School Notes: New Tampa’s Rowan Excels At King

Pebble Creek resident Adam Rowan was one of King High’s top students.

As Pebble Creek resident Adam Rowan graduates from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at King High on N. 56th St. in Tampa, he has a long list of accolades.

National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

National Hispanic Scholar.

Captain of the King soccer team.

Co-captain of the school’s tennis team.

Perfect score (36 out of 36) on the ACT.

Even with all of these accomplishments, the thing Rowan he says he’s most proud of is his role as the event lead for his school’s 2019 Relay For Life, benefiting the American Cancer Society, which he says, “raised just shy of $70,000 and had 500 students participating.”

Back when Rowan chose to go to the IB program at King, his dad, Mike Rowan, was the principal there.

“Him being there was a reason for me not to go there,” says Adam, “rather than a reason to go.”

Just about the time Rowan got used to seeing his dad walking the halls of his high school, his father became the principal at New Tampa’s Wharton High, just a quick ride from their Pebble Creek home.

Adam says it was an adjustment having his dad at a different school, but that he never reconsidered his decision to attend the King IB program.

“At that point, I was committed to the IB program and had done too much work to drop out,” he says.

However, Adam concedes he got the short end of the stick on commute times.

“I was leaving before him to drive to school, but he had to be at school before me,” he says. “I felt like I was getting no sleep compared to him.”

The lack of sleep and dedication to academics, sports and community service paid off when Rowan was accepted to prestigious Columbia University in New York City.

He says he toured the campus twice prior to applying and loved the feeling of it, the fact that it’s located in New York City, and that its Ivy League status means the curriculum will be rigorous.

“I liked being there,” he says. “I got a good vibe.”

That good vibe was so strong that he applied for early admission at Columbia. When he was accepted last fall, his decision to attend was binding and he had to decline his acceptance to University of South Florida and rescind the application he had submitted to the University of Florida. 

He knew he didn’t want to go anywhere else.

Now, Rowan hopes he’ll be able to be on campus at Columbia in the fall. He thinks he’ll study political science, but also says he might change his mind before he’s required to declare a major his sophomore year.

While he won’t be playing any NCAA sports, Rowan says he can’t imagine life without soccer — he is a defender/midfielder and last year helped King to a 13-6-5 record in Class 5A — and is hoping to play on an intramural team at Columbia.

That, of course, is contingent on intramural sports being offered, and the Columbia campus being re-opened for in-person classes.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to go yet,” Rowan says. He is currently awaiting the official plan for reopening the campus, which is expected to be released on July 1.

As he makes plans to attend college in the heart of a city that has been so harshly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Rowan  says he’s not too worried.

“I’m a little nervous, but I feel like going to college up there, or even if I went to college here in Florida, it’s still a risk,” he says. “I won’t let it stop me.”

Clark Gets New Principal

Delilah Rabeiro was named the new principal at Clark Elementary in West Meadows, replacing Paulette English, who moved to Pride Elementary in K-Bar Ranch earlier this school year.

Rabeiro’s appointment was approved at the Hillsborough County School Board meeting on June 9 and becomes effective on July 1. She was one of 34 principals given new assignments by new Hillsborough Superintendant of Schools Addison Davis.

Rabeiro was most recently the principal at Robles Elementary on E. Sligh Ave. in N. Tampa.

Cotey Repeats As Champ!

Jonathon Cotey, who attends Middleton High but lives in New Tampa, recently won the first-ever  ESports District Championship hosted by Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS).

The 16-player Super Smash Bros. tournament, completed online due to Covid-19, was the culmination of a year-long season in which players from nearly 20 high schools competed against each other at neutral sites. 

Cotey, who plays under the gaming tag BionicLettuce and was seeded No. 2, defeated top-seeded Nicholas Eisman (Nerva) of Plant High 3-2 in the best of five series, despite dropping the first two games.

“This has been a work in progress for five years,” said Robert Dodson, ESports Club Sponsor at Middleton High. “If it was this popular during quarantine, I can’t wait to see how big this can become in the future.”

