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LAND O’ LAKES/LUTZ EDITION
DECEMBER 24, 2014
150-bed hospital gets initial OK
By Michael Hinman
mhinman@lakerlutznews.com
Florida Hospital is inching closer to eventually building a new hospital in the Connerton community after developers there got initial approval for a 150-bed facility. Pasco County’s Development Review Committee gave the initial OK last week for Connerton to begin planning its second phase of the project, which could include 3,600 more homes, 190,000 square feet of retail and 725,000 square feet of government space. The revised plan adds another 110,000 square feet of medical office space, bringing that total to 200,000, doubling the nursing home beds to 100, and adding 150 beds for a hospital. Despite the move, Connerton representa-
FILE PHOTO
As Connerton continues to grow just north of Land O’ Lakes, entrances from U.S. 41 and State Road 52 will have to be improved, Pasco County officials say.
tive Stew Gibbons tells The Laker/Lutz News there aren’t any immediate plans to build a hospital at the Land O’ Lakes Boulevard community, located just south of State Road 52. “What we’re doing with now is securing approval of the entitlement limits so that can decide what they can put there, depending on the market at the time,” Gibbons said.“It’s a great location, especially when Ridge Road goes through, which will give you access across the county.“ Florida Hospital — which operates local hospitals in Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and the University of South Florida area of Tampa — owns about 34 acres of land in the county, purchased by University Community Hospital Inc., before that hospital chain was acquired by Florida Hospital’s See CONNERTON, page 7A
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A giant Christmas tree takes over center court during the holidays at The Shops at Wiregrass. Symphony in Lights, a holiday extravaganza happens nightly through Dec. 31, on the hour from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. More photos, page 1B.
Panelists identify gaps in mental health system By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
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Participants in a recent mental health panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes didn’t have any easy solutions for problems plaguing the delivery of mental health care to the nation’s most vulnerable people. But they did point out several areas where changes could be made to help improve the level of care for those with mental health conditions, and to improve support for their families and loved ones. The panel, convened by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, focused on mental health and substance abuse issues. It featured U.S. Rep.Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, a clinical psychologist and author of H.B. 3717, otherwise known as the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. Bilirakis is among the co-signers on Murphy’s bill. Too often people have thrown some money at the mental health care problem, added a program, and then walked away without making any real difference, Murphy told a crowd of about 100. “We have to stop pretending that we can just wish this away,” Murphy said. Like Murphy, Bilirakis said the time has come to find real solutions.The Palm Harbor Republican has learned from constituents that “we have a broken system with too many individuals falling through the cracks and not receiving the help that they need. “We put a Band-Aid on it, but we don’t fix it,” Bilirakis said.“Enough is enough.” Murphy said he’s heard from thousands of families across America, and their constant refrain is that there’s not enough help
COURTESY OF GUS BILIRAKIS
A mental health care panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes noted many issues that need to be addressed to improve the quality of mental health care in this country.
for people who are mentally ill. Under the current system, mentally ill people often can’t get help they need unless they go to jail. “On any given day, half-a-million people in this nation are in jail with a mental illness,” Murphy said. The problems of mental illness spill into other arenas, too, he added. The nation’s homeless population continues to swell, its suicide rates have increased, and many people with mental conditions have little or no prospect of work. Panelists at the Dec. 16 session represent-
ed high-ranking officials from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender’s Office, Operation PAR, Baycare Behavioral Health, Medical Center of Trinity, the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, the Pinellas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Pasco County Schools, the Trinity Pain Center and an advocate representing veterans needing mental health care. Themes that emerged during the discussion included the need for: See HEALTH, page 7A