approaches to consider.

In a total hysterectomy, both the uterus and cervix are removed. A partial hysterectomy leaves the cervix in place and removes only the upper part of the uterus. What’s known as a radical hysterectomy involves removing the entire uterus, cervix and other surrounding areas.

In addition to the type of hysterectomy, there are also varied methods for the actual performing of the surgery. Dr. McCarus shares that “Nowadays, most of our hysterectomy surgeries are performed in a minimallyinvasive way, where, in most cases, patients are feeling about 80% to 90% better just two weeks after surgery.” Minimally-invasive options, such as a laparoscopic approach, involve special instruments with much smaller incisions in the belly button, while a robotic approach would be similar but performed by a robotic platform that’s controlled by your surgeon. Both robotic and laparoscopic surgeries are considered minimally-invasive and call for a shorter recovery time than the traditional method, which is performed vaginally, via open abdominal surgery. Only three to five percent of Dr. McCarus’ surgeries are done via open abdominal incisions.

Generally, Dr. McCarus says, the traditional method of surgery is only done in the event the patient has a large uterus or sometimes cancer. “A significantly larger uterus would not be safe to manage through the minimally invasive options,” he says. The recovery process with a traditional hysterectomy requires a longer hospital stay, longer recovery before returning to work and overall they experience more pain because of the type of incision.

Dr. Steven McCarus

Non-Surgical Options

Some patients can effectively be treated without surgery. “There are multiple reasons why a patient may be bleeding heavily or irregularly, so we always look at every patient individually to offer the best treatment option for them, which can be to start with medical management before a potential surgery,” says Dr. McCarus.

Dr. McCarus typically tries medical management first and holds surgery as a last option. The most common medical management approach that AdventHealth gynecologists use is dependent on hormone management. Physicians try to prescribe medication that will suppress the stimulation of the uterus and control bleeding. Patients who are of child-bearing age and see children in their future would try these types of medication first, as a hysterectomy would result in the inability to have children.

“Sometimes in our treatment plans, we try to do medical management for at least three months before looking into alternatives if the patient is trying to avoid surgery, because we know that’s how long it would take for a patient to get the full benefit of medication. These could be pills, injections or vaginal rings — whatever option best suits the patient’s needs,” says Dr. McCarus.

More Information

Dr. McCarus practices at the Center for Health & Wellbeing, joining AdventHealth Medical Group Family Medicine and Sports Med and Rehab offices, in addition to the Center’s AdventHealth Lab and Pharmacy.

To learn more about the advanced gynecology program at AdventHealth for Women, visit AdventHealthforWomen.com.