School News: Lots Of Awards To Go Around

Isabella Douglas

Wharton senior Isabella Douglas was awarded a $500 scholarship and the Wharton Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) program received $1,000, thanks to an essay Isabella wrote for a nationwide NJROTC contest.

The Surface Navy Association (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Association incorporated in 1985 to promote greater coordination and communication to those in the military, business, and academic communities) offered the contest to NJROTC cadets across the country, choosing Isabella’s entry as the most outstanding nationwide. The award was provided as an incentive to “engage NJROTC cadets in understanding and appreciating the sacrifices of our WWII veterans, Navy core values, and what it means to be a shipmate.”

Isabella will use her award while attending the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she plans to major in journalism.

Although her current plans don’t include joining the military, Isabella comes from a military family. Her mom was in the U.S. Army and her dad was in the U.S. Coast Guard.

She credits Wharton’s NJROTC program with teaching her important life skills. “It taught me how to be a better leader, to be more organized, and (how) to talk in front of a lot of people.”

Isabella says she was excited to hear that her efforts not only benefited her, but also the school’s NJROTC program.

“I was really glad about that,” she says, “because it’s my last year and I was happy to give back to the program.”

National Merit Scholars Announced

New Tampa’s residents Arpan Bagui and Shezad S. Shah were named as $2,500 National Merit Scholarship winners by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) on May 13.

Bagui lives in K-Bar Ranch and attends the IB program at King High and is looking to study investment banking in college, while Shah is a Wharton senior who plans to study computer science in college.

Arpan Bagui

The $2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. 

National Merit $2,500 scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors. 

Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who considered the academic record (including the difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned). scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), contributions and leadership in school and community activities, an essay written by the Finalist and a recommendation written by a high school official. 

New Tampa PTAs/PTSAs Recognized

The Hillsborough County Council PTA/PTSA announced its award winners for the 2019-20 school year via Facebook Live on April 24, and New Tampa schools, especially Liberty Middle School and Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE), fared well.

In fact, both were honored with awards for Principal of the Year.

Gaye Holt

HGE principal Gaye Holt was awarded Elementary Principal of the Year, while James Ammirati of Liberty took home the middle school honors.

Both schools also received awards for Family Involvement; Hunter’s Green Elementary for its lip synch battle called Panther Jamz, and Liberty for its Family Night event.

Liberty picked up eight other awards, including Middle School Instructional Person of the Year for teacher Toni Kuzmicki, PTSA President of the Year for Shari Burress, “a force to reckon with, as she powers her way through the school year taking on tasks and challenges and working harder than anyone else” according to her nomination.

At the high school level, both Wharton and Freedom received awards for their Volunteer Hours.

Wharton also received an award for Student Involvement and the county award for Advocacy/Legislation for the school’s Gay Straight Alliance.

The school’s success coach Roslyn Brown was awarded High School Non-Instructional Person of the Year.

Brown puts in long hours that do not stop when she leaves our school,” her nomination letter said. “She is always working to better the lives of our student population.”

Freedom won the award for Family Involvement for its Multicultural Festival — “Diversity at its Finest” —  and Alicia Newcomb, the school’s agriculture teacher, was named the High School Instructional Person of the Year.

According to her nomination, Newcomb created the school’s vet tech program, an agribusiness course, expanded the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program and helped students earn apprenticeships and certifications, while partnering with veterinarians and animal rescue organizations to provide students with hands-on experience.

High School Graduations

While graduations across the country have been cancelled altogether, Hillsborough County Public Schools has instead delayed graduations for the class of 2020 in the hopes that local and state guidelines will allow in-person graduation ceremonies in July. Dates have been set for July 13-22 at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall. 

A final decision about whether the graduations can be held will be made closer to the event date.

For now, Wharton’s graduation is scheduled for Friday, July 17, 12:30 p.m., while Freedom’s is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, 9 a.m.

Gentle Hands Ob/Gyn: Care For Women, By Women

Dr. Gem Ashby (left) and Dr. Kristen Witkowski (right) and the all-female staff at Gentle Hands Ob/Gyn in Wesley Chapel provide quality, compassionate care for women of all ages. (Photos: Charmaine George)

As the second anniversary of her office’s grand opening approaches, Gentle Hands Ob/Gyn owner and obstetrician Gem Ashby, M.D., is happy to be watching her practice grow.

“We see pregnant patients and non-pregnant patients,” Dr. Ashby says. “We love our jobs very much.”

Gentle Hands is located about a mile east of I-75, just north of the intersection of S.R. 56 and Cypress Ridge Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. 

Gentle Hands offers “the full gamut” of obstetrics and gynecological care, including caring for patients with both low-risk and high-risk pregnancies, plus issues such as contraception, abnormal bleeding, management of abnormal pap smears, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, bladder pain and menopausal symptoms.

In addition, the physicians of Gentle Hands perform surgeries, including in-office procedures, plus robotic and laparoscopic surgeries, which are minimally invasive and allow women to have hysterectomies with shorter recovery times. They are affiliated with and deliver babies at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.

From 2009-17, Dr. Ashby spent eight years with a corporate practice in Wesley Chapel. While she loved her work, she found herself frustrated with the restrictions of the corporate environment and decided to start her own practice.

“I think the biggest difference at Gentle Hands is that, as physicians, we get to practice medicine how we feel is appropriate without a corporation breathing down our necks,” she says. “We can take more time (with our patients) if we need more time.”

She says her biggest complaint about the corporate environment was being compelled to see a certain number of patients each day. She is happy that to share that Gentle Hands Ob/Gyn takes a different, more patient-centered, approach.

“You get to know the patients better, because the patient is not just a number,” she says, “but a person that you know and that your staff knows.”

Dr. Ashby says there was a lot of thought put into the name of her practice. 

“‘Gentle Hands’ conjures up everything I want the practice to be,” she says. “Hands are holding and caring, gentle and inviting. We put the hands in the logo to personify that, and added the flower to represent us as women. There was a lot of thought behind it.”

Covid Crisis Safety

Dr. Ashby and her staff also have employed a gentle touch when it comes to the Covid-19 crisis, implementing a number of safety measures for her patients and employees.

“During the height of the crisis, we limited patients in the office to emergency patients and obstetrical patients,” Dr. Ashby says. “Now that the state has lifted the ban, we are slowly seeing patients again, and keeping social distance. The patients wear masks in the office, and everyone in the office wears masks all the time.”

Dr. Ashby was born and raised in Barbados and moved to the U.S. when she was 19. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, NJ. She then earned her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.

She completed her residency training at the Florida State University program in Pensacola from 2005-09. She is Board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

New Doctor, More Care

Gentle Hands Ob/Gyn expanded last August when Kristen Witkowski, M.D., joined the practice. 

Dr. Witkowski administers an ultrasound to a Gentle Hands Ob/Gyn patient.

Dr. Witkowski also is Board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She graduated from Loyola University of Chicago with a B.S. degree in Biology, then earned her M.D. degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago before completing her residency at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, also in Chicago. 

Dr. Ashby says she was pleased to welcome Dr. Witkowski to the office, allowing the two physicians to care for pregnant patients, which was almost impossible when Dr. Ashby was the sole practitioner.

“You hardly ever find solo Ob/Gyn practices anymore, because it leaves you very fatigued,” explains Dr. Ashby. “There’s always a possibility that you will have someone in labor.”

While all Ob/Gyn practices are for women, Dr. Ashby says Gentle Hands is set apart because it is both owned by a woman and run by women. And, all nine staff members are women. 

“We have every type of woman on our staff,” Dr. Ashby explains. “They are diverse age-wise — both older and younger — and of almost every ethnicity. It helps us to remember what each type of woman wants, so it makes us better and caring. For example, if someone is older, she might not want to use a cell phone, whereas a younger woman might not want to fill out pages and pages of paperwork.”

Dr. Ashby says that the Gentle Hands office is modern — allowing women to use technology to sign in on their cell phones, check their labs online, and other practices that make the office convenient. But, she draws the line at allowing technology to interfere with her relationship with the patients. She says she and Dr. Witkowski, along with their staff, won’t be using computers or a tablet or phone when they’re in the examination room with you.

“I find doctors are on two extremes,” says Dr. Ashby. “They’re either so old fashioned that everything is on paper, or so ‘teched out’ that the patient feels like no one’s paying attention to them. I feel that we have just the right balance.”

Judy Ravenna says she has been a patient of Dr. Ashby’s for about 10 years, following the doctor to her new practice when she opened it in 2018.

“She is the epitome of a really caring, knowledgeable physician,” says Judy. “She makes sure you feel comfortable and takes time to answer all your questions before she leaves the room.”

Judy says she has referred many friends and neighbors to Dr. Ashby, and they have all had the same wonderful experience.

“In today’s world, it seems like no one has time for you,” Judy says, “but she takes the time.”

In addition to caring for the women of Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, Dr. Ashby does volunteer work at the Judeo-Christian Clinic on N. MacDill Ave. in Tampa, a faith-based clinic for medically needy patients. She also speaks to community groups and at churches and high schools on women’s health topics.

Gentle Hands Ob/Gyn is located at 2391 Oak Myrtle Ln. in Wesley Chapel. To make an appointment, call (813) 803-2219. For more information, visit GentleHandsObGyn.com.

Palms Pharmacy Is An Independent With A Prescription For Growth

The staff at the Palms Pharmacy in Tampa Palms (l.-r.): compounding pharmacist Jake Johnson, pharmacist Shahida Choudhry, pharmacy clerk Alexandra Garcia-Rubio, senior technician Naivis Valdez and pharmacy intern Dustin Williams. (Photo: Charmaine George)

There is a chain pharmacy right across the street, and two other Publix pharmacies located right down the road on each side of her.

And yet, Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Shahida Choudhry says her Palms Pharmacy is thriving at its location in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms — just off the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit of I-75. 

Dr. Choudhry may not have the national and regional backing of her nearest competitors, but she has something she says is just as valuable — a hard-working and committed staff that is growing and genuinely cares about providing the exceptional neighborhood touch that comes with being a locally owned and community-focused business.

“And don’t forget, woman-owned,” says Choudhry, who opened the pharmacy in 2016 between the popular Ciccio Cali and Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi eateries in the plaza.

She says a strong relationship with local physicians, as well as word of mouth and advertising in the Neighborhood News have helped Palms Pharmacy grow from what was once just Choudhry and Naivis Valdez — who Choudhry says “runs the show” — to a staff that has grown to six people, including a second full-time pharmacist, two pharmacy students and a pharmacy clerk. 

Despite Palm Pharmacy’s now-larger staff, Dr. Choudhry still promises the personalized service and familiarity that is hard to find in a typical chain drug store, and it has remained open during the COVID-19 crisis

She and her staff get to know all of their customers. Not only do they learn their names — so they can greet them personally and start getting their prescriptions ready as they’re walking in the door — they also learn about their patients’ medications so the staff can provide the best possible care for them.

“Lots of folks like the 1-on-1 service we give them,” Dr. Choudhry says proudly. “When they pull up, we have their stuff ready. I know you’ve heard that before, but it’s true.”

The pharmacy will celebrate its fourth anniversary in Tampa Palms on April 15.

 It already has expanded once, in 2018, when it literally moved one door over to a larger location, allowing more room for pharmacists and technicians to work, a separate room for prescription compounding, and another separate room where durable medical equipment (such as walkers, crutches and nebulizers) is sold and fittings for compression garments are done.

Even so, Palms Pharmacy has almost already outgrown its newfound space.

Dr. Choudhry received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy, then went on to receive her Pharm.D. degree, both from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 2001. 

Before opening Palms Pharmacy, Dr. Choudhry was the pharmacist at the Publix in Tampa Palms for 10 years. She loved her job and her customers, but her search for a better balance of her work life and home, where she has two small children, led her to starting her own business.

So, she says, she took classes and read books and asked questions of many people who served as mentors to her, eventually opening Palms Pharmacy and hiring Naivis to work alongside her.

“It’s a hustle,” she says about owning her own business. 

She must be doing something right, though – she has been asked to speak in June about owning a pharmacy at a Women in Pharmacy conference in Austin, TX.

Success Spurs Growth

What’s Palms Pharmacy’s secret sauce?

“We do exactly the same as every other pharmacy,” Dr. Choudhry says, showing off her ever-present wide smile. “But, we do it better.”

And, she adds, just because Palms Pharmacy is a small business doesn’t  mean its prices are any higher than the chains. “We actually are competitive and in many cases, cheaper,” she says.

Palms Pharmacy boasts a wait time that Choudhry says is usually “next to nothing,” along with compounding medications and selling durable medical equipment not available at typical big chain pharmacies. Choudhry and her staff also provide immunizations such as flu shots, vaccines for pneumonia and shingles, and travel vaccines.

Dr. Choudhry says she had Shingrix, a shingles vaccine, when no one else around had it.

“We try to stay ahead of the market,” she says. 

The entire staff also thrives on helping patients with especially complicated health or insurance issues, which are becoming more and more common these days. Dr. Choudhry says that when insurance companies decline to cover a patient’s medications, that’s when she picks up the phone. “I know the doctors and the medical assistants,” she says. “I work with them to get their patients what they need, usually within the day.”

This is in huge contrast to other pharmacies, which may take 7-10 days to come up with a solution when an insurance company won’t cover a medication.

In fact, Dr. Choudhry says many of her patients find Palms Pharmacy through their doctors. 

“Doctors are supportive of us because we take care of their patients,” she says.

And, it’s not always about the sale. Choudhry is always suggesting helpful lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet recommendations, to help customers avoid bigger health problems down the road, as opposed to just handing over your medication and rushing you out the door.

Always Evolving

Dr. Choudhry also embraces new technologies when it comes to providing convenient customer service, as environmentally-friendly QR codes are now included with every prescription.

Patients can now point their cell phone cameras at the QR codes on their prescriptions and be taken to a website that will play a video offering the same description of the medication, and its possible side effects, that come on the folded up paper with the small print that has always previously come with your prescription.

The website also contains other information, as well as a form to fill out, and any questions will go directly to Dr. Choudhry’s email. “We started it in January, and have had a really good reception to it,” she says. “I think it’s really cool, and a lot of folks lose their stuff, so it’s really convenient, too.”

More Than Prescriptions

Choudhry also says she tries to hit the trade shows to make sure that Palms Pharmacy’s shelves are always stocked with the latest and best products.

She has recently begun carrying three different brands of CBD products — Procana, Medterra and Ananda — at various price points (you can get two tablets for $4 if you’re only looking to try it out), in various forms and in a variety of dosages. And, Dr. Choudhry and her staff will work with you to help you find the right product and dosage that will work best for you.

Over the past year, Palms Pharmacy has added products like handmade soaps from the highly-rated Old Whaling Company, as well as carrying aluminum-free natural deodorant from American Provenance, beeswax and honey soaps from Joan’s A Keeper and organic cleaners from Rena Naturals.

“I like to carry stuff no one else is carrying,” Dr. Choudhry says.

Palms Pharmacy also sells natural vitamins and supplements, from top companies such as Pure, Nordic, Metagenics and Mason. The store also sells LovePop pop-up greeting cards and most of the popular the Zum line, such as all-natural soaps, lip products, body lotions and more.

What’s the next hot product? “I’ll let you know in two weeks,” Dr. Choudhry says, as she is off to another trade show.

“Always hustling,” she says, adding that opening her own pharmacy has been extremely rewarding.

“I love it,” she says. “We’re growing every day and it’s a blessing. I wake up every morning and I’m excited to get to work every day.” 

Palms Pharmacy is located at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa, and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call (813) 252-9063, see the ad on pg. 23 or visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com.